A History A Shameful History Essay - 1452 Words

Sara Kramme History 111 Professor Riffel December 4, 2015 A Shameful History The term slave is defined as a person held in servitude as the chattel of another, or one that is completely passive to a dominating influence. The most well-known cases of slavery occurred during the settling of the United States of America. From 1619 until July 1st 1928 slavery was allowed within our country. Slavery abolitionists attempted to end slavery, which at some point; they were successful at doing so. In a quote by Fredrick Douglas, â€Å"A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.† Throughout history many things have happened that were by many thought to be unconscionable. Yet, the people who were putting their mark of unacceptance upon those committing these crimes, who thought them to be deplorable acts, were unaware of the actual situations, and in many cases, committing the same acts themselves. Indentured servitude was born nearly a decade after the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, when settlers began to realize that they had so much land and no one to care for it. As the need for cheap labor increased, a system was developed to attract workers for less money. Typically, these â€Å"servants† worked four to seven years in exchange for passage, room, board, lodging, and freedom dues. Although not technically seen as slavery, a life in indentured servitude wasShow MoreRelatedThe poorly-planned withdrawal of the British from its Indian ‘colony left close to one million600 Words   |  3 Pagesleft close to one million people dead and created chaos, hatred and violence that lasted over 50 years and forced Winston Churchill to condemn it as the ‘shameful flight. These historical events complicated the histories of India, Britain and Pakistan because of the ill-informed partition program carried out by British authorities. The Shameful Flight covers the periods between the fal l of Singapore to the Japanese in February 1942 and Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. In this book, WolpertsRead MoreChristian Morality Has Become A Tale Of Shame930 Words   |  4 Pagesto subscribe to the lies presented by Christian priests. Nietzsche’s claim that the origin of Christianity is shameful should in theory give power to his argument. But, if the concept is widely accepted, is it truly shameful, and does the shameful origins matter? Further if he has no evidence as to how it became accepted – his claims become difficult to accept. Is history truly shameful? With limited evidence it is hard to decide. If he explained with more throughough evidence how the story gainedRead MoreGerman History Essay1730 Words   |  7 PagesMost would agree that it is valuable to acknowledge history, whether it be through documentation, education, or architectural preservation. However, history can be complex and ugly, stained by war, genocide, and destruction. There in lies a philosophical controversy: should these historical â€Å"stains† be acknowledged or buried? What role do these ugly histories have in the development of a society? Within the last century, no nation has been forced to confront these questions on the same scale thatRead MoreLasting Effects Slavery Has Had on African American Culture Essay766 Words   |  4 Pagesidea to bring African natives overseas to America and use them as slaves. The white man was higher up than the black man in society at the time because of the color of his skin. Americans consider this the biggest blight on our history. The shame of this period in our history still continues today for many whites, but many blacks still feel angry and oppressed. With the election of our first black president, we are really showing how anything is possible here in America and that it doesn’t matter whatRead MoreI Call For Remembrance, By Toyo Suyemoto1444 Words   |  6 PagesPoetry in Toyo Suyemotoâ⠂¬â„¢s Memoir, I Call to Remembrance As we, Americans, look back on our country’s history, there are many proud moments, but there are other moments that we can all admit are a bit shameful. One of these shameful moments in American history is the Japanese internment during World War II. This time in history can be revisited in Toyo Suyemoto’s memoir, I Call to Remembrance of her and her family’s time in an internment camp during the war. She writes of the feeling of distrustRead MoreEssay on Shall we Dance718 Words   |  3 Pageshis association with the art of dancing was deemed shameful, and he had a good reason to believe that. Not only did he hear from Donny, a close friend and co-worker of Sugiyama who had practiced the art of dancing for 5 years, that dancing is a â€Å"Dirty lecher†, he also saw the banter reactions of his co-workers when they found out that Donny was dancing. To top it off, there was even a phrase said in the video suggesting that although this â€Å"shameful† dancing is not appropriate in the Japanese cultureRead MoreChina s Rise Of Power913 Words   |  4 PagesPetras firmly believes that this shameful past of the Chinese government is not one that will be repeated. He trusts that China is stable enough in their economy and interpersonal, as well as international, relationships that a violent rise to power is not necessary. China is the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter, while still keeping workers satisfied with increased wages and other popular demands (Petras). The argument whether China will repeat its violent history to achieve a spot as a worldRead MoreA Better Relationship Between Aboriginal And Non Aboriginal Community1542 Words   |  7 Pagesabout the aboriginal history in our area. In my first action, I chose to take a more personal act by showing a screening of The Rabbit-Proof Fence to my family. My brother, mother, grandma, grandfather and myself all gathered together in one room, after much persuasion on my part to my grandma, to watch Rabbit-Proof Fence. I chose this particular movie as it was a game changer to myself when learning about Aboriginal history in high school. To me learning about the Indigenous history as well as what theyRead MoreFemale Characters Of Women And Women Essay1638 Words   |  7 PagesIn the Histories, women from various cultures are described as being different from one another, but no matter which culture is being described by Herodotus, it is clear that all women are seen as different from men. Men are superior to women in every respect. In fact, women are so inferior that female characters are rarely mentioned by Herodotus without being linked to a male character, because unlike stories about men, stories about women cannot s tand on their own. In the Histories there are manyRead MoreThe Life Of Frederick Douglass And Harriet Ann Jacobs904 Words   |  4 Pagesstudied and be understood by all current and future generations of Americans. Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl portray very different aspects of this shameful time in history. The life of a slave was not a static or universal lifestyle, and those held in bondage led extremely different lives. While much of this could be attributed to the region, work available, or specific plantations, the biggest difference

The Implications Of Gender Divisions - 1763 Words

The Implications of Gender Divisions: A Critical Examination through a Postmodern Feminist Analysis Ashourina Hanna ID: 500495249 Dr. Amina Jamal SOC 475 24 November 2014 Word Count: 1766 Feminism addresses and recognizes the struggles often underwent by women of the past. Unfortunately, women’s historical struggles and lived experiences in the domestic sphere and private sectors of life have been erased from public awareness. Their realities often went unnoticed as they were not considered as ‘legitimate’ in contrast to those experiences of their male counterparts. In response to this, Gynocentric Feminists attempted to tackle these inequalities and have since then tried to reconstitute their own knowledge tailored†¦show more content†¦In her work, Butler examines earlier forms of feminism and their frequent use of social constructions of binary gender ideals. Butler maintains her argument that feminists in particular should abandon this idea of sharing this universal common gender identity (Seidman, 216). Butler is very critical of this perspective because she finds that it undermines the experiences of all women and generalizes them int o one cohesive experience. In this sense, feminism is essentially reinforcing binary gender ideals—by feminists identifying themselves solely as women they are only perpetuating social productions of gender that have been constructed through a male-dominated context. Although feminism is uniting women through this sense of sharing a common identity that distinguishes them from their male counter-part, it also however, misinterprets and generalizes the experiences of women while simultaneously excluding and discrediting other women. Evidently, according to Butler’s argument abiding by a unitary gender identity, rejects any other sexuality and regards them as deviant and improper to the norm. (Seidman, 217). It is often difficult to abandon such universal ideals especially because of how deeply and successfully they have integrated into modern day society. This idea of perceiving men and women as two distinctive and opposite types of

The Implications Of Gender Divisions - 1763 Words

The Implications of Gender Divisions: A Critical Examination through a Postmodern Feminist Analysis Ashourina Hanna ID: 500495249 Dr. Amina Jamal SOC 475 24 November 2014 Word Count: 1766 Feminism addresses and recognizes the struggles often underwent by women of the past. Unfortunately, women’s historical struggles and lived experiences in the domestic sphere and private sectors of life have been erased from public awareness. Their realities often went unnoticed as they were not considered as ‘legitimate’ in contrast to those experiences of their male counterparts. In response to this, Gynocentric Feminists attempted to tackle these inequalities and have since then tried to reconstitute their own knowledge tailored†¦show more content†¦In her work, Butler examines earlier forms of feminism and their frequent use of social constructions of binary gender ideals. Butler maintains her argument that feminists in particular should abandon this idea of sharing this universal common gender identity (Seidman, 216). Butler is very critical of this perspective because she finds that it undermines the experiences of all women and generalizes them int o one cohesive experience. In this sense, feminism is essentially reinforcing binary gender ideals—by feminists identifying themselves solely as women they are only perpetuating social productions of gender that have been constructed through a male-dominated context. Although feminism is uniting women through this sense of sharing a common identity that distinguishes them from their male counter-part, it also however, misinterprets and generalizes the experiences of women while simultaneously excluding and discrediting other women. Evidently, according to Butler’s argument abiding by a unitary gender identity, rejects any other sexuality and regards them as deviant and improper to the norm. (Seidman, 217). It is often difficult to abandon such universal ideals especially because of how deeply and successfully they have integrated into modern day society. This idea of perceiving men and women as two distinctive and opposite types of

Music Expressionism Free Essays

‘Prettier’ from five orchestral pieces is an atonal (no significant key signature) Expressionist piece of music written by Austrian composer Schoenberg (who is associated with the expressionist movement of the early twentieth century and was the founder of the second Viennese school of music). It was composed in 1909, written for a big orchestra, made up of mainly flutes oboes clarinets and bassoons. Additionally some other brass instruments and percussion play in the piece such as the trumpet, trombone, xylophone, cymbals and bass drum. We will write a custom essay sample on Music : Expressionism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Prettier’ can be described as a very intense and restless piece of music with many quick changes in speed, mood and instrumentation. The translation of Prettier into English is ‘ a sudden change in fortune†, which perfectly describes the nature of this piece. One factor which makes ‘Prettier’ a clear example of expressionist music is the instrumentation. In this piece the instruments are often played at the extreme of their registers, heightening the dramatic style which sets the stage for this expressionist piece of music by including extreme contrasts in the dynamics, which an be seen in the score of the piece where Schoenberg marks from ‘up’ to ‘if. Another two factors which portray the genre of this piece are the constantly changing textures and unusual structure; there are many motifs which are changed throughout the piece however there is no concrete main melody. It is made out of complicated melodic fragments which are based on 6 notes from 12 different semitones in a scale, known as hexachord, which are almost in rondo form (abaca.. ) where the same melodic idea returns many times. The ‘a’ theme, which returns more than twice, are each very different to each other and described as ‘almost unrecognizable’. This creates a sensation of unawareness , a feeling of unpredictability and suspense for the listener, we never expect what we will hear next. The idea of using free rondo form is used to bring the same atmosphere, mood and feel of a motif rather than the exact, precise copy of notes. An example of a hexachord in this piece is the recurring hexachord in bar 8 , ( a, b flat, c , c sharp, e , f) laded as a motif and chord by the horns Each different section of the piece varies in length swell as the continuously varying textures and tempos. Schoenberg frequently changes the speed within Prettier. He uses a lot of different note lengths ranging from deem-semiquavers to semibreves. This use of constantly changing tempos, melodies and dynamics heightens the dramatic nature of the piece making it very exciting for the listener! The timbre, pitch and harmonies of this piece are very particular to the style of expressionism. The dissonant harmonies and clashing sounds throughout this piece create discomfort for the listener and are successfully used to convey the desired emotions of the composer, which he was aiming to express through his music. As well as the sudden and extreme changes in dynamics and rhythms in this piece, the textures vary as well. This piece has a contrapuntal texture with moments of polyphonic and homophobic textures too; ranging from a solo flute to the whole orchestra playing which provide possibilities of creating dramatic moments of climax thin the song, once again conveying deep emotions and conflict, fitting perfectly into the expressionistic genre. The melody in Prettier is fragmented and is played by all the instruments at different times throughout the piece, known as ‘agglomeration’s’ (tone-color melody). Additionally the melody is very angular and distinct and often uses repeated notes or short motifs, which enhances the uncomfortable feeling for the listener. Schoenberg plays with the timbre of this piece, with quick, sudden changes between families of instruments such as the brass ND woodwinds; which in result varies the sound of the piece making it more unusual and unpredictable. Prettier perfectly fits into the category of expressionism through the exiting use of changing dynamics, tempos, harmonies, textures, orchestral devices, melodies and rhythms, making this piece exiting and vibrant to listen to every time. Each time it is played new moments are found that were previously unknown to the listener, bringing something new to its audience each time it is heard, whether it be emotional or categorical, thus evidently fitting into the genre of expressionism. How to cite Music : Expressionism, Papers

Heart Of Darkness Essay Research Paper I free essay sample

Heart Of Darkness Essay, Research Paper I had read this narrative one time before when I was a fresher at a subdivision campus of Penn State called Behrend. I read it for a literature category covering with short narratives and their analyzation. I didn? t truly like the narrative back so, and it truly hasn? t moved-up any musca volitanss on my list of favourites. Although I truly didn? T attention for the narrative, I did notice rather a spot of symbolism throughout the book. Conrad seemed to utilize black and white as his chief beginning of colour symbolism. Just as in the old Westerns, white is good and black is bad. One case in which you could see this is the many times that Conrad speaks of the white psyches of the black people and the black psyche of the white people that exploit them. The old ladies in the Belgian office sat there and knitted black wool, typifying the dark destiny and calamity that were to follow. We will write a custom essay sample on Heart Of Darkness Essay Research Paper I or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You can happen many, many other illustrations of the use of black and white to typify feelings and emotions, every bit good as a few other colourss. There are besides some objects that Conrad uses to make a symbolism. Take, for illustration, the stick of wax that the director interruptions while he is speaking about Kurtz. I don? T know, but if you ask me the director wishes that the wax really was Kurtz. I think that the oil picture that was done by Kurtz shows that he was wholly cognizant of what was traveling on and what he was acquiring himself into. I besides noticed that grass was mentioned a batch in the narrative. I remember from my category at Behrend that the professor mentioned that Conrad liked to include a batch of mentions to Biblical Bible in his plant. I can? t reme mber what it was supposed to intend, but I think that the grass has something to make with the Bible. Well, even though this wasn? t the greatest book that I have of all time read, there were a batch of interesting things that it gave me to believe about. The inquiry was posed in category on Tuesday # 8230 ; What sort of leader would you be if you could do all of the regulations? ? You know, the longer that I sit here and believe about that inquiry the more that I think I would be atrocious. To hold the power to do all of the regulations that you want # 8230 ; to make ANYTHING that you wanted to make, whenever, wherever and to whomever you wanted is merely so incredibly immense. Absolute control. I think that I would likely travel around doing up all sorts of Torahs that I ever thought made sense. The sorts of Torahs that other people thought were reasonably stupid. I? m pretty certain that I would stop up holding some people executed ( i.e.-ALL of the people that are on decease row disbursement up all of our revenue enhancement dollars to maintain their buttockss alive ) . I can m erely believe of a twosome of people that would pay in a heartfelt way due to the fact that my Torahs would use to? offenses? that took topographic point as far back as I saw tantrum. This would merely include a twosome of people that I have been acquainted with in the yesteryear. Obviously, complete power is a really chilling thing. I think that, given the chance, a big part of the citizens of the universe would mistreat the power given to them. I think that people would merely acquire so caught up in the enormousness of their power, they would merely stop up losing control and making things that they usually wouldn? t even think of making. Deep down, we? re all capable of some pretty evil things.

Using The Science Of Life As A Weapon Essays - Biological Weapons

Using The Science Of Life As A Weapon I Introduction 1) Definition of Biological Warfare 2) Talking Points II Biological Weapons 1) Different Types Used 2) Applications III History of Biological Warfare 1) How It Has Been Used in Past Wars 2) How We Can Expect It to Be Used in the Future IV Are We At Risk of Being Attacked With Biological Weapons? 1) Defending Ourselves Against Biological Weapons V Conclusion Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare is one of the most dreaded forms of attack on the battlefield. In the last century, we learned a great deal about how life works, how it is organized. We have used that technology to save many lives by curing diseases and vaccinating against viruses. But it seems that whenever we have a breakthrough in science, there is an ever-present danger of a form of weapon resulting from the discovery. Biological Warfare is defined as bacteria, viruses, fungi or rickettsia, which are used in wartime to cause disease or death in people (Hay, 1984). It seems like a contradiction. Doctors work hard to find cures and vaccinations for the various diseases and viruses that plague our population. On the other side of the coin, however, there are people that would use disease as a weapon. They not only use the sort of disease that nature provides, but try to create more effective and horrific manmade diseases. Biological weapons, as opposed to chemical weapons, are effective with a relatively small quantity of agent. However, most of these agents have a limited shelf life, as their activity is continually declining (Hay, 1984). Most biological agents are dispersed in aerosol form. They can be sprayed from a small cylinder with compressed air, spread by guided missiles, dispersed as a powder from aircraft, or used in a cluster of bombs. The danger is the potential for these biological agents, if successful in infecting a population, can be spread quickly. The U.S. Navy tested the effectiveness of Biological weapons on a metropolis in November of 1950. They released harmless bacteria off the California coast, sufficient to contaminate 117 square miles of the San Francisco Bay area. Scientists reported that nearly all of the 800,000 inhabitants of the city had inhaled the bacteria (Hay, 1984). To cause an epidemic, an enemy would select a highly contagious virus or bacteria. They would decide whether to use an extremely lethal agent or one that would temporarily incapacitate a population or army to weaken defenses. Most biological weapons are influenza viruses or pneumonic plague bacillus. These meet the requirement of being highly contagious by human contact. As an example, an estimated 20 million people died in the great influenza pandemic of 1918 and 1919 just three percent of those infected. Surprisingly, then, this great loss of life actually represents a low mortality rate (Solomon, 1999). For incapacitating the target, brucellosis is preferred. This is a chronic infection caused by the Brucella species of bacteria. A person can be infected by skin contact, by eating or drinking infected material, or by inhaling the organism. This is also an agent that can be produced easily in fermenters. Symptoms vary, but common are a severe chill, a recurring fever, sweating, headache, loss of appetite, extreme exhaustion, aching joints and depression. The symptoms last upwards of four weeks, but relapses can continue for years (Hay, 1984). The most well known form of brucellosis is anthrax. Aggressors favor this primarily because it is lethal and relatively easy to manufacture. Anthrax is caused by the bacterium bacillus anthracis, and is spread by skin contact, contact with infected animals, or by inhaling or ingesting the agent. The mortality rate is highest when infected by inhalation, at eighty per cent of untreated cases. The danger of anthrax is long term as well. Forty years after being tested on Gruinard, the island is still contaminated with the bacterium (Solomon, 1999). Although the danger of biological weapons increases as technology progresses, it is not a new threat. One of the earliest reported uses was in the sixth century B.C., when the Assyrians poisoned their enemys wells with a fungus disease called rye ergot. The commander of British forces in America, Jeffrey Amherst, used biological warfare on the Ottawa Indians. He sent two wagons of blankets from the smallpox hospital to

Review, analysis and comparison of jumanji the book in 1981 and the film in 1995.

Review, analysis and comparison of jumanji the book in 1981 and the film in 1995. Jumanji, a classic story which started out as a children's book has also been converted into the movie media form. Jumanji, a children's picture book which was written and illustrated by Chris Van Ellsberg in 1981, Jumanji was the Caldecott Medal Winner of 1982, with some of the most detailed pictures I personally have ever seen done by a free hand illustrator. The book Jumanji is about two children, Peter and Judy, whose parents go out to the opera one night. Peter and Judy decide that they are bored and go for a walk outside in the park across the street. Peter finds a board game lying by a tree named Jumanji. The children bring Jumanji home to play to play with it. After setting Jumanji up on the card table in the living room, Judy reads the directions, 'Jumanji, a young people's jungle adventure especially designed for the bored and restless.A.) Player selects piece and places it in the deepest jungle. B.) Player rolls dice and moves piece along path through the dangers of the ju ngle. C.) First player to reach Jumanji and yell the city's name aloud is the winner. D.) VERY IMPORTANT: ONCE THE GAME IS STARTED IT WILL NOT BE OVER UNTIL ONE PLAYER REACHES THE GOLDEN CITY.' When Judy finishes reading the directions aloud, the children start playing Jumanji. Peter wanted to roll the dice first, he rolled a seven. Suddenly Judy saw a lion sitting on the piano and the lion started to walk toward the children. Peter jumped up from the chair, ran up stairs into a bedroom, crawled under a bed, the lion got his head caught under the bed, and Peter locked the lion in there. Peter wanted to give up at this point, but Judy said that they must...

Reserve Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reserve Banking - Essay Example On the other hand, full-reserve banking is popular as 100% reserve banking which involves alternatives to the fractional reserve banking approach. This way, banks are called to maintain full amount of the depositors funds through a cash basis ready for instantaneous withdrawal on customer’s demand. Funds which are deposited by the customers within the demand deposit accounts and checking accounts are not loaned out because they are legally required to maintain full deposit for satisfaction of potential payment demands (Daly and Farley 65). The proposals of full reserve banking systems do not attach restrictions on deposits which are not payable to the demand on savings accounts or time deposits. The mitigation of risks of bank operates based on larger proportions of the depositors seeking to withdrawal from the deposits given times. The problems are widespread and extreme, systemic crises, the existing governments for most nations oversee and regulate commercial banks. This involves providing deposit insurance and acting as lending platforms for last resort among commercial banks. In different nations, central bank or alternative monetary authority regulates the bank credit creation while imposing capital adequacy ratios and reserve requirements. This limits amounts of money creation while developing the commercial banking system while helping banks have solvency (Daly and Farley 121). It avails enough funds for meeting demand for existing withdrawals. Further, there is a direct limit for money supply for which central banks pursue interest rates and target controls of bank credit issuances. Monetary reforms, which is included within full-reserve banking are proposed within different contexts which are notably established as responses to the Great Depression. No nation across the world is in requirement of full-reserve banking. The era of post-World War II showed minimal

Preeclampsia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Preeclampsia - Essay Example Other risk factors include promigravida, hydatidiform mole, multiple pregnancy, urinary tract infection, black race, nulliparity, presence of chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, chronic hypertension and renal disease, and positive family history of preeclampsia (Erogul, Emedicine). Hypertension means a systolic blood pressure (BP) greater than 140 mm Hg and a diastolic BP greater than 90 mm Hg on 2 successive measurements 4-6 hours apart. Proteinuria means 300 mg or more of protein in a 24-hour urine sample or a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio of 0.19 or greater (Erogul, Emedicine). The pathophysiology of preeclampsia is not well established. However, most researchers believe that placental hypoperfusion is the inciting event resulting in abnormal formation of uteroplacental spiral arterioles. These arterioles are highly sensitive to vasoconstriction. Placental hypoperfusion causes release of systemic vasoactive compounds which cause exaggerated inflammatory response, vasoconstriction, endothelial damage, capillary leak, hypercoagulability, and platelet dysfunction (Erogul, Emedicine). Mild-to-moderate preeclampsia may be asymptomatic. Most of the cases are detected through routine prenatal testing. Infact symptoms are mostly seen when end-organs are affected. Some of the symptoms which can be attributed to preeclampsia are headache, visual disturbances, dysnea, malaise and edema. Along with increased blood pressure, physical examination may reveal altered mental status, decreased vision, papilledema, hyperreflexia, seizures and focal neurodeficit (Erogul, Emedicine). Preclampsia should be managed by controlling blood pressure with antihypertensive agents. The goal should be to maintain diastolic blood pressure between 90 and 100 mm Hg and systolic pressure between 140 and 155 mm Hg. In case the patient develops seizures, the patient should be admitted to emergency

Three common physiological disorders manifested in developing Coursework

Three common physiological disorders manifested in developing countries - Coursework Example The most common physiological disorders manifested in developing countries include diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and Alzheimer’s disease. High blood pressure is often regarded as silent killer due to its significant risk for causing heart attacks. Similarly, diabetes caused by increased content of sugars in blood and Alzheimer’s disease caused by mental disorders such as loss of memory affect human health on a wide scale. The rapid rise of casualties due to these chronic or so-called non-communicable diseases has surpassed casualties due to other diseases in the people of developing countries and has been listed by Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) in their report on global health, to be cured properly and on urgent basis. Diabetes, one of the prominent metabolic syndrome, occurs when level of glucose (sugars) in blood gets increased (Haslam and James, 2005) either due to inadequate production of insulin or inability of body to respond to insulin and even sometimes, due to combination of both factors. The common treatments available to cure for this disease include treatment with insulin in order to control blood sugars along with increased physical activities and stringent control on diet and weight. The intake of a balanced and nutritious diet that is low in fat,  cholesterol, and simple sugars may be quite helpful in regulating levels of blood sugars. Diabetes can be monitored by checking blood glucose levels on daily basis. It can be screened in patient due to its easy recognizable symptoms such as  frequent urination, intense thirst and hunger, weight gain, injuries that do not heal, tingling in hands and feet, male sexual dysfunction and fatigue. Diabetes is closely linked to increase in obe sity which may further lead to several cardiovascular diseases. During diabetes, the glycosylation (addition of sugars) of some advanced

Treatment For Women Survivors Of Childhood Abuse Psychology Essay

Treatment For Women Survivors Of Childhood Abuse Psychology Essay Many women in the United States are adult survivors of child abuse. As testimony to this to this fact, it was discovered in surveys of 1,931 women that up to 62% had a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and up to 30% reported childhood physical abuse (McCauley et al). Numerous female adult survivors of child abuse will experience psychological and behavioral issues as a result, and may benefit from some form of psychotherapy as treatment. Typical strategies used include cognitive-behavioral, trauma-focused, and emotion [-] focused approaches (qtd. in Hodges). Cognitive-behavioral therapy should be considered by women survivors of childhood abuse who are experiencing depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The impact of childhood abuse on women is profound. Dr. Ileana Arias reports in her article The Legacy of Child Maltreatment: Long-Term Health Consequences for Women that Documented psychological problems in adulthood among women survirors of child maltreatment include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, somatization, substance abuse, eating disorders, personality disorders, and suicidal behavior. According to reported and documented occurrences of abuse, one particular type of abuse that affects females more than males is childhood sexual abuse. The National Center for Victims of Crime (2007) reported that girls are victimized at least three times more often than boys, and one in four adolescent girls will experience CSA before reaching 18 (qtd. in Hodges). Unfortunately, for the disproportionate amount of female survivors, results of childhood sexual abuse are so traumatic that it can actually alter the brain. For example, this information was given in The Publics Health, Newsletter for Medical Professionals in Los Angeles County in an article titled Adult Manifestations of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Controlled studies have shown that adult survivors of child sexual abuse (ASCSA) are more likely to exhibit adverse psychopathologies in adulthood, and neuroimaging studies confirm that exposure to sexual abuse in childhood alters the neurobiology and neurostructures in the brain, leading to scarring, an abnormal neurohormonal response to future stressors, and predisposes the victim to a lifetime of negative consequences. (3) The article states that the affected areas of the brain are the left hemisphere, the hippocampus and amygdala, and the corpus callosum. If there is neurodevelopmental damage to these parts of the brain, the victim can experience a number of psychological results, including depression, panic disorder, and PTSD (qtd. in DeCarli 3). This is of particular concern to women because PTSD is often a result of experiencing sexual abuse as a child. PTSD is defined in Women Are Diagnosed With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder More than Men, Says Research, as an anxiety disorder precipitated by a traumatic event and characterized by symptoms of re-experiencing the trauma, avoidance and numbing and hyperarousal. (APA). The article notes findings by the American Psychological Association (APA) that women are diagnosed with PTSD more than men. It is common knowledge that men and women are different in a variety of ways, and the way that trauma seems to affect each gender is no exception. The article states that, A reason that men may not fit the current diagnosable criteria of PTSDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is that their symptoms may manifest themselves differently. (qtd. in APA). Women would be more likely to report depression or anxiety whereas men would report behavior or drug problems (APA). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the best methods of treatment available and practiced in the U.S. today. Dr. Helen Kennerly defines CBT as therapy which aims to improve mood and change unhelpful behaviors by tackling the thoughts, memories, images and beliefs which are linked with problems (Kennerly 58). Use of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques would be beneficial to women survivors because it is aimed to supply the victim with a thought process to counter the thoughts that provoke or perpetuate depression, anxiety, or PTSD. The process is explained in The Clients Guide to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: How to Live a Healthy, Happy Lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ No Matter What! by Aldo R. Pucci, President of the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists. First, the book teaches the Emotional ABCs. The ABCs are this: one is aware of something, then he or she has a belief about it, and the result of the belief is the consequential emotion that results. The belief is positive, neutral, or negative (23). Those thoughts are propelled by underlying assumptions that would be the core to the beliefs (35). Being aware of this process and core beliefs is empowering, and this awareness gives the victim the power to change it. In example, if a woman was abused as a child, and her underlying assumption is that shes not worthy of respect as a result, then that could influence her beliefs and actions in any number of scenarios. She may act timidly in a situation or be a doormat to others because that is her underlying assumption. The core belief must be found and challenged, and the emotional ABCs lead the way to discovery. Next, Puccis version of the The Common Mental Mistakes, mistakes that could also provoke depression, anxiety, and PTSD in a female adult survivor, is introduced. Pucci lists 26 mental mistakes, and then gives a list of Common Emotional Problems and the Common Mental Mistakes. Of the 26 mental mistakes, he lists some that would cause a feeling of depression, including irrational hopelessness/helplessness and catastrophizing (85). A female adult survivor might feel helplessness or hopelessness as an adult because those feelings were likely in the child who had no control of or escape from the abuse. As an adult, however, the former abuse victim has much more control of their life. Pucci describes catastrophizing as another form of underestimating ones potential to deal with a situation effectively (71). He goes on to say that words and expressions often used when catastrophizing are: awful, terrible, horrible, catastrophic, and end-of-the-world (71). If those words were to be replaced with a more neutral word, such as unfortunate, the impact might be deflated (Pucci). This is not say that a female adult survivor of child abuse should want to minimize the validation of their feelings during childhood, but rather to recognize in adult situations if those overwhelming feelings and words are automatic when met with challenge in adult life. These are some of the stepping stones that would lead women survivors to a rational approach, so that even if happiness isnt always attainable, maybe a neutral, solid ground can be reached instead of being sucked into the quicksand of depression and anxiety (Pucci). Alternatively, a trauma-focused CBT approach may be more beneficial to the women survivors experiencing PTSD as a result from childhood sexual abuse. This therapy requires the client to revisit the traumatic experiences through detailed descriptions of the occurrences to assist in identifying the triggers for PTSD, then developing cognitive processes to counter the behavior that follows, such as avoidance of things that are non-threatening triggers. Hodges states, Counseling interventions like trauma-focused therapy presuppose that the focus of therapy with women survivors of CSA is the trauma experience and that reviewing the experience is necessary for the client to improve psychologically. This type of therapy has been stated as generally beneficial for adults who were sexually abused as children (qtd. in Hodges). Although CBT would prove beneficial to treating adult female survivors, there are, of course, alternative treatments, and some experts would not consider this to be the treatment of choice. For example, Hodges takes a different stance on treatment, suggesting a wellness approach instead. Focusing primarily on the trauma itself neglects the individuals growth potential and the positive effect posttraumatic growth has on psychological distress (qtd. in Hodges), she notes, however, Wellness-focused interventions validate the individual and the fact that the important thing is not why the individual survived but how (Hodges). This type of therapy would pay homage to the clients strong points in having dealt with sexual childhood abuse, such as resiliency. Though this, too, could prove beneficial to the women survivors, the CBT approach helps to excavate the core self-belief that is the origin of the suffering they are experiencing in adult life, and gives them tools to successfully comba t the origins of their suffering. Another approach to treatment would be medication for anxiety or depression, in combination with therapy or as a sole treatment. Not only do antidepressants have the potential to cause side effects ranging from weight gain to insomnia to anxiety, they are of particular concern to women who are or could potentially become pregnant. The Mayo Clinic states that some types of antidepressants have been associated with health problems in babies. For instance, these risks are listed by the Mayo Clinic for the selective serotonin reuptake inihibitor (SSRI) Citalopram, better known as Celexa: Risks: Has been associated with a rare but serious newborn lung problem (persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, or PPHN), when taken during the last half of pregnancy; has been associated with septal heart defects; has been associated with a birth defect that affects the brain and skull (anencephaly), a birth defect that affect sutures on the head (craniosynostosis) and a birth defect that affects the abdominal organs (omphalocele). This is just one example, and nearly all the other popularly prescribed antidepressants have similar or equally serious risks. This possibility of side effects in all users and the risks of use in pregnant women make psychotherapy a more reasonable treatment, and the effects may be longer-lasting, as cognitive behavioral therapy aims to treat the causes of depression, not just the symptoms. Likewise, anti-anxiety medications come with their own risks. Anti-anxiety medications known as benzodiazepines (i.e., Ativan) are effective in treating anxiety disorders, however, side effects include drowsiness, poor concentration, and irritability (WebMD). Perhaps of greater concern, these medications are addictive and are not as desirable for long-term use (WebMD). A female adult survivor of child abuse would most likely find long-term benefits and methods that can be used indefinitely in the tools that are developed in cognitive-behavioral therapy rather than relying on medication for these reasons. Although using cognitive-behavioral techniques with a therapist as a guide is ideal, some seeking help may not have the means to attend therapy. In that case, there are a good number of self-help books that employ the fundamentals of this approach. One book that directly addresses using CBT for the adult survivors of child abuse is Overcoming Childhood Trauma: A self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques by Helen Kennerley. Puccis book could be used without a therapist as well. Because childhood sexual abuse affects more women than men, books can more easily be found that are written for women. One book is called The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis. If the woman survivor has the will to treat her anxiety, depression, or PTSD but does not have the financial luxury (or insurance coverage) to use a therapist, any of these books and others available can be of assistance. In conclusion, the primary goals cognitive-behavioral therapy of identifying the mental cues that perpetuate the women survivors suffering and then dealing with the irrationality of some beliefs and behaviors is an ideal treatment. Identifying the underlying assumptions of what has shaped the survivors thoughts and being given those mental tools to fix the problem would be more beneficial than some of the alternatives. Some therapies may not get to the core of what the client is experiencing, and medications can have unfavorable side effects and carry risks for babies carried by mothers using the medications. A therapist can help guide the women survivors in recovery with the cognitive-behavioral techniques, yet if this is not possible, self-help books using those techniques can also help.

Fat Americans Essay examples -- Overweight Health Obesity Food Essays

Fat Americans There is a growing trend of overweight people living in America. This is nothing new however, overseas Americans are known for being â€Å"fat† and â€Å"lazy†, and for the most part it is hard to argue otherwise. American’s being overweight has become such a common trend, that when I walk down the street, and happen to see an overweight person, I don’t even consider them as being overweight anymore, because it has become commonplace, and obese American’s may get a look here and there but for the most part they are just passed by the same as everyone else. Americans are living in a society where people worship food and supermarkets have become the new cathedrals in this country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a multitude of reasons why American’s are overweight. You could argue that the main reason is that we just don’t get enough exercise, and sit in front of the television or computer all day. Our lack of exercise is one of the main reasons that we are overweight, but it seems to me at least that our diet is the bigger of the two problems. Our culture is so immersed in food, that everywhere we look there is someone or something trying to convince us to eat at their restaurant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In New York City, there seems to be at least 3 different choices for places to eat at on every block. What is most freighting about this is that, in my opinion, even with so many restaurants on each block, there are still waiting lists to get into some of these restaurants and there are still lines of people waiting outside in the freezing weather so they can go inside and eat until they are stuffed to the gills. People in America have fallen in love with food, they are willing to pay $20 for a light lunch at a restaurant, just so long as it includes a appetizer and dessert.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eating has also become more of a routine now then anything else. Allot of people I have asked about this subject came to the realization that they don’t eat because they are hungry anymore, they eat because its time to eat, and once they are eating they don’t stop till they are full, the only way they are stopping is when what is on their plate is completely clean. We have been raised to finish everything on our plate, and that there are starving kids in India who would do almost anything for the food that we didn’t like, so that we didn’t eat. This mentality combined with the ridiculously cheap and ... ...more surprising is that more heavy adults could be on the way, because more than 25 percent of today's children are overweight or obese, which has risen 40% in the last 16 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems odd to me because all over television you see ad’s for the bow flex, and other machines that are supposed to keep you in shape. There are about a million different diets to choose from, yet American’s keep getting fatter and fatter. I really can’t figure it out. Is anyone buying into these exercise machines, and eat healthy diets? Or is it the already healthy conscious minority of American’s who are buying into these things just to reaffirm their health in this society obsessed with food. We need to begin to look overseas, and try to mimic their diets and their way of life, we need to eliminate our love affair with food and soda. However, I am a pessimist and I truly believe that once we see what the Europeans eat, and how they live their healthy lives, if we try to mimic it we would be so turned off at the lack of variety and taste that there diet offers that in a couple days we will be back waiting at the drive threw line at McDonalds, getting the biggie size for only 49 cents extra.

People, Organisation and Management

| |Case Study: | |The Comparative analysis of LawrieTech. com and Coca-Cola | |Company | | Contents Introduction 3 Question 4 Teamwork and Teamworking 5 Organisational Design and Structure 9 Organisational Culture 14 Conclusion 17 Reference 18 Introduction LawrieTech. com is one of the software engineering companies in Scotland, which is developing and supplying software system for controlling electricity supply. LawrieTech. om has 240 employees who service clients in 13 countries, which are include US, France and India. Coca-cola Company is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. Finished beverage products bearing their trademarks, sold in the US since 1886, are now sold in more than 200 countries. Question Read the two organizational case studies and provide a comparative analysis of them in written essay format. In particular the areas of comparison should cover the main topics as below: 1. Teamwork and Teamworking 2. Organizational Design and Structure 3. Organizational Culture 1. Teamwork and Teamworking Team is a combination of people within an organisation with skills, who are working together to achieve desired goal. Teamwork is the activity of working well together as a team with a collective of individual skills, talents and effects. There are four types of teams have been identified in LawrieTech. com and Coca-Cola Company. One of the team that had been identified is self-managed team, which also known as autonomous team. Team is empowered to make decision about planning and scheduling of work, allocating tasks, controlling quality of work and evaluating performance which is essential to manage them on daily basis. Both LawrieTech. com and Coca-Cola Company exist in self-managed team. Staffs of LawrieTech. com are â€Å"expected to liaise directly with clients and have a mandate to do what it takes to find solutions to their clients’ problems†. LawrieTech. com has to ensure members of teams are in theâ€Å"†¦right mix of skills and capabilities in order to meet the very exacting demands of clients†. According to McClelland’s acquired needs of power theory, members will have a mandate to control other persons, to influence their behaviour, and to be responsible for other people to fulfill their needs and self-satisfaction. Hence, â€Å"staff turnover is minimal and every year LawrieTech. com is inundated with the CVs of eager young graduates†. Coca-Cola Company is a large company which has â€Å"†¦axed 6,000 employees†. Coca-Cola will be an autonomous team because they are given authority to re-design structure and make decisions that adapt to the country’s culture and needs. Coca-Cola produces over 300 brands worldwide† and â€Å"the bottling and distribution system is also adapted to local needs†. Besides, â€Å"they have restructured with a management team coordinates a new, nimble, and entrepreneurial network†. In addition, Coca-Cola â€Å"†¦. has positioned itself for growth by moving key decision making closer to lo cal market†. Virtual team is one of the team which had identified from both companies, where teams are using computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. They can share information and ideas, make decisions, and complete tasks by using communication links. They can include members from the same company or link an organization’s members with the employees from other organization like suppliers and joint partners. (Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge 2005) LawrieTech. com has â€Å"set up a ‘Knowledge Transfer’ on the intranet to share and discuss ideas†. â€Å"Staffs are encouraged to communicate with other teams members†. Fully used of this network connection to let staffs to exchange information and ideas to each other to improve the resources of problem solving. Coca-Cola Company has existed on virtual team as it is â€Å"†¦fostering deeper connections to consumers† with their organization website. Through the network connection Coca-Cola â€Å"†¦ has been very sensitive to local market conditions†, and also â€Å"†¦recognizing the importance of international sales†. They are using the network connection to control and communicate with the other teams who are located in other countries around the world. Besides, Cross-functional team is the members come from different functional units and other part of organization with expectation of sharing information and ideas to solve organization’s problem. This team often functions as self-directed teams responding to broad, but no specific directives. Decision-making within a team may depend on consensus, but often is led by a manager or team leader. LawrieTech. com exists on cross-functional teams; however, Coca-Cola Company does not exist. LawrieTech. com’s employees are â€Å"†¦organized into flexible teams†. â€Å"Each team has the right mix of skills and apabilities† to fulfill clients’ needs to achieve their intention. Members are â€Å"†¦expected to liaise directly with clients and have a mandate to do what it takes to find solutions to their clients’ problems† and â€Å"†¦meet the very exacting the demand of clients†. Both LawrieTech. com and Coca-Cola have existe d on employee involvement team, where groups of employees who meet outside their regular assignment to uncover, apply expertise to improve workplace matter. This team often formed a quality circle where they will meet about once a week to discuss their work, identify problems, and present possible solutions to management. Michael P. Dumler & Steven J. Skinner 2008) LawrieTech. com has organized â€Å"regular staff social events and outings which all enjoy†. Also, â€Å"although they have job titles, no member of staff has a specific job description suggesting that anything is possible†. They will discuss and share ideas together to improve their problem solving skill capabilities to fulfill their clients’ needs. Coca-Cola Company has existed on this team as well. â€Å"The larger the company is, the harder it is to continue to grow at a steady pace†. Therefore, â€Å"products are developed to meet the varied taste preferences of consumers†, and â€Å"Coca-Cola produces over 300 brands worldwide in addition to its flagship brands†. 2. Organizational Design and Structure Organizational Design It can be defined as the creation of roles, processes and formal reporting relationship in an organization. One can distinguish between two phases in an organization design process, which are organic design and mechanistic design. Organic organization operates with minimum bureaucratic features and with a culture that encourages workers empowerment and participation. However, mechanistic organization is an ideal organization form, and operated with bureaucratic features, like clear cut labour divisions, strict hierarchy and authority, formal rules and promotion based on competency. Organic organization has a flat structure with maximum two levels of management, which called decentralized authority. Supervisors tend to have a more personal relationship with employees. However, mechanistic organization is a centralized authority with narrow span of control, more specialist positions, and homogeneous, functional departments. (Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge 2005) The Gibson, Ivancevich, and Donnelly (1995) stated, â€Å"While the mechanistic model seeks to maximize efficiency and product, the organic model seeks to maximize satisfaction, flexibility and development† (p. 542). LawrieTech. com exists on organic design as it is a decentralized authority and there is only two levels management, which is section and team. Meanwhile, the company encourages the empowerment and participation of staffs for problems solving. It is more to be informal or personal type organization as they only have few rules in the organization. Ties are banned from the office†. Also, â€Å"†¦staffs work in flexi time† and they can â€Å"†¦approach their employer, Iain, for a chat† except in the meeting hour. There is â€Å"†¦informal and relaxed atmosphere in the office†. There are wide span of control, which only has two levels of management. LawrieTech. com is also an organization with full of intellectual capital, where there are collective brainpowers of workforce that can be used to create value. Therefore, all tasks are shared, â€Å"Although they have job titles, no member of staff has a specific job description suggesting that anything is possible†. Staffs are organized into flexible teams†. Thus, LawrieTech. com has many task forces and is considered as a small enterprise, because it only has â€Å"†¦employed 240 workers†. However, Coca-Cola is a mechanistic organization since it processes as a centralized authority, where there are â€Å"twenty-four division and operations presidents†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and it has more structured. Coca-Cola is a large company, where â€Å"†¦CEO, Douglas Daft axed 6,000 employees†. In addition, it has many rules and regulations as â€Å"twenty-four divisions and operations presidents report to the chief operating officers†. Coca-Cola Company has few task forces, because their shibboleth is one company, one group. Employees are organized into departments and tasks are specialised within their organizational structure, as they have â€Å"†¦ group of individuals, along with Coca-Cola employees and partners worldwide, are responsible for implementing the six strategic priorities† and they are â€Å"†¦ very sensitive to local market conditions†. The span of control is narrow, as â€Å"twenty-four divisions and operations presidents report to the chief operating officers†. Organizational Structure It is a hierarchical concept of subordination of entities that collaborate and contribute to serve one common aim. The structure of an organization is usually set up in one of the variety of styles, dependant on their objectives and ambience. It will determine the modes in which it shall operate and will perform. (Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge 2005) There are six types of structure have been identified in both company. First of all, LawrieTech. com exists on team structure, but Coca-Cola is less exists on this structure. Team structure is defined as it greatly use permanent and temporally teams to solve problems, complete special projects, and accomplish daily tasks. It often uses cross-functional teams. For examples, LawrieTech. com’s staffs are â€Å"†¦organized into flexible teams†. â€Å"Each team has the right mix of skills and capabilities in order to meet the very exacting demands of clients†. â€Å"†¦ regular team meeting† is held where members can exchange ideas and communicate with other team members. It helps them to mix easily. Secondly, network structure has been performing within both companies. It is a central core that is linked through networks of relationships with outside contractors and suppliers of essential services. Furthermore, the company own only core components and use strategic alliances or outsourcing to provide other components. LawrieTech. com is a network organization, where it hasâ€Å"†¦set up an intranet, ‘Knowledge Transfer’, to let staffs share and discuss ideas†. â€Å"Staffs are organized into flexible teams† to complete their tasks with perfect mix of skill capabilities. Coca-Cola Company also exists on network structure as well, because employees are organized into departments with using network connection to link to each other and â€Å"†¦recognizing the importance of international sales†. Besides, divisional structures delineate team who works on the same product or process, serve similar customers, and located in the same area or geographical region. It is more common in complex organization and in avoids problems associated with functional structure. LawrieTech. com and Coca-Cola have existed on it at the same time, but LawrieTech. com only base on customer structure. For examples, LawrieTech. com’s â€Å"†¦. business strategy involves the development of high specification customer-driven programmes with intense levels of after-sales services†. Its intention, that all of a worker has skills and capabilities to fulfill their clients’ needs. Coca-Cola Company also exists on this structure, which based on customer and geographical. As an example for customer structure, â€Å"products are developed to meet the varied taste preferences of consumers†. Coca-Cola tries to adapt to local needs, where â€Å"†¦all bottlers are local companies either independently owned or only partially owned by the Coca-Cola†. There would be the functional structure in Coca-Cola, yet LawrieTech. com does not exist. Functional structure lies in putting like specialists together, which minimizes the number necessary while allowing the pooling and sharing of specialized resources across products. (Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge 2005) Coca-Cola is trying to â€Å"†¦achieve profitability through economies of scale and by capitalizing on its existing distribution†. Boundary-less organization is the eliminating of internal boundaries among subsystems and external boundaries with the external environment. It is also a combination of team and network structures with the addition of â€Å"temporariness†. (Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge 2005) Due to the identification on the above, LawrieTech. com is a boundary-less organization. As it has been exist on team structure as well as network structure. Teams are â€Å"†¦organized into flexible teams† to achieve the perfect match of skill and capabilities. They are exchanging ideas with each other through the ‘Knowledge Transfer’. Coca-Cola Company is not a boundary-less organization since team structure is less performed in it. Finally, matrix structure is a combination of functional and divisional structure for increasing the advantages and minimized the disadvantages of each used in manufacturing, service industries, professional fields, non-profit sectors and Multinational Corporation. Coca-Cola is a matrix organization as it has simultaneously existed both functional and divisional structures, but LawrieTech. com is not a matrix structure. For examples, Coca-Cola attempts to â€Å"†¦achieve profitability through economies of scale† and also develop product to â€Å"†¦meet the varied taste preferences of consumers†. Besides, they aim to â€Å"†¦adapt to local needs† by â€Å"the bottling and distribution systems†. 3. Organizational Culture Organization culture can be defined as a system of shared meaning by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. (Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge 2005) At first, LawrieTech. com has been present in people orientation. People orientation is the degree of value and respect for people. â€Å"LawrieTech. om seeks to employ the best graduates available who can bring the skills and attitudes that are consistent with the company’s business philosophy and, indeed, their philosophy on life. † LawrieTech. com concern to the staffs’ working performance in their daily tasks with joyful. Through the identification, Coca-Cola does not have people orientation. Team orientation is one of the organizational cultures in the case studies. It is the degree to which work activities are organized around teams rather than individual. (Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge 2005) In LawrieTech. com, â€Å"staffs are organized into flexible teams†. Each team has the right mix of skills and capabilities in order to meet the very exacting demands of clients†. Members are â€Å"†¦liaising directly with clients† and to fulfill the clients’ needs with taking decision themselves. â€Å"†¦Regular team meeting† set up to improve the relationship between each member of other teams. Coca-Cola has also less team orientation, as it is less performed as team structure. According to case studies, innovation and risk taking is performed in both companies. It is the degree of the company willing to experiment, take risks, and encourage innovation. In LawrieTech. com â€Å"†¦staffs are able to express themselves† and be creative in their work. Also, they have a mandate to do what it takes to get problems solving to serve to their aim. Coca-Cola Company is a manufacturer company, it needs to have more innovation and risk taking to achieve its desired goal. â€Å"Products are developed to meet the varied taste preferences of consumers† and they have produced â€Å"†¦over 300 brands worldwide in addition to its flagship brands†. Coca-Cola Company introduces aggressiveness in its company. Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge (2005) stated aggressiveness is â€Å"the degree to which people are aggressive and competitive rather than easygoing† (p. 512) Coca-Cola â€Å"growth in sales has been fueled both internally and through acquisitions and licensing agreements†. Also, it has developed products â€Å"†¦to meet the varied taste preferences of consumers†. Nevertheless, LawrieTech. com is not an aggressiveness company. Coca-Cola has introduced outcome orientation, but LawrieTech. com does not exist. Outcome orientation is the degree to which management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on the techniques and processes used to achieve those outcomes. Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge 2005) Coca-Cola is an organization which achieving their aim without focusing on undertaking the ways. It is more focus on their image and profit, so its top management â€Å"†¦axed 6,000 employees† to restructure their organization and also reduce their unnecessary cost f or maintaining its financial. Likewise, Coca-Cola is â€Å"†¦recognizing the importance of international sales, has been very sensitive to local market conditions† for their profit and gain. Conclusion Coca-Cola Company and LawrieTech. om are not being able to compare with each other, because both are not in the same line organization. Coca-Cola Company is a manufacture line company, but LawrieTech. com is a customer line organization. Employees of LawrieTech. com are working together as a team and fulfilled with needs of power for self-satisfaction and confidence. However, employees of Coca-Cola Company should be more disciplined as there are full of rules and regulations, and they need to follow instructions from top management to complete their daily tasks. Reference Books 1. Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge (2005) Organizational Behaviour. 12th Edition. United States of America: Person Prentice Hall. P. 300-303, P. 478-485, P. 490-494. 2. Gibson, J. L. , Ivancevich, J. M. , & Donnelly, J. H. , Jr. (1995) Organizations: Behavior, Structure, Processes. 8th Edition. Boston, MA: Irwin. P. 542. 3. Michael P. Dumler and Steven J. Skinner (2008) A Primer for Management. 2nd Edition. United States of America: Thomson South-Western. P. 168.

Character Motivation How to Write Believable Characters

Character Motivation How to Write Believable Characters Character Motivation: How to Write Believable Characters If an author wants to focus on making their stories more believable, it’s crucial for them to fully understand character motivation. Readers will happily accept and suspend their disbelief for any story - whether it’s set deep in space, or in a society run by terriers - so long as all the characters have relatable motivations and behave plausibly.In this post, we’ll look at some of the big questions behind character motivation in fiction and help you understand why it’s important and, crucially, how to apply it to any book you are working on.What is character motivation?Character motivation is the reason behind a character’s behaviors and actions in a given scene or throughout a story. Motivations are intrinsic needs: they might be external needs and relate to survival, but they might also be psychological or existential needs, such as love or professional achievement.This motivation is at the heart of character profiles and is necessary if your g oal is to write believable and compelling characters.

Lonesome George Was the Last Pinta Island Tortoise

Lonesome George Was the Last Pinta Island Tortoise The last known member of the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies (Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii) died on June 24, 2012. Known as Lonesome George by his keepers  at the Charles Darwin Research Station on the Galpagos Island of Santa Cruz, this giant tortoise was estimated to be 100 years old. Weighing 200 pounds and measuring 5 feet in length, George was a healthy representative of his kind, but repeated attempts to breed him with biologically similar female tortoises proved unsuccessful. Scientists at the research station plan to save tissue samples and DNA from Georges body in hopes of reproducing his genetic material in the future. For now, though, Lonesome George will be preserved via taxidermy to be displayed at the Galpagos National Park. The now-extinct Pinta Island tortoise resembled  other members of the Galapagos giant tortoise species (Chelonoidis nigra), which is the largest living species of tortoise and one of the heaviest living reptiles in the world.   Characteristics of the Pinta Island Tortoise Appearance:  Like others of its subspecies, the Pinta Island tortoise has a dark brownish-gray saddleback-shaped shell with  large, bony plates on its upper portion and thick, stumpy limbs covered in scaly skin. The Pinta Island has a long neck and toothless mouth shaped much like a beak, suitable for its vegetarian diet. Size:  Individuals of this  subspecies were known to reach 400 pounds, 6 feet in length, and 5 feet in height (with necks fully extended).   Habitat:  Like other saddleback tortoises, the Pinta Island subspecies primarily inhabited arid lowlands but likely made seasonal migrations to more moist areas at higher elevations. Its primary habitat though would be that of the Ecuadorian Pinta Island from which it gets its name.   Diet:  The Pinta Island tortoises diet consisted of vegetation, including grasses, leaves, cacti, lichens, and berries. It could go for long periods without drinking water (up to 18 months) and is thought to have stored water in its bladder and pericardium. Reproduction:  Galpagos giant tortoises reach sexual maturity between 20 and 25 years of age. During the height of mating season between February and June of each year, females travel to sandy coastlines where they dig nest holes for their eggs (saddlebacks like Pinta tortoises typically dig 4 to 5 nests a year with an average of 6 eggs each). The females retain sperm from a single copulation to fertilize all of her eggs. Depending upon temperature, incubation can span anywhere from 3 to 8 months. Like other reptiles (notably crocodiles), nest temperatures determine the sex of hatchlings (warmer nests result in more females). Hatching and emergency occur between December and April. Lifespan/;  Like other subspecies of  Galpagos giant tortoises, the Pinta Island tortoise can live up to 150 years in the wild. The oldest known tortoise was Harriet, who was approximately 175 years old when she died at an Australia Zoo in 2006. Geographic Range/;  The Pinta Island tortoise was indigenous to Ecuadors Pinta Island. All subspecies of the Galpagos giant tortoise are found only in the Galpagos Archipelago. According to a study released by Cell Press entitled Lonesome George is not alone among Galapagos tortoises, there may still be a Pinta Island turtle living among a similar subspecies on the neighboring island of Isabela.   Causes of Population Decline and Extinction of Pinta Island Tortoises   During the 19th century, whalers  and fishermen killed Pinta Island tortoises for food, driving the subspecies to the brink of extinction by the mid-1900s. After exhausting the tortoise population, seasonal seafarers introduced goats to Pinta in 1959 to ensure they would have a food source upon landing. The goat population grew to more than 40,000 during the 1960s and 1970s, decimating the islands vegetation, which was the remaining tortoises food. Pinta tortoises were originally considered extinct during this time until visitors spotted Lonesome George in 1971. George was taken into captivity the following year. Following his death in 2012, the Pinta Island tortoise is now considered to be extinct (other subspecies of Galpagos tortoise are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN). Conservation Efforts Starting in the 1970s, varied techniques were employed to eradicate Pinta Islands goat population in order to discover the most effective method for later use on larger Galpagos islands. After almost 30 years of only moderately successful extermination attempts, an intensive program of radio-collaring and aerial hunting aided by GPS and GIS technology resulted in complete eradication of goats from Pinta. Monitoring projects have since shown that Pintas native vegetation has recovered in the absence of goats, but the vegetation requires grazing to keep the ecosystem properly balanced, so the Galpagos Conservancy launched Project Pinta, a multi-phase effort to introduce tortoises from other islands to Pinta. How You Can Help Other Giant Tortoises   Donate to the Lonesome George Memorial Fund, established by the Galpagos Conservancy to fund large-scale tortoise restoration programs in Galpagos over the next 10 years. There are also a variety of  resources for  volunteering to help endangered species  available online.

Employee drug testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee drug testing - Essay Example The most extreme action that an employer can take is to terminate employment or refusing to hire (as the case may be). The scope of actions on part of employers are provisioned in the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, promoted and passed by President Ronald Reagan during his final year of presidency. There are other federal and state regulations which allow termination only if it is inevitable. On detection of an employee drug problem, employers are required to â€Å"encourage or require employers to allow offenders to choose a substance-abuse treatment program in place of employment termination. For example, instead of outright firing you, your employer might ban you from performing safety-sensitive duties until you successfully complete a course, counseling or treatment program and then pass a return-to-duty drug test. That's particularly so if you work in an industry regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) or for a company that follows Department of Transportation workplace drug testing rules.† (www.employeeissues.com, 2011) Testing positive for drugs have a whole array of disincentives for the guilty. For example, such employees cannot claim unemployment benefits. Provisions under CORBA would deny the guilty prolonged health-insurance coverage during the recovery stage. The state workers' compensation law is also unfavorable to those found guilty, for it denies any workers' compensation benefits. All this is not to say that the laws are favored toward employers. For example, however grievous the drug-abuse and however malefic its effects were on the organization, employers still cannot get the guilty arrested, unless the drug-abuse happens in the premises of the organization.

Trend in Architecture in the Past Research Paper

Trend in Architecture in the Past - Research Paper Example The research paper "Trend in Architecture in the Past" focuses on a detail discussion about four distinct structure of the ancient time, these are Arch, Dome, vault, and Roof. In this paper, the main discussion is about the structure and method of development of the above four construction in Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Some of the key structures of ancient Egypt were arch, vault, roof etc. All these three structures were closely related to one another as there is a number of great architectural work in Egypt based on the above three elements. A vault is associated with the architecture of an arch. There is a pair of the arch at both ends of the structure. Between both the arches, there is a long arched tunnel which is generally made up of concrete. To overcome this issue people in Greece, Egypt used to build a vault in. In order to provide support to one part or the finished part people used to take help of the process of centering, the support was at the place until the other sections were finished. In order to ensure strong support to the finished side people also took help of Buttresses which were known for providing all the heavy concrete vaults some extra support. â€Å"Architects would lay layers of light tiles directly on the centering. When the tiles were finished, it gave the centering ex tra support until they laid the final layer of concrete. When all of the concrete was dry and the tiles were laid, the Roman architects would pour concrete onto the vaults until they reached the desired thickness†.

Rise in Corporate Debts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rise in Corporate Debts - Essay Example The continuous increase in corporate debt has direct impacts on the financial health of any given sector and by extension other sectors of an economy. Companies with large amounts of debts are susceptible during economic recessions because their debts cannot be reduced or paid back easily. As a result, such companies are forced to limit their investments significant to their going concern in the markets (Talley 1). This may also call for downsizing of its human resource causing inefficiency in operations in both the short and the long run. These actions would result in a diminished overall productivity of a company. Moreover, it would also contribute towards an economic downturn as capital goods orders reduce and laid-off workers cut back purchases. When heavily indebted companies succumb to the economic pressures, and the financial crisis persists, bankruptcy sets in. this leads to potentially large losses and costs to creditors, employees and all stakeholders. In addition, the article states that the likely cause of the increase in corporate debt is driven by weak balance sheets owned by several companies. In addition, weak levels of profitability have prompted firms to borrow in order to sustain their basic operations (Talley 1). According to research conducted by global banking group, the high-yield corporate issuances of loans in Europe increased by 50% as compared to the year 2012. Some of these loans were issued to riskiest terms in relation to their economic operations. These business organizations’ financial health can be measured using leverage, liquidity and their overall solvency. In these corporations, leverage is defined as the ration of a company’s debt to its long-run earnings capacity. Companies with high debt levels as compared to their ability to earn profitable are vulnerable to the global economic troubles. Liquidity refers to a business organization’s ability to clear its debt obligations relative t o their long-term profitability. Low liquidity in a firm leads to difficulties in meeting debt repayment obligations. Solvency indicates the corporate health status of a firm that includes capital, revenue, profitability, leverage and liquidity. These characteristics explain reasons for

Assignment Coursera Essay Example for Free

Assignment Coursera Essay Score Explanation 6. 34 Correct 5. 00 Correct. This is where a spreadsheet comes in handy. Total 5. 00 / 5. 00 Question Explanation This is a simple IRR calculation. Drawing a time line helps. Question 3 (5 points) Austin needs to purchase a new heating/cooling system for his home. He is thinking about having a geothermal system installed, but he wants to know how long it will take to recoup the additional cost of the system. The geothermal system will cost $20,000. A conventional system will cost $7,000. Austin is eligible for a 30% tax credit to be applied immediately to the purchase. He estimates that he will save 1 ,500 per year in utility bills with the geothermal system. These cash outflows can be assumed to occur at the end of the year. The cost of capital (or interest rate) for Austin is 7%. How long will Austin have to use the system to Justify the additional expense over the conventional model? ( i. e, What is the DISCOUNTED payback period in years? Discount future cash flows before calculating payback and round to a whole year. ) Answer for Question 3 Your Answer Score 6 Correct. You discounted before calculating payback, but it still is a very myopic measure. Total Simple payback calculation, but with discounting. Question 4 (10 points) In high school Jeff often made money in the summer by mowing lawns in the neighborhood. He Just finished his freshman year of college and, after taking a Business 101 class, he has some ideas about how to scale up his lawn mowing operation. Previously, he had used his fathers push mower, but he is thinking about getting a r101ng mower tnat wlll save tlme ana allow nvm to 00 more lawns. He Touna a used, zero turn, riding mower on Craigslist for $1,200. He will also need a trailer to pull the mower behind his pickup; that will cost him an additional $600. With the new ower he can take on an additional 20 lawns per week at an average cash inflow of $20 per lawn he will receive at the end of each week. He has 14 weeks of summer in which to mow lawns. (For convenience, assume that the mower and trailer will have no value after Jeff is done with his work this summer. ) The discount rate for Jeff is 10% (Keep in mind this is an annual rate). What is the Net Present Value of the mower/trailer project? Your Answer -1147 3117 4320 3720 10. 00 Correct. You know how to set up and calculate wv, at a weekly interval. Total 10. 00 / 10. 00 A fairly common NPV problem, with weekly compounding. Question 5 (10 points) Yassein is looking to refinance his home because rates have gone down from when he bought his house 10 years ago. He started with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage of $288,000 at an annual rate of 6. 5%. He can now get a 20-year fixed-rate mortgage at an annual rate of 5. 5% on the remaining balance of his initial mortgage. (All loans require monthly payments. ) In order to re-flnance, Yassein will need to pay closing costs of $3,500. These costs are out of pocket and cannot be rolled into the new mortgage. How much will refinancing save Yassein? (i. e. What is the NPV of the refinancing decision? Your Answer 16467 17517 16975 Correct. This is a very common situation we all face all the time. 15463 A problem we saw last week, but I expect you to do this routinely now. It is a value generating opportunity through financing only because interest rates changed. Question 6 (10 points) Chandra has the opportunity to buy a vacant lot next to several commercial properties for $50,000. She plans to buy the property and spend another $60,000 immediately to put in a parking lot. She has talked to the local businesses and has some contracts lined up to fill the parking spaces. The profits from the ontracts will provide $25,000 per year and the contracts will last 10 years. What is the NPV of Chandras plan if the appropriate discount/interest rate is 10%? (Enter Just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) Answer for Question 43614 Correct. You know how to calculate NPV. Questlon Explanatlon A standard NPV problem. Question 7 (10 points) This question introduces you to the concept of an annuity with growth. The formula is given on p. 3, equation (7), of the Note on Formulae, but I would encourage you to try doing it in Excel as well. (If the first cash flow is C, the next one ill be C(l+g), and so on, where g is the growth rate in cash flow). As an example, the present value of an annuity that starts one year from now at $100, and grows at 5%, with the last cash flow in year 10, when the discount rate is 7%, is $860. Confirm this before attempting the problem using both the formula and excel. What is the NPV of of a new manufacturing project that costs $100,000 today, but has a cash flow of $15,000 in year 1 that grows at 4% per year till year 12? Similar investments earn 7. 5% per year. (Enter Just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) Answer for Question 7 0486 Correct. Hope you used both methods. This is a set up and calculation problem, nothing new conceptually. Question 8 (1 5 points) Diane has Just 18 and also completed high school and is wondering about the value of a college education. She is pretty good with numbers, and driven by financial considerations only, so she sits down to calculate whether it is worth the large sum of money. She knows that her first year tuition will be $12,000, due at the beginning of the year (that is, right away). Based on historical trends she estimates that tuition will rise at 6% per year for the 4 years she is in school. She also estimates that her living expense above and beyond tuition will be $8,000 per year (assume this occurs at the end of the year) for the first year and will increase $500 each year thereafter to keep up with inflation.

Digital Manipulation | The Ethics Of Photography

Digital Manipulation | The Ethics Of Photography Photography is a form of visual communication (LESTER, Paul, 2006). Photographs are used for a range of purposes including documenting personal events such as birthdays, weddings or christenings, for advertising products or services, for decorating the home, and for appointing authority and authenticity to news stories. Passports and other official forms of identification use photographs as a way to identify people. Current culture is image driven and we are exposed to imagery every waking hour of our lives through forms of visual media on the Internet, television, newspapers, magazines, mobiles phones and now tablets. In using photography to identify an individuals identity or to document the occurrence of an event, a great amount of trust must be invested in the medium of the photograph. Photographs are used in courtrooms as evidence, an occurrence that evidences the trust invested in photographs. By using photographs as evidence it is important to question if the medium of the photograph is an accurate recording of reality. In 2012 an Iranian news agency published an apparent newly developed military drone manufactured by Iran, see Figure 1. The published image was soon discovered to be an already published image of a drone developed by a Japanese University which had been modified to give the impression it was a new and authentic image of a new machine considered desirable by a government. This example evidences the developing ambiguous and potentially dishonest role of digital manipulation within photography. Image manipulation such as this encourages those who read these images and similar im ages to consider whether images have been manipulated and if so, to what extent and for what motivation. The readers of images must question the media that they read and question the veracity of the images whilst not awarding great doubts in the media in general or jumping to the conclusion that every image read has been manipulated. This dissertation will consider more fully inspect the manipulation of imagery, whilst particularly the development of digital photography and will evaluate how this process has affected media credibility. Iran successfully tests Koker-1 VTOL drone (PHOTO) Figure Manipulated image used by Iranian Government to try substantiate deveoplemt of military drone. Journalism in our society often requires the combination of visual and written information to both reach and inform a mass target audience. There is a difference between the photograph and the written representation which is that the camera is able to capture reality (NERI, GRAZIA, 2003). Early photographic technology required a subject to be still in order for it to be recorded whereas modern technology allows for a photograph to be made in less than a second. This significant development in technology means that subjects and material capable of being photographed have become far more extensive than in the early years of photography where limitations were imposed by both camera size and slowness of film. There is also a fundamental difference between photography and the written word in documenting situations. The written word allows an author to mediate reality, choosing what aspects of a subject to detail and describe, governed often by personality and knowledge of a subject. A pho tograph however, may be taken in a situation in which time is limited which in turn forces the photographer to record a subject with little conscious consideration to other objects within the image. Additionally, because the camera is seen as a mechanical device it is not considered to mediate reality like a written account. The camera instead is seen as a device that records truth and cannot be used subjectively (BAUDELAIRE, CHARLES, 1855). If a photograph is considered to have been be manipulated, for example through the use of exposure to give a different reading of the photographs meaning then this could be regarded as providing a less than this could be regarded as a subjective representation. Whereas in regard to the written word mediation is much less alarming due to our familiarity with literature as a subjective representation of reality. It is understood that words are made up of symbols and signs that express the subject they characterise. The word cup does not innately i nform the reader it means the object cup but rather the meaning of the word cup is understood by reading the letters of the word. Yet a photograph is able to demonstrate the appearance of the object it represents and it is able to make this representation with little interpretation required. An Inherent Realism Unlike painting or writing, a photograph can record a specific moment in time. A painting can be of a place that has never existed and literature may describe any place whether real or not. However the example of the Iranian military drone demonstrates that photography shares the same ability as painting and writing in that it can be subjective. Although, painting may be able to demonstrate the emotion of a subject, it is assumed that photography is unable to. In fact, photography has a stronger relationship with specificity as opposed to generality found in painting and writing (MITCHELL, WILLIAM J, 1992). Photographys ability to accurately document is recognised by governments who use photographs for identification purposes in official documents such as passports and driving licenses. Because photography is used for such official purposes, the relationship it holds with specificity is strengthened. However, the Iranian military drone example contests that a photograph may not alway s show the reality of the situation. Photography is powerful because it carries the authority of looking like reality. When looking through a clear glass window it is easy to forget that you are looking through a glass window at reality. Because photographs look so much like reality, it is easy to disregard the complex mechanical and scientific processes which combine to create the photograph. This mechanical and scientific process is not as simple as the window analoguey and will be further reconciled or distorted by considering the technology employed. It is this increasing reliance on science, where there is even no longer a latent image as with analogue processes by which the photograph is made which prompts legitimate and valid questioning of a photographs legitimacy. Barbara Savedoff (1997) uses the analoguey of a hallucination to describe the relationship a photograph has with reality. Savedoff argues that we know photographs are not real and that we know hallucinations are not real. However, photographs seem so real that it is difficult to determine the difference between representation of reality in the photograph and the fact that the photograph is only a representation to begin with. Furthermore, Savedoff points out that photographs do not just record a scene, they also capture a segment of the moment they represent. The idea that photographs contain light from the subject they recorded was considered greatly by early photographers and theorists. In analogue photography, light bounces off the subject and enters the lens and makes contact with the film starting a chemical reaction which produces an image on the surface of the film, creating an exposed negative. This light used to expose the negative has a specific relationship with the subject, the negative and later the printed photograph. Susan Sontag (On Photography, 1977) argues that this process is called the trace and refers to it as something directly stencilled off the real. John Berger (Uses of Photography, 1980) also maintains that the value of the photograph is found within its relationship with the subject. This raises the question when a photograph is manipulation what effect does it have on this relationship between light, subject and recording medium? It is important to note that before a photograph is manipulated the photograph may not already be an objective observation of a subject (HUEPPAUFF, BERND, 1977). It is the photographers decision from where and in what manner a subject or scene should be recorded. Other decisions include what to keep inside of the frame. Once the composition of the photograph is made, there are still variables controlled by the photographer that can ultimately change the way in which the photograph is read. The exposure of the photograph is another consideration, along with the edit performed by the person who has comissioned the photographer to make these photographs. In a news environment, an editor may choose the photographs he thinks best fit the objective of the agency regardless of whether or not that is an entirely accurate representation of the events that took place. These decisions can weaken the objectivity of the photographs made. When photographs are evaluated, one consideration is aesthetic quality (BARRETT, TERRY, 1985). Photographs made for journalism are seldom truly documentary (BARRETT, TERRY, 1985). Increasing the aesthetic value of documentary photographs is not new. During the Spanish Civil War, Robert Capa made a photograph of a militant being shot. It later turned out to be staged to create a more compelling photograph. The perspective of those who produce and broadcast photographs can also affect the way in which a photograph is understood (HUEPPAUFF, BERND, 1977). For example, if a photographer is photographing a public demonstration and they feel positively toward the demonstration, it is probable that they will make photographs that show the demonstration in a positive light. However, if the photographer was opposed to the demonstration then they are likely to record anti-social behaviour of members of those involved. This example shows how the photographer can manipulate the photograph and the reality it presents (BARRETT, TERRY, 1985). In summary, the photographs objectivity which is already questionable due to the way in which the photographer makes a photograph is further questioned as it may have been manipulated by those commissioning the photographer through the process of selection, ultimately undermining the objectivity of the photographer and photograph. Adnan Hajj photographed Beirut after an Israeli bombing. Hajj edited the photograph and added more smoke to make a more compelling photograph. Hajj used the clone tool within Adobe Photoshop to clone and copy smoke to additional areas of the photograph, see Figure 2. After initially publishing the photograph, Reuters withdrew it once members of the public claimed it had been manipulated. To anyone who asked to use Hajjs photograph, Reuters stated that the work was no longer available and stated that Hajj no longer works for Reuters (DAY, JULIA, 2006). The photograph was picked up by a blog, which recognised the fake because the same piece of smoke occurred in multiple places (DAY, JULIA, 2006). Manipulated images are normally harder to identify, especially with more advanced software and more experienced digital editors. This case evidences the desire for Hajj to make a more compelling photograph for his clients by manipulating the aesthetic qualities of his photograph. https://sites.google.com/site/tsoldrin/leb-phony.jpg Figure Adnan Hajjs manipulated representation of Beiruit Bombings in 2006 Nonetheless, Hajjs photograph was created subjectively but it is important to note that even photographs that are objective can be interpreted in different ways. For instance a photograph may be used in court to prove that an event has happened. During a trial the two opposing sides may read photographic evidence of the same subject in different ways, even from the perspective of the photographer who took the photograph. (HUEPPAUFF, BERND, 1977). It is apparent that photographs have never been entirely objective now or in years past. Additionally, it is apparent that they record the views of an individual as presented as if they were actuality. While with digital photography it may be easier to manipulate photographs due to the availability of digital cameras and imaging software over darkroom equipment, the truth is that photography has a historic relationship synonymous with manipulation. Derek Bouse (2002) reasons that people generally believe that the age of a photograph relates directly to its accuracy, and that the older a photograph is the more likely it has not been manipulated. However, still numerous instances of analogue photographs exist. For instance, a photographer employed by Mathew Brady during the American Civil War named Alexander Gardner rearranged a dead person on the battlefield to make a more compelling photograph, see Figure 3 (LESTER, MARTIN, 1991). It is important to recognise that this manipulation took place before the photograph was made. The practice of digital photography is still vulnerable to manipulation before the photograph is made however manipulation is usually carried out after the phot ograph is made. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAPgardner.jpg Figure Alexander Gardner rearranges the position of a corpse and gun to increase the drama of photograph Another photographer known for manipulating a photograph prior to making one is Edward Curtis. Curtis paid Native Indians to dress in exotic clothing and photographed them to make a more compelling photograph and to turn them into a spectacle for the public to view them (MICHAELIS, PAMELA, 2008). However, by dressing these subjects the worth of the photograph as document is reduced, see Figure 4. Although analogue technology was the latest available technology, it was still used to manipulate photographs, even after being made. For instance, in family portrait photographs it was common for members of the family to be cut and pasted into a photograph (Lodriguss, 2008). People would sometimes appear to be disproportionate to others in the pictures due to the position of the subject in the original photograph. In some photographs people are also seen floating. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/melan002/melandblog/Piegan-Lodge,%20clock.jpg Figure Edward Curtis changes the traditional dress of subjects and removes clock from the photograph An example of someone who used many negatives to form one photograph print is Oscar Rejlander. In the 1860s, for some pieces of work he used in excess of 30 negatives to create his well-known The Two Ways of Life which demonstrates a philosopher between a life of virtue and vice, see Figure 5. These composite prints were made by cutting together numerous negatives and using them to create a photographic print. In order for the final photographic print to be consistent from left to right, it was vital that sizing and contrast be the same to prevent people from hovering above the ground. Rejlander, before using multiple exposures and cutting negatives in photography was a painter. These examples show that even before digital imaging technologies existed there was extensive manipulation of photographs through analogue techniques. http://twcdc.com/andycox/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Oscar-gustave-rejlander_two_ways_of_life.jpg Figure Oscar Rejlander uses up to 30 composite negatives to create one photograph Using double exposures was also very common and was used often by photographers namely Eadweard Muybridge who photographed landscapes. The photographic materials of the 1850s were not very sensitive to green but were however very sensitive to blue. Therefore, landscape photographs were often improperly exposed. The correct exposure of the blue sky would render the foreground underexposed, or if the foreground would be exposed for the blue sky would be white with no detail. In order to solve this problem Muybridge and a handful of other photographers at the time would create negatives of desirable skies with differing cloud and all exposed properly. He would then use these negatives to add well exposed sky to his landscape photographs (SCOTT, AMY, 2006). The photograph produced would look natural to a viewer but is obviously a form of manipulation, a process often practised today by digital photographers. Muybridge photographed Yosemite and not only added a false sky but removed trees that prevented his view over the landscape, see Figure 6 (SCOTT, AMY, 2006). http://www.imaging-resource.com/ee_uploads/news/1284/muybridge-2.jpg Figure Edward Muybridge, used his collection of cloud negatives to combat technical limitations of early photography The so far discussed photographers have used manipulation to enhance the aesthetics of the photograph; however photography has also a large history with propaganda and political influences. Vladimir Lenin manipulated photographs as a form of propaganda to make historical events support his regime for the Soviet Union. Individuals who were seen as enemies of the state were often ordered to be killed by Stalin. If these individuals were to be within a photograph next to Lenin they would often be removed. Leon Trotsky is a prime example of this. Once Lenin had determined that Trotsky was an enemy of the state he was methodically removed from all traces of him from state photographs. Nikolai Yezov also suffered a similar fate once he fell out of favour with Stalin. This process of manipulation existing photographs carried on to the late 1900s. From looking at Muybridge, we can see that there are numerous stages in the manipulation and some of which are not clear that they have been altered. Edward Steichen states: A manipulated print may not be a photograph. The personal intervention between the action of the light and the print itself may be a blemish on the purity of photography. But, whether this intervention consists merely of marking, shading and tinting in a direct print, or of stippling, painting and scratching on the negative, or of using glycerine, brush and mop on a print, faking has set in, and the results must always depend on the photographer, upon his personality, his technical ability and his feeling (STEICHEN, EDWARD, 1903, p.48). Here Steichen is arguing that every decision the photograph carries out whether that be painting or scratching on the negative is a form of manipulation or as he calls it of faking. Steichen also refers to the personality, technical ability and his feeling which refers to the photographer and their intentions or motives which will manipulate or cause the process of faking. In the period of digital imaging some of these manipulations are seen as ethically acceptable and are not disputed. Media agency guidelines for manipulation, which we will talk about in greater depth soon, maintain that manipulations that were possible during analogue printing technique times are still genuine. These assertions are that if the chemicals used in the darkroom manipulated a photograph in a certain way then this would be a part of the photographic method and could not be criticised. Steichen obviously would not agree with this as he knows the extent to which analogue photographs can be manipulated. Digital Technology and Manipulation The first device invented that could digitise or make analogue photographs available in a digital format was a scanner made by Russell Kirsh in 1957 (TERRAS, MELLIA M, 2008). The scanner functioned by looking at the variations in tone within photographs and assigning a digital value to represent a tone band. Instead of creating a new photograph this scanner copied an existing photograph and recorded it digitally. Because photographs can be scanned to a digital format, the initial analogue negative can now be manipulated digitally and the truth value held by analogue photographs can now be challenged. Birth of Digital Imaging During the 1960s digital imaging technologies was still only used by large institutions such as NASA and the American government. It was not until the 1980s that the media began to use digital imaging technologies. Digital technology could be employed to enhance the clearness of television broadcasts and speed up the time in which photojournalists were able to send pictures to the media. In 1982, National Geographic published a photograph of the pyramids at Giza on the front cover of the magazine, see Figure 7. The photograph has been manipulated to fit a horizontal photograph of the pyramids onto the portrait cover of the magazine to make the front cover more captivating (TERRAS, MELLIA M, 2008). It is important to note that this instance of manipulation was one of the first by a recognised organisation. National Geographics editor, Fred Ritchen who decided to compress the pyramids felt he had achieved a new point of view by the retroactive repositioning of the photographer a few feet to one side (WRIGHT, TERRENCE, 1999, p.110). Ritchens defence to accusations of manipulating the photograph was that if the photographer had moved and taken the photograph at a different time of the day then the photograph would be the same (WRIGHT, TERRENCE, 1999). However the fact remains that this photograph was not the one that was made. The fact that the photograph was manipulated was not broadcast. It was admitted to have been manipulated when other journalists questioned the photograph. Howard Chapnick (LESTER, MARTIN, 1991, p.96) argued that the words Credibility and Responsibility allow photographers to call photography a profession due to ethical considerations rather than a business. Chapnick goes on to argue that not maintaining these ethics will damage journalistic impact and photography as a language. Lastly, he maintains the threat to credibility is permanent if people begin to disbelieve the news photograph. http://www.lagunabeachbikini.com/wordpress/wp-content/images/newspictures/national-geographic-feb82.jpg Figure National Geographic Magazine Cover 1981 In 1985 digital cameras became widely used by professional photographers. Companies also marketed digital imaging camera to the public for domestic use. During this time the processing capabilities of computers was also advancing and provided a way for individuals to load image manipulation software and manipulate photographs. In 1991 the American government and the media used digital photography as a technology for the first time in a war environment. Not only was digital photography used to photograph the war but was used in weapon systems by America (FLORIDI, LUCIANO, 1999). A much more current use of digital imaging technology is live electronic manipulation. Manipulating a live feed allows the editing of satellite image feeds. On the fly image editing may be used in sports programming to show lines on pitches or by governments to hide classified buildings from satellite imagery that is available to the public such as Google Maps. News television channels can also employ technology to sow text feeds beneath news anchors. Delta Tre supply FIFA with sports data services and on screen graphics (BEVIR, GEORGE, 2012). In 2012, the union of European Football Associations placed recorded footage of a fan crying at the opening of the game and played it after one of the teams had won the game to make for more compelling television. Ivan Amato (Lying with Pixels, 2000) argues that as this technology becomes more widespread and available the credibility of video media will be damaged permanently. In some ways this is similar to National Geographics manipulated Pyr amid in that both representations existed but were manipulated to give heightened sensation. The abilities that digital imaging technology have provided have been used by Walt Disney Imagineering Studio to take existing photographs and film of aged or dead celebrities made in the past to be used in new programmes or films (AMATO, IVAN, 2000). This use of technology to manipulate media, demonstrates how analogue photographs and films are susceptible to these processes and also questions the fundamental nature of the final product? Is it simply a manipulated piece of video footage or a new creation entirely? Mitchell (The Reconfigured Eye: Truth in the Post-Photographic Era, 1992) argues that it is a new creation entirely. Mitchell also argues that photography in recent times has entered a phase which he terms pseudophotography meaning that digital photography is not photography. Though the two methods are comparable, they possess different manipulation potentials which are examined in the next section. Manipulation Since Digital photography Savedoff (1997, p.19) argues that technologies alter rather than simply add to the resources of art. This suggests that photography as an art form has been altered by added manipulation potential. This new digital imaging practice should pose a whole range of ethical considerations relating to the manipulation of photographs. However, this has largely failed to have happened due principally to differentiating between the printed or published digital or analogue photograph creating difficulty in identifying and developing a set of different standards for each method. Photographys relationship with reality as previously outlined is apparent in digital photography, however the relationship created by the subjects personal relationship with light as evinced by Sontag and others will be absent in a digital photograph. There is no latent image. In an analogue photograph created through a chemical process there is room for argument that the relationship with light remains intact. Although t his trace looks to be evident in a photograph created by digital means, the trace is not a chemical reaction but a digital representation of reality and therefore not an embedded feature of the relationship between the subject and the photographic process as with analogue. Additionally, the very nature of digital photography means that the process is limitless in the number of alterations or manipulations that can be applied. These manipulations leave little or no evidence of themselves. Modern digital cameras allow the photographer to instantly review the image made and thus allows them amend the and other factors of image capture until the photographer is satisfied with the final result. Images are manipulated by using computers and image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, along with scanners to digitise analogue images. Therefore, photographs made before digital photography are susceptible to manipulation just like the case of Disney outlined earlier (BOUSE, DEREK, 2002). The development of digital imaging technology has changed photography and its relative relationship with veracity permanently. This lends evidence to Bouses argument that old photographs may be more widely trusted and that digital photography makes readers of images aware not only of current manipulations but of those in the past also. The reader of an analogue photograph, although aware that the photograph was made before the invention of digital technologies is aware that the photograph might have been manipulated and nonetheless changes the way the reader interprets all photographs, manipulated or not (SAVEDOFF, BARBARA E, 1997). This suggests that digital technology has decrease the impression that photographs are mostly objective and truth-relating and that there is a greater tendency for viewers of images to question the veracity of all photographs. A key factor in this significant reduction of trust is the difficulty for the average reader to easily and readily distinguish between manipulated and non-manipulated photographs. Conversely Michelle Henning (2007) argues that digital imaging technologies have enabled limited new ways of manipulating a photograph. Henning continues that digital technologies have only made the manipulation of photographs more available. Henning also argues that the public was previously unaware of image manipulation techniques before the invention of digital imaging technology. Digital manipulation has made the public more aware of photo manipulation and paradoxically served to increase the frequency with which images are manipulated. Evolution of a Medium Photography has been constantly developing since its birth in the 1800s and many of the changes have been driven by evolving technology but were always based on chemical reactions to light. In the 1820s Joseph Niepce found a method to permanently fix a photograph using lavender oil and bitumen. Niepce swiftly developed this method further into heliographs made by using silver nitrate. Eduard Daguerre was also looking for a way to photographically record subjects and contacted Niepce to work with each other. After Niepce died, Daguerre found that mercury could fix images much more permanently and created the Daguerreotype which Daguerre believed at the time serves to draw nature and gives nature the power to reproduce herself (MARIEN, MARY WARNER, 2002, p.23). Since photographys invention the idea of a device that could create unmediated representations of reality was widely believed yet now we begin to see photography may not deserve the verisimilitude it has been ascribed. At the sa me time Henry Fox Talbot worked on a photographic method using paper print. Like the creation of photography and the creation of digital photography these changes and advances were driven simultaneously by several individuals at once. The daguerreotype became the most popular and was widely used to make very simple portraits. Later though, interest was given to the Calotype created by Talbot. The Calotype was less reliable but allowed for prints to be reproduced much more easily and allowed greater detail with the print at least initially. During the mid-1800s negatives were made from glass and coated with albumen paper. These proved much more reproducible and gave more detailed and sharper results than earlier methods. With regard to contemporary digital methods, has digital photography made reproducing images easier due to the fact that digital images when stored on a computer can be duplicated instantly, require no specialist education, now contain little or no cost and can be tr ansmitted and viewed globally without a physical print ever being produced? Being able to reproduce a photograph has always been desirable and this is shown by the demand for the Calotype. Bearing in mind that digital imaging technology has helped progress the ease, convenience and technical, it has done this in a way that has divided the two forms of photography causing great debates among both practitioners and observers of both. Mark Amerika, digital artist and writer, in an interview draws attention to and discusses the differences between digital and analogue photography. Amerika claims that images and how they are read is influenced by the way they are captured, suggesting that as technology changes so does our interpretation of photographs (JACUPS, Karen, 2006). Because photography is much more easily manipulated with digital photography it can be argued that the objectivity of the photograph is lost and it is futile to pursue objectivity (JACUPS, Karen, 2006). It would seem true that manipulation is more common since the advent of digital photography, which could argue that the making of an image is only a small portion of the final product like in the aforementioned case of Rejalnder. Both Mitchell and Savedoff claim that digital photography and the manipulation of it cannot be compared to analogue photography because it is a new medium (MITCHELL, WILLIAM J, 1992) (SAVEDOFF, BARBARA E, 1997). Both continue to argue that because with digital photographs the image is created with a digital sensor digital capture is a separate process to analogue capture. Digital photographs receive their authority because they are almost identical to analogue photographs and this authority is passed to the digital photograph. However, if this authority is diminished, digital photography may be criticised for its lack of authority. News reporting currently accomplished by digital photography may Siemans: Micro Environment and BCG Analysis Siemans: Micro Environment and BCG Analysis SIEMENS COMPANY REVIEW BACK GROUND TO THE STRATEGIC DECISION Siemens is a worldwide leading organization in electronics and electrical engineering industry which is operating in the sector of energy, communication and healthcare sector. There are few industries working in the global market of small and large business which have maintained their successful history of quality products and customer satisfaction. Siemens is also one of those well known and established organizations, having proud to be the leading business. Siemens was founded by Werner Von Siemens and Johann Georg Halske in 1847. The Production Electrical Telegraphs are the remarkable source of Siemens for the past many decades to achieve the large amount of its overall sales. For more than one and a half century, Siemens is still popular in competitive industries for its innovative achievements, technical supports, quality, reliability, and globalization. Being the environmental friendly is one of many other positive aspects of Siemens to feel proud of. Almost one third of their revenue is generated by environmental friendly green products and solutions. â€Å"In fiscal 2009, ended on September 30, 2009, Siemens had revenue of â‚ ¬76.7 billion and net income of â‚ ¬2.5 billion. At the end of September 2009, the company had around 405,000 employees worldwide.† (www.siemens.com) To acquire the long run and effective advantages, generally most of the organizations utilize Strategic decisions. Strategic Decisions help the businesses maintain their quality on the long term directions. Strategic decisions are comprised by considering the organizations activities and analysis to decide the working areas of any organizations. Siemens strategic decisions are quiet clear so far. Siemens basic strategy is to focus particularly on innovation and technology driven growth markets and until the substantive time they have been quiet successful in setting up the trend of new technology and capturing leading positions maintaining their strength of local existence and creating local values on the global level. Siemens believed in diversification and innovation since the establishment which make outstanding business sector. They started identifying market particulars upcoming trends and drawing the strategic results early on. Some years past, Siemens improved their portfolio to four megatrends including demographic change, urbanization, climate change and globalization which are already influencing our daily life today, and the impact of these trends is increasing substantially in the decades. The activities into the sectors of Industry, Energy and healthcare have been the main points of consideration for business. They also set the stage to achieve leading positions and customer satisfaction in attractive continuous growth markets. MICRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS Organizations have adopted the internal analysis as a key feature with the frequently changed environment nowadays. To face the environmental change in the ongoing time it has been more useful for the businesses developing strategies utilizing their own resources and capabilities. Siemens has already made it the prior concern for its organization believing their internal resources and strategies as the main strength to achieve their goals. Financial Resources: The group recorded revenues of E77,327 million (approximately $116,294.4 million) during the financial year ended September 2008 (FY2008), an increase of 6.7% over the financial year ended September 2007 (FY2007). The operating profit of the group was E2,492 million (approximately$3,747.8 million) during FY2008, a decrease of 50.2% compared with FY2007. The net profit was E5,725 million (approximately $8,610 million) in FY2008, an increase of 50.4% over FY2007.(Data Monitor Siemens AG). Physical Resources: Siemens are very diversified in geographical presence. They operate in 190 countries spread over the Americas, Europe, CIS, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Middle East. During FY2008, the group generated 26.1% of its revenue from Americas, 52.7% from Europe, CIS, Africa, and 21.2% from Asia, Australian, and Middle East. (Data Monitor Siemens AG) Human Resources: It is in the concern of Siemens that outstanding, competitive and innovative employees are their strength and valuable assets. All of their employees are highly trained, focused and innovative. This belief in their staff plays an important role for Siemens to sustain in the world market. Reputational Resources: Siemens is operating in over 190 countries and for over 160 years. It had created a good and remarkable reputation around the world. They have made them very diversified and manufactured their own brands. Their brands include generators, electrical products, healthcare equipments and many others are some of the outstanding and famous worldwide. MACRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS There are some factors that keep changing time to time. These factors are called External factors. No organization can depend on it because of their constant change. Organizations are facing many economic and global problems to sustain. Due to the present dynamic environment; internal strength has been the key part for organizations rely on in order to face any of these challenges. As far as Siemens is concerned, they have been well prepared and have completed their homework keeping these challenges in front. They introduced remarkable measures that will not only help them surviving these crisis without being highly affected but also they will emerge much stronger with the passage of time. Because they began research, identified market specific and started to draw the strategic consequences quite early on to prevent their strength getting weak. Their integrated homework made them able to precisely consider the upcoming opportunities and threats. This homework helped them identify the nature of advantages, opportunities and threats before the time which are: Opportunities: Siemens had bought quite a few businesses in recent years because they think that these businesses have potential to drive its business growth. â€Å"In January 2007, the group acquired US based UGS, one of the leading providers of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services for manufacturers. In the same month, Siemens Water Technologies strengthened its service and product business in the US with acquisitions of four companies: Envirotrol, CEC, Pure Water Solutions, and Sunlight Systems. In November 2007, the group acquired Dade Behring Holdings, a manufacturer and distributor of diagnostic products and services to clinical laboratories.† (Some information is taken from www.siemens.com) Threats: Siemens had done all their homework but still threats lie in front of them. Siemens faces intense competition across its market segments. As Siemens is a huge industry with different sectors their competition is much higher than other industries. Their main competitors in the industry sectors are ABB, Alstom, Bombardier, Emerson Electric, General Electric Company, Honeywell International, Johnson Control, Philips, Schneider Electric, and Tyco International. (Information is gathered from www.datamonitor.com). Likewise in energy sector as well its main competitors are General Electric, Alstom Powers, Mitsuibishi, Abbott and lots more. As it is quite clear that, such competition could adversely affect the revenues and profit margins of the group. DIRECTIONS FOR GROWTH It very important for organizations to be vigilant when choosing the strategic direction, it is a useful method for organizations to launch their products in the market and in order to gain competitive and desired advantages. As it is pointed out by Johnson, Scholes and Whittington that: organizations should be aware of 3 types of motives or pressures that may shape their choice which are: Environment Based Motives: As Siemens is concerned they already had pointed out the growth of economies in the different continents. â€Å"The group operates in about 190 countries Spread over the Americas, Europe, CIS, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Middle East. During FY2008, the group generated 26.1% of its revenue from Americas, 52.7% from Europe, CIS, Africa, and 21.2% from Asia, Australian, and Middle East†. (www.datamonitor.com) Resource Based Motives: As being one of the most diversified groups Siemens have very strong resource capabilities. Due to their high revenues Siemens can afford to spend lucrative amount on their RD. In 2008 Siemens increased its research and development investment to (approximately $5,690.9 million). Igor Ansoff has developed a well known matrix system to analyze the directions of strategies and mix between the products which a company sells and the market is to be sold. Siemens has set the task for capturing leading positions in attractive growth markets. In order to maintain their position Siemens targeted their business activities to some sectors including Industry, Energy and Healthcare. Siemens direction of its strategy lies in all 4 stages of Ansoff matrix. Market Penetration: With the help of its targeted business activities in leading growth market Siemens is constantly penetrating the market. They also have a much diversified customer based group. This group has industrial, infrastructural and diversified customers. The group can be classified in markets like as transport and logistics (such as transport authorities), construction, communication, real estate, metals and mining, machinery, utilities, automotive and many others. Market Development: Siemens is operating in over 190 countries and for over 160 years and generating high revenues which is increasing with the passage of time. Its because they had identified their opportunities and threats. Their prior homework of seeking new markets made them able to achieve the targeted financial market. Product Development: Product development is a very effective and attractive way to counteract a new entrant in market. Product development is to introduce new product to the market or the same product with enhanced and added new services. Siemens has been successful maintaining their vast market, product quality and customer satisfaction around the globe. The basic sectors Health, Industry and Energy are the ones providing them a remarkable deal of opportunities to develop their products. Some of the products and services in energy sector spectrum such as LED energy saving lighting and building control system are up-gradation to their products for their present markets. Diversification: Diversification is one of the key parts for organizations to gain competitive advantage over their competitors. On the other side it includes a great deal of risk for organizations because a huge amount money is required to invest lucrative amount in RD. As The Siemens is a market business leader in the growing sectors, so it deals with the risk to diversify with upper hand. Siemens had always believed in innovation and the technology as said by the founder of the Siemens Werner Von Siemens â€Å"If you are not moving forward you are moving backwards.† Siemens diversify its business by two different ways. Related Diversification: Siemens operates in various sectors of the business market. It provides so many opportunities to diversify beyond the substantive product market within the broad confines of the ongoing industry. Siemens always tried the best in their value chain to gain new products market and customer satisfaction. In industry sector Siemens offers different products such as services like building, communication, lighting, mobile solutions and in energy sector they are providing distribution of power, conversion, extraction and lot more. Unrelated Diversification: Siemens has also diversified its business sector activities beyond its current scope or industry sector. Because of dealing with three business sector activities, Siemens always believed in technology and innovation in their products and services. It requires a great deal of investment in RD. Siemens has a very powerful RD. Recently Siemens had increased their research and development investment to E 3,784 million. Siemens invested with Fujitsu in laptops, which is a very good example of unrelated diversification. PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS The strategy of Siemens portfolio is quite clear for the past many years which set the target to capture and maintain the Number 1 or Number 2 in the future profitable and competitive markets. By doing that Siemens believe they can survive and get through in the difficult constantly changed environment. Siemens is concentrating deeply on renewable energy and organic growth of various products and services. In the past five years they had invested 20 billion Euros in the acquisition of growth business. Siemens has established its leading position in the attractive growth market working out with its three business sectors Healthcare, energy, and industry. As a part of DESERTEC a Solar Thermal Power in Sahara and Wind Farm in Europe are being constructed. They have also being producing Smart Grid Solutions based Technologies such as Electric Cars and lot more. The best and precise portfolio Analysis of Siemens is comprised by Boston matrix. BCG Matrix Siemens AG METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT Siemens have varieties of methods and strategies to develop their SBUs (Strategic Business Unit). It is because they had a diversified business culture worldwide and they operate in 3 major sectors Healthcare, Energy and Industry. Siemens is constantly operating with their strong partners and developing their services to beat their competitors, therefore they are gearing the value chain to efficiency. They believe that for outperforming their competitors they have to consistently work out and improve their services better than they are. Following the belief of always being better than they are, Siemens is successfully developing their services to sustain in the market and improve customer satisfaction. As a diversified business Siemens believe in utilizing different methods of development. Strong RD department is one of their strenghts. They are able to afford the Organic development. They also intend to continue the assurance of strict resource allocation in the future; they are ver y keen on the Organic growth. In the past five years Siemens have invested Twenty billion Euros in the organic development. There was a significant increase in RD budget and it got its RD location in more than 30 countries worldwide. Siemens is also keen to acquire growing businesses. They had recently invested more than 20 billion Euros in order to acquire businesses. Siemens is constantly optimizing its portfolio of Products. Every year numerous acquisitions and divestitures are completed by Siemens. â€Å"In 2005 alone, Siemens invested around EUR 2.5 billion in new businesses and the 2006 figure will be substantially higher. On the divestment side, the carve-outs of BenQ, Product Related Services and Logistics Assembly have caused a stir. Regarding recent prominent acquisitions, such as Flender AG (Germany), CTI (USA), Bonus (Denmark), US Filter (USA) or VA Tech (Austria), Siemens Management Consulting were primarily involved in the pre- and post-merger integration (PMI) work†. (Information is gathered from www.smc.siemens.de) It is Siemens belief that acquisitions helped them come closer to achieve their goal of growing a fast global market. Siemens is also running many joint ventures with one of their SBUs for obtaining growth. Such as Siemens and Nokia have announced their intention to merge the network business of Nokia and the carrier related operations of Siemens into a new company which they will call Nokia Siemens networks. Its a 50-50 joint venture. In which both parties will invest half and half share. Both parties are looking forward to stand as a Global Leader with strong position in current important growth segments of fixed and mobile network infrastructure and services.