An Organizational Culture. How Does It Affect The Decision And Essay

An Organizational Culture. How Does It Affect The Decision And Outcomes Of The Organization Can Organizational Culture Be Changed - Essay Example There is also no single definition of culture and it only involves assumptions, adaptations, perceptions, and learning that use symbols, language, ideologies, rituals, and myths in creating its beliefs, values and expectations. In a business setting, organizational culture is the shared philosophies, ideologies, values, assumptions, beliefs, expectations, attitude, and norms that knit the organization together. All of these interrelated psychological qualities reveal a group agreement, implicit or explicit, on how to approach decisions and problems or how things are done in a specific organization. It manifests in behavioral norms, hidden assumptions, and human nature, each occurring at a different level of depth within the organization. Studies have showed that organizational cultures are influenced by national cultures. Organizational culture differs not only from one business or industry to another but also from one country to another. In fact, industry and business culture are im mensely influenced by national cultures. The dimensions of cultures between countries were categorized by Hofstede. Hoftstede formulated a cultural assessment tool whereby dimensions of one’s cultural strength can be assessed by assigning a scale ranging from 0 to 100 in the five cultural dimensions. This tool of Hofstede is a popular tool among managers who would like to understand another culture apart from their own. The five cultural dimensions of Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Long-Term Orientation; Hofstede’s five dimensions of culture in details are; Small vs. large power distance – This refers to how a society handles inequalities and the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Individualism vs. collectivism  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Behavior towards community. The degree to which individuals are integrated into groups or are expected to look after themselves and self-actualize. Masculinity vs. femininity)  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Behavior and roles distributed according to gender. (This dimension is often renamed by users of Hofstede’s work to Quantity of Life vs. Quality of Life because one of the notable findings in the IBM studies revealed that in ‘masculine’ cultures, people (whether male or female) value competitiveness, assertiveness, ambition, and the accumulation of wealth and material possessions whereas in ‘feminine’ cultures, people (again whether male or female) value relationships and quality of life. Weak vs. strong uncertainty avoidance – This refers to the level of need for structure. Cultures with low uncertainty avoidance tend to accept risk and change and prefer implicit or flexible rules and guidelines. Long vs. short term orientation – How much society values long-standing, as opposed to short term, traditions and values. Cultures with high long-te rm orientation place strong importance on family, discipline and social obligations These varying organizational cultures affect the decision and outcomes of the organization in manner that it dictates or sets the phase on how things should be done in an organization and how should manager approach the workforce considering the prevailing culture. A positive culture is often cultivated by management to be able to increase the productivity of the organization while keeping the people happy which reinforces further the positive and cohesive organizational culture. A positive organizational culture benefits the business enterprise because of its higher productivity outcome. When organizational culture is positive, people are motivated and get things done faster not to mention that

Emirates Airlines: Key Performance Indicator Analysis

Emirates Airlines: Key Performance Indicator Analysis In this simulation you chose a sector to operate in (budget, mid-range or luxury). What have you learned about these sectors as a result of your experience in this simulation? What would you have done differently at the beginning of the simulation and why? What would you have done differently to be more successful during the simulation and why? In this sector we operated as Emirates Airlines in mid-range as a view that there is a huge population in the sector and even if circumstances favours even budget and luxury passengers would opt for mid-range. In this sense during the start we sold 3 flights which we had as it doesnt had head room and toilets and leased three flights for the operation. We started 1st quarter selling tickets for 35 cents and its a mistake that we changed to luxury airline selling for 48 cents right after the 1st quarter. As this would have changed our target customer and all the operation should also been changed accordingly. We incurred heavy expenses on Promotion and advertisement which hadnt created any impact. There were complaints from customer for poor food services which we realised and started allocating cost for quality and services. High concentration would have been made on maintenance and market research which is the important factor in competitive industry like Airline. There are certain factors which can be focused and done differently at the beginning of the stimulation: Strategic Approach: we did not have any strategic approach when we started our simulation. And that is the reason we had made unreasonable decisions like shift to luxury and sales of aircraft. if we had a strategic approach we would have sold the flights when there is huge profit and avoided lease payment to be added in the expenses. Also we would have shifted to luxury at least after the 4th quarter when we had a good customer base and market. Hence instead of having a single strategy, it would have been better if we had followed a mixture of strategies in terms of pricing, marketing and services. Systematic Approach: there is no systematic approach at the beginning of the simulation. We blindly sold the flights without ascertaining the financial position and brought new flights during 6th quarter which we wrongly numbered and resulted in the purchase of another 3 flights when the company is already in a loss and thereby realised and sold a flight at 7th quarter. The fuel, flight operation and maintenance cost got drastic increase and because of the increase in the number of passengers we did not suffer huge loss. Hence if we had a systematic approach from the beginning we would have reached a good profit. Pricing: A price cue is defined as any marketing tactic used to persuade customers that prices offer good value compared to competitors prices, past prices or future prices (Rao, 2010: 150); at first we sold the tickets for 35 cents as mid-range airline and suddenly hiked the price to 48cents as luxury airline. We did not have idea about the impact and did not take steps to offer service according rather invested in promotion and advertisement. We realised it as mistake and felt that the pricing is an important factor in attracting customers only during 5th quarter and reduce the price to 40 cents and only after that we were about to increase the number of customer. Hence if the pricing factor has given significant importance on the start of the simulation, the company would have escaped from losses. Actions would have been taken during the stimulation for success: Proper maintenance of aircraft in order to avoid fine from FAA. Good system for customer reservation system to be flexible, fast and user-friendly. Strong investment in market research to enable sales forecast and market situation analysis. Proper training and quality to make the customer feel satisfied and get the luxury in food and other services. Good systematic maintenance of accounts in loan interest repayment, lease payment, depreciation in order to have a clear view of the actual profit. Strategic allocation of expenses on promotion and advertisement, sales forecast and social performance Strategic approach on pricing and increasing the number of sales person according the number of flights operated. What were the KPIs you used in running your airline and did they change? Critically appraise the value of the information you had available to you in the results packs during the simulation. How did you use this to affect your decision making? The below are the Key Performance Indicator we as a team of Emirates Airlines believed at the beginning of the simulation which we tried following throughout the quarters but some were forced to reframe it due to companys situation and response. Thus once an organization has analyzed its mission, identified all its stakeholders and defined its goals, it needs a way to measure progress toward those goals. Key performance indicators are those measurements which help to define and measure progress towards organizational goals (Geoff, 2009: 419) Flight Operation: The important KPI we followed is in terms of flight operation. We believed that achieving 80% of maximum mileage per day would definitely yield a profit. As flights can be flew only with the maximum passenger and also includes the number of flights used. Hence it can achieve all in one KPI. We achieved this until quarter5 reaching 70% in each but it got changed due to purchase of 3 more flights without knowledge which made the company to focus on the reduction of expenses and deviated from the miles operating. Promotional and sales forecast: Emirates Airline team believed that high investment in promotion, advertisement and sales forecast can lead companys success. In terms of sales forecast, our KPI was in a correct way. But in terms of promotion and advertisement we changed and reduced the level of expense as the company started to incur loss. Financial Perspective: we thought revenue is an important factor for an airline company to be successful as there will arise uncertain circumstances due to weather or fuel price, hence had a KPI to increase the revenue through Fares. We started a s mid-range and attracted maximum customers and shifted to luxury charging huge fare as a KPI of increasing the revenue. We are badly affected till 5th quarter because of this factor and then reduced the pricing. The information we got through the value packs and incident feedback was very helpful in refining our performance and take corrective measures. Not only in terms of finance but also in terms of flight operation and service, the index feedback gave us the measures for improvement. The company was in a tough situation after the shift to luxury airline, where the incident feedback helped us to identify what was going wrong. The below are the some changes we effected from the information we got through the value packs, Increased the number of flights and number of flight routes. Decreased the ticket fares in order to increase the number of passengers. Concentrated on cabin services to increase the quality service to the passengers and reduce complaints. Taken measures and allotted funds on aircraft maintenance to avoid accidents and escape from fine. Got knowledge that the huge loss of the company is due to the purchase of 3 additional flights resulted from mistake in numbering in the software. Came to know that a flight was unused hence sold the flight to avoid maintenance expenses. We felt the importance of passenger service and allotted more fund towards it. Giving due consideration to theory, evaluate how a merger or acquisition might have changed your outcomes and the way you operated during the simulation? What additional implications would there have been for your company? Merger and Acquisition are often used inter-changeable concepts while merger is the combination of two companies in order to form a new company and Acquisition is a companys purchase of another company where there is no formation of new company (Scott C. Whitaker, 2012). Merger and acquisition have a common goal of attaining synergy. There are certain factors that should be taken care while going in for merger or acquisition as it results in cultural risk, business, employees and customer retention risk. These risks may not be applicable if Emirates would have planned the merger or acquisition in the initial stage that is before 4th quarter but if it is after that the above said risks should be taken care of. Hence it is evident that the nature of company to which going to be merged or acquired should be taken into account that it should be similar in business and should be stronger in operation as emirates are operating in a tough situation. There are many advantages for company to go in for a merger or acquisition. We as a emirates airlines can merge or acquire a financially strong airline whereby we become economically strong and can reduce the cost of capital (Donald M. DePamphills, 2009). In emirates during 5th quarter, we had a NIL balance of cash flow after the overdraft loan hence during such situation merging with company with good cash flow will be a potential decision. Also there will be a positive impact on the stock price especially for companies like emirates where we had our stock price in negative numbers. Not only in financial terms, merger and acquisition also helps in terms of operation synergy. For e.g., if we Emirates team go for a merger during our mid-quarter with a company which is technologically strong we would have had a chance for competitive advantage and fast growth platform (Scott C. Whitaker, ). We would have not made a mistake of unsystematic approach in buying a flight during our 6ht quar ter by which we suffers a heavy loss. There are major operating cost involved in terms of Airlines they are fuel, maintenance, interest expenses, lease amount, promotional activities, market research, taxes and so on. These costs would have been spread between two companies after merging. Merger and acquisition are also helpful to use the assets and skills of the other companies merging or acquiring with. We as Emirates team lacked in terms of allocation of expenses and proper maintenance of aircraft. Hence merging with a managerial strong company would have helped us to move in the right path. It helps in improving the operating efficiency with a combined activity of the merging firms thereby can enjoy the market power. This is called market power theory. With this the company can have a control on the pricing and suppliers and also can have customer base. As a team of Emirates Airlines only in the 1st quarter we were able to make a profit. It may be because of the sudden shift to luxury airlines which made us to suffer from continuous losses till 6th quarter. Our stock price also went on negative price. Hence merger or acquisition during the mid-quarter would be the better decision as it would have reduced the cost and share the total cost. We also had a reduction of pricing on 5th quarter which can be avoided when we had merger with our competitor. We lacked in many operation areas like customer satisfaction, aircraft maintenance and proper allocation of expenses, hence merger and acquisition would have been potential at early stage. Appraise how successful your company was in your industry. Were your relative success / failure due primarily to your analysis and diagnosis or the choices and decisions you made? Which models and theory did you consider when participating in the game and how did this help you? Planning, executing and monitoring are the key aspects for a company to be successful. And in industry like Airline where there are ample numbers of risks, it is important that the firm follows a strategic approach. We as a team started to operated Emirates airlines as mid-range where in the first quarter we are able to have a good level of passengers and thereby revenue. We did not have a view on the level of risk in shifting to luxury range all of a sudden in the second quarter and increased the fare at a higher rate. Only during fifth quarter we came to know the importance of price factor and reduced the fare. The team did not understand that shifting to luxury range should be accommodated with high quality service to be competitive. We felt its importance from the incident report at the time when the company is already in loss. To my knowledge the company started off well but faced tough situations and failures and also attained the survival stage where it can reach a decent prof it in the next quarters. We had a systematic approach to some extent and made many innovative measures like online reservation system which is a success to us, but the decision what we made to buy a flight when we were in deficit lead to failure. Also we are not managerial approach as we wrongly numbered and the software bought additional 3 flights which added to a further loss. We had a clear view in allocating resources for aircraft maintenance, but because of the above mistakes we made during the simulation, we were unable to allot adequate resources for maintenance which lead to engine failure and fine from FAA. At the beginning of the simulation we used resource dependency theory (Aldrich, 1977) where we believed the company can be affected to some degree with its external environment. Hence we took measure to influence the environment. Our external environments are customers, public and the airline industry. We thought investing heavily in promotion and advertisement would definitely create competitive advantage and a brand image among the customer where a hike in the fare will become a hidden factor. Hence during the second quarter we allotted $40000 on advertisement and shifted to luxury airlines with fare of 48cents. But only during the subsequent simulation we felt that there is no relation between the promotion and competitive advantage in a highly completive airline industry and understood the importance of cost and service factors. Hence we reduced the price and concentrated on quality and training. We also started concentrating on cabin services and passenger services with the rise of customer complaints which came to our knowledge through incident feedback. We as a team felt the importance of strategic approach during the simulation. During the end of the quarter we were clear about the strategies to be followed and we were sure that our company will make a good profit if it has another two quarters as we could find the changes in stock price with our corrective measures. The simulation gave us a vast experience about the concept of risk management, strategic approach and resource allocation. We also felt the importance of group dynamics in running a successful business.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay -- Essays Papers

HUCKLEBERRY FINN The novel that I have most enjoyed ever reading was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel about a young boy’s coming of age in Missouri during the middle 1800’s. The main character, Huckleberry Finn, spends a lot of time in the novel floating down the Mississippi River on a raft with a runaway slave named Jim. Before he does so, however, Huck spends some time in the town of St. Petersburg where a number of people attempt to influence him. Huckleberry Finn is considered an American character for many reasons. Throughout the novel Huckleberry shows stereotypical traits of what is expected, sometimes anyway, of the ideal American character. Even before the novel begins, Huckleberry Finn has led a life of absolute freedom. Americans are known throughout the world to have more freedom then anybody else. His drunken and often missing father has never paid much attention to him, his mother is dead and so, when the novel begins, he is not used to following any rules. Huck, a good old-fashioned American character is just like the stereotype of American characters, by not following the rules. In the beginning of the book Huck lives with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Both women are old and are really incapable of raising a rebellious boy like Huckleberry Finn. They attempt to make Huckleberry into what they believe will be a better boy. Specifically, they attempt, as Hu...

No one person is perfect Essay

No one person is perfect. Mistakes, just like water, are an essential part of life. It’s not for our faults that we should be judged; rather it’s the way we learn to accept our human nature and change for the better. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Puritanical novel, The Scarlet Letter, the main character, Hester Prynne, commits an offense of infidelity against her husband, Roger Chillingworth. From then on her secret affair with the Puritan minister will always be on her mind considering the degradation she was subjected to and the infamous letter that will be forever embedded on her bosom and her child Pearl — the fruit of her sin. Hester was a woman that was well ahead of her time; she displayed the traits of being courageous while being passionate and independent. An attribute that takes someone to be courageous, passionate and independent is strength, which is required for one to endure. These were traits that were uncommon for a woman to possess during the time when Hawthorne wrote this novel, but even more unusual to find in a woman who was convicted of committing adultery. Hester Prynne displays her trait of courage and passion when she stands up to Governor Bellingham. Bellingham and his assistants confront her custody of her daughter Pearl because they think it would be better for Pearl to be raised in a more Christian-like household. But Hester, being bold and strong, stands up and responds, â€Å"I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this,† (107) referring to the scarlet letter. Bellingham then follows by indicating that the letter is precisely the reason for wanting Pearl to be removed from her care. This is a remarkable scene, where it is rare to see an aberrant adulterous woman speak up for herself to a person of much higher authority. But, eventually Arthur Dimmesdale, Pearl’s unidentified father, preaches on Hester’s behalf and persuades Bellingham to permit Hester continue her care. Early in the novel, Hawthorne explains that Hester was forced into a marriage to a man she did not truly love, and after being separated for a long amount of time, she became attracted to another man. Then later, she became a victim of a crime, which she was severely punished, despite the fact that  she could only be accountable for half of the incident. Hester was much stronger and more courageous than her partner in adultery. Arthur Dimmesdale her secret lover was a minister in a Puritan church, who hides his sin from his congregation in order to maintain his reputation. He tells Hester, â€Å"happy for you Hester that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret (177).† Meanwhile Hester had enough audacity to stand alone with out a known partner in crime. She respected Arthur’s decision to stay silent without a word against him. Yet Hester accepted the consequence that came along with committing adultery. While learning to live life after the embarrassment she went through at the scaffold and the life long punishment of having to wear the embedded letter â€Å"A† on her chest. That scarlet letter made her stronger, and a woman to be later admired from her Puritan counterparts. In the early chapters of this story, Hester’s social life was virtually eliminated as a result of her shameful history. Knowing that all she had after she walked out of the prison door was her letter on her chest and beloved daughter Pearl by her side. She brought home her income by working as the town seamstress. Hester devoted the remainder of her time for creating garments for the poor. Overlooking the fact that they treat her badly in spite of her good intentions. She was even the object of ridicule to young children who crept up to her house to spy on her. But through the seven years since she had Pearl, Hester’s reputation changed. She was a woman full of passion for the needy and everyone else who befriended her. If asked about the woman with badge, strangers would respond, â€Å"†¦the town’s own Hester, who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comforting to the afflicted! (159)† Hawthorne goes as far to state that, â€Å"the scarlet letter had the effect of the cross on a nun’s bosom.† This effect gave her practically access into every home. The â€Å"A† which formerly stood for â€Å"Adultery,† took on another meaning to the townspeople, to them it meant â€Å"Able† (158). For Hester to change her faà §ade from an adulterous woman to a woman everyone loved. Hester’s â€Å"badge of shame,† made her a stronger person. The symbol made her  stronger because she had to walk through town being harassed by the inhabitants of Boston. Yet, Hester wore the letter with pride and courage that it would not get her down and she did live her life in solitude but yet transformed it in to being a successful seamstress which provided support for her and Pearl. From the appearance of it she turned a demeaning scarlet letter into a well-tailored accessory by embroidering it with gold thread. Hester was also aware that her sin was immoral, but by being open about it she was able to become a stronger person. Hester proved that by repenting and repelling sin, it is capable of making one stronger. Hester was truly an â€Å"Able† woman.

Legal Forms of Business in Sri Lanka

Introduction A business also called a company, enterprise or firm is a legally recognized organization, designed to provide goods and services to consumers. According to the purpose of the business, ownership of the business and nature of economic contribution of the business; the business can fall into one of the three standard sectors. There are; private sector, public sector and nonprofit sector. The part of the economy concerned with providing basic government services is called public sector. In most countries the public sector includes such services as the military, public transit, primary education and healthcare. Their aim is to give service to the people and less emphasis is made on profit making. Public cooperation is the widely known type of public sector business entity. The non-profit sector is derived with organizations that do not distribute their surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead use them to help pursue their goals. Examples include charitable organizations, trade unions, and public arts organizations. In private sector, businesses are financed and controlled by individuals or private institutions, such as companies, stockholders, or investment groups. These businesses run for private profit and they are not controlled by the state or the government. There are many types of business entities defined in the private sector and authorized by the legal systems of various countries. These legal forms of business include; †¢ Sole Proprietorship †¢ Partnership (General Partnership, Limited Partnership and Joint Venture) †¢ Corporation (C Corporation and S Corporation) †¢ Limited Liability Company (Private and Public) These legal forms have been derived according to their Source of the capital, Value of capital investment, Nature of ownership, Number of owners, Nature of liability and many other factors. Each legal form has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. When making a decision about the type of business to form, there are several criteria you need to evaluate based on advantages and disadvantages of above mentioned legal forms. The most important fact is cost of formation of the business and cost of ongoing administration. This includes cost of record-keeping and paperwork, as well as the costs associated with administrative requirements. Legal liability is the next thing to be considered and it defines to what extent the owner need to be insulated from legal liability. Based on the individual situation and goals of the business owner, he has to consider what the available tax implications are because it is also an important factor. Finally the owner has to think about the future needs and whether the legal forms support flexibility feature. Sri Lanka Company Act, No. 7 of 2007 and Company Act, No. 17 of 1982 have defined Sri Lanka legal forms of organizations, which can be the choices for Sri Lankan business community when forming a new business. Legal Forms of business in Sri Lanka include; †¢ Sole Proprietorship †¢ Limited Liability Company (Private and Public) †¢ General Partnership Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship also known as a sole trader is a type of business entity which is owned and run by one individual and where there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. Sole proprietorships are forms of business ownership that mingle the owner's rights, liabilities and responsibilities with the business' rights, liabilities and responsibilities. Regardless of the state of the business, the procedures we need to follow to form a sole proprietorship are fairly simple, and do not even require an attorney, accountant, or business consultant. There are no legal requirements for establishing a sole proprietorship, other than obtaining the necessary local business license and permit. As the sole proprietor, owner has the full control and responsibility for the business and its operation and he makes all the decisions. With this type of business entity, owner has complete freedom over operating the business, because he is responsible for all transactions and activities occur in the business. All assets of the business are owned by the owner and all profits and all losses accrue to him. He is personally responsible for all debts of the business and must pay them from his personal resources. This means that the owner has unlimited personal liability for the business. Also, owner is less burdened by government restrictions and control, and he has less to do in terms of reporting and taxes. The main advantage of a sole proprietorship is that they are easy to start up and to close. The reason is, they are less expensive and also subject to fewer regulations compared to other types of businesses. Since the owner has full autonomy with regard to business decisions, sole proprietorship businesses are easy and inexpensive to discontinue. The second advantage is that the owner can take all the profits of the business and there is no profit sharing. This may be the most significant motivation for most businesses to become sole proprietorship type. At the same time, all losses accrue to the owner and he does not have the tension regarding conflicts among the partners as there are no partners. In sole proprietorship business type, the owner of the organization pays self employment taxes on the profits made. It makes tax filing much simpler and hence this can be considered as another advantage for sole proprietorship business type. Since this is not a corporation; it does not pay corporate taxes. The remarkable disadvantage of the sole proprietorship is that the sole trader will likely have a hard time with raising capital since he has to make up for all the business's funds. He may have to use his own money or personal loan for the business. The next disadvantage is; the owner of the business has unlimited liability as he is responsible for the business's debts. As the business grows, the risks accompanying the business also tend to grow, and if the business is sued, owner and his personal assets are at risk. Sole proprietorship business type is very prominent in Sri Lanka, may be because form of the business is very straightforward. As a third world country with low rate of individual income, starting up a business with low capital is a very convenient factor for any Sri Lankan business person who is thinking of having an own business. There several home based business running in Sri Lanka such as; groceries, stationary shops, pharmacies, fashion stores and they can be categorized as sole proprietorship business, because they are owned by single person. Freelance writers, copy editors, photographers and craftspeople also have chosen to run their businesses as a sole proprietorship. Sri Lankan government has identified the importance of sole proprietorship businesses, in terms of their contribution to the country’s development. So the government is encouraging this business community, to develop their businesses, by providing necessary financial aids, resources, equipment and guidance. Since Sri Lana is based on an agricultural economy, we can encourage more farmers to form their own sole proprietorship businesses to sell their goods, and this will reduce the terrible effects occurring from the intermediate business people. If farmers can sell their goods directly to consumers, they may be able to get full profit and it will encourage them to develop their business. This will ultimately lead to a high development in Sri Lanka’s economy as well as society. Limited liability Companies (LLC) A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a type of business organization that combines some aspects of a corporation with those of a sole proprietorship or partnership. The primary characteristic a LLC shares with a corporation is limited liability; that is personal liability of company's members for the business's debts is limited. The primary characteristic LLC share with a partnership is the availability of pass-through income taxation; that is LLC is not taxed as a separate entity. Forming a LLC may not be as simple as a sole-proprietorship; however, the process is much less than a corporation. There are two main actions: †¢ Articles of Organization: Have to file articles of organization with the secretary of province and pay the required fees. Articles may be prepared by a lawyer. An LLC business entity may be file as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship in terms of tax return. †¢ Operating Agreement: Have to develop an operating agreement which helps to define the company profit sharing, ownership, responsibilities, and ownership changes An LLC may have one or more owners, and may have different classes of owners. If the LLC has a single member, it will be disregarded as separate from its owner, and will be treated as a sole proprietorship or a division of its owner, unless it elects to be taxable as a corporation. An LLC that is filed for taxation as a partnership can achieve both conduit tax treatment and limited liability protection under civil law and a LLC filed for taxation as a partnership does not have the ownership restrictions. An LLC is typically managed by its members, unless the members agree to have a manager handle the LLC’s business affairs. LLCs do not issue stock and are not required to hold annual meetings or keep written minutes. Generally, members of an LLC that are taxed as a partnership may agree to share the profits and losses in any manner. Members of an LLC receive profits and losses in the same manner as shareholders of a corporation. In general, all the owners and members are shielded from individual liability for debts and obligations of the LLC. The main advantage of LLC is that owners of the LLC have the liability protection of a corporation because it exists as a separate entity much like a corporation. Also members do not hold personally liable for debts unless they have signed a personal guarantee, and this is a great relief for all the members. LLC can select varying forms of distribution of profits, unlike a common partnership where the split is 50-50. Hence flexible profit distribution is another advantage of LLC. The LLC business structure requires no corporate minutes or resolutions and is easier to operate. This can be pointed out as the next advantage of LLC. All the LLC business losses, profits, and expenses flow through the company to the individual members. So, it avoids the double taxation of paying corporate tax and individual tax. Generally, this flow through taxation will be a tax advantage. The most significant disadvantage of LLC is the limited life time of business. A LLC is dissolved when a member dies or undergoes bankruptcy whereas corporations can live forever. Business owners with plans to take their company public, or issuing employee shares in the future, may be not best served by choosing a LLC business structure, because going public is bit complicated with LLC. So this can be again a vital disadvantage of LLC structure. Running a sole-proprietorship or partnership will have less paperwork and complexity compared to LLC. So this added complexity also can be pointed out as a disadvantage of LLC structure. There are two major types of companies operating with limited liability status in Sri Lanka. ? Private Limited Companies ? Public Limited Companies Private Limited Companies A Private Limited Company, theoretically also refer to a private company limited by guarantee, is a type of company incorporated under the laws of England in certain Commonwealth countries. Private limited companies are required to have the suffix â€Å"Limited† (often written â€Å"Ltd† or â€Å"Ltd. â€Å") or â€Å"Incorporated† (â€Å"Inc. â€Å") as part of their name. It has shareholders, but its shares may not be offered to the general public. This means that shares are usually sold to family, friends and business contacts. The liability of the shareholders to creditors of the company is limited to the capital originally invested; that is to the nominal value of the shares and any premium paid in return for the issue of the shares by the company. A shareholder's personal assets are thereby protected in the event of the company's insolvency, but money invested in the company will be lost. Most companies, particularly small companies, are private limited companies. One of the main advantages of Private Limited Company is, they are easy to set up because; the shares are sold among family, friends and business contacts. Limited liability is another advantage of a Private Limited Company. The shareholder's liability is limited to the value of the shares held by them. If things go wrong for the business, personal assets of a shareholder cannot be used to pay off the debts. Since boards of directors are usually the main share holders, the ownership and the control are closely connected. Therefore decisions can be taken more quickly and this can be pointed out as another advantage. A Private Limited Company has a separate legal existence. This means that properties will be owned by the company itself and all contracts would be signed on its behalf. The directors and secretary can only act as agents. Therefore the company is not dissolved on the resignation, bankruptcy or death of a director which is a vital advantage of Private Limited Company. The company can be dissolved only by winding up, liquidation or order of the Registrar of Companies or by the Court. When we think about advantages, tax benefits of Private Limited Company are also can be considered. The directors of the company are required to pay income tax but the company pays corporation tax on company profits which is one rate of tax only and averages out at much less than if income tax were paid on the profits. Though Private Limited Company has many advantages, there are some disadvantages which often deter small- and medium-sized business owners from setting up private limited companies. Many Private Limited Companies are very profitable. Unfortunately, these profits can become diluted because they must be evenly distributed among all shareholders, and many Private Limited Companies have up to 50 shareholders. So this becomes the major disadvantage of Private Limited Company. The next point that can be a vital disadvantage is shareholders in a Private Limited Company are not able to sell or transfer their shares to the general public. The 50 or so shareholders that comprise a Private Limited Company must keep their shares and cannot trade them on any stock exchange. A Private Limited Company can be quite complex to create, meaning that lawyers and accountants almost always need to be involved in the Private Limited Company from the start. This can be costly and hence a disadvantage. The importance of Private Limited Companies in Sri Lankan economy over the last 15 years has been tremendous. The opening up of Sri Lankan economy has led to free inflow of investments along with modern cutting edge technology, which increased the importance of Private Limited Companies in Sri Lankan economy considerably. Previously, the Sri Lankan market was ruled by the government enterprises but the scene in Sri Lankan market changed as soon as the markets were opened for investments. This saw the rise of the Sri Lankan private sector companies, which prioritized customer's need and speedy service. Most of the pioneering businesses in today’s Sri Lankan business world are categorized as Private Limited Companies. Some of the best examples are Richard Pieris & Company PLC; (One of the largest and most successful diversified business conglomerate), Abans Group – Abans Private Limited; (Represent world famous brands of household items), Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC; (Household durable company), ODEL (PVT) LTD; (Sri Lanka's foremost fashion gallery). Private Limited Companies are often considered the Sri Lanka's version of limited liability companies. This may be because; for many years, forming businesses with the family and friends has been a custom of Sri Lankans. There are many examples such as Perera and Sons (PVT) LTD; (One of Sri Lanka's foremost baker and caterer), H. Don Carolis & Sons (PVT) LTD; (Manufacturers of fine hand crafted wooden furniture), Ebert Silva Touring Co. Ltd; (pioneering Company in the travel and tourism industry) . These are consider as successful family businesses and categorized under Private Limited Company type businesses. To promote private sector domestic investments, the Sri Lanka government has recently brought the bank interest rates down from 20 percent to around 10 percent for borrowings. Public Limited Companies A public limited company (legally abbreviated to plc with or without full stops) is a type of limited liability Company incorporated under the laws of England in certain Commonwealth countries and it is permitted to offer its shares to the public. This means that Shares in a public limited company, can be traded on the Stock Exchange and can be bought by members of the general public. The Capital needed to start a Public Limited Company could come from two different sources; part of the money comes from a loan from the bank, and the rest comes from shares sold to the public, via the stock market. The liability of the shareholders to creditors of the company is limited to the capital originally invested; that is to the nominal value of the shares and any premium paid in return for the issue of the shares by the company. A shareholder's personal assets are thereby protected in the event of the company's insolvency, but money invested in the company will be lost. The dividend is paid out using the profits from a PLC. The profit of the public limited company is divided into percentages and is paid out to shareholders. There are many advantages of operating the business as a Public Limited Company, and of registering the company on the stock exchange. For example, equity capital obtained from an initial public offering is considered a permanent form of capital since there is no interest to be paid on the equity, and it is not repayable like debt. Funds generated by a public offering are, therefore, considered a relatively safe form of capital for a business and this can be pointed out as the main advantage of the Public Limited Company type. Going public can also allow a company the freedom and flexibility to spend capital, as it needs to finance its growth and further development, providing a solid financial base on which to build. This will be a vital motivate point for anyone who think to start a new business as Public Limited Company. Many companies use stock and stock option plans as an incentive to attract and retain talented employees. It is increasingly common to recruit and compensate executives with a combination of salary and stock. Stock can be instrumental in attracting and keeping key personnel. Public companies are more likely to receive the attention of major newspapers, magazines and periodicals. The proper use of press releases, interviews or news stories can increase investor awareness, shareholder value, and demand for the stock, sales and revenue. Once a company becomes public it has to disclose so much information to public on regular intervals. This includes share holding pattern, quarterly and annual financial statements, profiles of directors etc. So it can be pointed out as one of the disadvantage of Public Limited Company. In a Public Limited Company decisions take time is too long and it also can be a disadvantage. This is because implementation of any key decision is subjected to the approval by the board of directors elected by share holders. Shareholders in public companies expect a steady stream of income from dividends, which might mean that the business has to concentrate on short term objectives of creating a profit and this may be a vital disadvantage because it might be better to work on longer term objectives, such as growth and investment. The most significant disadvantage Public Limited Company has is the threat of takeover. This is because they are traded publicly and another company can buy up a large number of shares and they can then persuade other shareholders to join with them to vote in a new management team. The Sri Lankan stock market has become quite vibrant and booming, particularly as a result of the end of the war, and this was a vivid point for growth of Public Limited Companies. New companies made their public offerings and were oversubscribed during the first day itself. There is considerable demand for company shares in the market and we can see many giants companies have turned into Public Limited Companies. These companies represent banking, finance, insurance, healthcare, telecommunication, food, beverage and so many other sectors. Most important examples are; Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd; (Adjudged as the best bank in Sri Lanka), Janashakthi Insurance; (3rd largest general insurance company in Sri Lanka), Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd; (The premier telecommunication service provider in Sri Lanka), Cargills (Ceylon) Ltd; (Sri lanka's largest food network) and Nawaloka Hospitals Ltd; (Asia's largest and most trusted healthcare hospital). The end of the war has put Sri Lanka on the radar of global companies as a country with attractive investment proposition opportunities. As the issuances of shares by resident companies to foreign investors are permitted in terms of a general permission, many resident companies have issued their shares to foreign investors. They include; Lanka IOC; (75% of shares owned by Indian Oil Corporation) and Millenium IT; (Shares were bought by London Stock Exchange). General Partnerships A General Partnership is the most simplistic type of legal structure designed for the situation in which two or more people are collaborating in some type of business activity. The entities involved in a partnership can be individuals, corporations, or trusts. General partnerships are usually started with good friends or family. Starting up a new business is a huge risk and gigantic leap of faith. People who open up general partnerships need to trust each other and work well together. Even if the business does not need a lot of assets to start or operate, still it needs a lot of money to open up a business. General partnerships allow more than one individual to carry the financial burden. This is ideal and makes a business much easier to open. By default, the profits and losses generated by a General Partnership are shared equally among its partners. However, typically a partnership agreement is created to further define the rights, responsibilities, and duties of each partner, as well as the terms of perpetuity if one of the partners withdrawals from the partnership. Financial responsibility is shared equally among the partners, with each partner jointly and severally liable for all business debts and obligations which means that the partners are jointly liable for any and all legal claims against any of the partners. The taxation of a General Partnership is calculated at the individual level. General partnerships can be less expensive to form with a limited start up cost and it has a shared financial commitment, which can be consider as main advantages of this business type. Also it requires less paperwork and formalities which encourage people to form their businesses as general partnerships. General partnerships can thrive when each partner brings a specific strength to the business. If each partner takes on a defined role and there is general agreement on the business plan, goals, and visions from the outset, a partnership can be advantageous. Work can get done more quickly, and having several partners involved will increase the potential of acquiring resources and attracting backers. In the end, the success of such an endeavor depends largely on the personalities of the parties involved. General partnerships offer members the advantages of shared risk and total control over the transactions of the business. One of the most significant benefits of a General Partnership is simplified tax filing, since no corporate forms or double taxation is required. As a pass-through tax entity, this form of business pays no direct tax instead its individual owners carry the tax burden However, the wide array of disadvantages of a General Partnership is what makes it arguably one of the worst organizational business structures available. Because of the lack of corporate structure, a General Partnership does not establish any kind of separate business entity from the partners. This means that the partners are totally unprotected from any litigation against the business, and their personal assets can be seized at any time to cover the unmet obligations of the business. Even worse, each partner is liable for the actions of the others on behalf of the business. So if one of the partners was to execute an agreement without the knowledge of the others, each partner would become equally obligated to the terms of that agreement. The same is true for credit obligations. If any of the partners secure credit on behalf of the business, each partner would become equally obligated to the terms of that debt. In addition, without a Partnership Agreement, there is no guarantee of perpetuity for a General Partnership if one of the partners dies, becomes disabled, or withdrawals from the business. For these and other reasons, general partnership agreements should be drawn up carefully with legal counsel, and signed by all partners. Additionally, there should be a means in place of dissolving the partnership in the case of death, disability, or if one partner should want out of the business for any other reason, personal or professional. Sri Lanka, as a country with low individual income, general partnership would be an idle business type because it gives you pool of resources and financial encouragement to start a new business. Since family businesses are very famous in Sri Lanka, anyone can get together with his family and friends to form the business. Since each partner has a vital contribution to the business, skills and abilities of them will guide the business to success. There are several businesses in Sri Lanka, engaged in all types of sectors such as; grocery, pharmacy, restaurant, book shop and laundry; which can be categorized into general partnership business type. Sri Lankan government has identified the importance of general partnership businesses, in terms of their contribution to the country’s development. So the government is encouraging this business community, to develop their businesses, by providing necessary financial aids, resources, equipment and guidance.

night advice elie essays

night advice elie essays At the beginning of the book Elie has a very strong faith in God and the Jewish religion, but this faith is tested when he is moved from his small town by the Nazi's. Elie has to deal with the death of his family, the death of his innocence, and the death of his God at the very young age of fifteen. He tells us of the horrors of the concentration camp; starvation, beatings, torture, illness, and hard labor. He comes to question how God could let this happen and to redefine the existence of God in the concentration camp. "The night was gone. The morning star was shining in the sky. I too had become a completely different person. The student of the Talmud, the child that I was, had been consumed in the flames. There remained only a shape that looked like me. A dark flame had entered into my soul and devoured it." as Wiesel faces each day and witnesses the starvation, the beatings of innocent people, and the tortures, his faith in God begins to waiver. By the end of the book Wiesel has lost his belief in God. If there is a God, how could he allow this to happen, he wonders. Wiesel is a witness to all the horrible things. The death of his family, the death of his childhood and the death of his God. As the days go by, there are frequent selections. A man with a little stick decides who will live and who will die. This man acts like God. To the right you live, to the left, you die. As Wiesel watches the evil that exists, his belief in the existence of God continues to deteriorate. Wiesel asks, "Where is my God? Where is He?"(61) ...

obsessive compulsive essays

obsessive compulsive essays The Anxiety Disorder Named Obsessive-Compulsive Personality The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fifth Edition ( ) describes Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) as a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense or flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is not the same as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. OCD is actually a fairly common disorder that affects more than two per cent of the population in the United States. With OCPD, men and women are equally affected. The typical age of onset for boys is 6 to 15, while in women the age of onset is generally later, between 20 and 30 years of age. OCD is more common among people with higher education, IQ, and socioeconomic status. Some of the features of OCPD overlap with Type A personality, a condition characterized by anger, competitiveness, and a sense of constant time pressure. OCPD is characterized b y preoccupation with extreme orderliness and perfectionism, and a strong tendency towards interpersonal control. In this disorder, a person feels compelled to have things in his environment arranged in a very neat and particular manner. Subjects with eating disorders who reported perfectionism and rigidity in childhood had significantly higher rates of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and OCD comorbidity later in life, compared with eating disorder subjects who did not report those traits. These individuals might, for example, experience extreme anxiety if all the napkins are unorganized on the table, if the dishes have not been washed, or if shoes are disarranged. OCPD describes a disorder of perfectionism and inflexibility with symptoms that may include distress associated with indecisiveness and difficulty in expressing tender feelings, feelings of depression and anger ...

Sun Tzu Biography

Sun Tzu Biography Sun Tzu and his Art of War are studied and quoted in military strategy courses and corporate boardrooms around the world. There’s just one problem – we aren’t sure that Sun Tzu actually existed! Certainly, someone wrote a book called The Art of War several centuries before the common era. That book has a singular voice, so it is likely the work of one author and not a compilation. That author also appears to have had significant practical experience leading troops into battle. For simplicity’s sake, we will call that author Sun Tzu. (The word Tzu is a title, equivalent to sir or master, rather than a name - this is the source of some of our uncertainty.) Traditional Accounts of Sun Tzu According to traditional accounts, Sun Tzu was born in 544 BCE, during the late Spring and Autumn Period of the Zhou Dynasty (722-481 BCE). Even the two oldest known sources about Sun Tzus life differ as to his place of birth, however. Qian Sima, in the Records of the Grand Historian, claims that Sun Tzu was from the Kingdom of Wu, a coastal state that controlled the mouth of the Yangtze River during the Spring and Autumn Period. In contrast, the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Lu Kingdom state that Sun Tzu was born in the State of Qi, a more northerly coastal kingdom located approximately in modern Shandong Province. From about the year 512 BCE, Sun Tzu served the Kingdom of Wu as an army general and strategist. His military successes inspired him to write The Art of War, which became popular with strategists from all seven rival kingdoms during the Warring States Period (475-221 BCE). Revised History Down through the centuries, Chinese and then also western historians have reconsidered Sima Qians dates for Sun Tzus life. Most agree that based on the specific words he uses, and the battlefield weapons such as crossbows, and the tactics he describes, The Art of War could not have been written as early as 500 BCE. In addition, army commanders during the Spring and Summer Period were generally the kings themselves or their close relatives - there were no professional generals, as Sun Tzu appears to have been, until the Warring States Period. On the other hand, Sun Tzu does not mention cavalry, which made its appearance in Chinese warfare around 320 BCE. It seems most likely, then, that The Art of War was written sometime between about 400 and 320 BCE. Sun Tzu probably was a Warring States Period general, active about one hundred or one hundred and fifty years after the dates given by Qian Sima. Sun Tzus Legacy Whoever he was, and whenever he wrote, Sun Tzu has had a profound influence on military thinkers over the past two thousand years and more. Tradition avers that the first emperor of unified China, Qin Shi Huangdi, relied on The Art of War as a strategic guide when he conquered the other warring states in 221 BCE. During the An Lushan Rebellion (755-763 CE) in Tang China, fleeing officials brought Sun Tzus book to Japan, where it greatly influenced samurai warfare. Japans three reunifiers, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, are said to have studied the book in the late sixteenth century. More recent students of Sun Tzus strategies have included the Union officers pictured here during the American Civil War (1861-65); Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong; Ho Chi Minh, who translated the book into Vietnamese; and US Army officer cadets at West Point to this day. Sources: Lu Buwei. The Annals of Lu Buwei, trans. John Knoblock and Jeffrey Riege, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2000. Qian Sima. The Grand Scribes Records: The Memoirs of Han China, trans. Tsai Fa Cheng, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008. Sun Tzu. The Illustrated Art of War: The Definitive English Translation, trans. Samuel B. Griffith, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

World Depression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World Depression - Research Paper Example It has been argued that just after the World War 1, the old European World Order actually failed to create an equitable and wise order to ensure peaceful settlements between the nations. The war has taken its toll on the respective economies of the European countries also as besides losing millions of soldiers and civilians, European economies suffered due to lack of economic growth and prosperity. This started to further worsen when world economy started to suffer due to the collapse of the US economy. The crash of US Stock Market during October 1929 started a chain reaction of economic downturns at the global level where industrialized countries started to face the similar decline in economic activity. Germany especially felt the most of the brunt as it was not only devastated by war but by low economic output and slow growth too. Since most of the money borrowed to finance the war came from US therefore the overall economic consequences of this have been harsh at the global level. What caused this recession, the effects it left on the global economy and whether this event led to the second World War are some of the questions which will be discussed in this paper. Great Depression It has been unanimously accepted that the Great Depression started with the collapse of US Stock market. ... (Bentley, Ziegler and Streets-Salter.) It is critical to note that US was the largest lender during the World War 1 and many allies countries have extensively borrowed from US. In the aftermath of the recession in US and the failure of the financial institutions, banks in US started to call their loans thus putting pressure on already devastated economies of Europe. These actions therefore created a strong chain reaction of economic downturn at the global level thus creating a global recession. (Ludlam) Many also argue that the rise of economic distress also allowed the rise of Fascism within the European block and aroused the sentiments which finally led to the World War 2. World War II and Great Depression The decline in the economic activity as well as the rising inequality within Europe due to economic crisis has allowed rulers like Hitler to dominate the policy making arena within Europe. People were miserably exhausted not only by the World War 1 but by the economic collapse of these countries also. The spread of the global recession therefore slowly and gradually led to the march towards the Second World War. (Garraty) Though the economic slowdown has allowed rulers like Hitler to rise and dominate however the World War II could have been averted probably with the help of collaborative economic approach where the political solution of the problem could have been sought. During that era, US largely remained neutral however; it continued to provide supplies as well as other support to the allies. If during that era, US has maintained its neutral stance for longer and without actually discriminating between the nations, the

Cosmopolitanism Must Be Left as an Individual Choice Essay

Cosmopolitanism Must Be Left as an Individual Choice - Essay Example New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Los Angeles as well as London are basic examples of "cosmopolitanized" cities around the globe embracing an eclectic mix of people with various cultures and traditions in a seemingly harmonious way. But this does not mean that there are no concerns being raised. In fact, elsewhere, discrimination still permeates even in highly cosmopolitan cities like New York where "cosmopolitan" lifestyle has been a trademark as against "other" cities. There exists a stark idiosyncrasy on perception of being a "cosmopolitan". Either one has embraced and integrated the word to one's own lifestyle or "tolerate" the existence of this culture, if it may be considered as such. The United States, for one, in trying to protect and allow all the Constitutional privileges of its citizens, which at present vary in their "origin" or nationalities has its scholars and thinkers argue on which must come first: the individual which is associated with liberal rights, or the group which also exercises their rights to organize as provided for by their liberal rights. Barry (2002) aptly argued in his "Culture and Equality: An Egalitarian Critique of Multiculturalism" book that "What we might find out by experience is that institutionalizing group representation offers opportunities and incentives for political entrepreneurs to whip up intragroup solidarity and intergroup hostility in the pursuit of power. And indeed this has happened all over the world virtually every time group representation has been introduced." Backed with empirical case studies as well as theories that made his presentation and argument not only convincing but powerful, his insights explored in depth religious and educational issues such as the case of Sikhs in Britain, Amish, and Quebec separatism. Without neglecting the rights of the members of minority groups, he calls to attention the reader to the concept of universal rights as "(universal) rules define a choice set which is the same for everybody; within that choice set people pick a particular course of action by deciding what is best calculated to satisfy their underlying preferences for outcomes uniform rules create identical choice sets, then opportunities are equal," (Barry, 2002). This goes to say that individual rights come first before group or collective choices. He implied that "rule and exception" approaches to public policy must encompass a universality that is applied equally among all citizens to remove the danger of protectionism and that the best way to help the least advantaged is by avoiding politics of difference and guaranteeing the full benefits of citizenship. Barry went on to add that "within a liberal state all groups are free to deploy their energies and recourses in pursuit of culturally derived objectives on the same terms." Likewise, The Wilson Quarterly (1995) quoted Dr. Samuel Johnson, who famously said "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." Liberals were hailed to have gone further by embracing "all humankind " scoring on patriotic pride as "both morally dangerous and, ultimately subversive of

Operation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Operation - Research Paper Example As part of building value, the customer has to have knowledge of the services offered at the tanning salon. As a result, taking the customer through the various service, products and treatments in the tanning salon assists in educating the customer. Once the customer feels educated then he/she cane make a choice on the type of treatment or tanning process that he/she will undergo. The choice that the customer makes is a process that will determine which treatment the staff will prepare for the customer (Blais 211). Once the customer is ready for tanning, he/she will sign a form to authorize staff to go on with the tanning process. In the service industry such as tanning it is important for the client to give consent since tanning is process that affects the skin appearance. Depending on the choice undertaken by the customer, tanning will proceed in a room through use of equipments and tanning oils/treatments. Once the tanning process is complete the customer will assess the service u ndertaken on his/her body and deem the service as satisfactory or not (Blais 141). In case the customer is not satisfied with the service then the tanning process will be undertaken or re-scheduled for another day. ... Customer feedback is important in the sense that it aids in improving the services and products offered at the tanning salon. If customer overall feedback is positive then employees feel motivated and this assists in building value and brand of the tanning salon. Most of the processes undertaken in a tanning salon are repetitive but not in a sequential order. For instance, sometimes a customer booking takes precedence over walk in customers especially in case of many customers at the salon (Barnes 174). The last process to be undertaken in a day is to clean equipments such as the tanning spray, HVLP spray system and taking stock of all essential that are needed for the coming days. After this, staffs prepare for the next customer day and all processes are measured in days. The success or failure of any process depends on the processes undertaken during that specific day and all changes that occurred during the day (Blais 112). Works Cited Barnes, David. Understanding Business: Proces ses. Boston, MA: Routledge, 2009. Print. Blais, Steven. Business Process Transformation. Pittsburgh, PA: Pelshiver Publishing, 2010.

The economic growth of the UK has varied over the 10 years between Assignment

The economic growth of the UK has varied over the 10 years between 2004 and 2014 - Assignment Example The government has played its part in regulating and setting up of policies that help regulate the economic growth. Favorable government policies to stimulate the private sector, hence leads to achieving a change in broadband. The government has, moreover, removed trade barriers, hence allowing a favorable competitive in the global market and economy. The government has created a simpler tax system which is fairer. This helps in improving the state of public resources and finances.in the long run, the growth of the economy is boosted and workers who work to support their families are rewarded. The government has created a competitive taxation system among the G20 making it more lucrative and attractive to international investors. The corporate tax was reduced from twenty eight percent to twenty three and is expected to be lowered in 2015, making it the lowest among the G7 members (A Guide to UK Taxation, 2013). In 2010, the Corporate Tax Road Map was published by the government. This set up several principles that led to tax reforms. The bill opened way for low and simple corporate tax, a stable taxation system, legislation that minimized complexity. All these factors led to a favorable environment for investors, hence became a boost to the growth of the economy (A Guide to UK Taxation, 2013). The investment done by the government and private investors in setting up of infrastructure have been a major boost to economic growth. With over 1.7 billion pounds have been invested in over thirty six transport projects, including nine major highways, including the M62 and M1, several local authorities like the Greater bus network, Poole Bridge and Blackpool tram and the National infrastructure plan (2013, pg. 27). In the short-term the investment led to employment directly, created a demand for materials while, in the long term, it allowed the economy an open

Report style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Report style - Essay Example As expected, Coke will once again participate in the 2012 Olympics as a Major partner. This is to reiterate their market stance and continue working on maintaining their market position. Every celebration, the Olympics gathers athletes and spectators, old and new alike, from every color and race. The management sees this as a potential to further penetrate new and emerging markets as well as sustaining old ones. There is always something new to look forward to every Olympics celebration, and there will always be new heights to be conquered. A. Strength – Coca Cola’s strength lies mainly on its brand popularity. It can’t be denied that Coke is a well-known brand worldwide, topping the lists of preferred beverages. Showing the brand logo alone triggers recall among the audience, having been a dominant brand in the market for over a century already. B. Weakness – Negative Publicities being released against the brand prove to be Coke’s weakness. Through the years, carbonated drinks have been associated to health concerns, and this contributes to the brand/ product’s weaknesses. C. Opportunity – Despite’s Coke’s stature as the best selling soft drink internationally, there is still an opportunity to introduce a new product positioning particularly in global celebrations such as the Olympics. As a consumer product, there is always more room to grow and more market to saturate. This brand may emerge as the preferred thirst quencher during the event, resulting to greater brand loyalty and repeat consumption even after the event ends. D. Threat – The emergence of health drinks such as cold teas and non-carbonated drinks has definitely affected the sales of cola drinks. People are now becoming health conscious, with grocery shelves being filled with Health Beverages. This proves as a threat especially now that these beverages are being sold in retail and competes with Coca Cola pricing. Sometimes, these brands even emerge

Analyzing Martin Luther Kings' "A Letter from Bermingham Essay

Analyzing Martin Luther Kings' "A Letter from Bermingham Jail" - Essay Example While his idea that peaceful demonstrations are essential in exerting pressure on the government to pay attention to discrimination issues has been widely accepted, there are those who criticized the demonstrators for failing to give the government enough time to respond to the matters. From a critical point of view, there is evidence that Luther is right on the idea that the government has consistently ignored the plight of the black Americans and that peaceful demonstrations are crucial to push the government to look at these issues. This article seeks to analyze critically the arguments of Martin Luther King in his article in Birmingham jail. Luther’s idea that discrimination is an urgent issue that the government has ignored for a long time is sound and has garnered a lot of support. The discrimination of black Americans in the US has been a serious issue for a long time. Evidently, the Blacks were discriminated in all areas including employment, courts, and other public areas. The victimization of Black Americans, referred to as â€Å"negroes,† was common as the authorities perceived this minority group as criminals. A good example is the case in Ferguson when a white police officer, Darren Wilson, shot an unarmed teenager, Michael Brown, after suspecting him as a potential criminal. Later, it was proved that the teenager was innocent, but the court justified the action of the white Policeman. The BlackLivesMatter movement points out that a black person is shot every 28 hours period by a white policeman and that more than 25 percent Black Americans live in abject poverty. These statistics support the idea of Luther that â€Å"justice too long delayed is justice denied† (2). From this angle, Martin Luther’s letter in Birmingham jail presents the true picture of the injustice perpetrated against blacks in the US. Secondly, Luther presents the idea that the US government has been adamant to handle the issues of the Black people is debatable (4).

Report style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Report style - Essay Example As expected, Coke will once again participate in the 2012 Olympics as a Major partner. This is to reiterate their market stance and continue working on maintaining their market position. Every celebration, the Olympics gathers athletes and spectators, old and new alike, from every color and race. The management sees this as a potential to further penetrate new and emerging markets as well as sustaining old ones. There is always something new to look forward to every Olympics celebration, and there will always be new heights to be conquered. A. Strength – Coca Cola’s strength lies mainly on its brand popularity. It can’t be denied that Coke is a well-known brand worldwide, topping the lists of preferred beverages. Showing the brand logo alone triggers recall among the audience, having been a dominant brand in the market for over a century already. B. Weakness – Negative Publicities being released against the brand prove to be Coke’s weakness. Through the years, carbonated drinks have been associated to health concerns, and this contributes to the brand/ product’s weaknesses. C. Opportunity – Despite’s Coke’s stature as the best selling soft drink internationally, there is still an opportunity to introduce a new product positioning particularly in global celebrations such as the Olympics. As a consumer product, there is always more room to grow and more market to saturate. This brand may emerge as the preferred thirst quencher during the event, resulting to greater brand loyalty and repeat consumption even after the event ends. D. Threat – The emergence of health drinks such as cold teas and non-carbonated drinks has definitely affected the sales of cola drinks. People are now becoming health conscious, with grocery shelves being filled with Health Beverages. This proves as a threat especially now that these beverages are being sold in retail and competes with Coca Cola pricing. Sometimes, these brands even emerge

Masters of science in I.T. progam Personal Statement

Masters of science in I.T. progam - Personal Statement Example After doing a lot of background research and soul searching, I have made a decision to pursue a Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) at the Endicott College. Soon after graduating with a degree in criminal justice, I worked closely with individuals who were experts in the field of information technology. My experience with these colleagues woke me up to the fact that the world faces a lot of challenges in relation to information technology and security. My interest in the field of information technology has continued to grow ever since. It is this interest, my great passion for new technologies, and my desire to see the world get more secure that informed that ideally informed my decision to pursue a Master of Science in Information Technology. With the current knowledge and experience I have in IT, I am confident that I am geared toward success in this course. Among the numerous colleges and universities that offer MSIT, I chose the Endicott College for a number of reasons. A research on the college reveals that the academic staffs of the university are highly trained and experienced and are drawn from different professional backgrounds. The college also has the kind of resources that are invaluable to students learning online including an e-library and resource database. The Endicott College MSIT offers the flexibility that I need as I continue working and gaining more experience. I particularly like the fact that I will be able to choose elective courses that are aligned to my specific areas of interest as I take my course at Endicott College. I am confident therefore that the college will see me develop in my career path, equipping me with skills and knowledge to solve complex problems, manage projects, and develop and work with information systems. Upon graduating with my Master degree from Endicott College, I hope to work with a reputable organization in the U.S. to gain more experience in

Sexuality in Mainstream Hindi Cinema

Sexuality in Mainstream Hindi Cinema Himakshi Ratti Introduction Films as medium of Mass Communication Film communication may be considered as a social process whereby a transmitted signal is received primarily through visual receptors (and, often, sound receptors) and is then treated as a message from which content or meaning is inferred. Film, as a symbolic form, is a process of communication that employs film, the medium, with its technology of optics, emulsions, and cameras, to produce a piece of celluloid with a variable-density silver nitrate surface. It is man who creates film communication. This definition suggests that a piece of film, in and of itself, is meaningless-that meaning exists only in a special social and cognitive relationship between a filmmaker and a viewer. This relationship occurs when a viewer chooses to treat a film not as mere signals triggering perceptual awareness and biological responses, but as message units that have been put together intentionally and from which meaning may be inferred. Cinema is perhaps the mainstream of all art forms, most popular and most accessible, especially in India, a country which produces most number of films in a year compared to any other country (barring Hollywood, perhaps), and a country where we have a large base of cinema-going public. Cinema, more than any other art, has the power to influence people. Therefore, it is very important to understand how the country, its people and its aspirations are represented in the cinema produced in the country. Cinema as a medium of mass communication can be seen at different levels, serving different purposes. It can be an art form, an entertainment, a social document or a social critique. Cinema can be all of these and at the same time be a means to something else – a mirror unto our lives, showing us exactly how we function as society. Mainstream Vs Alternative Cinema Mainstream films can best be defined as commercial films that are made by major entertainment studios or companies that are owned by international media conglomerates. Because of better financing, these films can afford more expensive actors, wide releases or limited releases, and are sold at popular retail stores. This has become known as the studio system. Films made by major studios or companies that are not owned by a media conglomerate but are distributed by a company owned by a media conglomerate are also considered to be mainstream and are often referred to as mainstream independent films. As a mainstream medi um (cinema needs money to be produced. Therefore, it must appeal to the mainstream audience, who will pay at the box office) cinema must, first and foremost, appeal to the mainstream audience. The definition of mainstream varies from society to society, from culture to culture. Broadly, it means representing the prevalent attitudes, values, and practices of a society or group, for example, mainstream morality. A cultural construct, when applied to art, mainstream may mean something that is available to the general public, or something that has ties to corporate or commercial entities. Sexuality in Hindi mainstream films refers to the presentation in motion pictures of sexuality or eroticism and sex acts, including love scenes. Erotic scenes have been presented in films since the silent era of cinematography. Many actors and actresses have exposed at least parts of their bodies or dressed and behaved in ways considered sexually provocative by contemporary standards at some point in their careers. Some films containing sex scenes have been criticized by religious groups or banned by Govt. or both. Sexuality in cinema has been presented in many genres of film; while in some genres sexuality is rarely depicted. Sex in films can be distinguished to a pornographic film and also from nudity in film, nudity can be presented in a sexualized context, for example nudity in naturalism would normally be regarded as non-sexual. In India, the entertainment industry is an important part of modern India and is expressive of Indian society in general. Historically Indian films have lacked the frank depiction of sex; until recently, even kissing scenes were considered taboo. On the other hand rape scenes or showing sexual assault were depicted openly. Currently some Indian states show soft core sexual scenes and nudity in films, while other areas don’t. Mainstream films are still largely catered for the masses of India, however foreign films containing sexuality are watched by Indians because of the same process of glamorization of film entertainment that occurred in Hollywood, Indian cinema, mainly Hindi-speaking Bollywood industry is also beginning to add sexual overtones. A Brief History of Bollywood Sex and Romance Bollywood classics cannot be beaten for their overt romantic tension, where intimate touching was replaced with the poetic, polite innuendo of hot rain and wet clothing. Indians are so reserved about what happens between consenting adults, considering India is the second most populous country in the world. In some ways, however, Hindi film makers have become more relaxed in their attitudes, as younger, Western-influenced generations come of age and make waves in an industry built on tradition. Previously unseen â€Å"taboos† like pre-marital sex, onscreen nudity and even wife-swapping have curiously been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification, the strict watchdog equivalent of the MPAA that has served as a censor since the early ’50s. Gathered below is a look at the landmark moments and trends that have raised eyebrows through Bollywood history. Bollywood in the 70’s and 80’s was becoming westernized. Back then the appearance of a plain white brassiere represented the forbidden nature of onscreen toplessness. An actress wearing just her over-the-shoulder boulder holder who turned out the lights, for instance, would be implying that she would soon be showing her breasts to her lover. If anyone realized the power of such clothed titillation, it was Raj Kapoor, whose films began to push the envelope late in his directorial career. His unparalleled 1973 teen romance â€Å"Bobby† made an overnight pin-up sensation of Dimple Kapadia when she appeared in a bikini, and 1978†²s â€Å"Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram† (which faced an uphill battle with the censor board, and was criticized by some as being exploitative) saw Zeenat Aman in a barely-there sari that defied physics by staying on. His final film, 1985†²s â€Å"Ram Teri Ganga Mali† caused further controversy when 16-year-old star Mandakin i appeared bathing in a waterfall, wearing only a sheer white. Today, bikini babes are far more prevalent in Bollywood culture, and 2000†²s â€Å"Hera Pheri† even depicted male sunbathers in bikinis, mistaken as girls from a distance by the film’s protagonist. Up until the ’50s, if Bollywood stars wanted to express love or even lust onscreen, clasping each other’s hands and staring longingly was about as risquà © as it got. Hugging and light face caressing became the next leap over the following three decades, but it wasn’t until the ’90s that kissing was really acknowledged, let alone done. A woman might lean in for lip service, but would shyly run away before the deal was sealed, or else the actual act would be covered by a veil in the moment before. While this, too, is changing today (superstar actor Aamir Khan even has a kissing clause put in his co-stars’ contracts; if they won’t kiss him, they can’t act opposite him), puckering up can still be contentious. Padmini Kolhapure made headlines when she merely gave Prince Charles a peck on the cheek, and after Aishwarya Rai got intimate with Hrithik Roshan in 2006†²s â€Å"Dhoom 2,† obscenity cases were filed. â€Å"Item numbers,† or highly sexualized, upbeat Bollywood songs with suggestive lyrics and choreography, began popping up in the late ’80s and especially in the ’90s. Designed to arouse, interest in the commercial films they appear in, item numbers are stand-alone showstoppers with no relevance to their movies’ plots, featuring either cameo appearances from famous stars — or more typically, â€Å"item girls.† Here, objectification should not to be confused with the sexy dancers in increasingly revealing clothing have become a little less stigmatized today, as some have used the showcase as a springboard into leading roles. Among the validated thespians, then, comes the notion of â€Å"skin show,† what India ambiguously calls any notion of actresses and even actors now, who are willing to flaunt more than what the conservative standards dictate. Dare-bare performers like Bipasha Basu in ‘Jism’ and the controversially outs poken Mallika Sherawat in ‘Murder’ have achieved notoriety for their scantily clad boundary-pushing alone. Alternative Lifestyles Bollywood plots have certainly progressed, less centered on arranged marriages and more on young urbanites dating and clubbing. But these are still baby steps compared to what has been accustomed to in Western society. India still remains closeted in changing sexual preferences. In 2003 â€Å"Kal No Naa Ho† treated homosexuality with slapstick, and the recent â€Å"Dostana† concerns two fakers in the same vein, but small strides have been made to bring sincerity and open-mindedness to the cinema. In 2005 â€Å"My Brother†¦ Nikhil† subtly brought awareness to the AIDS crisis, but it never could have existed without the hugely controversial 1996 release of Deepa Mehta’s â€Å"Fire,† the first Bollywood film to depict homosexuality. When the latter film opened, there were angry protests and widespread vandalism — movie theaters showing the film were violently stormed, with windows smashed and posters burned. While it’s hard to believ e such intolerance over so little could exist in the modern era. This too needs to be taken into consideration that â€Å"Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna† (which made waves for its dealings in adultery and divorce) and â€Å"Mixed Doubles† (about wife-swapping) were only made in 2006. REVIEW OF LITERATURE SEXUALITY IN HINDI FILMS Kaiser Family Foundation found that Bollywood films such as ‘The Dirty Picture’, ‘Murder 2’ are ahead of all in portraying sexual content on screen. The biggest worry is that the ‘Bollywood’ is considered as the mainstream Indian cinema and one of the best in the world. And when these films despite of having bold content and vulgar story make massive amount of box office collection cause more and more audience to turn towards cinema hall. Today’s film critics are also somehow responsible for this as they acclaim such new way of making Indian films representing bold topics. They appreciate the filmmakers work a lot and boost their confidence for again getting involved into such kind of projects, which the filmmakers think that they are versatile in handling those sensibly. Even the name of the film ‘The Dirty Picture’ sounds very strange and suggests that the film is on adult subject. It is really disastrous when such films ar e broadcasted on television after 2-3 months from its release so that the film gets noticeable to everyone in different classes of the society. Rise of Item songs in movies performed by leading actresses is another example of public display of sexuality.   AUDIENCE PERCEPTION ON SEXUAL CONTENT IN INDIAN CINEMA A journal of the Association for Psychological Science found that, sensation seeking did not entirely explain these effects; the researchers also speculate that adolescents learn specific behaviours from the sexual messages in movies. Many adolescents turn to movies to acquire sexual scripts that offer examples of how to behave when confronted with complicated emotional situations. Mainstream hindi cinema is most widely distributed cinema in India. Representation of sex in mainstream hindi films has veered between the sarcasm, comic and the criminal. Mainstream cinema now has adopted representation of sexuality in more realistic manner and is successful in raising, expressing and suggesting possible solutions to any problems in an effective manner. Sex in stories should be infused in such a way that the society starts accepting it. The authencity and genuinity of sex in real life should be accepted the same way in the films too. The society has grown in so many ways. Indians have embraced the western culture with open arms, but a hesitation still persists among the Indian audience such western trends i.e. sexuality in mainstream cinema. The reality quotient establishes an emotional connect with the audience. Movies containing sexual content create a negative impact on the viewers and on mass media. Still in Indian society, such obscene visuals have many ill effects on people. REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION OF SEXUALITY IN HINDI FILMS OHara said, These movies appear to fundamentally influence their personality through changes in sensation-seeking, which has far-reaching implications for all of their risk-taking behaviours, Movies get publicity out of pornographic content by showing it on screen. The media executives simply use their power to increase their ratings, popularity and to promote their movies. Portrayal of sexuality is used by film makers as a tool in order to appeal or attract maximum audience. Sexual content in films invite controversies which fetch a lot of free publicity for the film. Modern day film makers want the society to be open, frank and practical in their approach. The issues such as rapes, sexual assaults, etc. need to be addressed through mass media and create awareness amongst people. In order to give solutions and address such problems, the society needs to be comfortable with openly discussing and viewing such content. INFLUENCE OF SEXUALITY IN MAINSTREAM CINEMA Rajmeet Ghai points out that, Movies are harming our society .Gone the times when parents and elders were ready to watch the movie with their children! With the more western perspective, it is becoming seamlessly difficult for our culture to accept Hindi movies. Keeping aside the action and drama, the vulgarity depicted knows no bounds. India has always been known for its culture. However it’s rare to find movies based on any culture. Thanks to the media and the hype created of the celebrities personal lives, youngsters get influenced in the wrong way. The movies that depict extreme violence, murder cause mental harm to children. Teenagers become easy fashion victim of the skimpy dresses worn. Most of the movies show extreme drama which may hurt sentiments of people. The comedy movies, most of the times over do the humor by making a mockery of reality. Even though a majority of the movies are extremely entertaining, focus should be on culture, religion, etc. without hurting the sentiments of any community. Against Hindi movies can possibly be the best medium of entertainment. If made well, they can be easily used to educate the society on several issues. India being one of the largest movie producing country and due its wide acceptance, Hindi movies can be easily used to portray India’s art and culture. Most of the country’s population watches Hindi movies; hence it generates revenues rather than harming the society. They can be an excellent source of refreshment for stress. The movies should not always be taken seriously. It is not necessary that each Hindi movie needs to pass some message to society. Violence has existed for years now. Hence blaming the Hindi movies for depicting and encouraging violence is not fair. As a matter of fact, the movies depict that good always wins over evil. METHODOLOGY This chapter describes the methodology adopted for the study of Sexuality in mainstream Hindi Films. In the present day scenario movies and sexuality are inter-related concepts. Movies with sexual content are generally rated higher than those with no sexual content. The current study will make an effort to examine the sexual content shown in hindi films and its effects on its audience and their behavior. The two methods used are: CONTENT ANALYSIS: In this research, both a quantitative and qualitative content analysis has been done to determine the frequency of sexuality being portrayed in mainstream hindi films in the year 2013. All the hit films of 2013 have been calculated quantitatively determining the frequency and nature of instances of showing sexuality in a film. Here, unit of Analysis is any sexual gestures made in the movie. Frequency of portrayal of sex has been measured. This includes the sexual content in only mainstream hit Bollywood films. The qualitative content analysis is to do with the kind of sexual portrayal i.e. is it either to address a serious issue or is it just to titillate the audience n make money. SURVEY: This study explores the use of sexual content in mainstream movies as a communicative strategy among the audience of these movies by employing the cross-sectional survey. Sample- A non-probability sample of 100 people from the city was selected for the purpose of collecting information. Tool of Data Collection- The instrument used for data-collection in survey is a questionnaire. The questionnaire comprises of 12 questions and is designed in order to analyze the respondent’s demographics, their views on present day scenario of films carrying sexual content, their perception of the prevalence of the existing trends.

My Friend Hamilton -Who I shot Essay -- essays research papers fc

A Historiographical Discussion of the Duel Between Aaron Burr and The duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton holds a significant relevance in American history and should be examined within the context of early American culture and politics. The recent historiography of the incident provides us with a complex, evolving web of conflicting interpretations. Since the day of this tragic duel, contemporaries and historians have puzzled over why these two prominent American statesmen confronted each other on the Plains of Weehawken. What circumstances or events could have motivated two of the most brilliant political minds in America to endanger their lives and reputations by taking aim at each other on that dismal day? The recent historiography of the event can be divided into two schools which I shall denote as the â€Å"contextual† school and the â€Å"psycho-historical† school. These differing â€Å"schools† demonstrate the complexity of history and the extent to which a variety of factors, including bias and changing frames of reference can influence interpretive study and conclusions. It is the object of this discussion, therefore, to examine the heretofore mentioned interpretations, and to critically analyze the differing ideas concerning the Burr-Hamilton duel. The most succinct version of the event, as told by Joseph J. Ellis reads On the morning of July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were rowed across the Hudson River in separate boats to a secluded spot near Weehawken, New Jersey. There, in accord with the customs of the code duello, they exchanged pistol shots at ten paces. Hamilton was struck on his right side and died the following day. Though unhurt, Burr found that his reputation suffered an equally fatal wound. In this, the most famous duel in American history, both participants were casualties.1 Almost every American is familiar with this most famous—and deadly—of American duels. Hamilton was celebrated and hailed as a martyr, and Burr was labeled a murderer and went on to undertake many strange adventures in the American west, eventually tried for treason for his purported conspiratorial intentions. Before engaging further in this discussion, one must first differentiate between what I have denoted as â€Å"contextual† history and â€Å"psycho-historical† history. I contend that â€Å"contextual† ... ...no. 1 (1995): 1-23. Schachner, Nathan. Aaron Burr: A Biography. New York, NY: A.S. & Barnes Company, 1961. Shalhope, Robert E. Review of Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic, by Joanne B. Freeman. The Journal of American History 89, no. 2 (2002): 620-621. Schneidman, J. Lee and Conalee Levin-Schneidman. â€Å"Suicide or Murder? The Burr-Hamilton Duel.† Journal of Psychohistory 8, no. 2 (1980): 159-181. Stevens, William Oliver. Pistols at Ten Paces: The Story of the Code of Honor in America. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1940. Ward, Allen Mason. A History of the Roman People. 4th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall, 2003. Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations. 5th Ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2001. Wood, Gordon S. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1991. Wyatt-Brown, Bertram. Southern Honor: Ethics and Behavior in the Old South. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1982. ----------. Honor and Violence in the Old South. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1986. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1980. My Friend Hamilton -Who I shot Essay -- essays research papers fc A Historiographical Discussion of the Duel Between Aaron Burr and The duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton holds a significant relevance in American history and should be examined within the context of early American culture and politics. The recent historiography of the incident provides us with a complex, evolving web of conflicting interpretations. Since the day of this tragic duel, contemporaries and historians have puzzled over why these two prominent American statesmen confronted each other on the Plains of Weehawken. What circumstances or events could have motivated two of the most brilliant political minds in America to endanger their lives and reputations by taking aim at each other on that dismal day? The recent historiography of the event can be divided into two schools which I shall denote as the â€Å"contextual† school and the â€Å"psycho-historical† school. These differing â€Å"schools† demonstrate the complexity of history and the extent to which a variety of factors, including bias and changing frames of reference can influence interpretive study and conclusions. It is the object of this discussion, therefore, to examine the heretofore mentioned interpretations, and to critically analyze the differing ideas concerning the Burr-Hamilton duel. The most succinct version of the event, as told by Joseph J. Ellis reads On the morning of July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were rowed across the Hudson River in separate boats to a secluded spot near Weehawken, New Jersey. There, in accord with the customs of the code duello, they exchanged pistol shots at ten paces. Hamilton was struck on his right side and died the following day. Though unhurt, Burr found that his reputation suffered an equally fatal wound. In this, the most famous duel in American history, both participants were casualties.1 Almost every American is familiar with this most famous—and deadly—of American duels. Hamilton was celebrated and hailed as a martyr, and Burr was labeled a murderer and went on to undertake many strange adventures in the American west, eventually tried for treason for his purported conspiratorial intentions. Before engaging further in this discussion, one must first differentiate between what I have denoted as â€Å"contextual† history and â€Å"psycho-historical† history. I contend that â€Å"contextual† ... ...no. 1 (1995): 1-23. Schachner, Nathan. Aaron Burr: A Biography. New York, NY: A.S. & Barnes Company, 1961. Shalhope, Robert E. Review of Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic, by Joanne B. Freeman. The Journal of American History 89, no. 2 (2002): 620-621. Schneidman, J. Lee and Conalee Levin-Schneidman. â€Å"Suicide or Murder? The Burr-Hamilton Duel.† Journal of Psychohistory 8, no. 2 (1980): 159-181. Stevens, William Oliver. Pistols at Ten Paces: The Story of the Code of Honor in America. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1940. Ward, Allen Mason. A History of the Roman People. 4th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall, 2003. Weiten, Wayne. Psychology: Themes and Variations. 5th Ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2001. Wood, Gordon S. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1991. Wyatt-Brown, Bertram. Southern Honor: Ethics and Behavior in the Old South. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1982. ----------. Honor and Violence in the Old South. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1986. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1980.