“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens Essay

Injustice is probably one of the oldest forms of hate known to man. Injustice can be found anywhere and in all forms of life. One of the most well known forms of injustice is slavery. Men and women of all ages and races suffer under slavery still to this day. Romania, for example, has been home to the unfortunate youth who are sold as prostitutes by their own parents! We all know that this is wrong, but society has driven us to not considering this as slavery, just cruelty. Obviously slavery is unjust, but some people to this date still do not know this because of the way they were brought up. However, what was once justified can, upon closer examination, be considered unjust. This was also the case during the revolution in France that began in 1789. Charles Dickens in â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† described the many injustices that resulted from oppression in France. Injustice during the French Revolution affected everyone touched by it because the revolution claimed many victi ms on all sides. French peasants suffered, the aristocrats suffered, and innocent people suffered when the Revolution claims its victims. The unjust French government oppressed the poor peasants until they revolted in a bloody uprising. Everyone has a breaking point, and once it was reached, it was very hard to go back to a calm state. It was already bad that Marie Antoinette was using the tax money from the poor peasants to pay for her unnecessary dinner parties. Once Antoinette raised the taxes for that same purpose, it became unjust. This resulted in the beheading of Marie Antoinette. The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground of the narrow street in the suburb of Saint Antoine, in Paris, where it was spilled. It had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and many naked feet, and many wooden shoes. The hands of the man who sawed the wood, left red marks on the billets; and the forehead of the woman who nursed her baby, was stained with the stain of the old rag she wound about her head again. Those who had been greedy with the staves of the cask, had acquired a tigerish smear about the mouth; and one tall joker so besmirched, his head more out of a long squalid bag of a night-cap than in it, scrawled upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy wine-lees–blood (Dickens 37). The wine, which symbolizes blood, was smeared everywhere. This showed how desperate the French were to find some nourishment, even if it meant slurping wine off the city streets. It was amazing how a calm day in France changed into first come first serve madness. Also, the raiding of the Bastille showed how little the peasants could tolerate before retaliating. In this massacre, the peasants overpowered the guards to set the famous landmark on fire. Next, the aristocrats suffer from the united peasants’ uncontrollable anger and violence. One may wonder how the aristocrats and the peasants suffered at the same time? Before the Revolution, the aristocrats had all the money and happiness, but as the Revolution progressed, this happiness gradually converted into fear. Once the peasants realized that they made up the majority, they took advantage of this. The peasants’ anger drove them to imprisoning and killing every rich person in sight. Innocent people were killed just because they were rich. Aristocrats had no chance of survival because they were hated most. Anyone who worked for the government or even believed in what it stood for lived in a life of fear. The Marquis from â€Å"A Tale of Two cities† was too ignorant to realize that his comments bothered the people. This angered the peasants along with how wealthy he was. But one didn’t have to be the Marquis to be punished. Any wealthy man returning to France could be considered an emigrant. For instance, Darnay, a wealthy man, was accused of being an emigrant, so he was immediately sent to prison. As you can see, even the wealthy had no protection under the crumbled government. Lastly, innocent people suffer as the Revolution burned out of control. Innocent people, which included relatives of those directly affected, suffer just because of the overgrown madness. A good example of this would be Lucie and her daughter Little Lucie. Madam Defarge (who was probably the biggest reactionary in the whole book) wanted the whole Manette family to suffer just because Darnay (the nephew of the Marquis) married into the family. Luckily, Little Lucie was not hurt, thanks to Mrs. Pross who put her own life on the line just to save the Manette family. Mrs. Pross, who lived a simple, quiet life, suffered partial deafness from the sound of a single gunshot. Many relatives of the aristocrats received death by the guillotine just because of their family ties and heritage. This was not right, but the people were blinded by their madness to even think about who they were killing and punishing. As illustrated, injustice during the French Revolution affected everyone touched by it because the Revolution claimed so many victims on all sides. Thousands of irreplaceable lives were taken during the time of the Revolution. There were no winners in the outcome of the revolution. These few years were some of the worst France had ever seen. The grindstone had a double handle, and turning at it madly were two men, whose faces, as their long hair flapped back when the whirlings of the grindstone brought their faces up, were more horrible and cruel than the visages of the wildest savages in their most barbarous disguises (Dickens 260). Is it ok to do unjust things in the name of justice? Will there ever be an end to injustice in the world we live in? At the rate we’re going, we may never reach the desired utopia that we dream of. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Essay In ‘A Tale of Two Cities,’ by Charles Dickens, there were two characters that have many different personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses. But they also had a few things in common as well. These two characters are Sydney Carton and Madame Defarge. Although these two characters are alike, they both have different motives. Sydney Carton is a very strong and intelligent man. Fist, Carton presents himself as a drunk, lazy attorney, who feels as though his life has no meaning. Carton professes his love to Lucie Manette, but later on Carton becomes a changed man. He transform into a Christ-like figure. He begins to shoulder his way through life. His goals are positive and lead to his â€Å"recalled to life,† in book the first. Carton only wants to do what he knows will please Lucie, because he wants to die with the knowledge that one human being in the world who thought he was worth something and cared for him. Another character in the book named Stryver, describes Carton as â€Å"summons, no energy, and purpose.† Sydney also describes himself as, â€Å"like one who died young.† The only time in which Carton’s motivation kick in is towards the end, when he sacrifices his own life for Charles Darnay because he knows it is what would make Lucie Manette happy. The next character I will describe is Madame Defarge. Madame Defarge is completely motivated as well as Carton is, but Madame Defarge is also driven with revenge. It appears that Madame Defarge goals are only of vengeance. Madame Defarge is self-centered; app her goals are reflected around herself and her own revenge, which is shown when she says, â€Å"Tell the wind and fire where to stop; not me.† †A Tale of Two Cities† by Charles Dickens Essay Throughout A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens tells the story of several characters, all of who are developed continuously throughout the chapters. Several of the characters are greatly developed, some showing unpredictable sides to their personalities. Sydney Carton is a prime example of such a character, his delicate personality revealed when he declares his love for Lucie. He is not the only character in love with Lucie, however. Throughout Book Two, it is revealed that Stryver and Charles Darnay are also coveting Lucie. Darnay and Carton both announce their love for her, however Carton is the only one who goes directly to Lucie to tell her. In this passage, Carton is asking Lucie to not forget him and to remember that even when she is married and with kids, he will always be there for her to keep her happy. Carton’s declaration of his love for Lucie not only reveals his love and foreshadows his selfless, noble act in the later chapters, but in addition, Dickens’ use of language reveals that Sydney is no longer the â€Å"jackal,† but that he is in fact much more than that – a sensitive man with deep emotions. Dickens’ use of language in this passage brings to light the sincerity in Sydney Carton, changing the mood of the reader towards him, and the words that Dickens uses to make Carton express himself allows Carton to truly show his desire for Lucie. When Carton says, â€Å"for you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything,† Dickens is emphasizing the fact that Carton is dedicated to her. Throughout the passage, he continuously repeats phrases including the word you, such as when he states â€Å"I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you.† As a result of emphasizing Carton’s love for Lucie, Dickens creates an immense feeling of sympathy for the reader, as the dedication for Lucie is expressed so eloquently. The fact that Carton accepts this unrequited love by saying â€Å"I will relieve you of a visitor with whom I well know you have nothing in unison, and between whom and you there is an impassable space† creates even more comp assion for Carton because even though it is known that Lucie does not reciprocate his feelings, it is even more painful to watch as he simply walks away from the woman he loves. In addition to uncovering Carton’s true love for Lucie, Dickens uses irony to show the eloquent Carton that contrasts with the drunken Carton of the previous chapters. The chapter to which this passage belongs to is titled â€Å"The Fellow of No Delicacy,† which is ironic because although perhaps Carton was not delicate in the preceding chapters, in this passage he is nothing but eloquent and delicate. He remarks â€Å"try to hold me in your mind, at some quiet times, as ardent and sincere in this one thing,† a great example of his eloquence, which once again causes the reader to develop sympathy for him, since the language he is using so differs from his previous drunken language à ¯Ã‚ ¨203). Carton’s eloquence really shines through in this passage, even though it contrasts with the chapter title and Dickens creates sympathy and tenderness towards Sydney Carton. Because Sydney Carton is put down, not only by others but by himself as well, throughout the entire first half of the second book, when he declares his love for Lucie in such an unselfish and loving manner, it changes how Carton is viewed. Since Stryver takes all the credit for being successful even though Carton does all the work, it is written, â€Å"†¦although Sydney Carton would never be a lion, he was an amazingly good jackal† à ¯Ã‚ ¨116). Carton even describes himself to Darnay as â€Å"I am a disappointed drudge, sir I care for no man on earth, and no man on earth cares for me,† exhibiting Carton’s own self-pity and sadness for the world à ¯Ã‚ ¨113). However, with this passage, Sydney Carton causes any reader to fully disregard any judgments made for his character. Dickens previously portrayed him as this unfortunate man without anything to live for, but now it is revealed that Carton does indeed have someone to live for – Lucie and her happi ness. This passage causes all previous opinions about Sydney Carton to be discarded, as now Sydney Carton is no longer the jackal, but he has turned into the lion. In addition to revealing the compassionate and eloquent side of Sydney Carton, this passage is also a moment of foreshadowing for Carton’s noble and unselfish act of sacrificing himself for Lucie’s happiness. What may have seemed to be just talk about how much he loved Lucie turned out to be very, very real. In this passage, Carton declares to Lucie, â€Å"†¦think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you† à ¯Ã‚ ¨204). In his last moments, Carton visualizes Lucie feeling that â€Å"each was not more honoured and held sacred in the other’s soul, than I was in the souls of both,† referring to the respect and recognition that both Darnay and Lucie give to Carton à ¯Ã‚ ¨500). In this passage, Carton sets up his feelings for her, perhaps knowing that someday he would have the chance to occupy a special place in Lucie’s heart for a noble, heroic act. His â€Å"sacrifice for you and for thos e dear to you† embodies the Charles Dickens’ theme of love overpowering everything. With love, Carton was able to have the strength to sacrifice his life for the happiness of one person he cared about. With love, not jealousy, he was able to ask Darnay, â€Å"I wish we might be friends† à ¯Ã‚ ¨275). While Lucie does not reciprocate Carton’s love, she does defend him in front of Darnay, declaring â€Å"I would ask you†¦to be very generous with him always†¦I would ask you to believe that he has a heart he very, very seldom reveals, and that there are deep wounds in it† à ¯Ã‚ ¨278). By Carton declaring his love for Lucie and being wholly devoted to her, he is not only able to give Lucie a complete family, safe and protected in England, but he is also able to say that â€Å"it is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known,† clearly displaying that through his death, he is gaining all the love and admiration he never had before à ¯Ã‚ ¨500). Sydney Carton is my favorite character of the entire novel. His noble act despite the unrequited love between him and Lucie is such an honorable action, and the fact that he kept true to his word about giving his life â€Å"to keep a life you love beside you† makes him all the more noble à ¯Ã‚ ¨204). I thought that this passage was really a turning point for Sydney Carton’s character, since up to that point he had been very reserved and inarticulate, but when he went to speak to Lucie he became this eloquent speaker, driven by a strong love. From then on, we continue to see Carton’s character develop, creatively seeking out the apothecary for the substances in order for the plan to work. He acted without a moment’s hesitation, and that â€Å"[his face] was the peacefullest man’s face ever beheld there† shows that he had absolutely no regrets about his sacrifice à ¯Ã‚ ¨4à ¯Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¹). To be that calm when he is about to be the newest victim of the Guillotine is a daunting task in itself, but to have someone who would sacrifice his or her life just for someone else’s happiness is beyond imaginable. Therefore, this passage sets the stage for Carton’s ultimate sacrifice, making Carton no longer a â€Å"disappointed drudge,† but a noble hero who goes from being a friend to Darnay and the Manettes to becoming their savior. There is no greater sacrifice that Carton could have made, and for it all to be because he loved Lucie unconditionally is a pretty incredible thing. â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† by Charles Dickens Essay Loyalty and duty is one of the main themes in â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities†. Dickens examines this theme on many different levels, looking at both the loyalty and duty involved in the characters’ personal relationships and their loyalty to certain causes or beliefs. Many of the characters in the book make great sacrifices due to loyalty on a national level or personal level. Lucie Manette shows great dedication and loyalty to her father, Dr. Manette. Though she once believed she was an orphan, when Lucie meets with her father she is unable to part with him. She looks after him and as the â€Å"golden thread† is able to bring him back to health and lovingly take care of him thereafter. Miss Pross, her nursemaid tells Mr. Lorry how Lucie had to persevere and showed tremendous devotion when she was nursing her father back to health â€Å"He gets up in the dead of night†¦ She hurries to him and they go on together until her love and company have brought him to himself.† (p94) She even says she is willing to avert her marriage plans despite her love for Darnay because she loves her father and does not want to leave him â€Å"If my marriage were so arranged as that it would part us†¦ I should be more unhappy and self-reproachful now than I can tell you.† (p180) Lucie sees it her duty as a daughter to look after Dr. Manette and th roughout the book she demonstrates her loyalty to him â€Å"She had been true to her duties. She was truest to them in the season of trial, as all the quietly loyal and good always will be.† (p264) Lucie also shows loyalty when her husband, Darnay is imprisoned. Throughout his imprisonment, Lucie goes to stand outside the prison for two hours each day hoping that her husband will be able to see her. â€Å"In all weathers she waited†¦ she never missed a single day.† She is also loyal to Carton who professes his love for her. She makes sure that he is welcome in her home and that he is treated with respect despite his reputation and bad habits. She tells Darnay to â€Å"Remember how strong we are in our happiness, and how weak he is in his misery!†. At the end of the book Carton sacrifices his life in order to save Darnay. Lucie honours him even after his death by naming her son after him. Darnay himself shows loyalty to his old steward, Gabelle. Gabelle is imprisoned in France due to his relationship with the Evrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½monde family and he so he writes to Darnay appealing to his â€Å"Justice, honour, and good name.† (p233) Darnay’s sense of duty and responsibility forbids him to turn his back on Gabelle or on his country. He is unaware of how dangerous it will be for him in Paris and idealistically, he even believes that he may be able to calm some of the violence. Eventually, like a ship may be drawn to the Loadstone Rock, he decides to go to Paris and fulfil what he believes is his duty. Miss Pross is brusque, tough, and fiercely loyal to Lucie, her â€Å"Ladybird†. Mr Lorry admires her for being so humble and for adoring Lucie so much that she would do anything for her. He talks of Miss Pross being â€Å"One of those unselfish creatures†¦ who will, for pure love and admiration, bind themselves willing slaves,† (p92) At the beginning of the book, Miss Pross says that she will never go abroad â€Å"If it was ever intended that I should go across salt water, do you suppose Providence would have cast my lot in an island.† (p30). However, when Darnay goes secretly to France and Lucie hears of his imprisonment, Miss Pross accompanies her to France. She overcomes her fear of travelling out of loyalty to Lucie. At the end of the book, Miss Pross shows extreme courage and devotion to Lucie when she faces Madame Defarge to stop her discovering that Lucie is fleeing France. â€Å"I don’t care an English Twopence for myself. I know that the longer I keep you here, the greater hope there is for my Ladybird.† (p352) Miss Pross then starts a violent fight with Madame Defarge though she had â€Å"Never struck a blow in her life† and when a pistol accidentally is shot and kills Madame Defarge, Miss Pross is deafened for life. The fight between these two women shows how Miss Pross was stronger in her loyalty to Lucie than Madame Defarge was in her hatred- â€Å"love, always so much stronger than hate.† (p353) Miss Pross also remains loyal to her brother even though he had previously stolen all of her money and left her. She says that Solomon was â€Å"the one man worthy of Ladybird† (p92) and that he â€Å"Had the makings in him of one of the best and greatest men in his native country.† (p284) The revolutionaries in France prove that a new, fairer French republic can only be achieved with heavy and terrible costs. Personal loves and loyalties must be sacrificed for the good of the nation. When Darnay is arrested for the second time, the guard who seizes him reminds Manette that state interests should be held above personal loyalties. â€Å"If the Republic demands sacrifices from you, without doubt you as a good patriot will be glad to make them. The Republic goes before all.† (p281) Defarge shows courage and loyalty to the revolution when he tries to give a petition to the King â€Å"At the hazard of his life, darted out before the horses with the petition in his hand.† (p163) However, Madame Defarge thinks her husband weak when he pities Doctor Manette and does not want Darnay or Lucie to be killed. â€Å"If it depended on thee- which happily it does not- thou wouldst rescue this man even now.† (p326) Dr. Manette is loyal to his dutiful daughter Lucie. Even when Charles tells him that he is part of the French aristocratic family who caused his long imprisonment in the Bastille, he allows Charles to marry her. Though the shock of this discovery causes a relapse of his old mental state, when he recovers he accepts the marriage of Lucie and Charles for his daughter’s happiness. Mr. Lorry is extremely loyal to Tellson’s Bank. He agrees to go to the bank in Paris even in the midst of the revolution to make sure it is safe. â€Å"If I were not prepared to submit myself to a few inconveniences for the sake of Tellson’s, after all these years, who ought to be?† (p226) He describes himself as a man of business and even when he is almost eighty years old, he risks his safety and goes to Paris just to ensure the safety of the bank. Jerry Cruncher tells his wife what he thinks is her duty. â€Å"A mother’s first duty is to blow her boy out.† Mr. Cruncher does not like his wife praying because he thinks it affects his work as a grave-robber. â€Å"You have no more natural sense of duty than the bed of this here Themes river has of a pile,† (p156) However, he shows loyalty to Mr. Lorry and to the Manettes when he tells Carton that Roger Cly was not dead as he had not been in his grave when he went to dig it up. Cruncher puts his position at risk when he gives away his secret career. The French aristocracy show a lack of duty and loyalty. They treat the people of France extremely badly. When the Marquis St. Evrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½monde’s coach runs over a child he thinks that tossing a coin to the father is enough compensation. Monseneigneur shows no loyalty to his family. When he wanted some money he married his sister to a rich man, treating her like an object rather than a sister. Dr. Manette sees how cruel the Evremendes were when he has to look after the dying lady whom they had taken from her husband on her wedding night. The sacrifice of Sydney Carton is an example of tremendous loyalty to Lucie and her family. Carton loves Lucie so much that he willingly gives up his life to save her husband, Charles Darnay. â€Å"For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything.† Carton single-handedly thinks up a plan and arranges that he replaces Darnay at the guillotine. Carton’s love for Lucie eventually makes him a better person, knowing that he will save Darnay radically changes him, â€Å"For the first time in many years, he had no strong drink.† (p324) Even Mr. Lorry notices the change in him â€Å"His manner was so fervent and inspiring,† (p330). For the first time Carton feels like his life may have a purpose and could be useful â€Å"Of little worth as life is when we misuse it,† (p322)Carton’s loyalty to Lucie is extremely important for him, in choosing to die for her, Carton not only enables their happiness but also ensures his spiritual rebirth. â€Å"It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done, it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.† (p361) We can see through all these characters how important loyalty and duty is. For some people like Carton and Miss Pross, it provides a purpose in life. For others such as Dr. Manette, Lucie and Darnay, duty is what they feel is the right thing to do. Overall, Dickens shows us that duty and loyalty can make you a better person and that sometimes sacrifice is necessary to achieve happiness or to produce something good.

MayBank: Malaysia’s Largest Bank and Financial Group

1. 0. INTRODUCTION 1. 1. MAYBANK BERHAD BACKGROUND Maybank is a trade name for Malayan Banking Berhad. Maybank is well known as the largest bank and financial group in Malaysia, with significant banking operations in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. This bank also has large interests in Islamic banking throughout Maybank Islamic Berhad and insurance via its Etiqa subsidiary. As it moves into its six decade, Maybank Group already show it commitment and changes in order to become the financial service leader in Malaysia.From its incorporated on 13th May 1960, Maybank starting its operation on 12th September 1960 at Mansion House, High Street, Kuala Lumpur. At that time, Malayan economy was fully dependant on rubber and tin and Maybank take the chances to be the first wholly bank that owned finance company. It was known as Malayan Finance Corporation and later its change to Maybank Finance. Maybank opened its first overseas branch in Brunei on 28th November 1960 followed by Sou th Bridge Road, Singapore in December 1960.On 12th December 1962, the Hong Kong branch was opened followed by a branch in London on 12th September 1962. Maybank also listed on Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange on February 17 at the same year. On September 1973, Maybank step forward and sets up its investment banking arm known as Aseambanker and was already rename as Maybank Investment Bank in 2009. In 1974, Maybank introduced the Rural Credit Scheme which purposed its services to rural sectors and also to fulfil the government’s objective which want to balance the economic among populance.As the time passed by, Maybank upgraded its services and come out with the first mobile bus banking services in Johor in 1976 which provided financial services to rural communities. Maybank also introduced Mayban Phoenix Assurance Berhad in 1977 with the bank hold 70 % equity and the remaining 30% is held by British Phoenix assurance and changed its name to Mayban Assurance. In 1978, Maybank becom e the first Malaysian bank that computerized all the saving and other current account services. Maybank launched its first credit card called Maybank Visa Card in year 1980.Then, around 1983, the foundation stone of Menara Maybank or known as Maybank Headquarter was lay by Malaysian fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamed. Maybank also step forward by opened Balai Seni Maybank and Maybank Numismatic Museum that officially launched by Tan Sri Dato Jaafar Hussein, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. An offshore bank in Labuan International Financial Centre was set up by Maybank to prove their establishment in this sector. After that, in 1992, Maybank formed Maybank Securities. This situation clearly show that Maybank always improving their standard year by year by introducing new services and products.Then,in year 1996, Maybank sell Kwong Yik Bank to Rashid Hussain Berhad Maybank also become the first bank that offer the convenience of ticket less travel for domestic flights on MAS through MASET (MAS Electronic Ticketing) in 1997. Maybank also upgraded its services by introducing Internet Banking services or known as Maybank2u. com that help their customer to use Maybank services at any time and places. In year 2001, Maybank then merged with Pacific Bank Berhad and Phileo Allied Bank berhad which well known as foreign banks.At the same year, Maybank also introduces Dataran Maybank which consists of head office of Mayban Finance, Maybank General Assurance, Mayban Fortis Holding, Mayban Life Assurance, Maybank Securities and last but not least is Maybank Futures. In year 2004, Mayban Finance vested all their entire operation and business into Maybank. Around 2008, Maybank was starting to establish its Islamic Banking Subsidiary known as Maybank Islamic Berhad. Besides that, Maybank also completed the acquisition of 15% in An Binh Bank (Vietnam), 20% of Muslim Commercial Bank of Pakistan and 97. 5% of Bank International Indonesia (BII).In addition, Maybank won for the second year Malaysia's Most Valuable Brand (worth RM9. 3 billion), and Deal of the Year – Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year at the 2008 ALB SE Asia Law Awards. Maybank was founded by Malaysian business tycoon Khoo Teck Puat, who died in 2004. The company was led by President and CEO Amirsham Abdul Aziz for some two decades until March 2008 after which he was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in-charge of the Economic Planning Unit, a post he held until April 2009. Dato' Sri Abdul Wahid Omar was officially appointed as President and CEO of Maybank Group in May 2008.As of June 30, 2010, Maybank boasting group assets worth RM337 billion (US$106 billion), placing it among the top 120 banks worldwide. Malayan Banking is also a listed corporation on Bursa Malaysia. Maybank is well known as the largest bank in Malaysia with 384 domestic branches and 190 international branches and offices. Maybank is largest listed companies on the Malaysian Stock Exchange, Bursa Malaysia, with a market capitalization of over RM54 billion (USD22 billion) as of end-March 2011. In addition, Maybank was ranked at 458th in the Forbes Global 2000 Leading Companies with market cap of USD 20. 8 billion in year 2011. 1. 2. MAYBANK OPERATION Maybank operates consumer banking, business and corporate banking as well as private banking services, through a network of 384 branch offices and more than 2,800 automated teller machines in Malaysia. The company operates 22 branches throughout Singapore providing a full range of banking and financial products and services. Maybank, through Maybank Philippines Incorporated, has 50 branches in the Philippines and also has a banking presence in most of the other Southeast Asian markets, including Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam.The bank also operates branches in New York, London, Hong Kong and Bahrain. Beside its commercial banking network, Maybank operates a number of specialized s ubsidiaries in the insurance, investment banking and assets management, and finance sectors. The group's subsidiaries include Etiqa Insurance & Takaful which provides both conventional and Shariah compliant insurance products, and Maybank Investment Bank which is the Group's investment banking division following the acquisition of Maybank Discount and Maybank Securities. Maybank was the first Malaysian bank granted the right to establish a branch office in China.

Political Geography of Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Geography of Britain - Essay Example Hence, an electoral system strongly determines a political system’s organization. For anyone interested with the political process, electoral systems are a significant object of study. This paper is on the electoral system of Britain, particularly focusing on its advantages and disadvantages. Britain uses the single member constituency with simple majority, also referred to as the First Past the Post system as her electoral system. For general elections purposes, Britain comprises single constituencies. Every party wishing to contest for the seat/constituency must present one representative or candidate to stand. In every constituency, each voter has one vote, which they cast for the representative or candidate of their choice. Elected as the Member of Parliament for a certain constituency is the candidate with the greatest number of votes. Subsequently, the party with the largest number of elected Members of Parliament normally forms the government (Britton, p1, 2008). Pritch ett (2003) asserts that such an electoral system’s mechanics have in general given support to the dominance of Britain’s parliament by two parties thereby permitting one party to form a governing majority alone. Various scholars associate several advantages as well as disadvantages to this kind of electoral system. As far as electoral systems are concerned, the First Past the Post system that Britain uses is relatively simple and straightforward for voters to comprehend. It requires each voter to place one cross only.

Singer and Regan's Approaches to Animal Liberation Assignment

Singer and Regan's Approaches to Animal Liberation - Assignment Example Singer makes use of the rights language as shorthand for how we might want to treat other people in his arguments. Instead, singer argues that, when we put the consequences of an act into consideration when judging acts, it will be in order to put the interest of animals, primarily their interested to prevent any suffering, to have the same consideration to the same interest put on humans. That is to say, where one individual suffering either human or non-human is considered equal to that of any other, there is no reason that can justify one to put more weight to one of them. On the other hand, Regan’s approaches concerning animal rights are not driven by the ultimate consequences of the actions. Regan firmly holds the belief that animals are what he is referring as the â€Å"subjects of a life†, for that reason who has the moral rights, and for that reason, their moral rights should not be ignored as such. He argues that animals do have one moral right and even a legal one, and they should not be as anyone’s property. Singers approach of utilitarian means that he is judging the "rightest" of any act by the consequences it attracts. Specifically by the extent that the act tries to bring satisfaction to the things that are affected, maximizing on the pleasures developed and pain minimization. Other forms of utilitarianism do exist such as rule utilitarianism. This rule tries to judge the rightness of any action basing on the usual consequences of whichever the moral rule the act has been practiced. According to Singer’s grounds, he clearly states that there exists no moral ground when an individual fails to give equal consideration of rights that hang to the interests of both non-humans and humans.  

Explain and justify the ventures potential success Essay

Explain and justify the ventures potential success - Essay Example Since financial risk is connected with inclusion of debt capital, this implies that if there are no debt funds hence there will virtually be no financial risk. This also implies that activities which are totally financed by equity convey no financial risk. Subsequently, equity capital has the long-term potential for generating superior returns for the investors and is thus considered as appropriate source of finance especially for new business ventures. The investment appraisal techniques reveal that the net present value of investment is  £19,538.43 with an IRR of 29 percent. As the return on investment is more than cost of capital, it is apparent that project is viable and investors may accept this project. It is also apparent that budgeting will contribute towards the success of the business venture. Below is an outline of the anticipated budget as well as pricing structure for the business venture. The average per unit cost of delivering pizza is expected to be  £20 for sale of 8,825 units (in first year) and considering the demand of product and current competition in market, the management could expect sales turnover of around  £176,500. This means that average revenue per unit of pizza delivered will be  £31.14 (shown in price chart above) making a profit of  £11.14 per unit. The pricing structure is viable since it will enable the business venture to raise enough revenue to sustain its operations as well as to generate profits. Essentially, the aim of business is to make profit and this is achievable since our products are likely to attract more

The Treatment of Acute Exacerbation of COPD Research Paper - 1

The Treatment of Acute Exacerbation of COPD - Research Paper Example However, Sahn (2012) conducted research that showed the pre-hospital administration of hydrocortisone may improve. This could possibly be a result of evidence-based practice (EBP) and the purpose of this paper is to present the results of research into the topic.   EBP is relevant in practice mainly because it is informed by recently researched data that has been approved by professionals and the industry. According to Moyer (2008), managing acute exacerbation of COPD is a common practice that demands the critical search for evidence in the healthcare setting. In agreement with this opinion, Gregory and Mursell (2010) emphasize that medical practitioners should formulate relevant questions about the treatment of acute exacerbation of COPD. Based on this, this essay will search and answer the question â€Å"would the outcome of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD be improved by the pre-hospital administration of hydrocortisone in the UK?† Specifically applied to this question, the PICO model defines not only the problem but also the population at which the population is targeted. This was significant in the shaping of the literature search because it narrowed down the scope to a more defined area with specific expected outcomes. Yoder-Wise (2007) points out that it is critical in detailing the interventions and risk factors that must be considered by paramedics in their proc edure. This is as opposed to stereotyping the management of acute exacerbation of COPD to a particular long-used procedure (Goldacre, 2013).  Ã‚  

Business Risk in an Uncertain Global Economy Essay - 1

Business Risk in an Uncertain Global Economy - Essay Example The primary risks related to the global volatility are the interest rate risk, currency risk, country risk. All the three are related to each other and have a cascading effect over each other (Skipper & Kwon, 2007, pp. 20-23). Interest rate risks are related to the magnitude and probability of the unanticipated changes in the interest rates that exert an influence over the cost of various sources of capital in a specific currency denomination of an economy and others related economies and the demand for the products. The effects are considered in measuring the exposure of the overall interest rate changes. Currency risk has been related to the magnitude and probability of the uncertain changes taking place in the exchange rate and the inflation rates that is n the value of the foreign and domestic money. On the other hand the country risks refer to the enormity and probability of the changes in the country’s productivity development. Country risks are primarily related to the aggregate demand influencing the scale of production which in turn is affected by the political risk and global economical risks. The country risk exerts an influence over the business related risk and decision making policies of each business operating within the country premises. A firm competitive risk basically refers to the enormity and probability of the uncertain changes in the business specific conditions in addition to the industry specific and demand condition affected by the interest rate, currency rate and country risks (Oxelheim & Wihlborg, 2008, pp. 20-25). Instances can be derived from the global turbulence situation which Bank of England faced during 2013 and how they dealt with such situation. As per the governor of the Bank Of England, â€Å"Over two years now we have seen the situation in the euro area get worse and the problem being pushed down the road† (BBC News Business, June 2012). From the statement it can be assured that individuals in the business o rganizations, the firm itself and the government primarily deal with such uncertainties arising out of the volatile economy by executing certain risk management processes. Financial Management Theories, communication and initiatives: Financial management theories are related to the financial risks. Financial risks generate from the individual’s or the firm’s possession or usage of the financial instruments. The financial risk can evolve through various sources such as interest rates, issuance of stocks, credit extensions, and transaction of foreign currencies and also through various usages of derivatives. So it assures that the business incorporate the defaulter risk within its operations. Any firm when extend the credit to their customers suffers from the financial risk that someone will default. So as the individual also sustains the financial risk while borrowing money from the business enterprises like bank for fulfillment of their personal needs of like buying ho use, cars, making investments etc. Financial risks are primarily external towards the business and the individual and therefore are less subjected to the direct control of the same. On the other hand, they involve a careful and specific selection of the financial instruments (Pixley, 2004, pp. 1- 17). The financial management theories related to the financial risks can be divided into financial market risks, operational risks and the strategic risks. The

Conflicting Views of the California High School Exit Exam Essay

Conflicting Views of the California High School Exit Exam - Essay Example First, what is the minimum education children should have to graduate Are there a set of standards which have to be met, and a certain level of proficiency achieved Secondly, what does a high school diploma symbolize If it is meant to suggest that a person has attended high school, than by all means drop the exam. However, if it is meant to suggest that this student has an education, and has learned and met minimum levels of ability, then the exam should stand. Otherwise the degree is devalued for all those who truly earned it. Finally, can California make a clear case for discrimination, and prove that the exam is not fair to underserved children If so, then the results can not be validated. If they can prove that all children (while possibly not evenly served) have had enough opportunity to pass the exam, then the results should be upheld. By reviewing a brief history of the exam, and looking at both sides of the argument, it is clear that the exam should remain valid, and those 47 ,000 students should not be awarded their diplomas. The California High School Exit Exam is a new and fairly untested program. Originally slated to count towards graduation for the class of 2004, the schools held off until 2006, after state wide improvements were made to the schools. The exam tests for proficiency in eighth grade level math, and tenth grade level English. A student must get a fifty-five percent or higher to pass, and has six chances to pass the test. All over California people are arguing about the California High School Exit Exam. They claim that it is unfair, and that it expects too much of the students. Randy Dong, a California journalist suggests that it is not in the interest of education that these children are being tested, but rather in the interest of social promotion. He says "we are throwing algebraic and geometric problems at students who cannot even perform basic arithmetic" (Dong 2006). However, the exam only tests through eighth grade math and tenth grade reading (Washburn 2006). These children have twelve or more years of education, yet they can not pass proficiencies below their own level of academia. While Dong is in the minority, arguing about content, his view is important. In reviewing what is at stake, it is important to ask how low United States citizens are willing to set the bar in education. What should be a minimum level or proficiency to have a diploma Where Dong argues that algebra is too high a stan dard for students graduating from high school, others argue that the standards set by the test are two low. In an editorial from the Press-Enterprise, it questions "Freedman decreed that requiring students in low-performing schools to answer correctly just 55 percent of the questions in eighth-grade math and 60 percent of the questions in 10th-grade English - even after six tries - is an arbitrary violation of the state constitution." For students whose education has respectively passed four and two years beyond those levels, those minimums seem low, not high. With six tries, and tutoring available, no child should be able to fail that test, and if they do, then why should they be allowed a diploma Judge Freedman ruled that denying students the diploma would negatively impact their self-esteem, but what about the devaluation of the

Germany's Holocaust Memorial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Germany's Holocaust Memorial - Essay Example Then there are those who argue that the site is not Jewish enough, since it lacks obvious Jewish religious symbols (Eisenman, 2006). An advantage for having the information center within the site is to harmonize, the concept of the memorial site with individual documentation concerning the Holocaust victims and their families. Hence, visitors do not just get to express their somberness, but they get to learn more about these victims and understand how typical they were through their biographical details. Furthermore, the information center assists in the broader documentation and education of universal concerns of genocide. The downsize of the information center is that, it can be perceived as presenting a new thought of memory, discrete from nostalgia, more of a public relation gimmick. The US does not have a permanent national memorial for victims of slavery, and the genocide of American Native Indians. Currently, the proposed museum for slavery has stalled entirely, while the native Indians have the national museum of American Indians at the national mall (National Mall,

Menatl Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Menatl Illness - Essay Example For clarification purposes, OCD is a mental disorder which is not similar with having an Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. OCD is characterized by intrusive thoughts such as believing that a devil or another being could possibly harm them or their loved ones. Such thoughts results into behavior that seems paranoid such as being overly protective of people close to them. On the other hand, OCD personality disorder is more concerned with rules, standards, guidelines which makes a person a â€Å"perfectionist†. OCD is a mental disorder with two different but related components. These are intrusive thoughts, the â€Å"obsessive† part of the disorder, and repetitive behaviors, the â€Å"compulsive† part of the disorder (Rachman,2003, p.21). Aardema ( 2007) characterized OCD as ego-dystonic which meant that the individual’s elf-concept is not compatible with the disorder ( p.187). On the contrary, OCD personality disorder is ego-syntonic which is define d by Dorland’s Medical dictionary as â€Å" aspects of a persons thoughts, impulses, attitudes, and behavior that are felt to be acceptable and consistent with the self-conception.† All mental disorders can lead to serious consequences for the individuals who are affected by it. Perhaps among the mental illness known to man, OCD subjects the patients to casual and daily ridicule . There are countless jokes – on everything from sit-coms to sportscasts – about people washing their hands a la Lady Macbeth in an obsessive way. People make continual references to being obsessive or compulsive about one thing or another all the time in a way that to someone who actually struggles with OCD can feel slighting and incredibly dismissive. Those who have this condition, far from finding it a joke, can in fact find it crippling and are often deeply ashamed of their thoughts and behaviors As aforementioned, the disorders have both compulsive and

A Tale of Two Cities Essay Example for Free

A Tale of Two Cities Essay Throughout well-known stories, authors tend to develop memorable characters in order to enhance the plot; although they may not always be portrayed in the most considerate manner. In Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities, he also uses such characters. First, Lucie’s role of over dramatic damsel in distress. Second, Miss Pross’ participation as the over protective mother figure. And third, Mme. Defarge as the bloodthirsty crazed villain. Through these characters, Dickens portrays women in the three most stereotypical demeanors: weak and fragile, a worrisome mother and a psychotic wife. Throughout the novel, Lucie is a feeble girl who cannot stand up to the hardships of life. â€Å"Perfectly still and silent, and not even fallen back in her chair, she sat under his hand, utterly insensible; with her eyes fixed upon him and with that last expression looking as if it were carved or branded in to her forehead† (Dickens 25). This is Lucie’s reaction to the news from Mr. Lorry that her father, presumed to be dead, has been found alive after spending eighteen years in the Bastille. Instead of a normal reaction of tears and joy, she is simply so stunned that she cannot even move; her expression of shock and fear is frozen upon her face. She reacts very similarly when she goes to meet  her father for the first time. Dickens writes, â€Å"Mr. Lorry got his arm securely round the daughter’s waist, and held that she was sinking†¦ ‘I am afraid of it’ she answered, shuddering. ‘Of it? What?’ ‘I mean of him. Of my father’ † (36). Of course it would be intimidating for her to meet her father for the first time in her life but she is on the verge of fainting a second time just from thinking about her father. She also does not even see him as human referring to him as â€Å"it†, not even wanting to approach her father. Finally, when her husband is taken away to prison, again she displays weakness, â€Å"As he went out at the prisoners’ door, she turned laid her head lovingly on her father’s breast, tried to speak to him and fell at his feet† (324). Yes it horrible to have her husband sentenced to death and is taken away to prison. But, she has a 6 year old daughter, she cannot give in to self-pity and weakness, it is the time for her to be strong not only for herself but for her daughter as well. It is important for her to see her mother strong and able to be there for her, but when she faints, her hope falls alongside her mother’s body. It seems Lucie has never had to really fight or be strong for anything in her life before. She acts like she always needs to rely upon someone else; she is very dependant upon others. Miss Pross’ role in the novel, although not very large, was nonetheless very important, especially for Lucie. Miss Pross was the mother figure in Lucie’s life, always caring for her and always nurturing her. When Lucie faints at the mention of her father, it is Miss Pross who is the first to her side: â€Å" ‘Why, look at you all!’ bawled this figure, addressing the inn servants. ‘Why don’t you go and fetch things, instead of standing there staring at me?†¦if you don’t bring smelling salts, cold water, and vinegar, quick, I  will’ † (26). She quickly takes charge of the situation and gives out orders in the same urgency as if it was her own daughter. It is also always Lucie for whom she is most concerned about: â€Å" ‘O me, O me! All is lost!’ cried she, wringing her hands. ‘What is to be told to Ladybird? He doesn’t know me, and is making shoes!’ † (187). Dr. Manette has a relapse and is no longer coherent. Miss Pross’ first concern is not restoring Dr. Manette back to health, but what the impact of seeing her father like this will do to Lucie. Finally, Miss Pross demonstrates her love for Lucie because she is willing to lay down her life for Lucie: â€Å" ‘I am a Briton,’ said Miss Pross, ‘I am desperate. I don’t care an English twopence for myself. I know that the longer I keep you here, the greater hope there is for my ladybird’ † (356). This demonstrates Miss Pross’ love for Lucie, risking her life in the hope that her sacrifice will keep Lucie safe. Miss Pross means well and is always looking out for Lucie and would do anything for her. However at times her actions are a bit eccentric. Finally, there is Mme Defarge, a very angry and vengeful woman. Mme Defarge takes it upon herself to make a register of all the nobility whom she proclaims as enemies to the revolution: â€Å" ‘Knitted in her own stiches and her own symbols, it will always be as plain to her as the sun. Confide in Madame Defarge. It would be easier for the weakest poltroon that lives, to erase himself from existence, than to erase one letter of his name of crimes from the knitted register of Madame Defarge’ † (166). This is M. Defarge explaining his wife’s register to others of the revolution, and saying that any who make it onto the register; will meet certain death. Not only does she register all  nobility in her knitting, but Mme Defarge also makes a point to remember the faces of anyone who is an enemy to the revolution: â€Å" ‘His appearance; is it known?’ ‘Age, about forty years; height, about five feet nine; black hair; complexion dark; generally, rather handsome visage; eyes dark, face thin, long and sallow; nose aquiline, but not straight, having a peculiar inclination towards the left cheek’†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœIt is a portrait!’ said madame, laughing. ‘He shall be registered to-morrow’ † (171). Just from this short description, Mme Defarge already has a mental image of this man and even commits it to her memory. Finally, once she decides to kill someone, she will stop at nothing to kill them: â€Å" ‘I have been in the streets from the first, nothing has stopped me, I will tear you to pieces, but I will have you from that door’ † (356). This is Mme Defarge when she is confronting Miss Pross, telling her that she has been fighting in the streets for the revolution since day one, and nothing will keep her from killing Lucie as well. Mme Defarge’s rage and thirst for blood did greatly help the revolution. However, it became something that ultimately consumed her and turned her in to what she set out to destroy in the first place. It is through these characters that Dickens portrays women very unjustly. Lucie as delicate and flimsy, not being able to handle life’s hardships. Miss Pross as the overprotective mother, sometimes taking her job to the extreme. Mme Defarge as the crazed wife, always full of anger and violence. Even though women display these qualities from time to time, is it really fair to say that these traits define their whole character.

History of International Human Resource Management

History of International Human Resource Management Up until the 1960s, even firms operating internationally maintained organizational structures with centralised technical and managerial resources, manufacturing ability, and the access to and control of the capital (Doz Prahalad 1981). As exports increased, it was seen as more attractive to establish sales subsidiaries in other countries, often staffing them with skilled personnel from the home country. These expatriates had the necessary product knowledge, and could even initiate local manufacture, but also had a perceived primary loyalty to the home company and country culture. Unfortunately, this was also an era of convergence thinking (usually towards the dominant U.S. culture), with sometimes lamentably littleattention being given to national sensitivities and cultural beliefs and behaviours With the developing internationalisation of many firms in the late 1960s and early 1970s, companies established overseas plants and entered joint ventures with foreign affiliates. Firms sought commercial success through moving closer to their customers by employing more host-country nationals. In some situations, they aimed at being perceived more as local rather than foreign, for various reasons. In the 1990s, not only has the practice of IHRM become more sophisticated, but research into its policy and practice has become established. It has a developing body of research and practice which is regularly considered at dedicated conferences, and published in general management as well as HRM journals. Increasingly, international HRM is being taught in university faculties of business management courses, and management MBA graduates, as well as graduates in HRM, are now more frequently aware of the issues involved, and the functions of HRM in an international context. International human resource management What an HR manager does in a multinational corporation varies from firm to firm. It also depends on whether the manager is located in a global corporations headquarters or onsite in a foreign subsidiary. What is IHRM? Actually, it is not easy to provide a precise definition of international human resource management (IHRM) because the mission of an HR manger in a multinational corporation (MNC) varies on a large scale. Generally speaking, IHRM is the effective utilization of human resources in a corporation in an international environment. The term IHRM in most studies has traditionally focused on the area of expatriation (Brewster and Harris, 1999) Broadly defined, international human resource management (IHRM) is the process of procuring, allocating, and effectively utilising human resources in a multinational corporation. If the MNC is simply exporting its products, with only a few small offices in foreign locations, then the task of the international HR manager is relatively simple. However, in global firms human resource managers must achieve two somewhat conflicting strategic objectives. First, they must integrate human resource policies and practices across a number of subsidiaries in different countries so that overall corporate objectives can be achieved. At the same time, the approach to HRM must be sufficiently flexible to allow for significant differences in the type of HR policies and practices that are most effective in different business and cultural settings. This problem of balancing integration (control and coordination from HQ) and differentiation (flexibility in policies and practices at the local subsidiary level) have long been acknowledged as common dilemmas facing HR and other functional managers in global corporations. Although some argue that IHRM is not unlike HRM in a domestic setting, others point out that there  are significant differences. Specifically compared with domestic HRM, IHRM (I) encompasses more functions, (2) has more heterogeneous functions, (3) involves constantly changing perspectives, (4) requires more involvement in employees personal lives, (5) is influenced by more external sources, and (6) involves a greater level of risk than typical domestic HRM. When compared with domestic human resource management, IHRM requires a much broader perspective on even the most common HR activities. This is particularly so for HR managers operating from a MNCs headquarters (HQ). The number and variety of IHRM activities are daunting. International HR managers must deal with issues as varied as international taxation; international relocation and orientation; various other administrative services for expatriates; selecting, training and appraising local and international employees; and managing relations with host governments in a number of countries around the world. Even when dealing with one particular HR function area such as compensation, the international HR manager is faced with a great variety of national and international pay issues. For example, while dealing with pay issues, the HQ-based HR manager must coordinate pay systems in different countries with different currencies that may change in relative value to one another over time. An American expatriate in Tokyo who receives a salary of $100,000 may suddenly find the buying power of that salary dramatically diminished if the Japanese yen strengthens in value relative to the US dollar. A US dollar purchased 248 yen in 1985, but less than 110 yen in 2000. In the case of fringe benefits provided to host company employees, some interesting complications might arise. For instance, it is common in the United States to provide health insurance benefits to employees and the employees family, which usually means spouse and children. In some countries however, the term family may include a more extended group of relatives-multiple spouses, aunts, uncles, grandparents, nephews, and nieces. How does the firms benefit plan deal with these different definitions of family? A final aspect of the broader scope of IHRM is that the HQ-based manager deals with employee groups that have different cultural backgrounds. The HQ manager must coordinate policies and procedures to manage expatriates from the firms home country (parent country nationals, PNCs), host-country nationals (HCNs), as well as third country nationals (TCNs, e.g. a French manager working for an American MNC in the firms Nigerian subsidiary) in subsidiaries around the world. Although such issues are important for the HQ-based manager, they are also relevant to the HR manager located in a subsidiary. This manager must develop HR systems that are not only acceptable to the host country but also compatible with company-wide systems being developed by his or her HQ-based counterpart. These policies and practices must effectively balance the needs and desires of local employees, PCNs and TCNs. It is at the subsidiary level that the increased involvement of IHRM in the personal lives of employees becomes particularly apparent. It is not unusual for subsidiary HR managers to be involved in arranging housing, healthcare, transportation, education, and recreation activities for expatriate and local staff. IHRM activities are also influenced by a greater number of external forces than are domestic HR activities. The HQ-based manager may have to set equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies that meet the legal requirements of both the home country and a number of host countries. Because of the visibility that foreign firms tend to have in host countries (especially in developing countries), subsidiary HR managers may have to deal with ministers, other political figures, and a great variety of social and economic interest groups than would normally be encountered in a purely domestic HRM. Excerpt from Human Resource Management by Cynthia D Fisher, Lyle F Schoenfeldt, James B Shaw. Published by Biztantra

Role of ETCs in Directing First Responders to Disaster

Role of ETCs in Directing First Responders to Disaster Vishesh Sudhir Emergency Telecommunications professionals (ETCs) play a vital role in the quality of care of the residents in the communities in which they serve. This includes preservation of life, property and equipment during critical incidents which may involve unfavourable outcomes. Critical incidents are events of an unfavourable nature that include deaths in the normal course of work, multiple casualty incidents, natural disasters, power outages, and emergency events involving a large number of people. Critical Incident Stress is the ETC’s reaction to these events which could interfere with one’s ability to function normally during or after the event. The reactions could be physical stress on the body, cognitive impairments in thinking and emotional change in behavioural patterns, feelings, and personality. Immediate reactions include nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate, muscle pains, confusion, memory loss, difficulty in problem solving and making decisions, anxiety, fear, guilt, and hopelessness. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental conditions which is caused by distressing events such as rape, assault, murder, kidnapping, automobile collision, or serious injury to oneself or others. These are the triggering events for PTSD which includes symptoms such as re-experiencing the event, nightmares, flashbacks, and anniversary of the triggering event could cause it. Later severe symptoms can include becoming withdrawn from family and friends, losing interest in activities previously enjoyed, or have difficulty feeling emotions, and being intimate with one’s partner. Treatments exist for both CIS and PTSD and there are services available in one’s area of residence to manage the onset of these conditions. The First Responder in the video was an experienced ETC professional who was able to help as many people as he possibly could with the severity of the natural disaster that struck the town being a tornado which required a mass response on the part of the town. He went to each victim that he was able to help with their injuries, bruises, and abrasions all the while keeping in constant communication with coworkers on helping the victims, superiors on calling in additional units and supplies, and the general public on staying safe. The survivors were in a traumatic event and had feelings of being scared, anxious, in fear of their safety and security of themselves and their loved ones. The First Responders felt the same way but with more control and experience since they work as ETC’s for a living, and if I were one during a tornado I would also feel scared, anxious and want to keep all of the victims in the area safe and treat their injuries using the established guidelines. The crisis that occurred in the video could be classified as a natural disaster, which living in Southern Ontario have not had any personal involvement in since tornados, hurricanes, and tsunamis are rare occurrence here. There was the Toronto snowstorm in 1998 caused by La Nina weather patterns which brought record snowfall. My family and I were driving back from my uncle’s house and our car kept getting stuck in position in the road which then required me to get out of the car to shovel near the snow tires in order for my mom to get the car moving further down because they didn’t plow the smaller neighbourhood roads that that time which was late at night and it required constant shovelling of the roads just to get the car moving closer to our house which we eventually got to as the snow dissipated. Personal approaches I would use to overcome the lasting effects a First Responder might suffer include getting CIS Debriefings and PTSD treatments. The debriefing is a regular series of meetings done by the organization the ETC is employed for, other coworkers, superiors and experts in the conditions of CIS with the purpose of the meetings being to get the ETC professionals to express their feelings on the events they were involved in, what impact it made on them physically in the form of injuries, psychologically in their cognitive patterns, emotionally in their relationships with others, and general behaviour both at home and in public. These meetings are a good approach for First Responders as it allows them to get more information about how to deal with their reactions to the above listed traumatic events, utilize support services that are available, and talking to trained experts such as social workers, psychologists, and therapists. For survivors the approach would be to use PT SD treatment that is provided through government services such as CMHA, services provided by their employer if they are employed such as a helpline, and services provided by private organizations such as Canadian Red Cross. The treatments these services offer include a combination of individual discussion, group discussion similar to the CIS Debriefings, and medication. Methods I would use to increase awareness of CIS and PTSD to coworkers, family, and the public include through word of mouth such as discussion with these interested individuals who inquire about it what CIS and PTSD are, provide them examples of each so they have an idea of the types of events surrounding them such as using the videos watched in class or finding a similar event to it on the Internet. I would use social media websites to educate the general public on CIS and PTSD with information pages about the conditions including what they are, symptoms, and treatment options available and contact information of the organizations that offer assistance to those who have CIS and PTSD. Other approaches include starting an outreach company which provides informational sessions to the general public in places such as malls, parks, schools, libraries, and community centres and provide the public brochures, pamphlets, booklets and contact information to organizations which offer assistan ce. I can also use media sources such as the local newspaper, radio station, and popular Internet destinations and present to these media sources information on CIS and PTSD in a presentation style that can accommodate their schedule. The complexity of CIS and PTSD means there is much research to be done on these conditions by the established medical community and so for those with these conditions the chance to increase awareness about it doing their own research, being more proactive and by being an advocate for finding cures for these conditions. The best method is the method the individual uses in their own personal circumstance. (Reference for CISD: Emergency Medical Responder 3rd Canadian Edition; Pearson Canada; Limmer, Karren, et. Al.; 2010 Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Ch. 2 pg. 16-17 in textbook) PTSD from CMHA: http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ CISD: http://www.info-trauma.org/flash/media-e/mitchellCriticalIncidentStressDebriefing.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_incident_stress_management

Literary Analysis: The Storm :: essays research papers

The plot of the story "The Storm" by Kate Chopin is a conventional everyday plot. The story would not be so interesting if it weren't for the last line of the story; "So the storm passed and everyone was happy." What did she mean by the closing line? My interpretation of the story is that she meant the rocky part of both Calixta and Alcee's mariage had passed along with the storm. Both Alcee and Calixta cheated on their spouse, however, they both knew that when the stor was over they would return to faithfulness with their mates. Alcee obviously felt regretful, as indicated when the author writes; "It was a loving letter full of tender solicitude." He then went on to say "although he missed them, he was willing to bear the separation a while longer-realizing that their health and pleasure were the first things to be considered." These quotes were taken from the letter Alcee had written to his wife. The storm had passed and it looked as if everyone in Alcee's situation was going to be happy. As for Calixta, she was extremely happy to see her son and husband return home safely, as indicated in the story; "She had clasped Bibi and was kissing him effusively." Calixta then went on to Bobinot and "Felt him to see if he was dry, and seemed to express nothing but satisfaction at their safe return." Calixta had also withstood the storm of her marriage and everyone seemed to be happy too. Alcee and Calixta both seemed to realize they were blessed with loving spouses. In their moment of passion they did not realize how lucky they both were. I feel they both came to grips with the fact that what happened between them was an act of lust and there were no feelings involved. The moment was very arousing to each of them but when the storm was over so was the act of lust and betrayal. My opinion is, this act was going to help both Alcee's and Calixta's marriage rather than hurt it, as long as their respective spouses do not find out what happened during the storm. I bring this up because both guilty parties involved seemed to come away fromthe incident loving their spouses more and realizing that their choice of who to

The Phenomenology of Fodor or the Modularity of Merleau-Ponty :: Psychology Psychological Papers

The Phenomenology of Fodor or the Modularity of Merleau-Ponty ABSTRACT: In 1983, Fodor’s Modularity of Mind popularized faculty psychology. His theory employs a trichotomous functional architecture to explain cognitive processes, which is very similar to Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of perception. Each theory postulates that perception is a mid-level procedure that operates on transduced information and that perception is independent of our cognitive experience. The two theories differ on whether perception is informationally impenetrable. This difference is essentially an empirical matter. However, I suggest that Merleau-Ponty’s allowance of cross-modal communication within perception explains our ability to identify features in noisy backgrounds better because his theory offers a more definitive ontology that matches human substantive behavior. Likewise, evidence within cognitive science suggests that Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology is a more accurate depiction of human cognitive processes. Introduction (1) Fodor’s modularity thesis popularized faculty approaches to cognitive psychology. This theory bears a striking resemblance to the phenomenological theory that Merleau-Ponty proposed two decades earlier. Both theories employ a trichotomous functional architecture to explain cognition and view perception as a mid-level processing of information that lies between the world and consciousness. The key feature that differentiates the views is whether that middle level of processing is completely impenetrable by consciousness. If Fodor was to relax his strong position of the impenetrability of information in modules, modules could both be somewhat encapsulated and maintain a general independence from consciousness. Then only the degree of perception’s independance from consciousness would distinguish his theory from Merleau-Ponty’s. Currently, both theories can account for the substantive, outward, behavior of humans. Only the procedural behavior, the internal process, differentiates the theories. The conundrum of deciding between the theories is resolvable by an empirical critical experiment. While this will require more knowledge of cognitive psychology, current evidence suggests that Merleau-Ponty was correct and the mind is less encapsulated than Fodor's original claim. The Two Theories and Their Resemblance Merleau-Ponty distinguishes three aspects of the psychological process; basic sensations, perception, and the associations of memory (Merleau-Ponty, 1994). Basic sensations receive raw information from the world and transduce them for our perceptual processes. Perception unifies the infinite amount of information about our environment, from our environment, into a meaningful structure. Perception is interpretive, but its presentation of the world is as distal and objective. There are three central features of perception for Merleau-Ponty. First, perception is synthesized independently by the body and not by the mind (consciousness).

Oxidation of Cyclohexanol to Cyclohexanone :: essays research papers fc

Oxidation of Cyclohexanol to Cyclohexanone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The oxidation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone involves the removal of hydrogen from the OH group. After separation and purification, an Infrared Spectrum will be run to determine the composition of the recovered material.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infrared Spectroscopy is a very powerful technique used in the determination of molecular structure and the identification of unknown organic materials. The infrared spectrum yields direct information about the presence or absence of key functional groups. â€Å"The region of the infrared spectrum which is of greatest interest to organic chemists is the wavelength range 2.5 to 15 micrometers which correspond to approximately 4000 to 600cm-1†(Young). â€Å"When atoms or molecules absorb light, the incoming energy excites a quantized structure to a higher energy level. The type of excitation depends on the wavelength of the light. Electrons are promoted to higher orbirtals by ultraviolet or visible light, vibrations are excited by infrared light, and rotations are excited by microwaves† (Tissue).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  IR spectroscopy is the measurement of the wavelength and intensity of the absorption of infrared light by a sample. The wavelength of IR absorption bands are characteristic of specific types of chemical bonds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An IR spectrophotometer is an instrument which is designed to obtain an infrared spectra of a molecule. An IR spectra is obtained by first irradiating a sample with an IR source of light. The light passes through the sample, which can be in solution or contained within a salt plate, and then onto an IR light detector. The spectrum is analyzed by examining at which frequency the peaks occur. Different peak frequencies indicate different types of vibrational motion and hence, different types of chemical bonds. The peak intensities are usually noted as percent transmittance which compares the amount of light absorbed compared to the amount of IR light that was not absorbed. The frequencies are normally listed in wave numbers (in units of reciprocal centimeters). Experiment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The oxidation of cyclohexanol by dichromate occurred in the presence of sulfuric acid which yielded cyclohexanone according to the balanced redox reaction below: 3 + Cr2O7-2 + 8H+ -- 3 + 2Cr+3 + 7H2O In the presence of excess dichromate, cyclohexanol oxidizes to adipic acid. To maximize yield, the following reaction was prevented: 3 + 4Cr2O7-2 + 32H+ -- 3HOOC(CH2)4COOH + 8Cr+3 + 19H2O The addition of methanol reduced the excess dichromate according to the balanced redox reaction below: CH3OH + Cr2O7-2 + 8H+ -- CO2 + 2Cr+3 + 6H2O Recovery of the ketone was by steam distillation; collecting all

Juvenile Detainees Essay

Criminal Justice and the juvenile justice systems are almost the same but are different. When corrections’ officials have to deal with juvenile detainees, such a situation needs to be dealt with care. In identifying such situations, we will look at child development, punishment and deterrence. Juvenile detention officers work with incarcerated youth. Although juvenile detention officers deal with many of the same realities as other corrections officers, juvenile detention officers have the opportunity to assist young offenders in their attempts to be rehabilitated into responsible adults. In a sense a Juvenile detention officer is the perfect blend of a jailer and social worker. While the Juvenile detention officers must be alert and tough enough to work with young criminals, he or she must also be committed to helping troubled youngsters change their life. Since Juvenile detention officers work with youth, they have to see to it that young offenders receive all the services they need and that they are meeting their legal and therapeutic obligations. As such, Juvenile detention officers are responsible for making sure that inmates arrive on time to appointments within their facility and outside of it. According to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, a juvenile detention officer, â€Å"Prepares detained youth for court appearances, transports and escorts detained youth to medical, criminal justice, social services and judicial facilities as needed according to departmental and facility policy and procedures.† Of course, this implies keeping track of incarcerated youth and not letting them flee. Aside from insuring that juvenile offenders receive proper care and keep appointments, juvenile detention officers teach wayward youth how to function in society by acting as models of proper adult behavior. For instance, juvenile detention officers in Kitsap County, Washington are expected to † Assist juveniles in cultivating appropriate social, behavioral, and interpersonal skills and attitudes useful in community living; lead recreational activities and give instruction in games.† Juvenile detention officers may also lead the youngsters in cleaning and maintenance activities in order to model good hygiene and to demonstrate proper adult housekeeping habits. Although there is an emphasis on rehabilitation and inmate care in juvenile correctional facilities, juvenile detention officers are subject to the hazards of working in a locked facility with young criminals. In addition to rehabilitation and treatment related activities, juvenile detention officers may have duties similar to those of any other corrections officer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the duties of detention officers include searching for contraband, weapons and drugs, resolving conflicts between inmates, and â€Å"enforcing discipline.† This means monitoring vehicles and packages coming in and out of locked facilities as well as frequent personal and room inspections. Juvenile detention officers are, of course, responsible for knowing the whereabouts of all inmates and preventing them from leaving the locked facility. Laws we have regulated the way we have set up punishment for juveniles. The punishments we have in tact usually serve to rehabilitate the juvenile to do better in the future. Our laws have extended that to sealing juvenile records for the sake of protection. Juvenile crime and punishments can be different from the types of punishments that are ordered in adult criminal cases. The first court established expressly for juveniles was built in Chicago in 1899 to address the issue of juvenile crime and punishments. Juvenile crime and punishments peaked in 1994. The 1990s saw a swell of public scrutiny over the perceived juvenile crime epidemic. In an effort to crack down on juvenile crime and punishments, many state legislatures have adopted harsher laws regarding juvenile crimes. In my opinion, the best two ways to prevent juvenile crime is strengthening families and education. In American Samoa, a block grant was introduced and tested from 2002 to 2004. This block grant was for Preventing Substance abuse targeting the families and children. The idea behind the program was to seek if a problem existed, what the effects of substance abuse and how it can be fixed. The interesting factor and I suppose the most important was how the Samoan family evolved from closely knit and knowing every aspect of their children’s whereabouts to children becoming simple renters in the parent’s homes. Long story short, American Samoa was awarded funding for 10 years or so long as the program is needed. The theme of the program was strengthening families. I believe that it is an important part in anyone’s life. Sociologist’s believe that one’s environment affects one’s way of life. However, in some unfortunate cases, not everyone has the chance to grow up with a traditional family. The idea is, one’s family should be the biggest and the most important supporters in their lives. We define our familes different, whether it is a mother, a father, brother, sister, grandparent or even your best friend’s family. The point is having the sense of strength in one’s home is important to one’s success or failure. Strengthening families can be accomplished by offering help to those that need it through information and education. Which leads to my second point is education. Juveniles feel lost as do most of us that don’t know what to do or which direction to head to. Through education we get an idea of where we would like to go in our lives. Some juveniles do not have access or do not see the importance of education until there is support, programs, and resources available to them. We promote education through the media and all sorts of things, but are we really making it available for everyone? My mother in law always tells us, children are like cameras, they take images of everything around them. The product of these images are the problems we face today. Reference: Seiter, R. (2011). Corrections: An introduction (3rd ed.). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

Different causes for leg pain in children

There are many different causes and diagnoses for leg pain in children.   Developmental stage or age groups   many of these causes.   Some, however, can occur at any age.4The numerous causes of leg pain in children include Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, sports injuries, toddler’s fractures, Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis(here forward referred to in the medical jargon of SCFE), and leg length differences. 4 Related article: Identify Circumstances When Children and Young People Might Require Urgent Medical AttentionLegg-Calve-Perthes is also referred to as Legg-Perthes, here forward to be referred to as LCP.   LCP is rare, and in the United States only occurs at the ratio of 1:1200 children under the age of 15.  Ã‚   The developmental stage when LCP becomes clinically evident is between the ages of 3-12 years of age, with 7 yrs being the median age.1   However, other sources site the specified age range as between 4-8 years, which actually is a representation of the median 7 years stated earlier. 3LCP is characterized not just by developmental age, but by sex, familial, and racial factors as well.   Most LCP patients are Caucasian; in addition, most have a parent or close relative who suffered from the disease as well.1   Males are affected 4-5 times more frequently than females, but this is not a sex-linked trait.   A genetic factor is implied, but with no identifiable gene as of yet.1LCP is defined â€Å"as the idiopathic avascular osteonecrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis of the femoral head.† 1What happens in the case of LCP is this:   due to unknown etiology, the head of the femur, which contains the epiphysis and epiphysial plate, becomes necrotic.   Necrosis, meaning dead or dying tissue, in this case means that no further bone growth can occur, owing to the fact that blood supply has been cut off. 3,4Since new bone cells are produced primarily at the epiphysial plate, no bone growth in the affected leg means that, until treated, it will become shorter than the unaffected leg.  Ã‚   Soon afterward, a noticeable limp occurs due to pain and compensation for the self same pain.   Children suffering from LCP may also have pain in the groin, knee, and thigh as well. 1,2,4Necrosis in the femoral head leads to inflammation, thus being the initial cause of pain.   Activity, especially excessive hip-leg activity such as running or ju mping, will irritate the femoral head and increase the pain level.   The pain can be relieved or lessened by rest. 4X-ray films arrive at definitive diagnosis, but doctors suspecting the problem will look for clinical signs that LCP is present.   These clinical signs include difficulty rotating the knee.   If LCP has existed for some time and gone undiagnosed, other clinical signs will be indicative of its presence, such as atrophy of the buttocks, calf, or thigh muscle.1, 2Those afflicted with LCP receive a myriad of treatments. The treatment plan is most likely individualized for each child depending on the severity of pain, atrophy, and gait difficulties.The treatments used most commonly are â€Å"leg exercises, crutches, casts, bracing, and occasionally traction and surgery.   With proper treatment, the bone will grow back and the child will be able to walk normally without pain.† 4Toddler’s fractures can occur quite easily with a simple fall.   Signs to look for are irritability of the child, persistent complaints of pain, and refusal to walk. These should be relied on heavily as a parent’s diagnosis of a problem, for inflammation and redness are minor at the site above the break. 4The bone fractured in these cases is typically the tibia.   The above-mentioned symptoms warrant immediate medical attention and typically reflect that a fracture has occurred if the child is between 2-4 years old. 4Sports injuries can occur at any age of the active child.   When a sports injury has occurred, pain and limping may result due to , i.e., ankle and knee sprains, or muscle strains.   However, if limping persists after a few days of rest, or if the child refuses to bear weight on the leg,   immediate medical attention is warranted. 4Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis, with the medical acronym of SCFE, â€Å"is a common hip disorder in overweight adolescents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚   4  The symptoms resulting from the slipped epiphysis are severe pain occurring in the hip and knee.   This, in turn, results in limited movment of the affected hip, and limping.   Diagnosis is by x-ray. 4Treatments would include pain relief as prescribed by the doctor; a usual program of alternating Tylenol and Ibuprophen might be prescribed.   Included in the treatment plan would be immediate counseling of the family and adolescent on proper diet, and allowable exercise considering the ailment.Sickle Cell Disease(SCD) is the severest form of the sickling syndromes; this is because it is homozygous recessive.   In other words, the child carries both recessive alleles on the chromosome.   In all sickling syndromes, the problem results from the genetic error of the red blood cell design.   In the United States, it is estimated that 1:12 Blacks   are carriers of the sickle cell trait, and 1:65 develop sickle cell anemia.   Though predominantly affecting Blacks in the U.S., other   races are susceptible as well:   peo ple from the Mediterranean, India, Asia-Minor, and the Caribbean.Rather than the normal shape of RBC’s, the genetic disorder causes sickle-shaped cells that do not allow oxygen to attach to the protein heme in an effective manner.   This reduces oxygen available in the blood.5The prognosis for children with SCD is poor, in that death occurs during the middle-aged years.   â€Å"Anemia usually is severe, chronic and hemolytic.† 5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both acute and chronic exacerbations will occur, the frequency of which is most likely tied to emotional and environmental factors.   These environmental factors include emotional upset, situations that lead to dehydration, change of oxygen tension in the body(by infection, which is common, i.e.,), and weather changes – in particular cold.   Environmental factors that can be eliminated altogether to help reduce the recurrence or severity of attacks are alcohol and tobacco. 5The worst-case scenario, which does occur wi th these patients, is vaso-occlusive episodes. In these episodes, circulation is greatly hampered, resulting in pain concentrated in areas of localized necrotizing bone marrow, i.e., the sternum, ribs, long-bones, spine and pelvis.   The occlusion is from clumped, sickle cells that cannot flow out of the area. 5No specific therapy exists for SCD.   However, depending on the type of crisis, be it the need to lower Hb S during an infarction, too little oxygen and RBC’s, severe dehydration, etc., transfusion is a frequent treatment – usually packed red blood cells are the blood component used. 5â€Å"Transial Synovitis of the hip is a cause of hip pain in children.† 7   Ã‚  The adjective ‘transial’ is used because the condition does not last long – approximately a week.   Symptoms of pain occur in one hip, but pain may also be felt in the medial aspect of the knee and thigh.   The pain occurs in the tissue surrounding the hip, not in t he bones themselves.   7The pain increases with different rates in children; some are in the doctor’s office within 1-3 days of onset, some a few days later as the pain peaks.   The child may have a limp, or have trouble standing and walking by the time he’s seen.   Once again, boys are affected more than girls.   The age range affected is from 3-10 years of age. 7Treatment is bed rest for 3-4 days and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for pain relief, reduction of inflammation and swelling.   The child returns to normal after this time period.   If a temperature is present, the doctor may order x-rays and blood tests to rule out other hip conditions.7Leg Length Differences.   The name is self-explanatory.   â€Å"Some children are either born with or develop a difference in the length of the bones in their legs.† 4     Ã‚  No etiology is given for either scenario, and both situations receive the same set of treatment choices.   Diff erences in leg length between 0-2cm require no treatment most of the time, but shoe lifts may be used.   If the length difference is between 5-15cm, surgery to lengthen one leg or to shorten the other is necessary, unless a prosthesis is chosen for the shorter limb. 4In summary, there are many conditions and diseases that add to the suffering and cause of leg pain in children.   The hip disorders and diseases discussed that are accompanied by knee and/or thigh pain, can be misdiagnosed as injuries originating in the knee, other than compensational pain as the symptoms really are.   Though many affect children at different stages of life and bear different severity of diagnosis and prognosis, all are significant.BIBLIOGRAPHYwww.mrsci.com/Orthopedics/Perthes_disease.php, 10/26-27/06www.hopkinsmedicine.org/orthopedicsurgery/perthes.html, 10/26-27/06Hall & Brody:   Therapeutic Exercise:   Moving Toward Function, 2nd Editionc 2005, Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins.www.keepkids healthy.com/symptoms/legpainlimping.html, 10/26-27/06Phipps, Cassmeyer, Sands, Lehman, Medical-Surgical Nursing,Concepts and Clinical Practice, c 2005, Mosby.Shiel, Jr., William C., MD,www.medicinenet.com/ankylosing_spondylitis/article.html, 10/26-27/06www.familydoctor.org/181.xml, 10/26/06DIFFERENT CAUSES FOR LEG PAIN  IN CHILDREN2006

Apple Case: The Evolution Of Industry Structure Over Time Essay

1. What is the evolution of the industry structure over time and its implication for strategic positioning? PC buyers can be classified in to home,small- and medium-sized business (SMB),corporate, education, and government. Home consumers represented the biggest segment, accounting for nearly half of the worldwide shipments. Evolution : Though the first commercial computer (UNIVAC) was released in 1951 the credit of mass marketization of computers should be given to Apple-I computer in 1976. Though it was released targeting common man, majority of the Apple users used it for commercial and educational purpose. Due to inconsistence performance and hardware issues this was not a huge success. Four years later IBM with MS Dos revolutionized the concept of personal computer. Due to its consistence performance, user friendly GUI and more importantly affordable price made IBM pc a huge hit in market. IBM – Open source — evolution of IBM clones Too many market players lead to price war, cost leadership Apple restricted itself to it’s MAC ecosystem, there by following differentiation. Post steve job’s exit from Apple, Sculley tried to move Apple into mainstream – cost leadership. It failed; Amelio proclaimed that Apple would return to its premium-price differentiation. 2. What is nature of sustainable competitive advantage? CA rests on the notion that cheap labor is ubiquitous and natural resources are not necessary for a good economy. â€Å"Competitive advantage occurs when an organization acquires or develops an attribute or combination of attributes that allows it to outperform its competitors. These attributes can include access to natural resources, such as high grade ores or inexpensive power, or access to highly trained and skilled personnel human resources. New technologies such as robotics and information technology either to be included as a part of the product, or to assist making it. ‘ Information technology has become such a prominent part of the modern business world that it can also contribute to competitive advantage by outperforming competitors with regard to internet presence. From the very beginning, i.e. Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, the central problem of information transmittal, leading to the rise of middle-men in the marketplace, has been a significant impediment in gaining competitive advantage. By using the internet as the middle-man, the purveyor of information to the final consumer, businesses can gain a competitive advantage through creation of an effective website, which in the past required extensive effort finding the right middle-man and cultivating the relationship.† (This is a generic question so answered it from wiki) 3. What performance was obtained over the different leadership styles? Steve Jobs : setup the company, Autocratic,innovative. He paired up with Woznivik in 1976 and founded Apple. His mission is to bring an easy-to-use computer to market, which lead to APPLE-II in 1978. He grew it to a 1 billion sales in less than three years. BY 1980, Apple sold 100K computes. Between 1981 – 86 net come fallen by 62% , steve jobs was fired Steve Jobs Part –II : Reshaped Apple. $150 million to invest on a 5 year plan to develop core products. Stopped Apple license sales to the clones for new Mac OS. Introduced website to open direct sales. He want to recover IBM’s imagem retained Pixar CEO position. Launched multi-million dollar marketing campaigns such as â€Å"Think Different† Sculley : He pushed the Mac into new markets (mainly in desktop publishing and education). The main focus is on proprietary software like Aldus Pagemaker and peripherals such as laser printers. He evolved apple as a customer friendly systems that’s just plug and play. Analysts noted that this approach made Apple’s customers ‘love’ their Macs. He tried to move Apple into mainstream by becoming a low cost producer of computers. During his tenure Mac classic was introduced at $999 to compete head-to-head with low priced IBM clones. He tried to forge an alliance with IBM to develop a develop a new OS. He tried to develop a new chipset in collaboration with Novell and Intel to run on Mac OS. His main ambition is to bring a â€Å"hit† product every 6 to 12 months and capture the whole PC market. Inspite ofall these efforts Apple’s gross margin dropped to 34% which is an all-time low which lead to replacement of Sculley with Michael Spindler. Spindler era : Cuts 16% of work force. Globalisation – lead to 45% of sales outside US. JV with IBM to develop new OS failed leading to $69 million loss. Which lead to Amelio as CEO Amelio era :Back to Premium-price differentiation. Macintosh sales still fallen which lead to recruitment of Steve jobs as the interim CEO. Timeline Apple| Year| Event| +ve| -ve| 1976| Apple computer started| Jobs and Wozniak’s technology and Markkula’s financing abilities| NA| 1978| Apple II released| $1 billion in sales, Apple becomes industry leader| | 1980| IPO launched| Sold 100,000 Apple IIs, Era of fast growth for Apple| | 1981| IBM enters PC market| IBMs open approach, horizontal and vertical integration, Apple’s refusal to license hardware| Apple’s closed approach.| | | | Apple’s net income fell 62% between 1981 and 1984| 1984| McIntosh is launched| ease of use, good industrial design, technical elegance| Macs slow processor speed, lack of compatibility caused limited sales| | Jobs fired, Scully comes in| | | 1985-1993| | | | 1990| Apple’s complete desktop solution| Apple’s focus on desktop publishing and education, â€Å"plug and play†, unique chips, disk drives, monitors.| IBM narrows the gap in ease of use| | | Design versus compatibility| | | | Love for Macs| Just putting up with IBM machines| | Apple’s premium price strategy| Premium Macs sold for as much as $10,000, Gross profit hovered at 50%| IBM compatibles lowered costs| | Apple tries to move into cost leadership with Mac Classic| | Moving to cost leadership from differentiation| | Joint venture for new OS and multimedia applications| Working towards making Macs compatible, joint project with Intel| Dropped gross margin to 34%| 1993| Michael Spindler replaced Sculley| | | 1993-1997| Spindler & Amelio years| | Reverse trend, Apple lost momentum, Apple and IBM parted ways| | | | $69 million loss| | | | Cost cutting| 1996| Amelio appointed as the new CEO| | | | | | 1.6 bn loss| 1997| NeXT is bought by Apple| Jobs takes over as CEO in September 1997| | | Microsoft’s investment of $150 million in Apple| Five year commitment to develop MS office products for Mac| | | | 15 product lines slashed to 4| | | | Operational efficiency through improved distribution systems, direct sales, focus on innovation, Increased R&D| | Mac and Apple’s digital Hub strategy Shift to Intel CPU’s – With Intel inside Mac also became a machine that could natively run a Windows OS along with Windows applications * Operating System – Mac OS based on UNIX with ugrades at greater frequency than what Microsoft does * Application – Building programs on iLife suite – iPhoto, iTunes, iWeb. Web browser Safari, and iwork productivity applications * Distribution – The Apple retail experience. Retail division 280 stores in 10 countries. Partnership with ‘Best Buy’ – World’s largest electronic retailer