History of Tattoos in Australia

A tattoo is the permanent insertion of ink or other pigments below the skin using a sharp instrument, as a form of decorative form of body modification. The word tattoo is derived from the Tahitian term â€Å"tatua,† which means â€Å"to mark. † Since the dawn of time, tattoos have been used for all kinds of purposes. Tattoos have served as symbols of rights, symbols of rank or seniority, symbols of spirituality, devotion, religion, rewards for bravery and security. In ancient times, they were also used as symbols of punishment, slavery and conviction. However, over the past century, tattoos have been most frequently used as body art. The art of tattooing cannot be traced back to a specific time or place. One of the oldest tattoos however, was found to be engraved on the back of a well – preserved natural mummy of a man (now known as â€Å"Otzi the Iceman†) who was buried alive on the slopes of the Alps over 5000 years ago. However, research shows that if the skin rots after death, evidence of a tattoo completely disappears. This means that tattoos may have been around for longer than 5000 years, yet there’s no evidence to prove this. Numerous mummies that were excavated from the pyramids in Egypt have also been found to have tattoos. These tattoos however, were engraved near waists of the women who longed for children and were a symbol of their goddess of fertility. There has been evidence to suggest that in the past tattooing was done for medicinal purposes and that the pigments used in tattoos had some sort of healing effect. For example, societies in the Arctic believe tattoos have powers that can ward off illness or protect people from all types of harm. They believed diseases such as rheumatism were caused by an imbalance in their souls, caused by evil spirits. They thought that these evil spirits entered their bodies through their joints, so they tattooed designs on their joints in an attempt to block them out. Furthermore, ‘protective’ or ‘guardian’ tattoos could be used by these societies to save people from disasters at sea, help them on a journey through the unknown, or even guard against the death of a new born. The art of tattooing was also popular amongst Christian adherents (as many received the tattoo symbolising ‘the Stigmata of the Lord Jesus’) until the church edict forbade them on the pretext of some quotes in the Bible. The Old Testament law commanded the Israelites, â€Å"Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD† (Leviticus 19:28). This command from God is further explained in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 : â€Å"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body. † Therefore, the number of tattoos amongst Christian adherents significantly decreased. Tattoos have since then persisted in various parts of the world for various reasons and although tattoos have now become acceptable in contemporary societies, ‘tattoos are still condemned in God’s eyes. ’ In the Western world, tattooing has historically served as a brand of criminality or a sign of shame (as seen in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† of Nathaniel Hawthorne. ) These branding mimicked those of the branding of slaves, the tattooing of prisoners of war in ancient Athens and the marking of the foreheads of French prisoners in the 18th and 19th centuries with letters signifying their punishment. Australia has a rich historical background in which the art of tattooing has a special place. Date back to almost 4,000 years, the Samoan and the Maori tribes displayed a wide range of tattoos on specific parts of their body. In fact, these tribes of Australia represent the major history of tattooing. The Samoan tribes used to cover their lower body completely with all-embracing tattoos, though these tattoos held no specific cultural significance beyond fashion. However, having a tattoo proved a statement that an individual could bear pain and those who didn’t have a tattoo were vulnerable to severe criticism from others as they were seen to be weak cowards. The average Samoan design could take as long as six months to complete. In order to complete the arduous task, a special tattooing shed was specifically built; only to be burned down at the completion of the tattoo. Special combs were utilised by Samoan tattoo artists to apply the designs. The combs would be dipped in ink and then tapped along the skin, so that the pointed teeth of the comb would puncture the surface and insert the ink. This extremely painful procedure posed several hygiene issues and usually led to several health problems, such as infections. While the Samoans covered their lower bodies with tattoos, the Maori of New Zealand covered their faces. This tattooing technique, called â€Å"moko† was unique to the Maori. Each man wore an individualised pattern as the design was based on his own particular facial features. The tattooing artist would study the man’s face and create a design that would accentuate them, in an attempt to make his appearance more dignified and forceful. The pattern would be carved into the skin with a bone chisel and the ink would be placed in the cuts to create the tattoo. The whole process, which took up to weeks to complete one face, was awfully painful and would consequently cause a lot of swelling. Maori women also had their faces tattooed, but it was limited to the lips and chin only. In Australia, the modern art of tattooing began when the European convicts were sent into exile here in the late 1700's, after Captain James Cook brought tattoos back to England as curiosities after encountering Tahitian tattoos when in the South Pacific in the 1760’s. To express diverse human emotions, the prisoners used to make tattoos by etching the black sediments of the oil lamps into their skin, forever recording their hopes, beliefs, loves and disappointments. At this time, tattoos became a way for convicts to make human statements about themselves. The positioning of a tattoo was also particularly significant as the most personal of messages were reserved for parts of the body that were usually covered up. For some convicts, tattoos were purely decorative, while others transcribed the dates of their trials, or dates when their sentences were up. Family trees and slogans and religious symbols were also quite common. The most popular tattoo however, was the anchor, which was a symbol of hope and loyalty, and was often attached to a loved one’s initials. The period between the First and Second World Wars has been dubbed the â€Å"Golden Age of Tattooing† as many servicemen in the army and navy tattooed themselves as acts of patriotism and nationalism. During this period, tattoos served as symbols of group identity, memorial dedications to home, girlfriends, wives, family and the wars themselves. These tattoos were almost exclusively a male practice and connoted a bond between men forged by patriotic and militaristic duty, and by necessary association, masculinity and power. A new form of street or ‘biker’ tattoo began to emerge after the Second World War. Instead of patriotic values, however, this new style of tattooing had embedded in it defiance, â€Å"a challenge to mainstream middle-class values as well as to the traditional form of patriotic and love-inspired working class tattoo† (DeMello 2000:67). This style of tattooing became synonymous with biker and prison convict subcultures, and continues relatively unchanged to this day. Although they began as an exclusive practice amongst males, they are now commonly found on women also. ‘Bikers’ were typically heavily tattooed with entire sleeves, legs, chests or backs covered in ink. Popular imagery included religious icons (Jesus Christ, crucifixes, the Virgin Mary), scales of justice, skulls, dragons, spiders, motorcycles, and biblical quotes. Specific tattoos identified the wearer as a member of a particular social group, gang or ethnicity. Throughout the several phases during the twentieth century, the tattoo industry was primarily underground and was relegated to the lower working classes. In the 1960’s, however, tattoos ‘fragmented’ and were used as important identity symbols for convicts, punks, bikers and many subcultures within society. This fragmentation ultimately lead to the ‘tattoo renaissance’ which lead tattoos to become popular culture icons in the 1980’s and 1990’s. With the â€Å"tattoo renaissance,† tattoos came to be seen as an anthropological, sociological and ethnographic phenomenon which changed society’s views of the human body. Punk tattoos of the 1970’s were part of a lexicon of highly visible signs and symbols of sub cultural identity. Inspired by the punk scene that emerged from the British punk scene in the early 1970’s, the punk subculture in Australia epitomised social marginalisation, hostile rebellion and protest. Punks manipulated their clothes, hairstyles and bodies as a form of self creation. Vividly and implicitly displayed in public, punk tattoos were the seeds of what would become mainstream tattoo practices. Nowadays, tattoos are â€Å"not just for bikers anymore† and are now the domain of the middle-class, educated and professionals. Many musicians, athletes, icons and role models now have tattoos, which has also been a contributing factor to their popularity. But most importantly, women now make up 50% of those who have tattoos, as opposed to the past, when it was rare for women to have a tattoo. Today, tattoos generally tend to avoid the â€Å"negative† imagery associated with many traditional prison, biker or punk styled tattoos. Studies show that tattoos worn by the â€Å"career-oriented† include a wide variety of symbols and styles, from the big and colourful, to the small and monochromatic, from Christian iconography to tribal or indigenous designs. Further research has revealed the most popular tattoo designs to be small crosses, butterflies, flowers, Celtic rings and arm and ankle bracelets These days, tattoos have become a large part of our popular culture. The demand for tattoos has grown rapidly, both amongst the rich and famous and within the general population as a whole. One in every seven adults today sports a tattoo as they have now become major fashion statement throughout society. The tattoo industry is growing tremendously, with an increased demand for tattoos, tattoo parlours, tattoo artists and tattoo supplies due to the recent acceptance of tattoos into mainstream culture.

Reflection Paper on the Story of Job Essay

The story of Job has enlightened me on how God really is. He is not rude or a punisher, but rather a God who gives challenges that he knows his people can surpass. Job has impressed me on how he never turned his back on God despite the losses he came across in his life. If I come to think of all Job’s struggles, and put my feet in his shoes, I don’t think I’d be able to handle it. It’s a bit acceptable to lose possessions, but to lose one’s family is very devastating. Job lost all his animals, his house and his family, but instead of hating God, his faith in Him even strengthened. He thought that he didn’t have the right to question God’s decisions because God is the Almighty – the most powerful. What I also realized is that we usually remember to honor God when we are in need or when we are at our deepest sorrow. But we are ignorant in thanking God in times when our needs are fulfilled. At times, I ask God for guidance, strength and even small wishes like being able to pass in a certain subject, and I admit, I sometimes forget to thank Him. However, God is said to be forgiving and I know that no matter what challenges He gives us, his intention is to give us a lesson and correct our mistakes. Life really isn’t fair, but we all know that God has designed a special story for us to live in. We should just accept and adapt to what life has to offer.

Harley Davidson Cultural impact of media on women Research Paper

Harley Davidson Cultural impact of media on women - Research Paper Example People are easily updated with the happenings around them through those media as writers, bloggers, newscasters and columnists relay the information to the viewers. Sometimes those relayed information may not be the whole truth at all as sometimes works of fiction do affect the rituals and culture of people. Massive influence may be achieved through mass media and sometimes those become the avenue for negativities in the society to flourish. The widespread of the influence of the negative practices in the society may be attributed to the media that may be intentional or unintentional. It is considered as intentional when people truly want to influence others with their deeds and beliefs that may pose risks and hazards to the society and considered as crimes. Other activities that may be seen in media but are not considered crimes but may challenge the border that separates the morally acceptable beliefs and immoral ones. The cases that may arise from mass media that are in the bounda ry of right and wrong are the issues of gender and sexuality, abortion, euthanasia, divorce, no religious affiliation, and roles in the society. In particular, the paper will talk about the effects of media to the lives of women especially in the cultural aspect. Harley Davidson would be the subject for the media effects on women as that company endorses motorcycles and how it blends into the culture of women. Then several questions may have arisen from the motorcycle craze and its influence on the female gender. Does it make women more masculine? Does it encourage violence and other negativities in the society? What are its other impacts? Does motorcycle craze give any positive influence to the society as a whole? Will gender roles be greatly affected? The three previous studies about the effects on women would include â€Å"Girl Power† and Participation in Macho Recreation: The Case of Female Harley Riders by Catherine Roster, Subcultures of Consumption: An Ethnography of t he New Bikers by John Schouten and James McAlexander, and Examining Gender Images, Expectations, and Competence as Perceived Impediments to Personal, Academic and Career Development by Lorraine Wilgosh. The study of Roster talks about the women empowerment gained from the inclusion of some women in motorcycling sports which is played mainly by men. On the other hand, the study of Schouten and McAlexander goes into the culture of consumerism and an analysis was done on how it brings about the change in the society and behaviors of people especially for bikers. The last study was about the discrimination, stereotyping and societal imaging of what women should be and those effects upon the development of young girls. Other sources that will be used for the study are Older Women, Liberation and Lifestyles: Self-Care and Other Care, Depicting outlaw motorcycle club women using anchored and unanchored research methodologies, and Brand Morphing: Implications for Advertising Theory and Prac tice. Method The study was done by looking at the previous studies from background, methods to results, analysis and conclusion. It did not utilize primary sources and did not have any actual experimentation and first-hand data gathering as it relied purely on the theories and results laid down by the previous studies and reports. It made use of the six journal articles mentioned in the background section of the paper. Each source had its own contribution

Dimming the sun is not alarmist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dimming the sun is not alarmist - Essay Example The decline in the solar energy produces catastrophic affects like decrease in the evaporation that affect the formation of clouds and effecting the rain cycles of a region. However, in this research, I will discuss although the affects of the phenomenon named as the â€Å"global dimming† are catastrophic but the phenomenon is helping in maintaining the global temperatures of the world. Like the increase in the global warming verses increases in the global dimming. Scientific Data and Reasons The documentary regarding the global dimming seems to be not such that alarming as the effects of the global dimming are not as disastrous as other phenomenon like the global warming. The cause that made the issue of global dimming is the diffusion of the carbon, sulphur and nitrogenous particles to the region of lower concentration that is environment from the region of higher concentration, like the chemical and other factories, vehicles, and power generation systems. The aerosol partic les are much lighter in weight and remain suspended in the air. These aerosol particles block the solar radiation by acting as mirrors, reflecting the solar radiation back to the outer space. ... The particles in combination with the water particles act as a mirrors, reflecting the solar radiations back to the space (Ackerman et al., 1993). Before the discovery of the global dimming phenomenon, global warming was the major issue that impacted the average temperature of the world. An increase of about 0.6 to 0.8 degrees on the Celsius scale was recorded during the past decade. However, global dimming attracted many scientists all over the world. If the actions are taken to minimize the global dimming, then the amount of solar radiation received by the sun increases and thus the green house effect increases due to the increase in the atmospheric carbon-dioxide. That consequently increases the temperature of the world to a remarkable level. Scientific Data Collection and Reduction in Solar radiations Global Energy Balance Archive (GEBA) is the most reliable sources, which is maintained by the World Radiation Data Center (Gilgen et al., 1998) that can be utilized to observe the r adiation level all over the world. According to the observations by the GEBA, the regions with more industrial zones and more number of vehicles and with excessive population are the major contributors in increasing the global dimming as well as global warming as compared to the low populated countries. According to the observations, an average decline of about 4% in the solar radiations is noted in the past three decades to 1990s all around the world. However, after 1990s a major reduction in the solar radiations is noted industrial revolution, increase in the need for power and increase in the number of vehicles all around the world (Liepert 2002). There is more reduction in the solar

African mask cultures Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

African mask cultures - Research Paper Example In Africa masks can be traced back to well past Paleolithic times. These art objects were, and are still made of various materials, included are leather, metal, fabric and various types of wood. African masks are considered amongst the finest creations in the art world and are highly sought after by art collectors. d) Ancestry has more influence in African culture than in any other culture. They honor their ancestors in all possible means because of their belief that ancestors can do many things in their life. Masks are recognized as the symbol of communication between an ancestor spirit and a human. Masks are also associated with celebrations, crop harvesting traditions, war preparations, peace and trouble times, rituals and customs of many of the African cultures. Because of the differences in belief, the meaning of mask wearing is different among different cultures in Africa. Ritual dances are common among many of the African cultures, and masks are important in all such ritual da nces. Each mask represents a particular spirit. It is believed by the African people that a person wearing a particular mask loses his identity temporarily and becomes the spirit represented by the mask itself. Even though mask wearing is mainly seen in African countries, the influence of African mask wearing custom has been spread to some other regions as well. Cubism, fauvism, and expressionism are some of the artistic movements which used the themes of African mask culture effectively. Moreover, in American and European art cultures also, the influence of African mask culture is visible. This paper briefly analyses the African mask cultures. (Pictures / photos / images of some MASKS and headdresses, 2010) â€Å"Ritual ceremonies generally depict deities, spirits of ancestors, mythological beings, good and or evil, the dead, animal spirits, and other beings believed to have power over humanity†(African Masks History and Meaning, n. d). Perhaps, Africa is the worst affected region in this world as far as beliefs in superstitions are concerned. Even after huge advancements in science and technologies, many of the Africans have still many superstitions. They do believe that the spirit of their ancestors or and even the spirit of the animals can influence their life very much. They are of the view that their life is shaped by these spirits and it is their duty to respect, recognize and worship these spirits to lead their lives in prosperity. Masks of ancestors are often considered as the most valuable thing in a family and they keep it as a monument. During the mask ceremony the dancer goes into deep trance, and during this state of mind he "communicate" with his ancestors. A wise man or translator sometimes accompanies the wearer of the mask during the ritual. The dancer brings forth messages of wisdom from his ancestors. Often the messages are grunted utterances and the translator will accurately decipher the meaning of the message. Rituals and ceremoni es are always accompanied with song, dance and music, played with traditional African musical instruments (African Masks History and Meaning, n. d). Ritual dances performed with the help of masks are often believed as the occasion to communicate with the ancestors. The dancer who wears the mask of a particular ancestor claims that he is able to communicate with the spirit represented by the mask. He may speak lot of things at the time of dance which may be perceived as the messages of that particular spirit to African community. The dancer mostly speaks in different languages which may not be understandable to

Writing Assignment One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Assignment One - Essay Example This is because numerous people then cited the result of that occurrence was due to the state’s laxity of not ensuring tight laws meant to limit manufacture, importation and selling of 150 military-style weapons (Bowman, 2013). Therefore, this incidence could not have occurred if the current tight laws were in place because some prohibit the access of firearms by a third party (Bowman, 2013). The number of people killed in Connecticut’s school incidence could not have totaled more than 20 people, if Lanza used lesser capacity magazine weapons. Since, the current gun Legislations would have limited both the type and magazines’ high capacities, which citizens ought to possess. For instance, the current Legislations upon their implementation, would have shunned possession of 150 military-style guns by the citizens, which Lanza used to unleash terror on the innocent people (Bowman, 2013). According to the incidence’s investigators, Lanza was capable of termina ting lives of twenty plus people within an extremely short period due to his powerful assault weapons. Besides, the current legislation could have helped shun Connecticut’s shooting due to the increase of constant security patrol in education institutions (The white House, 2013).

Midterm ONE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Midterm ONE - Essay Example However, in 1609 there was some reorganization in the area and the London Company became the Virginia Company. This year also heralded the arrival of Lord De La Warr as the first governor, and the subsequent establishment of strong work ethics (Brinkley, 33). 1612 saw a man named John Rolfe begin to grow tobacco in Virginia, something which turned out to be very profitable for the area and began the expansion of the colony. Additionally, 1619 saw the area gain the first slaves from Africa, as well as the growth in population from women and children, which allowed the culture to begin to thrive. The Virginia colony was also important for providing a model for U.S. government which we still use today, with 1650 seeing the meetings of elected representatives splitting into two chambers as seen in congress today. The later part of the 17th century saw Bacon’s Rebellion, which was essentially a revolt against the governor of Virginia by Nathanial Bacon. The main reason for the upri sing was that the people of the Virginia colony were upset that the governor was ignoring pleas for a stronger military presence in the area (Brinkley, 35). Although seeing some minor success, Bacon died before progress was made with the revolution, but this did sow some seeds for a Revolution before the Revolution. ... South Carolina had strong links with the overpopulated Barbados, which had already begun to embrace slavery. The links with the Caribbean and the interest in the economics of slavery in this region are crucial to understanding the build-up to the Revolution. The colony in New England (Massachusetts) began to grow in the early 17th century with the arrival of pilgrims (who were separatists from the Anglican church) left Holland and boarded the Mayflower to settle in Virginia. However, the boat did not arrive in the Hudson River as planned but ended up in Cape Cod, where they landed outside the London Company’s territory. They found some land that had been cleared due to some Native Americans dying of disease and the local residents helped them to found their own colony. William Bradford was elected governor and sought legal permission to found the colony. More people began to arrive who did not agree with the religious tenets of the area but came because of fertile land (Brinkl ey, 45). In 1664 Charles II gave his brother James territory between Connecticut and the Delaware river, some of which had already been claimed by the Dutch (Brinkley, 28). One of the major settlements in the area was New Amsterdam, but this soon surrendered and became New York. There were tensions in the area between the Dutch who were considered â€Å"patrons† and the wealthy English settlers. Pennsylvania was founded because dissenting English religious group founded by George Fox wanted to find a place for religion and a distinctive social order. Quakers, back in England, had suffered persecution and looked to America to provide a tolerant new land to live in. Pennsylvania had good relations with the Native Americans and always paid

Marketing-Defining a Communication Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing-Defining a Communication Plan - Essay Example Graves Enterprises is doing well in its business activities in the market while it has been focusing attention on business expansion and develop a new customer base for their for their consumer products. However its business operations in particular require the company to adopt far reaching changes to the existing communication strategy and its orientation. Any communication strategy must have a customer retention focus that will ultimately produce the desired results. While this would effectively address the concerns raised by the consumer marketing director, there would be a greater degree of structural changes in communication within and without the organization (Zambardino, 2003). 47% of customers being retained would have a positive impact on revenue and profit related outcomes of the company. However $ 2 per unit in gross profit means nothing in the absence of the breakeven figures. The company may have lot of financial commitments by way of sales cost and therefore the net profit margin can be considerably reduce if the 47% customer retention plan fails. Thus the advertising campaign must be not only focused on the core customer base but also be extended to include the peripheral customer whose retention matters in the long term. As the Marketing Director commercial products suggests the current cash cows of the company would be compelled a carry a greater burden if the slow growth market tend to cash unexpectedly. The company might have a lot of problem children and dogs and as a result there might be a few cash cows and stars. Assuming the communication strategy as based on advertising works out successfully, the net return on the investment must be proportionately higher (Percy, 2008). In other words per unit advertising cost must be much less to support cash cows to move in to sustainable long term profitable stars. Thus the marketing communication plan of the company must be based on a proper alignment of the Boston Matrix with the

Anti-globalization arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 6

Anti-globalization arguments - Essay Example Also, how the proponents of globalization have responded to these criticisms has been discussed in the analysis. The report also includes a discussion of the ways in which the supporters of globalization have presented their views to negate the anti globalization arguments. The report is concluded by summarizing the findings and presenting a derived view of the topic. Globalization is a dynamic aspect which includes wide varieties of dimensions like economic dimensions, social dimensions, political dimensions, cultural dimensions, environmental and security dimensions and so on (Goldin and Reinert, 2006). The advent of the globalization era has changed the way corporations across the world function and has also had metamorphic effects on the way the global industries function. The access to international markets and global production capabilities offer the companies with extraordinary scopes of expanding their businesses and ensuring continued growth and profitability. Also, globaliz ation acts as a powerful catalyst in the stimulation of innovations and technological advancements in different sectors (Hoekman and Nicita, 2011). However, there is no doubt regarding the fact that that function on an international platform face complex and inherent challenges associated with the conducting of business in compliant and ethical ways that meet the distinct high standards as set by the constituencies. The access to international markets and global production capabilities offer the companies with extraordinary scopes of expanding their businesses and ensuring continued growth and profitability. Also, globalization acts as a powerful catalyst in the stimulation of innovations and technological advancements in different sectors (Hoekman and Nicita, 2011).  

Global Communications Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Global Communications - Case Study Example Information provided by Wall Street shows that there are issues in the telecommunications industry. This industry is becoming more competitive as newer companies such as cable companies enter into the market. This has brought a challenge to the existing industry leaders to find new ways to keep one step ahead of the new competition coming in. Global Communications is one company that is feeling the heat. Their stock has dropped more than 50% in the last three years, from 28% to 11%. Because of this decline the company is now looking at different ways to cut their costs, advance their technology and their expansion opportunities. The company's leadership team has created a strategic plan they feel will bring Global Communications back to the front line of the industry. They have ideas of some new products for their customers and some services that would put them on the global telecommunication map. Their plan also has cost saving opportunities to permit these ideas without impacting the company's bottom line and they will also improve the company's profitability. The plan has been presented to the Board of Directors and they approved the plan. Now the leadership team has to put the plan into action quickly to prevent the company from losing any more profits. There are several issues that Global Communications need to review before they begin to impl... Second, job and salary issues that will affect the employees when strategic plan goes into place. Another issue will be language barriers due to outsourcing to India and Ireland. The complete explanations of the company's issues are outlined on Table 1. There are also opportunities that Global Communications should focus on when implementing their strategic plan. The first opportunity is to look at the communication gaps that they have between themselves, the employees and the union. The second opportunity they need to focus on is exploring different employee retention programs as well as compensation programs. Lastly, they need to analysis their unit cost savings and expected profits by outsourcing their technical call center. The complete explanations of the company's opportunities are outlined on Table 1. Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas The definition of a stakeholder is one who has a share or interest in an enterprise. Stakeholders in a company may include shareholders, directors, management, suppliers, government, employees and the community (free dictionary, 2006). Using this definition any individuals that have any type of connection with Global Communication whether they are employees, stockholders, customers, suppliers are stakeholders. These individuals could play a part of the role in implementing the company's strategic plan. The ethical dilemmas that Global Communication could face are listed on Table 2. Frame the "Right" Problem The problem statement for Global Communications so far is: Global Communication will become the world's most respected leader in the telecommunications industry by providing extraordinary customer service globally and the best

Maya Angelou Essay Example for Free

Maya Angelou Essay In Maya Angelou autobiography I know why the caged bird sings many themes and issues are looked at. This autobiography shows the difficulty of a black woman growing up surrounded by discrimination and poverty, but also shows her determination, joy and hope. Maya Angelou describes her relationship with many character, this in it self is a theme of her writing, the way she sees people in her own light. Some characters that may be seen to be good people are changed by Mayas opinion. A good example of this is the contrast between Mayas mother and Mayas fathers girlfriend. If both these characters were described, the fathers girlfriend maybe considers the better person. This is not the case after reading this book, as Maya has a way of making the reader see these characters as she sees them. After the separation of Maya Angelous parents she and her brother Bailey were sent away to live with her grandmother when Maya was only three. This must have been a terrible experience for a young child to go through, which some may think would have left Maya with resentment towards her mother. In fact this was quite the opposite. When Maya meet her mother again after she left her, Maya discarded the fact that she sent her away. She describes how as soon as she saw her mother, the nights she spent crying for her was forgotten. I knew immediately why she had sent me away. She was too beautiful to have children. (Maya Angelou, 1984, P58) This was Mayas way of justifying her mother actions. Even if it maybe considered a bad thing what her mother did, Maya still thought she was wonderful. Later on in this book Mayas mother did another bad thing. She shot someone twice, which again maybe considered a bad thing to do. Since she had intended to shoot him (notice: shoot, not kill) she had no reason to run away, so she shot him a second time. He had been shot, true, but in her fairness she had warned him. (Maya Angelou, 1984, pages 202 and 203) The language used when Maya describes this event show she thinks that this is not a major or bad thing that has happened. Maya again shows her mother as not a bad person even though what she has done is wrong. Mayas mother was also believed to be a prostitute; Maya believes this too but again discards the idea because she knew that if that were true then she wouldnt be able to live with her, which she wanted to. Even though Mayas mother could be considered a bad mother, Maya thinks extremely highly of her. This can be seen from the choice of lexis, Maya uses to describe her mother. Maya always used nice words such as beautiful, warm, glorious. Maya is also enthusiastic when talking about her mother. At one point Maya goes to stay with her father and his girlfriend. Maya believed that being her mother was so beautiful, any woman her father was with after her mother would have been just as beautiful if not more. This was the start of Mayas disappointment when meeting her stepmother. Maya disliked Dolores (her stepmother); you could tell this from the contrast in tones, from the happy tone when see talks about her mother to the dull and spiteful tone used when describing Dolores. If Dolores had been a little less aloof, a little more earthy She was mean and petty and full of pretense. (Maya Angelou, 1984, pages 222 and 223) Dolores theoretically was a good, honest person. She was a good, hardworking wife; she took Maya into her home and treated her well. Even though this, she is still seen as the bad one by the end of this part, from the way Maya talks about her. Maya uses mean words to describe Dolores, and is also sarcastic towards her when talking about her and their home. She was on close terms with her washing machine and ironing board. (Maya Angelou, 1984, P221) This shows one of the sarcastic phases used by Maya Angelou. It also shows that Maya was not the innocent party in her conflict with her stepmother. Maya went out of her way to irritate Dolores and to make her jealous of Maya relationship with her father. Dolores still comes of as the bad one at the end, after an argument with Maya. Maya tries to be nice to Dolores, but Dolores ends up calling Mayas mother a whore. Even though this is possibly true and Maya questions this, she still defends her mother. It is Maya that makes the first attack on Dolores; Maya justifies her behaviour, which leaves her looking the better person. What did she expect if she called my mother a whore? (Maya Angelou, 1984, P239) Another character who has an unexpected outcome is the dentist, Dr Lincoln. At one stage Maya, as a child was in a lot of pain with toothache. At the Maya was living with her grandmother in Stamps. The nearest Negro dentist to them was twenty-five miles away, which was too far for Maya to travel in such pain. As a result Mayas grandmother took her to a dentist near by that owed her a favour. Many would believe a dentist to be a respectable, good, reliable person. This was not the case of Dr Lincoln. He refused to help a child in pain, even though Mayas grandmother stopped him losing his business by lending him money. When speaking to Mayas grandmother, Dr Lincoln was very abrupt and rude to her. He did not even acknowledge Maya, or the fact her face was swollen and she was in pain. Id rather stick my hand in a dogs mouth than in a niggers'(Maya Angelou, 1984, P184) This was the harsh phase that Dr Lincoln used. This also shows discrimination and racism, another major theme in Maya Angelous autobiography. After Dr Lincoln refuses to help, Mayas grandmother follows him in his office. When she later describes what happened she says that Dr Lincoln and the nurse were as thick as thieves. This is a simile used to accentuate Dr Lincoln characteristics. From the way Maya Angelou has written her autobiography I know why the caged bird sings she has managed to successfully express peoples true characters. People that may be considered to have a good character such as Dr Lincoln have been shown for who they really are. This has been done by the choice of lexis and the tones that she has used to create different atmospheres when describing certain characters.

What Is Effective Business Communication Commerce Essay

What Is Effective Business Communication Commerce Essay It is hard to imagine a world without communication. From humans to ants, communication is vital for functioning. Hence its importance in business cannot be undermined. According to Murphy et al it is the life blood of any business (Murphy et al, 2009). Without communication it is very difficult to get your point across or to make a difference. To some the skills of communication come naturally while to others it needs a lot of practice and learning. Luckily effective communication techniques can be mastered if one puts his mind to it. Communication has many realms to it. Though ancient communication gave more importance to written and oral, now days, along with that, non-verbal communication has also gained precedence. With the advent of new technologies frequently, the means to communicate is constantly evolving. This makes it essential to keep up with the pace of change. In todays volatile and highly dynamic work atmosphere to have good communication skill is important to survive and climb the ladder of success. It is essential to understand business communication and its practices thoroughly before venturing on to actual practice. Stages of Communication Effective communication can be divided into a few distinctive stages. These stages are not absolute and can change from one situation to another. Every communication starts with an idea that forms inside the sender. The sender then converts this into a communicable message. This can be either oral or written. This is encoding. The sender then picks a communication channel to deliver the message. The channel used depends on various factors like what is the location of the receiver, is there a requirement for a permanent record or is it casual, what is the size of the audience, how soon should the message reach the receiver, how complex is the message etc (Krizan et al, 2008). The receiver at the other end received the communication. This process can be referred to as decoding. Here listening skills and comprehension plays a very important role. If the communication is unclear it is the duty of the receiver to ask the necessary questions and clarify it. If a response is expected from the receiver by way of a reply or action, the receiver has to carry that out. The sender can explicitly ask for a response if necessary. The response is as important as the initial communication. The message send by the sender and the response of the receiver depends not only on the words and medium used but also on the non-verbal aspects of the process. Verbal Vs Non-Verbal Communication Business communication can be broadly divided in to two verbal and non-verbal. Both forms are highly important to make the communication effective. The way these two are handled could make or break relationships. Non-verbal communication generally refers to eye contact, facial expressions and elements, posture, gestures and tone of voice (Stuart et al, 2007). It can also be stretched to include etiquette. Though many times difficult to understand, non-verbal communication is considered to be of great importance in communication and most times it is given more credence than verbal communication. If the person is saying one thing and his expression and body language another, it is most likely that people will go with the non-verbal aspect of the conversation. This is a very common fact and need to be considered and understood while communicating. Again with non-verbal communication, culture plays an important role. What is considered a gesture of goodwill or an acceptable habit in one country may be considered offensive in another. For example chewing gum in public is considered to be rude by the Dutch while it is a common practice of the Americans. Similarly when Westerners consider staying silent during a meeting as rude and a sign of being ignorant, the Japanese consider it a sign of success and respect (Guffey et al, 2010). Indian and Middle Eastern cultures consider the left hand as unclean where as in Europe and USA this is not the case. The list of cultural differences in non-verbal communication is quite long. It is quite impossible to learn them all. What a successful businessman usually does is to read up and understand these differences before a meeting or a trip to a country outside his own. The importance given to non-verbal communication does not make verbal communication any less important. In a highly technologically savvy world a lot of the communication takes place just verbally through letters, faxes, emails and chats. Hence having a good vocabulary and the good sense to use it properly is very essential. Similarly, cultural differences creep in for verbal communication as well. For example, the Americans generally tend to keep their business letters short and to the point and do not favor the use of poetic language, where as the French use a certain extend of poetic language even in their formal letters (Chaney and Martin, 2007). These differences exist from country to country not only in the style of communication but also in formats of letters, emails and other forms of written communication. A clear understanding of these differences will make it easier to infer the written communication more clearly and accurately. In case of oral communication it is highly a ppreciated by people from other cultures if the person is able to at least greet in their local language. While dealing with other cultures it always helps to speak in short and clear phrases and check back with the person with regard to the level of understanding. But any sort of communications effectiveness also depends on the medium used. Communication Medium Just like words and gestures, the medium used for communication plays an important role in the whole process of making it effective. Before selecting a medium for communication it is essential to figure out the importance of the communication and the extent of its reach. A message that has to go to the whole organization cannot be communicated by a face to face discussion. It needs to be done either by means of a group email or memo or though public address. It is also essential to have a mental picture of the reaction of the receiver from the communication. Some things that are sensitive in nature may need to be communicated by a one on one meeting and not through an email. To communicate to the masses, companies generally rely on advertisements. The medium used can be the new papers, television and radio, door to door, billboards or even flyers. This has to be done after a lot of planning and study or else there is very chance the advertisement will not appeal to the public. It is essential to make sure that it does not contain any material that may be offensive to one class of people or which may be considered immoral in one country. The person carrying the message is also of key importance in mass communication. For example, Madonnas hit number Like a Prayer was used by Pepsi in its commercials which aired during family oriented programs. But when the real video, which was highly graphic came out, Pepsi was threatened with boycott and hence had to yank the commercial (Forbes, 2007). Communication Gone South When there is a discussion about effective communication it is also important to get an inkling about things that has not gone so well due to wrongful communication in the business world. When Nardelli took over as CEO of Home Depot, there was almost immediate demoralization of the employees and which in turn led to consumer dissatisfaction and complaints. This was all caused by his communication style which was commanding and which was not acceptable to the new breed of people. He also managed to infuriate the shareholders with his arrogance (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2007). This is a classic example of poor communication skills causing negativity in the business. An American ad company took down a large billboard which was found offensive by African-Americans due to the message in it (Bloomberg Buisinessweek, 2011). These are just two examples of the effect of bad communication. There are many more that have led to people losing jobs, companies losing market share, employee unrest an d even companies going out of business. It can thus be said that effective communication is the essence of every businesss success. There is a great need to have the skills to communicate successfully and if such a skill is not inherent, it is essential to acquire it. This can be done by having a clear understanding of the steps involved, the medium used and learning to used words and expressions in a very controlled and thoughtful manner. Conquering the business world is much easier with effective communication. Resources Chaney Lillian H and Martin Jeanette S. (2007), Intercultural Business Communication, Pearson Prentice Hall. Guffey Mary Ellen, Rogin Patricia and Rhodes Kathleen (2010), Business Communication Process and Product, Nelson Educations Ltd. Krizan A. C., Merrier Patricia, Logan Joyce P. and Williams Karen Schneiter (2008), Business Communication, Thomson South-Western. Murphy Herta A, Hildebrandt Herbert W and Thomas Jane P (2009), Effective Business Communication Seventh Edition, Tata Mcgraw-Hill. Nussbaum Bruce (2007), Lesson from Home Depots Bob Nardelli Why Command and Control is so Bad, Bloomberg Businessweek, 4th January 2007, Available at http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2007/01/lessons_from_home_depots_bob_nardelliwhy_command_and_control_is_so_bad.html Salazar Christian (2011), Ad Company Pulls NYC Anti-abortion Billboard, Bloomberg Buisnessweek, 25th February 2011, Available at http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9LJK5T01.htm Stuart Bonnye E, Sarow Marilyn S. and Stuart Lawrence (2007), Integrated Business Communication in a Global Market Place, John Wiley Sons Ltd. Trout Jack (2007), Celibrity Endoresements Gone Bad, Forbes, 13th September 2007, Available at http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/12/jack-trout-marketing-celebs-oped-cx_jt_0913trout_slide_19.html

Business Plan For A Child Care Facility Marketing Essay

Business Plan For A Child Care Facility Marketing Essay The ABC Company is a full service child company. It provides child care facility for kids of age three to five. The target of the company will be double income professional parents. Professional parents have been very keen in terms of their childs development and growth in a healthy and learning environment. To attend their children best facilities, they are willing to pay handsome amounts. The ABC company will proved to be a cutting edge in terms of child development, (Smith, 1993) providing services of specialized training staff for toddler development. A low student teacher ratio, coupled with custom designed facility and proposed curriculum ensures high quality service for parents and children. The ABC Company expects to be a profitable service provider by the end of the year and has projected a modest net profit by three years. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/7dae8e980a9f4c97a74c2bb836c3a9bd.png Mission: The ABC company has mission to deliver top level child care services. We strive to provide maximum satisfaction to our customers. In order to prove this statement, everything else will fell into place. The company is passionate enough to meet and exceed customer needs. Objectives: The objectives of the ABC Company for first three years of operation include: In the first seven months, ABC Company will be utilized by at least 35 different families. Provide high quality services that will lead to exceed the customer expectations Increase in number of served clients by 20% each year Development of a profitable and sustained startup business A brief overview of the company: The ABC Company will offer its services of child care for the children with age of Three to Five. The services will be available between 7a.m to 6 p.m. There will be variety of tasks that children will enjoy to learn. Such activities include, large muscle group activities, arts and crafts, socialization, and tasks (Smith, 1993) related to general learning. There will be low teacher student ratio to ensure the delivery of quality services and also meeting the expectations of customers. The company will conduct its services centers in recently purchased home that have been converted to child care services center. Start up summary of business: Start up cost for ABC Company includes: Procurement cost of a four bedroom house. Renovation expenses of house to make some changes in accordance with requirements of child care service center. Office furniture Computer system and printer photo copier and fax machine Chairs Tables T.V room Mats and pillows for sleeping play ground with outdoor games accessories Laundry facilities Toys First Aid box Cleaning supplies Marketing expenses Legal advisors fee Note: *All long term assets are depreciated using long term depreciation method. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/5e06f6f2664d40f3b091b667fa5335ed.png Technological needs: Basically the ABC Company does not need any high technology software. As the main concern is high quality child care services for target group of customers and the services will be provided by highly professional teachers who focus on development and effective learning of the children, basic concepts making and involving the children in innovative and creative activities. Services of company: The ABC Company offers high quality services of child care for kids of age three to five years. Its customized facilities, low teacher student ratio and innovative learning programs give the company competitive advantage. To accommodate the working parents, working hours are larger than usual or normal business working hours. In two income families, both parents are working, children care by reliable mean is major concern. The ABC Company s most appropriate and creative solution for this concern. It serves as virtual parents to children and provides the children with innovative learning tasks. Children are not monitored her but they are engaged ( Lindsay Lindsey, 1987) in creative, innovative and useful learning tasks under close supervision of our highly specialized and trained staff. Summary of Market Analysis: As the company is focused to provide services to child group with age of three to five years, the target market of the company will be two income professional families. These professionals, as common practice, ( Lindsay Lindsey, 1987) are not allowed to carry their children with them at work place; care of their children during their working hours is of great concern for these professionals. The ABC Company provides creative solution and best option for the parents who want to have something more than just babysitting facilities. (Smith 1993) Parents will likely to be interested in selecting the child care facility for their children where they will learn many innovative and useful skills such as, reading, writing, art and crafts and socialization etc. Professional parents are keenly interested in ( Lindsay Lindsey, 1987) growth and development of their children in an innovative manner, and they are more willing to pay for the services. Strategy and implementation summary: Delivery of child care services will be provided in safe and secure environment, keeping children safe and secure to avoid any mishap or hazardous incident for children. The mission of ABC Company is to make the parents feel good as well as make the learning fun and secure for children. Competitive Edge: The competitive edge of ABC Company is complete compliance with legal and regulatory requirements while meeting all appropriate certification and licensing requirements. Moreover, all candidates are passed through process of background screening before hiring. All these unique attributes give the ABC Company a competitive edge. Market segmentation: The target of ABC Company is one explicit group of customers, the two income professionals family from middle and top class. Usually this group of customers has money but not time for their childrens care. They try to outsource this task of child care, the ABC company s most reliable option to consider in this regard. (Helburn Howes, 1996) This group of customers has start teaching their children basic concepts and skills as writing, reading, socialization etc. The ABC Company will continue to develop and polish these skills exactly in accordance with customer expectations. (Helburn Howes, 1996) Professionalism is the basic reason for parents group being more ambitious in terms of their childrens learning and they have enough money to provide sophisticated child care.   Market Analysis pie: Strategy for target market segmentation: Segmented market needs some provision for child care of target group. Census by Labor Department indicates that 29% of children of working parents are cared by day care centers and 50% are cared by relatives. This indicates that there is enough potential in the market specifically in context of our target group who is more concerned about and prefers a structures learning environment for their child. It sounds good to visit relatives with children on weekends or for nights, but a structured environment for learning of child cannot be expected there. Instead, formal institutes like ABC Company with passionate services will be a great choice without any doubt. The American society continues to be a society of people working for long hours a day, they need child care services, and this ultimate need will derive the business for ABC Company. Analysis of service business: The ABC Company has to compete in child care industry. There are companies at all levels from basic baby sitter service companies to child development and learning service companies; making the industry fairly broad and populated. Companies in the concerned industry are providing quality services (Helburn Howes, 1996) during business hours as well as night and evening hours services. Price, quality, and gut feeling drive a lot of parental choices. The secret of success for the ABC Company lies in selection of a specific segment of market with enough potential of success and growth opportunities. Management plan: Person 1, the founder of ABC Company, will be closely monitoring daily operations child care centre. He has earned his Post graduate degree in English from XY University. After completion of education, he has been teaching in India for five years, he got a room on rent there, he was taking care of the land ladys children in exchange of rent of the room. Although it was firs time, he was looking after the children in this way, but it was an interesting experience for him. This experience gave Person 1, to think on new avenues and he was thinking about to start his business of child care when he returned to America. No doubt, it as successful experience with children, that led person 1 to consider this business as his career. To gain more knowledge about the subject, he got masters degree n education program to persue toddler development. After this degree he has earned more confidence about starting a child care business with great chances of success. He purchased a house for this pur pose and converted it into child care facility center. There is some key professionals such as Person2, Person 3 ,4 and 5 has also been hired by Person 1, to carry forward child business activities with expert opinion of these professionals. All of these have masters degree in their respective area of specialization and have great experience in their respective fields. Personnel plan: Staff of ABC Company planned to be consisting of person 1, working full time, playing the role of leader and trainer as well. During first three months, two teachers, two assistants and one person for general health, who will help out with custodial, cooking, and laundry tasks. By month seven, two more assistants will be hired. Personnel Plan Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Matt $24,000 $30,000 $36,000 Teacher $30,000 $36,000 $36,000 Teacher $30,000 $36,000 $36,000 Teaching assistant $20,000 $24,000 $24,000 Teaching assistant $20,000 $24,000 $24,000 General help person $15,000 $18,000 $18,000 Teaching assistant $12,000 $24,000 $24,000 Teaching assistant $12,000 $24,000 $24,000 Total People 8 8 8 Total Payroll $163,000 $216,000 $222,000 Financial plan: General Assumptions: General Assumptions Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Plan Month 1 2 3 Current Interest Rate 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% Long-term Interest Rate 10.00% 10.00% 10.00% Tax Rate 25.42% 25.00% 25.42% Other 0 0 0 Break-even Analysis The Break-even Analysis indicates  what is needed in monthly revenue to break even. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/f07614e9e57840458f6e683d2759c018.png Break-even Analysis: Monthly Revenue Break-even $18,669 Assumptions: Average Percent Variable Cost 2% Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost $18,296 Projected Profit and Loss The following table will indicate projected profit and loss. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/6867c3b9b3a14652b2e1fe171856300a.png Projected Cash Flow: The following chart and table will indicate projected cash flow. http://www.bplans.com/child_care_business_plan/images/dbee2235438e45678f4ebf4f761411d9.png PresidentOrganizational chart Vice President Teacher Teacher Assistant Assistant Management Team Gap: Although all the members are highly professional and experienced, they have excellent skills to make sure the successful journey of business. There is not gap exist at the side of management of child care service center of ABC company. At the lower level, assistants are the people who need guidance to work efficiently, but under the supervision of our experts, they will soon become able to deliver their services in efficient manner.

Be Warned and Study Justice:The Shifting Definition of Justice in Virgi

Be Warned and Study Justice:The Shifting Definition of Justice in Virgil’s Aeneid A twenty-first century reading of the Iliad and the Odyssey will highlight a seeming lack of justice: hundreds of men die because of an adulteress, the most honorable characters are killed, the cowards survive, and everyone eventually goes to hell. Due to the difference in the time period, culture, prominent religions and values, the modern idea of justice is much different than that of Greece around 750 B.C. The idea of justice in Virgil’s the Aeneid is easier for us to recognize. As in our own culture, â€Å"justice† in the epic is based on a system of punishment for wrongs and rewards for honorable acts. Time and time again, Virgil provides his readers with examples of justice in the lives of his characters. Interestingly, the meaning of justice in the Aeneid transforms when applied to Fate and the actions of the gods. Unlike our modern (American) idea of blind, immutable Justice, the meanings and effects of justice shift, depending on whether its subject is mo rtal or immortal. Before discussing justice in the epic, it is important to establish the meaning of the term. For our present purpose, justice will specifically apply to the social system of moral checks and balances. Acts that are valued in society are rewarded materially or emotionally. Acts that are devalued lead to punishment. Also, recipients of unmerited punishment receive compensation for their injuries. Often, a person is seen as the embodiment of the value of their action, thus a person can be seen as â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad,† and the consequences of justice that affect them are based on the general value of their general actions. The value given to actions is based on a soc... ...are confronted with the question of moral absolutes, we are forced to wonder when and to whom justice truly applies. Hopefully, we will look at our world and our ideas of right, wrong and retribution in different ways, ways that will enlighten and enrich our lives, and the those of the an audience of readers 2,000 years from now. Works Cited Braund, Susanna Morton. â€Å"Virgil and the Cosmos: Religious and Philosophical Ideas.† The Cambridge Companion to Virgil. Charles Martindale, ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997. 204-221. Solmsen, Friedrich. â€Å"The World of the Dead in Book 6 of the Aeneid.† Oxford Readings in Vergil’s Aeneid. S. J. Harrison, ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1990. 208-223. Virgil. The Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Vintage Books, 1983. Williams, Gordon. Technique and Ideas in the Aeneid. New Haven, Ct: Yale UP, 1983.

Energy Consumption Essay -- Renewable Energy Essays Papers

Energy Consumption Continuing expansion of the world population results in increasing demands for energy to support human existence. I will concentrate on countries that use a lot of energy from fossil fuels, as well as examine countries that are increasingly becoming dependent on alternative forms of energy, such as nuclear energy and hydroelectricity, and others including geothermal and solar energy. The fossil fuels I am going to examine are coal, natural gas, and oil. Within the sector of oil, I will specifically show the demand for petroleum imports. I will also concentrate on renewable energies, such as nuclear energy, hydroelectricity, geothermal, and solar energy consumption. Some forms of energy are rapidly depleting, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, and if countries do not increasingly diversify their reliance upon fossil fuels, there will be economic tragedies in the near future. Recognizing this problem, countries around the world are relying more and more on renewable energies, not only for the economic benefits, but also for the environmental benefits which resul t in healthier living conditions for all human beings. Coal is a fossil fuel that poses serious threats to our environment, including greenhouse gases, acid rain, and air pollutants. It has the lowest consumption rate among all fossil fuels. Among all countries, Japan had the highest consumption rate of over 150 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mt’s). This country accounts for one forth of the world’s total coal imports, which reached 659 Mt’s (Key World Energy). Countries need to focus on alternative renewable sources of energy so they can become more self reliant. This is important because economies are so susceptible to price fluctuations, an... ...asteful way most of us use energy. So, if you want to do something personally to save the planet, think about what kind of car you own and how you use it. Works Cited 1. Academic. OFFSTATS. 22 January 2004. Key World Energy Statistics 2003. 2. Academic. OFFSTATS. 31 January 2004. International Renewables Information. 3. Academic. OFFSTATS. 31 January 2004. Statistical Review of World Energy 2003. 4. â€Å"Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent.† 1 February 2004. 5. â€Å"Petroleum Products.† 1 Frebraury 2004. 6. Renewables in Global Energy Supply. 22 January 2004.

The Effect of Telecommunications Technology on our Work and Play :: Technology Impact Technological Essays

Cell phones have changed the atmosphere of our workplaces, making them more escapable physically, yet at the same time making them less escapable mentally. Enhanced with other phone services such as caller ID, call forwarding, and answering machines they have created whole new sets of contacting games between employee's and their co-workers. They have made our roads more dangerous, yet having them in our cars has made it easier to call a tow truck when you're stranded, or to call a radio station to report gridlock. The same person that uses their phone in line at the store to get the advantage over the unreachable employee to gain status at the office, also loses status in the community due to the snickering behind them in line. The recent telecommunications improvements provide an opportunity for the appealing psuedo-self-employed aspects of telecommuting. For parents, cell phones have eliminated the excuses of the late night returning child when asked 'Why didn't you call?" Cell ph ones have obviously intruded into our lives in more ways than we even realize at first glimpse, while making a great deal of things we do much easier. In this paper I will attempt to expand on how these changing relationships effect our always stressed out society. Wireless Communications is in the grand scheme of technological development, a rather recent event. But the quickness to which the market of cellular phones has expanded shows that some people have definitely embraced it as a positive. The graph on the following page shows the rapidity of America's love affair with the cell phone. Radio Telephone technology started in 1977 when Motorola, American Radio Telephone, and AT&T were licensed by the FCC to develop a high capacity radio telephone system for shortwave radio bands. In 1978 AT&T began the first radio telephone system test operations in Chicago. The Japenese inaugurated the first commercial cellular telephone system in Tokyo in 1979. In the United States, the Federal Communications commission authorized commercial cell phones in 1982 and the first system was set up by Ameritech in Chicago the following year. AT&T and Motorola followed in 1984 with their own systems in New York and Washington D.C.. The amount of customers and potential customers rapidly expanded and by 1990 there were systems in place, or close to being completed in every market in the United States. As the graph shows the early 1990's gave way to an exponential growth in ownership of cell phones especially as the new digital lighter weight phones became available in 1992.

Constructing Your Health Decisions

Constructing Your Health Decisions Technology has overcome the population and few people are aware of various health issues it has caused. By simply sitting in an office behind a computer can cause problem from our backs and eyes to our balance. Office workers are the most at risk, and experts say it is important we monitor our workplace health.This can be avoided by going for a brisk walk at lunch, a stroll around the office every hour, and checking our posture by standing with your heels and back against the wall and seeing how far back you have to move your head until it touches the wall too. Also the television is one of the most popular forms of media all over the world. It can enhance ones appearance to have the viewer intrigued and question themselves like â€Å"why can't I look like that†. Instead of getting up and going for a walk or hanging out with friends, television, has us caught up in our homes.Another major media downfall that influences one's health is the int ernet. Let's say I have symptoms of a common cold for weeks that does not go away, I can type in my symptoms on the internet and various options will come out. Now I can assume I have a major medical issue without even consulting with a doctor. A person has the responsibility of enhancing their health by choosing healthier foods and exercising more. They can choose to not be influenced by the media. Also by doing activities that Improve our self-esteem can lustily how we will portray ourselves to the world.

Importance of Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal Communication Effective interpersonal communication helps us express ourselves and share our thoughts and opinions with the people around us. Learn how this effects different areas of our lives, especially in our workplaces. Ads by Google Happy Marriage Secrets    Want to Fireproof Your Marriage? Do Marriage God’s Way   BiblicalCounselingInsights. com Enlarge ImageTo effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. ~ Anthony RobbinsInterpersonal communication is the process that helps us express our feelings, ideas, and thoughts and share them with the people around us. Efficient interpersonal communication is a very good quality that helps people in every aspect of life be it personal or professional. It is the process where a person expresses his thoughts, converts the thoughts into a well designed message and sends the message across a communication channel (oral, visual, written, etc) and the receiver receives the message and responds to the message and sends his reply via the communication channel.Interpersonal communication can be a formal dialog between two people at a workplace, or even an informal tete-a-tete between two friends. Communication can occur with or without words and through a number of communication media. 1. Oral Communication (Speaking face-to-face or on the phone) 2. Written Communication (Writing emails, letters, instant messaging and texting) 3. Visual Communication (Body Language or sign language) Factors that Determine the Efficiency of Communication 1.Clarity of Message: The way in which the sender presents a message plays an instrumental role in the success or failure of the communication process. A message should be formulated taking into account the receiver's frame of mind and simple message formulation that conveys the correct meaning. 2. Communication Channel: Choose the right com munication channel according to the situation and the receiver. For example think whether in a particular situation having a face-to-face conversation would be a better option instead of speaking on the phone, or writing an email. . Rapport between Sender and Receiver: If the sender and the receiver share a common background and have faced similar experiences, it increases the mutual understanding level and hence enhances the outcome of the communication process. The development of rapport will depend on the educational background, social background, family upbringing and the kind of experiences the person has come across. Styles of Interpersonal Communication There are various styles of this form of communication and that we adopt into our lives depending on how we need it. Controlling StyleThe controlling style is actually a style of interpersonal communication wherein the sender leaves little or no room for the receiver to provide feedback or reply. People who are generally senio r in workplace hierarchy use it to communicate with their subordinates and although this style might prove to be an efficient form of communication during crisis situations, it can intimidate the receiver or the audience and can actually create a communication gap. Egalitarian Style The Egalitarian style is much more efficient than the controlling style since it facilitates healthy two-way communication wherein information is shared mutually.This style of communication encourages the participants to express their ideas and hence creates a cooperative and healthy atmosphere. Structuring Style The structuring style is generally used to communicate specific goals and bring coordination to an organization. To avoid making this a one-way conversation it is always better to modify this style and keep it more open to responses from the audience. Dynamic Style This is style is a high-energy approach which involves use of motivating words and phrases to encourage the person to get inspired a nd achieve a certain goal.However this style cannot function when the receiver does not have enough knowledge about the required action desired out of him/her. Relinquishing Style The relinquishing style is highly open for ideas to the extent that it can transfer the responsibility of the communication to the receiver. This style of communication works well when the sender and the receiver are equally interested in carrying the conversation ahead. Withdrawal Style It is ironic to call this process a style of interpersonal communication since the withdrawal style is basically the failure or lack of communication.This is a style is where a person shows complete disinterest to participate in the communication process or carry it forward. By Uttara Manohar Last Updated: 9/30/2011 Ads by Google Knowing your Personality    Most detailed Personality Assessment on the Internet   www. personalitybook. com Leading M-Wallet Platform    TagPay powers mobile money services in over 30 count ries worldwide. www. tagattitude. fr Free Training Materials    Instant Download, Trainer Resources Training Games, Exercises and Tools   www. trainerbubble. om Elite Process Service    Colorado Springs Pueblo Canon City ;amp; All Of Colorado 719. 362. 5556   www. processservicecolorado. com communicating    Wanna guilin tours info? Here it is credit-based, keep improving. www. guilinprivatetours. com Plastic Recycling Line    Plastic Recycling Line High Quality,Low Price,Inquire Now! www. PuRui-China. com Marriage With Foreign Men    Foreign Men Seek African Ladies For Dating ;amp; Marriage. Join Free Today! KenyanCupid. com/Marriage Read more at Buzzle:  http://www. buzzle. com/articles/interpersonal-communication. html Interpersonal Relationships at WorkInterpersonal relationships at work are really important for carrying out the daily processes with effective communication and understanding among employees†¦ Ads by Google Team Coach Training    Certified c oach training in Joburg 19-20 Nov – track to ICF credential   www. enterprisecoach. co. za/ICF-cert A cardinal principle of Total Quality escapes too many managers: you cannot continuously improve interdependent systems and processes until you progressively perfect interdependent, interpersonal relationships. – Stephen R. Covey In today's corporate world, there is a need for work to be done as quickly as possible.And for this purpose, working professionals need to have good relations between each other. Healthy professional relations can be maintained by effective workplace communication and teamwork. Interpersonal relationships gradually develop with good team participation and communication with other members. On the other hand, these relationships may deteriorate when a person leaves the group and stops being in touch. In order to create and maintain these relationships , you need to consider some simple, yet significant aspects. Importance of Interpersonal Relati onships at WorkYou can say that everything at the office depends on good relationships between employees and the management. Interpersonal relationships are absolutely essential, as they help workers to have a mutual understanding between themselves. The main benefit is that they work in a team. And it is a proven fact that if you need to reach a goal or a target in your process, you necessarily have to work together in a team. If there are healthy interpersonal relationships in the team members, they certainly tend to work collectively towards the prescribed goal. Teamwork also contributes a lot to a healthy work environment.Employees feel good to work if there is a favorable environment at the workplace. If employees have a mutual understanding with each other, there are very less chances of any kind of workplace conflicts. It is also been observed that strong interpersonal relationships lead to motivation among employees. Using Interpersonal Skills at Workplace Communication is o ne of the most crucial interpersonal skills to be practiced at the workplace. Without effective interpersonal communication, there will not be a smooth and clear flow of ideas, resulting in confusion.A true professional will always talk to other executives, with looking directly into the eyes. Always smile when you speak with others, in a face to face talk or even on the phone. The smile will make others comfortable and it will also be apparent in the tone while on the phone. While you speak, make sure your tone is humble and not authoritative, even if you are the boss. Consider helping your colleagues a privilege, with always being happy to help. A very effective way of maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships is to appreciate the efforts in front of everyone.Honoring and considering suggestions and views of other members in the team is a very good method of teamwork. When communicating with other executives, it is fine if you add a bit of humor to the scene, just to release the stress and tension involved. Make sure you do not get involved in the blame game. Always ensure that you stick to what you said you will do. Fulfilling commitments is one major aspect that you will have to consider in creating good business relationships. It is a good idea to share what you recently accomplished and found out.This creates a feeling of openness among the team members. One important point to note is that you will only be satisfied with your job if there are healthy interpersonal relationships at work. By Stephen Rampur Published: 7/13/2010 Ads by Google Happy Marriage Secrets    Want to Fireproof Your Marriage? Do Marriage God’s Way   BiblicalCounselingInsights. com How to be a Pilot    Commercial, Private Pilot Training Accredited Pilot and Flight School   EpicFlightAcademy. com Read more at Buzzle:  http://www. buzzle. com/articles/interpersonal-relationships-at-work. html

Christian Aid Essay

Once the Second World War had finished, there was widespread homelessness in continental Europe .In addition to the thousands of refugees; many people had lost their homes and their possessions. So as a result of this, Churches in Britain and Ireland decided to do what they could do help at the time and they set up an organisation called â€Å"Christian Reconstruction in Europe†. Twenty years later the name was changed to â€Å"Christian Aid† and by 1964, the organisation began to focus on aid outside Europe which by then had largely recovered from the War. The aims of the organisation originally were to aid in the re construction of Europe and in the aid of refugees from all over the continent. During the 1960’s Christian Aid joined forces with other relief forces and their aims were to respond to world-wide emergencies and disasters. An emergency committee was set up so that in an emergency situation immediate action could be taken and all the organisations could co-operate to make the best use of their resources by organising a joint repose. During the late 60’s Food shortages and starvation were growing problems and Christian Aid wanted political action to be taken. So the latest aim was to campaign along with the World Development movement which was set up by the Churches and Christian Aid, so they could campaign on the hunger related issues. Their aims changed again over the period of the 80’s, world economic recession developed. The Banks in the rich north were demanding their interest rates from the Less Developed Countries that had received loans in the past. The interest charge that the countries had to pay turned out to be twice as much as the original loan. So Christian Aid began a campaign to persuade bank and governments to reduce or even cancel the debts of the poorer nations. In 1987 the Board of Christian aid adopted a statement by the British Council of Churches entitled To Strengthen the Poor, as a basis for action and reflection. The statement â€Å"Strengthen the Poor† is now Christians Aids basic aim. The majority of Christians Aid is funding comes from us the British public; you can either send a cheque through the post, or phone and make a donation. But Christian Aid is probably best known for its â€Å"Christian Aid week†. For seven days in May, church members from all over the country make door to door collections for the worlds poor. In the financial year of 1997-8, Christian Aid raised over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½37million. Money also come from the UK’s government who then donated 5.4million, the European Union gave à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.8 million, and the Irish government gave 0.57 million. That year Christian Aid spent 76% in improving poorer counties living conditions and health, 11% on campaigning and education, 11% on fundraising and only 2% on administration. This is how the money was spent in the year of 2001-2. In International work on development in poorer countries Christian Aid raised 28.9m, in International work on emergencies such as the refugees in Afghanistan 9.4m was donated to help. A total of 6.5m was spent on Campaigning and education, a further more 8.6m was used on Fundraising and publicity 0.9m was put towards Management and administration, this gave Christian Aid a great total expenditure of 54.3million pounds. At the heart of all of Christian Aids aims, beliefs and thoughts, comes their basic philosophy that peoples lives improve most when they make their own decisions. So they operate in partnership with local people in the belief that the local community best knows its needs and what skills are locally available. Once a group has decided on a community project it can approach Christian Aid. This way Christian Aid can help people strengthen themselves but let them do it them selves so in the future if they have a problem they can deal with it themselves, instead of them having it spoon fed to them. The group will have to provide a description of the work, showing how it can be done, and an estimate of how much will be needed. The Christian Aid project officer for the region will then assess the request and visit the site. Only when local experts have assessed the project in detail does the committee in London decide whether to support it. Christian quotes that † in penitence and hope we commit ourselves to strengthen the poor against injustice†. Another appealing quote is â€Å"we must act strategically to strengthen the arm of the poor until they can stand up to those who so often acted against them and have the power to determine their own development under God†. These two quotes sum up Christian Aids beliefs and aims for me. In conclusion I believe that Christian Aid has been successful in that they the main resource given to the poor is in education and the teaching of self-reliance. Another good aspect of the organisation is that aid is almost immediate to those in need, such as refugees in Iraq today however how far can we say Christian Aid is a complete success because we still have less developed people and countries in the world, Christian Aid alone cannot of itself solve the worlds problems but it can help with them.

Compare and contrast the representation of femininity in Pygmalion and Wide Sargasso Sea

This paper will attempt to compare and contrast the representations of femininity in the novel Wide Sargasso Sea (WSS) and the play Pygmalion. It will investigate any ways in which the works reflect or challenge commonly held social representations of femininity, and will compare and contrast each representation of femininity and then investigate any themes. It will also consider the counterpoint of masculine representation, and lastly the limitations of a comparison between two texts of different disciplines. These two titles were products of very different cultures; Pygmalion was written in 1912 by the thoroughly British Bernard Shaw, a self-proclaimed feminist, while WSS was written in 1966 by Jean Rhys, a Caribbean Creole (like her main characters) who immigrated to England in her teens. These texts were not intended to be textbooks, or represent any views other than the authors, but by comparing these texts we may find how the ideas of femininity have changed in the intervening years. Shaw's feminism might be expected to have influenced his portrayal of the female characters in his work, so the reader should be aware of a possible feminist subtext. WSS is set in the Caribbean of the 1830's, and was written for a primarily English audience. The author might therefore be expected to emphasise or exaggerate certain aspects of the story to increase the dramatic effect of alienation between the reader and the faraway subject and so the depictions may not be entirely accurate. Both of these works manifest stereotypes of passive women and male figures of authority, as might be expected from works set around the Victorian period. Pygmalion reflects these beliefs to a degree, as Eliza is dominated by the male characters, and especially Professor Higgins, during the three acts of the play. Her own father reflects Victorian values in that he feels able to sell her to Higgins, without her knowledge or consent. However, the play challenges these beliefs by having Eliza leave and stand up to Higgins during the last two acts. The play was also rather daring for the day in casting a common flower girl as the heroine, and refusing the play a conventional romantic ending in which the heroine marries the hero. Class and gender are inseparable, as evidenced by Higgins' continued reference to the ‘gutter' Eliza came from. There is also the suggestion that the only thing separating the flower girl from the duchess is their educations. WSS mostly reflects Victorian female stereotypes, as the women are treated by the men as extensions of their property; Annette has to beg her husband for money, and Antoinette is forced to sign all her possessions over when she marries. The few single women are portrayed as being ‘outsiders' in various ways; Christophine is from a different island, and feared because she practices obeah; while Amelie, contemptuous of the white people she serves, is an outsider in their company. There are many different representations of femininity in these works, and I feel the best way the explore femininity in these works will be to analyse the female characters relationships, and will analyse first the ways the femininity of the main characters is represented in each. In Pygmalion, Eliza's femininity is highlighted firstly by her work; she is referred to in the play at first as simply ‘The Flower Girl', and is shown to use her gender to exploit the presumed chivalrous nature of the men; she deceitfully tells Pickering she's ‘short for my lodgings', despite having previously said she could change half a crown. There are also repeated worries that Eliza is or could become a prostitute; Eliza herself recognises this, by her statements that she is ‘a good girl'. After all, at the start of her training Eliza's aim is to work in a flower shop, yet there is no obvious position ready for her, and when her training is complete she feels unable go back to selling flowers on street corners. Antoinette, the main female character in Wide Sargasso Sea, is represented as being somewhat submissive throughout the novel. The first part is told from her point of view, and is characterised by very little reference to her thoughts and feelings; she mostly seems to ‘go with the flow'. For example, when the Coulibri estate is set on fire she barely reacts except to do as she's told, and lets her family deal with it. After this, Antoinette is bullied and teased; she does not retaliate, but instead runs away as soon as she can. Antoinette's vulnerability is the mirror image of the tough, practical Tia and sensible Christophine, which is an example of how femininity is depicted differently between the women of different races. The white figures in the Caribbean are generally depicted as being somewhat out of place and cast off, while the black characters are part of a larger and more naturally-developed community – Antoinette is unable to make any real friends, as the white community has not been able to integrate with the black; whereas the local black settlement is almost able to turn the burning of the Coulibri estate into a village outing. This reflects a theme of ‘belonging', either to a home or in society, and also a loss of that place. For example, Annette is driven (or appears to be) insane after the loss of her family home. The first reference to Antoinette acting insane comes when she loses the sense of belonging to her estate; after her husband sleeps with the servant Amelie, he perceives her as having a ‘crazy laugh'. This sense of loss is analogous to Eliza's loss of identity and social class, as by the end of her training she has effectively lost her previous identity. Eliza's turning point in the story, where she starts to stand up to Higgins, comes just completing her training and winning Higgins' bet. This is the point where she would be starting her new life, and so it makes sense for her to break off from Higgins. Next I will study the various familial relationships between the female characters. I will begin by analysing the representation of motherhood, a strongly represented relationship in both works. The two main characters in each book each come from essentially single-parent families. In WSS, Antoinette is depicted as being rather attention-starved by her mother Annette, which might explain her hunger for affection with her husband later. This seems similar to her husbands' relationship with her father, whom he feels has disinherited him; but he reacts by masking his emotions, and seems to feel a loving relationship is unnatural. Antoinette does not display any real affection of her own towards her family, and never mentions playing with either her mother or her brother. Higgins seems to have had a similar relationship with his mother in Pygmalion, to whom he displays an almost infantile attachment. Eliza's father seems to have dominated her at home, given his references to beating her; A recurring theme in both works is the female characters' dependence on men, and the expectation that the men will provide for them. Eliza is dependent on Professor Higgins for her transformation, and on Colonel Pickering for the money to open her flower shop later on. The women in Wide Sargasso Sea are mostly represented as being somewhat helpless, and there are many examples of the female characters being ‘saved' by men or needing a male presence in their lives: for example, the family is only rescued from poverty when Annette marries Richard Mason, and later on, Antoinette is saved from bullies by her cousin Sandi. So in Pygmalion, the female characters are mostly independent from men, while the opposite is true in WSS. However, So Pygmalion's plot has a more obvious feminist subtext than WSS, which is indicative of the different representations of femininity in the cultures that made these texts. However, the way Higgins treats Eliza is anything but feministic; and Shaw seems to be biased in favour of his male characters; all the best lines seem reserved for Higgins. It could also be argued that the uncaring and abusive nature of the men in WSS demonstrate why Rhys felt it was important to protect the rights of women. However, there are inherent limitations to an interdisciplinary approach such as this. A play is designed to be viewed in a very different way to a novel, and while WSS presents a concrete and defined world, Pygmalion as a play is open to interpretation. There are many different ways of performing the text that could destroy the delicate feminist subtext; for example, at the end of the film My Fair Lady, based on Pygmalion, Eliza quietly returns to Higgins, who asks her to fetch his slippers – the opposite of Shaw's intentions.

Ethics and Wealth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Wealth - Essay Example Those who own wealth do so area under discussion to a communal mortgage, so to speak. And, in the Catholic social tradition, the lien is held by an authority senior than that of any bank. If wealth is produced by contributing with others in the application of advancing knowledge to further the common good, then its creation does not produce scarceness, but profusion. The significant scope here is contribution and instrumentation. The production of wealth ought to support contribution, not prohibiting; profusion, not scarceness. Wealth is a tool, certainly not an end in itself. Its societal conclusion is communal justice and, "communal justice is essentially communal participation--not only access to the distribution of material goods but also to the very process of wealth creation" (Simona Beretta, pp. 137-38). According to Adam Smith the Creation of wealth includes the four factors of production that are land, labor, capital and organization. The ethical part related to land is that whether the land or resources which are owned by the owner is fairy inherited or owned. There shouldn't be illegal act for obtaining the resource for production of wealth. For example people prepare illegal papers to show ownership of the land and claim to be the owner of such land which doesn't belong to them. This is unethical part. Generally la Generally labor is the mental or physical work which is done for the sake of reward. Ethical part in this factor is that the mental or physical work done to create money should be acceptable by the society and its norms and values. For example the burglars do unethical physical work to create or to produce money. Ethically production of wealth includes labors working in restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals etc. Creation of wealth also includes the capital and organization. Capital is the manmade resource which could be used by the organization to produce goods and services. Now ethics has to do much with it. The capital employed to earn profit is the right of every organization but again it should not commit such illegal actions to earn profit which are not tolerated by the society.Reflection on the Catholic tradition on wealth Robert Kennedy, in "Wealth Creation within the Catholic Social Tradition," indicates the past of Catholic philosophy on wealth from its scriptural sources to the present encyclicals. In this institution, wealth is evaluated ethically in light of the human profession. The resources of the earth are destined to please our desires in society and to create genuine profusion, but they can easily divert us from idol and turn out to be a nuisance to both wealthy and deprived. For example the production of such medicines which are off low quality and can affect the health of the consumer. This is not ethical way to produce wealth. It takes us towards materialistic approach and away from God .Organizations should be careful to avoid unethical activities to create wealth. Role of ethics in distribution of wealth: "Wealth is the same as manure. If you pile it all in one place, you burn the plants under

Asian philosphy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Asian philosphy - Article Example Ideally, establishing the distinctions between these two aspects enhances the understanding that one has pertaining to Asian philosophy. First, Advaita Vedanta philosophy humans have souls in them and despite the fact that humans live distinct lives physically; the souls are usually never separate. Advaita Vedanta philosophy is usually a key pillar in the study of Hinduism in temples and determines individual behaviors among individuals. Samkhya on its part, provides a different school of thought pertaining to Asian philosophy, as it maintains more realistic metaphysical perspective in the view of occurrences. It does this by the combination of the teachings and doctrines of the Sankhya philosophy and the physical practice of yoga and its significance to humans. In better understanding of the Sankhya philosophy works to provide the theory behind understanding the metaphysical reality of the world, while Yoga allows practicing individuals to actually apply in use all the internalized aspects pertaining to the philosophical teachings themselves. In summary, Sankhya can be termed as the motive power of the universe upon which the soul

Management info Systems Individual work wk9 Essay

Management info Systems Individual work wk9 - Essay Example This information can be quickly disseminated if the appropriate information-sharing technologies are put in place. These technologies also need support from networks that are capable of global communication (Hossein,2013). Global Information systems are defined in two ways; control and coordination. A control centered global information system is characterized by a centralized data architecture that is used across the organization. This structure is characterized by standard report formats, and the system is designed to track the performance of the organization. The coordination centered global information system is characterized by decentralized data architecture. Each department in the organization has an element of standardization within it and is capable of communicating these standards to other departments. The technologies used support informal communication and the encouraged socialization (Hossein, 2013). There are numerous factors that are crucial to any global information system. These are the operational and strategic requirements. Operational requirements entail the ability of a global information system to provide support for daily activities within the organization. It should also provide consolidated global reporting, ease of communication between the head organization and its branches across the world and management of short –term foreign exchange risks. Strategic requirements entail the ability of the information system to provide support for long-term goals. These include management of long-term foreign exchange risks, global risks, and political risks. The design and execution of global information systems face various obstacles. Lack of standardization across the countries in the world is one major factor. The differences in time zones, language barriers, taxation policies, and language barriers pose an enormous challenge in the development of global information systems. The lack of