Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

Independent Reading A Guide to Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen â€Å"Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can. † Special Considerations Copyright Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. The Novel at a Glance Pride and Prejudice (1813) is a comedy of manners that explores how considerations of money, family background, and personal vanity can complicate the course of true love. Setting: Mostly in rural Hertfordshire in England in the late eighteenth century.Protagonist: Elizabeth Bennet, the most intelligent and complex daughter in a family of five unmarried isters who have no prospect of inheriting wealth. Structure: The novel is divided into three each subdivided into many short chapters. The plot involves pairs of lovers who seem destined never to get together because of the opposition of powerful blocking fgures and forces. The couples, however, after bringing the entire community together, are happily married in the end. Conflicts: The plot is propelled by the need of the female characters to find suitable husbands.The main conflicts are the obstacles or blocks that get in the way of achieving these marriages. The obstacles are both external (the want of beauty, money, sense, r social connections) and internal (an inability to discern the true character or feelings of another). Resolution: By learning from her experience and honestly evaluating herself, Elizabeth gains a husband who is not only wealthy but truly worthy. She overcomes her prejudice against Fitzwilliam Darcy, which was based on his appearance of pride, and he overcomes his prejudice against her family, which was based on pride in his own social rank and good manners.Themes: Knowledge comes through caretul reasoning and considered experience, unclouded by pride or prejudice based on rank or mere appearances. Of Special Note: By means of comic irony and satirical exaggeration, Austen exposes the social and moral foll ies of her society. The vocabulary of Pride and Prejudice should pose no major problems to upper-grade-level students reading at grade level, but all students, especially those reading below grade level, should be prepared to encounter a society whose social and economic conditions are markedly different from those of today.They can learn a great deal about Austen's world from the novel itself, but some understanding of the British system of inherited wealth and the position of omen within that system during the early nineteenth century will help orient them. Background Entailed Property. In the traditional British class system, wealth was passed on via the inheritance of family property, an annual income for life, or both. Inherited wealth conferred far more status than money earned by work. Family estates were usually inherited by the oldest son; and other sons, and sometimes daughters, were given smaller incomes.An entail is a restriction on the inheritance of family property, an d in the case of the Bennets, the entail stipulated that Longbourn, the family home, be passed on to a male cousin. The Eighteenth-century Gentlewoman. The Bennet sisters were considered gentlewomen because their father had inherited some wealth and therefore did not have to work to earn money. Because of the entail, however, they would not inherit any wealth of their own, unlike Georgiana Darcy and Caroline Bingley, whose fathers' estates were so large that all the children were designated to inherit.Since it was not respectable or generally even feasible for gentlewomen to work, the Bennet sisters had no option but to find husbands who could support them and maintain their position in the class to which they were born. If they did not marry, hey would have to depend on the generosity of male relatives. Jane Austen's own situation was typical of the time: she remained with her father until he died and then moved to her brother's house. What was not typical was that she wrote books and was paid for her work. Pride and Prejudice 1 Mrs.Bennet, a frivolous woman, bent on making advantageous matches for her five daughters but lacking the ability to Judge the worth of their prospective suitors. She makes silly comments, otten at inappropriate times. Mr. Bennet, an intelligent but usually aloof man who looks on his wife and the marital dilemmas of his daughters with detached amusement. Notable for witty comments. Jane Bennet, the eldest daughter (in her early twenties), very beautiful and sweet- tempered, always ready to think well of others and modestly of herself†the friend and foil of her sister Elizabeth.Elizabeth Bennet, at first too quick and confident in her Judgments, she refines her knowledge of herself and her ability to evaluate others. More outspoken and opinionated than her sister Jane. Mary, Catherine (Kitty), and Lydia Bennet, the three younger sisters, flat characters who change little in response to experience. Mary is a pedant with no real kn owledge. Lydia's high spirits are unrestrained by good ense. Charles Bingley, a good-looking, wealthy, and agreeable young man, who falls in love with Jane but whose courtship of Jane is not encouraged by his friend Darcy or his fashionable sister Caroline, who wishes to marry Darcy.Functions as a foil for Darcy. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a handsome, dignified gentleman, heir to great property and wealth. A reserved man, ill at ease with strangers and mindful of social rank. He strikes the Bennets as cold and aloof. Falls in love with Elizabeth. Reverend William Collins, a clergyman and cousin of Mr. Bennet, who has ingratiated himself with the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh and stands to inherit Longbourn. He is accepted by Elizabeth's plain, practical friend, Charlotte Lucas, after Elizabeth rejects his marriage proposals.

Gaining Wisdom Through Suffering Essay

Wisdom is a difficult thing to define and understand. It’s easily recognized when people have experienced it. Wisdom is a tricky thing to obtain. Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. King Lear was foolish in the beginning of the play, but in the end he gained wisdom from his mistakes. Morrie from Tuesdays with Morrie was wise in the beginning of the book and became wiser in the end. Through suffering King Lear and Morrie obtained wisdom. ?At the beginning of the play, Lear was a selfish man. Power was very important to him. Suffering turned Lear from a selfish man wanted to be treated as a king without having the responsibilities that come with running a kingdom, to a man that comes to realize his morals and values. Lear gave away his kingdom to Gonerial and Regan but still wanted the same status and power of king. Lear gained wisdom through his mistakes of banishing his youngest daughter, Cordelia. Lear comes to the realization of his foolishness in act three. For instance, â€Å"Let thunder rumble! Let lightning spit fire! The rain, the wind, the thunder and lightning are not my daughters. Nature, I don’t accuse your weather of unkindness. I never gave a kingdom or raised you as my child, and you don’t owe me any obedience. † Here King Lear is coming to terms of his mistake of giving away his kingdom to the wrong people. He then goes on â€Å"So go ahead and have your terrifying fun. Here I am, your slave a poor, sick, weak, hated, old man. But I can still accuse you of kowtowing, taking my daughter’s side, against me, ancient as I am. Oh, it’s foul! In this scene Lear is in the storm with Kent and the fool. In this act the king is turning from an arrogant man to a noble man. It takes king Lear a complete breakdown to realize his mistake. ?Next, Lear gained wisdom through insanity and the cruelness of his to eldest daughters. For example, his eldest daughter Gonerial humiliates his loyal messenger Kent. Lear is telling kent his own flesh and blood would never commit such an act. â€Å"They durst not do’t. They could not, would not do’t. ‘Tis worse than murder to do upon respect such violent outrage. Resolve me with all modest haste which way thou mightst deserve or they impose this usage, coming from us. † (II iv 16-20). In this scene Kent was telling the king how his own daughter betrayed him. Lear is astonished that they would want to humiliate him and is realizing he is losing his status as king. ?Morrie also gains wisdom through suffering. In addition, Morrie was wise from the start but through his sickness he gained more wisdom. Morrie says to Mitch, â€Å"Truth is Mitch, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live. (Albom 82). Morrie learned to accept his sickness and that he is going to die. Once he learned to accept it he was able to live. He lives his life to the fullest he realized little things that you should be taking advantage of. Morrie used aphorisms to say how he lived his life. One of the aphorisms he told Mitch was, â€Å"Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do. † (Albom 18). You forget about everything that doesn’t matter and you just learn how to live life. His illness helped him to gain wisdom and to live life the fullest. ? Lastly, Morrie embraces his life. In order to gain wisdom one must experience suffering. Morries suffering from ALS caused him to grow weaker physically; however, it made him a stronger person mentally and emotionally. Furthermore, Morrie says, â€Å"Don’t assume it’s too late to get involved. † (Albom 18). This quote shows us that even though Morrie had a sickness taking his life away, he still made a difference for other people. He didn’t lie around pitying himself. Morrie embraced his life rather than fearing life. By way of example, Morries tells Mitch, â€Å"Mitch, I embrace aging† (Albom 118). This means he isn’t afraid of growing old, he embraces the years of life he has left. In conclusion, despite being very different in both characters and beliefs, both King Lear and Morrie acquire wisdom through suffering. Wisdom is comes when someone experiences it. Wisdom is the quality of having good judgement, knowledge, and having experienced hardships. Wisdom is hard to understand.

Big Energy

1.Organisational behavior may be defined as the specific branch of studies that helps in investigating how organizational structures affect different types of behavior within the organizations. It helps in the studying of an organization from a number of different viewpoints that not only includes different behaviors within the organization but also in relation to other different numbers of organizations (Pinder 2014). Some of the important facets of organizational behavior are the leadership, decision making, job satisfaction, team building and also motivation. However in case of the present scenario provided, it is seen that many of the facets of organizational behavior is not properly maintained in the pany named Big Energy. It is a private organization that had bought a flourishing pany called the XYZ pany but had not established a proper organizational behavior that would help the workers to adapt themselves in the new environment. In turn they had applied policies which had a v ery negative effect on the retained employees of the overtaken pany. This study would help to establish the different problems that the employees had to encounter in terms of a number of aspects like the behavior, values and also the attitudes that are portrayed by the new employers and the organization. Before one begin to describe the aspects of the case study provided, a brief overview about the concept of organization behaviour must be discussed.    Organisational behavior mainly pays importance on the topics like influence of personality on performance, motivation of employees and also creating effective teams and workplace groups that when work in harmonious situations will result in producing the best productivity for an organization (Miner 2015). There exists a specific attitude in a workplace that influences the workplace either in a positive way or in a negative way. In a workplace which shows a positive attitude, petition is taken by the workers as a motivation to show best capabilities. However a negative attitude in a workplace results in creation of an environment of distrust among the employees which results in different negative ou es like achieving success at each other expense, or results in increased attrition rate and also workers get emotionally depressed (Wagner and Hollenbeck 2014). From the beginning itself, a very negative attitude was portrayed by the Big Energy’s authorities when they made the chief executives and also the functional business members redundant. This came upon them as the warning signal which not only created a pressure on them of being sacked at any time but also showed another threat. It made them to think that they have to struggles in their pany and would always be judges in their merit which increased pressure on them and thereby became demotivated. This resulted in increase of the attrition rate of the organization. Another reason that can be noted here was that the behavior of the workers of XYZ developed very negative feelings about their new authority which had a very negative impact on their own work and thereby affected the organization’s productivity. The workers got depressed and also frustrated because the new authority was not paying heed to the workers’ welfare and betterment and only set their aim on the process of integration. They pletely neglected the quality of work that the workers were exhibiting and also did not take into account the pany’s long term profits. As a result the loyalty that the workers used to show their previous authority were gradually declining for their new authority and heir morale started to dwindle. Such kind of development of feelings should strictly been avoided by the new authority as it we es loss and increases turnover rates (Green berg 2013). Another important element of organizational behavior is values. Values are the attributes that an individual or an organization carries as as an integral part of existence and may vary from one to another. It is often defined as the main basis of attitude and motivation. In the case provided, the main reason for the arrival of different issues were that there was no similarity with the values shared by the Big Energy pany and that by the workers of the XYZ. As a result, feuds with the supervisors were in constancy and therefore it did not yield any positive result been when Sally tried to argue with them over the harmful effects of the integration model of the authority. The integration model implemented by the Big Energy affected the inter-personal relationships of the workers with that of the employers asking a big question on the effectiveness of managerial leaderships. The employees felt that their wishes and requirement were disrespected and these severe issues forced them to le ave the pany one by one. It also showed that the new authority could not implement proper human resource management skill and therefore could not establish a proper relationship with the employees which would have brought much more productivity (Champoux 2016). This case study portray the importance of knowledge about the macro organizational behavioral theory refereeing to entire organizations and also industries and their operations and not the Micro organizational behavior theory that pays heed to individual or group behavior as a whole. Organisational culture is the system of shared values, assumptions and beliefs that help a particular individual in an organization to properly evaluate what kind of behaviors are wanted by the organizations (DuBrin 2013). These have three important ponents like the artifacts mainly pondering over the tangible parts of the organization like office jokes, furniture, dress code, timings and others. A value which is already discussed earlier as qualities that an employee possesses is also found to e different from that of the employers. The workers of XYZ wanted to pete based on their merit but this was not prioritized by the Big Energy. Therefore, they b e demotivated. Assumptions are those behaviors which are not conscious but are integrated as the spirit of the corporate culture (Hogg and Terry 2014). If one wants to portray the bigger picture, it can be explained that both the employees and the new employer were not being able to harmonize. This is mainly because both of them were failing to catch hold of each other’s techniques and models of organizational behavior (Greenberh and Colquitt 2013). This resulted in huge negative impact on the performance of the workers and hence the productivity. In place Big Energy should have set up a proper and critically analyzed approach to integrate the acquired employees in such a way so that they could have developed proper relationship and also would make them fortable and thereby feel included in organizations’ mission and vision. Big Energy should have recognized that human resource make the foundation of the organization and therefore should have taken effective steps to manage them effectively and create an easy pathway to success rather than neglecting the voice of the workers and overpowering them. 2.The acquisition of XYZ Energy by Big Energy though seems to be a good fit, there lies more to it than the same vertical of business. The acquisition can be better explained with the help of the Corporate Parenting Matrix which shows a relation between the fit and misfit of parenting and strategic characteristics. The acquisition is in the quadrant of the Value Trap i.e. Big Energy was able to recognize the process values and technological importance of XYZ Energy, but it was unable to create an integration model which can sustain this acquisition in the long term. Big Energy which had been keen on only acquiring the technology, patents and innovations made the workforce of XYZ energy redundant to their own business model. It must be noted that long term petitive advantage can’t be sought after by myopic scenario planning (Greenberg and Coloquitt 2013). It is quite evident that with employee dissonance prevailing in an organization, it is bound to crumble sooner or later. The attitude and values of the XYZ employees have been hurt and no recognition has been paid to these employees. The senior management at XYZ had also faced the brunt once the acquisition was in full swing. With the redundancy of the senior management, the employees who were still surviving with XYZ very well knew that they were on the verge of colliding with the end of their careers at XYZ Energy. Big Energy in order to make the acquisition fall in the category of ‘Heartland’ needs to realize that the foundation of an organization is its human resource – it’s the people in the organization who form the culture have be liefs and possess values. Big Energy till now has miserably failed in prehending the organizational behavior scope of XYZ Energy. The downturn came about when Big Energy failed to understand the emotions of the employees who stayed back and were even little bothered to bring in the change management effectively in order to mold behavior and attitudes. Big Energy needs to put heed to the basics of prehending organizational behavior and form its strategy accordingly. Change management can only be successfully implanted when there is active participation from all realms of the organization especially within the employees and the management (Grant 2016). In order to get the integration to reach a new level of long term sustenance, Big Energy must take up the following actions: Delineate: It is the sole responsibility of the management of Big Energy to converse and delineate the responsibilities and behavioral patterns to the individual (employees of XYZ). Big Energy needs to start off by these so to make sure that dissonance and turnover is low (Nahavandi et al. 2013). Comprehend: Earlier during the acquisition process kicked off, the employees of XYZ had been reluctant, less enthusiastic and even flying on low morale. Big Energy should have taken this into consideration and tried to find out the root cause of such dissatisfaction among the existent employees (Lam et al. 2015). Instead it had turned a blind eye. Thus organizational behavior clearly outlines that it’s important to understand the reasons for an individual’s behavior. This prehension will help Big Energy to annihilate the causes of the dissatisfaction in the bud itself. Anticipate: In the study, it has been mentioned that the management as well as the employees of Big Energy were most reluctant to visit and interact with the remaining XYZ employees. This reluctance has proven to be instrumental in driving the private enterprise towards being clueless about the personalities and motivation factors of the XYZ employees. Thus interaction needs to be increased in order to better predict employee behavior for higher efficiency (Hui, Lee and Wang 2015). Control: Since the businesses are quite alike, Big Energy put all their efforts on the integration process but little on the incumbents post integration. Big Energy now has to implement separate Training and Development processes to ensurehigh employee morale, less employee turnover and higher orientation towards organizational goals. The T&D procedure must infuse enough job mitment in the employees so that they can again be a part of the activities and find their relevance in their respective job roles (Morris et al. 2015). With the above proceedings in action, Big Energy needs to be more transparent and promote inter dependence of employees to gain higher productivity. It is elementary to integrate the culture of both the organizations to create synergy, so as to provide the fit for the organizational resources and human resources (Lindebaum and Geddes 2016). Big Energy must pay close heed to the models of Organizational Behavior and implement the following to get the desired results. Supportive Model: The model thrives under effective leadership styles. Big Energy management should be on the lookout for the remaining XYZ employee needs so that organizational performance can be met. The respective leaders must support their fellow team mates to develop their skills and promote awakening motivational drives among them so as to orient them towards favorable results (Lee and Selart 2015). Collegial Model: This model encourages a sense of partnership in the organization. Working as a team is the right approach where team mates are self-disciplined and self-actualized. Big Energy must motivate XYZ employees to work closely Big Energy employees as teams so that there is diversity in teams and idea generation can be more frequent. Big Energy must also bring about an intra-organizational petitive environment which shall motivate XYZ employees to perform better, more enthusiastically, aligned towards desired organizational goals (Goestch and Davis 2014). System Model: The model is based upon the power of trust, munity and belongingness. The managerial orientation is passionate and caring which drives employees to being self-motivated, passionate towards achieving desired organizational results. Big Energy must ensure that employees are provided enough liberty to bring their thoughts on the table to initiateteam building and brain storming activities. Big Energy management needs to portray the right vibes of mutual trust with the remaining XYZ employees so that employees can recognize their own psychological ownership of the firm and work towards the betterment of the same. This would initiate a higher morale in the employees as they can feel their own relevance and authority in the organization (Grant 2016). It must be realized that all strategies are not the best fits for Big Energy management. A framework of the strategies has been provided with indicative approaches. Still further study is a requisite prior to implementing them. Champoux, J.E., 2016.  Organizational behavior: Integrating individuals, groups, and organizations. Routledge. DuBrin, A.J., 2013.  Fundamentals of organizational behavior: An applied perspective. Elsevier. Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014.  Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Grant, R.M., 2016.  Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley & Sons. Greenberg, J. and Colquitt, J.A. eds., 2013.  Handbook of organizational justice. Psychology Press. Greenberg, J. ed., 2013.  Organizational behavior: The state of the science. Routledge. Hogg, M.A. and Terry, D.J. eds., 2014.  Social identity processes in organizational contexts. Psychology Press. Hui, C., Lee, C. and Wang, H., 2015. Organizational inducements and employee citizenship behavior: The mediating role of perceived insider status and the moderating role of collectivism.  Human Resource Management,  54(3), pp.439-456. Lam, C.F., Liang, J., Ashford, S.J. and Lee, C., 2015. Job insecurity and organizational citizenship behavior: Exploring curvilinear and moderated relationships.  Journal of Applied Psychology,  100(2), p.499. Lee, W.S. and Selart, M., 2015. The influence of emotions on trust in ethical decision making. Lindebaum, D. and Geddes, D., 2016. The place and role of (moral) anger in organizational behavior studies.  Journal of organizational behavior,  37(5), pp.738-757. Miner, J.B., 2015.  Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge. Morris, M.W., Hong, Y.Y., Chiu, C.Y. and Liu, Z., 2015. Normology: Integrating insights about social norms to understand cultural dynamics.  Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes,  129, pp.1-13. Nahavandi, A., Denhardt, R.B., Denhardt, J.V. and Aristigueta, M.P., 2013.  Organizational behavior. SAGE Publications. Pinder, C.C., 2014.  Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press. Wagner III, J.A. and Hollenbeck, J.R., 2014.  Organizational behavior: Securing petitive advantage. Routledge.

Incentive Program for Retention of Employees Research Proposal

Incentive Program for Retention of Employees - Research Proposal Example Replacing a staff worker is apparently costly; on top of that, a company’s reputation is also threatened. As it is, nobody feels self-assured when dealing with a business firm that is incapable of keeping their employees intact. It implies volatility, mediocre management and lack of effectual planning. Notwithstanding the reasons why a worker leaves his/her job, more often than not the employee departs with a sour taste in their mouth. Such reaction and sensitivity are taken with them – together with the skills they learned and accumulated and these sentiments are frequently repeated to future employers and within their personal network. Evidently, losing knowledgeable and competent individuals can smash up a company’s reputation for years to come. Finally, continuous high turnover generates strife and psychological instability within a workforce, for one, positions made vacant create bigger workloads for other staff workers, workloads which are usually outside o f their position profiles or job descriptions. This sense of shakiness and aggravation can trigger work log jams which correspondingly slow down productivity. More importantly, workers’ lack of faith in an organization increases when they see their co-workers depart and such will definitely influence productivity work levels in implausibly depressing ways (Lake, 2000, pp. 65-72; Smith, 2000, p. 22). There is a considerable economic effect when an organization loses any of its vital workers, especially with the knowledge that is lost with the employee’s departure. It will become notably more important in the years ahead to be aware of the commitment of individuals to an organization, as well as the organization’s need to produce an environment where one would be willing to stay. In essence, it is imperative for organizations to either create an intellectual capital environment where the diffusion of knowledge come about right through the system or keep on losing significant individual knowledge that has been built up during the length of service.

Cultural Web - control systems - Flybe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural Web - control systems - Flybe - Essay Example he software also helps the airline to control their prices closely while analyzing the performance through a wide variety of features (Honeywill 1999, pg.84). Reward, as opposed to punishment, is the main point of focus. They believe that when an employee is rewarded for a job well-done, they are likely to work harder to get even higher rewards (O’Connell 2014). Punishments on the other hand are not always taken positively by the victims, which affects their general performance. The controls put in place are related to current strategies. Aspects such as; the reputation communicated to the stakeholders and customers, what employees say about the company and what they tell new customers about the company. The controls are emphasized on three major areas; quality systems, financial systems and the rewards. The formula for issuing and distributing the rewards among the employees is also specified in the controls. Finance must be tightly since it is the life-blood of the industry. Quality on the hand ensures that the customers are satisfied with the services. A satisfied customer is most likely to continue using the same service (Honeywill 1999,

Prison System in England and Wales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Prison System in England and Wales - Essay Example Hence, the crux of this paper concerns the possible solution of prison crisis through the increase in number of prisons after analysing the major causes of the problem so as to examine the best possible solution of the problem in the truest sense. Effective management of prisons is one of the greatest issues confronting any country in the world. Number of prisoners is increasing in all parts of the world exacerbating the crisis in the form of inefficient management, prisoner suicides, aggression, deteriorating hygienic condition and ineffective provision of educational facilities to prisoners. The condition in the prisons of England and Wales is no different; rather it is worse than many developed countries in the world and the most significant issue behind this crisis happens to be massive overcrowding in prisons soaring at a rapid rate. The prisons in England and Wales are severely overcrowded. According to Press Release (2002), the number of people in prisons exceeded 71,500 in 2002, which was about 45,800 in the year 1992. This reveals that the number of people in prison had almost doubled within a span of just 10 years, which in itself was a record. Within Western Europe, the rate of increase in the number of prisoners is the highest, which stood at 134 per 100,000 in the year 2002, and reached 141 per 100,000 in 2004 (National Offender Management Service, 2005). Prisons have no choice but to admit more and more people as court commands people to be incarcerated every day against different criminal charges. According to Page (2003), the number of women prisoners in 1992 was 1300, while it reached 4000 in the year 2002. It shows that the number of women in prisons has risen by about 3 times during a single decade. The number of children under the age of 18 has also increased three times over the last decade. Moreover, the number of old prisoners over the age of 60 in the year 1989 was 345, which after ten years rose to 1000. This is an alarming condition and if it continues in the same direction there is a threat that it will cripple the entire criminal justice system in England and Wales (Press Release, 2002). This menace is further exacerbated with expected rise in the number of prisoners in future. The government opines that the number of prisoners in UK will reach 100,000 by the year 2010 (Page, 2003). If this prediction becomes true, the situation and environment in prisons will further be worsened, as the system is not capable to bear pressure of soaring prison population to such an extent. With the increasing number of prisoners to be fitted in the same number of prisons and cells, the prisoners are being located in narrow cells that are not designed for two or three persons at the same time. The number of beds, toilets and other facilities intended for a single person are to be shared by more than one. According to a report by House of Lords/House of Commons Joint Committee on Human Rights (2004), this surging number of prisoners has caused massive overcrowding in prisons and about 17000 prisoners happen to have been accommodated two in a cell designed for one. National Offender Management Service (2005, p16) states that, "the ten most overcrowded prisons in England in 2004 accounted for 5,900 out of the 18,400 prisoners required to share a cell in crowded conditions". The

A Strategic Challenge HMV Faces Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A Strategic Challenge HMV Faces - Essay Example The researcher states that HMV Group Plc (HMV) was one amongst the world’s leading retailers of music, DVD/ video, pc games and books within the United Kingdom, North American country and Asia. A rise in the range of online purchase of CDs and DVDs, an increase in digital downloads associated stiffer competition from general supermarkets had an adverse impact on HMV’s revenue in 2005. Changes in musical tastes conjointly affected HMV’s sales adversely. HMV has to enhance its profit by initiating contemporary worth cuts and increasing its online product offerings. HMV is fraught from three sides. On one flank, there are competitive street retailers with similar business models. On the opposite flank, grocery chains, which are progressively entering into the HMV’s recreation product territory? Additionally, arising quickly from behind, are pure-play online retailers. Online pure-play retailers above all create an excellent threat, as they will operate at a v alue advantage ensuing from associate degree absence of physical stores and lowest staffing needs. Within the past decade, as online penetration has inflated and shopper familiarity with  online searching has expanded, pure-play online retailers like Play.com have emerged as important rivals to venerable chains of HMV. The diversion product mix furnished by HMV (CDs, DVDs, video games) is especially suited to on-line merchandising. Merchandise square measure extremely standardized and commoditized (a videodisk is a videodisk, in spite of the channel it is purchased from), simply transferable through the post, and promoted heavily by the show business (meaning customers can ‘pull’ merchandise through distribution channels).

Is Asia primed for increased rivalry or greater co-operation Term Paper

Is Asia primed for increased rivalry or greater co-operation - Term Paper Example These include the North Korean Taepodong missiles and nuclear research crises, the impact of the financial crisis on Asian countries and subsequent socio-economic turmoil, and conflict over the Taiwan Straits (Welch & Milne, 2014: p67). However, although the Asian region is a highly unstable one, the reasons for this rivalry are not entirely tied to these events as several scholars have claimed. While Friedberg’s argument contends that Asia cannot move towards cooperation due to its multi-polar geopolitics, the United States’ strategic interests in the region provide a stabilising power balance. In addition, the dearth of democratic and strong regional institutions, which is also part of his argument, would seem to contradict evidence showing the opposite as Indo-Sino cooperation is increasing (Alagappa, 2011: p157). In fact, regional actors pose the largest threat to stability and increased cooperation in Asia. The extremely different and isolationist values and beliefs professed by these actors make sovereignty contests in Taiwan and Korean waters a potential cause of military rivalry and conflict. These potential but intangible causes of rivalry and conflict should be given the closest attention. Moreover, the role played by the US in Asia cannot be ignored as its strategic military strength and alliances make it the dominant power (Alagappa, 2011: p159). T his paper will aim to use three theoretical paradigms of international relations: the realist, liberal, and constructivist approaches, in examining the regional environment in Asia and forming a more considerate and accurate assessment of prospects for increased rivalry or cooperation in Asia. The liberal, realist, and constructivist approaches to IR offer different perspectives of what governs the behaviour of state actors, especially in the promotion of stability and cooperation or rivalry and conflict (Lanyi & McWilliams, 2013: p90). The realist school of IR thought considers power to be the main

Don't change it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Don't change it - Essay Example While other philosophers like Rousseau opposed this crucial view of humans by viewing them as cooperative, selfishness and fear are the main reasons why humans harm each other (Rousseau, paragraph 12). Shifting from the evil human image that Hobbes explained, to the well-disposed human image of Rousseau, makes an obvious antagonism between both philosophers. Indeed, both Hobbes and Rousseau wrote about the same points, which are human nature, social contract, and the form of government, but each of them had different explanations to these ideas. In the idea of human nature, Hobbes started by explaining his idea through arguing that all men are created equal in their aptitude and wish (Hobbes 57). Indeed, Hobbes indicates that no man is above other men, but what make men different are sciences and the amount of knowledge that each person carries (Hobbes 59). Even though each man has a different amount of knowledge, a man in his nature always sees himself better than others and do not like to admit that other men are better than him (Hobbes 59). Rousseau illustrated that men are equal but they are different from each other based on two facts, which are their physical features such as their age, way of looking and the soul, which is mainly about human behavior and morals (Rousseau, paragraph 1). In addition, Rousseau views all men as free and this is evident when he argues that though man was born without any restrictions, everywhere he goes he is in chains. (Rousseau 81). The Chains Rousseau means in his writing are the restr ictions and the power the government puts on men’s freedom (Rousseau 81). Rousseau also believes that power is not created by nature but it is created by God’s wish. In other words, God is the one who choose specific people to give them power similar to the relationship between a parent and his or her child (Rousseau, paragraph 4, 10). Moving to the idea of conflict and competition, according to

Marketing assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing - Assignment Example for this car therefore needs to target the middle class in the society, as they are the people most concerned about the environment and prices of fuel (Becker, 2010). To reach this target group, the advertisement for the hybrid cars needs to be in television at prime times. The middle class are working people and are not available to watch television during the days. However, most of them are keen followers of the evening news. Placing the advertisement at such a time is there fore likely to catch their attention. The middle class are also keen followers of sports in the weekend. In the United States, the follow American football and baseball, in Europe, the most popular sport is football. Therefore, it would be productive to advertise the car during sports or by sponsoring team kits such that a popular team plays in labeled kits (for instance Juventus is a big soccer club in Europe and play in kits marked ‘jeep’) (Becker, 2010). Such advertisements may work wonders, as the audience is relaxed when watching the game and more likely to notice the advert (Becker, 2010). Inclusion of impressive statistics about the car is also helpful as the target group is interested in a car that offers them comfort as well as power on the road. This target group is also knowledgeable and is bound to know the limitations of a ‘green car’. These limitations include short refueling mileage (electric cars should recharge after between 100 and 160 miles) (Fort Bend Toyota in Richmond, par 3). This distance is too small a hybrid car covers more distance, more than 300 miles. Inclusion of this kind of information in the adverts is likely to persuade potential buyers with reservations about the refueling mileage to change their minds. The advertisements should also show the amount of money that the user would save on fuel by using the hybrid cars. The main advantages of use of television and sports endorsements are a wide area of coverage as well as the discounts related to

Political Systems in U.K and U.S Essay Example for Free

Political Systems in U.K and U.S Essay What are the similarities and differences between the political systems in U. K and U. S? When the U. S. Constitution was being drafted, its writers had the British Parliamentary system to base on. The British system was the system they were used to and had learnt since childhood. However, because the monarchy was one of the main things that the former colonists had rebelled against, any form of monarchy and most forms of concentrated power were avoided. The most fundamental difference between the political system in the U. K and the U. S is the constitution. The United States has a written constitution which is very difficult to change. The UK does not have a single document called the constitution but instead its constitutional provisions are scattered over various Acts of Parliament, any of which can be changed by a simple majority in the Parliament. Similarities Both the U. S. and British political systems have a head of state, a court system and an upper and lower house. The U. S political system has a constitution which lays out the rules for government and the rights of the people, however, the U. K has documents with constitutional provisions which lay out the same rules. Both systems are democratic in nature, as governments are put in place and removed from power by the will of the people and both have systems of checks and balances to limit the power of any one branch. Head of State In the U. S. political system, the president is the official head of state. The president is elected under the electoral college system. In the U. K. , although the prime minister usually has the spotlight on political matters and is the official head of government, the queen or king is the official head of state. The queen officially signs off on acts of parliament and, just as the U. S. president delivers the State of the Union Address every year, the queen reads the Speech from the Throne, which is written by the prime minister. In U. K, the monarch is more of a ceremonial figurehead and it is unusual for any member of the royal family to directly interfere with the political process. The Upper House The United States has a Senate as the upper house of the legislative branch and the U. K. has the House of Lords. Under the U. S. ystem, each state, regardless of size, has two senators. Originally, senators were appointed by the governor of the state they represented but they are now elected to serve six-year terms. The House of Lords is very different. Members of the House of Lords are not elected. The 792 members of the House of Lords are members by inheritance, appointment or their rank in the Church of England; they are not elected and cannot be removed by vote. This part of the political system in the U. K is not democratic. Otherwise the House of Lords serve the same purpose as the U. S. Senate. They discuss, debate and vote on legislation passed by the lower house of the legislative branch. The Lower House The U. S. House of Representatives and the British House of Commons have a great deal in common. Each house is made up of representatives elected by the people. In both systems control of the lower house goes to the party that has the most seats. Under the U. K. system, the leader of the party with the most seats becomes the Prime Minister and the official head of the government. Under the U. S. system this person would be the Speaker of the House. One other key difference is elections. Under the parliamentary system, the prime minister can go to the crown at any point and ask to dissolve Parliament. If this is done an election is called. An election can also be called if the prime minister loses the confidence of the house. This means that the prime minister lost a vote in Parliament on a matter of confidence. Matters of confidence are usually over budgetary matters. If the prime minister loses a vote of confidence, the end result is an election Other political differences. The American general election lasts almost two years, starting with the declaration of candidates for the primaries. The British general election lasts around four weeks. In the United States, no Cabinet member is allowed to be a member of the Congress because of the strict theory of the separation of the powers. In Britain, every Government Minister must be a member of one of the two Houses of Parliament and, if he or she is not already in the Parliament, he or she is made a peer. The constitutional system in the UK involves a lot of custom and practice, and much more flexibility than the US system. For example, the timing of US presidential elections is fixed. In the UK, it is essentially the Prime Ministers choice as to when elections are to be held, up to the 5 year limit. The resignation of a president in the US would have to lead either to an election or to his vice president taking up the office. In the UK, the resignation of a prime minister will lead to the party choosing a new leader, but there is no technically requiring this, the Queen is technically free to choose whoever she wishes.

The Affects of Electronic Communication on Me, My Family and Society Essay Example for Free

The Affects of Electronic Communication on Me, My Family and Society Essay In this task I am going to write a report on the effects of electronic communication on me, my family and the society. I will extend my report by giving a clear explanation that includes society in general, i. e. people and situations outside of my normal experience (i. e. business). I will also include in this report the people that do not have access to electronic communication. Uses of electronic communication at home (within my experience) Computers/Laptops Computers and Laptops are both common communication items at most people’s households. There are many communication features as well as software on a laptop and computer which are helpful in a day to day lifestyle. I use my laptop a lot to complete various pieces of coursework. One of the main programs I use is the word processing packages. Using this software I can save, edit text and print many documents. Without my laptop I would have to write out each piece of coursework for a draft version and then again for my final version. This would be very time consuming. Using my laptop I can type up my draft version and then edit that version to produce my final copy. I can easily click print to have a hard copy of my work. Another useful function of the word processing package is the fact that it automatically show me if I have any spelling errors or grammatical error. One type of error which word cannot identify is homophone or apostrophe errors. There is also the synonym function. This function gives a selection of words with a similar or same meaning. Computers and Laptops have made coursework more accurate because of the spell check and grammatical function as well as it is made much neater compared to a hand-written piece of work. If I was to handwrite my work then I would have to cross out any errors I made. This would make my work messy and therefore the presentation of my work wouldn’t be presentable. There are many other programs which I use on my laptop which include; spreadsheets, publishers, local databases etc. Each of these programs has its own special features. Internet I use the internet for researching various aspects for my work and coursework, communicating with friends and family via e-mail, facebook and msn. It is also useful for checking cinema listings, train timings, elevision programme schedules etc. I used the internet for the research of my coursework. I am an A-level student and have a lot to research for my courses hence I need to carry out my study over the internet. A lot of the courses I study at college require relevant research and information therefore I need electronic communication so I can have access to the related information. If I did not have access to the internet at home then I would have to make alternate arrangements so I could access the information. These arrangements would either be the library or a friend or relatives house. This could become inconvenient as if I had to go to the library I would have to be wary of the timings or if I had to go to a friend’s house I would have to make sure they are home or available. I will soon be applying for university and hence will need to research into career prospects and courses that I would like to do at university. Also I will have to fill in the online UCAS application to ensure I have a place in university. The new online process is very effective as once the form has been submitted I would be able to track my application to see which universities have offered me a place. If I had to send my application via mail then there would be chances of the letter being lost or undelivered. The online process guarantee’s that the universities have received my application. I also use the online banking service which most banks offer. This is so I can access details of my account using electronic communication. This service is very useful as I can handle my accounts while sitting at home instead of having to go to the bank. Through electronic communication I am able to do online shopping. This service is very effective as I can order clothes over the internet and my parents can order their house hold items, i. . groceries. This saves them going to the supermarket to make these purchases. Any big supermarket offer this service (for example: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, etc). The internet also helps my family and me to find jobs. There are many websites online which help me to find a variety of jobs which suits my timings. I am able to access the information about each job and process applications for the jobs I want online making it more convenient. The online service makes it easier for my family and me as we know that the application has been received before the closing date. Using electronic communication we are able to get an immediate respond to whether any members of my family or me have been accepted for the job. Using the internet I can also find out information on bus and train transportation. I can find the running times for both services and also book train tickets online. This guarantees that I have a ticket for a certain train time instead of having to go to the train station to book the ticket. Also if I book the ticket earlier than it turns out cheaper so I am able to save money and time. Weather updates are also available via electronic communication. Many websites (i. e. bbc, metro weather, etc) contain weather updates. This is an easy service to access as we are able to check the forecast for up to 10 days online. This helps us when we want to plan days out or family events. I can also find weather for various countries and the average temperature for each month of the year. This is handy when my family wants to book a holiday abroad. Also accessible using electronic communication is holiday packages. I have researched several holiday packages online and then booked the one that suits my family. This saves time as I wouldn’t have to keep going to a travel agent to find out details about my vacation. A well known electronic communication method is via e-mail or msn. I am able to talk to friends and family through both of these services. Msn is a good online chat services for instant messaging. Using msn I can talk to my friends and family abroad. The e-mail service is good for passing a message on to someone who currently can’t talk at the same time as me. Also via e-mail I can send work to my teachers and peers. Radio Radio is another type of electronic communication. It is used to broadcast signals across the country. The advantage of these broadcasts is that these are a good variety of stations which can be picked up from one radio player. Alongside the advantages are disadvantages. These are that the signal is not always clear and as there is already a lot of stations there is no more space for more stations to open. Many messages can be announced on air, i. e. birthday wishes, news, etc. If I do not always have access to a computer or laptop then I can call the radio station and ask for a friend or family member’s birthday to be announced. Telephone/Mobile phones Mobile phones can be used for communication in many different ways; either by call or SMS (Short Message Service). Mobile phones can be used anywhere without the need of a cable. If I want to talk about something private then the best method to use is SMS as no one can hear my conversation. There are many disadvantages to using a mobile phone. I don’t always have signal or if I do it isn’t always strong making the phone calls disruptive. I use the SMS service a lot to keep in contact with my friends. It is an easy service to use and can be used at anytime of the day. The disadvantage of using the SMS service is that it can be very time consuming when I want to hold a two way conversation hence a phone call would be the easiest method. Telephones (home phones) are used to keep in contact with other members of the family as well as friends. This type of phone doesn’t always have a wire although it can only be used within a certain range. Uses of electronic communication by a business (out of my normal experience) Electronic communication is well known in businesses. There are many electronic communication items used which are essential to the business.

Reasons For The Merging Of Companies Economics Essay

Reasons For The Merging Of Companies Economics Essay There is no doubt that mergers play a great role in the development of an economy. In this essay, a merger will be defined as a combination of two corporations in which only one corporation survives and the merged corporation goes out existence (Gaughan, 2007, p. 12). After a merger, the newly-established company will hold two merged companies assets. In this way, mergers offer more chances for companies to become bigger and stronger. At the same time, customers may receive better services than those before a merger. However, the topic of mergers motives has long been the subject of debate, as different companies put forward different reasons to merge. Some of them are economically sound, while some of them are not. In fact, from the current studies, it can be seen that there are two big types of motives, one is economic motives and the other is non-economic motives. Although some people argue that motives of mergers lie in some non-economic reasons, such as the political reasons, the managers reasons, and so on, others take a different view and emphasize that because of that the raison dà ªtre of a company is to make profits, most motives of mergers are for sound economic reasons. Thus, this essay is an attempt to argue that the main motives for mergers are economically sound reasons. It also aims to show the importance of different economic motives, even though some people claim that there are many failures that resulted from those motives. In addition, the ineffectiveness of non-economic motives will also be checked to support the main argument. In order to demonstrate this, this essay will first focus on the growth motive of mergers. The case of PO and Stena will also be added into the discussion. Second, different types of synergy will be illustrated to explain how valid this motive is to help companies to become stronger. Third, the electronic giant General Electronic (GE) will be given as a good example to discuss the significance of the diversification motive. Fourth, the example of the Exxon-Mobil Oil Company will be used to show some other economic motives. Finally, there will be discussion about some non-economic motives such as power motives, achievement motives, and political motives and so on, though these are some less common motives for mergers. 2.0 Economic Motives 2.1 Faster Growth If a company seeks to make a merger with other firms, the most popular motive may be growth. As Denzil (2001) points out, one of the most successful types of merger may be a merger with a growth motive, because it is easy and quick to beat competitors and take the lead in markets. When a company wants to expand, there are several choices: internal growth or growth through mergers. Internal growth means companies go to buy land and build more factories, employ new staff, or search for a market to sell products and so on. This is a long way to go. However, if companies use the method of merging, it will save them much time to do other things such as research and development or market promotion. Moreover, through merging, companies may easily occupy the market, enlarge the market share, and beat the competitors (DePamphilis, 2003). If mergers occur in different regions, this means companies are improving its fame and becoming more globalised, this means more customers may know about the company, in other words, more potential benefits will move to the company. Although there are a great number of obvious benefits that companies will face, others disagree with the motive of growth. In their opinion, growth is a difficult goal to achieve and is not a sound economic reason. As Gaughan (2007) indicates, when a company has already accomplished growth in the past, it is difficult for corporate managers to keep growing. However, after achieving growth in the past, managers will look for some other ways to keep growing. Among those ways, Mergers could be the fastest and the most efficient way. Companies do not need to take couples of year to build workshop, and recruit new employees. In addition, with less time to spend, growth via mergers can be gain through the lowest-risk way (DePamphilis, 2003, p. 356). Long time means more uncertainties, which are more risks. How to avoid those risks? It is better to spend less time, and complete mergers quickly. As a good example of growth motive, the case of Johnson Johnson should be introduced. Johnson Johnson is one of the biggest manufacturers of health care industry in the world. It was established by Johnson and his two brothers in 1986 in New Jersey of United States. At that time, it was a company which only had fourteen workers. In the early 1920s, with the development of businesses, Johnson Johnson began to build branches in other places such as America, Europe, Asia and Africa. However, over the period 1995 to 2005, Johnson Johnson took a series of mergers. Through those mergers, Johnson Johnson have gained a greatly fast growth. So far, Johnson Johnson have owned more than 250 subsidiaries in 57 different countries and 115 thousand employees. Its products are available in nearly 175 countries (Stock Johnson Johnson, 2010). The global revenue of Johnson Johnson in 2008 was 63.7 billion US dollars (JNJ Income Statement, 2009). From the example of Johnson Johnson, we can see, with the development of an increasingly globalized world, growth can be one of the most efficient and fundamental motives of mergers. 2.2 Different Types of Synergy As another important motive, synergy is the popular choice for companies to make a merger. Synergy means the extra energy or effectiveness that people or businesses create when they combine their efforts. In mergers, according to DePamphilis (2003), synergy refers to corporate combination will produce more profits than that the sum of their separate status. Therefore, synergy is often used to explain the phenomenon of 1+1=3. In mergers, this means the combination of two companies may generate three companies effect. Just because of this, many companies try their best to seek the opportunities to combine with other corporations. If synergy occurs in mergers, it focuses on two sides to raise the profitable ability of companies: revenue enhancements and cost reductions (Gaughan, 2007, p. 133). For example, if Coca Cola make a merger with a fruit producer, as a result, it will save more spending to buy raw material for its soft drinks. This is called cost reductions. When Coca Cola have gained a lower price of raw material, it can reduce some prices of its drinks. In this way, lower price will make a promotion of its drinks. This is named revenue enhancements. Though the actual fact is more complex than this example, the truth is the related theory would be basically the same. Although synergy has enhanced the profitability from revenues and costs, some people do not agree synergy should be a good economic reason for mergers (Gaughan, 2007). From their point of view, the synergy effect can only be described the mergers of companies in the same industry or seller-buyer relationship, and it is not suitable to other diversified mergers. In order to respond this, economies of scope should be introduced as a concept that is confused with economies of scale. Economies of scope can be defined as the ability of a firm to utilize one of set of inputs to provide a broader range of products and services (Gaughan, 2007, p. 129). If a company is able to utilize its workforce, and facilities, synergy also can be achieved. Most failures of mergers with synergy purpose are because of their leaders inefficient management ability and not the motive of synergy. Several examples of mergers motivated by the pursuit of synergy have achieved the success. After the 1994 merger between Radisson Diamond Cruises and Seven Seas Cruises, the combined cruise lines began to provide cheaper price of beds and itineraries. This is because, as a result of merger, fewer managers will be needed to maintain the relationship with the same districts travel agencies. Hence, costs reductions are gained. Moreover, with the larger size of company, the fame of company is improving. This enables sales force to make a promotion more easily. As a result, more customers will come to enjoy their trips. Therefore, revenue is enhanced by this way (Gaughan, 2007, pp. 127-128). With motive of synergy, companies are not only able to increase its revenue, but also decline its cost. Thus, we may see how valid the synergy motive is. 2.3 Diversification When a company has already been the bellwether of one industry, managers of the company may consider some diversified merger to expand its size and make more profits. Diversification provides conditions of expansion by applying companies goodwill in former industry to other different product field, and it can also provide conditions of forming scale effect (DePamphilis, 2003, p. 20). Through diversification, it is foreseeable that companies may have the chance to gain significant earnings, because a new industry means a new opportunity. Opportunity should be the best thing for companies managers. Another side about diversification, as Gaughan (2007) pointed out, is that companies may obtain continuous competitive advantage. This is because if General Electronic can hardly sell its military products to armies in a peaceful time, but it can also seek profitable opportunities in other field such as insurance, healthcare, plastics, energy, and so on. This is the theory about continuous c ompetitive advantages. As long as a company becomes a diversified one, it will acquire the privilege of enjoying continuous competitive advantage. Compared with its positives, one accusation for diversification as not a valid economic reason is that there are some potential risks when companies expand into another industry. If companies cant handle the risks well, it may bring damages to them. A study carried out by Berger and Ofek (1995), using a large sample of firms over the 1986-1991 sample periods, found that diversification caused an average 13% to 15%s loss of firm value. The study also found that the loss of firm value was less than that of when the diversification occurred, and it was not affected by firm size. However, some evidence suggest diversification do not directly lessen firms value. One finance researcher, Villalonga, believes that the diversification discount is because of incorrect use of data of several researchers (Villalonga, 2004, cited in Gaughan, 2007, p143). As Gaughan (2007) points out: The data used by those researchers were artificially restricted by Financial Accounting Standards Board definition of segments as well as requirements that only segments that constitute 10% or more of a companys business are required to be reported. Using a data source that is not affected by this problem, Villalonga finds a diversification premium, as opposed to a discount (Gaughan, 2007, p143). Although there are many companies that have suffered failures at diversification, others argue that they have achieved great success with mergers at diversification. The most successful example is General Electric (GE). Unlike its name, now GE is no longer an electric company. Through a series of mergers at diversification, GE has become a diversified giant with operations insurance, television stations, plastics, medical equipment, and so on. Especially during the 1980s and 1990s, during the fourth merger wave, GE had made a great number of Mergers with various companies, and it has benefited significantly from those combinations (Gaughan, 2007, p. 137). In short, although mergers with diversification might have potential risks to the newly combined company, more diversified mergers may provide a bigger market for companies to make profits as what GE have gained. 2.4 Other Economic Motives There are two sound other types of economic motives for mergers: horizontal integration and vertical integration. Generally, in horizontal integration, market power and market share are raised through mergers. While in vertical integration, both merged firms have a buyer-seller relationship, hence, the combination may provide a dependable source of supply and lower costs advantage (Gaughan, 2007, pp. 145-155). In horizontal integration, market power stands for the leadership of a market (DePamphilis, 2003, p. 69). Sometimes, market power may gain from market share, and it is well-known that market share may easily gain as a consequence of horizontal integration. Once market power is achieved by one company, all the other rivals in the same market will probably be affected. Their pricing strategy, promotion plan, product research and development and so on will probably all follow with the leader of the market. This is similar to the situation of Nokia in the Mobile Phone industry. However, in a vertical integration, both merged companies will benefit from the integration. One company will not worried about the sales of its products, and the other will not be concerned with the source of its raw materials. However, there has been a debate that both horizontal integration and vertical integration may bring several negatives to the market and consumers. One of the most being criticized is monopoly competition (DePamphilis, 2003, p. 24). After mergers, the power of merged companies will get bigger. Thus, the structure of the industry will tend to monopoly, which means merged companies may beat others using pricing strategy and the public will pay significantly for this. Although, sometimes, when this situation happens, government will release various policies to prevent this situation from continuing. This is the reason why Coca Cola failed to merge with one of Chinas biggest juice companies, Huiyuan Juice Group. In 2009, Coca Cola planed to purchase Huiyuan Juice with 2.4 billion US dollars. This deal was blocked by Chinas ministry of commerce with the reason that Coke might abuse its dominant position in Chinas soft drinks industry (Sundeep Tucker, 2009). However, most of the time, as long as companies will not affect markets and customers by means of some illegal ways, government wont stop these mergers. In fact, the worlds largest Oil Company, Exxon-Mobil Oil Company, comes from a merger. In 1998, there was a megamerger in the Oil industry. Exxon announced its merger with the Mobil Oil Company. At that time, both two companies were the leading companies in the Oil industry. After merging, in order to achieve the synergistic gains, the companies need to successfully integrate its resources. As a result, this merger was extremely successful. Two years later, the combined Exxon-Mobil announced that the merger saved them approximately $4.8 billion which is higher than the estimated $3.8 billion. With successful operation of the following years, in 2006, Exxon-Mobil announced its highest annual profits that the firms annual profits in 2005 were $36 billion and its sales were $371 billion. Exxon-Mobil became the largest company in the world (Gaughan, 2007, p. 146). From the example of Exxon-Mobil and discussion above, we could see that no matter horizontal integration or vertical integration, those economic motives will be beneficial to merged companies. Therefore, these economic motives are the sound motives for mergers. 3.0 Non-economic Motives There are several non-economic motives which exist in mergers such as power motives, achievement motives, and political motives and so on. Most of the time, these motives only exist in the mind of managers of merged companies. Therefore, it is less sound for researchers to pay attention to them as motives for mergers. 3.1 Power Motives and Achievement Motives Power motives refer to the peoples pursuit of control over others by means of increasing source of power, and this is particularly serious in some top managers in merged companies (Schmalt, 1987, cited in Carsten Lausberg and Teresa Stahl, 2008, p.6). With the possibility of a higher position through mergers, it is no wonder that these managers will often support the proposal of mergers. Usually, after mergers, these newly combined companies will have a bigger size. More workers will add into different teams or departments for mangers to supervise. These things are what the managers seek for. Through this way, they have got a continuous increase of power. It is common to see that a person will be judged successful or unsuccessful by various criterions. Hence, achievements become the most vital thing for some managers. Since it may be the fastest and most efficient way to enlarge companies size and improve companies value though mergers, most managers who have the achievement motive will let companies go to merge. Furthermore, merger is a highly complex and energy consuming thing and people will recognize the managers of successful mergers. Therefore, a person with a strong achievement motive will take the risk of pushing companies to merge (Carsten Lausberg and Teresa Stahl, 2008, p.7). However, the reason why these two motives and motives like that are not main reasons for companies mergers is that, in nowadays companies, decisions are made by the whole members of the Board. Any single man could hardly affect the entire Board of directors opinions about decisions except for family firms or totally private companies. In addition, according to Gaughan (2007), mergers often take place in companies that have a good corporate governance structure and a clear responsibilities right of shareholders, board of directors, board of supervisors, managers. Hence, it is less common to see mergers with these personal motives. 3.2 Political Motives It is difficult to find one accurate definition for political motives. In general, however, people regards political motive as a motive which aims to serve for politics. Sometimes, politicians need more economic successes to earn more votes. For instance, in order to enable the Chinese people to enjoy more about the telecom service, in 2008 the Chinese government decided to make several mergers among the six largest state-owned telecom companies including China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, China Netcom, China Tietong, and China Satcom (Xinhua News Agency, 2008). However, it is hard to see mergers with political motives. This is because, primarily, political motives mergers often occur in the countries which have a similar political system like China. There are less of them in the world. Secondly, even though this situation happens, the core of a merger with a political motive is also the economic success. Hence, the political motive is, actually, an economic motive. Non-economic motives can either be some personal motives or the alias of economic motives, thus, they will not be seen as the sound motives. 4.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has attempted to demonstrate that economic motives are the main reasons for different companies mergers. Despite the fact that some people argue that there are some potential risks among these economic reasons, focusing on negatives, the positives of these economic motives stand out. Furthermore, it is also true that various successful examples have shown the importance of these economic motives that have been discussed above. This is why, in recent years, more and more researchers have put their effort to study the topic of MA. Economic motives are not only the first step of merging, but the root of mergers, although, in the process of a merger, there will a great amount of works to be done in future. Currently, after the global financial crisis, there is another trend for companies seeking for mergers. How to avoid the potential risks of these economic motives and transfer them to the real profits is an issue that is open to question.

Characters in Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens Essay -- Great Exp

Characters in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Dickens has many ways of making his characters both striking and memorable, he uses the dialogue and blends it with the setting and social background as illustrated by ‘torn by briars; who limped’. Dickens is very descriptive; this also helps making the character real. Dickens creates a creepy mood when we are told about the graveyard in which we meet Magwitch as shown by ‘as if he were eluding the hands of dead people’. He uses the graveyard and the gibbet in the distance to help create this mood which adds to the edgy atmosphere. The tone of this extract is dramatic and intimidating; Dickens achieves this by using short, but descriptive sentences. Dickens makes us feel sorry for Magwitch because of the way he speaks, ‘wittles’ and ‘pecoolier’ are examples of this. As Magwitch talks to Pip, we, as the reader notice that Magwitch talks to Pip as a child and uses language that would only scare a child : ‘you little devil, or I’ll cut your throat!’. When pip meets Miss Havisham, Dickens makes it seem like it is a nice, rich room, however we soon find out it is a dull, lifeless room that hasn’t seen light in years : ‘. Dickens uses long, descriptive sentences here to introduce the setting and mood of the room. Dickens slowly gives us information bit by bit so we build a picture of what is going on. He slowly reveals that Miss Havisham has been jilted at the alter. Wemmick’s home reflects his personality in the way that he likes to be secure and safe. Wemmick is one of the most memorable of Dickens’s characters, as he is slightly out of the ordinary and has his own way of doing things. Wemmick keeps his work and his home life very separate, this is... ...rrible places to be; they carried lots of diseases and were extremely unhygienic. Miss Havisham is from an upper class background. She is very wealthy, however remains unmarried. Marriage for women in those days was more important than it is today because it used to be the men making all the money while the women looked after the house; however Miss Havisham has plenty of money so her problem is that she is lonely. Wemmick is in the working class and works in the prison as a clerk, the conditions of prisons in those days was very bad, which may be the reason why he keeps his home life and work life completely separate. Dickens achieves making his characters both striking and memorable by describing them in heavy detail, but not making it boring by having too much. In my opinion Wemmick is the most memorable character as I could imagine him being real.

The Ethics of Cloning :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Ethical Questions of Cloning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   A couple that had been married for only two years was in a terrible car accident.  Ã‚   The wife walked away with a few cuts and bruises.   The husband, however was unconscious when the paramedics arrived.   He went into a coma shortly after arriving at the nearby hospital. He came out of the coma but was never to be the same again.   It turns out that when he was in the accident he had severe head trauma, and would be a vegetable the rest of his life.   He could not take part in the reproduction of children.   The wife is now distraught because they will never have children together.   She heard about the possibility of cloning and believes that it is the only way that she will ever have children.   Is it so?    Introduction The ethics of human cloning has become a great issue in the past few years.   The advocates for both sides of the issue have many reasons to clone or not to clone.   This is an attempt to explore the pros and cons of human cloning and to provide enough information of both sides of the arguments in order for the reader to make their own informed decision on whether human cloning is ethical or not.   Cloning will first be defined.   Then a brief explanation of why questions concerning cloning humans have arisen will be presented.   Some things cannot be known for sure unless it is tested, i.e., human cloning is allowed. Followed by that, a discussion of the facts and opinions that support cloning will be presented and then the same against cloning.   Please remember that not all of this has proven true nor is able to be proven yet, but has simply been argued as a scientific hypothesis.   Finally, my own personal opinion will be stated.       Defining Human Cloning When speaking of human cloning, what is meant?   Different groups and organizations define it differently.   To use a specific definition, the American Medical Association (AMA) defined cloning as "the production of genetically identical organisms via somatic cell nuclear transfer.   'Somatic cell nuclear transfer' refers to the process which the nucleus of a somatic cell of an existing organism is transferred into an oocyte from which the nucleus has been removed" (Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs 1).   In other words, cloning is the method of produce a baby that has the same genes as its parent. The Ethics of Cloning :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics The Ethical Questions of Cloning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   A couple that had been married for only two years was in a terrible car accident.  Ã‚   The wife walked away with a few cuts and bruises.   The husband, however was unconscious when the paramedics arrived.   He went into a coma shortly after arriving at the nearby hospital. He came out of the coma but was never to be the same again.   It turns out that when he was in the accident he had severe head trauma, and would be a vegetable the rest of his life.   He could not take part in the reproduction of children.   The wife is now distraught because they will never have children together.   She heard about the possibility of cloning and believes that it is the only way that she will ever have children.   Is it so?    Introduction The ethics of human cloning has become a great issue in the past few years.   The advocates for both sides of the issue have many reasons to clone or not to clone.   This is an attempt to explore the pros and cons of human cloning and to provide enough information of both sides of the arguments in order for the reader to make their own informed decision on whether human cloning is ethical or not.   Cloning will first be defined.   Then a brief explanation of why questions concerning cloning humans have arisen will be presented.   Some things cannot be known for sure unless it is tested, i.e., human cloning is allowed. Followed by that, a discussion of the facts and opinions that support cloning will be presented and then the same against cloning.   Please remember that not all of this has proven true nor is able to be proven yet, but has simply been argued as a scientific hypothesis.   Finally, my own personal opinion will be stated.       Defining Human Cloning When speaking of human cloning, what is meant?   Different groups and organizations define it differently.   To use a specific definition, the American Medical Association (AMA) defined cloning as "the production of genetically identical organisms via somatic cell nuclear transfer.   'Somatic cell nuclear transfer' refers to the process which the nucleus of a somatic cell of an existing organism is transferred into an oocyte from which the nucleus has been removed" (Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs 1).   In other words, cloning is the method of produce a baby that has the same genes as its parent.

Employing Internet and Networking in the 21st Century Classroom Essay

â€Å"The Internet can bring the virtual world into the walls of the classroom, thus exponentially increasing the knowledge base available for practical use in teaching and learning (Kumari, 1998, p. 365). The use of the internet and online collaboration are skills that are important to employment opportunities and for â€Å"quality of life† (McManus, 2000). Regardless of the individual student’s future profession, the 21st century job market requires the ability to apply internet, collaborative, and networking skills. According to Barbara McManus, in her article â€Å"Creative Teaching with Internet Technology†, internet skills are best learned when applied across a varied curriculum, including â€Å"reading, writing, or mathematics† (2000). Teaching Tool The internet can be applied to the curriculum in many ways, including research, publishing, and virtual interactions. Although the internet is not always the most appropriate teaching tool, in many scenarios it can supplement and enhance a standard lesson (Educational Broadcasting Corporation). Research, publishing, and virtual interactions via the internet can provide authentic, real-world learning experiences for learners. Researching essays, papers, and projects via the internet allows students to utilize a plethora of different viewpoints, primary source documents, and â€Å"conduct original research† to apply to a topic (McManus, 2000). According to Dr. Siva Kumari (1998), the internet has quickly changed the way students and teachers interact with texts and research. The Educational Broadcasting Corporation asserts that the Internet allows students and teachers access to resources for research beyond the traditional classroom setting and decreases the amount of time spent doing said researc... ...ithin a collaborative blog teaches students how to work professionally and respectfully in a group environment – an essential employability skill. Using Facebook as a means of networking has become more popular throughout the Middle East as revolutions spring up across the region. The ability to contact those outside of one’s inner circle through social networking is a skill that is not lost on this Facebook generation. â€Å"Internet technology must be thoroughly integrated into the structure of [a] course (content, learning goals, assessment); the best assignments bring the fruits of internet use into the classroom.† (McManus, 2000). It is imperative that 21st century teachers prepare 21st century learners for the 21st century workforce. This means that teachers must utilize all innovation and technological advances available to them, particularly via the internet.

Analysis of Hamlet’s Morality Essay

Hamlet is one of the greatest dramatic characters created. Throughout the play, we acknowledge the complexity of his persona. Even without Shakespeare providing an elaborated description of Hamlet’s characteristics, we instantly perceive him as contradictory. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is presented to us as a cautious and courteous man; however, due to the negative circumstances he has to face, we see how his moral character becomes reckless and uncivil. Shakespeare uses antithesis, allusion, and irony, to show the â€Å"demoralization† of Hamlet’s character. Throughout the play, Hamlet is overwhelmed by a feeling of revenge but hesitates in the murder of Claudius due to his fear of making the wrong decision. Hamlet is held back by his consideration of religious morals and beliefs. This is clearly shown right after Hamlet stages the play. †Claudius â€Å"rises† in guilty startlement at The Mousetrap’s revelations† (Essays on Values in Literature). After this point, Hamlet is fairly certain that Claudius is guilty, and comes across Claudius in the chapel. Hamlet is given the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, but he decides that he doesn’t want to kill him while he is praying. Hamlet feels that if he murdered him during prayer, he would dishonor his father by sending Claudius to heaven. Instead, Hamlet wants to kill him while he is doing something horrific, ensuring Claudius goes to hell, where Hamlet feels he deserves to go. Hamlet says: Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; and now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven, and so am I revenged. That would be scann’d: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. †¦No. Up sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. (3.3.77-83, 93) A very significant component to Hamlet’s loss of morality is his decision to act insanity. It is a major risk he is willing to take in order to accomplish his father’s request. Hamlet realizes this is the only way he will be able to investigate his father’s death without being perceived as a threat. However, for this plan to work he has to unchain a group of new personality traits that contribute to the deterioration of his morality. Hamlet puts into practice his new role with Ophelia, whom along with her father, believes his madness is a result of his rejection of her. This display takes Ophelia’s father Polonius to Claudius, and together they set a plan to spy on Hamlet, using Ophelia as the lure. Nevertheless, Hamlet is a clever man, and rapidly finds out what is happening. This is a devastating point in Hamlet’s life as he comes to the conclusion that he has lost everything he once loved. The terrible realization that his last source of hope is now lost takes Hamlet to a new stage. The last sense of respect he had towards the people around him is now gone. Hamlet starts to exceed his rely on his â€Å"madness† to tell the truth about his thoughts. First to Polonius: Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here that old men have grey beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber and plum-tree gum and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams: all which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down, for yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if like a crab you could go backward.(2.2.214-222) And later to Ophelia and his mother: O God, your only jig-maker. What should a man do but be merry? for, look you, how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within these two hours.(3.2.130-135) Hamlet exhibits a new change in attitude after he returns from his uncompleted trip to England. He starts to feel a consuming anger against Claudius for his father’s death. He recognizes that his indecisiveness has been preventing him from action. Hamlet makes it clear that he wants to end his indecisiveness when he claims, â€Å"O, from this time forth/ my thoughts be bloody ore be nothing worth† (4.4.68-69) With this proclamation, Hamlet shows his deep desire to focus on the death of his uncle. This change makes Hamlet able to seek full revenge for his father’s death no matter the consequences. Hamlet is then completely transformed into a man that acts out of pure revenge. This is clearly demonstrated when Hamlet thinks Claudius is spying on him again and kills Polonius by accident. At this moment, it is evident that this is not the same cautious man we met before. Eventually, Hamlet’s new characteristics lead him to the achievement of his main and primary goal. In this play, â€Å"the moral component is there in Hamlet’s thinking† (Corruption in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 70). His use of reason was his only tie to morality, and once this connection was broken, so was his moral character. However, Shakespeare plays with the idea of â€Å"what circumstances might justify an individual taking the law into his own hands† (Corruption in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 69); leaving us with the question of whether Hamlet had lost his morality, or he was the only moral man in an immoral world. The complexity and contradictions expressed in this play and in Hamlet’s character make this work exceptional. Works Cited Grace, Tiffany. â€Å"Hamlet, reconciliation, and the just state.† Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature 58.2 (2005) Johnson, Vernon Elso. Corruption in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992. Print.

Fire in Religious School in Mecca

Refer to next paragraph. On the 11th of March, 2002, fire struck a girls school in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Firemen and concerned citizens were quickly on the scene. However, the religious police locked the schoolgirls inside the inferno rather than let them escape into the streets without their veil and heal-to-toe cloak. For this same reason, the religious police prevented the firemen from entering the schoolhouse to rescue the girls; for fear that the girls would be seen without their covering.Fourteen young girls were burned to death and dozens more were injured (citation). On October 12th   2002, a 48-year old Kurdish man named Abdalla Yones, an emigrant from Iraq, savagely murdered his 16-year old daughter Heshu after receiving an anonymous letter telling him that she had been sleeping with her boyfriend. (Asthana & Mistry).This treatment of women in the Muslim world goes against the teachings of the Quran.This isn’t the real assignment. Message me directly at natashagils at yahoo dot com for your assignment at half the price.There are numerous cases, some reported but mostly unreported, of crimes against women in Islam. Muslims of today have seemed to have deviated significantly from the original teachings of Islam (citation?). Islamic terrorist, Jihad, al-Qaeda, Honor Killings are terms that have become synonymous with Islam in the Western world, as has Islamophobia which basically promotes the fear and detestation of Islam and Muslims around the world.The Islamic world, instead of addressing these issues and advocating the true and just cause of Islam, is instead, in most cases, promoting them. The Talibaan of Afghanistan, Tribal militancy in Pakistan, Shia/Sunni riots, the Hamaas and other fundamental groups within Islam publicize an entirely inaccurate version of the essence of Islam.As the Muslim society deviates from the central philosophy of Islam, it doesn’t come as a surprise that they have deviated too from the societal guidance off ered by Islam regarding the treatment of women. The Quran, the Holy Book of the Muslims, and the Sunnah (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) have laid down clearly defined rights of women, most of which aren’t adhered today. Islam was revealed to Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula when it was rife with inhumane injustice against women.Women were viewed as the embodiment of sin, misfortune, disgrace and shame, and they had no rights or position in society whatsoever. Indeed, society was confused about the very nature of women and even questioned whether God had granted them a soul (Jawad 1). Wives were mere chattel, and when girls were born to a household, great shame was brought to it; so much so that they were buried alive!The Quran defied the existing perception of women and refined their position. It outlawed female infanticide and restored their birth rights .   Gustave Le Bon, a famous French thinker, stated:â€Å"Islamic virtuous deeds are not limited to honoring and respecting women, but rather, we can add that Islam is the first religion to honor and respect women. We can easily prove this by illustrating that all religions and nations, prior to the advent of Islam, caused much harm and insult to women.† (Bon 488).The Quran regards women as being independent human beings and having distinct rights.   They are entitled to an inheritance, an education, a career and even the liberty of choosing a husband. Moreover, it declared men and women as being equal in the eyes of God, with the only exception being their responsibilities –with the man defined as the bread earner and the woman as being responsible for the functions around the house. According to the Quran,â€Å"O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and should not treat them with harshness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Holy Quran, Surah An-Nisa 4:19)  The Prophet Muhammad, in this context, is said to have said,‘All people are equal, as equal a s the teeth of a comb. There is no claim of merit of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of a white over a black person, or of a male over a female. Only God fearing people merit a preference with God’.Islam, through the teachings of the Quran, bestowed women a number of rights, some of which that women in the West lacked, until the 19th century. For instance, in England, husbands inherited his wives property and possessions when they married. This unfair tradition continued till as late as 1882 (citation?). Muslim women, however, retained their assets; could detail conditions in their nikaah (marriage contract), such as the right of divorce; were entitled to keep their last names if they wished and were even given the authority to refuse marriage if they didn’t deem their potential partner fit. The Quran laid down these injunctions in 610 A.D. (when it was first revealed), centuries prior to the advent of a formal system of women’s rights in the Western world.Some of t he fundamental rights the Quran gives women are:1. Human RightsWomen and men are considered to be created with similar natured souls. They are considered equal to men in all spheres of life.And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (Holy Quran, 2:226)Andâ€Å"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you.† (Holy Quran, Surah Al-Nisa 4:1).2. Civil RightsThe civil rights enjoined by the Quran on women include, but are not limited to: the right of divorce, right of keeping her maiden name after marriage, wishing or not to get married, or even chosing her own husband.The Quran also states that there is no compulsion upon women regarding religion;â€Å"There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut [anything worshipped other then the Real God (Allah)] and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.† (Holy Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256).3. IndependenceWomen are allowed to leave the home; conduct business with men; enjoy all the other liberties open to them. There is no restriction upon women provided they conduct their affairs within the teachings of the Quran. Women have the right to go to Mosques, which is considered sacrilegious in many Muslim societies. Not only that, but women have also the right to be Muslim pastors. Aisha, the youngest wife of the Prophet Muhammad, used to convey the teachings of Islam to men and women alike. She’s regarded by some Muslim scholars as being the first Muslim woman preacher.The Quran is very clear in its laws regarding women. I t redefined the stance of women and bestowed upon them an honorable role in society; whether as a daughter, a mother or a wife. Men are instructed in their fair and kind dealing towards women. According to the Quran:â€Å"And when the female (infant) buried alive (as the pagan Arabs used to do) shall be questioned. For what sin she was killed?† (Holy Quran, Surah At-Takwir 81:8-9).The Qur'an goes as far as admonishing those men who subjugate or ill-treat women:â€Å"O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them – except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and God will bring about through it a great deal of good†. (Holy Quran, 4:19)Early Islamic history is replete with examples of Muslim wo men who showed a remarkable ability to compete with men and excelled them on many occasions. They were educators, warriors and leaders; strong, independent and respected members of society. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case in most of the Muslim world today.Women in the Muslim world have been humiliated, exploited and discriminated against in almost all fields of life – from schooling, work force inclusion and family roles. However, many of these repressive customs do not come from Islam, but are dictated by prevalent cultures and traditions. Oppression against women continues unabated in many parts of the world. Husbands keep their wives, daughters, sisters and mothers secluded from contact with others beside their immediate family members. Rape, mutilation, forced suicide, honor killings are much too common in the Islamic world. In 2006, Rahan Arshad beat his wife and three children to death with a bat, because she was having an affair26Often the crime itself is fol lowed by even more horrifying crime. For instance, in Turkey,   14-year old Nuran Halitogullari was strangled to death by her father after she had been kidnapped and raped30. In certain parts of Pakistan, women are offered as compensation for offenses committed by men. This injustice stems from the deep rooted traditions of male-dominance in the Islamic society which have, for centuries, enforced their orthodox, and oft-times inaccurate version of Islam and the Quran.Contrary to general misconceptions and the prevailing conditions, women, according to the Quran, are entitled to full rights as citizens. Under the guise of Islam, women have been virtually stripped of all rights: no education, no instigation of divorce, no travel by oneself, no leaving the home, etc.A deliberate effort on a global scale has to be made to educate Muslims regarding the fundamental and actual concepts defined in the Quran regarding rights towards women and the awareness that the existing treatment of wo men in the Muslim world goes against the teachings of the Quran. Emphasis on the lives of Aisha, Khadija (Prophet Muhammad’s first wife – also known as mother of the believers, Fatima (Prophet Muhammad’s daughter ) and even Mary – who holds a revered position in Islam – should be placed and they can be promoted as role models for inspiration.   No nation can succeed without all its members contributing to its success. Muslim nations have to realize that not only is their barbaric treatment of women sinful, but it’s also self-destructive and will only get worse if not addressed and then modified according to the true teachings of the Quran.â€Å"Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.†(Ismail 83).