Things Fall Apart Idea of Strong Essay Example

Things Fall Apart: Idea of Strong Essay Strength vs.. Values Strong and powerful Is controversial, because It defers person to person. Also, throughout generations and cultures, the definition has been modified. Usually, ones values are connected to their interpretation of strength. For example, my emphasis on my values are utterly different from Ginkgos values. The Bio culture developed their own idea of strength, American society has modernized it, and ones values may differ from anothers. Throughout Things Fall Apart, the buds Idea of strength Is Illustrated through the villagers and Coonskins thoughts. The ultimate result Awoken desired was prosperity, and when he spent seven years from his clan, he developed a plan to accomplish this. He would build a bigger barn than he had had before and he would build huts for two new wives. Then he would show his wealth by initiating his sons into the zoo society. Only the really great men in the clan were able to do this. Awoken saw clearly the high esteem In which he would be held, and he saw himself taking the highest title In the land (155). Awoken believed that being strict would build him respect, and only weakness thrived off of emotions. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength (26). The Bio culture involved a lot of violence, therefore, being bold and war-like was being brave. But I have also heard that Beam people were weak and foolish. Why did they not fight back? Had they no guns and machete? We would be cowards Barman 2 to compare ourselves Walt n ten men AT Dame A villager Trot Mad man, Ginkgos clan, or Beam would be frustrated if they were placed in American society, mainly because power has a new significance. We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart: Idea of Strong specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart: Idea of Strong specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart: Idea of Strong specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer True American heroes use their morals to save others and support what is eight. They do not discriminate against gender or race, unlike the Bio society that treated men with more respect than women. No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man (48). We all know that a man is the head of the family and his wives do his bidding. A child belongs to its father and his family and not to its mother and her family (121). Now, in America, a wife is determined by love, and not bargaining and money. Today, any person in America, the land of opportunity, an be educated and get a Job. In the Bio society, the only way to succeed was to be male and a good farmer, and Awoken followed this concept. Ginkgos values and mine relate to the cultures we live in. An important value to me is my education, because in America, the main way to thrive is to be erudite. Awoken strives to be a good farmer, because in his clan, yam stood for manliness, and he who could feed his family on yams from one harvest to another was a very great man indeed (30). His culture also valued possessions, although I try not to value them. Awoken wanted to be successful and be the opposite of his lazy father, Just like I want to be able to support myself when I grow older. Even as a little boy he had resented his fathers failure and weakness Awoken was ruled by one passion-to hate everything his father Knock had loved. One of those things Barman 3 was gentleness Ana another was Idleness ( By Dealing unsympathetic, Nils IT had been ruled by a great passion-to become one of the lords of the clan. That had been his life-spring (119). Ones values may determine their strength in their society. The Bio had their idea of strength, todays Americans have their own, and values change with generations and cultures. In the Bio society, for example, rich males had more respect, and in todays America, almost anyone can be a hero. Modernization, along with time and separation of ideas, has put the opportunity for power into many hands. For example, opportunity is given to the most able citizen in America, but in the Bio society, the door is closed to almost everyone. Ginkgos concern of being supreme and following his own values eventually drove him to suicide.

Project charter Essays

Project charter Essays Project charter Essay Project charter Essay The new internet web site will increase the public awareness on all local, regional and global environmental issues. It will also help to assist concerned authorities by implementing environmental programs and projects. The project will lead EGG to foster exchange of information, experience and practices expertise. Environmental organization EGG seeks to promote positive environmental action for the largest possible number of user to effective participation in specific projects, campaigns and activities. The new website will collect a database on various environmental issues and experts on various environmental issues from the public and private sectors to be available for public and institutions. The EGG will liaise with various target groups within the community to spread the environmental message and encourage volunteerism in preserving and protecting the environment. These objectives will lead company to propagate community waste reduction and recycling schemes, both as a meaner of protecting the environment and as a flagship for improving the communitys environmental awareness. Consider including the following items: relative priorities among functionality, schedule and budget risk management procedures Describe the assumptions upon which the project plans are based, the dependencies f the project plans, and the constraints upon the project plans (e. g. , schedule, budget, quality, functionality, etc. ). 3. 3 Risk Management Describe the major risks to the project, which the project plan has been designed to address. Describe how risks will be tracked and monitored. Insert a risk matrix. 3. Monitoring and Controlling Mechanisms Describe how project cost, schedule, quality and functionality will be tracked throughout the project. Consider describing the following: Report content/formats Reporting structure and frequency Audit mechanisms Project web site Time accounting . 5 Staffing Plan Describe the numbers and types of personnel needed to conduct the project. Describe the required skill levels, start times, duration on the project, method of obtaining the p ersonnel, training required and phasing out of project personnel. . 6 Stakeholders Describe the key stakeholders (internal/external), interest (high/medium/low), influence (supporter/against/neutral) and their expected involvement (contribution) to the project. Influence Interest (H/WL) Expected Contribution Describe the communication channels and methods for project implementation and monitoring. Communication from to Time Period 4. Plan Details 4. 1 WBS Outline the work breakdown structure (WBS) of tasks that must be followed to develop the project, including dependencies between tasks. . 2 Resource Requirements List the resources required for each activity in the WBS. Include human, computer and physical facility resources needed. 4. 3 Budget and Resource Allocation Detail how the projects budget and resources will be allocated to all development and support functions for the project. 4. 4 Schedule Describe the schedule of project activities, taking into account the dependencies and equired milestone dates and deliverable dates. Express schedules either as absolute calendar dates or as time relative to key project milestones (e. g. , requirements signed off + 60 days). 5. Additional Components (OPTIONAL) Include additional components needed to manage your specific project. Possibilities include subcontractor management plans, security plans, training plans, hardware procurement plans, facilities plans, installation plans, legacy system transition plans, and maintenance plans. A Revised Project Charter B Project Work Plan (Ms Project file)

Profiling and Counter-terrorism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Profiling and Counter-terrorism - Term Paper Example The document addresses four broad approaches of profiling; Crime Scene Analysis (CSA), Diagnostic Evaluation (DE), Investigative Psychology (IP), and Geographic profiling (GP), which employ various techniques of profiling in countering terrorist crimes and attacks. Keywords: Profiling, Crimes, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Physical and Biological Evidence, Terrorism, Suspects, Offenders, Victims, CSA, DE, Geographical Profiling, IP, Crime Scene Introduction to Profiling and Counter Terrorism Investigations in criminal cases around the world have evolved with time to increase the chances of getting to the lead, which can aid private investigators and police teams to solve the case and catch the law offenders. Terrorism crimes are terrifying incidences and every nation’s federal and local government has to be prepared to handle such cases, either in prevention before or after terror occurrences. Some of these crimes tend to occur in various patterns that can be traced, studied, and enable police investigators know the offenders better. Despite the fact that the perpetrators nowadays carry out their unlawful acts after proper planning and execution, more scientific and advanced methods can still help in profiling. According to Muller â€Å"criminal profiling is the process of using available information about a crime and crime scene to compose a psychological portrait of the unknown perpetrator of the crime† (2000, p. 235). The personal behaviours and characteristics in the criminal cases enable the investigators in analysis of the scene, to be able to make a generalization or a prediction of the future incident. Terrorism cases entail forceful attacks to cause destruction among other threatening or injurious incidences. Sometimes, the victims of terrorism are found dead and their bodies act as centres of study, which give an insight as to why they were chosen as victims for the crime, as well as how the offender thinks and acts. The scene of the cri me can tell a lot of information based on crimes and perpetrators by analysing evidence of weapons and the choice of spot of crime if repeated. In most cases, profiling is used in serial crimes and on serial offenders who desire to sustain their own mythology. Profiling is not only a technique employed by antiterrorism units to counter terrorists threats and attacks, but provide these units in the security and defence departments of the government with necessary strategies they can adopt, while interrogating such offenders, since their psychological aspect has been studied. There are different approaches and types of profiling that enable investigators to narrow their search to possible number of suspected criminals. Types can be DNA, criminal, racial, offender, or victim focused among others that are techniques used in various approaches below. Approaches to Profiling Geographical profiling The approach deals with techniques that support in analysis of location linking to a series of crimes to produce leads on the locations of the offenders, or where they are coming from. Most of the geographical profilers use the network and communication systems to monitor, trace, and analyse the signals to spot the original locations. It has been made easier through

An Introduction to STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND THE ROLES OF THE GENERAL Essay

An Introduction to STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND THE ROLES OF THE GENERAL MANAGER - Essay Example Strategic management takes account of the strengths and weaknesses of the organizations and prepares itself best in competitive arena by minimizing weaknesses and maximizing strengths. The human resource of the company is structured and inspired to achieve the objectives of the company. The role of the General Manager is that of a leader of human resources who guides and allocates the usage of other resources. Thus the role of the General Manager assumes critical importance in implementing the company’s objectives across various functional departments, and integrating the workforce to achieve the stated goals of the company by reining wayward behaviour and ‘self-direction’ to ‘shared beliefs’. This is achieved through development of communication channels, smooth flow of information across company’s structures, conflict resolution, and provision of creative latitude and development of a sound organizational culture. The General Manager keeps th e Board and the CEO informed about the progress and performance of the company. He/she is the vital link in vertical and horizontal communication amongst company’s stakeholders. Due to its strategic importance, sometimes the job of General Manager becomes extremely stressful. We are dedicated to development of innovative Information Technology solutions. Our products meet the customer expectations and provide quality products that give maximum value for money. We are committed to create ever higher levels of customer satisfaction in order to have a sustained competitive advantage in the market. We achieve this by putting in our best efforts in a creative environment; where our work is a pleasurable activity that gives us a tremendous sense of fulfilment. We are a well-knitted team of exemplary and dignified individuals. Meeting ever higher levels of customer satisfaction: The road to perfection is an unending journey. Our customers seek better and better and products. We focus on innovation and quality to

Widows in Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Widows in Hinduism - Essay Example eatly be pegged on different traditions, content and themes of various contexts in history and authenticity and authority of texts and other sources of information that they rely on for history purposes. For instance, some traditions in Hindu kingdoms which used Manusmrti texts to refer their history advocated in many occasions to restricting women rights whereas the modern Hindu society has a new perspective on women and their roles in the society. In general, different traditions within these kingdoms dictated the roles and position of women in that while some advocated male chauvinism, some kingdoms included respected courtesans; sacred women to worship and service their deities, educated and trained women in their kingdoms and those who could perform extra ordinary activities such as magic (Fisher & Adler, 2011). Books and other literary works have been written on the subject matter, women and Hinduism, with majority concentrating on the treatment of women before and after the Br itish colonial rule, and this article will reflect on the Hinduism’s understanding of widowhood and traditional treatment of widows. During British colonial rule, child marriage was a common practice in India where girl children as young as below ten years could get married to an older man; a practice/ tradition of some societies where women were treated as sex slaves or believed to have a role of a â€Å"house wife† irrespective of their age. The major problem was when a husband dies as the widows had a diminished role and position in the society and were required to spend their lives languishing in poverty and constantly worshiping God; restricted to the right of re-marrying and having a happy family with another man. Re-marrying being treated like a taboo, the widows had to be confined in an ashram for Hindu widows to spend their lives in renunciation, segregation from other society members so as to expiate bad karma and to relieve their families of financial and emotional burdens.

Mechanised Forces In Asymmetrical Forms Of Warfare History Essay

Mechanised Forces In Asymmetrical Forms Of Warfare History Essay Oxford Dictionary defines Asymmetry as lack of symmetry while others define it as not balanced or regularly arranged on opposite sides ie lacking equality and balance. Asymmetry is evident when two adversaries differ in availability of resources or technology, leading to an imbalance. Many authors use this term in the same breath as guerilla warfare, terrorism and/or insurgency which to an extent are actually tactics which address the disadvantage occurring due to asymmetry. Any imbalance between two belligerents would force the one who is weaker to resort to alternate tactics and concepts in order to negate the conventional, organisational or technological superiority of the stronger of the two. The conflict thus breaks away from military boundaries and now encompasses other environments, typically physical, where now it may involve civilians. More often than not, the winnings accrue from winning over the people and their minds and by moulding opinions in own favour. Thus the tactic s employed to achieve symmetry by the weaker actor do not follow set rules or positions and attempt to undermine the strength of the stronger adversary by exploiting his weakness and impacting him psychologically more than physically. Asymmetric warfare is considered as a subset of the Fourth Generation Warfare and can take on any form including information operations, guerilla warfare, urban operations or low intensity conflict; all unorthodox, irregular form of operations only to achieve symmetry. The Indian States and mostly the Indian Armys experience in combating this form of warfare is unique. Starting with the North-East insurgency, the IPKF imbroglio, ongoing low intensity conflict (LIC) in Jammu Kashmir and the developing Left Wing extremism, our experience is tremendous. Having said so, it must be admitted that in all this, the employment of mechanised forces has been restricted, except during the IPKF operations. Hence, the question of its relevance in such operations is bound to arise in our context. Relevance of Mechanised Forces in Forms of Asymmetrical Warfare Conventionally, the impact of mechanised force is synonymous with mobility, firepower and shock action. However, its employment in forms of asymmetrical warfare is under debate. Indian experience has not found much use of the mechanised elements except when absolutely necessary viz operations in Sri Lanka, Kashmir (Sopore) and Punjab (Golden Temple). This is more so drawn from the fact that utilisation of mechanised elements during internal security tasks raises the psychological level of conflict and draws un-necessary attention, both media and global. Further, impact of heavy armour and threat of collateral damage is inherent in employment of mechanised forces and hence its usage is deliberately restricted internally. Evidently, the utility of mechanised forces in their present form is limited in Internal Security tasks. However, contingencies for the employment of mechanised forces by the Indian Army do exist and shall become a reality in the near future as the country finds itself a footing as a regional and economic superpower amongst the comity of nations which would thrust upon her enhanced international commitments and responsibilities. India would need to demonstrate its will and capability to employ and deploy its military component beyond its national borders and in increasing numbers. Some of these contingencies could be:- United Nations mandated peacekeeping or peace-enforcement missions. Even today mechanised sub-units are operating as part of brigade groups in UN Peace-keeping duties. Out of Area Operations (OOAO). The main concept of OOAO envisages carrying out operations outside national boundaries either unilaterally or multilaterally towards fulfillment of military or political objectives. However, the obligations to undertake OOAO in the developing global environment would include maintaining regional stability and ensuring own national interests, wherein there may be occasions for military deployment in regional nations, independently or as part of regional alliance. As part of International Force in counter terrorist and counter insurgent operations. Examples of utilization of mechanised forces abound outside especially the operations of Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), US Army in Iraq, Russians in Chechnya, etc. even our own experience and lessons learnt whilst employing mechanised forces as part of IPKF in Sri Lanka are valuable. A SWOT analysis of the characteristics of a mechanised force would allow us to arrive at the best method of employment and thus the tactics required to be followed. (PHOTO SWOT ANALYSIS) While there is no denying the fact that one of the major characteristics of armour ie mobility is severely hampered in such operations, the exploitation of the other characteristics offset this disadvantage. Firepower. The target acquisition and engagement ability of the armour allows it to deliver precision fire even in restricted terrain. This obviates the need of Air Support and thus avoids collateral damage. The availability of secondary armament in the form of a machine gun is a major advantage. Shock Action. The physical presence and arrival of armoured forces in the area of operations is a symbol of power and destructive capability. The physical presence of armoured troops provides a deterrent effect and lends to strike fear in opponents not similarly equipped. Armour Protection. This characteristic plays a major role in LIC operations and MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) wherein the small arms fire is negated effectively. However, weapons of the adversary may also include rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which can be offset by additional protective systems like the explosive reactive armour (ERA) and operating techniques viz combined arms team. Flexibility. LICO and MOUT will involve small team operations with decentralized control. The tank or Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) are most suitable weapon platforms for leading such operations due to their inherent flexibility through communications and advanced battlefield management systems (BMS). History has been replete with examples of mechanised employment in asymmetrical forms of warfare. Recent instances are the Russians in Chechnya, the Israeli experiences and the extensive use of mechanised units in Iraq. Let us very briefly analyse some of these experiences which may suggest the relevance of mechanised forces in such operations or otherwise. Russians in Chechnya Russian invasion of Chechnya in December 1994 was a classical example of an asymmetrical battle in urban terrain between a conventional superpower versus the unorganized but highly motivated Chechen fighters. After failing to topple the anti-Russian regime in Chechnya through covert means, the Russians launched a major conventional effort to oust Djokar Dudayev, the renegade former Soviet Air Force officer who headed that separatist movement. While the Russian mechanised formations initially had some success driving the Chechens from the open areas of northern Chechnya, their lack of a plan for the operations in the city of Grozny, led the Russians to adopt the strategy of driving an armoured column into the center of town and capture the main administrative buildings, on the assumption that serious resistance would then cease. The Russians suffered numerous casualties and were forced to withdraw. The resulting military disaster has become a classic case study of the folly of using m assed armour without organizing combines arms teams, in an urban terrain. The Israeli Experience In response to the Hamas suicide bombing in Netanya, the Israelis launched OPERATION DEFENSIVE SHIELD (Intifada-II for the Palestinians) aimed to eliminating the safe havens of Hamas fighters in the refugee Camps. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attack on the Jenin Camp gives us major lessons in employment of mechanised forces in urban terrain while countering asymmetrical tactics. IDF used its mechanised forces in conjunction with infantry and Special Forces troops in combined arms teams. This allowed them to exploit the firepower, protection and shock effect of the armoured sub-units. Mechanised columns were used to isolate the Camp initially and then as part of combined arms teams, they were utilised to invest and further assist the infantry in clearing the Camp. Lessons learnt by the Israelis make the tanks relevant in such operations albeit with certain modifications to the tactics and organisation. US Army in Iraq The extensive use of tanks by the US Army in its counter insurgency operations in Iraq firms in the relevance of mechanised units, especially in urban terrain. The US Army, after initial setbacks, changed tactics and started employing mutually supporting combined arms teams of tanks and infantry. The vulnerability of the armoured columns to insurgent tactics in urban terrain was offset by use of infantry in close support. Tanks were preferred over Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) due to the low survivability of the latter and the fact that risk of carrying troops in an APC was not worth the loss of lives. Commanders consider the intimidation and firepower of the Abrams a crucial tool for putting down the insurgents. When the Marines crushed insurgent-held Fallujah, they brought in two extra brigades of M1 Abrams tanks. The precision firepower, armour protection and ability to operate in small teams independently gave the commanders on ground the flexibility and reduced casualties a nd collateral damage. (Photo : Abrams tank upgrade for urban operations) Its a dirty, close fight, says an article in  Armor, the US Armys official magazine of tank warfare, by a group of officers led by Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli of the 1st Cavalry Division. Be wary of eliminating or reducing heavy armor as the Army modernizes, the officers warn, arguing it is crucial against insurgents crude but effective weapons. The M1 tank is still the platform of choice, says Colonel Russ Gold, a former commander in Iraq and chief of staff at the U.S. Armys Armor Center in Fort Knox, Primarily it was the shock effect, and it provided a lot of protection. Before OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, the Army had one vision for the future: the notion that a lighter, more mobile force would make armor obsolete. Now, the Army is recognizing that the tanks must be upgraded, he says, so that their armor can be used even more effectively, especially in the cities. IPKF in Sri Lanka Not much has been written or analysed with regards to the employment of mechanised forces by the IPKF but the operations of the one armoured regiment that was employed is a pointer to certain tactical lessons for the future. In asymmetrical forms of warfare and especially in urban terrain, the primacy of infantry is established but the commanders generally have a tendency to restrict the use of armour as part of road opening or operating base security. Generally the trend in IPKF operations was to break down the tank troops into individual weapon platforms with them being placed in support of the infantry coy / platoon. This led to enhanced casualties due to the inadequate knowledge of Infantry Company / platoon commanders on employment of tanks and also enhanced the vulnerability of tanks. Another lesson was the vulnerability of a tank to the threat of IEDs and chemical energy weapon systems. (Photo : T-72s damaged in IED blasts in IPKF) Tactics of Employment Tactics vary constantly with the situation especially when facing asymmetric challenges. Particularly, the urban terrain does force change in tactics and method of employment of mechanised units. Some of these have been discussed below. Employment of mechanised forces in isolation would be a retrograde step. The success of the mechanised units as part of an integrated task force or combat team is obvious. A combined arms team consisting of elements of armour, infantry and engineers is a potent force for such operations. They are mutually supporting and can exploit the characteristics of each other. Command and control of ibid combined arms teams needs to be dwelled upon. The command of such teams must be bestowed upon the one most capable to exercise operational control over the others. It shall be extremely difficult for the infantry commander to exercise control over the armoured troop and the Engineers detachment and hence, the obvious choice is the armoured troop leader due to his effectiveness in controlling his troop as well as the Engineer detachment while the infantry provides the close-in protection and clearing tasks. Needless to say, communications and infantry-tank cooperation would require tremendous coordination. For effective mutual support, the US Army utilized the box or the diamond formation wherein several Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) were grouped together. Tactics employed was to position vehicles at the four points of the formation and advance using slow, coordinated forward movements allowing time to scan the areas that may be dominated by the enemy. When movement was halted, the AFVs took up positions on crossroads in order to provide better observation and coverage. At the Combat Group level, dispersion was maintained by employing several box formations moving in parallel through blocks or streets and coordinating their advance and firing sectors in order to reduce the chances of fratricide. This also enhanced the lateral security of the columns. Organisational changes may have to be resorted to in order to enhance the survivability in such asymmetrical conflicts. We presently follow the traditional four troops with each being a three tank troop while the squadron headquarters is equipped with two tanks. It may be prudent to re-organise the combat team prior to deployment in such operations, to only three troops in a squadron with each troop being a four tank troop. The second tank in the squadron headquarters be replaced with an ICV with command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I systems) on board. A four tank troop has major advantages as the troop now can operate in two tank sections with inherent mutual support. This would also confirm to the recommended formation of employment. In Iraq, the increasing demand for armoured units establishes the relevance and importance of mechanised units in asymmetrical conflicts especially fighting in built up areas (FIBUA), or as US Army would put it, MOUT. Another relevant thought process is the coercive impact of armoured units in such operations whereby, the armoured forces have been used as a visible symbol of power threatening the psychological domain of the adversary and impacting his morale. Conclusion The Indian Armys experience in asymmetrical forms of warfare is well known albeit more infantry oriented being related to internal security. Our infantry units are now adept and do adapt accordingly. However, the mechanised forces have remained under utilized except for their employment during IPKF operations and as part of UN peace keeping duties. As evident, the mechanised forces have a major role to play in asymmetrical conflicts and MOUT and the experience of other armies, especially the Israelis and the US Army, has been encouraging. There is a need to study their operations and gain from their experience, in order to prepare ourselves and our troops for such asymmetrical conflicts in the future. Even in conventional warfare there may be a need to re-invigorate the FIBUA technique of fighting, going by the fact that in developed terrain there may be a need to capture certain built up areas.

Firms Expansion in Global Markets Essay -- Business, Internationaliza

Literature Review and Hypothesis Development Studies related to firm’s expansion in global markets have received increasing attention at both empirical and conceptual levels. Numerous conceptual frame works and studies have been put frontward outlining firm’s choice on the way to establish internationalization procedure Whitelock (2002) and Andersen (1997). In prior studies related to the strategic management and international business have investigated a lot about the performance inference of the globally diversification strategies. However there is less work done on the performance inference of the globalization strategies related to the entrepreneurship and firm related literature. It has been empirically tested and argued by several researchers that better firms performance is related with the better level of global diversification for example Daniels and Bracker (1989), Tallman and Li (1996), Grant (1987) and Kim, Hwang and Burgers (1993). Barringer and Greening (1998) argued that one of the most important paths for the firm’s growth is geographic expansion. This type of growth strategy is relatively much important for SMEs whose scope has been confined geographically. According to Zahra, Ireland, and Hitt, (2000) the larger volume of growth and production of firms can be achieved by expanding customer bases by going into new markets. Furthermore in different geographic areas of the world, markets prevails different conditions. Firms can get high rate of return on their assets and can take advantage on market imperfection by leveraging their assets in dissimilar markets. SMEs will have to expand across the border markets to get better opportunities and better rate of returns to their assets. Milinaric (2010) has focuse... ...ee hypotheses were developed through extensive literature review. H1: Location specific factors are positively related with firm’s foreign market performance. H2: Firm specific factors are positively related with firm’s foreign market performance. H3: Owner specific factors are positively related with firm’s foreign market performance. Theoretical Framework FLO-FE model Measurement Before conducting regression analyses, data reduction was performed for factor analysis. The Firm specific factors, Location specific factors and Owner specific factors were measured on 5 point Liker scale. Ranking started from â€Å"1= strongly disagree† to â€Å"5= strongly agree. The responses to the Foreign entry performance questions ranged from â€Å"1=Much Worse† to â€Å"5=Much better†. To determine the internal reliability of the variables, cronbach’s alpha was run.

How To Make Your Car Shine Essay

Detailing a car is like art. You start off with a filthy car. Put some hard work and sweat into it. You, the artist, can turn it into a masterpiece! When I was a young boy, I would help my Dad detail his car every weekend. When I was fifteen, I got my driver’s permit and started detailing cars. I made a simple flyer with colored wording and flashy pictures of exotic sports cars and posted it in my neighborhood. At sixteen with my driver’s license and a car, my business took off. I have quite a bit of experience detailing cars and would like to share with you how to do it step by step. To detail a car properly, you must first start by doing a thorough cleaning of the interior, exterior, and finally by clay barring and waxing it. The first thing to do is to make sure you have a shaded area to work in, so your car won’t water spot while drying it. Having a garage is ideal. Remember to keep hydrated if it’s hot. Open all the doors and trunk. Remove any floor mats and give the carpet and upholstery a good vacuuming. While vacuuming use a skinny nozzle on the tube of the vacuum, so you can get in the hard to reach places, for instance in between the seat and center console and the under the seats and in between the seat crevasses. A lot of times when you vacuum sand is the most difficult to get out because it’s so small. There is also a lot of pebbles and dirt that get stuck in between the crevasses. It just requires diligence and patience with the vacuum to get this pesky filth out. Next wash the floor mats. If they’re rubber, use a brush and soap. Move the front seats full fore and aft to get to all the accumulated dirt and loose change. If the carpets are clean, except for a minor stain or two, use a foaming cleaner to get the stains out. Saturate the stain with cleaner, working it in with a damp sponge. Let it sit awhile and then blot it out with paper towels or a dry cotton cloth. When you remove the stains from the carpet a lot of times the cloth will turn brown or whatever the color of the stain is. That is a good indication to know if the stain is coming out. Repeat if necessary, and then go over the area with a damp sponge before final blotting. Don’t over saturate the carpet and risk getting mildew. Next move onto the seats of the car. If the seats are made of cloth, just do a thorough vacuuming. If there are stains you wish to remove, I recommend using a foam carpet and upholstery cleaner. Some good brands for that product are Armor All and Meguiars. If the car seats are leather, use a leather cleaner/ conditioner. I recommend using Ice Total Interior Care. It is great for all interior surfaces including leather, vinyl, and even carpet stains. It cleans and conditions and doesn’t leave a slippery residue or smell. Apply the cleaner to a microfiber cloth or cotton cloth. But microfiber is the best. Then do circular motions on the seats. Leather seats tend to accumulate elbow grease, which makes lighter colored seats brown and gives it that greasy feeling. So it is good to be thorough and use generous amounts of leather cleaner/ conditioner. The color will be the same when it comes off on to the cloth. You may need to do a lot of rubbing and circular motions, to remove the grease/ dirt. Also it is good to fold over the cloth and use the clean side because you don’t want to rub off the dirt on the dirty side back on to the seat. Make sure you cover all the seats surfaces thoroughly to achieve maximum cleanliness. Frequently add more interior cleaner to the cloth and check the color of the cloth, as it will turn to a brown or black color depending on how dirty the seat is. It is good to fold the cloth to the other side so that you don’t wipe dirt back on to the seats from the dirty side. In worst case scenarios you may have to use more than one cloth. Also wipe down the dashboard real good because those tend to get dusty. In some instances some leather seats are really old and can be dry and cracked. I recommend using a leather conditioner and apply generously. Next move on to the windows. Use two clean microfiber cloths. I recommend using a product called Invisible Glass, because it is clean and easy to use and leaves hardly any residue. Spray the glass cleaner onto the cloth and wipe the windows thoroughly. Then use the second cloth to wipe off the excess film residue. Windows are tricky because you can’t always see film residue. You have to go back and check them and wipe again. My recommendation is work in good lighting. The last step in detailing the interior is to get q-tips. Dip them in water and get in between the air vents and all the small corners and crevasses because there will probably be dust in there. You will be surprised how black the q-tips turn if your air vents haven’t been cleaned in awhile. The next step is to clean the exterior of the car. To do this you will need a bucket, car wash soap (don’t use dishwasher soap as it will strip the car of wax), a sponge, brush and a lug nut brush. Start off by spraying down the rims. Sometimes rims have a lot of break dust that gives it a black color. This is especially common on European sports cars like BMWs, which are notorious for this. If your rims are really dirty and have a lot of brake dust, that’s hard to remove. I recommend using a tire and rim cleaner, which is a foam or spray that you put on the rims that helps to loosen the dirt. Use the sponge to clean the rims. Make sure you get the corners double-check them because rims with complex designs make it easy to miss a spot. Use the brush for the tires and lug nut brush to get in between the lug nuts. When removing brake dust using a sponge from the kitchen is the best because it’s small and easy to get into the small crevasses. Brake dust gets baked into the rims from the sun and heat. Which makes it annoyingly hard to get out. I like to use a sponge where half of it is rough, and the other half is smooth. Lightly use the rough side of the sponge and make light small circular motions on the stubborn brake dust to remove it, and that usually doest the trick. Then spray down the car and wash the car with the carwash soap and sponge. Make sure to frequently spray down the car, as you don’t want the water to dry on the car and cause water spots. Then move the car inside and dry with a good-quality chamois or a soft thick-nap terry cloth towel. Open all the doors and the trunk and use the cloth to wipe off the water inside the spaces and corners. Then you can spray tire shine on to the tires to make it look jet-black. Finally its time to clay bar and wax. This is the most tiring part of the process, but is also the most rewarding, because it makes the biggest difference in your car’s finish. Clay barring removes all the contaminants from your paint that are stuck onto the clear coat. These contaminants make your paint feel rough. These contaminants include deposits from acid rain, bird poop, dust, and tree sap. Clay barring makes the paint as smooth as glass and makes it shiny. The kit you need for doing this is called Meguiars Clay Barring Kit. First start by spraying the quick detail bottle evenly onto the paint surface. Use the bar of clay with back and forth motions until the bar starts to move freely across the paint. Frequently check the clay, as it will get dirty from picking up all the contaminants. Fold the clay over to a clean side and pinch off the real dirty pieces. When the car feels smooth, use a microfiber cloth to buff the paint. It should feel smooth as glass. Lastly use wax to protect your paint and give it the ultimate finish. I highly recommend using Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Polish because it goes on clear and doesn’t leave white dust. Use an applicator pad to apply the wax evenly on parts of the car. I like to wax half the car at a time. Then let it dry for a few minutes and then wipe it off with a microfiber cloth. Detailing a car is not an easy job and that is why many people pay someone to do it for them. The reason I detail cars is, because people pay well for car detailing services. If you follow the steps above, you will probably put in two to three hours or more and your car should be smooth and sparkling. When I return it to a customer and see the smile on their face and receive great compliments I receive great satisfaction knowing that the job was well done. Plus I am greatly rewarded with hard cash! I hope these instructions help you to achieve great car detailing!

Red from Green Essay Example

Red from Green Essay Example Red from Green Essay Red from Green Essay Red from Green by Maile Meloy Being a teenager, growing up, is not easy. There are a lot of things to think about and many feelings to relate to. You have to make some decisions and that is not always easy either, even if they sound easy. A decision could be what to wear for a party or it could be bigger decisions that will have influence on your life. The story, Red from Green, is mainly set on the river and in the woods beside it, where Sam, her father, her uncle Harry and one of her uncles clients called Layton are on a float trip. It is set in July and the weather is hot and sunny. However in the end of the story we are at home with Sam and her father. Sam Turner, the main character in Red from Green, is a fifteen year old girl, who lives alone with her father, because her mother died when she was young. She is going to be a sophomore in the fall and her father gave her the idea of applying to a boarding school, where she has been admitted, but Sam is not completely sure whether she wants to accept the offer or not. It is a very difficult decision for her to make. In the summer she goes on a float trip with her father, Harry and Layton. On this float trip Sam experiences something she has not tried before. Layton shows some interest in her, and that is very new to her and she does not really like it. He is, after all, a grown man. Sams father is absent a few times on the float trip. He leaves Sam alone with Layton, and that gives Layton the possibility to show this interest in Sam. It hurts Sam that her father abandons her, and when they get home, she decides to accept the ffer and go to the boarding school. Sam and her fathers relationship evolve through the story. In the beginning it is okay but they do not really talk that much with each other. Sams father is not really there and he leaves her alone with Layton which she dislikes, and it makes her a bit angry at her father. As the story continues their relationship does not improve much. But in the end of the story, when Sam and her father are home again, their relationship gets better, because when Sam tells her father, that she has accepted the offer from the oarding school, he gets sad because he will miss her a lot when she is not around. When Sam hears this, she regrets her decision a bit, because deep down, she loves her father very much and do not want to leave him alone, like he did to her on the float trip. The theme in Red from Green is growing up. Sam is fifteen and inexperienced. When Layton makes a pass at her it scares her a bit, and that is also why she gets angry at her father for leaving her alone with him. Sam is in a part of her life where, in some cases she is treated like an adult, but in some cases like a child. I think that she still sees herself as a child, because she thinks that it sound very old, that she is going to be a sophomore in the fall. Another theme is Sam and her fathers relationship, and how it evolves through the story. Another thing that develops through the story is her and I think that makes her realise that she is not a little girl anymore. The title of the story, Red from Green, could be referring to Sam. When an apple or tomato ripens it goes from green to red, and from being unripen to become ripen. The same happens with Sam through the story. She goes from being immature and seeing herself as a child to being more mature. In the story Layton catches a fish, and Sams father says that it is too small but still takes it, and put in their cooler. The fish could be symbolising Sam and her father could be alluding that she is too young. But the fact that Sams father takes the fish anyway, could symbolise that he, in a way accepts what Layton does with his daughter. Sam also sleeps alone in a burrow and that could be symbolising that she is already separated from her father. In the beginning of the story Sam relies a lot on her father and lets him take care of things. Sam knew that her father wouldnt tolerate poaching, so she left it for him to take care of. But in the end of the story, she makes her own decisions and relies on herself. Then she went into the house and filled out the final form for the scholarship to boarding school, and in the morning she put it in the mail In the evening, when Sams father makes margaritas for them all, he makes a virgin, without alcohol for Sam, and Layton asks for a virgin too. Here, Layton could be referring to Sam. Sams father was making enchiladas, and chipping ice for margaritas with a pick. He made one without tequila for Sam. Layton asked for a virgin, too In conclusion, Sam is a young girl, who gets more mature, when she experiences a grown man showing interest in her, which makes her realise that she is not a little girl anymore. Sam also finds out, that her father will not always be there for her, and she has to take responsibility for herself and her life. This makes Sam accept the offer she has got from a boarding school, which is a big and difficult decision for her to make.

World Literature Paper, Odyssey Essays

World Literature Paper, Odyssey Essays World Literature Paper, Odyssey Essay World Literature Paper, Odyssey Essay Essay Topic: Back in the World Stories The Odyssey The Effects of the Gods on Fate in Epics and Tragedies Michael Moloney In both tragedies and epic poems, the gods affect fate in various ways. The epic I will be investigating is The Odyssey. The tragedy I will investigate is Oedipus the King. The gods affect fate in differently throughout these two stories. Since both these stories were written by the ancient Greeks, they perfectly exemplify the Greek religious value that the gods controlled life. The gods control the events of the plot and push the characters towards their ultimate ends, both the heroic, and the tragic.In the Odyssey, the gods directly put in motion the major events of the plot. They directly interfere with the lives of Odysseus, his men, and the Cyclops. â€Å"The strong god glittering left her as he spoke, and new her lady, having given head to Zeus’s mandate, went to find Odysseus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  -Page 753 In this passage, Hermes was sent by Zeus to Calypso’s island to free Odysseus. This supports m y statement because if it wasn’t for the actions of Hermes and Zeus, Odysseus never would have left Calypso’s island, the entire story never would have been told, and Odysseus’s fate never would have been fulfilled. Now Zeus the Lord of Cloud roused in the North a storm against the ships†¦we saw death in that fury, dropped the yard†¦and pulled for the nearest lee. † -Page 757 Because of Zeus’s interference, they were disoriented and accidentally sailed to the Lotus Eaters’ Island. By doing this, Zeus set in motion the events that led to everything else in the story and Odysseus and his men had to pass through all their other trials and tribulations on the way back to Ithaca. â€Å"Now comes the weird  upon me, spoken of old.A wizard, grand and wondrous, lived here†¦ and these things he foretold for time to come:     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   my great eye lost, and at Odysseus’ hands. † -Page 769, Polyphemus I n this passage, Polyphemus, the Cyclops, reveals a prophecy involving him. When the gods blew Odysseus and his crew off-course, and they landed on the island, they fulfilled the Cyclops’s fate. In Oedipus the King, the gods influence fate more indirectly than directly. They mainly utilize the blind prophet Tieresias as a way to enact their will without being directly involved in Oedipus’s life. â€Å"What is to come will come, even if it is shrouded in darkness. -Page 20, Tieresias This quote illustrates the inevitability of fate. It doesn’t explicitly support my thesis, until you take into account that â€Å"what is to come† is Oedipus’s fate, which is being propelled by a prophecy of Apollo. â€Å"He will be revealed as brother and father of the children with whom he now lives, the son and husband of the woman who gave him birth, the murderer and marriage partner of his father. † Page 27, Tieresias In this quote, Tieresias reveals one of his prophecies. Since Oedipus is the person that this prophecy applies to, it leads to many major events in the plot.These include Oedipus discovering his fate, Jocasta killing herself, and Oedipus blinding himself. Without Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi, none of these events would have occurred. â€Å"Oh god, it has all come true! Light, let this be the last time I see you. I stand revealed born in shame, married in shame, an unnatural murderer. † -Page 69, Oedipus In this section Oedipus realized that the prophecy came true, and that due to the gods, he fulfilled the fate that he desperately tried to avoid. In The Odyssey and Oedipus the King, the gods affect fate in similar ways as well.This next portion of my paper will address several common links between the two stories. â€Å"Oh Father Zeus and gods in bliss forever, punish Odysseus’s men. So overweening, now they have killed my peaceful kine, my joy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   at morning when I climbed the sky of stars,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and evening, when I bore westward from heaven. Restitution or penalty they shall pay- and pay in full- or I go down forever to light the dead men in the underworld. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  -Page 786, Helios When Odysseus’s crew killed and ate the Cattle of the Sun, Helios asked Zeus to punish them. Zeus killed them all with a lightning bolt, fulfillingTieresias’s prophecy. This links it to Oedipus because Oedipus was also a victim of a prophecy. â€Å"As for the murderer himself, I call down a curse on him, whether that unknown figure be one man, or one among many. † -Page 15, Oedipus â€Å"O hear me, lord, blue girdler of the islands†¦grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   see his home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Page 770, Polyphemus These two stories link The Odyssey and Oedipus because in the first passage, Oedipus is calling down a curse on the murderer, asking the gods to punish him; and in the second passage Polyphemus is asking Poseidon, his father, to punish Odysseus.Now, because of all this evidence, it is clear that without the involvement of the gods, the fates of these two characters would never have come true, and many important events in the plot never would have happened. Whether direct or indirect, the gods are a major engine in moving the plot along. They operate through nature, and direct involvement, as well as prophecies and curses. The gods, no matter how they do it, affect fate throughout epics and tragedies.

Sustainability issues of using [material X] Essay

Sustainability issues of using [material X] - Essay Example Although some of these resources such as trees, wildlife, and soil fertility can possibly be restore through improved conservation measures, some of the resources that are provided by nature are irreversible and they consumption reduces their availability (Lee, & Ofori-boateng, 2013). For instance, oil and fossil resources are non-renewable natural resources that get depleted with time. Even the recycling of other minerals and resources in the surrounding is likely to suffer from lack of adequate energy for the recycling process. For this reason, it is important to note that the sustainability of other resource and natural endowment heavily depend on the sustainability and the existence of energy that is extracted from the fossil deposits. Although the energy conservation organizations are encouraging a shift in the energy sector with renewable energy sources being preferred as the replacement of the traditional non-renewable energy sources such as oil and petroleum products, this pr oposed shifting would only be possible with sustainability of fossil deposits (Sullivan, 2009). The overreliance on fossil and particularly oil product as the primary source of energy and fuel has adversely affected the capacity of these resources and thus raising questions about their ability to sustain the faster growing global population over the next decade. Despite the economic value and contribution to the economic growth and development in general, oil and petroleum resources are likely to be fully exhausted with the ores running dry. It is therefore important for cheaper and sustainable alternative be explored to relieve oil and petroleum resources from this over-exploitation. The sustainability of the fast growing human population is determined the adequate food production, a factor that also need energy resources to be realized. Unlike in the last century when there was production boom in the agricultural sector given that the dumped vast petroleum resources to support agr icultural productivity (such as petroleum driven pesticides and chemicals), today, there is global hunger and starvation (Lee, & Ofori-boateng, 2013). The produces from these farms are then channeled and transported to other destinations for feed the hungry through the use of fossil fuel powered engines such as trains, ships, trucks, and planes. This implies that there is relationship between the sustainability of the oil production and food products that are the primary the source of sustainability for the human general in the coming days. The excessive use of these resource have posed more problem to the world; including global warming that further threaten the exploitation of oil and petroleum products (Vincenzo & Nicola, 2010). Therefore, the sustainability of the oil products depends on how effective these resources are exploited and run. Given the importance of these oil and petroleum products to the economy, emphasis should be given to these non-renewable products. Issues of Relying on Oil Products Although oil and petroleum products account for over 80% of the global energy sources, the future of these energy products raises a lot of questions (Sullivan, 2009). The use of these products is associated with a number of environmental sustainability issues such as pollution. Pollution is the major concern on the consumption of these valuable products that have a number

Leadership in Customer Service Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership in Customer Service - Article Example There are so many kinds and interpretations of a leader, but which one does it take to make a customer-service-driven business successful? Leadership needs to have a vision of what is wanted to achieve. Leaders possess not only this but are driven by passion—the strength and the energy to work against the odds to achieve the vision (Williams, 2005). Great leaders delegate and empower. Leaders do not just pin point on people and tell them what to do instead they create structure, allocate responsibility, help create systems, provide support and training and resources, and empower subordinates to make decisions thus making them feel significant in the business group. Through empowerment, a leader is set differently from an authoritarian. A leader does not dictate but respect employees and treats these people as customers as well. Great leaders sometimes have to take tough decisions but there's always respect for the subordinates (Williams, 2005). Workers are encouraged to: participate in the action plan; develop awareness of the goals; participate in the change plan; have reasonable expectations and attitude. Communication flow is always open to a leader and is never one way. Successful business leaders are always keeping their people informed thus key performance indicators are displayed; targets are set, accomplished and celebrated. Everyone is made to feel as part of a community to create a sense of unity (Williams, 2005). A leader motivates people to do what is important and leads an example. There's a famous story about a group of visitors to Disney who was walking in the Magic Kingdom when they saw a grey-haired man walk out of his way to pick up a piece of litter. One of the members of the group approached the man and asked, "How many custodians are there here?" The man replied, "45,000". The guest was surprised at so many.