Managing Financial Resources and Decisions Essay - 5

Managing Financial Resources and Decisions - Essay Example Sun and Sand Sports is the most appreciated and most preferred brand in the entire world and known for its unbeatable strategy it uses to capture the market and has launched many products in the entire world. Sun and Sand Sports stands in top 10 sports products manufacturers (sand, n.d.). Its products are diversified and have given a new passion and love to the sportsmen for their favorite sports. It has achieved many milestones from its corporate and has become the most favorite brand in the field of each sport. No other brand has such a wonderful success and more distinguished history from its incorporation as the Sun and Sand Sports had and no other brand is that stronger connection with sport than the Sun and Sand Sports. The main purpose of Sun and Sand Sports is quite simple and interesting: is to make athletes better.  Sun and Sand Sports have targeted all the sports lovers as its customers and all the customers of sub-brand are, with no doubt, are those who are athletics, sports person, sports lover and the one who is directly or indirectly associated with the sports (sand, n.d.). The capital market is a representation of agreement of an organization. Sun and Sand Sports have various kinds of stocks in the capital market and capital exchange. And it receives more of its finance from the share capital and it also has some Common stocks, equity stocks, options, rights, convertibles, bonds, futures, and others are awash in banal markets. As a share of approved well-groomed activities in Investment class (Andreff & Szymanski, 2006). Sun and Sand Sports have shown in its balance sheet about its main External Financing that is Share Capital. Share capital is that amount which a company raise by selling its shares in the capital market and get more shareholders. An increasing number of shareholders means the increased capital of the company. By having a share capital as a major and main source of finance, Sun and

LVMH’s company Essay Example for Free

LVMH’s company Essay Strengths LVMH has a strong brand positioning meaning that the company strongly placed itself as a leader in the luxury sector. The company offers more than 60 brands of high value perception and identity to their customers. Due to high customer loyalty, image of their brands and value perception those brands are less affected by economic cycles. Most evidently, LVMH expressed resilience against the economic conditions specifically in 2009 and 2008. This is an indicator that the strength of their brands enables their revenues to sustain growth even through touch economic situations. This is due to their huge customer base across the globe accompanied by their loyalty; thus, making their penetration to new markets with quick. The associations of LVMH with celebrities and major events have enabled them to enhance their luxury positioning. For example, Charlize Theron represents the J’adore perfume by Dior, while Moet Chandon positioned their communications platform to events like the Oscars and the Golden Globe. Those marketing strategies were aimed in order to increase their brand visibility and recall. Moreover, their customers are targeted successfully through enhancing their brands images. All in all, those associations would eventually augment the luxury and its value that LVMH aims at building. Weaknesses A shortcoming in LVMH’s company is their limited presence in the retail division. This means that the company is highly dependant on sales to retailers. This in turn has caused the company’s luxury goods vulnerable to destocking by their retailers in order to avoid losses. Most evidently, the wines, jewelry, and watches departments were highly affected negatively by the retailers destocking. Therefore, this has made LVMH’s revenues in danger of destocking made by retailers. There is also a weakness evident in the conflict of interest within the company, where LVMH would be categorized into two major segments: fashion vs. liquor markets. However, the company’s broad acquisition of the art  auction market Pury Luxemborg has been questioned due to some criticism that it adds more burden to LVMH. This is yet another criteria to the conflict of interest believed to be internally dealt within the company. Opportunities The luxury market is believed to be a growing market in the emerging economies. The growing high net worth individuals (HNWI) in a lot of countries across the globe is an indicator that the sales of luxury products are estimated to increase. In effect, LVMH has been focusing in increasing their investment in emerging countries, such as the Middle East, in their hopes that higher growth rates will be evident. Moreover, LVMH was able to assess the trends in those markets specifically in Asia’s market in order to succesfully penetrate them. Hence, the growth of the HNWI’s wealth accompanied by the structure of investments to reach to a broader customer base would intensify and diversify LVMH’s revenue flow. LVMH owes a great deal of their market share to their products on women’s accessories. This would include their brands in handbags, jewelry, and watches amongst many others. Although the fashion accessories has seen a downfall during 2009; nevertheless, it is hinting that it is uprising to a recovery into growth since 2010. Most notably, women handbags were the most notable in the accessories market growth inversely reacting to the market’s decrease during the same time. Those leather goods have been a great indicator in both the men and women’s categories in the market share that there is a high growth of sales and revenue. Even if key markets have been experiencing low growth due to the economic collapse and recovery, the accessories market proves as an opportunity to LVMH for growth. Selective retailing provides an opportunity to LVMH in one of the most growing markets in the world: China. Even though selective retailing has seen a decline in growth due to restrictions in spending due to less amount of travelers; however, China tourism is predicted to show a robust expansion. The economic liberalization; as well as, the constant development and transformation in China boosted their tourism industry. Some indicators  have been predicting that China would be a leading tourism destination by 2020. Therefore, LVMH has been focused on launching its selective retailing in China in order to take an advantageous stance from this growing tourism in terms of revenue.

Humorous Wedding Speech Delivered by the Father of the Bride

Humorous Wedding Speech Delivered by the Father of the Bride I want to thank all of you for coming and helping Rick and Melissa celebrate this important day in their lives! I've tried to memorize this speech, which isn't easy when you have the memory retention of a geriatric goldfish, so please forgive me if I resort to my notes - probably every five seconds. I did ask for an autocue to be set up in front of me, but apparently the wedding budget doesn't stretch that far... And neither does my eyesight The most important people here for Rick, are Ellen and Terry. It has been really good to meet them and become family-in-laws and friends. What we find gratifying, is that Rick's parents feel the same about Melissa. They have taken her to their hearts, and I believe that she is ...

To Be of Use

According to Confucius, â€Å"You should treat others the way you want to be treated. † Resembling Confucius’ golden rule, Harold Kushner’s â€Å"Shalom: The Quest for Integrity† talks about a man who did something good, when people didn’t think he would. While Marge Piercy isn’t writing about treating others a certain way, she is instead writing about being of good use. Harold Kushner’s text parallels Marge Piercy’s poem in the topic of being of good use. Due to the length of the poem, she talks about people being of use. Harold Kushner’s text talks about people who were useful.On Monday night December 11, 1995, the fire at the textile mill changed a city. Many people of Lawrence, Massachusetts, were worried about the economic impact from losing the textile mill due to the fire. However, the owner Aaron Feuerstein surprised everyone. People expected he would take advantage of the fire to move to a more profitable locatio n. Feuerstein announced that not only was he going to rebuild the factory, but also workers would receive three months of payroll, even though there was no work. â€Å"Feuerstein is a special person, a man of integrity†, are there few people with integrity?Maybe is the reason Blanchard co-author the book called The Power of Ethical Management, â€Å"there’s no right way to do a wrong thing,† using the book as a plea to the business world. Directed to the people who do things to benefit themselves, but hurt others. Confucius states: treat others the way you want to be treated; ask yourself if you do harm to others, would you like it if someone did harm to you in the same way? No because many of us wouldn’t; many don’t think about the consequences, or if it happened to themselves, before they do something. People commit wrong doing, to benefit themselves.When I hear politicians and preachers condemning the sinful ways of society around them, I often agree with their criticisms, but I don’t hear the pain in their voices. † As stated in the text by Kushner, many people lead with falsehood, tricking others to believing that they are useful people of integrity, when in the end they really are not. Marge Piercy’s poem gives her opinion of people who are useful. In the first verse, she has a high regard for people who throw enthusiasm into the work they do. She compares the people who throw enthusiasm into their work, to water buffalo.That people who enjoy their work, with patience, will in the end receive good rewards. Rewards of satisfaction, the results of their hard work, are what they receive in return for tireless hard work. To Piercy, work is as common as mud; work like mud smears the hand. â€Å"But the thing worth doing well done, has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident,† says Piercy in her poem. Piercy’s poem is more of a collection of opinions, the things that make a person useful. W hat she thinks useful people are like. Piercy has high regard for people who give care into their work.In past experience, and previous knowledge, people who work hard are reward, they move up in life. However people who don’t have integrity, who do harm eventually fail from life. Many people, who are successful, love their work; they enjoy what they are doing with enthusiasm. Treating other with respect should gain you respect. Kushner discusses more about people who had integrity, who gave back, when no one expected them to. People who made themselves useful People who try to encourage people to be ethically positive. To change their tactics to help people not harm people. The benefits, and why people did the things they did.Then also the people who are false or true prophets. The people who speak true, but don’t adhere to what they preach. Piercy, on the other had in contrast, expresses her opinion, on the factor of people being of use, having high regard for people who love working, being useful and enjoy their work. That their hard work would reward them. Piercy’s poem contrast’s Kushner’s text, in terms of the directions they go. Kushner is indirectly talking about being of use but on the topic of people with integrity, and ethical standards. Piercy directly relates to the topic of to be use. The opinion of what she thinks people who are useful.

Organisational Behaviour What Is Organisational Behaviour?

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR What is organisational behaviour? The study of human behaviour, attitudes and performance within an organisational setting; drawing on theory, methods and principles from such disciplines as psychology, sociology and cultural anthropology to learn about individual, groups and processes. Three different OB perspectives Macro-perspective; the big picture Micro-perspective; the smaller units Meso-perspective; integration and movement between macro and micros Three levels of OB Individuals > groups > organisationsOB as a science Scientific discipline Theories and methods can be developed to better understand and explain behaviour Concerned with predictions and explanations Fredrick Windsor taylor – four principles of scientific management 1. Using scientific analysis, managers precisely specify every element of an employee’s work which replaces old rule-of-thumb methods (Job Design) 2. Managers select and then train, teach and develop employees, unl ike in the past when employees chose their own work and trained themselves (human Resource Management) 3.Managers are responsible for ensuring that all work is done according to their specification (Performance, Monitoring and rewards) 4. There is a division of labour based on expertise; managers manage because of their superior knowledge while employees do what they are best at (the development of management profession) Human relations school Elton mayo Believed that the â€Å"work problem† (dissent, disobedience, industrial unrest) was a result of psychological disturbances brought about by the alienating nature of work. Mayo thought that we can improve employee happiness bby making work more involving and by recognising its social nature.The hawthorn study Originally looked at the impact of working environment on productivity e. g. amount of light workers were exposed to during work By spending so much time around the workers, researchers began to notice a number of import ant social factors that had an impact on productivity Despite the isolating effects of standardisation and increasing technical division of labour, work remains a group activity. As a result of their need for recognition, security and sense of belonging, workers will gravitate towards informal groups whether formal work organisation reflects this or not.Informal group exercises a strong form of social control over the work habit and attitude of its members. Managers should recognise the impact of these informal groups in exerting an influence on productivity. Organisations should seek to ensure a good fit between formal and informal groups. Weber’s formal bureaucracy is characterised by: Specialised individual positions Formal hierarchy Rules and standard operating procedures Set boundaries for each dept Standardised training and career paths Changes from traditional to modern Intensifying competition meant that companies needed to become: More innovative in terms of customer serviceImplement continuous improvement in manufacturing More diverse in terms of products and services they offer New organisation model Networked; emphasis on teams, systems for sharing information, cross functional involvements Flat; reducing layers and empowering more employees Flexible; intensified completion, accounting for life cycles, unpredictability of external environment Divers; career trajectories, core and peripheral workforces Global; interactions across boarders Employment relationship Employment relationship is the set of arrangements and work practices that describe and govern the relationships between employees and employers.The relationship consists of economic, social and psychological contracts. The psychological contract refers to a shared cultural understanding of what is right, good and fair about the ongoing exchange. Key employment relationship changes Short term job security; life time employment to life time employability and being able to move from int ernal labour markets Advancement; changing notions of advancement Job titles; changing and multi-dimensional Compensation; pay for knowledge or skills, team-based pay Flexibility; telecommunicating work hours, contract and new forms of bargaining Chapter summary 1Define organisational behaviour and organisations, and discuss the importance of this field of inquiry Organisational behaviour is the study of what people think, feel and do in and around organisations. Organisations are groups of people who work interdependently towards some purpose. OB theories help people to: 1. Make sense of the workplace 2. Question and rebuild personal mental models 3. Get things done In organisations Compare and contrast the four perspectives of organisational effectiveness The open systems perspective views organisations as complex organisms that ‘live’ within an external environment.They depend on the external environment for resources then use organisational subsystems to transform t hose resources into outputs that are returned to the environment. Organisations receive feedback from external environment to maintain a good ‘fit’ with that environment. Fit occurs by adapting to the environment, managing the environment or moving to another environment. According to the organisational learning perspective, organisational effectiveness depends on the organisations capacity to acquire, share, use and store valuable knowledge. The ability to acquire and use knowledge depends on the firm’s absorptive capacity.Intellectual capacity consists of human capital, structural capital and relationship capital. Knowledge is retained in the organisational memory; companies also selectively unlearn. The high performance work practices (HPWP) perspective identifies a bundle of systems and structures to leverage workforce potential. The most widely identified HPWPs are employee involvement, job autonomy, developing employee competencies and performance/skill-bas ed rewards. HPWPs improve organisational effectiveness by building human capital, increasing adaptability and strengthen employee motivation and attitudes.The stakeholder perspectives state that leaders manage the interest of diverse stakeholders by replying on their personal and organisational values for guidance. Ethics and corporate responsibility are natural variations of values-based organisation because they rely on values to guide the most appropriate decisions involving stakeholders. Corporate social responsibility consists of organisational activities intended to benefit society and the environment beyond the company’s immediate financial interest or legal obligation.Debate the organisation opportunities and challenges of globalisation, workforce diversity and emerging employment relationships Globalisation, which refers to various forms of connectivity with people in other parts of the world has several economic and social benefits but it may also be responsible for work intensification, as well as reduced job security and work – life balance. Workforce diversity is apparent at both the surface level and deep level; there is some evidence of deep level diversity across generational cohorts. Diversity may give a competitive advantage by improving decision making and team performance on conflict.One emerging employment relationship trend is the call for more work-life balance. Another employment trend is virtual work, particular working from home. Working from home potentially increases employee productivity and reduces employee stress, but it may also lead to social isolation, reduced promotion opportunities and increased tension in family relations. Discuss the anchors on which organisational behaviour knowledge is based The systematic research anchor states that OB knowledge should be based on systematic research, which is consistent with evidence-based management.The multidisciplinary anchor states that the field should develop from k nowledge in other disciplines (psychology sociology, economics) not just from its own isolated research base. The contingency anchor states that OB theories generally need to consider that there will be different consequences in different situations. The multiple levels of analysis anchor states that OB topics may be viewed from the individual, team and organisations levels of analysis.

Economics Assignment Essay Example

Economics Assignment Essay Example Economics Assignment Essay Economics Assignment Essay Seher Naseem Alam BBA a. Define carefully what is meant by a demand schedule or a curve. b. State the law of (downward sloping) demand. c. Illustrate the law of downward sloping demand with two cases of your own experience. Answer to a: Demand  curve, which graphs the  demand  schedule, shows how the quantity demanded of the good changes as its price varies  with   related goods, tastes, expectations, or the number of buyers, the quantity demanded at each price changes; this is represented by a shift in the  demand  curve. Answer to b: The  law of demand, the demand curve is almost always represented as downward-sloping, meaning that as price decreases, consumers will buy more of the good. If the  demand decrease: an inward shift of the curve. If the demand starts at  D1, and  decreases  to  D2, the price will decrease, and the quantity will decrease (here the quantity is constant as the supply curve is a straight line). This is an effect of demand changing. Answer to c: The demand VCR’s is the most evident example of the law of downward sloping demand. As the demand of VCR has decreased, the demand curve shifts downwards with price becoming low. The demand of Desktop pc is another example of downward sloping demand. Where a desktop pc has become less in demand and is available at lower prices. a. Define the concept of supply schedule or curve. b. Show that an increase in the supply means a rightward and downward shift of the supply curve. c. Contrast this with right ward and upward shift of the demand curve implied by the increase in demand. Answer to a: The Supply Schedule and Curve Table 1: A Supply Schedule for Apartments| Price ($1000s)| 100  | 99  | 98  | 97  | 96  | 95  | 94  | 93  | 92  | 91  | 90  | Quantity of Apartments Supplied| 10  | 9  | 8  | 7  | 6  | 5  | 4  | 3  | 2  | 1  | 0  | A supply schedule shows us, in the form of a table, the quantity of a good or service that would be offered by the sellers at each possible price. From the supply schedule, we can graph a supply curve. Answer to b: Changes in price results in movement along the supply curve, changes in other relevant factors cause a shift in supply, that is, a shift of the supply curve to the left or right. Such a shift results in change in quantity supplied for a given price level. If the change causes an increase in the quantity supplied at each price, the supply curve would shift to the rightward and downward. Answer to c: When consumers increase the quantity demanded  at a given price, it is referred to as an  increase in demand. Increased demand can be represented on the graph as the curve being shifted outward. At each price point, a greater quantity is demanded, as from the initial curve  D1  to the new curve  D2. More people wanting coffee is an example. In the diagram, this raises the equilibrium price from  P1  to the higher  P2. This raises the equilibrium quantity from  Q1  to the higher  Q2. A movement along the curve is described as a change in the quantity demanded to distinguish it from a change in demand, that is, a shift of the curve. In the example above, there has been an  increase  in demand which has caused an increase in (equilibrium) quantity. The increase in demand could also come from changing tastes and fads, incomes, complementary and substitute price changes, market expectations, and number of buyers. This would cause the entire demand curve to shift changing the equilibrium price and quantity. Bibliography: * www. toodoc. com/Demand-Schedule-or-curve-ebook. html * http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Supply_and_demand * eoearth. org/article/Supply_and_demand#The_Supply_Schedule_and_Curve * netmba. com/econ/micro/supply/curve/ * http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Supply_and_demand

The Personal Assessment of Management Skills - How from a Good Manager

The Personal Assessment of Management Skills - How from a Good Manager The Personal Assessment of Management Skills ï » ¿The Personal Assessment of Management Skills Self-assessments are important if a person wants to improve themselves in any way. You have to know where you are at before you start on a road to where you want to go. The Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS) is a good way for a good manager to become better. With it, he or she is able to spot differences in how they see themselves and how others see them as well as point out strengths and weaknesses. Based on the norms for the survey, I have summarized my management skill as compared to other college students who have taken this assessment. The population mean was 394.35. My score was 359 which are in the bottom quartile. I was surprise by this because I thought I would be in the third quartile at least. I have also compared my scores with the average scores my associates gave me using the scoring key. Some areas showed greater variance between how I assessed my own management skills and how others assessed my management skills. Managing conflict as well as empowering and delegating were the two areas where my associates and I differed most. These differences can be attributed to certain realities. Others are not necessarily privy to all of the information available about an observable behavior. For example, what is known about a person may be divvied up in to four areas. The first area is what is known about the individual to the individual but not to others. The second is what is known about the individual to others but not to the individual. The third is what is known both to the individuals and to others, and the last is what is known about the indiviidual neither to the individual nor to others. With this in mind, it is easy to see how personal perceptions about ones self and ot hers may be skewed and thus differ. Based on the scoring key for the 10 major areas, I have identified three areas that stand out to as my greatest strengths and weaknesses. According to PAMS, my strengths are in managing conflict, empowering delegation, and team building; whereas, my weaknesses are in developing self awareness, creative problem solving, and gaining powerful influence. Interestingly, the areas where I differed most from the assessments from my associates were the areas in which our average scores demonstrated my strengths. I am not quite sure how to interpret this phenomenon at this time, but it makes for a noteworthy point in my discussion. Self-assessments are important if a person wants to improve themselves in any way. You have to know where you are at before you start on a road to where you want to go. The Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS) is a good way for a good manager to become better. With it, he or she is able to spot differences in how they see themselves and how others see them as well as point out strengths and weaknesses. As such, we may map out a path that will make us each better at management.

Biography of John Gibbon, Heart-Lung Machine Inventor

Biography of John Gibbon, Heart-Lung Machine Inventor John Heysham Gibbon Jr. (Sept. 29,  1903–Feb. 5, 1973) was an American surgeon who was widely known for creating the first heart-lung machine. He proved the efficacy of the concept in 1935 when he used an external pump as an  artificial heart  during an operation on a cat. Eighteen years later, he performed the first successful open-heart operation on a human using his  heart-lung machine. Fast Facts: John Heysham Gibbon Known For: Inventor of the heart-lung machineBorn: Sept. 29,  1903 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaParents: John Heysham Gibbon Sr., Marjorie YoungDied: Feb. 5, 1973 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaEducation: Princeton University, Jefferson Medical CollegeAwards and Honors: Distinguished Service Award from International College of Surgery, fellowship from Royal College of Surgeons, Gairdner Foundation International Award from University of TorontoSpouse: Mary HopkinsonChildren: Mary, John, Alice, and Marjorie Early Life of John Gibbon Gibbon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 29, 1903, the second of four children of surgeon John Heysham Gibbon Sr. and Marjorie Young. He earned his B.A. from  Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1923 and his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1927. He completed his internship at Pennsylvania Hospital in 1929. The following year, he went to Harvard Medical School as a research fellow in surgery. Gibbon was a sixth-generation physician. One of his great-uncles, Brig. Gen. John Gibbon, is memorialized by a monument to his bravery on the Union side in the Battle of Gettysburg, while another uncle was a brigade surgeon for the Confederacy in the same battle. In 1931 Gibbon married Mary Hopkinson, a surgical researcher who was an assistant in his work. They had four children: Mary, John, Alice, and Marjorie. Early Experiments It was the loss of a young patient in 1931, who died despite emergency surgery for a blood clot in her lungs, that first stirred Gibbons interest in developing an artificial device for bypassing the heart and lungs and allowing for more effective heart surgery techniques. Gibbon believed that if doctors could keep blood oxygenated during lung procedures, many other patients could be saved. While he was dissuaded by all with whom he broached the subject, Gibbon, who had a talent for engineering as well as medicine, independently continued his experiments and tests. In 1935, he used a prototype heart-lung bypass machine that took over cardiac and respiratory functions of a cat, keeping it alive for 26 minutes. Gibbons World War II Army service in the China-Burma-India Theater temporarily interrupted his research, but after the war he began a new series of experiments with dogs. For his research to proceed to humans, though, he would need help on three fronts, from doctors and engineers. Help Arrives In 1945, American cardiothoracic surgeon Clarence Dennis built a modified Gibbon pump that permitted a complete bypass of the heart and lungs during surgery. The machine, however, was hard to clean, caused infections, and never reached human testing. Then came Swedish physician Viking Olov Bjork, who invented an improved oxygenator with multiple rotating screen discs over which a film of blood was injected. Oxygen was passed over the discs, providing sufficient oxygenation for an adult human. After Gibbon returned from military service and restarted his research, he met Thomas J. Watson, CEO of International Business Machines (IBM), which was establishing itself as a premier computer research, development, and manufacturing firm. Watson, who was trained as an engineer, expressed interest in Gibbons heart-lung-machine project, and Gibbon explained his ideas in detail. Shortly thereafter, a team of IBM engineers arrived at Jefferson Medical College to work with Gibbon. By 1949, they had a working machine- the Model I- that Gibbon could try on humans. The first patient, a 15-month-old girl with severe heart failure, didnt survive the procedure. An autopsy later revealed that she had an unknown congenital heart defect. By the time Gibbon identified a second likely patient, the IBM team had developed the Model II. It used a refined method of cascading blood down a thin sheet of film to oxygenate it rather than the whirling technique, which could potentially damage blood corpuscles. Using the new method, 12 dogs were kept alive for more than an hour during heart operations, paving the way for the next step. Success in Humans It was time for another try, this time on humans.  On May 6, 1953, Cecelia Bavolek became the first person to successfully undergo open-heart bypass surgery with the Model II totally supporting her heart and lung functions during the procedure. The operation closed a serious defect between the upper chambers of the 18-year-olds heart. Bavolek was connected to the device for 45 minutes. For 26 of those minutes, her body totally depended upon the machine’s artificial cardiac and respiratory functions. It was the first successful intracardiac surgery of its kind performed on a human patient. By 1956 IBM, well on its way to dominating the fledgling computer industry, was eliminating many of its non-core programs. The engineering team was withdrawn from Philadelphia- but not before producing the Model III- and the huge field of biomedical devices was left to other companies, such as Medtronic and  Hewlett-Packard. That same year, Gibbon became the Samuel D. Gross professor of surgery and head of the surgery department at Jefferson Medical College and Hospital, positions he would hold until 1967. Death Gibbon, perhaps ironically, suffered from heart trouble in his later years. He had his first heart attack  in July 1972 and died of another massive heart attack while playing tennis on Feb. 5, 1973. Legacy Gibbons heart-lung machine undoubtedly saved countless lives. He is also remembered for writing a standard textbook on chest surgery and for teaching and mentoring countless physicians. Upon his death, the Jefferson Medical College renamed its newest building after him. Over his career, he was a visiting or consulting surgeon at several hospitals and medical schools. His awards included the Distinguished Service Award from the International College of Surgery (1959), an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons in England (1959), the Gairdner Foundation International Award from the University of Toronto (1960), honorary Sc.D. degrees from  Princeton University  (1961) and the University of Pennsylvania (1965), and the Research Achievement Award from the American Heart Association (1965). Sources Dr. John H. Gibbon Jr. and Jeffersons Heart-Lung Machine: Commemoration of the Worlds First Successful Bypass Surgery. Thomas Jefferson University.John Heysham Gibbon Biography. Engineering and Technology History Wiki.John Heysham Gibbon, 1903-1973: American Surgeon. Encyclopedia.com

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example Due to this constant change, many trends take place in the organization such as complexity of employment and hierarchy of managers and employees. There is an increase in the number of employees and size of workforce. Increment in size of workforce requires training to inculcate specialized skills in the employees. Moreover, management also needs a special kind of training that helps them make better managers so that they run the organization in a better way. One of its responsibilities is identifying the competitive employees and non-competitive employees of organization. All these trends possess great importance and every organization requires some individuals who manage the problems pertinent to human resource to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization (Boxall & Purcell, 2003), the process of managing the human resource in known as Human Resource Management. If this management is taking place internationally to run an international business then it comes under the heading of International Human Resource Management. Currently, there is great need of effective IHRM because many organizations are working globally with branches and offices in many parts of the world. Effective IHRM decides the failure or success of any organization globally. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ISSUES THAT ARISE IN IHRM PRACTICES Social responsibility issues that arise in IHRM practices are exploitation of employees, assigning the employees work, which they consider torture for themselves, firing employees for no reasons, giving priority to employees because of any personal relationship (Wood, 1999). Not listening to employees’ complaints and not giving... From the research it can be comprehended that the conventional functions of Human Resource Management now need strategic directions towards increasing and supporting organizational potentials, through actions that go beyond the customary business activities such as economics, marketing, and non-customary activities, such as knowledge management. Human Resource Information System has great implication in every sector. It can play a fundamental role and help the communications process in the organization. Most prominently, organizations can employ and hold the top performers, improve efficiency and enhance job satisfaction of the employees. Human Resource Management has the responsibility to capitalize on efficiency and revenue, but in the rising scenario, the role of Human Resource manager is changing swiftly due to variations in government guidelines, labor legislations, and machinery. The trends have taken place in the organization, human resource planning, job design, motivation, a nd recruitment and skill development and employee relations. Human Resource Management can face the challenges effectively if organizations implement proper strategies. Therefore, the role of Human Resource Management will be more momentous in future due to the rising scenario. To resolve the ethical issues enterprises should make each member of the enterprise aware of the importance of ethics on their lives. If they always respect ethics and consider them as basic for living a peaceful life they will never face any disastrous situation.

What exactly do groupworkers do and what do their groups seek to Essay

What exactly do groupworkers do and what do their groups seek to achieve - Essay Example (Steinberg, pp. 43-45, 2004) In this regard, a large number of professionals have encouraged the practice of working in groups, which has proved to be very effective and efficient in terms of achieving the goals and objectives. In this paper, different aspects of group working will be defined, discussed, and analyzed for the better understanding of the theory of group working, which has resulted in a number of accomplishments of organizations, as well as, individuals in different parts of the globe. In terms of definition, when the people work together in a cooperative environment, it has been referred as group work. Some of the examples of such cooperative environment can be observed in sport, such as squash, football, cricket, where people have to work together to accomplish a single objective, as well as, work for their individual improvements. In some of the perspectives, group work has been distinguished from the teamwork; however, various experts have not agreed with such theory and considered them as a single theory and practice. Accomplishment of a common objective is required in most of the projects, which require the people to work together. (Ephross, pp. 19-20, 2005) Therefore, most organizations, companies, institutions, etc. consider group work or teamwork as an important and unavoidable factor of the success. A team environment usually requires collaborative skills of different group workers that can be employed in an effective manner. In this regard, communication plays a vital and crucial role in the employment of such skills. Consequently, training workshops are organized and arranged by most of the organizations and institutions to improve and enhance the mutual skills and strategies of the employees to acquire an effective and noteworthy place in the fast growing world. In the present rapid modification of the surroundings, group working plays a crucial role for achieving success by

The Johnsonville Sausage Co Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Johnsonville Sausage Co - Essay Example Johnsonville commits itself to the development of their employees, and in return, expects personal growth and superior performance from them. The company's core values of integrity, commitment, innovation, continuous learning, and teamwork are the foundation that has enabled Johnsonville to manage their tremendous success. These values are clearly demonstrated in the way the business is organized and the employees empowered. The underlying principle that drives the management philosophy of Johnsonville is "to make people better, not to make the business better" (p6). "We do two things here - make sausage and sell it" (p7) is the guiding principle for the structuring of the organization, all functions are divided into two streams, depending upon whether the job they do falls in the "making" or "selling" category. With such a clear vision Johnsonville has found an elegant solution to evolution of a simple and effective business structure. The achievement of competitive success through people involves changing the basic way of how we think about the workforce and the employment relationship. It means achieving success by working with people rather than "getting things done" by people. The answer lies not in defining and limiting the scope of their activities but in allowing them to define their work commitments and targets for themselves, with the organization playing the role of a provider of resources and coaching. It entails seeing the workforce as a source of strategic advantage, not just as a cost to be minimized or avoided. Johnsonville recognized that if it wanted to become a major player, the company had to redefine how it valued and recognized its resources. Instead of raw materials or physical assets, knowledge is now recognized as the major source of wealth and the basis for competitive advantage. But to leverage knowledge assets, we must fundamentally transform the way we organize and use this resource. Those organizations, which can create a team-based structure and culture, become significantly more profitable as a result; Johnsonville is a prime example. Present Issue: At this moment Ralph is faced with a question of whether he should accept the order for private-label sausage manufacture from Palmer Sausage (Palmer). The order represents a sea change in the status of Johnsonville Sausage since it will involve a 25% jump in sales from an obviously profitable venture. However, his concerns as to whether this can be handled in the existing set-up of the company also appear justified. Analysis: One may look at the history of the company's financial performance and success. The question that may be raised is whether this growth rate can be sustained. From details provided, one can see that the production capacity is fully utilized and, except for the seasonal variations, the sales have also reached saturation levels. Seasonal variations are not within the control of the company in any case. Market share growth is also likely to be difficult with the main product of the company, the bratwurst, already enjoying a 46% market share; other products also do not appear to present many opportunities as well. In addition, one finds reference to the beginnings of restlessness among the work force also. Specific reference may be made to the passage on page 12 where some workers are

Human Resource Management - US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Management - US - Essay Example It should be positive towards the people belonging to non-dominant category of population for e.g. people belonging to a minority race, the women in general etc. The program should aim to provide equal opportunities, wages and working hours to such groups of people. It should display policies where women should be given posts on the basis of their qualifications and not on the basis of their gender. Since they are commonly referred to as weaker sex, the affirmative action program should act as a tool to promote the idea that though women look weaker in physical appearance they have the similar capacity as far as work is concerned. According to a website managed by the US Department of Labor, "Each contracting agency in the Executive Branch of government must include the equal opportunity clause in each of its non-exempt government contracts. The equal opportunity clause requires that the contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex or national origin." (para. 4) Thus the affirmative action program should be designed keeping all these criteria in mind. Of late there has been too many opponents of the affirmative action policies.

Nestles Changes in Organizational Architecture and Strategy Case Study

Nestles Changes in Organizational Architecture and Strategy - Case Study Example But in 1990s they started their globalisation and the best way for them to do that was to purchase local subsidiaries in foreign markets. The launch in American markets was around the First World War when there was an increase in demand for dairy products; they constructed a lot of different factories in US at that time period. The underlying objective of moving into foreign markets was to increase efficiency and productivity in the company. In 1974 they diversified into the completely different branch of cosmetics by becoming a major shareholder in Loreal. This was a very bold and daring move and till today investors doubt whether this was a correct financial move or not. The other diversification Nestle engaged in was the purchase of Alcon Laboratories, a U.S manufacturer of pharmaceutical products. The diversification and constant restructuring the firm did was to make it more flexible and adaptable to rapid market changes. Restructuring is a continuous process of Nestle and their restructuring charges run up to $300 million a year. The company has done well over decades, which is why a lot of people often wonder if they are doing everything right why try to change? But that is just Nestles culture and what sets the company apart. The change is often slow in nature as one has to consider the magnitude of the multinational, yet it still happens. Nestle greatly relies on its intrinsic corporate culture to reform employees and make them think the same way. Everyone wants to increase the longevity of the organization rather than focus on solely short-term profits. Nestle has also developed a list of â€Å"untouchables†, which comprises of the companies strengths and should never be changed. One example of this is that nestle understands the importance of IT yet they don’t consider is as a sole tool for implementing successful strategies. It is important to reinforce and focus on the strengths and leave them as is. R & D is one of nestles strengths, which is why the company is so open to change. They constantly come up with innovative practical ideas to succeed. Innovation is in fact the first pillar of Nestles corporate strategy. They recently implemented an â€Å"Innovating the future† leadership strategy which is based on: Continuous improvement in consumer research, to find out exactly what they want and to build superior products to satisfy that demand. Using the vast expertise that Nestle has in its R&D network. Recruiting the best open-minded and passionate innovators are included in this strategy. This also includes working closely with leading universities to find out the latest in technology. Lastly the innovations should meet the core demand of nestle which is Nutrition, health and wellness. In 2008, nestle was struck hard by the Chinese food scandal. Even though the company has developed a great reputation over the years when something this serious happens the images takes a huge hit. Nestle however responde d well by announcing changes and new operations.

The Analysis of the Recent Microsoft's Acquisition of Skype Research Paper

The Analysis of the Recent Microsoft's Acquisition of Skype - Research Paper Example Acquisition is also used as a strategic tool for entering a foreign market, when other methods for achieving the specific target are not available (Coffey et al. 2001, p.52). In the above context, acquisition can highly enhance the organizational performance, under the terms that all its phases are carefully monitored; the readiness of the buyer to acquire an organization, with all the consequences of such initiative, needs to be evaluated in advance. The level of success of acquisition, as described above, is high and it is for this reason that managers of organizations worldwide prefer the specific strategy. In any case, the use of acquisition for covering various organizational needs to meet specific requirements: if the cost of the process is estimated to be significantly higher from the expected benefits, then another strategy of this type would be preferred (Frankel 2005). Moreover, if the acquired firm is of different culture/ industry, then time would be required for aligning the aims of the two organizations. Under certain terms, the acquired company cannot support the activities of the new owner – probably because the cultural or operational differences between the two firms are so high that acquisition would not benefit the company that initiated the above process. In accordance with Darby (2006) the successful completion of an acquisition process requires that accurate information are exchanged between the buyer and the seller in order for the assets of the acquired company to be effectively managed. Moreover, Coffey et al. (2001) note that every acquisition plan need to be carefully in advance regarding its costs; it is explained that if not all costs are estimated with accuracy - reference is made to the ‘purchase costs, administrative costs and integration costs’ (Coffey et al. 2001, p.52) – then the process is likely to fail, in the short or the long term. From a similar point of view, Rock et al. (1994) noted that the key target of an acquisition should be ‘the creation of a strategic advantage’ (Rock et al. 1994, p.5), meaning that the specific process would help the firm to improve its position towards its competitors. Particular emphasis is also given on the successful integration of the acquired company within the business entity of the buyer (Rock et al. 1994, p.5). The decision of Microsoft to acquire Skype would be evaluated by referring to the issues discussed above. Microsoft is a firm well established in the global market; in fact the organization is considered as one of the key competitors in the software industry – along with Apple (Yahoo Finance, 2011). The tools that Microsoft had already developed in regard to the direct – online communication, such as the Live Messenger and Xbox & Kinect, have performed quite well in the global market. However, still the firm did not have the control of the market, regarding products of such characteristics. Apple with a series of products/ software of advanced technology, such as iPhone and iMessage, had managed to get an important share of the market (Yahoo Finance 2011, Huo 2011). In the above context, the acquisition of Skype would offer to Microsoft a key strategic advantage towards its competitors – especially Apple; such perspective is among the main causes of acquisition as a business strategy, as explained above (Microsoft News Center 2011). At the next level, Microsoft is a firm quite powerful, in terms of funds available for the

Nestles Changes in Organizational Architecture and Strategy Case Study

Nestles Changes in Organizational Architecture and Strategy - Case Study Example But in 1990s they started their globalisation and the best way for them to do that was to purchase local subsidiaries in foreign markets. The launch in American markets was around the First World War when there was an increase in demand for dairy products; they constructed a lot of different factories in US at that time period. The underlying objective of moving into foreign markets was to increase efficiency and productivity in the company. In 1974 they diversified into the completely different branch of cosmetics by becoming a major shareholder in Loreal. This was a very bold and daring move and till today investors doubt whether this was a correct financial move or not. The other diversification Nestle engaged in was the purchase of Alcon Laboratories, a U.S manufacturer of pharmaceutical products. The diversification and constant restructuring the firm did was to make it more flexible and adaptable to rapid market changes. Restructuring is a continuous process of Nestle and their restructuring charges run up to $300 million a year. The company has done well over decades, which is why a lot of people often wonder if they are doing everything right why try to change? But that is just Nestles culture and what sets the company apart. The change is often slow in nature as one has to consider the magnitude of the multinational, yet it still happens. Nestle greatly relies on its intrinsic corporate culture to reform employees and make them think the same way. Everyone wants to increase the longevity of the organization rather than focus on solely short-term profits. Nestle has also developed a list of â€Å"untouchables†, which comprises of the companies strengths and should never be changed. One example of this is that nestle understands the importance of IT yet they don’t consider is as a sole tool for implementing successful strategies. It is important to reinforce and focus on the strengths and leave them as is. R & D is one of nestles strengths, which is why the company is so open to change. They constantly come up with innovative practical ideas to succeed. Innovation is in fact the first pillar of Nestles corporate strategy. They recently implemented an â€Å"Innovating the future† leadership strategy which is based on: Continuous improvement in consumer research, to find out exactly what they want and to build superior products to satisfy that demand. Using the vast expertise that Nestle has in its R&D network. Recruiting the best open-minded and passionate innovators are included in this strategy. This also includes working closely with leading universities to find out the latest in technology. Lastly the innovations should meet the core demand of nestle which is Nutrition, health and wellness. In 2008, nestle was struck hard by the Chinese food scandal. Even though the company has developed a great reputation over the years when something this serious happens the images takes a huge hit. Nestle however responde d well by announcing changes and new operations.

Histories of Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Histories of Photography - Essay Example Therefore, using cameras, ethnographers during this period were able to capture all the aspects of a community’s culture, which were observable and manifest (Torresan Web). Therefore, the camera, and overall photography was considered a neutral way of the ethnographers’ collection of objective data. During most part of the 19th Century, photography was characterized by various challenges, as far as ethnography is concerned. For instance, low technological advancements in photography had rendered cameras to be heavy and expensive, and the film was considered a volatile tool. These and other factors resulted in some ethnographers arguing against use of photography in ethnography. However, in the 20th century, with increased technological advancements in photography, most of the technological problems experienced previously were resolved. This therefore, led to an increased usage level of photography in ethnography. For instance, ethnographers used photography as a tool fo r documentation. This would include recording videos of rituals, of which their details would be lost, if an ethnographer took notes only (Torresan Web). Through this, ethnographers are able to gain greater understanding of case studies. In the ethnographic studies in the 19th and 20th centuries, ethnographers held the ideological assumption that culture is manifested through symbols that are visible, and which are embedded in gestures, artifacts, rituals, ceremonies, and natural and constructed environments. The people in a community are considered as the actors in culture, which presents itself as a script. With this therefore, ethnographers believed that photography was an essential way of revealing the intangibles of social life, which include facial expressions, pauses in speech, body gestures, and tonal variations (Torresan Web). It was impossible to capture these using written ethnography; thus making photography to be core to ethnography. Part 2 From its time of invention, t here had been a great debate on whether to or not to consider photography as an art form. Different artists had varied views and arguments on whether photography was an art form or not. One of the most important early advocates of photography as an art form include Le Gray. This was a trained artist, who was highly influential in early photography. In 1852, Le Gray wrote, â€Å"The future of photography does not lie in the cheapness but in the quality of a picture. If a photograph is beautiful, complete, and durable, it acquires an intrinsic value before which its price disappears entirely. For my part, it is my wish that photography, rather than falling into the domain of industry or of commerce, might remain in that of art. That is its only true place, and I shall always seek to make it progress in that direction† (Drogoul Web). This therefore, shows Le Gray’s justification of photography as an art form. On the other hand, Henry Peach Robinson was one of the most pro minent photographers of the 19th century. Like Le Gray, Robinson felt that photography deserved to be respected as an art form. He therefore, was involved in different association of artists, which promoted photography as an art form. In addition, Robinson wrote various texts, in which he promoted photography as a form of art (Harry Ransom Center Web). Oscar Gustav Rejlander was another important artist, whom many

Childhood Obesity Solutions Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity Solutions Essay Prevalence of childhood obesity has increased greatly in the recent years, so much so that the number of children considered overweight by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has nearly quadrupled among children aged 6-11 years old (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p.506). Many members of the public, media, and congress have declared childhood obesity as a major public health concern, considering it to be an â€Å"important cause and consequence of wider disparities in health† (Freudenberg, Libman, and O’Keefe, 2010). Director of the division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity at the CDC, Dr. William H. Dietz, went as far as to say â€Å"This may be the first generation of children that has a lower life span than their parents† (Roberts Wilson, 2012). Though it is evident steps are needed to be taken to help protect the health and futures of our youth, those with the most power to actually make a visible, long lasting environmental change are the most reluctant to do so. Policymakers have alternate interests in finances that water down their attempts to take charge. Sadly, often times playing the social problems game takes precedence over the more genuine social problems work. As a Washington Post article so boldly states â€Å"In the political arena, one side is winning the war on child obesity. The side with the fattest wallets.† (Roberts Wilson, 2012) Proposals that frame childhood obesity as being an inevitable result of increasing environmental surroundings by unhealthful foods are too often neglected by government officials more willing to frame childhood obesity as an individual problem. Indeed it is more convenient to claim providing freedom of choice to individuals who are capable of making their own decisions, emphasizing self regulation, and freeing themselves of responsibility to their nation to lead in financially beefy actions. This essay seeks to demonstrate that childhood obesity should no longer be considered an individual cause stemming from lifestyle choices which can be changed through minor solutions such as education in physical activity and nutrition. Unfortunately, this social problems ownership has become the taken-for-granted frame for this problem (Loseke, 2003, p.69). Childhood obesity really is a social problem which is a direct result from our environment, social structures emphasizing fast, unhealthy, frankly JUNK food which is readily available in any given neighbourhood and continuously marketed through all mediums to increase profits to some select wealthy individuals. I will stress that the only solutions met by this pressing issue have been solely symbolic solutions which have been prematurely praised as they are false attempts to appear loyal to the public, communities, and school systems, while truly remaining loyal to the corporations, who some may very well be held entirely accountable. Within this paper the exploration of three chosen symbolic solutions to date will include: American Government’s distribution of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies for Increasing Physical Activity Among Youth, the national law passing of requiring restaurants with 20 or more chains to provide calorie information on menus and menu boards, and lastly, the enhancement of PE requirements for school aged children. The distribution of said guidelines is reported to be important by reviewing â€Å"the evidence on strategies to increase youth physical activity and make recommendations and to communicate findings to the public.† (Rodgers, 2012, p.10) This report focuses on five settings, but in reality only offers strategies for 3 of them. Two settings (Home and Family, and Primary Care settings) received no proposed strategies to increase physical activity among youth, and focused only on areas requiring further research (p.7). Those settings which did receive proposed strategies were quite obvious suggestions which doubtfully would have any significant impact on physical activity among youth. One such suggestion is to â€Å"provide teachers with appropriate training† (p.5). Although it must be noted that this is not a report distributed solely to decrease obesity among youth, it is distributed to increase physical activity among youth, which is not the same, though admittedly similar. On the webpage this guide is provided, a number of other arbitrary tools can also be found. Webinars on online nutrition information, fact sheets, blogs, access to printable posters, and more. Educating the public, educating the parents of youth, and the youth themselves of course is important. At what point however will it be supplemented by restrictions on marketing of food and beverages to youth, which this guideline reports is estimated at a whopping $10 billion per year, but shows no indication of wanting to reduce or restrict this, and can only suggest counterbalancing with media campaigns directed to offset these unhealthy images (Rodgers, 2012, p. 3). One article is more forward in summarizing â€Å"Despite this widespread recognition of negative impact of marketing unhealthy foods, the practice continues unabated.† (Harvard School of Public Health, 2012) Mandated menu labelling of calories in some American jurisdictions was passed in 2008, requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more facilities to post calorie information next to each item on their menus and menu board (Kuo, Jarosz, Simon and Fielding, 2009, p.1680). This new law was backed by evidence that â€Å"eating fast food has been shown to increase caloric intake and the risk of becoming obese† (Harvard School of Public Health, 2012). As an alternative to restricting what is sold in these fast food chains, restricting advertising of these products, or perhaps even zoning restrictions on how many fast food restaurants were permitted to be within a certain range of schools, this new law appears to be the most liberal of solutions, and the most beneficial for the companies selling these high calorie foods. Findings from a health impact assessment are as follows: â€Å"mandated menu labelling at fast food and other large chain restaurants could reduce population weight gain, even with only modest changes in consumer behaviour.† (Kuo, Jarosz, Simon and Fielding, 2009, p.1683) As promising as this is, it is followed by a stronger and more realistic assessment stating â€Å" if nonobese restaurant patrons were more likely to order reduced calorie meals than were obese patrons, the impact on the obesity rate could be less than what we reported†. Because there was no study conducted on the weight of those opting for calorie reduced items, it is difficult to say if this solution is beneficial to the target audience, obese people in these jurisdictions. If changes are being made that is great, but there is no evidence to date to support this influencing the rising issue of obesity. It is just another means of essentially saying that the government is willing to educate on the food being provided and it is the choice of the individual, to consume or not consume. One solution offered by government recognizes that with the majority of youth enrolled in schools, school is an ideal place to provide much needed physical activity to students (Rodgers, 2012). In implementation, many state policies require schools to â€Å"have a PE unit requirement that constrains students to spend a minimum amount of time in PE class† (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p. 508). A study evaluating the effectiveness of such policies revealed that, naturally, a required PE unit is correlated with a higher probability that the student participates in PE (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p. 511). Although this is clearly a positive outcome of enforcing requirements among youth to enroll in PE classes, this same study goes on to say that â€Å"a requirement is correlated with students reporting fewer minutes spent active in PE†(p.511). Yes, you read that correctly, specifically 15.1 fewer minutes active in PE for boys, and 3.1 fewer in PE for girls (p.511-512). In conclusion, this report sums up the opposing information by stating that â€Å"curriculum development is not significantly associated with the amount of time spent active in PE†. As such, the implementation of these programs sounds a lot more effective in theory then it is in practice. All three of these solutions offered by government are certainly steps in recognizing that childhood obesity is in fact prevalent in our society. These solutions also claim that something can be done to reduce the level of harm to children’s health, and that actions should be implemented in correcting this epidemic. Essentially childhood obesity is a recognized social problem in our society. Unfortunately because the victims, (obese children), are politically powerless individuals, proposals to decrease the harm attributed to them have been, and will continue to be symbolic. Sadly, effort from interest groups with good intentions can be overshadowed by the social problems game of politics. This concept is not lost in an article posted in The New York Academy of Medicine which reads as follows: â€Å"private interests generally have more resources and skills than public health reformers to achieve their policy goals, and are more successful in resisting changes than advocates are in implementing them. These structural barriers are a powerful deterrent to reducing childhood obesity. Creating cities where health rather than business concerns take precedence will require new approaches to governance and democracy.† (Freudenberg, Libman, and O’Keefe, 2010, p.761) It appears as though, for now, the social problems game of proposing symbolic solutions for childhood obesity is being accepted by audiences. Since Loseke claims that â€Å"the goal of social problems game is persuading audience members† (p.51), government officials, the players, are succeeding. References Cawley, J., Meyerhoefer, C. and Newhouse, D. (2007), The correlation of youth physical activity with state policies. Contemporary Economic Policy, 25: 506–517. doi: 10.1111/j.1465-7287.2007.00070.x Fredenberg, N., Libman, K., O’Keefe, E. (2010), A tale of two obescities: The role of municipal governance in reducing childhood obesity in New York city and London. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 87:5 doi:10.1007/s11524-101-943-x Harvard School of Public Health, (2012), The obesity prevention source toxic food environment. Retrieved from: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ Kuo, T., Jarosz, C., Simon,P., Fielding, J. (2009), Menu labelling as a potential strategy for combating obesity epidemic: A health impact assessment. American Journal of Public Health, 99:9 doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.153023 Loseke, D. (2003), Thinking about social problems. New York: Walter de Gruyter, Inc. Robert, J., Wilson, D., (2012, April 27), Special report: How Washington went soft on childhood obesity. Reuters. Retrieved from: http://www.reuters.com/ Rodgers, A., (2012), Physical activity guidelines for Americans mid-course report: strategies to increase physical activities among youth. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from: http://health.gov/paguidelines/default.aspx

Growth Kinetics of Microorganisms in a Shake Flask

Growth Kinetics of Microorganisms in a Shake Flask Abstract This experiment is carried out to study the growth kinetics of microorganisms in shake flask. E.coli is grown in a LB broth medium and being fermented for 24 hours. Throughout the fermentation, the cell culture is taken out for every 3 hours and protein test, glucose test and cell dry weight are being performed. As for the optical density analysis, the absorbance reading from the spectrophotometer is taken while for the glucose test, the reading of glucose level is taken from the YSI 2700 Select Biochemical Analyzer or can also being performed by using DNS reagent and the absorbance value is taken. These absorbance values will then being compared with the standard curve to get the glucose concentration inside the shake flask at particular time. The cell dry weight, in the other hand, is taken after the mass concentration is being dried overnight in the oven. The weight of the viral which contains the biomass before and after the drying process is recorded to get the dry cell weight. For the optical density of the cell, the absorbance value showed an increment which indicating that the cell was growing and number of cell is increased in the shake flask. The glucose concentration, however, cannot be determined as the absorbance values were increased and decreased unevenly and comparison cannot be made with the standard curve as the data for the standard curve are not consistent giving inaccurate curve. Therefore no conclusion can be made about the glucose concentration in the shake flask. Supposedly, as the number of cell increased, the glucose concentration would decrease as the glucose consumption by the cells is increased. The dry cell weight in the other hand can be seen that there is an increment from the beginning of the cultivation until the 6th hour and showed unstable changes until the 24th hour. Supposedly, as the number of cell increased inside the shake flask, the cell dry weight also should be increased. Introduction Fermentation can be carried out as batch, continuous and fed-batch processes. In this experiment, the shake flask fermentation is being used. Shake flask fermentation is the example of batch fermentation. In shake flask, the culture flask usually Erlenmeyer flask is being used to place and growing the microorganisms. It is the cheapest and easiest way to culture microorganism aerobically, in small volumes of nutrient broth. It is a small scale equipment which equivalent to stirred tank bioreactor. In order to prevent any contamination to the culture, shake flask must be plugged. Different plug can be made of cotton-wool, glass wool, polyurethane foam, gauze or synthetic fibrous material. The plug has to prevent airborne microorganism from getting into the medium while at the same time allowing free flow of air into the flask. The cultures are incubated at certain temperature and shaking frequency in an incubator shaker to achieve a required growth rate. The shaking agitates the medium and the culture to keep the mixture relatively homogeneous and also to ensure aeration, creating an aerobic condition. In batch culture, there is neither input supplied nor output generated throughout the fermentation. The medium culture is initially inoculated with the microorganism. The growth keeps increasing until at certain extent, the growth is inhibited because of the decreasing substrate concentration and the presence of toxic metabolites. Aims To study the growth kinetics of microorganism in shake flask experiment To construct a growth curve including lag, log, stationary and death phases To determine the Monod parameters Theory Shake flask fermentation is one of the examples of batch fermentation. Batch culture is an example of a closed culture system which contains an initial, limited amount of nutrient. The inoculated culture will pass through a number of phases. After an inoculation there is a period during which no growth appears to take place. This period is referred as the lag phase and may be considered as a time of adaptation. In a commercial process, the length of the lag phase should be reduced as much as possible. Following a period during which the cell gradually increases, the cell grows at constant, maximum rate and this period is known as the log phase or exponential phase. The exponential phase may be described by the equation below: =  µx -1 where x is the concentration of microbial biomass t is the time, in hours  µ is the specific growth rate, in hour -1 on integration, equation (1) gives = 2 where is the original biomass concentration is the biomass concentration after time interval, t hours During the exponential phase, the organism is growing at its maximum specific growth rate, for the prevailing conditions. Equation 2 predicts that growth will continue indefinitely. However, growth results in the consumption of nutrients and the excretion of microbial products. Thus after a certain time the cell growth rate will decrease until growth ceases. The cessation of growth may be due to the depletion of some essential nutrient in the medium when there is limitation in substrate. The decrease in growth rate and the cessation of growth due to the depletion of substrate may be described by the relationship between  µ and the residual growth-limiting substrate as follows:  µ = where = maximum growth rate s = residual substrate concentration = substrate utilization constant The stationary phase in batch culture is the point where the growth rate has declined to zero. In the other word the growth rate is equivalent to the death rate. The cell death is might due to the nutrient limitations due to their incorporation into cells during log-phase growth or a build-up of toxins due to their release of fermentation products also during log-phase growth. The death phase is the result of the inability of the bacteria to carry out further reproduction as condition in the medium become less and less supportive of cell division. The nutrient is extremely insufficient for the growth of the microorganism. Eventually, the number of viable bacterial cells begins to decline at an exponential rate. Industrial fermentation is usually interrupted at the end of the exponential growth phase or before the death phase begins. Apparatus and material E.coli Luria Bertani Broth Distilled water Shake flask Cotton-plugged Incubator shaker Cuvettes Centrifuges Micropipetor Pipette tips Laminar flow 70% ethanol Lighter and Bunsen burner Graduated cylinder Schott bottle DNS reagent Procedures Part 1: Preparation of inoculated fermentation medium 500ml shake flask, bunsen burner, measuring cylinder, LB broth and inoculums are brought into the laminar flow. Under aseptic technique, 50 ml of media is transferred into 500ml shake flask. Then 6 ml of inoculums is added into the shake flask resulting in final volume of 56ml. The shake flask is plugged with cotton-plugged. The shake flask is swabbed with 70% ethanol. The shake flask is incubated at 350 rpm; T=30ËÅ ¡C; 24 hours. Part 2: Sampling for cell dry weight 1ml of biomass concentration is taken out. The 1ml biomass concentration is transferred into micro centrifuge tube. An empty micro centrifuge tube must be weighted first. The sample is then centrifuged for 10 minutes at 10000 rpm. After that, the supernatant of the sample is taken out carefully without taking out any biomass. The biomass is then left dried inside an oven at 80C for overnight. The dried biomass is then being placed inside a dessicator to let it cool before rapidly weighing on an analytical balance. Part 3: Glucose analysis 1ml of biomass concentration is taken out. The 1ml biomass concentration is transferred into micro centrifuge tube. The sample is then put onto turntable of YSI 2700 Select Biochemical Analyzer for direct analysis of glucose concentration. Another method of glucose analysis is by using DNS reagent. 1.5ml of DNS reagent is added into 0.5ml of the biomass sample inside a capped test tube The mixture is heated at 90ËÅ ¡C for 10 minutes to develop the red-brown colour. The heated mixture is then cooled to the room temperature for 2-3 minutes in a cold or ice water. The mixture is then being diluted with 10ml of distilled water. The absorbance is checked with a spectrophotometer. Part 3: Sampling for absorbance analysis/ optical density 2ml of biomass concentration is taken out and being transferred into micro centrifuge tube. The spectrophotometer is calibrated to zero by blank consisting of 2ml LB Broth. The biomass concentration is then being transferred into a cuvette and optical density measurement is taken with wavelength set at 600nm. More absorbance means higher number of cell. Part 4: The preparation of glucose standard curve The 20g/L, 40g/L, 60g/L, 80g/L and 100g/L of glucose concentration is prepared by weighing the suitable amount of glucose and diluted with 10ml of distilled water. 1.5ml of DNS reagent is added with 0.5ml of the glucose sample inside a capped test tube The mixture is heated at 90ËÅ ¡C for 10 minutes to develop the red-brown colour. The heated mixture is then cooled to the room temperature for 2-3 minutes in a cold or ice water. The mixture is then being diluted with 10ml of distilled water. The absorbance is checked with a spectrophotometer Discussions This experiment is carried out to study the kinetic growth of microorganism. E.coli is selected as the cell and being cultivated inside a shake flask. The growth of microorganism in shake flask is a simple method of fermentation. The nutrients for the microorganism are being supplied by the media which contain the carbon sources. The flask is shaken during the cultivation to mix the cell and the media; increase the homogeneity between these two and also to provide aeration for the cells. The culture is gone through the fermentation process for 24 hours. Within that period, the biomass/cell sample is taken out for every 3 hours to analyze the concentration of the cell (g/L), the cell dry weight and the glucose concentration. In order to analyze the concentration of the cell inside the flask, absorbance reading for the optical density is taken from the spectrophotometer. The higher the absorbance reading means higher number of cell presence inside the flask at a particular time. As for this experiment, the absorbance reading is increase from the beginning of the experiment until the 21st hour and decrease slightly at the 24th hour. It can be explained that the number of cell increase throughout the cultivation indicating that the cell is growing. In the other hand, the decrease in cell number in 24th hour indicating that the cell growth has reach its deceleration phase where the growth of the cell is started to slow down. The decelerating growth phase is where the culture is in a transient state. During this stage there are feed/back mechanisms that regulate the bacterial enzymes involved in key metabolic steps to enable the bacteria to withstand starvation. There is much turnover of protein for the cultu re to cope with this period of low substrate availability. In cell growth, the cell will go through several phases like lag, exponential, deceleration, stationary and death phase. In cell cultivation, the cells themselves need food or carbon sources like glucose for growth. In batch fermentation for example in this experiment, the glucose can be the limiting factor for the cell growth or we called it as substrate limiting growth. For this condition, the Monod equation can be used to predict the growth rate and the cell concentration inside the shake flask. In addition, the glucose concentration can be known by testing the cell sample into the glucose analyzer and the direct glucose concentration can be obtained. In other way, the glucose concentration is also being obtained by mixing the sample with DNS reagent. The DNS reagent will be reduced to 3-amino,5-nitrosalicylic acid in the presence of free carboxyl group (glucose) and absorbance reading can be taken through the spectrophotometer. As for this experiment, the glucose test showed no pattern of changes in absorbance values. These values increase and decrease unevenly. This might be due to some mistakes occurred during the glucose test where the volume of sample and DNS reagent that need to be mixed is incorrectly taken. This has affected the accuracy of the absorbance reading. From the absorbance reading, the concentration of the glucose can be obtained by referring to the glucose standard curve. The glucose concentration should be decreased as the number of cell inside the flask is increased. This is because as the number of organism increases, nutrients are consumed and becoming lesser. However, this cannot be shown from the results obtained due to some mistakes occurred throughout the experiment. Another analysis that can be performed to analyze the cell sample is by taking the dry weight of the cell. In this method, the cell is being taken out from cultivation flask and transferred into viral tube. The tube is the being centrifuged to separate the supernatant with the cell. The remained cell is then being dried inside an oven for 24 hours. The dry cell weight is finally taken to know the weight of the cell that present at particular time during the cultivation. In this experiment, the cell dry weight is increased from 0th hour until 6th hour and gradually decreased from the 9th hour to 12th hour and increased until the 24th hour. The cell dry weight should increase when the number of cell increased inside the shake flask. Conclusions At the end of this experiment, microorganism is suitable to be fermented inside a shake flask and it is a simple method to investigate the growth kinetics of the microorganism. Knowledge of microbial growth kinetics is essential to determine when to harvest the culture for different purposes. For a growth-linked product, it is desirable to harvest the culture at the late exponential growth phase. On the other hand, for a non-growth-linked product, it would be desirable to harvest the culture at the stationary growth phase. As microorganism will go through several phases in their growth, several analyses on the cell need to be done to know the growth kinetics of the cell and the duration for each phase. This includes the cell concentration, glucose concentration and also the cell dry weight analyses. This method can be done in the laboratory before the fermentation or the cultivation of microbes in large scale is performed. Growth kinetics deals with the rate of cell growth and how it is affected by various chemical and physical conditions. During the course of growth, the cells is continuously changing and adapting itself in the media environment, which is also continuously changing in physical and chemical conditions. In conclusion, the microbial culture in batch culture system (shake flask system) goes through a lag phase, exponential growth phase, decelerating growth phase, stationary phase and sometimes the death phase depends on the end product desired. The substrate concentration in the culture medium and growth parameters, such as glucose concentration changes correspondingly throughout the growth phases. Thus, the physiology of the microorganisms is always in a transient stage, subjected to a continually changing culture conditions. Consequently, product formation is confined to a certain period of cultivation, for example antibiotics would only be produced in the decelerating and stationary growth phases. The batch culture system is still widely used in certain industrial processes for example brewery industry because of its easy management of feed stocks. These advantages allow the use of unskilled labour and low risk of financial loss. Low level of microbial contamination in fermented products is at time tolerable, as long as the microbial contaminants are not pathogenic and do not alter the desired properties of the product, such as taste, colour and texture. Recommendations Aseptic technique must be practised when handling biomass concentration to avoid any contamination. Cuvette must be wiped cleanly to prevent any scratch that would affect the spectrophotometer reading during protein test. This experiment must be carried out under the laminar flow to prevent any contamination to the culture. The supernatant of cell concentration should be taken out carefully without any taking out of the biomass. The cap of the viral must be opened to fasten the drying process of the biomass in the oven. Wash hand after handling the culture. Disinfect the work area with 70% alcohol before handling the culture. Dispose of all contaminated materials in appropriate containers.

The Impact of Technology Upon Education Essay -- Mainstreaming Technol

The Impact of Technology Upon Education As the years go on, technology has become such a necessity to everyday life in the average person’s life. Whether you live here, there, or anywhere, technology is apparent and has become such an integral part of everyday life to the point that we cannot imagine life without it. Technology is used in both the private and the public life of every person. In private lives we have our computers, our microwaves, our palm pilots, ovens, TVs, cell phones, VCRs, DVD players and much, much more. In our public lives we have checkout scanners, security cameras, security alarms, car alarms, and so much more. What many of us do not realize is that another benefit of technology is helpful with the growing rate of inclusion. There are so many products out on the market today to help disabled people to integrate with the mainstream and have the same benefits as we do. One of the most interesting pieces of technology that I have found for disabled people is iCommunicator. This product is mainly used for the deaf and hard of hearing so that they would not always have to have a translator. It gives them more independence in the workplace or at school. It also has been used with children as young as preschoolers to determine the literacy development and as an early diagnosis for hearing loss in young children. This program converts speech to text, speech to video sign language, speech to computer-generated voice, text to computer-generated voice or video sign language. This program has a speech -to-text translation rate of a 90% greater accuracy in less time than its predecessors. [1] Its remarkable features include auto save, menus, on screen buttons, a vocabulary library that includes m... ...udents. The children whether they be blind, deaf, learning disabled etc now have ways to connect with other people and will be able to fit into the rest of society much easier and finding a job when he or she gets older will not be such a big problem. So many of the original obstacles have been overcome due to the increase of technology. Technology has become a great asset to teaching others and aiding people to do things they had never thought possible, whether it be a blind or deaf person getting an office job, or getting an ‘A’ if you were a learning disabled student. I never knew that there were so many products available on the common market to help those people to integrate with the mainstream population both in school and at the workplace. Technology has definitely become a positive tool for not only the mainstream public but for the disabled as well.

Does advertising help or harm us? Essay

Advertisements are a great way to make people aware of products, issues, and more, But advertising become a problem to society. It gets us to spend all kinds of money on products and things that we really do not need. First, Advertising is harmful to the mental health of the majority of population across the world because it puts teenagers and children especially in doubt of their worth and beauty. For example, there are so many advertisements out there showing â€Å"perfect† woman, and this just makes young girls feel badly about themselves. It’s like telling them that they have to buy products to look pretty or smart and to be able to being accepted in society. So, this can lead to bigger issues. Second , Advertisements are everywhere people go. It’s nearly impossible to go anywhere without seeing an advertisement because the sheer volume of advertising in our society is incredible. for instance , You cannot watch television, ride on a bus or even walk down the street without someone trying to sell you something or inform you of something. People do not like so much of advertising in their lives. It sets their minds buzzing what to buy and what not to buy. Advertising is an exploitative tool, No one really needs any of the items on sale and it takes away the real sense of choice. Due to these reasons I feel ads is harmful. So, Take a stand and don’t let advertising harm your life.

Jacques Bertrand’s ‘Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia’

The book to be analyzed is Jacques Bertrand's ‘Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia', published by Cambridge University Press in 2004. This book is seen as one of the most recent writings on the subject of ethnic conflicts as they are, and through the prism of the situation in Indonesia.Jacques Bertrand is known for the deep scientific research in the area of Asian studies; Bertrand is the authors of numerous works related to Indonesian conflicts and ethnic backgrounds, so the book may be seen as either a continuation of this research, or as the means of concluding all previous knowledge and making it more systematic, thus eliminating unnecessary information and creating a clear picture of what the situation is and what the roots of this situation are.A question may appear (as well as serious doubts) as for how a Professor and a scientists of Toronto University, which is not even close to Indonesia could perform such deep research and whether the ideas given in the book can be trusted and can be relevant, but Bertrand was able to view the situation from inside, visiting Indonesia and conducting the research there. These ‘research trips' as the author calls them, transformed the initial idea and image of the book, and the resulting work is the one we read now.Speaking about the situation when a foreign author writes about ethnic conflicts of some other country, it has both its advantages and drawbacks. Taking into account that the author states ‘many people from various non-governmental organizations across Indonesia provided me with assistance, contacts and resources' (Bertrand 2004, p. xv), it may be assumed that the conclusions made in the book are relevant and reliable. 2.The author's purpose of writing this book was systematization of the information which had already been at disposal and needed deeper analysis and application in the theories described in the book; however, probably the principal aim of writing this book was to fin d possible solutions of the conflict situation. ‘I only hope that my work, in its very small way, can help to elucidate some aspects of the conflict and perhaps contribute to the reconciliation process'. (Bertrand 2004, p. xv) 3. One of the principal benefits of the book is that Bertrand was able to make huge systematization of the already existing material.This is clearly seen through the strict structure of the book, with each part addressing the separate aspect of the conflict without tearing it off the general line of discussion. Thus, step by step, the reader fills the image of the situation which he has given through the beginning of the book, with additional aspects and details, making it multidimensional. ‘The argument of this book consequently differs from other studies that have addressed various aspects of the ethnic violence of the late 1990s'. (Bertrand 2004, p.6) The principal difference and one of the main advantages of this classification is that it is do ne through three lines – the first one described what role elites play in raising ethnic conflict; here Bertrand was brave enough to deny the strength of certain arguments and evidences (for example, the role of outside forces) and to re-direct discussion into understanding, what forces linked local groups to elites, and why so many people joined the riots. The whole structure of the book is made as leading the reader to the possible conclusions step by step.From the very beginning the author gives basic theoretical approaches as for the possibilities of escalating ethnic violence. The advantages of making this chapter the first is in giving serious background for the reader to understand what roots of violence and ethnic conflicts exist at present, which helps to make personal conclusions as for which of the theories is applicable to the situation in Indonesia. Bernard tries to explain the core of ethnic violence through the conjunction and interrelation of nationalism, inst itutions and relations between ethnic groups.It has been emphasized through the book that all previous studies had focused on national ethnic identities as well as various socio-economic factors; not a single theory had made any stress on the assumption that ethnic violence becomes relevant through the periods of institutional reconstruction of the state. (Bertrand 2004, p. 10) These theoretic approaches are also seen through the light of the nationalism/ ethnic conflict connection, in which Bernard sees the essential aspect – nationalism is what links nations to the states (Bertrand 2004, p.15), and while it is often seen as a very negative aspect, in its moderate forms nationalism is what defines the ‘face' of nation. Having once paid attention to the assumption that religion is the core of the ethnic conflict in Indonesia, Bernard follows this line across the several more sections, coming to the point that the discussion of how religious issues are managed in the cou ntry and how islamization influenced the ethnic structure and relation of people in Indonesia will finally become the correct choice giving the ideas as for how this conflict should be solved.Making logical structure, Bernard leads the reader to the issue of religion as leading in Indonesian ethnic conflicts, gradually; starting the section of religious conflicts with the description of their essence, the reader goes through the explanation of connections between riots and religion, as well as the fall of Sukarto's regime which is seen one of the pushing forces for the escalation of ethnic violence. ‘Though the violence was directed most clearly at the ethnic Chinese, religious undertones were nevertheless present'. (Bertrand 2004, p. 102) – this quotation shows the objectivity of analysis.Bernard tries to avoid categorical statements and assumes that the analysis of the Indonesian ethnic conflicts should be done very carefully; the author is rather cautious in many sta tements which make the reader understand the striving for being objective. In explaining the reasons for religious riots, for example, Bernard was rather critical of the previous analyses made by other authors, but even in that case it has not been done in denying way, but through the prism of the knowledge which the author possessed and wanted to deliver to the public.(Bertrand 2004, p. 111) Making autonomy or federalism the best resolution of the ethnic conflict, Bernard explains this position stating that ‘autonomy could redistribute political power, representation, and control over the state's resources to provincial or district levels. As such, it gave political elites in these territorial units more power to direct resources to their specific needs' (Bertrand 2004, p.185) Thus, having started the book with the discussion of the political local elites as one of the major participants of ethnic violence, having gone through historical and religious aspects, Bernard still c omes back to these elites in the solution, seeing it as the most beneficial. As it has become clear, the structure is absolutely strict, vivid, logical and correct. The book can be viewed as the basis for deep analysis and understanding the misconceptions which existed in the previous studies on the same subject. These misconceptions have also partially been mentioned here.4. The assumptions which underlie the author's argument mainly touch the aspect of religion; the basic assumption is that religious conflicts become the moving forces for the ethnic conflict, as well as that local elites need self-identification, which also leads them to riots and ethnic violence. One more useful assumption is that though many riots had no religious tint on the surface, the conflict between Islam and Christianity is the ground on which ethnic conflicts grew; with assuming that local elites play not the last role in creating these riots.It is also possible to assume that ethnic violence is used as cover for elimination of the undesired religious layers; this assumption can be seen through the whole book, though it is not expressed openly, but is rather implied. 5. How to categorize the author's approach to the problem? I would state that it is a combination of sociological and political approaches. It is suggested that sociological approach is viewed through the analysis of the connections between the elites of various level (national, local).Political approach is seen through the suggestion that autonomy will be the best resolution of the conflict. The question is here what other views and perspectives could be used here and how they could change the whole book. Let's think – the two approaches used by the author are beneficial because they make it possible to come to the relevant conclusions and to make real suggestions as for the possible solutions. If this approach was philosophical – it would be absolutely different and probably deeper, but it would not be possible to create basic resolutions for the conflict.6. Methodology which was used by the author is mostly interviewing – Bernard spent rather long time speaking to native people and living among them to gather all information possible for the book. As it is stated in the very first section of the book, ‘colleagues provided useful comments on parts of the manuscript or related papers, some influenced my ideas in discussions at various venues where I presented my work, or forced me to revise my analysis significantly in light of their constructive criticism'. (Bertrand 2004, p. xiv) 7.It may seem difficult to define what audience Bernard addresses in this book. Looking closer at the language in which the book is written, and thinking of what audience should be the best for reading the theoretical and practical material, it may be assumed that this book will be the most suitable for the researchers who now only work in he area of Asian conflicts and would be interested i n information about Indonesia – the theoretical background is so strong that it can be used in any related sociological and political studies in the area of the ethnic conflicts, violence and their reasons and sources.Moreover, the line which the author makes through the book (the logical line) can also be used by professionals in analyzing other regions of the world in the similar manner. Though the references made by Bernard to other works and authors, are all noted in the book, it is still easier to be read for those who have an idea about these works and what these works are about. 8. Any author can be criticized and it is always possible to find weak sides in any work, no matter how professional it can be.There of course can be other views on the problem, and Bernard was wise enough as to show these viewpoints in this work and to critically analyze them on the basis of the knowledge available from her life in Indonesia, though it is also possible to look at the problem n ot through religious prism, but through the prism of political reasons of striving for autonomy, for example, and in this case the research would take a different form.For example, Bowen (1996) speaks about ethnic conflicts viewing them through social conflict and the importance of political choices, without any relation to religion. In his article he writes that emerging of the political systems is the crucial element for avoiding violence in any form, and though Bernard relates to institutional changes in the political structure, the arguments are still directed towards religion. 9.Though it may be suggested that while the book was published in 2004, three years might have created serious effect on the Indonesian regime and much could have changed after that. One of the recent articles in Washington Times about Indonesia (Anonymous 2005 p. A22) and its violence on the ethnic background has given assurance that Bernard was right – the arguments given about the Sukarno regime and its impact on raising ethnic conflict are only supported and are not denied and even neutralized.Though the tendency towards democratization of the Indonesian society was noted as an important political factor for eliminating violence and destroying the grounds for the conflict; when population has received the right to elect and to vote, it has become clear that the Sukarno regime's supporters would not have many chances to win the elections. While Bertrand states at the end of the book that ‘the end of regime opened up opportunities for renegotiating new terms of inclusion, or secession, for ethnonationalist groups', (Bertrand 2004, p. 217) this assumption is supported by the abovementioned article.Thus, it is not possible to say that the arguments given by Bernard were weakened with time; the perspective drawn by the author was developed as predicted, and the absence of any recent articles on violence in Indonesia is the best support for the prediction that renegotiati ng of ethnic groups has taken place. 10. The significance of the writing analyzed here is not under any doubts; it has become clear that the analysis made by Bertrand is so deep that it cannot be stated any other author has been able to conduct the research of such large scale over the recent years.The significance of this writing is more increased through the two following factors: first of all, it has been done ‘from inside' of the situation with Bertrand undertaking multiple research trips to the country; and second, seeing the serious conclusions touching the need of autonomy, to which the author was able to come. References Anonymous 2005, ‘Democratizing Indonesia', The Washington Times, September 23, p. A22 Bertrand, Jacques 2004, Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia, Cambridge University Press. Bowen, JR 1996, ‘The myth of global ethnic conflict', Journal of Democracy, vol. 7, no. 4, p. 3-14