Thursday, October 31, 2019

Letter To The Editor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter To The Editor - Essay Example The analysis includes the intergenerational equity, the uncertainty of the imminent happenings, and the irreversible nature of the changes in the environment and the adoption of sustainable development. The components depict an important study that is beneficial to humans and their coexistence with the environment that is available in the earth.Societal steps to move from an empty world to a full world The whole global system requires that society equates the production rates with the depreciation rates. The instances call for a demographic transition that is for both humans and people. The other important step is the emphasis on the qualitative sector of the economy. The case implies to the society having more use of the technology and the service industry. The case will reduce the pressure on the environment. The investments, on the other hand, should also be with a focus on quality improvement or replacement of the same. The taxes that are prevalent in the society also need to cha nge. The taxing should be on value addition rather than the taxing worker and business incomes.The instance of labor-intensive employment should replace new production jobs. Individuals should transform into business owners. The situation will ensure they earn their income from a share of the company rather than working on a full-time basis.The role of eco-economics is a necessity. The political nature of the subject makes the ruling system to favor a system that gives room for the natural laws to be in effect.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Writing suggestions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing suggestions - Essay Example Therefore, the challenge of every young adult like me is to find out for himself what good a particular group can bring him and how he can use it in his life. Perhaps, the most influential group I have ever been a part of has always been my family. My family is a big one, an extended family that somehow dictated my every decision even which school I should go to, or which woman I should marry, or which people I should not make friends with, and even which political view I should adopt. My aunts and uncles in both my mother and father sides were highly opinionated people and extremely argumentative too, and sometimes even to the point of being overly critical. Perhaps, it is because they are professionals – lawyers, professors, doctors, and engineers. Since my family values respect for the elderly and since I knew that these people are used to others agreeing with their opinion, I have learned how to be humble, passive and submissive whenever I encountered my older family membe rs. It was necessary for me to say â€Å"yes† to them whenever they asked me to do an errand or whenever they gave me some advice on anything – even if it was ridiculous. Another group to which I believe I have particularly belonged for a long time is my group of friends at my high school, with whom I still communicate until now. They have mostly gone to other universities but they have been the most supportive to me during my high school years. Whereas my family only severely criticized me whenever I did poorly on any particularly subject in high school, my friends then distracted me from my frustrations and disappointments with my family. Had I not paid attention to their distractions and had I only focused on the destructive criticisms, I would be taking drugs now. Nevertheless, thanks to my friends in high school – they got me into sports and backpacking. At least, my mind had earned itself a well-deserved break from the constant nagging of my self-righteous family members. With my high school group of friends, there were only just two easy ways to adapt – to play sports and to be myself. Basketball and soccer were as easy to me as having breakfast in the morning so it was not much of a challenge. Ironically, being myself was harder for I grew up in a family where I had to please everyone to the point of assuming a whole new different character. Nevertheless, my family is obviously a more superior group to my high school friends in terms of rules. Another group who I believe has influenced me much is my three friends from our neighborhood. I got these three male friends from the neighborhood who are almost the same age with me and who are also into sports. These three young men are actually extremely dependent on their very supportive parents to the point of being spoiled. In fact, they belong to this group of people who just want to spend their time away, even waste it, thinking they got their parents to back them up all the ti me. They would usually treat me to some coffee, Gatorade or some Caesar’s salad, as they are all health buffs. Actually, I have nothing to do except to remain below their financial level – that is the only silent requirement for the group. They are three proud and egoistic men who think that no one in this world can equal them. Nevertheless, these three people taught me confidence, and taught me that I had my own free will all along. Somehow, I also needed this to balance the pressure that my family would sometimes impose on me. Although these three young men are not professionals yet just like my aunts and uncles, I believe they are superior in terms of mental and emotional freedom. Society and rules silently control my family members and govern their emotions and reactions, while my three friends are indifferent to a

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Pulse Oximetry For Anaesthesia In Veterinary Practices Biology Essay

Pulse Oximetry For Anaesthesia In Veterinary Practices Biology Essay Pulse oximetry is one of the most commonly used pieces of monitoring equipment for anaesthesia in veterinary clinics today. Using a pulse oximeter allows us to monitor the percentage of haemoglobin (Hb) which is saturated with oxygen in a non-invasive way, allowing us to detect hypoxia before the patient is visibly cyanotic. The pulse oximeter consists of a probe attached to the patient (usually tongue, ear, or prepuce/vulva) which is linked to a computerised unit. The unit displays the percentage of Hb saturated with oxygen and a calculated heart rate, often with an audible signal for each pulse beat. Some units also have a graphical display of the blood flow past the probe called a plethysmograph. The pulse oximeter is able to determine the percentage of haemoglobin saturated with oxygen, commonly referred to as SpO2, by emitting red and infrared light from the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on one side of the probe, which travels through the tissue (or reflects off depending on the probe type) to the photodiode on the other side of the probe. The machine analyses the light that reaches the photodiode and is able to detect subtle differences in the absorption of light by oxyhaemoglobin and deoxyhaemoglobin. As these differ in absorption levels, the amount of red and infrared light absorbed by blood is related to haemoglobin oxygen saturation. The pulse oximeter can calculate the heart rate as it detects the pulsations as the volume of arterial blood in the tissue changes during the pulsative cycle, affecting light absorption. Adequate oxygenation is essential at all times for the body to perform its metabolic processes. The heart and brain are the bodys biggest consumers of oxygen, and if oxygenation levels decrease to critical levels, tissue damage occurs extremely quickly. Oxygen travels in the blood in two forms as unbound oxygen dissolved in plasma and as oxygen that is bound to the haemoglobin. In healthy patients breathing room air (which contains approximately 21% oxygen), oxygen dissolved in plasma equates to a very small percentage of the total oxygen in the blood (most texts list this as less than 1.5%), and the majority of blood oxygen is bound to haemoglobin (the remaining 98.5%). Measuring and monitoring oxygenation via pulse oximetry is very useful as it is monitoring the oxygen that is bound to haemoglobin, which is what is utilised by the body for normal cell function. Monitoring SpO2 however does not give you a good indication of how well the patient is ventilating (or breathing) for itself, especially during anaesthesia. A common mistake veterinary nurses make is to presume that if a patient has a SpO2 of 95% or higher under anaesthesia, then it is breathing adequately. We can get lulled into a false sense of security by having a good saturation figure when the patients respiration is completely inadequate. There are two main functions of respiration, one is getting oxygen out of the air and into the body, and the other is getting carbon dioxide out of the body and into the air. It possible for the patient to be getting enough oxygen into their body but not being able to get rid of enough carbon dioxide, so the SpO2 will show a good reading, but the patient may be hypercapnic (elevated levels of carbon dioxide). A capnograph should be used to measure end tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) levels and assess patient respiration. Partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) is a measurement of the levels of unbound oxygen in the plasma, and as discussed above, makes up a small percentage of the total oxygen in the blood. However PaO2 is important as it influences the saturation of haemoglobin because there must be an adequate level of dissolved oxygen in the blood to be available to bind to the haemoglobin. It is also important to understand that oxygen saturation and PaO2 are linked (when one goes up the other goes up and vice versa), however it does not have a direct linear correlation. As PaO2 decreases, the saturation level decreases slowly at first, but then decreases rapidly (see table **). In a patient which is breathing room air, the PaO2 is about 100mmHg, whereas for a patient breathing 100% oxygen (as for anaesthesia), their Pa02 is around 500mmHg and SpO2 is 100%. If this patient has a PaO2 drop to 100mmHg (a drop of 400mmHg) their SpO2 will drop to around 98%. If a further drop to 80mmHg occurs, their SpO2 will drop to around 95%. After this point, the SpO2 will start a more dramatic drop; if PaO2 drops to 60mmHg (another 20mmHg drop) will mean their SpO2 will be about 90%. A further drop of 20mmHg to a PaO2 of 40mmHg, the saturation will go from 90% to 75%. In practical application, when monitoring SpO2 in a normal healthy dog or cat, it should be 95-100%. Levels between 90-95% must be investigated, and critical values for oxygen saturation are below 90%.Simply, this means that the total oxygen available to the body decreases very little when partial pressures are above 80mmHg (Spo2 of 95%), however they decrease rapidly below this level, such as patients with lung disease, lack of oxygen, inadequate ventilation etc. Practically put, if you patient has a Sp02 of 90-95% this can indicate hypoxaemia and must be investigated as your patients haemoglobin is not fully saturated. If your patient has a Sp02 of less than 90%, then immediate therapy must be initiated oxygen if not receiving already, ventilation assistance etc. Sp02 of 85% or below for more than 30 seconds is considered an emergency. Placing the SpO2 Probe There are two main types of probes available on the market transmission or reflective. Transmission probes are the most common, and are usually mounted in a clip. These are generally used on the tongue, pinna, toe webbing, vulva or prepuce, or any other area that is thin and relatively hairless. Reflective probes have the light source and sensor side by side and are often taped to the base of the tail after it has been clipped, or covered and inserted into the oesophagus or rectum. When placing rectally, it is important to ensure that there are no faeces between the sensor and the rectum wall. Tongue, Cheeks, Prepuce, Vulva With tongues, start at the tip and work your way toward the base. Always direct the light downward, toward the floor; regardless of the animals position to reduce the effects of ambient light (ambient light will affect accuracy). For patient comfort, keep the tongue moist during longer procedures by applying a dampened gauze swab between the tongue and the probe. Do not have the gauze too thick as it can alter the reading by impeding the light transmission. To get a better reading on smaller tongues, bring the sides of the tongue up and pass the light through both layers. Do not fold the tip of the tongue, as you will restrict blood flow to the tongue. The same principals apply to placing the probe on the cheek, prepuce or vulva. Hock Moisten the hock area with isopropyl alcohol and/or water, and clip hair if needed. Pinna (Ear) The probe can be placed on the ear using the same technique as the tongue. Long haired animals may need a patch shaved first for the sensor to work correctly. Toes Probes can be placed on the metatarsals or metacarpals or in the webbing between them. Tail Place the reflective probe on the ventral base of the tail. The LEDs should be positioned dorsally. You may need to clip a small patch of hair, only large enough for the LEDs to lay on the skin. Be sure the skin is clean. Hold the sensor snugly against the tail and wrap with non-adhesive wrap. Poor SpO2 Readings When you detect a poor or low saturation reading, it is vital that you check the patient before you check the machine. Make sure your patient is stable by assessing all vital signs. Pulse oximeters need a strong regular pulse where the probe is located. If there is only a weak pulse, the pulse oximeter may display a reading but it might not be accurate. Most pulse oximeters have a pulse strength indicator as a bar graph and this should be used to ascertain whether you have correct placement. If the clip of the probe is too strong, this can also affect your reading by constricting the blood flow in front of the sensor. If this is the case, swapping the clip for a more gentler one is the best option, otherwise reposition the sensor to somewhere that can take the pressure (this will usually be thicker). An irregular signal caused by an irregular heartbeat or by the patient moving, shivering or fitting can cause problems for a pulse oximeter. If a patient moves too much, try relocating the probe to another location. Ambient light may be too bright for the sensor to operate correctly. Theatre lights can especially cause issues. Any sensor that is located in bright light should have a drape placed over it to reduce light contamination for more accurate readings. Do not place the sensor is on the same limb as a blood pressure cuff, the blood flow restriction from the cuff during measurement will interfere with the pulse oximeter sensor operating correctly. Other factors that can affect SpO2 readings include pigmented skin either normal pigment or jaundiced patients; peripheral vasoconstriction eg hypothermia, shock, drug-induced; or excess hair can cause interference and should be clipped away to allow the probe to sit directly against the skin. Wetting down with alcohol can also help with excess hair when you are not allowed to clip. Pulse Oximeter Maintenance Read your manufacturers instructions regarding the care of your pulse oximeter and probe. For infection control, you should always wipe the probe sensor and clip between patients. Most sensors can be surface-cleaned by wiping with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Do not immerse the sensor in liquid unless the manufacturer instructions state immersion is possible. After each cleaning and prior to each use, inspect the sensor and cable for fraying, cracking, breakage, or other damage. Inspect the clip for cracking or breakage, or loss of spring tension that would allow slippage or movement of the sensor from its proper position. If defects are noted, do not use the sensor or clip as it may provide an inaccurate reading. When used properly, pulse oximeters are an easy to use and readily available piece of monitoring equipment especially for anaesthesia, however it is important to note that they do not replace hands-on monitoring, and are not a valid method of assessing whether a patients respiration is adequate, as they provide a late indication of respiratory issues.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Josef Stalin :: essays research papers

Josef Stalin was born with the name Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili on December 21st, 1897 in. As a young boy he was nicknamed "Soso". He had a sickly childhood, with disease and poverty taking a toll on his life. He was the only child of his parents that lived past infancy. He had dark hair, yellow eyes, and a ruddy complexion and stood just 5 feet 4 inches. Stalin then went on to serve in the military, but his rise to power came after he ousted Leon Trotsky. Then Stalin began great purges where he would sweep through the people beneath him and kill anyone he suspected was not 100% loyal to him. Very few people beneath Stalin stayed there for long. Stalin then started several five-year plans. Soon the USSR was a superpower, and it was because Stalin brought them there. When the German armies attacked the USSR in June 1941, Stalin, after suffering a brief nervous collapse, personally took command of the Soviet armed forces. With the help of a small defense committee (war cabinet), he made all major military, political, and diplomatic decisions throughout the war. He pursued victory with increasing skill, determination, and courage, by staying on in the Kremlin when Hitler's armies stood at the gates of Moscow, ordering a fantastic shifting of industrial plants from European Russia to the east, arranging for lend-lease from the Western powers, selecting more and more first-rate military commanders, and developing increasingly effective military strategy, including the remarkable counteroffensives at Moscow, Stalingrad, and Kursk. He under girded the strength and morale of his people by fostering their traditional religious and patriotic sentiments, and conducting adroitly the complicated diplomacy from the Teheran conference to Potsdam. Of course, vi ctory could not have been achieved without the patriotism and fortitude of the Russian people, the quality and skill of the Soviet military professionals, the efforts of the USSR's allies, and the enormous political and military miscalculations of Hitler. In 1945, at the end of the war, there was a general expectation that in the USSR, which had shown itself to be one of the world's truly great powers, the despotic system of rule and institutional rigidities would disappear or at the least be tempered. Instead, Stalin and his men restored almost completely the pre-war system, molded the occupied countries of eastern Europe in the Stalinist image and placed them under Moscow's control, and entirely isolated the whole bloc of Communist nations from the West.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Over-dependence on technology Essay

Over-dependence on technology The reliance on technology is expected and necessary because the technology is designed to be a flexible tool supporting work activities. This reliance is expected and necessary if the technology is to realize the potential for which it is designed. This fundamentally differs from over dependence on technology, in which those using technological innovations no longer treat them as flexible tools to support work activities, but instead make incorrect assumptions about how these systems work, and begin to rely on them, without question or skepticism, to manage critical work activities. he theory of technological determinism holds that technology is the prime force in initiating social change, and that the introduction of new technology fundamentally shifts work activities, resulting in transformations of individuals and their social interactions as well as the organizations in which they work. 3 In contrast to this deterministic approach, the theory of social construction of technology posits that technology does not directly shape society; instead, the social context in which the technology is used determines how it is created, diffuses, and becomes part of the organization. 4 Both theories imply that the introduction of technology is associated with significant change; they differ in whether the change is initiated by the technology or the social context in which it is used. Regardless of the theoretical basis for understanding the change, it is reasonable to assume that some degree of dependence on any technological innovation will inevitably occur if the technology provides users with some perceived, relative advantage over whatever system it supersedes. 5 This reliance is expected and necessary if the technology is to realize the potential for which it is designed. This fundamentally differs from overdependence on technology, in which those using technological innovations no longer treat them as flexible tools to support work activities, but instead make incorrect assumptions about how these systems work, and begin to rely on them, without question or skepticism, to manage critical work activities. To answer the question â€Å"How does the introduction of CPOE create the potential for overdependence on technology in healthcare organizations?† we conducted a detailed analysis of  all references to overdependence on technology in our data. The results are presented here. However, some people are concerned by these developments. They point out all the failures made by computers that have done a lot of harm to people. Scientists fear that the vital skills can be lost by next generations as computer technology replaces traditional ways of working. Moreover, they predict the chaos that can occur when suddenly the systems fail to work or, what is worse, refuse to listen to people’s orders. That is why in my opinion, computers and other developments of technology are useful and there is no possibility to live without them nowadays, as we got to much used to them. However, we should also work to find the ways of making our dependence on technology less dangerous for us. New developments should appear only when really important and helpful for people.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Private and Public School in Pakistan Essay

Schooling from the very beginning is the first priority of every parent. Private schools in Pakistan have increased their number in no time, because the parents have completely inclined themselves towards the private schooling. Numerous reasons are there, but the few prominent ones are the quality of education and security. It is obvious that when a teacher is teaching a class of ten to twenty students, they can easily give time to each and every individual; this is what every parent is looking for. Second most importantly is the issue of security, as Pakistan nowadays is having terrorism allegations, and we have been a victim of terrorist activities since a very long time. So parents do have an issue with the security. Private schools take It as an advantage and provide more security guarantee as compared to public so they easily attract parents. I have personally seen guards and ayas taking care of children during recess and the time they leave for their rides. This is thing which every parent is looking for, that their child is in secure hands. On the other hand private schools assure healthy, neat and clean environment, which again forces the parents to incline towards them. My team paid visits to the some of the well reputed private schools and we witnessed the hygiene there and other stuff well managed. Every parent has a wish to groom their child in such a way that, when they grow up they make them proud in front of everyone. Private schools, with the help of their environment and teaching standards fulfill this dream of parents very effectively. Because of this parents don’t even hesitate paying expensive fee to the private schools, as they feel satisfied that they will have a fruit as yummy as they want. Government schools are present in abundance in our country. We see it as positive aspect that we have this much schools but don’t feel that we are lowering down the quality of education all by our self. Public schools lack quality education because the teachers their have to manage a class of more than fifty, which is already a mess. Adding on to that they have their job security with them so they are least bothered about the future of a child. This large chunk of students enrolled cause the student teacher interaction to lower down and thus they fail to produce good quality education. The teachers in public schools are least bothered about personal grooming of a child, again because of the job security given by the government. Moreover the class environment is not healthy at all. Visits by our team witnessed that there is no such thing as learning in a public school. The class environment, behavior of the teacher, students. Each and every thing was a mess. Some of the class rooms were having furniture issues. The class rooms were dark and not airy at all, which leaves a bad impact on a student for life. The security there was near to zero. The cafeteria was unbelievably murky. Nothing there in a public school was appropriate. So why parents would opt for a public school when they have a better choice. Only because they are cost effective. The fee there is almost nothing in front of that of a private school.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

You are too damn old to get an MBA

You are too damn old to get an MBA For all of my life I have been told how useless I am. My mother and father were alcoholics and drug users, who rode with one of the meanest motor cycle gangs in Hawaii. When I was four years old I was temporarily given to an aunt and uncle to be raised. By the time I returned at eight years old both my parents had started their withdrawals as they struggled to clean up their lives. As the oldest, I was put in charge of raising my four brothers and three sisters. By the time I was nine I had seen enough of life in Hawaii, so I bought a plane ticket and left for the mainland. After reading the note I had left for my parents, they promptly called my grandfather who lived in Los Angeles. My grandfather said "boy, if you want to see the world, I will show it to you."A rendition of the emblem on the flag of the U.S. ...With that statement made I started my life towards my MBA.What is in a person's life that designates him or her as being too old? One of the many uses of a calendar is to le t a person know that they have been on this planet for x amount of years, months, days, minute and seconds. Nowhere does it say that a person is old, this is just some sort of issue that we humans attach to a person after he or she have reached a certain number of years. But what is forgotten is the fact that as we climb the ladder of life, the rung below considers you to be old. The infant thinks the toddler is too old, the toddler thinks the student in kindergarten is too old, then onward to the elementary student, high school, college students and on...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Stratasys Company

Stratasys Company Five Forces Analysis It is necessary to note that Stratasys captured the value due to the innovative nature of the product and services provided as well due to the company’s approach. Remarkably, innovation is the core value of the organization as it was launched after Scott Crump’s (the founder of Stratasys) attempt to make a toy for his child in his kitchen (Stratasys is shaping our world, 2015).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stratasys Company How Value is Captured specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 2014, the company’s revenue was almost $750 million and the full year earnings per share was around $2 (McGrath, 2015). It is possible to implement the five forces analysis to understand the way the company captured the value. Supplier Power One of the powers that can affect the company’s performance is the supplier power. Notably, companies try to create a chain of vendors who have the n ecessary capacity as well certification to provide high-quality components (Gibson, Rosen Stucker, 2014). As has been mentioned above, the company was launched after its founder patented the principal element in the process of 3D printing. FDM is the process utilized to produce 3D elements from 3D CAD files, which is easy and efficient. Notably, the company can obtain materials for the development of its products from a broad range of suppliers. Therefore, Stratasys can easily change suppliers, which happened in the 2000s (Nelson, 2004). Vertical integration played a significant role in the creation of the favorable position of the organization that is not dependent on particular suppliers. Several mergers and acquisitions that have been implemented throughout the history of the company contributed to its vertical integration (Stratasys is shaping our world, 2015). Buyer Power Buyer power is a significant factor that has an impact on the development of the company. Stratasys focuse s on the provision of its products and services to large enterprises in such sphere as industry and medical as well as scientific research (see fig. 1). It is noteworthy that the business provides its products and services in such spheres as aerospace, automotive, architecture, dental, commercial and consumer products prototyping, education, entertainment, defense, medical device prototyping (Stratasys is shaping our world, 2015). Therefore, the buyer has quite limited power over Stratasys as there are still many customers, and the company’s position is favorable in this respect as well. However, those are big companies that can afford to buy such expensive technologies. Making their products more affordable for smaller businesses and even households will enable the company to gain a leading position in the market. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig. 1. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing State of the Industry. Source: (Srivatsan, Maningandan Sudarshan, 2015). Competitive Rivalry It is necessary to note that the market for 3D printing and additive technology is rapidly evolving. Thus, according to the recent report, the industry will grow up to $20 billion by 2020 (Srivatsan et al., 2015). It is also quite a competitive market as there are more than 60 companies worldwide providing â€Å"more than 66,000 professional-grade additive manufacturing systems for eight industrial sectors† (Srivatsan et al., 2015, p. 28). Nonetheless, Stratasys has been one of the leaders in the field, and it holds its position due to its efficient policy. The company has implemented a number of mergers and acquisitions. For instance, it merged with one of its competitors, Objet, and purchased another rival, MakerBot in the late 2000s (Sharma, 2013). This horizontal integration leads to the disappearance of serious competitors. It also strengthen s the company’s position in the market. Threat of Substitution The industry is quite new and, hence, the chances 3D technology can be substituted in the near future are quite slim. Importantly, although 3D printing is unlikely to replace 2D printing in the short- and even long-term perspective, the former will acquire more popularity in such spheres as architecture, entertainment, medical and scientific research and automotive industry. At the same time, there are new industries developing at a high pace. For instance, injection molding, CNC or laser cutting can be a serious threat to 3D printing (Lipson Kurman, 2013). Thus, CNC is associated with high accuracy and the use of the software employed in many companies (CAD and CAM). Laser cutting can also be more helpful than 3D printing in the development of many components. Development of components is automated and, therefore, highly efficient. Injection molding is a technology similar to 3D printing, and it has a significan t potential. These innovations enable people to optimize many processes (Handerson, 2004). The technologies are developing quite rapidly, and new applications are found. Therefore, Stratasys should take into account the threat associated with the innovations mentioned above. Otherwise, the organization can lose its leading position in the market. Threat of New Entry Clearly, like any developing market, the market of additive manufacture and 3D printing is characterized by the entrance of new players. There are high chances that new companies will enter the market and evolve into serious competitors (Srivatsan et al., 2015). Many smaller companies are unable to remain competitive due to the lack of the capital.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stratasys Company How Value is Captured specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, they are often merged. However, in some cases, rivals of the company collaborate, which lead s to enhancement of their positions in the market (Eisenhardt Galunic, 2000). It is also important to note that availability of skilled labor force enables companies to operate more efficiently. More so, the technological development provides a variety of opportunities, and new players can enter the market (Eisenhardt Brown, 1999). The industry is expanding as researchers identify various applications of 3D printing (Bassoli, 2007). However, if the company continues its efficient policy of vertical and horizontal integration, it will be able to keep its leading position. Capturing the Value The brief analysis provided shows that the major elements of the company’s capturing the value have been innovation, acquisitions, and mergers. The company develops new products and services. It also aims at the development of technologies available to wider audiences. Acquiring smaller (but successful) enterprises as well as merging with serious competitors, Stratasys has managed to rem ain one of the leaders in the field. The company has improved its operations through vertical as well as horizontal integration. Stratasys is trying to acquire the necessary facilities to achieve maximum vertical integration. For instance, the organization acquired the company producing thermoplastic materials, Interfacial Solutions (Stratasys strengthens materials development capabilities, 2014). It is noteworthy that Interfacial Solutions had been the company’s partner for several years. Thus, Stratasys acknowledged the efficiency of the facility and the acquisition of assets of this company contributed to the vertical integration of the leader in the market. There are various other small companies that can enable Stratasys to complete its vertical integration (Tranchard Rojas, 2015). As far as mergers are concerned, there are a few options at the moment. However, the company can enter various collaborations with such giants as HP, Microsoft, Google. Such collaboration hel ps companies to use innovative technology and strategy and benefit from the use of new approaches (Tushman Smith, 2002). It also gained the reputation of the reliable and responsible organization, which leads to the development of proper relationships with the company’s partners. It is important to add that the vast majority of enterprises in the industry also focus on innovation, which is the key to success in 3D printing and additive manufacture (ASTM additive manufacturing standards, 2015).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, IBM and HP, some of the primary competitors of Stratasys, have developed similar technologies and they also make steps in horizontal integration. It is possible to assume that the winner of the race will be the company that is the most successful in these two areas. Development of new products and services, as well as the search for new implications, will enable companies to gain (or keep) the leading position in the market. Uniqueness and Complementary Assets Apparently, uniqueness has played the central role in the development of the company as well as the entire industry. As far as the industry is concerned, it is possible to note that people got used to the printing technology, and 3D printing turned out to be revolutionary. Importantly, it had various implications. Such industries as automotive, architecture and commercial goods development benefited from the development of additive manufacture most. The primary buyers of the technology are companies involved in the aeros pace industry and medical (especially dental) research (Srivatsan et al., 2015). The prototypes could be detailed, and the production was automatized. Now, 3D technology is used for manufacturing purposes as well. When it comes to the company, its uniqueness also had an enormous impact on its development. Thus, the creation of FDM ensured a significant competitive advantage. Stratasys could provide high-quality products and services that were gaining immense popularity. The use of 3D technology in medicine and innovative approach of Stratasys contributed to the uniqueness of the company (Rengier, 2010). Importantly, speed is another essential element that contributed to the development of the industry. Additive manufacture provides such advantages as the reduction of waste and energy consumption, decreased marketing time, just-in-time production and so on. There is no need to spend months developing prototypes as people are now able to create a prototype within hours. Apparently, th is makes their products’ cost-effectiveness significantly higher. Moreover, in many cases, companies do not need to look for producers of certain elements of their products as they are capable of developing these components utilizing 3D printers. The company can also be characterized by a number of complementary assets that ensured its growth. First, Stratasys earned the reputation of an innovative and reliable company during its early years. This status encouraged many companies to buy from this firm rather than from its competitors who were less famous or reliable (Nelson, 2004). Apart from that, the company has developed efficient distributional channels, which can be seen as another important complementary asset (Gibson et al., 2014). The Minnesota-based company provides its products and services worldwide, which makes it one of the leaders in the market. Furthermore, the complementary asset of the company is the provision of co-producing power to the consumer (Gibson et al., 2014). The technology provides a broad range of possibilities to users of 3D printers as they can create new shapes quite easily. It is also important to add that the company has online stores that enable customers to purchase products easily. Another important complementary asset is the compatibility of the technology with such software as Windows, Linux and so on. Conclusion In conclusion, it is possible to note that Stratasys has been a leader in the field of additive manufacture and 3D technology due to its focus on innovation and vertical as well as horizontal integration. Clearly, the company has to take into account various threats such as new entrants and empowerment of competitors. The organization provides high-quality products that are gaining more and more popularity. Stratasys also plans to develop more affordable 3D printers that will expand the market significantly. Reference List ASTM additive manufacturing standards: What you need to know. (2015). Retrieved fro m https://www.stratasysdirect.com/blog/astm-standards/ Bassoli, E. (2007). 3D printing technique applied to rapid casting. Rapid Prototyping Journal, 13(3), 148-155. Eisenhardt, K., Brown, S. (1999). Patching: Restitching business portfolios in dynamic markets. Harvard Business Review, 1(1), 1-19. Eisenhardt, K., Galunic, C. (2000). Coevolving: At last, a way to make synergies work. Harvard Business Review, 78(1), 21-35. Gibson, I., Rosen, D., Stucker, B. Additive manufacturing technologies: 3D printing, rapid prototyping, and direct digital manufacturing. Atlanta, GA: Springer, 2014. Print. Handerson, R. (2004). Going for growth: Managing discontinuous innovation. New York, NY: Springer. Lipson, H., Kurman, M. (2013). Fabricated: The new world of 3D printing. New York, NY: John Wiley Sons. McGrath, M. (2015, February 3). Stratasys tanking more than 30% on slashed guidance. Forbes. Retrieved from forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2015/02/03/stratasys-tanking-more-than-30-on-slashe d-guidance/ Nelson, B. (2004, September 20). Almost out of the Woods. Forbes. Retrieved from forbes.com/forbes/2004/0920/208.html Rengier, F. (2010). 3D printing based on imaging data: review of medical applications. International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, 5(4), 335-341. Sharma, R. (2013, September 24). The real reason Stratasys bought MakerBot. Forbes. Retrieved from forbes.com/sites/rakeshsharma/2013/09/24/stratasys-bold-moves-a-conversation-with-company-chairman-scott-crump/ Srivatsan, T.S., Maningandan, K., Sudarshan, T.S. (2015). Additive manufacturing of materials: Viable techniques, metals, advances, advantages, and applications. In T.S. Srivatsan T.S. Sudarshan (Eds.), Additive manufacturing: Innovations, advances, and applications (pp. 1-49). Natick, MA: CRC Press. Stratasys is shaping our world. (2015). Retrieved from stratasys.com/corporate/about-us Stratasys strengthens materials development capabilities with the asset acquisition of Interfaci al Solutions. (2014). Retrieved from http://investors.stratasys.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=838064 Tranchard, S., Rojas, V. (2015). Manufacturing our 3D future. Retrieved from iso.org/iso/news.htm?refid=Ref1956 Tushman, M., Smith, W. (2002). Organizational technology: Technological change, ambidextrous organizations and organizational evolution. London, UK: Oxford University Press.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Acquisition is a High Risky Strategy

In the literature, several motives for takeovers have been identified. One is the desire for synergy. That is, similarities or complementarities between the acquiring and target firms are expected to result in the combined value of the enterprises exceeding their worth as separate firms (Collis and Montgomery, 1998). A second motive involves the expectation that acquirers can extract value because target companies have been managed inefficiently (Varaiya, 1987). A third motive is attributed to managerial hubris the notion that senior executives, in overestimating their own abilities, acquire companies they believe could be managed more profitably under their control. Agency theory motive is the anticipation that firm expansion will positively impact the compensation of top managers since there tends to be a direct relation between firm size and executive pay. Contemporary specialists contend that managerial ownership incentives may be expected to have divergent impacts on corporate strategy and firm value. This premise has been recognized in previous studies. For instance, Stulz (1988) has examined the ownership of managers of target companies and has proposed that the relationship between that ownership and the value of target firms may initially be positive and then subsequently become negative with rising insider ownership. Moreover, Shivdasani (1993) empirically shows that the relationship of the ownership structure of target companies with the value of hostile bids is not uniformly positive. McConnell and Servaes (1990) have likewise analyzed the relationship of equity ownership among corporate insiders and Tobins q. Their results demonstrate a non-monotonic relation between Tobins q and insider equity stakes. Wright et al. (1996: 451) have shown a non-linear relationship between insider ownership and corporate strategy related to firm risk taking. Ownership Incentives and Changes in Company Risk Motivating Acquisitions An agency-theoretic motive for acquisitions has been used to explain managerial preferences for risk-reducing corporate strategies (Wright et al., 1996). The implication is that both principals and agents prefer acquiring target companies with higher rather than lower returns. In that, shareholders and managers have congruent interests. The interests, however, diverge in terms of risk considerations associated with acquisitions. Because shareholders possess diversified portfolios, they may only be concerned with systematic risk and be indifferent to the total variance of returns associated with a takeover. Senior managers may alternatively prefer risk-reducing corporate strategies, unless they are granted ownership incentives. That is because they can not diversify their human capital invested in the firm. In the literature, it has been argued that agency costs may be reduced as managerial ownership incentives rise. The reason is that, as ownership incentives rise, the financial interests of insiders and shareholders will begin to converge. Analysts conjecture, however, that such incentives may not consistently provide senior executives the motivation to lessen the agency costs associated with an acquisition strategy. Inherent is the presumption that the nature of executive wealth portfolios will differently influence their attitudes toward corporate strategy. The personal wealth portfolios of top managers are comprised of their ownership of shares/options in the firm, the income produced from their employment, and assets unrelated to the firm. Presumably, as senior executives increase their equity stakes in the enterprise, their personal wealth portfolios become correspondingly less diversified. Although stockholders can diversify their wealth portfolios, top executives have less flexibility if they own substantial shares in the firms they manage. Hence, if a significant portion of managers wealth is concentrated in one investment, then they may find it prudent to diversify their firms via risk-reducing acquisitions. In the related literature, however, takeovers and risk taking have been approached differently from the described approach. Amihud and Lev (1999) have contended that insiders employment income is significantly related to the firms performance. Thus, managers are confronted with risks associated with their income if the maintenance of that income is dependent on achieving predetermined performance targets. Reasonably, in the event of either corporate underperformance or firm failure, CEOs not only may lose their current employment income but also may seriously suffer in the managerial labor market, since their future earnings potential with other enterprises may be lowered. Hence, the risk of executives employment income is impacted by the firms risk. The ramification of Amihud and Levs (1999) contentions is that top managers will tend to lower firm risk, and therefore their own employment risk, by acquiring companies that contribute to stabilizing of the firms income, even if shareho lder wealth is adversely affected. Consistent with the implications of Amihud and Levs arguments, Agrawal and Mandelker (1987) have similarly suggested that managers with negligible ownership stakes may adopt risk-reducing corporate strategies because such strategies may well serve their own personal interests. With ownership incentives, however, managers may be more likely to acquire risk-enhancing target companies, in line with the requirement of wealth maximization for shareholders. The notion that at negligible managerial ownership levels, detrimental risk-reducing acquisition strategies may be emphasized, but with increasing ownership incentive levels, beneficial risk-enhancing acquisitions may be more prevalent is also suggested in other works (Grossman and Hoskisson, 1998). The conclusion of these investigations is that the relationship between insider ownership and risk enhancing, worthy corporate acquisitions is linear and positive. Some experts assert that CEOs personal wealth concentration will induce senior managers to undertake risk-reducing firm strategies. Portfolio theorys expectation suggests that investors or owner-managers may desire to diversify their personal wealth portfolios. For instance, Markowitz (1952: 89) has asserted that investors may wish to diversify across industries because firms in different industries. . . have lower covariances than firms within an industry. Moreover, as argued by Sharpe (1964: 441), diversification enables the investor to escape all but the risk resulting from swings in economic activity. Consequently, managers with substantial equity investments in the firm may diversify the firm via risk-reducing acquisitions in order to diversify their own personal wealth portfolios. Because they may be especially concerned with risk-reducing acquisitions, however, their corporate strategies may not enhance firm value through takeovers, although managerial intention may be to boos t corporate value. The above discussion is compatible with complementary arguments that suggest that insiders may acquire non-value-maximizing target companies although their intentions may be to enhance returns to shareholders. For instance, according to the synergy view, while takeovers may be motivated by an ex-ante concern for increasing corporate value, many such acquisitions are not associated with an increase in firm value. Alternatively, according to the hubris hypothesis, even though insiders may intend to acquire targets that they believe could be managed more profitably under their control, such acquisitions are not ordinarily related to higher profitability. If acquisitions which are undertaken primarily with insider expectations that they will financially benefit owners do not realize higher performance, then those acquisitions which are primarily motivated by a risk-reducing desire may likewise not be associated with beneficial outcomes for owners. Additionally, it can be argued that shareholders can more efficiently diversify their own portfolios, making it unnecessary for managers to diversify the firm in order to achieve portfolio diversification for shareholders. Risk Associated with HRM practices in International Acquisitions There are a number of reasons why the HRM policies and practices of multinational corporations (MNCs) and cross-border acquisitions are likely to be different from those found in domestic firms (Dowling, Schuler and Welch, 1993). For one, the difference in geographical spread means that acquisitions must normally engage in a number of HR activities that are not needed in domestic firms such as providing relocation and orientation assistance to expatriates, administering international job rotation programmes, and dealing with international union activity. Second, as Dowling (1988) points out, the personnel policies and practices of MNCs are likely to be more complex and diverse. For instance, complex salary and income taxation issues are likely to arise in acquisitions because their pay policies and practices have to be administered to many different groups of subsidiaries and employees, located in different countries. Managing this diversity may generate a number of co-ordination and communication problems that do not arise in domestic firms. In recognition of these difficulties, most large international companies retain the services of a major accounting firm to ensure there is no tax incentive or disincentive associated with a particular international assignment. Finally, there are more stakeholders that influence the HRM policies and practices of international firms than those of domestic firms. The major stakeholders in private organizations are the shareholders and the employees. But one could also think of unions, consumer organizations and other pressure groups. These pressure groups also exist in domestic firms, but they often put more pressure on foreign than on local companies. This probably means that international companies need to be more risk averse and concerned with the social and political environment than domestic firms. Acquisitions and HRM Practices: Evidence from Japan, the US, and Europe In contemporary context, international human resource management faces important challenges, and this trend characterizes many Japanese, US and European acquisitions.   From the critical point of view, Japanese companies experience more problems associated with international human resource management than companies from the US and Europe (Shibuya, 2000). Lack of home-country personnel sufficient international manage ­ment skills has been widely recognized in literature as the most difficult problem facing Japanese compa ­nies and simultaneously one of the most significant of US and European acquisitions as well. The statement implies that cultivating such skills is difficult and that they are relatively rare among businessmen in any country. Japanese companies may be particularly prone to this problem due to their heavy use of home-country nationals in overseas management positions. European and Japanese acquisitions also experience the lack of home country personnel who want to work abroad, while it is less of an impediment for the US companies. In the US acquisitions expatriates often experience reentry difficulties (e.g., career disruption) when re ­turning to the home country: This problem was the one most often cited by US firms.   Today Japanese corporations report the relatively lower incidence of expatriate reentry diffi ­culties, and it is surprising given the vivid accounts of such problems at Japanese firms by White (1988) and Umezawa (1990). However, the more active role of the Japanese person ­nel department in coordinating career paths, the tradition of semi ­annual musical-chair-like personnel shuffles (jinji idoh), and the continu ­ing efforts of Japanese stationed overseas to maintain close contact with headquarters might underlie the lower level of difficulties in this area for Japanese firms (Inohara, 2001). In contrast, the decentralized structures of many US and European firms may serve to isolate expatriates from their home-country headquarters, making reentry more problematic. Also, recent downsiz ­ing at US and European firms may reduce the number of appropriate management positions for expatriates to return to, or may sever expatri ­ates relationships with colleagues and mentors at headquarters. Furthermore, within the context of the lifetime employment system, individ ­ual Japanese employees have little to gain by voicing reentry concerns to personnel managers. In turn, personnel managers need not pay a great deal of attention to reentry problems because they will usually not result in a resignation. In western firms, reentry problems need to be taken more seriously by personnel managers because they frequently result in the loss of a valued employee. A further possible explanation for the higher incidence of expatriate reentry problems in western multinationals is the greater tendency of those companies to implement a policy of transferring local nationals to headquarters or other international operations. Under such a policy, the definition of expatriate expands beyond home-country nationals to en ­compass local nationals who transfer outside their home countries. It may even be that local nationals who return to a local operation after working at headquarters or other international operations may have their own special varieties of reentry problems. Literature on international human resource practices in Japan, the US and Europe suggest that the major strategic difficulty for the MNCs is to attract high-caliber local nationals to work for the company. In general, acquisitions may face greater challenges in hiring high-caliber local employees than do domestic firms due to lack of name recognition and fewer relationships with educators or others who might recommend candidates. However, researchers suggest that this issue is significantly more difficult for Japanese than for US and European multinationals. When asked to describe problems encoun ­tered in establishing their US affiliates, 39.5% of the respondents to a Japan Society survey cited finding qualified American managers to work in the affiliate and 30.8% cited hiring a qualified workforce (Bob SRI, 2001). Similarly, a survey of Japanese companies operating in the US conducted by a human resource consulting firm found that 35% felt recruiting personnel to be very difficult or extremely difficult, and 56% felt it to be difficult (The Wyatt Company, 1999). In addition to mentioned problem, Japanese acquisition encounter high local employee turnover, which is significantly more prob ­lematic for them due to the near-total absence of turnover to which they are accustomed in Japan. The US, European and Japanese companies admit very rarely that they encounter local legal challenges to their personnel policies. However, in regard to Japanese acquisitions large   amount of press coverage has been given to lawsuits against Japanese companies in the United States and a Japanese Ministry of Labor Survey in which 57% of the 331 respondents indicated that they were facing potential equal employ ­ment opportunity-related lawsuits in the United States (Shibuya, 2000). Conclusion This research investigates whether corporate acquisitions with shared technological resources or participation in similar product markets realize superior economic returns in comparison with unrelated acquisitions. The rationale for superior economic performance in related acquisitions derives from the synergies that are expected through a combination of supplementary or complementary resources. It is clear from the results of this research that acquired firms in related acquisitions have higher returns than acquired firms in unrelated acqui ­sitions. This implies that the related acquired firm benefits more from the acquirer than the unrelated acquired firm. The higher returns for the related acquired firms suggest that the combination with the acquirer’s resources has higher value implications than the combination of two unrelated firms. This is supported by the higher total wealth gains which were observed in related acquisitions. I did however, in the case of acquiring firms, find that the abnormal returns directly attributable to the acquisition transaction are not significant. There are reasons to believe that the announcement effects of the transaction on the returns to acquirers are less easily detected than for target firms. First, an acquisition by a firm affects only part of its businesses, while affecting all the assets (in control-oriented acqui ­sitions) of the target firm. Thus the measurability of effects on acquirers is attenuated. Second, if an acquisition is one event in a series of implicit moves constituting a diversification program, its individual effect as a market signal would be mitigated. It is also likely that the theoretical argument which postulates that related acquisitions create wealth for acquirers may be underspecified. Relatedness is often multifaceted, suggesting that the resources of the target firm may be of value to many firms, thus increasing the relative bargaining power of the target vis-a-vis the potential buyers. Even in the absence of explicit competition for the target (multiple bidding), the premiums paid for control are a substantial fraction of the total gains available from the transaction. For managers, some implications from the research can be offered. First, it seems quite clear from the data that a firm seeking to be acquired will realize higher returns if it is sold to a related than an unrelated firm. This counsel is consistent with the view that the market recognizes synergistic combinations and values them accordingly. Second, managers in acquiring firms may be advised to scrutinize carefully the expected gains in related and unrelated acquisitions. For managers the issue of concern is not whether or not a given kind of acquisition creates a significant total amount of wealth, but what percentage of that wealth they can expect to accrue to their firms. Thus, although acquisitions involving related technologies or product market yield higher total gains, pricing mechanisms in the market for corporate acquisitions reflect the gains primarily on the target company. Interpreting these results conservatively, one may offer the argument that expected gains for acquiring firms are competed away in the bidding process, with stockholders of target firms obtaining high proportions of the gains. On a pragmatic level this research underscores the need to combine what may be called the theoretical with the practical. In the case of acquisitions, pragmatic issues like implicit and explicit competition for a target firm alter the theoretical expectations of gains from an acquisition transaction. Further efforts to clarify these issues theoretically and empirically will increase our understanding of these important phenomena. Bibliography Sharpe WF. 1964. Capital asset prices: a theory of market equilibrium under conditions of risk. Journal of Finance 19: 425-442 Markowitz H. 1952. Portfolio selections. Journal of Finance 7: 77-91 Grossman W, Hoskisson R. 1998. CEO pay at the crossroads of Wall Street and Main: toward the strategic design of executive compensation. Academy of Management Executive 12: 43-57 Amihud Y, Lev B. 1999. Does corporate ownership structure affect its strategy towards diversification? Strategic Management Journal 20(11): 1063-1069 Agrawal A, Mandelker G. 1987. Managerial incentives and corporate investment and financing decisions. Journal of Finance 42: 823-837 Wright P, Ferris S, Sarin A, Awasthi V. 1996. The impact of corporate insider, blockholder, and institutional equity ownership on firm risk-taking. Academy of Management Journal 39: 441-463 McConnell JJ, Servaes H. 1990. Additional evidence on equity ownership and corporate value. Journal of Financial Economics 27: 595-612. Shivdasani A. 1993. Board composition, ownership structure, and hostile takeovers. Journal of Accounting and Economics 16: 167-198 Stulz RM. 1988. Managerial control of voting rights: financing policies and the market for corporate control. Journal of Financial Economics 20: 25-54 Varaiya N. 1987. Determinants of premiums in acquisition transactions. Managerial and Decision Economics 14: 175-184 Collis D, Montgomery C. 1998. Creating corporate advantage. Harvard Business Review 76(3): 71-83 White, M. 1988. The Japanese overseas: Can they go home again? New York: The Free Press. Bob, D., SRI International. 2001. Japanese companies in American communities. New York: The Japan Society.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Literacy in Mulicultural Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Literacy in Mulicultural Society - Essay Example At this stage in life, the child emulates the way the parents and people around communicate to each other through language. It is automatic that a child will take up the language spoken by his mother and thus the popular phrase, mother tongue. According to Ruiz (1984) the following are three ways in which language can be viewed, first as a problem, secondly as right and thirdly as a resource. An individual’s language can either be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on location and people in the vicinity. It has been possible for people to overcome the limitation of speaking only one language. Overcoming the limitation is through learning more than one language, also known as bilingualism. This paper will give a discussion of how language is a problem, a right or a resource in relation to literacy in a local and global, multicultural environment. Language Language is a form of communication organized systematically and, it incorporates the use of symbols and signs. Formal languages contain four components semantics, pragmatics, phonology and morphology (Bochner & Jones, 2004). The following are explanations of how language develops in an infant. The first one is cognitive explanation, which puts emphasis, on the relationship between language and cognition. Secondly, behaviorist explanation stresses that an infant develops language from interaction he has with the environment. Lastly, interactional explanation states that children learn through interacting with family members (Bochner & Jones, 2004). Language as a problem Language is a problem when it discriminates against those who do not speak the same language as the native speakers (Haugen 1987). Minorities have suffered their share of discrimination to the extent of denied their human rights. Individuals, whose language is inferior, have also been considered to be of low class. Immigrants have faced language as a problem in many occasions because of the fact that, they find themselves in a new e nvironment in which the native people who are the majority have their own language. The minority language is a problem to the immigrants since they cannot communicate using their own language is not appreciated or acceptable. It is evident that literacy in a multicultural environment involves using certain languages. In educational institutions, only major languages are used in learning, this means that individuals speaking minority language have to learn the major language which is used during the learning process. It is also important to note that, in major academic fields books have only been published using the main languages, local languages have not been considered in this case. Students, speaking minority language with goals of attending major universities on the global scale have employed the strategy of learning the acceptable languages during their early years of education. This has proved to be advantageous to them since they are no longer limited by a language barrier (M cIntosh, 1998). In many occasions, the issues faced when language is a problem is solved by bilingualism. Bilingualism entails understanding and speaking more than one language. Language as a problem has gone to the extent to which immigrants miss chances for admission in educational institutions. Social injustice in terms of discrimination due to language has seen to it that foreign language speakers miss the benefit of education. Individuals speaking foreign languages come to the point of abandoning their languages

Intels corporate ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Intels corporate ethics - Essay Example â€Å"This $2 million plant is only 0.1% of what Intel spent to build this facility.† (What Intel has done and is doing, n.d.). The US is the greatest inventor of the world and Intel is one of the greatest innovator of the world. There is no doubt it can make the most enormous contributions towards dealing with the world’s major problem—the environment problem. Yet the huge profits have caused Intel to act blindly in this area. Greed is no doubt the key factor in ignoring the environmental problems. Corporate heads get greedy and lust for profits and ignore citizens’ welfare. In Hamidi’s (n.d.) website, ‘Intel is being accused for causing air pollution by using toxic solvents. The air pollution in that area was about three times higher than the acceptable limit. The History of Intel’s Toxic Chemical Release in Corrales (n.d.) states, people have developed respiratory and skin problems. New Mexico has also been known to have droughts. It is extremely hot in the summer. Yet one of the largest consumers of their water is Intel. Intel has built such a huge facility with no water recycling system. On the Intel website, the US Environmental Protection Agency says this is a very dangerous practice. There was a debate on how to deal with this issue and they had conducted studies. In the site for NM risk assessment on the Intel website (n.d.), â€Å"the EPA wants manufacturers to take responsibility for the products, throughout their life, particularly when they contain hazardous materials.†

Contrast education (History of Education) Research Paper

Contrast education (History of Education) - Research Paper Example Massachusetts was the first state which implemented compulsory attendance laws in the educational sector. In 2004 their public expenditure for students per head was fifth in the country. They secured highest grade in the National Assessment of students as a mark of their progressive attitude towards education. As far as Middle East colonies in United States are concerned the education was the responsibility of church as well as the family to which the students belong. During that time the aim of education was to bring up children as god fearing individuals. The implementations of all educational schemes were focusing towards the religious matters. Education was only a tool to uplift the religion and its wild customs. It was from these educational institutions that the lifestyle of the people of Middle East states were got molded. As time passed the religion developed least interest on education and the system of public schooling has completely vanished from American colonies. Nowadays the government has proper control over all educational institutions in the states. Thus the history of education in old Massachusetts and Middle and Southern states have got some remarkable differences.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Alexander the great Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alexander the great - Essay Example As these anecdotes were around for a long time now and as Alexander even though historical, flourished better as a legend, leaving all of them out would have made the narration curt and dry. But a highly focussed decision maker like Alexander being portrayed as soothsayer dependent might not go well with the historical facts and figures. It is also mentioned by many that an ‘uncommon viewpoint’ is provided for the actions of the Greek poleis and the responses of King Philip. While writing about a king who had enormous effect on his subjects who looked at him for guidance, unintended exaggeration creeps in and that is nothing extraordinary. Green’s showing the step-by-step conviction that Philip was a god himself, is the psychological assurance of an adoring child to whom the father could do anything. But it is difficult to find precedents for Green’s argument, because we do not come across any other writing that says that Alexander was so impressionable. Another point that is difficult to agree with Green is that Alexander became more and more impervious to the needs of the people under him. History books say that he discarded ideas of further pressing forward in India because his soldiers were unhappy to go further. They had left their land long ago and wanted to return and he agreed. It is impossible to agree with Green that Alexander was evolving into a hard-headed dictator. The legends show that Alexander appreciated the heroism of Indian king, appreciated Indian philosophy and looked after his soldiers to the best of his ability. He always discussed matters of importance and mourned the death of his close friend for months and he had been kind to not only his people, but also to the vanquished. Green does not rely much on facts and real research and instead, relies on unconfirmed material. â€Å"Nevertheless, few have been as free as Green in accepting uncorroborated slander as fact†¦.it should not be a book to be introduced students to

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 78

Case Study Example eading of the Zara case study does lead to the conclusion that the immense success of Zara in the apparel retail sector is based on a few well thought and highly planned strategic approaches towards the clothing retail business. One major factor that could be held responsible for the high success of Zara in the clothing retail sector is the company’s pro-active approach towards business. The problem with most of the competitors is that they happen to have a highly market dependent approach towards business. They happen to wait for the market influences to shape and impact their business strategy. In that context, the amazing thing is that Zara has a business approach towards retail that is highly competitive and pro-active. Zara does not wait for the things to happen to it. Instead, this retail giant goes on and plays a pro-active approach in determining and shaping the consumer preferences and choices. The primary factor that sets Zara apart from its competitors is that Zara is always in touch with the latest fashion trends and is thereby able to get a hold of the clothing retail trends in a way that is unthinkable for other companies. Hence, it would not be wrong to say that Zara is not a product driven but a trend driven company in the sense that the primary stress at Zara is to identify, produce and market consumer preferences at all levels of its supply chain, are they strategizing, designing, manufacturing, marketing and sales. In that case it would be really important to mention that Zara is indeed one of the few clothing retail companies that have been able to strategically exploit the available IT inputs and choices in every aspect of its product designing, manufacturing, marketing and sales. Hence, the thing that needs to be understood is that the retail success of Zara is directly linked to the company’s practical understanding of the clothing retail market, the adoption of this understanding in every aspect of its supply chain and marketing, and

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Contrast education (History of Education) Research Paper

Contrast education (History of Education) - Research Paper Example Massachusetts was the first state which implemented compulsory attendance laws in the educational sector. In 2004 their public expenditure for students per head was fifth in the country. They secured highest grade in the National Assessment of students as a mark of their progressive attitude towards education. As far as Middle East colonies in United States are concerned the education was the responsibility of church as well as the family to which the students belong. During that time the aim of education was to bring up children as god fearing individuals. The implementations of all educational schemes were focusing towards the religious matters. Education was only a tool to uplift the religion and its wild customs. It was from these educational institutions that the lifestyle of the people of Middle East states were got molded. As time passed the religion developed least interest on education and the system of public schooling has completely vanished from American colonies. Nowadays the government has proper control over all educational institutions in the states. Thus the history of education in old Massachusetts and Middle and Southern states have got some remarkable differences.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 78

Case Study Example eading of the Zara case study does lead to the conclusion that the immense success of Zara in the apparel retail sector is based on a few well thought and highly planned strategic approaches towards the clothing retail business. One major factor that could be held responsible for the high success of Zara in the clothing retail sector is the company’s pro-active approach towards business. The problem with most of the competitors is that they happen to have a highly market dependent approach towards business. They happen to wait for the market influences to shape and impact their business strategy. In that context, the amazing thing is that Zara has a business approach towards retail that is highly competitive and pro-active. Zara does not wait for the things to happen to it. Instead, this retail giant goes on and plays a pro-active approach in determining and shaping the consumer preferences and choices. The primary factor that sets Zara apart from its competitors is that Zara is always in touch with the latest fashion trends and is thereby able to get a hold of the clothing retail trends in a way that is unthinkable for other companies. Hence, it would not be wrong to say that Zara is not a product driven but a trend driven company in the sense that the primary stress at Zara is to identify, produce and market consumer preferences at all levels of its supply chain, are they strategizing, designing, manufacturing, marketing and sales. In that case it would be really important to mention that Zara is indeed one of the few clothing retail companies that have been able to strategically exploit the available IT inputs and choices in every aspect of its product designing, manufacturing, marketing and sales. Hence, the thing that needs to be understood is that the retail success of Zara is directly linked to the company’s practical understanding of the clothing retail market, the adoption of this understanding in every aspect of its supply chain and marketing, and

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Resurrection and Body Paragraph Essay Example for Free

Resurrection and Body Paragraph Essay Detail 1:Carton believes that he is a waste of life and has no purpose being the world †¢ I am a disappointed drudge, sir I care for no man on earth and no man on earth cares for me. (2. 4. 70) †¢Detail 2:Starts to show his slow resurrection when he admits his love for Lucie the last dream of [his] soul. (book 2 Chapter 130 †¢Detail 3:Carton redeems himself by sacrifices his life for the women he loves and her happiness showing that he has been resurrected I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die, (3. 9. 89). †¢BODY PARAGRAPH II: †¢Transition/Opening Sentence:_________________________________. †¢Detail 1:When Dr. Manette is first released from prison he is like an infant that doesnt know the world. Prisoner 105, North Tower, †¢Detail 2:Starts to realize who he is when he meets his daughter Lucie at the Defarge winery †¢ She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always. (2. 4. 3) †¢Detail 3:He is finally shown in his full resurrectional the towards the end of the novel when he find out his bench has been taken away Transition/Opening Sentence:_________________________________. †¢Detail 1:Marrying Lucie had hide his past from many people in France and England I know that when she is clinging to you, the hands of baby, girl, and woman, all in one, are round your neck. I know that in loving you she sees and loves her mother at her own age, sees and loves you at my age, loves her mother broken-hearted, loves youthrough your dreadful trial and in your blessed restoration. (2. 10. 9) †¢Detail 2:His past was now coming back for him like a zombie coming out a grave. I care nothing for this Doctor, I. He may wear his head or lose it, for any interest I have in him; it is all one to me. But, the Evremonde people are to be exterminated, and the wife and child must follow the husband and father. (3. 14. 6) †¢Detail 3:He now knows that his old life will never come back to him and he must live his new life with the help of Carton.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Influence of Globalisation on Culture

Influence of Globalisation on Culture David Stephens To what extent is globalisation an enhancer of culture? Culture is a way of life unique to a certain set of people; cultures are usually national but can also be present in local communities and on an international scale. Often the term ‘culture’ is misunderstood. To some it may mean traditions that have been passed down through generations but to others it can represent simpler things such as the area they live in or even the language they speak. Culture in itself is not easily defined because of its ever fluctuating nature. No two cultures are identical but some are more similar than others. Globalisation is a term used to decide the many ways in which people and places are becoming ever more closely linked[1]. Globalisation has had a massive effect on culture both historically and in recent times. New cultures deep in the heart of India and South America are being contacted, opening up a huge range of potential investigations. While on a less dramatic scale the trading world between different cultures has become hugely imp ortant and is aided greatly by how easy it has become to trade on a global scale now thanks to leaps forward in technology, transport and communication (see table 1). Trade is often interpreted as the exchange of goods but it can also facilitate the interconnections between cultures. This is evidently present in how many American companies have moved workers into the Far East to places such as India or Vietnam. What has increased Globalisation How has it affected Globalisation Technology Technology is often linked to the advances in medical technology shared between countries. Nowadays we have world leading physicians from all corners of the globe collaborating on projects to aid medical treatments. This allows exchange of local culture and ideas for the benefit of the majority. Transport We have been blessed with larger ships, cheaper air travel, high speed trains and more airports. This has come to the forefront of modern day lives with more and more families travelling overseas to immerse themselves in other cultures. For example in Spain, which is a popular holiday resort has been bombarded by ‘Brits’ abroad. Places such as Menorca and even cultural hubs such Barcelona which I have visited recently has evidence of home nation culture such as Irish bars and traditional English Fish and Chip shops. Is this eroding or extending culture – I guess it depends upon your perspective! Communication Communication usually in the form of mobile phones and internet gives us such easy access to communicate with people anywhere on earth. This has improved sales as products can be ordered and delivered around the globe which ties in with the transport aspect of global perspectives. Locally, businesses can expand and distribute products beyond the locality, which is good for both the consumer and the business itself. Though I have been talking about how globalisation has affected our ability to communicate with other cultures in recent times, it has been around for a long, long time. When Christopher Columbus set sail in search of Asia[2] and discovered the West Indies and made the civilised world aware of the Americas, he participated in the globalisation of the cultures of the indigenous people on the islands as he made the world aware of their existence for the first time in their history. This was obviously a huge leap forward for globalisation as it set off a chain of events that would eventually end in America being one of the biggest economies for trade and best educational facilitating countries in the entire world. Culture and globalisation are two very contrasting ideas. A culture new to the idea of globalisation may be worried about whether its way of life will stay sacred and individual to them if the rest of the world has access to it.[3] This is a very legitimate fear and can very easily be construed as an invasion of privacy. Although when looked at from a more international perspective you can see that you can learn from other cultures. Very similarly to the development of language, a way of life can be studied and can often add to your own culture as many medieval countries did to provide the languages we speak in the present day. The main cause of globalisation is the ‘western’ world attempting to spread their culture into different corners of the earth. A great example of this is the coffee chain ‘Starbucks.’ Starbucks was founded in 1971, gaining mainstream success around 1991. Since then it has had exponential success with over 20,000 shops worldwide.[4] It is now a firm stalwart of the American Culture. Though Starbucks itself has not always been part of the culture we know today there have always been coffee houses in popular culture although they were initially confined to the USA. Starbucks has introduced a whole new ‘coffee-house’ concept by becoming a multi-national company. Originally just an American chain it has spread rapidly, becoming popular in Britain and is becoming a growing phenomenon in South America.[5] This may be both a problem and an advantage for these countries, for example Peru is one of the South American countries being affected by the so cal led ‘Westernisation.’ It has a 9% unemployment figure (almost one million eligible people out of a job).[6] The opening of new American and British chain stores will provide much needed jobs that will boost their economy as well as providing a stable income for them and their people. On the other hand much small business owners would be ousted by the competitive pricing from these big profit organisations setting up franchises in some Peruvian cities. Traditionally Peru has been famous for incorporating many small businesses into urban areas and Starbucks would be potentially devastating for some of these places. Peru is a nation with many young dependents, indeed 29.1% of the population aged between 0-14 years[7]. This may mean that more jobs available in a stable working environment may not be so bad for the young work force in South America. When more young people are in employment more money is pumped into the economy, which enables the country to safeguard and pres erve it’s own culture such as traditional shops and the upkeep of nationally important monuments. But is globalisation inevitable and perhaps instead of safeguarding our cultures we should accept it and take whatever positives it may bring. [8] This quote from Kofi Annan outlines the view that however hard you fight it, globalisation will always present itself to you using the analogy of gravity. Perhaps this can be linked to the fight that several rural cultures in India and South America are having to avoid any contact with civilization[9]. It may show that perhaps instead of wasting energy fighting a losing battle they should embrace the change. We can help them understand useful medical techniques and educational strategies while they may help us understand their culture and learn their own unique ways of dealing with things such as medical emergencies. On a national scale (UK) and at a more local perspective it is clear that there is an ever larger influence of Polish born immigrants affecting my local area. This is shown to great extent by this graph: [10] This shows how the population of Polish born immigrants living in the UK has swelled massively from under 100,000 in 2001 to over half a million in 2010. This has been analysed in part by a report by Ian Duncan Smith in a report (February 2013). It shows some surprising results. It states that immigrants from other nations such as Romania and Bulgaria will have nines times more money in England on a minimum wage of  £543 to take home to an average family of two children every week compared with  £62 back home. Of course living costs will be a lot less in some of these Eastern European countries compared with Britain. It is also said in the report that these immigrants from Eastern Europe will have twice the ‘economic incentives’ of the Polish immigrants.[11] This is quite a daunting figure as we can see how much success Polish immigrants are having in the UK, this may encourage more and more workers from Eastern Europe to find a better life here.The reason I find thi s daunting is because of the population figure that has been forecast. It suggests that up to 250,000 Romanian and Russian immigrants could move to the country in the next 5 years.10 While it is also forecast that the population of Britain could grow by more than 10 million in the next 25 years.[12] With resources and services stretched to breaking point as it is another 10 million extra people in the country may not be best for our future. Of course, globalistation results in positive diversity in local commmunities but may cause services to be stretched, resulting in potential animosity between existing residents and new arrivals. To understand a broader picture of the affect of globalistaion on culture we have to look at a national scale example. The country in my opinion that has been changed most dramastically by globalistaion in recent years must be The United Arab Emirates. [13] This is a stark contrast from 23 years ago to 5 years ago. After being established in the 18th century as a small fishing village it began to expand after the discovery of oil in the area.[14] Globalisation put UAE firmly on the map, moreso given the importance of oil to almost all developed nations. But what do people think about this? A young man studying in Canada that was born and brought up in the UAE has noticed that social values that play a huge part of modern society in the west are nothing like those in the UAE.[15] This is surprising as the globalistaion shown in the UAE is heavily influenced by the west so one would expect the social values such as letting someone with right of way pass in the street would also be passed into UAE culture so obviously globalisation has not affected every aspect of life in Dubai and the UAE. Table 2 below considers the future ‘what –if scenarios of globalisation Table 2: Globalisation defeats nationalism†¦ But what would happen if globalisation sped up and defeated nationalism to provide us with a completely globalised society? Could we live like that or is nationalism too important to our society? Well according to Gary Abate of TED discussions â€Å"it is not geographical borders that are the problem, but the borders within ourselves,† this though very philosophical is no answer to the question posed. Perhaps he is trying to imply that if there was only one country and culture there would still be divides and it isn’t necessarily nationalism to their country but nationalism to culture and if globalisation took over and we lived completely globalised we would still want to have our own culture. Although perhaps another interpretation of a globalised community is not a community with one culture but many more than a single global entity. This would be completely different in the way that each community would fight to defend their culture and that may cause many disagreeme nts. Globalistaion loses momentum†¦ What would happen if globalisation was to cease or at least lost the momentum it is carrying at the moment? Well some may agree that to stop globalisation is a near impossible task and if it was to happen it would mean larger powers such as the USA would lose both a lot of business but also a lot of workers, this is because many of the workers that many large US companies use are situated in less wealthy companies which means they can work for a fraction of the price that a US worker may demand. On the more positive side it would make countries invest further into their own economies and help the less fortunate of their own culture by providing more jobs internally to the country. While also a focus may have to be put on technology to do the jobs in factories that may otherwise be outsourced to a different country so hopefully technology would take further leaps forward in terms of development. Globalisation gathers momentum†¦ Another major scenario that would change the dynamic of culture is if globalistaion gathered greater momentum. This may cause countries to forget their own cultural identity as they spread further and faster across the globe. A quite major example of this is the football club Cardiff City. In 2012 owner Vincent Tan decided to change the colour of the clubs home shirt from blue to red. The club had played in a blue kit for 104 years prior to the change, this angered many fans as it was seen as a marketing ploy to appeal to fans in Malaysia (Tan’s home nation). This shows an example of an individual showing the view that to globalise as much as possible is more important than serving the preservation of culture. But can our cultures be preserved, should they be? In a world of ever growing globalisation we have to find more and more ways to preserve our culture. Obviously there are aspects of ever culture that should be preserved, for example the way in the UK they remember the fallen heroes of war every November 11th and in the USA on the anniversary of one of their greatest national tragedies 9/11 they remember and honour. On a lighter note festivals such as China’s New Year’s celebrations are a thing definitely worth preserving. But should all cultures be preserved? Should uncontacted tribes still stay away from civilistaion or should they step into the new world? New advances in the world may aid them greatly but also may be too intimidating and would be incredibly derogatory to their development. Globalisation may harm the development of some un-touched civilisations by introducing them to the new danger of world affairs and in some cases ignoring the on-rushing tide of glo balisation and leaving these civilisations and other countries in the world to their own devices is sometimes a larger step towards preserving culture than presenting it all over the globe could ever be. If your culture such as Ireland’s famous bars are now scattered all over the globe can they be construed as your culture any longer or have you lost that national identity to globalisation? My final thought is this; though globalistion can help with exploring the great depth and wonder of the world, being conservative in where you ship your culture to is the greatest tool of preservation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Edexcel AS Geography Textbook page 88 , Publisher Phillip Allan Updates in the year 2008, A collective works by Sue Warn, Cameron Dunn, David Holmes, Bob Hordern, Simon Oakes and Michael Witherick. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#Quest_for_Asia http://www.buzzle.com/articles/culture-and-globalization.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks http://www.stateofnature.org/?p=6292 http://www.limaeasy.com/peru-info/important-facts-and-figures-about-peru http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/study/humanities/globalisation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncontacted_peoples http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/august-2011/polish-people-in-the-uk.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9877851/Bulgarian-and-Romanian-workers-nine-times-better-off-in-UK.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10429901/Migrants-add-5.8m-to-bulging-Britain.html https://p1.dntrck.com/tr?id=c3d70bba1eace8af05025b74ea8901ccae4a0fb1.r http://www.colorcoat-online.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/same-place-different-years/ http://www.7daysindubai.com/People-Dubai-disappointment/story-19775407-detail/story.html http://www.ted.com/conversations/7931/can_we_abolish_nationalism_and.html 1981 words excluding tables, headings and subtitles [1] Edexcel AS Geography Textbook page 88 , Publisher Phillip Allan Updates in the year 2008, A collective works by Sue Warn, Cameron Dunn, David Holmes, Bob Hordern, Simon Oakes and Michael Witherick. [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#Quest_for_Asia [3] http://www.buzzle.com/articles/culture-and-globalization.html [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks [5] http://www.stateofnature.org/?p=6292 [6] http://www.limaeasy.com/peru-info/important-facts-and-figures-about-peru [7] http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=PERU [8] http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/study/humanities/globalisation [9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncontacted_peoples [10] http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/august-2011/polish-people-in-the-uk.html [11] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9877851/Bulgarian-and-Romanian-workers-nine-times-better-off-in-UK.html [12] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10429901/Migrants-add-5.8m-to-bulging-Britain.html [13] https://p1.dntrck.com/tr?id=c3d70bba1eace8af05025b74ea8901ccae4a0fb1.r [14] http://www.colorcoat-online.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/same-place-different-years/ [15] http://www.7daysindubai.com/People-Dubai-disappointment/story-19775407-detail/story.html

Sunday, October 13, 2019

War And Peace By Leo Tolstoy :: essays research papers

Then novel War and Peace was written by a famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy in 1865. The novel describes the war with Napoleon in which many countries were involved such as Russia, Austrian, Prussia, Spain, Sweden, and Britain. The novel mainly focuses on Russia. It reflects the different views and participation in the war of Russian aristocracy and peasants and also shows Tolstoy’s negative viewpoint on the war. Showing the war, Tolstoy describes Napoleon’s attack on Russia, the battle of Borodino, the slow retrieval of the Russian army, the conquest of Moscow by Napoleon, the fire in Moscow, and the retrieval of Napoleon’s army during a deadly winter. Naopleon had to retrieve from Russia under attacks by Russian peasants and horsemen on those who fell behind. His army also sufferes from cold and hunger, since the Russians destroyed all food supplies. The takeover of Moscow by Napoleon proved to be useless, and in the long run, destroyed a large part of his army. Alongside with these historical events, Tolstoy describes the different classes of Russian society in terms of their participation in the war and what kind of an impact war had on their lives. In the beginning of the novel, the Russian aristocratic class, which was in the czar’s circle, wanted Russia to participate in the war. They wanted a quick victory and pride for the Russian nobility. They did not anticipate that the war would destroy homes, agriculture, and take many Russian lives. This class is shown in Anna Pavlova Sharer’s salon, with it’s upper class aristocracy, who talk only in French, viewing the Russian language as uncivilized and useful only for peasants. They adopted French culture and wear French style clothing, and at the same time they want to fight Napoleon. However, the majority of this class doesn’t want to participate themselves in the war, but want to win the war with the hands of the peasants. These aristocrats, despite their high education and power, will do nothing to help win the war. They live like parasites on the body of Russia’s society. This is how Tolstoy describes this class in general, but he also depicts two representatives of this upper class, Andrew Bolkonsky and Pierre Bisuhov, who were the more intellectual ones, and whose lives and views of war and life changed as the result of the war. Andrew was interested in a military career, and wasn’t completely satisfied with the czar, while Pierre wasted his life on alcohol – his everyday activity.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Farewell To Arms: Religion Essay -- essays research papers

Religion in "A Farewell to Arms" For hundreds of years, writers have used religion as a principle issue and point of discussion in their novels. Hawthorne expressed his views in The Scarlet Letter, Garcia Marquez did the same in One Hundred Years of Solitude and in other writings, and even Ernest Hemingway used his writing to develop his own ideas concerning the church. This is fully evident in his novel A Farewell to Arms. Even in a book in which the large majority of the characters profess their atheism, the ideas of the church materialize repeatedly as both characters and as topics of conversations. Religion is presented through reflections of the protagonist "Lieutenant Henry," and through a series of encounters involving Henry and a character simply identified as "the priest." Hemingway uses the treatment of the priest by the soldiers and by Henry himself to illustrate two ways of approaching religion in a situation in which God has no place, and employs these encounters between the pri est and other characters as a means of expressing religious views of his own. Most evident to the reader is the strict difference between the priest's relationship with Henry and that which he has with the other soldiers. Hemingway repeatedly emphasizes this in all sections of the book, even after Henry is injured, when he is completely isolated from the other soldiers. The first instance the reader sees of this is only six pages into the novel. Hemingway writes, "That night in the mess after the spaghetti course . . . the captain commenced picking on the priest" (6-7). Hemingway's diction is suggestive: "commenced" signifies not only that the soldiers began to pick on the priest, but that ridiculing the priest was their main activity prior to dinner as well as after. Almost the same scenario is portrayed only a few pages later: "the meal was finished, and the argument went on. We two stopped talking and the captain shouted, 'Priest not happy. Priest not happy without girls.'" (14). The soldiers' ridicule of the priest is again hi ghlighted when Henry, bed-stricken with his injury, asks the priest "How is the mess?" (69). The priest replies "I am still a great joke" (69). The reader sees an obvious pattern in the relationship between the priest and the others. Mo... ...igion and God that the reader will receive in the novel. God may or may not be there, but that doesn't affect, and certainly does not help, anyone in the book or in the war itself. The views Hemingway presents in the novel at this point become, if not clear, at least more accessible to the reader. The priest no longer represents God. He does represent religion, for this is why he receives the verbal battery he does from the soldiers. But to Henry and to the reader he is simply another man with strong beliefs. God, in the novel, either does not exist or is completely apathetic to the actions of man. The one religious icon the reader sees in the book, the St. Anthony necklace Catherine gives to Henry, is disregarded and lost within twenty pages. Henry's strongest sense of devotion in the book is to Catherine, and in this way love for him is a "religious" feeling, but by no other definition of the word is this true. The priest nicely expresses Hemingway's message when he says, "there in my country it is understood that a man may love God. It is not a dirty joke" (71). The frontlines are no place for religion. God has no place in war.