Tangent Line to a Function

Finding the tangent line to the graph of a function at a single point can be extremely useful when interpreting the information that the function represents. So first to describe what a tangent line is: A tangent line of a function at one point shows the direction that the function is going at that point (Fig. 1). Theoretically the tangent line is only touching the curve of the function at one single point, or the point of tangency. To find the equation of the tangent line, certain bits of information are required. One of these bits of information required is the slope of the tangent line. To find the slope of the tangent line of a function at a single point, the equation is used, assuming that â€Å"a† is the single point on the equation. The rest of this paper will be used to describe, through graphical methods, why this equation finds the slope of the tangent line. The slope of any linear equation can be described as rise over run, y over x, the output of a function over the input of a function, or the dependent variable over the independent variable. All of these terms mean the same thing: the Y value on a graph over the X value on the graph. If the equation is examined closely, then it is clear that it represents a slope. The equation has the change of two output values, g(x) – g(a), over the change of two input values, x – a. The equation uses the change of an output, and the change of an input because two points on the graph is the minimum amount of information required to create a line. Fig. 2 and Fig. show how the two points on a graph can create an accurate tangent line. Fig. 2 shows that two points on the function can create a secant line with a slope that is approximately close to the slope of the tangent line, but it is not accurate enough. Fig. 3 shows that as the second point, D, on the function moves closer to the original point, C, the slope of the secant line approaches the slope of the tangent line. This movement shows how the slope of the secant line is equal to the equation. All the equation for the slope of the secant line is the change in the Y value over the change of the X value. As point D gets closer to point C, the reason why finding the tangent line has to be a limit equation, and not just the secant line equation, becomes clear. The denominator of the secant slope function makes it so x cannot equal a. If x were to equal a, then the equation would be undefined because the denominator cannot equal 0. So the slope of the tangent line is the limit as D approaches C.

Marketing Explanation Essay

Background of marketing: Starting In the 1920’s it was the production era. A product was thought to be good if it was bought by a customer. Producers could only sell what they could produce. From the 1950’s marketing was shown in a sales era. Customers didn’t buy anything unless they needed it. Communication and persuading customers to buy your good was now stronger then it was so some companies goods were better than others. From the 1960s onwards most markets have become saturated (the size of the market remains the same). This means that there is now intense competition for customers. The sophistication of marketing management has therefore developed into what we now see in a modern marketing department. Marketers are involved at a strategic level within the organisation and therefore inform an organisation about what should be produced, where it should be sold, how much should be charged for it and how it should be communicated to consumers. Modern marketers research markets and consumers. They attempt to understand consumer needs (and potential needs) and allocate organisational resources appropriately to meet these needs. Modern marketers are particularly interested in brands. They are also increasingly interested in ensuring that employees understand marketing, i.e. that everyone within the organisation involves themselves with marketing activities. Started from the 1990’s organisation had to start considering what customers actually want and had to form relationships to create ‘loyal customers’. Function of marketing: â€Å"The function of marketing is to encompass the whole process of deciding which product and services the customer will want and how will they be delivered to the customer†. (Travel & Tourism book 1, Page 112) What are the aims of marketing? * Meet customers’ needs * Know the competition * Manage any threats * Research customers need * Know the market Marketing Mix: The marketing mix describes the key elements that an organisation uses to inform and persuade and meet the customers’ needs using the 4 P’s. The 4 P’s are: * Product * Price * Place * Promotion Product: â€Å"a product is anything that is offered to the marketplace that can satisfy a customer’s perceived need† (Eric Davies, Successful marketing book, 2012, page 78) Price: How much the product is being sold to the customer for? Place: The place of marketing focus of how the product is contributed to the customers and where it is being stored. Promotion: who the product is being sold to (target audience) Marketing Segmentation: marketing segmentation is the way how the target market is divided into different sectors that are a best fit for them. The 4 groups are: * Demographic * Social-economic * Geographical * Psychograph Demographic segmentation: â€Å"Gender, age, income, housing type, and education level are common demographic variables.† (http://www.decisionanalyst.com) Social-economic segmentation: Mainly split you’re through your personality. The main groups are consumer attitudes, values, behaviours, emotions, perceptions, beliefs, and interests. Geographical segmentation: This is based on where you live e.g. post code Psychographic segmentation: â€Å"This is perhaps the most common form of market segmentation, wherein companies segment the market by attacking a restricted geographic area. For example, corporations may choose to market their brands in certain countries, but not in others.† (http://www.decisionanalyst.com) E-marketing: The process of using digital technology to market products and services. Company ethos: Values and beliefs that define the company, normally expressed in vision & mission statements. Virgin Atlantic Mission Statement: â€Å"Safety, security and consistent delivery of the basics are the foundation of everything we do.† â€Å"The success of our three year strategy requires us to build on these foundations by focusing on the business and leisure markets and driving efficiency and effectiveness.† (http://www.virgin-atlantic.com) Ryanair Mission Statement: Ryanair will become Europe’s most profitable lowest cost airline by rolling out our proven ‘low-fare-no-frills’ service in all markets in which we operate, to the benefit of our passengers, people and shareholders. Ryanair’s objective is to firmly establish itself as Europe’s leading low-faresscheduled passenger airline through continued improvements and expandedofferings of its low-fare service.’ Ryanair’s goal is to provide a no frills service with low fares designed to stimulate demand. (http://www.scribd.com) Consumer protection: Rules & legislations that protect customers from many bad problems e.g. fraud, flight delay. There are 3 Main act that cover consumers. They are: * The Consumer Act 1987 * Data Protection Act 1998 * The Unfair In Consumer Contract Regulations 1999 The Consumer Act 1987: An Act to make provision with respect to the liability of persons for damage caused by defective products; to consolidate with amendments the Consumer Safety Act 1978 and the Consumer Safety (Amendment) Act 1986; to make provision with respect to the giving of price indications; to amend Part I of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and sections 31 and 80 of the Explosives Act 1875; to repeal the Trade Descriptions Act 1972 and the Fabrics (Misdescription) Act 1913; and for connected purposes. (http://www.legislation.gov.uk, 15th May 1987) So if there was an item on the plane that says its 69p but its scanned as 80p you have a right to purchase it for 69p. Data Protection Act 1998: The Data Protection Act (DPA) gives individuals the right to know what information is held about them, and provides a framework to ensure that personal information is handled properly. (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk) The Unfair In Consumer Contract Regulations 1999: The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No 2083) (the Regulations) recognize that, in many circumstances, consumers have no power or influence over the details of the terms which they are asked to agree to when entering into consumer contracts. The purpose of the Regulations is to set a framework within which firms must work when drawing up their contact terms and conditions, and appoints certain third parties (known as â€Å"Qualifying Bodies†) who are authorized to challenge firms when they think a particular term is unfair. (http://www.cml.org.uk) Standards of practice: The advertising standards authority is an independent body set up to police the rules for advertising, sales, promotion and direct marketing. The system is aiming to protect consumers and maintain the integrity or marketing communications. P.E.S.T: P.E.S.T stands for: * P- political * E- economic * S- sociocultural * T- technological Travel & tourism organisations have to be aware of the external factors that affect or influence their business. Political factors: Some political factors that would affect an organisation are: * Changes of government * Increase in tax * Security law Economical: Some economic factors that would affect an organisation are: * Recession * Exchange rates * Unemployment Socio-cultural: Some socio-cultural factors that would affect an organisation are: * More tourists * Income/trends Technological: Some technological factors that would affect an organisation are: *New technology * Websites * IT References: 1. (www.cim.co.uk) 2. http://www.atkinsmarketingsolutions.com/wp/2011/04/07/dr-philip-kotler-defines-marketing/ Friday, 16 November 2012 3. (Eric Davies, Successful marketing book, 2012, page 8) 4. (Travel & Tourism book 1, Page 112) 5. (Eric Davies, Successful marketing book, 2012, page 78) 6. (http://www.decisionanalyst.com/publ_art/marketsegmentation.dai) 7. (http://www.decisionanalyst.com/publ_art/marketsegmentation.dai) 8. (http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/allaboutus/missionstatement/index.jsp) 9. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/80225985/Marketing-Plan-for-Ryanair) 10. (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/43,15th May 1987) 11. (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/dataprotection/)

Deception Point Page 92

Through the darkness, a staccato burst from the nose of the chopper sent a torrent of bullets chewing across the Goya's fiberglass deck, slashing a line across the stern. Rachel dove for cover too late and felt the searing slash of a bullet graze her arm. She hit the ground hard, then rolled, scrambling to get behind the bulbous transparent dome of the Triton submersible. A thundering of rotors exploded overhead as the chopper swooped past the ship. The noise evaporated with an eerie hiss as the chopper rocketed out over the ocean and began a wide bank for a second pass. Lying trembling on the deck, Rachel held her arm and looked back at Tolland and Corky. Apparently having lunged to cover behind a storage structure, the two men were now staggering to their feet, their eyes scanning the skies in terror. Rachel pulled herself to her knees. The entire world suddenly seemed to be moving in slow motion. Crouched behind the transparent curvature of the Triton sub, Rachel looked in panic toward their only means of escape-the Coast Guard helicopter. Xavia was already climbing into the chopper's cabin, frantically waving for everyone to get aboard. Rachel could see the pilot lunging into the cockpit, wildly throwing switches and levers. The blades began to turn†¦ ever so slowly. Too slowly. Hurry! Rachel felt herself standing now, preparing to run, wondering if she could make it across the deck before the attackers made another pass. Behind her, she heard Corky and Tolland dashing toward her and the waiting helicopter. Yes! Hurry! Then she saw it. A hundred yards out, up in the sky, materializing out of empty darkness, a pencil-thin beam of red light slanted across the night, searching the Goya's deck. Then, finding its mark, the beam came to a stop on the side of the waiting Coast Guard chopper. The image took only an instant to register. In that horrific moment, Rachel felt all the action on the deck of the Goya blur into a collage of shapes and sounds. Tolland and Corky dashing toward her-Xavia motioning wildly in the helicopter-the stark red laser slicing across the night sky. It was too late. Rachel spun back toward Corky and Tolland, who were running full speed now toward the helicopter. She lunged outward into their path, arms outstretched trying to stop them. The collision felt like a train wreck as the three of them crashed to the deck in a tangle of arms and legs. In the distance, a flash of white light appeared. Rachel watched in disbelief and horror as a perfectly straight line of exhaust fire followed the path of the laser beam directly toward the helicopter. When the Hellfire missile slammed into the fuselage, the helicopter exploded apart like a toy. The concussion wave of heat and noise thundered across the deck as flaming shrapnel rained down. The helicopter's flaming skeleton lurched backward on its shattered tail, teetered a moment, and then fell off the back of the ship, crashing into the ocean in a hissing cloud of steam. Rachel closed her eyes, unable to breathe. She could hear the flaming wreckage gurgling and sputtering as it sank, being dragged away from the Goya by the heavy currents. In the chaos, Michael Tolland's voice was yelling. Rachel felt his powerful hands trying to pull her to her feet. But she could not move. The Coast Guard pilot and Xavia are dead. We're next. 111 The weather on the Milne Ice Shelf had settled, and the habisphere was quiet. Even so, NASA administrator Lawrence Ekstrom had not even tried to sleep. He had spent the hours alone, pacing the dome, staring into the extraction pit, running his hands over the grooves in the giant charred rock. Finally, he'd made up his mind. Now he sat at the videophone in the habisphere's PSC tank and looked into the weary eyes of the President of the United States. Zach Herney was wearing a bathrobe and did not look at all amused. Ekstrom knew he would be significantly less amused when he learned what Ekstrom had to tell him. When Ekstrom finished talking, Herney had an uncomfortable look on his face-as if he thought he must still be too asleep to have understood correctly. â€Å"Hold on,† Herney said. â€Å"We must have a bad connection. Did you just tell me that NASA intercepted this meteorite's coordinates from an emergency radio transmission-and then pretended that PODS found the meteorite?† Ekstrom was silent, alone in the dark, willing his body to awake from this nightmare. The silence clearly did not sit well with the President. â€Å"For Christ's sake, Larry, tell me this isn't true!† Ekstrom's mouth went dry. â€Å"The meteorite was found, Mr. President. That is all that's relevant here.† â€Å"I said tell me this is not true!† The hush swelled to a dull roar in Ekstrom's ears. I had to tell him, Ekstrom told himself. It's going to get worse before it gets better. â€Å"Mr. President, the PODS failure was killing you in the polls, sir. When we intercepted a radio transmission that mentioned a large meteorite lodged in the ice, we saw a chance to get back in the fight.† Herney sounded stunned. â€Å"By faking a PODS discovery?† â€Å"PODS was going to be up and running soon, but not soon enough for the election. The polls were slipping, and Sexton was slamming NASA, so†¦ â€Å" â€Å"Are you insane! You lied to me, Larry!† â€Å"The opportunity was staring us in the face, sir. I decided to take it. We intercepted the radio transmission of the Canadian who made the meteorite discovery. He died in a storm. Nobody else knew the meteorite was there. PODS was orbiting in the area. NASA needed a victory. We had the coordinates.† â€Å"Why are you telling me this now?† â€Å"I thought you should know.† â€Å"Do you know what Sexton would do with this information if he found out?† Ekstrom preferred not to think about it. â€Å"He'd tell the world that NASA and the White House lied to the American people! And you know what, he'd be right!† â€Å"You did not lie, sir, I did. And I will step down if-â€Å" â€Å"Larry, you're missing the point. I've tried to run this presidency on truth and decency! Goddamn it! Tonight was clean. Dignified. Now I find out I lied to the world?† â€Å"Only a small lie, sir.† â€Å"There's no such thing, Larry,† Herney said, steaming. Ekstrom felt the tiny room closing in around him. There was so much more to tell the President, but Ekstrom could see it should wait until morning. â€Å"I'm sorry to have woken you, sir. I just thought you should know.† Across town, Sedgewick Sexton took another hit of cognac and paced his apartment with rising irritation. Where the hell is Gabrielle? 112 Gabrielle Ashe sat in the darkness at Senator Sexton's desk and gave his computer a despondent scowl. Invalid Password – Access Denied She had tried several other passwords that seemed likely possibilities, but none had worked. After searching the office for any unlocked drawers or stray clues, Gabrielle had all but given up. She was about to leave when she spotted something odd, shimmering on Sexton's desk calendar. Someone had outlined the date of the election in a red, white, and blue glitter pen. Certainly not the senator. Gabrielle pulled the calendar closer. Emblazoned across the date was a frilly, glittering exclamation: POTUS! Sexton's ebullient secretary had apparently glitterpainted some more positive thinking for him for election day. The acronym POTUS was the U.S. Secret Service's code name for President of the United States. On election day, if all went well, Sexton would become the new POTUS. Preparing to leave, Gabrielle realigned the calendar on his desk and stood up. She paused suddenly, glancing back at the computer screen. Enter Password:_ She looked again at the calendar.

Symbolism in The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King Essay

Symbolism in The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King - Essay Example Mostly fairytales apart from the original story have to tell the other stories as well. The writers of the fairytales use some symbols to take the simple narrative to a higher level where it unravels some cosmic realities. Symbol is something which stands for something else. Generally concrete objects are used as symbols to conceptualize the abstractions. Symbols are born out of the connotative meanings of the words and are used by the skilled writers to highlight the abstract concepts. The novel The Eyes of Dragon, though apparently a fairytale, employs certain symbols and involves archetypal characters like Flagg (the incarnate evil: the offspring of the infernal serpent). The very age of Flagg suggests that he is more than a human character. The timelessness he enjoys makes him a symbolic character. Peter represents the archetypal innocent hero always beguiled by a near one (Thomas). Archetypes are actually the symbols that recur in literary depiction and are the offspring of huma n unconscious. Northrop Frye () and Jung contend that human unconscious has a stock of images or symbols that are shared by all and have some sort of cosmic significance. The symbol of Eyes of the dragon is a stock symbol used traditionally to distinguish between good and evil. Koch (2003) declares that The Symbol of Dragon’s Eye belongs to ancient Germanic tradition. ... It also stands for balance of power, love and wisdom. In King’s novel it relates to the mystery and also acts as the crystal ball through which u can see the see the truth. Thomas sees Flagg poisoning his father through Eyes of dragon. Thomas heeded Flagg's advice not to go often, but he did use the passageway from time to time, and peeked at his father through the glass eyes of Niner-peeked into a world where everything became greeny-gold. Going away later with a pounding headache (as he almost always did), he would think:Your head aches because you were seeing the way dragons must see the world-as if everything was dried out and ready to burn ( King , p. 78). The animals in the Novel (their symbolic significance) The animals in the novel have symbolic significance. The animal kingdom is represented in many instances from dogs to dragons and all of them have symbolic significance. Animals can be divided in to two groups: one belonging to evil and other belonging to good. Anim als related to Flagg are the harbingers of evil and destruction while animal of the good group represent faithfulness. Frisky represents the archetypal guide soothsayer who brings the protagonists to their required destination. According to Michael Peebles (n.d.) animals related to Flagg are the symbols of his evil designs for the kingdom. He means corruption to the Kingdom and the animals are the instruments that bring this corruption. The dragon is on such example and another example is the hawk.† Frisky The dog is the cosmic symbol of faithfulness and in Christianity takes the role of guide. Frisky, with his noble nose helps in locating the exact place where Dennis, son of Brandon has gone to from Peyna’s farmhouse. The Dragon

Discuss the similarities and differences between organisms in the Essay

Discuss the similarities and differences between organisms in the domains Bacteria and Archaea - Essay Example Archaea cell wall does not have a cell membrane and peptidoglycan and utilizes ether-linked lipids compared to an ester-linked lipids used by bacteria (Decker and Hinton, 2013). Archaea flagella developed from type IV pili bacterial while bacterial flagella advanced from type III secretion system. Bacterial flagellum is hollow and appears alike a stalk assembled by subunits that move up freely on the central pore causing a growth on the tip of flagella while, in archaea, flagella subunits grow at the base The reproduction of Archaea is asexual utilizing binary fission process, fragmentation and budding. Bacterial reproduction is asexually through a process binary fission, fragmentation budding, but bacteria show a unique ability by forming spores that enable them remain dormant for many years, characteristics not displayed by Archaea. Growth of bacteria follows three phases, the lag phase where cells adaptation to the environment, log phase where exponential growth happens and stationary phase when depletion of nutrients occur (Szukics, Hackl,and Zechmeister, 2012). Archaea survives in places and environment of extreme and cruel conditions like springs, marshlands, salt lakes, oceans, ruminants gut, and humans. Bacteria are everywhere and found in soil, radioactive waste, hot springs, organic matter, plants and animals bodies. These two microorganisms have a difference in biochemical and genetic ways (Mao, Yannarell, Davis, and Mackie 2013). Szukics, U., Hackl, E., Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S., & Sessitsch, A. (2012). Rapid and dissimilar response of ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria to nitrogen and water amendment in two temperate forest soils.  Microbiological research,  167(2), 103-109. Mao, Y., Yannarell, A. C., Davis, S. C., & Mackie, R. I. (2013). Impact of different bioenergy crops on N†cycling bacterial and archaeal communities in soil.  Environmental microbiology,  15(3),

International Trade Debate Part II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Trade Debate Part II - Essay Example 1. While lower-end production jobs have been lost to 3rd world countries, increased use of automation and component-based manufacturing have resulted in an increase of high-paying manufacturing jobs in the US. 4. This increases the employability of Americans, opening up opportunities not just within the US, but overseas too. More Native Americans have migrated out of US in the past 20 years than ever before in history. 1. What is called as outsourcing and off shoring is nothing but one way of implementing balance of trade. The US has more bargaining ability than any other country in the global economy, and any loss of jobs to outside of US would have been offset by a host of other commercial and economic benefits, which are not always visible. 2. Migrants bring high-end skills and specialization to the American economy thereby helping it to maintain its sovereign status. A typical example is the Information Technology industry which employs thousands of migrants, but the largest consumer of which is American industry, which has moved up the value chain, through more automation. 4. Stronger 3rd world economies directly results in lesser migration of low-skilled workers from other countries, and hence less crime, lower unemployment rates and less Government spending on social security. In the long run, Globalization and International Trade benefits all

Bearing Capacity of Soils Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bearing Capacity of Soils - Lab Report Example If this is not properly done, then the structures are likely to collapse, resulting in massive catastrophes. Sound engineering principles should be employed in the design of such structures in order to avoid potential loses in human life and property (William Powrie 53).   There are two major types of foundations; shallow and deep. While shallow foundations are located just below the structures they support, deep foundations extend deep into the earth’s crust. Shallow foundations are thus also called footings or mats, whereas deep foundations can also be called piles, or drilled shafts (Braja M. Das 123). The type of foundation used depends on two factors; the size of the structure to be built, and the category of soil on which the structure is to be built. Big structures require bigger foundations than smaller structures. On the other hand, organic soils also require bigger foundations compared to cohesive soils.Problem Description1.  Calculate the required size for a bui lding column footing under a given load.2.  Determine the effect of varying water contents on the compressive strength of the soil.Procedure  The lab was conducted following the following procedure:1.  A test specimen with known percentage of water was selected. The group used soil with 15% water content. This specimen was created by mixing 22.5 grams of water with 127.5 grams of dry clay.2.  The next step involved filling the mold with the soil-water mixture in three equal layers using the tamping device. The top of the first and second layers.

Within the context of project management, critically assess the nature Essay

Within the context of project management, critically assess the nature and importance of value - Essay Example Naturally, such a process necessarily is oftentimes nearly synonymous with leadership. Moreover, effective project management must engender good leadership qualities if it is to champion the quality of inspiration over coercion; choosing to allow for the possibility of trailblazing new ideas rather than merely following a prescriptive playbook of actions based upon needs. Further, effective project management, although prized and likely a commodity that is lacking within the current professional and political world, is not often appreciated within many of the largest multinational corporations throughout the world. This is of course due to the fact that oftentimes management is expected to be carried out utilizing a rather formulaic approach that does not rely upon the leadership capacity or imagination of the individual. However, leadership/project management itself entails a great deal more than mere direction. Corollary parts of trust, belief, and mutual understanding between peop le are necessary components that cannot and should not be diminished. In this way, effective project management seeks to bring about positive value. ... ving into the step-by-step discussion of how the different management theories relate to an interpretation of leadership and project management within the current model, it must be understood that leadership and project management are two distinctly interconnected concepts. Whereas management refers to the actual process of accomplishing tasks, focusing resources, and mitigating risks, leadership engenders a more nuanced and personal understanding of how a given individual can encourage cooperation and respect within the employees/stakeholders in question (Mayer et al., 2012). By much the same token, project management has a number of roles and functions whereas leadership is not judged by easily quantifiable metrics. For instance, project management roles and functions can include, but are not limited to, decision-making, problem-solving, motivation, influencing, negotiating, delegation, and communication (Sharma, 2013). This is not meant to state that leadership does not engender m any of the same requirements. However, leadership is something that should not be understood to exist wholly separate from the management process. Rather, the two, in an ideal interpretation and application, must exist side-by-side as a means of providing the best overall product and experience to all individuals involved within the process (Muethel et al., 2012). In such a way, one of the best means of measuring effective leadership is to seek to engage with effective project management and ensure that these determinants are met first and foremost. Only once effective project management is realized, can true leadership tickets form (Patel, 2012). This is not to state that leadership must follow managerial process and/or theory 100% of the time. Rather, past instances have proven that many

Globalization as understood and explained by corporations Essay

Globalization as understood and explained by corporations - Essay Example This research will begin with the definition of globalization as a global or universal phenomenon of political, economic, cultural and technological exchanges that come up as a result of contemporary communication, legal infrastructure and political willingness to open links across borders to enable international finance and trade. In general terms, it is a term that stands for the close ties between people and states of the world culturally, economically and politically. On the other hand, antiglobolization is a term used to refer to the critics of globalization in ideological aspects. They argue that globalization is a concept invented to favor the elite. In their views factors such as global migration from one country to another have led to increased security lapses. They have also attributed globalization to environmental degradation which has resulted to the sprouting of slums in developing states. According to globalization school of thought critics, globalization has resulted to uneven distribution of the wealthy which in turn has led to selective economic booms globally which is the main cause of informal settlements. To counter One another’s assertions in regard to the merits and demerits of globalization, both the critics and the proponents have fronted several arguments in relation to the economic, political and social aspects of globalization. Aspects of the economy that are majorly associated with globalization include investment, trade, and migration.... They assert that by countries accepting to get into foreign and regional financial schemes, they automatically lose their financial sovereignty and in turn embraces foreign policies may be contrary to the unique needs of its citizens. The other view is that multinational corporations may acquire excessive power in a particular country which may in return compromise the needs of the citizens in general. Proponents perceive that, globalization has played a key role especially in political sphere an argument which has received major backing from globalization nationalists. For example, they have a uniting factor in the view that International institutions such as World Trade Organization have positively influenced political ties among member states. Dividing the two sides in the middle is the issue and the role of technology in globalization. Proponents have identified with the remarkable positive contributions predisposed by technology such as faster access to information and more jobs created such us the online jobs. On the flip side, critics have expressed deep reservations on the security lapses that technology has exposed most countries to as a result of technology .They have also expressed concerns on global moral decadence that has been wide spread as a result of globalization through technology. 2. What explains the very different effects that globalization and world economic recession have had on U.S. households as compared to the effects that globalization and world economic recession have had on individual European households? Currently, America is facing serious economic challenges and possibly the worst recession of all times. Though recession hit almost all parts of the world, the United States is yet to dust itself of from the

Economics Definition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economics Definition - Essay Example The essay "Economics Definition" discusses the definition of economics. Adam Smith defined Economics as the science of wealth. Economists define wealth as one that has â€Å"Value in use† and â€Å"Value in exchange†. Economics is the study of how wants are satisfied and decisions made when faced with limited resources. Modern economics pretty much continues along Smith’s line of analysis: ‘a nation and the people do well when the economy does well, and when the economy is in crisis or doesn't do well, the nation suffers and so do the people as they don't always get the goods and services they need.’ Microeconomics is defined at the level of individual choices. This branch of economics is mainly concerned with the decisions made by individual consumers, households, and firms and how these decisions interact with each other to form the prices of goods and services and the factors of production. This is basically a bottom up approach where looking at t he smaller picture individual's relationship to the economy remains the focus area. Macroeconomics is defined at the level of aggregate results in which we study the national income, employment, interest rates, goods and services produced, total income earned, exchange rates, prices etc. In this study, the national economy is studied and compared with global economics. Macroeconomics can be used to analyze how best to influence policy decisions and goals like economic growth, price stability, full employment and the attainment of a sustainable balance of payments.

Paraphrase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paraphrase - Essay Example One form hijab is the niqab, which cover the whole person and leaves only a small gap intended for the eyes. The aim of this dressing is to maintain social order and familial peace therefore the Islamic religion requires the female Muslims to cover themselves fully especially in their interactions with men whom they are not related to since the Muslim religion considers a woman’s hair as half her overall beauty. There are two types of niqabs that are used by the Muslim women, one is the half niqab, which consist of a headscarf and a face veil, the facial fail veil covers part of the face leaving the eyes and the forehead uncovered. The other type of niqab is the full or Gulf niqab that covers the entire face leaving a very narrow space for the eyes, this type of niqab is common in the Muslim countries especially the Gulf States where it is widely worn. The other type of hijab is the burqa, this veil usually has no space for the eyes and the wearer sees through a special mesh s creen. The veil is part of the Islamic religion especially among the women who are required to wear it always especially when going out of their residences. Since the seventh century, Islam has grown to be a major religion in the world having followers in almost all the countries in the world. As the religion spread across the globe especially in the Middle East, Saharan and the sub-Saharan Africa, central Asia and to other communities and tribes within the Arabian Sea, it adopted the cultures and traditions of those communities regarding the veil while in other instances it influenced the practising of veiling in the communities in the region. However, in the recent past some countries, which are governed by the sharia law such as Iran, have made it mandatory for the women to wear the veil, which they call ‘Chador’ and it covers the entire body. The niqab originated in Greece from the Byzantine Christian world in the Persia, and Muslims, especially in the first century of the religion were not much concerned with the way women dressed and the introduction of the veil came only in the second century. In the first century, the women who were veiled were mainly those in the urban regions and the nomadic and village women were not required to wear the veil. Wearing of veil especially among urban women and women of the higher social classes was considered as a sign that the families the women came from could be able to sustain her. This was based on the interpretation of the quaranic message ‘draw their veils over their bosom’ which was considered to mean that women should cover their breasts with a veil to avoid attracting men with their physical beauty. With the growth of the Islamic religion, a lot of rules were made that curtailed the freedom of women in public, for instance during the period of mamluks in Egypt, strict rules were made that required the women in the country to observe the strict dress code of the veil and not to parti cipate in public activities. Shopkeepers were even urged by the authorities not to carry out any business transactions with women who had not observed the guidelines in wearing of the veil and were requested to turn their backs towards them when such women approached their stores until they left. With time reformers and liberals started opposing

Problem solving Essay Example for Free

Problem solving Essay Presenting a case to a teacher is same as presenting it in front of a jury. You need to have structured and solid arguments to convince the jury (teacher, in your case) and prove your point. If you are an excellent lawyer, you can even convince the jury that your defendant is not guilty even if he is (not ethical, of course). The bottom line is: you need to structure your case analysis. Although every case analysis more or less follows the same pattern; there is a slight variation depending on the nature of the case study. Basically there are two types of case studies: Open-ended and close-ended. Close-ended may have one or more questions at the end of the case for the reader to solve. Open-ended, on the contrast, may not contain any questions but require the reader to derive the problem statement and suggest a solution (thus, open). We will first look at the pattern for the Open-ended case type: Introduction / Overview. Although an optional part, it will give a professional look to your analysis. Overview would contain just 3-4 lines on what the case is about. Example: The case describes the situation of a sales manager Jim Howard whose company’s value statement claims to treat customers with dignity and respect; however, he finds that the exact opposite is being done. He wants to rectify the situation but is prevented by his boss. It basically illustrates how an employee is made helpless by his top management even when he has the power. Summary. Ideally, the summary should be 1/4th of the case. In general terms, it should be limited to one and a half page. The summary should contain very basic details of the case and shouldn’t include quotes and figures. Also, I’ve seen many students copying the exact same sentences from the case. Don’t do it. Trust me, it gives a very bad impression. Rephrase the sentences. SWOT Analysis. In case it’s a case about a company, list down the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company in bullet points. Write complete sentences and not fragment statements. Example: Strengths: 1. SDI produces superior products with a differentiated strategy. 2. SDI is the only company to introduce solar technology in bird feeder. Problem Statement. Every case revolves around a particular problem that a company may be facing. Sometimes, the problem is very explicit but at other times, you need to locate the problem from several causes, symptoms and reasons. There may even be more than one problem; they may come under the Sub-Problems category. However, the main problem would only be one. Example: The biggest problem of ABC Airways is its lack of market research because of which ABC Airways remains aloof of customers’ changing demands; hence, leaving space for its competitors to fill in the gap. In some cases, there is not a problem statement but an Opportunity Statement. Example: ABC Airways needs to decide whether it has to continue its competitive strategy or change its course of action. At the same time, it has an opportunity of expansion into European market. Considering the pros and cons, should it enter this market? Alternatives. Alternatives are mainly the list of possible solutions. You need to suggest at least three alternatives and discuss pros and cons of each; the assessment of which would lead you to choose the best one. Best Alternative. As the name suggests, this would describe the best possible alternative. Here, you would support your solution by reasoning why you’ve chosen this alternative. You can go a step further by explaining how this particular company can achieve its goal or resolve its problem with the help of this alternative. Scared? Don’t be. You already go through all these steps while doing the analysis. The only difference is that we have broken them down into headings so that they look more organized and neat. Plus, this would not only help you organize the information but also give you further ideas that you might miss out if everything was mixed up. Now, we take a look at the format for Close-ended case studies. Don’t worry, this one doesn’t have all those steps. Introduction / Overview. Again optional. Summary: Same as above Questions and Answers. This is the most important step in close-ended case studies. Here is where you need to convince your audience that what you say is right (even if it’s not). Extract evidence for your answers from within the case. But don’t write long paragraphs and DON’T repeat the same thing over and over again. It gives an impression you’re just trying to fill up pages in hope that your teacher doesn’t read it all and assumes what you’ve written must be correct. Wrong! Believe me, they’re far smarter than you! Conclusion. Instead of best alternatives, in the close-type case studies, you need to write the conclusion. It is better to write just a few paragraphs (1-2) in which you can summarize your answer as a total, give your opinion and recommendations. Example: â€Å"The conclusion I have drawn from this case is that one becomes powerless when is under the influence of someone else and is forced to alter his own personal ethical values and beliefs according to the beliefs of the ones having power. Thus, ethics becomes secondary when one is under the power like the CPA in this case. However, there are some exceptions i. e. until and unless one is determined to stay firm on his ethical values, no one can force him to be his puppet. Hence, it depends on the willpower of one’s own self; how strongly he believes in his values and how earnest he is to stay put on them. He may face obstacles in the short-term; however, in long-term, he is bound to get the reward. † 0. 0/60votes Tags: Asma Chang, Case Study, SEO, Solving Case Study, Ultraspectra Case Study. There was nothing more dreadful for me than solving a case study. Honestly, whenever I was handed a case study to solve in a class, my throat would get dry and the words appeared to blur and dance in front of me. I would stare at the first page for a few seconds and quickly count the rest of the pages before reading the first paragraph, gulping as I’d begin. But thanks to my merciless teachers who seemed to love case studies as much as I hated them, I gradually began to overcome this fear. And soon enough, I realized solving a case study is nothing but a simple procedure of steps. If you do them right, viola! Your case is solved. Before I go on to the steps, let me first give you some quick tips on how to begin a case study: 1. Read the case three times. This is at minimum. 2. Every case study has a task for you to do at the end; perhaps some questions to answer or a summary to write. In any case, just read through the whole case without reading the questions for the first time. Don’t stop if you are not getting what the case is about and don’t even expect you’ll get it the first time. Your objective to read the case the 1st time is to only get the gist. 3. Now that you’ve finished reading for the first time, have a look at the questions and read the whole case again – starting from the beginning. Take a pencil and begin underlining what you feel is relevant to your questions. Mark the underlined text with a symbol that you can understand later. For example, say you’ve been asked to do the SWOT Analysis of the case; what you do is put a small S for any line you feel describes the company’s strength. But again, don’t become obsessed with finding the answers to your questions just now. Your objective for reading the case 2nd time is only to understand the problem statement. 4. You see what the problem is and you are ready to solve the answers. Read the third time, this time concentrating on finding solutions to your questions. By now, you will already know to quite an extent where the answer to particular question lies in the case. Hence, your objective for reading the case the 3rd time is to find solutions to your problems given at the end of the case. 5. In case you’re working in groups, make sure you read the case ALONE the first time. In fact, it would be nice to read it alone the second time too and sit with your team to read for the third time. Why am I saying this? Picture this: You’ve begun reading the case with your group fellows for the first time and you’re only at second paragraph. One of your team members, who by the way, is a fast reader, reads the whole case and declares she knows what the problem is in the case: the company didn’t have enough funds! What has she done? She has caused you and everyone else in the team to form an opinion about the case before even finishing it. There are lesser chances now that you’ll think in any other direction; for example, maybe it was the lack of resources which was the major issue in the company. So, always read the case alone the first time when working in a team and save the discussion to be done in group. Up till now, you’ve learned the dos and don’ts of a solving case study. Remember, you still haven’t penned down the case. What you’ve done is that you’ve understood what the case is about and looked for the answers to the questions, if given. Here comes another very important tip: There is never a right or wrong answer in a case study. It all matters on the way you present your case and the supporting arguments you give to defend it. This is the stage where enters your writing skills.

Nigerian Financial System Overview

Nigerian Financial System Overview The Nigerian financial system is made up of two sub sectors; the formal and the informal sub sectors. The formal sub sector comprises of the regulatory bodies, money market, capital market, foreign exchange markets, insurance companies, brokerage firms, deposit money banks (DMBs), development finance and other financial institutions. As at the end of March 2010, there were 24 deposit money banks(DMBs), 5discount houses(DHs), 941 microfinance banks(MFBs), 107 finance companies(FCs), 101 primary mortgage institutions(PMIs), 13 pension fund administrators(PFAs), 5 pension fund custodians(PFCs), 1 stock exchange, 1 commodity exchange, 1621 bureau-de-change operators(BDCs), 690 securities brokerage firms, 5 development finance institutions(DFIs) and 73 insurance companies. The informal sub sector includes self-help groups, financial cooperatives and credit associations. It is imperative to know that there is a weak relationship between the informal sub sector and the formal sub sector (financial stability report, 2010) Discount House Sub Sector Overview: Discount Houses in Nigeria were first established in 1993. They were licensed to commence operations with just three discount houses as players. Their number later increased to five and their foundation can be linked to Great Britain, which is generally regarded as the origin of discount houses. These institutions evolved to provide a link between the banks and the Bank of England by serving as a channel for the interchange of banks funds as well as providing access to the Bank of England as a lender of last resort (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, ) and in like manner discount houses in Nigeria are to act as intermediaries between the Central Bank of Nigeria and other licensed banks in Nigeria in Open Market Operations transactions (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). There are five discount houses in Nigeria wholly owned by consortiums of banks and other financial institutions as allowed in the Discount House guidelines 2004 by the Central Bank of Nigeria. However the maximum permissible equity holding for any single investor in a discount house is 40% (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004).These Discount Houses are named as follows: Associated Discount House Limited (ADHL), Consolidated Discount Limited (CDL), Express Discount House Limited (EDL), First Securities Discount House Limited (FSDH) and Kakawa Discount House Limited (KDHL).They fall under a common umbrella referred to as Nigerian Discount Market Association. They are presently not listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The Discount House sub sector is highly regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria requiring of them their daily, weekly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports showing the state of their affairs. Their daily operational activities include the injection and the withdrawal of funds by the Central bank of Nigeria from the money market through them (Ezirim and Enefaa, 2010) of which they must invest 60% of their deposit liabilities in government securities at any point in time (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). By this a balance is maintained in the economy thereby guarding liquidity. Apart from this function, the discount houses also facilitate the issuance and sale of short term Government securities, provide discount/re-discount facilities for treasury bills, government securities and other eligible financial instruments, accept short-term investments on an intermediary basis from banks and wholesale investors and lastly provide short term financial accommodation to banks (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). Services and Financing of the Discount Houses Discount Houses offer a wide range of financial products to Banks, Non-Bank Financial Institutions and the general public. The main services include: (a) Securities trading which includes buying and selling of: Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, Government Bonds, and Commercial Bills; (b) Accepting short-term investments from banks and providing short-term accommodation to banks; (c) Short-term financial intermediation through the acceptance of funds and simultaneous investment of the funds in: Commercial Papers, Bankers Acceptances, Government Securities; (d) Providing personalized wealth management to high net-worth individuals through a network of investment managers, financial consultants and other specialists; (e) Effective portfolio management on both discretionary and non-discretionary basis through the provision of medium to long term investment management services to: Pension funds, Private clients, Employee Schemes, Trustees of family settlements and charities; and (f) Providi ng Business Solutions in: Financial Arrangement and Management, Mergers and Acquisitions, Privatization, Business Assessment, Business Structuring, and Data Resource and Management (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004) The Sources of funds for discount houses in Nigeria include: (a) Equity Paid- up Capital and Reserves. (b) Call money and short-term borrowings of not more than three years maturity. (C) Call money placed by banks with discount houses shall form part of the specified liquid assets of the respective banks for the purpose of the liquidity ratio requirement. A discount house that is short of funds may: (i) obtain from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) an overnight advance against acceptable collateral. However such an advance shall not exceed 20 percent of the total assets of the discount house and shall not in any event be granted if the discount house has exceeded the borrowing limit as prescribed by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); (ii) sell short-term bills and/or other securities to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) shall provide rediscounting facilities for treasury and other eligible securities; and (iii) enter into Repurchase transactions with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) using eligible securities(Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2008) The Discount House Sub-Sector Environment: The discount house sector is greatly influenced and controlled by environmental forces; global and domestic. The global economic environment shows that the global economic crisis appeared to have eased off in the latter part of 2009 but general optimism is being replaced with pessimism of a double dip recession, as fears grow that governments and policy makers around the world might be forced (due to pressure or mistakes) to remove monetary and fiscal props, too soon. So even though developed economies are gradually beginning to come out of the general recession, the situation is still delicate (First Securities Discount House, 2009). In emerging market economies, growth has been robust but inflationary pressures are strong and on the rise. The negative impact of the political crises in the oil-producing Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region on oil prices and the disruptions and destructions associated with the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have added to uncertainty about the sustainability of global economic recovery and growth%( Central Bank of Nigeria communiquà © No 75, 2011). This has great implications on the discount houses with Nigeria being a developing and emerging economy and the effect of the global crises is strongly felt with a probability of increases in the international interest rate. The domestic economic environment is being characterised by a fluctuating inflation rate which has significant impact on interest and lending rates. It has been a herculean task trying to bring down the inflation rate to a single digit as proposed and rather the rate rose from 11.1% as at March, 2011 to 12.8% in April, 2011(Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 2011). This inflationary rise still has a tendency to heighten further as a result of the general increase in global and food prices. The operating economic environment is full of challenges as there are array of issues. In March 2011, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank increased MPR from 6.5% to 7.5% maintaining interest rate corridor of +/-2% around the MPR. By this, the Standing Lending Facility Rate (rate at which CBN lends to Banks and Discount Houses as bank of last resort) became 9.5% and has remained so. On the other hand, the Standing Deposit Rate (rate at which Banks and Discount Houses place excess funds with the Central Bank of Nigeria) remained at 4 %. Also the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was projected to grow by 7.43 per cent in the first quarter of 2011 making the outlook for 2011 to be generally good, given the expected improvement in the oil economy and the growing emphasis on the development of non-oil sector and key infrastructure (Central Bank of Nigeria communiquà © No 75, 2011). Finally on the political scene, the year 2011 being an election year for Nigeria, there are a lot uncertainties associated with the electoral process and the election results and this could affect the discount house sub sector and the Nigerian economy as a whole and it is projected that the effect of these uncertainties will result in higher exchange rate risks with lower reserves and high spending-currency devaluation possible and that Inflation will remain over 10% with implications for demand, input costs and projects(Resource and Trust Company Limited, 2011). Competitiveness In The Discount House Sub- Sector The discount house sub sector is just a small sector in a large financial sector with just a few players who are almost of equal standing; hence, there is strong competition among the services providers which have led to innovation, efficiency and the upgrade of competitive advantage by the players. The provision of specialised personalised services allowable within the scope of the discount house guidelines. Example is the personal pension plan developed by Consolidated Discount Limited which was created as a way of preparing clients to be less vulnerable to loss of earning capacity after retirement (Consolidated Discount Limited, 2009). Also Associated Discount House Limited in conjunction with the Debt Management Office (DMO) of Nigeria organized an awareness seminar on 12 February, 2009 to enkindle the interest of retail investors both local, international and in the diasporas in Federal Government of Nigeria Bonds (Associated Discount House Limited, 2009). Opportunities In The Discount House Sub- Sector Without gainsaying, there are opportunities in Discount Houses businesses (if not many) which gives them an edge over banks and other specialised banks. As earlier inferred, discount houses are allowed to offer certain unique financial services which puts them almost in the same stand as banks and even much more but they cannot be referred to as banks and one of the reasons is because there is minimum paid up capital imposed on the regular banks which amounts to N25,000,000,000.00(Twenty five billion naira) only at any point in time. For the discount houses sub sector, the minimum paid up capital shall be N1,000,000,000.00(One billion naira) only or as may be prescribed by Central Bank of Nigeria from time to time (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2008). There is a revised Guideline for year 2008 which also relaxes the ownership of Discount Houses to now include non-financial institutions and individuals. This revision provides the opportunity for Discount Houses to grow their capital base to enable them to explore new areas of business and boost their profitability (Kakawa Discount House, 2009). Discount Houses have sizable support from the Central Bank of Nigeria being the lender of last resort facility. Discount Houses are able to offer highly attractive pricing on Treasury Bills and other risk-free government debt instruments because of the significant concessions available to them from the Central Bank of Nigeria Discount Houses are tightly regulated therefore danger signals (if any) are easily detectable. Being specialist institutions, Discount Houses are proactive in managing money market trends to the advantage of their clients. Unlike other deposit taking institutions, the financial assets acquired by Discount Houses are of the finest quality with little or no credit risk (Express Discount House Limited). Threats To The Discount House Sub- Sector Naturally the discount house sub sector is faced with its own threats and challenges as from inception, discount houses operated in an environment that could termed as unusual or abnormal. There was a distress situation in the banking sector which was at its peak and most banks patronized discount houses in order to ensure the safety of their funds, but with the return of orderliness and calm, discount houses patronage by banks reduced. Rather, the interbank and foreign exchange markets seem to have provided more attractive trading options for the banks, to the detriment of the discount houses. Licensing of additional discount houses to make the total number of discount houses 5 proved to be a challenge as it had an adverse effect on the total turnover of the discount house sub sector, following the initial boom from the year of operations of 1993 where total asset stood at N9,600,000,000.00(Nine billion, six hundred million naira) only which dropped significantly to N3,400,000,000.00(Three billion, four hundred million naira) only in 1995 following the entrance of a new entrant into the market. With these happenings, licensing of new discount houses might still impact on the sub-sector further negatively. Their narrow scope of operations has also proven to be a major challenge for the Discount House sub sector being a specialised bank is inhibiting a lot of opportunities for expansion (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, 2010). Finally, from the inception, discount houses had the exclusive right to conduct Open Market Operations transactions (OMO). Open Market Operations (OMO) is an indirect monetary policy technique that is used to control the level of money supply. It involves the sale/purchases of money market instruments in the open market; these instruments being Nigerian treasury bills (Ezirim and Enefaa, 2010). With the Central Bank of Nigeria opening up the window to banks as well, the discount house sub sector lost the sole right of Open market Operations. Conclusion In spite of all the challenges and threats faced by the Discount House sub sector, the Discount Houses are still are very vital part of Nigeria as an emerging economy and just the existing players in the market are not enough to keep a balanced financial sector and the economy as a whole. In the light of the fact that the Central Bank of Nigeria as the major regulator keeps on revisiting and revising the guidelines of the Discount House sub sector, there is hope yet still for growth, expansion, innovation and maximum output which should encourage new players to participate. Part 2 Strategy Overview Strategy is a plan or blueprint of what an organisation intends to achieve and how to go about it. Artto, Kujala, Dietrich and Martinsuo (2008) define strategy as a firms goal to attain a desired position in its competitive external environment. This is in line with Kenneth Andrew (1987) school of thought that views strategy from the corporate angle where he views corporate strategy as the nature of decisions a company takes which reveals its short and long term goals, how it plans to go about achieving these goals and how its outcome will affect all stakeholders and community at large. There is a popular belief that an organization that fails to plan or strategise, plans to fail and Goold (1996) goes on further to share his own view when he says that matured businesses can easily become staid and resistant to change. Usually this behaviour leads them to a decline and the only way it can regain its position is through strategy or change in strategy. This resolve usually involve the p ursuit, accomplishment, and maintenance of competitive advantage in its industry (Varadarajan and Clark cited in Morgana and Strong, 2003). Whittington (2001:10) summarises it all when he says strategy is all about thinking better and thinking differently and claims that a good strategy means doing something different from every other person. But there are pitfalls to strategy as Mintzberg (1994) puts forward the question; is a climate conducive to strategic planning necessarily one conducive to effective strategic thinking and acting? He claims that there are underlying issues which affects the ability of plans to make head way and emphasizes that these issues are neither technical nor analytical but rather human (Abel and Hammond cited in Mintzberg, 1994). But Smith and Reese (1999) argue that as long as there is a fit or alignment between operational elements and business then there should be no pitfalls where he defines fit as the degree to which operational elements match the business strategy. Alternative Approaches to Strategy: Similarities and Differences There are various approaches to strategy but Whittington (2000) classifies strategy into four approaches: the Classical, Evolutionary, Processualist and Systemic. He further analyses each approach as follows: The classical approach sees strategy as a process of rational deliberation, calculation and analysis, intended to achieve long-term benefit and that good planning is what it takes to master internal and external environments. The Evolutionary approach analyses strategy from the point of view that rational long term planning is often irrelevant and that successful strategies only emerge as the process of natural selection. The Processualist approach sees long term planning as basically pointless, but they are not overly pessimistic about the fate of businesses that do not somehow optimize environmental opportunities as they see inability or failure to think up and carry out the perfect strategic plan is hardly going to deliver any serious competitive disadvantage. Finally the Systemic approach to strategy proposes that the objectives and practices of strategy depend on the particular social system in which strategy- making takes place in other words organizations strategic planning is basically influenced and controlled by the social system in which it operates. Meaning the demographic setting of the organizations environment needs to be taken into consideration when strategizing. In analyzing the similarities and differences of these approaches, their style or processes and their end result is paramount. In comparing the classical and evolutionary approaches to strategy, Whittington (2001:2) posits profit maximization as the natural outcome of strategy-making. This he made in reference from the point of view of their end result which is profit or return on capital. These approaches associate profitability with strategy and believe the higher the level of strategy employed, the higher and better the profit generated. This view is shared by (Friedman and Baumol cited in Vining and Meredith, 2000) where they argue that the only appropriate goal or strategy in any organisation is to maximize profit and that any other goal is considered inappropriate. As much the classical and evolutionary approaches are similar in terms of profit maximization being their goal; they differ in style and processes. The classical approach adopts a style of rational planning (Whittington, 2000:11) whereas the evolutionary approach lacks confidence in rational planning where they argue that no matter the level or intensity of strategy, the outcome is usually driven by market dictates and how well a manager is able to perform and that investing in long term strategies can be counter productive (Whittington, 2000: 19). In this instance, the evolutionary approach can be compared with the Processualist approach to strategy in that they also do not believe in rational planning. This view is shared by Peppard 1995, who argues that in a claim to gaining competitive advantage, management develop strategies with seemingly superiority above others which is just a way of them being seen to be doing something and not necessarily hope to achieve anything by their strategies. By this claim, peppard tries to show that rational planning is just an act which is not necessarily relevant to the overall performance of the organisation but it is something that is done for the corporate image. His view is supported by Cyert and March ( cited in Whittington 2000:22) who argue that firms can plan in such a way that major strategy sessions could be cut off and yet still deliver just enough to keep everyone satisfied. Although the processualist approach is similar to the evolutionary approach in terms of processes and style, that where all their similarity ends because in terms of outcome. The Processualist approach can be compared with the systemic approach of strategy whose school of thought sees not only profit maximization but other outcomes as a an end result of strategy (Whittington 2000: 21 27). Werther Jr and Chandler (2005) argue that firms are continuously appraised in terms of both the financial and social benefits that result from their corporate actions or strategies. The systemic approach proposes that firms differ according to the social and economic systems in which they are embedded (Whittington, 2000:27) thereby viewing strategy as being guided and controlled by the environmental forces in which they operate. In the same spirit, the processualist advice against striving after unattainable ideal of rational fluid action, but to accept and work with the world as it is (Whittington, 2000:21). Finally, the systemic approach can be compared with the classical approach in that they both believe in rational planning and do retain faith in the capacity of organizations to plan forward and to act effectively within their environment'(Whittington 2000:26). This view is shared by Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart, (2010) when they opined that strategy is a high-order choice that has profound implications on competitive outcomesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. and strategy should contain provisions against a range of environmental contingencies, whether they take place or not and Stallwood (1996) maintains that strategy is necessary but insists that whatever strategy is used must be appropriate and simple enough for it to become adopted by an organization without necessarily having to change after its initial usage. Conclusion Strategy can be seen as a means of avoiding [perhaps] costly and damaging warfare (University of Leicester, 2009:90) and it is quite clear that all the approaches of strategy have their own benefits even though they are similar and also dissimilar in their own unique ways. Therefore which ever method adopted should be seen to add to an organizations performance and must be duly analysed and deliberated on ensuring it is in alignment with the organizations goals and objectives before adoption.

The Ethics Of Predator Drones Criminology Essay

The Ethics Of Predator Drones Criminology Essay Since its inception in 1995, the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator was initially intended for reconnaissance and forward observation roles, but the September 11 attacks changed that altogether. During February 4, 2002, the CIA deployed the first unmanned, armed Predator drone in an assassination attempt. The strike was to happen in the city of Khost, a province in Afghanistan. The target was Osama bin Laden, or at least someone who the CIA thought was him. Armed with a payload of Hellfire missiles, the drone attacked a group of would-be insurgents. Days later, local journalists and Afghan civilians reported that the dead men were civilians collecting scrap metal. What ensued thereafter was backlash from the public condemning its use. Using (UAVs) unmanned aerial vehicles to kill suspected terrorists marks a radical departure from the ways we have dealt with enemies before. Drones have unofficially become the weapon of choice for counter-terrorism. And over the coming decades, are expecte d to replace piloted aircraft. With the future of warfare pointing to the use of drones, legal and ethical issues surrounding their use must be explored. Since their deployment, armed combat drones have killed terror suspects as well as innocent civilians. The Ethics of Predator Drones Introduction From Davids slingshot, to the invention of bows and arrows, then guns, and missiles, major advances in military technology have revolved around the ability to kill from a distance. Just like a sniper able to shoot down an NVA commanding general from a mile away, the ability to shoot at your enemy from a greater distance than he can shoot back at you is one of the reasons why warfare continues to evolve. The MQ-1 predator drone is just a new tool in a new kind of war. A war waged in the 21st century, the height of technological advancement in weaponry. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were used by the US military as a test bed for their development of future weapons. The US military might is one of the greatest of the world. The US spends more money in defense than all of the other countries combined. The money spent is used in the hopes of lessening military casualties, and to help in accomplishing missions and tasks in a more effective way by using new technology. Their latest inventions include an assortment of robots that are capable of performing EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) and IED (Improvised Explosive Device) destruction missions. Some robots have even cross-trained to a more combat role. For example, the US military have deployed a robot called the Foster-Miller TALON. This robots mission ranges from reconnaissance to combat by employing a rifle mounted apparatus to its tracked chassis. Calibers from the M16, M249, M240 machine gun, .50 Barrett, and sometimes a six barreled 40mm grenade launcher have all been outfitt ed into its tracked chassis. These are just examples of the robots that are deployed on the ground. The most noticeable robot from this new generation of combat robots is the MQ-1 Predator drone. To this day, the Predator drone has flown more than 1 million flight hours. Combat Capabilites The CIA began experimenting with reconnaissance drones since the early 1980s. It was only in the early 1990s when they finally found a suitable prototype that could meet their intended mission needs. Before the production of the current MQ-1 Predator, most of the prototypes were so loud that their detection was inevitable. A chief designer from the Israeli Air Force immigrated to the US in the 1970s and started his own defense contractor business and called it General Atomics. The CIA secretly bought 5 drones from General Atomics and equipped with a more improved and quieter Rotax engine that is driven by a propeller. The Predator drone can fly a range of 770 miles and stay in the air for up to 40 hours, cruising at altitudes over 25,000 feet. Its top speed is 135 mph which is powered by a 115 horse powered Rotax engine. With a payload of 450 pounds, most of the equipment include: infrared tv cameras, and a ground-scanning Synthetic Aperature Radar. A variant was also produced to pro vide a more combat-centered role. This variant is armed with a pair of AGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided, anti-armor missiles. Another variant called the MQ-9 Reaper is their latest incarnation of combat drones. The MQ-9 Reaper is much larger and also capable of autonomous flight operations. It is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-edurance missions. The Predator can be disassembled into 6 main components and loaded into a container which makes it rapidly deployable. Included in the Predator package is a 20ft satellite dish and other supported equipment. The satellite dish provides a link to communicate with the operators at a distant remote location. The ground station houses the multiple support staff from pilots to sensor operators. The remote link could be as far as 5000 miles away, which makes the predator a system rather than an aircraft. The advantage of using such a system is that it has all the advantages of a traditional reconnaissance sortie without ever exposing the pilot to a hostile environment. Combat Record Currently the US Air Force has over 190 MQ-1 Predators and over 25 MQ-9 Reapers in operation. Over 250 missiles have been fired in Iraq and Afghanistan alone since 2008. An estimated 70 Predators have been lost due to weather, equipment failure, operator error and an additional 4 have been shot down. With over 1 million flight hours, the Predator has maintained a 90 percent mission capable rate. With no US casualties related to operating a drone, this proves advantageous in combat operations. The Predator drone first took flight over the Balkans. It provided reconnaissance during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Then in 2000, the CIA and the Pentagon joined forces to locate Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. The first flights over Afghanistan were more of an observatory role which provided intelligence for the locations of suspected terrorists. It wasnt until the September 11 attacks that the US started to seriously consider arming the Predator with weapons for combat purposes. After successful testing of the newly armed Predators, the US found more missions for the Predator to perform and more are used today in multiple combat zones. With its newfound role as a combat drone, the US began to deploy the Predator on missions to Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, and other middle-eastern countries in which suspected terrorists are expected to be in hiding. During missions in Iraq, several Predator drones encountered Iraqi MiG-25s and participated in the first air to air combat between a drone and a piloted fighter aircraft. In fact, the US stripped multiple Predator drones of its sophisticated weapons and sensory systems and used them as decoys in the sky to entice Iraqi air defenses to expose themselves by firing. The most recent account of a Predator being used to kill high-profile terrorists was during an operation to apprehend deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Since then, several Predators have returned to Libya in support of the Benghazi attacks. Civilian Casualties Despite its combat effectiveness against suspected terrorists, reports suggest that far more civilians have been killed by US drone attacks than US officials have acknowledged. A new study by Stanford University and New York University contends that CIA targeted killings arent making America any safer and instead has turned the Countries that these drones have ravaged against the US. The study calls for the Obama administration to be more transparent and accountable for its actions, and to prove compliance with international law. One instance in dispute involving civilian casualties occurred during a drone attack on March 17, 2011. An estimated 42 people were killed during a Jirga, a meeting of elders. According to reports, most of those killed were civilians with only 4 known members of the Taliban in attendance. The disparity of civilian deaths to militant deaths calls to question the legal basis for targeted killings by drones and the criteria in which an authorized strike is recommended against armed men who fit the profile of militants. The study says that the drone attacks violate international law because the government has no proof that the targets are direct threats to the United States. The following graph displays the reported fatalities resulting from US drone strikes conducted in Pakistan. As you can see from the graph, fatalities have risen significantly since 2004. The dramatic rise in fatalities correlates to the frequency of use. Not only has President Obamas administration embraced the CIAs campaign of Predator drone strikes in Pakistan that began under President Bush in 2004. It has also continued an acceleration of the campaign that began in July 2008 during the last year of President Bushs tenure (Woodward 2010: 25). There is also evidence that the range of persons being targeted has expanded. In particular, it has been widely reported that late in the Bush administration, the CIA received permission to broaden the scope of targeting from an exclusive focus on high-value al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban targets to include low level fighters whose identities may not be known and that this broadened scope has gradually come to include the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban (Kilcullen, Exum, Fick and Humayun 2009: 18; Mayer 2009; Entous 2010). More and more pressure has been added by the international community to stop these drone attacks, but top US officials have defended its use. A top US counter-terrorism official cited the benefits of its uses. Such benefits include reduced danger to US pilots and limited US military involvement overseas. Legality There were reports from the Wall Street Journal that revealed the Bush Administrations and CIAs plan to set up hit squads to capture and kill Taliban and Al Qaeda militants around the world. The anger from the public grew even more when the Times reported that the CIA planned to carry out these hits by employing the controversial private contractor formerly known as Blackwater. Members from both the House and Senate intelligence committees claim that these plans were hidden from them and demanded a thorough investigation of the programs created to carry out those hits. Although the program was never fully operational, many legal experts contend that if they were, it would have violated President Gerald R. Fords 1976 executive order in which it bans American intelligence forces from engaging in assassinations. Although the targeted-killing program was never fully implemented, many consider the Predator program to be an extension of its intended creation. It so happens, that the Predator program also uses private contractors for maintaining the drones, equipping it with Hellfire missiles, and also flying it. There are currently 2 drone programs in which the US government runs. There is the military version, for which it is publicly acknowledged and operates in recognized war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The military version is considered to be an extension of conventional warfare. Then there is the CIAs version, which aims at killing suspected terrorists around the world, including in countries where US troops are not present. The latter is covert and not much information is provided to the public about how it chooses its targets, where the operations are conducted, or how many people have been thought to have been killed. The international community condemns these targeted killings and suggested that these attacks would encourage other countries to disregard long-established human rights standards. Some even suggested that these drone strikes may even constitute war crimes. Powerful countries such as China, Russia and other countries have publicly criticized the US drone attacks. The concern is mostly about the use of drones outside of recognized war zones and the secretive nature of such operations. Aside from the lawful use of drone attacks in which it is involved in armed conflict, some consider the secondary attacks on rescuers who are helping the injured after the initial drone attacks, those further attacks are suggested to be war crimes. Ethical Concerns One of the main concerns about using the Predator drone, despite its exemplary combat record, is that drones could lead us down the road to building fully autonomous weapons systems; machines that can make their own lethal decisions on the battlefield. Its hard to distinguish which weapon system is considered autonomous, so for the purpose of making a quick distinction, I will refer to any weapon that makes a decision to launch a lethal attack as fully autonomous. So, a heat-seeking Hellfire missile that follows a target would not be autonomous because a human entity made the decision to push the button to launch it, but a Predator drone programmed so as to make the decision for itself to fire on a specific target of its own accord would be. So as long as the human element is present for each particular lethal decision, it would not be considered autonomous. Many consider autonomous drones to be morally impermissible and are afraid that the move to make current drones autonomous is j ust around the corner. Another concern pertains to the drones decreased ability to discriminate combatants from noncombatants. The concern stems from the trust-worthiness of intelligence and also from the ability to discern different people from a video feed in which the operator is literally thousands of miles away from the battlefield. The examples given before in which the toll of civilian deaths were reported to be significantly larger than the combatant deaths attest to this concern. Some are worried that the use of drones leads to psychological conflicts for their operators. A drone operator would go home or to a PTA meeting after a hard days work of killing suspected terrorists from the comforts of his work desk. Some argue that this places unjust psychological burden on them and causes cognitive dissonance in the mindset of the warrior. An even greater concern is that drone operators would treat warfare as if it were a video game; as a result from the cognitive dissonance which will weaken a warriors will to fight. This could ultimately lead to mental problems or even PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) which would likely affect the operators decision-making on the battlefield. Another criticism is that drones create unjust asymmetry in combat. The objection follows: The use of technologically superior weapons such as drones by one force against another force that does not have the means to attain similar technology crosses an asymmetry threshold that makes the combat inherently ignoble. Its considered to be morally impermissible to pit two opposing sides against each other whose combat abilities differ greatly. Imagine pitting a lion against a dog. The same principle applies when you consider jus in bello (Laws of war). This position is usually held because in such circumstances one side literally does not take any life-or death risks whatsoever (or nearly so, since its warfighters are not even present in the primary theater of combat) whereas the opposing side carries all the risk of combat. (Stawser, 2010) A Moral Case for Drones There are many advocates for the continued use of drones. Some argue that the US is not only entitled but morally obliged to use drones. Considering all the advantages, there is really no downside to using them. Drones are merely an extension of a long historical trajectory of removing a warrior ever farther from his foe for the warriors better protection. (Strawser, 2010) Predator drones have been credited with the removal of top Al Qaeda and Taliban members, the most recent being Al Qaedas No. 3, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid. Stopping these influential terrorist leaders proved to be valuable in stopping large scale terrorists plots aimed at destroying or even devastating US cities and their allies. Conclusion Its only a matter of time when drones will rule the sky. Not only are drones being used in the combat zone, assassination plots, or just surveillance, there are plans in the future for them to roam in the sky of our own US cities. Plans to make drones an extension of law enforcement are inevitable. Before that happens, we have to be responsible citizens and look deep into the ethical problems that they provide and not be blinded by its technological superiority. As the drone attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere have demonstrated, we now have the ultimate in push button warfare. There is always an advantage to having military superiority over your enemies. However, I think its important that we not fall into the trap of thinking that just because our slingshot has a greater range than the other guys, we are morally justified in using it in every case. Military superiority brings with it a moral responsibility not to use the superior weapons we possess merely because we possess them.  (Vincent, 2009)

Pros and Cons of the Euro :: Finances Money European Currency Essays

Pros and Cons of the Euro The United Kingdom will not join the single European currency with the first wave of countries on 1 January 1999. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, said in October that, although the government supported the principle of the single currency, Britain would not be ready to join at least until the second wave of countries join in 2002. He added that the UK should, however, begin to prepare for monetary union. There are many possible advantages and disadvantages that the government had to consider: Advantages: 1. A single currency should end currency instability in the participating countries (by irrevocably fixing exchange rates) and reduce it outside them. Because the Euro would have the enhanced credibility of being used in a large currency zone, it would be more stable against speculation than individual currencies are now. An end to internal currency instability and a reduction of external currency instability would enable exporters to project future markets with greater certainty. This will unleash a greater potential for growth. 2. Consumers would not have to change money when travelling and would encounter less red tape when transferring large sums of money across borders. It was estimated that a traveller visiting all twelve member states of the (then) EC would lose 40% of the value of his money in transaction charges alone. Once in a lifetime a family might make one large purchase or transaction across a European border such as buying a holiday home or a piece of furniture. A single currency would help that transaction pass smoothly. 3. Likewise, businesses would no longer have to pay hedging costs which they do today in order to insure themselves against the threat of currency fluctuations. Businesses, involved in commercial transactions in different member states, would no longer have to face administrative costs of accounting for the changes of currencies, plus the time involved. It is estimated that the currency cost of exports to small companies is 10 times the cost to the multi-nationals, who offset sales against purchases and can command the best rates. 4. A single currency should result in lower interest rates as all European countries would be locking into German monetary credibility. The stability pact (the main points of which were agreed at the Dublin summit of European heads of state or government in December 1996) will force EU countries into a system of fiscal responsibility which will enhance the Euro's international credibility.

Blake :: essays research papers

In Blake's "London" the speaker connects various characters and socio/political institutions in order to critique the injustices perpetrated in England. The busy, commercial city of London functions as a space in which the speaker can imagine the inescapable interconnections of English institution and citizens. Although separated by differences of class and gender, the citizens of London brush up against each other so that the misery of the poor and dispossessed is a direct indictment of the callousness of the rich and powerful, f the institutions of state and religion. The speaker of the poem emphasizes the social and economic differences that separate the citizens of London. By repeating the word "charter'd", he reminds the reader of the commercial nature of the city, the fact that portions of it are owned, and that not everyone has equal access to goods or property. In the first line of his poem as Blake speaks of how he is wandering through the "charter'd" streets, he is commenting on this commercial aspect of London. As he moves on in his poem he also refers to the "charter'd" Thames, he is telling us in this second line that even a river which is a force of nature, is owned in London. When Blake says that he sees "marks of weakness, marks of woe" in "every face" he meets, he means that he can see how this commercialism is affecting everyone rich and poor. Yet, despite the divisions that the word charter'd suggests, the speaker contends that no one in London, neither rich or poor, escapes a pervasive sense of misery and entrapment. The speaker talks of how in "every cry of every man" he hears the misery. Blake is once again reminding us that this is affecting everyone. As he goes on to comment on he can hear it in "every infants cry of fear", he is saying that even the babies know what is going to happen to them when they grow up and they fear the misery that they will soon face. In the next line of the poem Blake chooses to use a very interesting word. When he writes "in every ban" he leaves the line open to many different interpretations. The word ban can mean a political prohibition, a curse, or an announcement of marriage. The political meaning is an obvious one in this poem, Blake obviously does not like the politics of London and he fells that the commercialism is preventing the people from being happy.

Bottled Water vs Tap Water Essay

Water is vital to human life. Humans can live for several weeks on water alone. However, they cannot survive for more than a few days without it. In fact, a human’s body primarily consists of 55% to 78% water (Geri Walton. ) Therefore, we need water. Life cannot exist without water. While some people prefer drinking bottled water, others prefer drinking tap water. In fact, controversy has been placed on the quality and safety of drinking bottled water versus drinking tap water. The bottled water industry has increased tremendously. They offer several brands of water including: mineral water, spring water, purified water and also well water. Water also comes in many different flavors. If you wish, you may also select carbonated water. In order to label these, each brand has to meet certain qualifications. They must be collected and strictly treated. The Food Standards Agency monitors bottled water. They adhere to rigorous guidelines as to what can and cannot be put on the label. Many believe that bottled water is much healthier than tap water. It is free of bacteria. It is free from filthy chemicals. In fact, the levels of lead in bottled water are much lower than those in tap water. Bottled water is free from contamination and safer for drinking. It prevents harmful substances and organisms from entering into the body. Bottled water has to pass through a purification process. Many companies like to include the word â€Å"pure† in their advertising of campaigns and trademarks. They realize that many people find it secure in health benefits over other products. This guarantees high-quality drinking water. Bottled water provides compelling vitamins and minerals to the human body. Sufficient amounts of minerals are important for managing a healthy human system. There are numerous health benefits for drinking bottled water. In some countries, such as Europe, humans believe that bottled waters have medicinal properties. It contains zero fat, calories and sugar. According to the International Bottled Water Association, â€Å"one of the main health benefits of bottled water is that it can replace less healthy beverages, such as soda, sweet tea, hot chocolate and sugary flavored coffees. (Ipatenco, Sara) In today’s society, bottled water may be found any and everywhere, from offices to homes and restaurants across the country. It is rejuvenating, healthy and convenient to carry around. It is great for those on the go. An accessible bottle in your bag will immediately quench your thirst. Having bottled water may result in more fluid intake. Sufficient utilization of water is important for preventing dehydration and for keeping our bodies functioning properly. Although there are several benefits of drinking bottled water, more and more people are questioning if it is actually better than tap water. In fact, many believe that bottled water is not safer or purer than tap water. Many believe that tap water tastes just as good as bottled water. During a blind taste test in New York City, the greater part of the people actually preferred the taste of tap water over bottled water. Tap water is not hazardous or harmful. In fact, it is well-regulated and inspected hundreds of times per month by the Environmental Protection Agency. These agencies make certain tap water is free of harmful toxins and other bacteria. With tap water, you are more likely to know what is in it. Tap water is tested cautiously. Every year, several tests are taken to ensure that tap water is as safe as it can possibly be. With strict standards, they are tested for micro-organisms and other chemicals and metals. It is also tested for water pathogens that could possibly cause intestinal problems. Tap water is composed of fluoride and chloronation. The enamel-protecting fluoride reduces tooth decay and enhances oral health. It is a major ingredient in toothpastes, while chlorination kills bacteria. Tap water is much cheaper than bottled water. It is free! Bottled water is extremely expensive compared to tap water. Bottled water companies make â€Å"tens of billions of dollars† per year. In today’s society, people are paying so much for bottled water when they could actually get tap water practically free. In fact, â€Å"bottled water costs 500 times more than tap water† (MacKenzie, Ashley. ) By drinking tap water, you save a tremendous amount of money. Drinking tap water is better on our environment. Water bottles are thrown into landfills. It takes more than 700 years for plastic to decompose. Reducing the amount of plastic water bottles in landfills can save energy drastically. Drinking water from a glass or using a refillable steel bottle also saves resources. By drinking tap water, you save the planet. Tap water has some bacteria that are actually beneficial to your health. The human immune system automatically strengthens its defenses against any possible harmful bacteria that it is exposed to. Our immune system is familiar with small amounts of bacteria and is equipped to prevent illnesses. For a fact, our bodies need water. Humans lose water every day through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. In order for our bodies to function properly, it is essential that we replenish it with water. Basically, bottled water and tap water come from the same sources: lakes, springs and aquifers. They each have many benefits. One must decide as to which is best. What type of water will you drink: bottled water or tap water? Make the healthy choice.

How does culture affect diagnosis? Essay

Culture kitty light upon the diagnosis and word of psychical disorders, as divers(prenominal) socializations induce different attitudes to intellectual disorders. In Morocco, for example, it is thought you flock cop a rational illness haply by encountering some sorcery, such as stepping on it. They truly believe amiable disorders come from sorcery and evil things. This affects word and how the mentally ill person is seen they atomic number 18 often feargond as thither is a possibility the evil could spread. Culture can in addition affect how much assimilation a patient is standardizedly to disclose. Casas (1995) rig that a lot of African Americans do non like to sh ar their personal information with people of a different race. Sue and Sue (1992) put in that legion(predicate) Asian Americans dont like to talk about their emotions and are much reluctant to admit to having a mental illness. Even when they do admit to organism ill, they are non forthcoming in terms of discussing their symptoms with the therapist. This can affect diagnosis, as not all the symptoms may wealthy person been menti integrityd and so a suitable curriculum of treatment cannot be easily formulated. nonpareil school of thought believes that culture does not affect diagnosis as mental disorders are scientific. The DSM was developed in the regular army and is lend oneselfd widely in some other cultures. This is a valid use if mental disorders are clearly define with specific features and symptoms.Basically, mental disorders are scientifically defined illnesses that are explained in a scientific way. Research evidence comes from lees study (2006). This was conducted in Korea deliberately to see if the DSM-IV-TR was valid in a non-Western culture, and it was found that it was for ADHD. On the flip side, in that respect are studies that have shown that culture can affect diagnosis. There are studies that have shown that culture can play an important role in diagnosis. For example, symptoms that are seen in Western countries as characterising schizophrenia, such as auditory hallucinations, are interpreted in other countries as showing obstinacy by a spirit, which render someone special in a prescribed way, not in a cast out disorder way. Therefore, depending on ethnic recitals of what is homo measured, the DSM is not always valid. A clinician from one culture must be certain that a patient from another culture is guided by their own ashes of reference.It does seem to be the case that there are actual cultural disparitys in mental disorders like schizophrenia. It has been reported that catatonicschizophrenia is on the decline and this could be because of health measures that prevent the development of this typeface of schizophrenia. Chandrasena (1986) reported more(prenominal) incidences of catatonia in Sri Lanka (21%) compared with 5% among British white people. However, it was also found that in Sri Lanka it was less po ssible that patients had received early interventions with drug treatment. This was not therefore a cultural difference in the attitude to the mental disorder, solely a difference in treatment availability. After considering the pivotal role that culture plays in a persons mental health, ideas have been put send on to overcome cultural bias in diagnosis. Ideas include moving away from dialect on freshman stray symptoms and interpretation as well as centre on more negative symptoms are they are more objectively measured.On problem with schizophrenia is that, scratch line rank symptoms tend to be weighted as more important when making a diagnosis. First rank symptoms include interview voices, delusions and disorganised envisageing. However, first rank symptoms are also more open to interpretation, which essence that there might be cultural issues with opine to interpretation. Flaum et al. (1991) found a want of reliability when using the DSM with regard to first rank symptom s and that was with a similar assay from one culture. Therefore, it is likely that such undependability would be magnified if we used first rank symptoms across different cultures. Similarly, with regard to diagnosis there should be greater emphasis on symptoms that are objectively measured. Flaum suggests that negative symptoms (for example poverty of speech) are more objectively assessed and measured than compulsory symptoms, like hallucinations. Minimising first rank symptoms and placing more emphasis on negative symptoms would compressed less unreliability with regard to diagnosis across cultures.Culture-bound syndromes are mental health problems (or other illnesses) with a set of symptoms found and recognised as an illness only if in one culture. Penis fright is an example. In some cultures males may think that their penis will retract into their bodies- and women may think the same about their breasts. This is cognize as genital retraction syndrome. such panics have be en found around the world but mainly in Africa and Asia. other example is Hikikomori, a condition which has attracted carry on in Japan recently, affecting mainly male teens that are otherwise short healthy. The condition makes them withdraw completely, locking themselves in their rooms for long periods of time (years). The Nipponese government havedescribed Hikikomori as a social disorder sooner than a mental disorder, and say it is articulation of the economic downturn the country is freeing through.