Coke vs Pepsi Essay

In May, 1886, Coca Cola was invented by Doctor John Pemberton a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia. John Pemberton concocted the Coca Cola formula in a three legged brass kettle in his backyard. The name was a suggestion given by John Pemberton’s bookkeeper Frank Robinson (Anonymous, 2001). Birth of Coca Cola Being a bookkeeper, Frank Robinson also had excellent penmanship. It was he who first scripted â€Å"Coca Cola into the flowing letters which has become the famous logo of today. The soft drink was first sold to the public at the soda fountain in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta on May 8, 1886. About nine servings of the soft drink were sold each day. Sales for that first year added up to a total of about $50. The funny thing was that it cost John Pemberton over $70 in expanses, so the first year of sales were a loss. Until 1905, the soft drink, marketed as a tonic, contained extracts of cocaine as well as the caffeine-rich kola nut. In 1887, another Atlanta pharmacist and businessman, Asa Candler bought the formula for Coca Cola from inventor John Pemberton for $2,300. By the late 1890s, Coca Cola was one of America’s most popular fountain drinks, largely due to Candler’s aggressive marketing of the product. With Asa Candler, now at the helm, the Coca Cola Company increased syrup sales by over 4000% between 1890 and 1900 Robinson (Anonymous, 2001). Advertising was an important factor in John Pemberton and Asa Candler’s success and by the turn of the century, the drink was sold across the United States and Canada. Around the same time, the company began selling syrup to independent bottling companies licensed to sell the drink. Even today, the US soft drink industry is organized on this principle Robinson (Anonymous, 2001). STRENGTHS AND MARKETING STRATEGIES THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ITS SUCCESS: 1. COKE’S BRAIN BRANDING: Somehow, Coke has created a brand that its fans believe in and identify with. The brand unlocks a treasure trove of brand reinforcements that have little to do with the taste or quality of the product. And it was this effect that Coke turned its back on in the introduction of New Coke in 1985. It’s this untapping of brand beliefs we have to keep in mind when we talk about branding and search. With search interactions, the appearance of a brand can unlock belief structures just as strong as Coke’s (Anonymous, 2011). Absent a brand, consumers will choose on price. When a known brand is included, consumers will add their perception of the brand to the decision-making process and judge accordingly. So to increase the chances that your product or service is selected, make sure you have a strong brand with which people can identify themselves. Coke is a brand which has been endorsing brand personalities since its birth, indeed the brand personality most of the people run after. Its slogan says, â€Å"opens happiness† which is something that makes people think that they can actually have a good time sitting with friends and family while having coke through get together (Anonymous, 2001). 2. TASTE: * Coke’s flavor, which is slightly bitterer and less sweet, is easier to drink over long periods of time. So consumers are more likely to order a second Coke in a sitting than they are a second Pepsi. Also people like coke because it doesn’t take away the food you are drinking coke with like water instead gives a complimentary taste along the food which people like. * One research shows that people like coca cola because It’s the sugar rush and the caffeine as well as the refreshment factor. * It also is laced with cocaine (not since the early inception of coca-cola) * It’s addicting and its better than water and affordable (Delany, 2012). 3. QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT: * Coke is known for its exceptional quality and superiority in product value, the Company possesses quality certification from various local and international standards. 4. MORE EMOTIONAL BRANDING Many of the big Coke ad campaigns involve warm and fuzzy imagery: A jolly Santa Claus, adorable polar bears and nostalgic paintings. Studies have shown that these types of images cause people to feel more warmly toward Coke and thus be more likely to reach for the red cans instead of the blue ones at the store (Delany, 2012). 5. MORE HIGH PROFILE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS With highly visible spots on top-rated shows like â€Å"American Idol† and the Super bowl, Coke gets its brand in front of more people. In the last few years, Pepsi has opted for less traditional campaigns that have not had huge payoffs. People would definitely go for the product sponsoring their favorite TV shows when there’s a choice and competition between 2 products (Delany, 2012). OTHER FACTORS WHICH INDIRECTLY PROMOTE COKE CONSUMPTION: * Transportation fleet of 77 bulkers as well as 2 ship loaders for efficient transport of concentrate, this accounts for the quick and efficient reservoir filling of coke in different countries and boasts the consumption level. * The economy of scale enables the company to maintain overhead cost and provide an edge over other competitors due to lower fixed cost per ton. Operational process cost is constantly observed for escalating efficiency and reducing cost. * Strong network of around 200 countries, positioned at strategic locations throughout the world, has enabled the company to create a remarkable distribution system and access to markets at even the remote parts of the country. * Marketing communication options that makes the brand known to the people and set higher standards to be achieved. 1. Advertising 2. Promotions 3. Event marketing and sponsorship 4. Public relations and publicity 5. Personal selling * Categories of advertisement coca cola uses to promote sales and benefits: 1. Television 2. Radio 3. Print 4. Direct response 5. Interactive: websites and online ads 6. Place advertising: billboards, movies, programs, airlines, product placement and point of purchase advertisement. These advertisement strategies has some influence on the consumers which affects the promotion and sales the product choosing the right themes of ads and identifying the right target audience in the advertisement is what makes coca cola a superior brand over other competitors. Brand personality and themes of advertisement that suits the target audience is indeed that makes the consumer try the brand and then stick to it (Anonymous, 2011). * CONSUMER RELATIONS Throughout 2012, Coca-Cola contributed $1,700,500 to a $46 million dollar political campaign known as â€Å"The Coalition Against The Costly Food Labeling Proposition, sponsored by Farmers and Food Producers†. This organization was set up to oppose a citizen’s initiative, known as Proposition 37, demanding mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients. As a result, there is a growing boycott of their products across North America. People started following the brand and it benefitted the company (Anonymous, 2011). * FEASIBILITY TO EMPLOYERS: Coca cola company provides its employs with a wide range of feasibility which keeps them entangled into loyalty towards the company and to work in transformational terms rather than transactional. For example employee working in coca cola gets amount on which they started the job* no of years of his service, when they leave the company irrespective of whether they have been fired or given the resignation. For example an employee who worked for 10 years and with a starting salary of 80,000 rupees would get 8 lakh rupees when he would step out of the company along with his working experience. KO graduate gets an experience based degree in supply chain which can only be attained while working in the coca cola company. It is an experience base degree not yet accessible in Pakistan’s any institute or university, so working in coca cola not only provides its employees with monetarily benefits but also some experience based skills which are beyond the level of skills and accomplishments that other companies provides. Since KO graduate’s degree is inaccessible in Pakistan’s any university yet, so employees holding it through coca cola company would have a upper hand on all the other graduates and likewise are preferred more in other organizations as compared to those who doesn’t have it. These benefits opens doors into the big corporate world for employees. This is one strategy used by coca cola to keep the productive employees bound to the company and take the company far ahead toward the mission of the organization (Anonymous, 2011). * PARTICIPATION MARKETING: Participation marketing has witnessed tremendous growth in recent years as marketers are leveraging new media to build their brands through user-generated-content at a time when budgets are constrained (Anonymous, 2001). It is a thought not lost on Coke, which is turning to fans to help it double the size of its business by 2020. The soft drinks brand is looking to launch more collaborative product innovation projects with its customers, franchisees and bottlers as part of its ambition to become a less â€Å"secretive† company. Additionally, the brand is using its 50-million strong Facebook community to identify and support ideas that make people happy, a move the business is dubbing â€Å"the next step in fan culture.† STANDS AND POSITIONS: Coca-Cola has gone through a number of different advertising slogans in its long history, including â€Å"The pause that refreshes,† â€Å"I’d like to buy the world a Coke,† and â€Å"Coke is it.† COCA COLA in Pakistan claim in its slogan â€Å" OPENS HAPPINESS† is indeed true and fulfilled as it opens a way for family to sit in real time and chat while having coke. Children adore coke so they sit stacked for it. So do teenagers. The lyrics of the slogan are outstanding and so is the overall presentation! It charges you up in a charming, vigorous and vibrant way infusing positive emotions in your being with family and friends. People love coke (Delany, 2012). COCA-COLA OPENS HAPPINESS FOR CONSUMERS AND RETAILERS:| | | One of the world’s most iconic brands, Coca-Cola intimately understands consumer sentiment and how to influence their decision to buy, employing a combination of game-changing marketing savvy and retailer collaboration. Those winning in today’s marketplace understand the path to purchase can be influenced successfully through a deeper consideration of evolving consumer trends, and by working in partnership to make their brands relevant to shoppers (Anonymous, 2001).| IN MASS MEDIA: Coca-Cola has been prominently featured in countless films and television programs. Since its creation, it remains as one of the most important elements of the popular culture. It was a major plot element in films such as One, Two, Three, The Coca-Cola Kid, and The Gods Must Be Crazy among many others. It provides a setting for comical corporate shenanigans in the novel Syrup by Maxx Barry. And in music, in The Beatles’ song, â€Å"Come Together†, the lyrics said, â€Å"He shoot Coca-Cola, he say†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Beach Boys also referenced Coca-Cola in their 1964 song â€Å"All Summer Long† (i.e. ‘Member when you spilled Coke all over your blouse?) Also, the best selling artist of all time and worldwide cultural icon Elvis Presley, promoted Coca-Cola during his last tour of 1977. The Coca-Cola Company used Elvis’ image to promote the product. For example, the company used a song performed by Presley, A Little Less Conversation, in a Japanese Coca-Cola commercial (Anonymous, 2001). SALES: According to the 2005 Annual Report, the company sells beverage products in more than 200 countries. The report further states that of the more than 50 billion beverage servings of all types consumed worldwide every day, beverages bearing the trademarks owned by or licensed to Coca-Cola account for approximately 1.5 billion (the latest figure in 2010 shows that now they serve 1.6 billion drinks every day). Of these, beverages bearing the trademark â€Å"Coca-Cola† or â€Å"Coke† accounted for approximately 78% of the company’s total gallon sales. Also according to the 2007 Annual Report, Coca-Cola had gallon sales distributed as follows: 42% in the United States 37% in Mexico, India, Brazil, Japan and the People’s Republic of China 20% spread throughout the rest of the world In 2010, it was announced that Coca-Cola had become the first brand to top  £1 billion in annual UK grocery sales (Anonymous, 2001). SALES CHART OF COCA COLA FROM 2001 TO 2010: Today, products of the Coca Cola Company are consumed at the rate of more than one billion drinks per day. Coca-Cola (KO) has more than 500 non-alcoholic brands, which the company is selling worldwide. The company primarily sells sparkling beverages; however, its portfolio of products is not limited to these beverages. Coca-Cola also sells water, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. Coca-Cola is one of the most widely recognizable brands in the world, and the company is mature. Like any other mature company, Coca-Cola pays a substantial percentage of its earnings to its shareholders in shape of cash dividends. Prospect of healthy income stream and stable growth makes Coca-Cola an ideal investment for income investors (Anonymous, 2011). BIGGEST COMPETITOR: PEPSI The two most popular carbonated drinks in almost all countries of the world are Coke and Pepsi. At first taste, they may seem the same, but those who prefer one over the other can tell the difference between them. They are both made from the same ingredients and they both contain the same amount of calories. * ABOUT COCA-COLA The popular drink known as Coke has the longer name of Coca-Cola. It was first manufactured in 1886 by John Pemberton as a medicinal product that contained cocaine. The cocaine content was removed from the recipe in 1930. The ingredients in Coke are carbonated water, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine and natural flavorings. The source of caffeine in Coke is Kola nuts. They contain about 3% caffeine and this is what gives the drink a bitter flavor. A can of coke contains about 140 calories. There are varieties of the drink as well, such as Vanilla Coke, caffeine-free Coke, sugar free Coke and Coke Zero. There is a mystery ingredient in Coke that is called 7X (Delany, 2012). * ABOUT PEPSI Pepsi, also known as Pepsi Cola, was first developed in North Carolina in 1893 by Caleb Bradham. It was originally known as â€Å"Brad’s Drink† because of the creator. He invented the drink in his pharmacy as a digestive drink that would also boost energy levels. The name of the drink comes from the enzyme, pepsin, which is one of the enzymes in the digestive system. The company changes the logo of Pepsi on an annual basis. The main ingredients are sugar, phosphoric acid, caramel color, caffeine, citric acid, corn syrup and natural flavors and there are about 150 calories in a can of Pepsi. It contains a higher percentage of sugar than other black carbonated beverages. The same company also sells other carbonated drinks, such as Mountain Dew and Diet Pepsi (Delany, 2012). * DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN COKE AND PEPSI Both Pepsi and Coke are black carbonated drinks that are served in restaurants and cafes as well as being widely available in stores. They are sold in cans and various sizes of bottles. They look the same and cannot be distinguished by color alone. Pepsi tastes a bit sweeter than Coke because it contains more sugar. Coke has more fizz than Pepsi and is a smooth drink because the fizz evaporates faster. Today the ingredients are almost the same in both, but in the early years cocaine was one of the ingredients in Coke. Pepsi uses more branding techniques than Coke does and it changes its logo every year. Coke still has the same logo. It contains a mystery ingredient called 7X, but Pepsi does not have any mystery ingredients (Delany, 2012). This table will better illustrate the differences between Coke and Pepsi: Coke| Pepsi| Not as sweet as Pepsi, is fizzier, but smooth| Sweeter than Coke and not as smooth| Has a secret ingredient – 7X| No secret ingredient| Has the same logo| Changes its logo every year| SUGGESTION: Pepsi needs to place more attention to its Frito Lay brands, when people buy coke or Pepsi soft drinks they compliment with chips or cakes. Pepsi shouldn’t worry bout beating coke with soda, let consumer buy coke, but make sure that same consumer drink that coke, with a bag of lays brand chips or cakes. And if the consumer prefers Pepsi, than it’s a complete win for pepsico. REFERENCES: Delany.D. (2012). Reasons Why Coke Is Better Than Pepsi. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www.ehow.com/info_8121864_reasons-coke-better-pepsi.html#ixzz2LMKm6jHF Anonymous. (2001). The coca cola company. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from

Brida by Paulo Coelho Evaluation

1. ABSENTATION: As an introduction of the lead character, Brida came to the mountain in search for the Magus. There, she asked him to be his teacher. He then approved of it and made her sit down at the top of the mountain and leave her there to test whether she can overcome her fears. 2. INTERDICTION: Upon her search for the Magus, she traveled for over 90 miles, when she came to the village and asked the people, they warned her that the Magus had already tried to seduce one of the village girls. 3. VIOLATION of INTERDICTION: Though having been warned by the village people, Brida still continued on her journey to find Magus.She is eager to learn magic. 4. RECONNAISSANCE: She went in search for the Magus. 5. DELIVERY: Brida found out that he is a Teacher of the Tradition of the Sun, and that there are two traditions, the Tradition of the Sun and the Tradition of the Moon. When one masters a tradition, he/she shall teach the other tradition. And in order to learn, one must be completel y honest. 6. TRICKERY: It is Brida’s mind playing tricks on her, it is her mind that makes her imagine things, hindering her from going into the bridge and seeing the invisible world. Her mind is preventing her from completing the Magus’ first lesson. 7.COMPLICITY: Since Brida had courses in schools, she is having a hard time trying to let go. She limits herself to what she knew from school, that’s why she had a hard time doing her tasks. 8. VILLAINY or LACK: Brida is the protagonist and at the same time, antagonist of this story. When she went to Wicca, a Teacher of the Tradition of the Moon, what she learned in school about tarot cards was given confusion. Wicca’s ways was far different from what she was taught. When Wicca told her to spend an hour of her choosing to lay down the tarot cards and just let them show her what she needs to know at the moment, she was at irst, excited. But when she noticed that it was only her imagination working and not mag ic. She doesn’t know now which to trust, Wicca’s words or the lessons in school. She was torn. 9. MEDIATION: Brida, now going against all her normal habits, decides to smoke cigarette before breakfast. She has given up with her tarot card reading. She felt crying after each time she does the reading. She felt vulnerable and alone and had a sense that a great opportunity is slipping through her fingers. She thinks she had failed. 10. BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Brida phoned Wicca, telling her that she can’t come to her next appointment.She doesn’t know that Wicca already know that. Wicca used the phone call to make Brida spread the Tarot cards. The Tarot cards revealed themselves to Brida. 11. DEPARTURE: Brida came to Wicca, to go into the bridge and see the invisible world. 12. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Wicca made her close her eyes, imagine things, made her enter a library in which she found a book. She then found out that in her past life, she was a so ldier’s wife, Loni. And those voices have been with her since she was born. 13. HERO'S REACTION: Brida then forced herself to work, to avoid thinking, to avoid her thoughts about the Magus and Wicca, of her past life.She wanted to escape. 14. RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: After her time travel into her past life, she now accepts that she may be or can be a witch, like what Wicca told her. She had accepted that the power is within her all along; she only had to let it out, to embrace it. Like what her past lives had done. 15. GUIDANCE: Brida’s boyfriend, Lerons, even if he really can’t believe what Brida was saying is possible; he still thinks it is true. He even compared Brida’s story with the composition of an atom, telling her that even scientists have encountered situations like such. 16.STRUGGLE: Brida was fighting her true calling, to be a witch. She has a fear of committing herself. Though her travel to her past life showed her who she really was and knew that it comes to her naturally, it also brought upon her the fear of committing herself to such beliefs. 17. BRANDING: Brida, is now wearing, though it was invisible, one of the Four Rings of Revelation, the Witch. 18. VICTORY: Brida now is able to walk into the bridge. She has resolved the tricks her mind played on her. She have been writing down all that Wicca taught her in the book of shadows. She also had found her Soulmate, the Magus. 19.LIQUIDATION: Magus showed her the way into the Two Traditions, the Tradition of the Sun and the Tradition of the Moon. He showed Brida how grateful he is that he found Brida and that Brida had recognized him as her Soulmate. They traveled through space and time. Brida saw meadows full of flowers, animals she had inly read in books, mysterious castles and cities that seemed to float on clouds of light. 20. RETURN: Brida didn’t know whether to feel disappointed or relieved, but they have to part. They just confessed their love for eac h other. It was hard to leave your soulmate once you’d found them. Brida went back to Dublin.

Definition of the Word Spur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Definition of the Word Spur - Essay Example The very first time a variation of the word was heard about was from the Old High German language and was based upon the word â€Å"sporo† which was then adopted by the Proto Germanic language, becoming the word â€Å"spuron†. It later on evolved into the Old English word â€Å"spura† which basically meant â€Å"to kick†. It is based upon this ancient use of the word that the modern meaning of â€Å"spur† came about. In late 14th century, the term spur was used to describe a metal tool that is purely designed to be worn in horse riding boot On the other hand, the word generally falls under the definition of â€Å"anything that urges on, stimulus†. (Metin and Cem 157). For most people, the term is generally used to describe the tool that is attached to the riding boot of a person. This tool is generally round and spiked at the tips. It is dug into the sides of a horse by the rider in order to urge the horse to go faster (Roy 83). The meaning o f the word based upon the horse tool Known as a riding aid, the tool helps to enforce the natural commands given to horses via the rider's leg, seat, hands, or voice, making the tool a very important aspect of any equestrian event. This is tool is more commonly described as being U-shaped device which is located on the heel of a rider's boot (Metin and Cem 159).

Comparison of Judaism and Buddhism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Comparison of Judaism and Buddhism - Term Paper Example In this covenant, Abraham and his descendants were supposed to faithfully keep the commandments of God and to worship Him, while God would be their father and would protect them from all dangers and give them the victory of their enemies. In the Abrahamic covenant, the Israelites were supposed to lead morally upright lives through obedience to God. Judaism, therefore, was founded by Abraham, the father of the Jews people, and it is centered to obedience in YHWH, the God of Abraham and the God of all Jews. On the other hand, Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in around 566 B.C.E. Gautama was a son of an Indian kind and he spent his adolescence life and his early adult life in a life of extravagance. When he was bored with luxuries of the world, Gautama wondered into the wilderness in search of enlightenment and understanding. In his meditations on sufferings while in the wilderness, Gautama had an insight into how to free from sufferings and to achieve salvation. Following this insight, Gautama was known as Buddha, meaning the enlightened one. According to Buddhism religion, morally right actions bring about happiness and long life, while immoral actions bring about unhappiness in the long run. Apart from their similarities in regard to their moral teachings, the other two main similarities between Judaism and Buddhism is in regard to their attitude towards future life, and their views on the proselytizing their religions. Both the Judaism and Buddhism religion do not emphasize on afterlife; also, both the Judaism religion and the Buddhism religion do not proselytize their religion or their moral teachings. Judaism, as we have already said emphasize on moral uprightness in obedience to God as a way of living out the Abrahamic covenant. The Holy book of the Jews, the Torah explains clearly the right conduct that the Jews should observe in keeping with the demands of the Abrahamic covenant. The moral teachings of Judaism emphasize the need for the people to treat each other in a humane and a morally right way.

Portfolio report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portfolio report - Research Paper Example In the period between 2007 and 2008, the price of oil increased from 60 dollars to 100 dollars. The price went up to an all times highest of 115 dollars in July 2008. The cycle was the same around April and august 2009. Oil prices behave much as any other commodity with wide price swings ill times of shortage or oversupply. The domestic industrys price has been regulated though the production or price controls throughout the twentieth century.   Crude oil prices ranged between $2.50 and $3.00 from 1948 through the end of the 1960s. Throughout the post war period, exporting countries found an increasing demand for their crude oil and a 40ul (, decline in the purchasing power of a barrel of crude. In March 1971, the balance of power shifted. This happened as a result of the Texas Railroad Commission setting a proration at 100%, for the first time. This meant that Texas producers were no longer limited in the amount of oil that they could produce. More importantly, it meant that the power to control crude oil prices shifted from the US (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana) to OPEC.   In 1972, the price of crude oil was about $3.00 and by the end of 1974, the price of oil had quadrupled to $12.00. The Yom Kippur War started with an attack on Israel by Syria and Egypt on October 5, 1973. The US and many western countries supported Israel. As a result of this support, Arab oil exporting nations imposed an embargo on the nations supporting Israel. Arab nations curtailed production by 5 million barrels per day (MBPD). About I MBPD was made up by increased production by other countries. The net loss of 4 MBPD extended through March 1974 and represented 7 percent of the free world production. Prices increased 400% in six short months!   Events in Iran and Iraq led to another round of crude oil price increases from 1979-80. The Iranian revolution resulted in the loss of 2.5 MBPD between 1978 and 1979. In 1980, Iraqs oil production fell 2.7 MBPD and Irans production

Statistical Quality Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Statistical Quality Control - Essay Example If one or more observations lie outside the control limits of the chart, the process is out of control. However, a process can be out of control even if all samples fall within the upper and lower control limits. A process can be out of control but may still fall within limits due to a false specification of limits. In such a scenario, the management will get an idea that the process is in control while actually it is out of control. This can be reduced by regular review of control limits. A process can be out of control but it may not be able to interpret the same from the control charts. The process may actually be following certain trend which is depicted in a better fashion by Run charts. The idea here is that there should not be too few or too many runs in a process. Run implies a series of observations on the same side of the centre line. The observations may lie within control limits but actually follow a zig-zag pattern (NHS). It is also possible that there may be a seasonality effect in the observations which has no explanation. Also, one or two observations may be quite distinct from others are can easily be identified to understand the fault in a process. In a real life scenario in a factory production line, it is possible that if the process variation is measured it is within limits. But if a day is broken into several hours and studied, possible trends are observed. These may be due to nature of working of machine at various times of the day, impact of wear and tear during the day, difference in the accuracy of tasks done by various workers, difference in availability of facilities such as light during various hours and so on. An experiment was conducted in a factory for two days to find out whether the process was in control. On the first day, it was noticed that during various hours in the day, the observations were within control limits. On the second day, when the process was studied after breaking the day

Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Discussion - Research Paper Example Both pieces are white and have columns and arches, and are decorated by sculptures. Similarly, they both are examples of representational art. However, the subject matters of the two pieces are different. The Temple of Athena’s purpose is to help the Greeks in war, while the Arch of Constantine celebrates the war that has already been won. The Temple of Athena had a religious function of worshiping the goddess of victory. The statue of Athena inside the Temple held a pomegranate in one hand, which was a symbol of fertility, and a helmet, a symbol of war, in the other hand. In addition, Athena had no wings, as usual. She was depicted without wings in order not to ever leave the city, as the people believed (Ancient-Greece.org, 2013). On contrast, the Arch of Constantine had a social and political function of celebrating, immortalizing and commemorating Constantine’s victory over his enemy. The use of materials from the monuments of Marcus Aurelius, Hadrian and Trajan, who were considered good emperors, also created positive associations between them and

Childhood Obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Childhood Obesity - Research Paper Example An experimental research conducted by Harris, Bargh and Brownell (2009) suggests that children and adolescents are more influenced by advertisements than adults. Authors carried out two experiments to evaluate the behaviors of both children and adults after watching television advertisements. The eating behaviors were analyzed and the results concluded that children’s junk food intake increased by 45% after advertisements. On the other hand, adults were more motivated to take healthy meals rather than junk food (Harris, et al., 2009). The group that is badly affected by media exposure, television programs and advertising campaigns are youngsters. Many researches and surveys are conducted to understand the effects of food, alcohol, smoking and general advertisements on children and their behaviors. The food advertisements lead to a great change in children’s food choices and intake (Hastings et al., 2003; IOM, 2006; Story & French, 2004). Other studies examining the corr elation and quasi-experiments reveal that more exposure to media leads to greater consumption of unhealthy dietary habits among children (IOM, 2006). Importance of the Problem of Childhood Obesity Obesity is the result of a number of factors; unhealthy dietary habits and food consumption patterns remain the most important of them. ... There is a strong relationship between unhealthy food advertisement and increasing obesity among children Lobstein & Dibb, 2005). On the other hand, Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig (2002) also discuss the role of overeating due to High glycaemic index foods which end up producing a great increase in postprandial blood glucose concentrations and affect the appetite regulation. Fast food is considered as the root cause of adverse eating habits as it comprises all adverse dietary factors like saturated and trans fat, high glycaemic index, high energy density, and, increasingly, large portion size. Moreover, fast food is considered to have low amounts of fibre, micronutrients, and antioxidants which help in tackling the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes (Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig, 2002). Method of data collection In order to carry out a qualitative analysis of the problem childhood obesity and the role of media (particularly of advertisements) on its prevalence, the research papers f rom various sources will been used. The journals of health, behavior and physical activity as well as reviews of important researches will be included in the research paper. Search engines that are used include Google and the online libraries including EbscoHost and Jstor are being used to gather information from credible journals. Preliminary Results Obesity is a disease state which is now turning into a matter of global concern because of the increase in the statistics associated with the pathology. This condition serves as an underlying cause for many degenerative diseases which include diabetes mellitus and diseases of the major organs systems of the body. Obesity is a condition which is not restricted to adults but it also affects a large number of children as well. This

I-phone advertisement Essay Example for Free

I-phone advertisement Essay An enormous amount of potential as well as an enormous amount of controversy is associated with the new age of recorded music and especially regarding how the new digital technology pertains to artists royalties and corporate profits. The problem is basically one of free-access and the debate over file-sharing and free downloading which has been raging for many years now. With new products like the I-phone further establishing digital access and portability at the top-tier of consumer demand, the controversy regarding corporate and artist royalties and issues of copyright promises to extend far into the future. The I-phone is represented in a recent ad as almost as a natural force of nature and implies that those who have not experienced its capacities are, in fact, living a lesser-life; (I-pod, 2007) in fact the new age of music is upon us regardless of whether the next turn in technology will expand or restrict access for consumers. The overall problem can be broken into two sub-problems 1) file sharing by consumers which results in royalty losses for the corporate or artists interests and 2) the issue of fan-made remixes of artists material which may result in a radical alteration of what the artist originally intended. In order for both issues to be addressed simultaneously it will be necessary to adopt some form of free file-sharing which is not wholly free, and which we will presently discuss. Proposal My proposal is that all major-label record companies include the option of a limited number of file-share downloads which are available for those who purchase a specific number of products and/or pay a fee to access this service. What this means is that each major label would post the music on their label online and allow free downloads of a portion of their catalog while leaving the hottest newest releases or niche market products in a state of buy-only. Simultaneously, the labels could offer on online DJ or radio service which should function similarly to the Yahoo online Jukebox or other similar sites. The free access of samples of the record labels catalog would also be a form of music sharing but not file sharing as the files could be heard on-site but not downloaded. Opposing Views The new-wave of technology has not only made it harder for headline artists to ensure that their due royalties are paid to them for their music, but it has made it much more difficult for big-name artists to ensure that anyone is even listening to their music at all. The idea that small-time musicians and even un-signed musicians and bands can attract downloads as well as those acts and bands which are backed by huge corporations. The new environment is a dual challenge to music industry players[] First, with so much music available, the greatest threat to big record companies is not that listeners will consume their music illegally but that they will consume, whether legally or illegally, someone elses music entirely (Drew, 2005; p. 543) which may be the most exciting promise of all from a consumers perspective. Research sources indicate that the radical evolution has just begun and will have far-flung consequences that cant be presently predicted. One authoritative source, Edgar Bronfman Jr., the head of Universal, the worlds biggest music company,(Mann, 2000; p. 39) said the following regarding the future of the entertainment industries: a few clicks of your mouse will make it possible for you to summon every book ever written in any language, every movie ever made, every television show ever produced, and every piece of music ever recorded. In this vast intellectual commons nothing will ever again be out of print or impossible to find; every scrap of human culture transcribed, no matter how obscure or commercially unsuccessful, will be available to all. (Mann, 2000; p. 39) Of course to Bronfman and others like him with a vested interest in the consumption of entertainment products, particularly music, the new technologies are viewed as an evil threat. This threat is financial in nature: the thought of such systems spreading to films, videos, books, and magazines has riveted the attention of artists, writers, and producers (Mann, 2000; p. 40) all of whom are, obviously, looking to preserve and extend their lucrative financial holdings into the new age. Conclusion It would be impossible to completely shut-down file sharing of music online or to completely stop online music piracy. However, a similar situation existed and still exists for movies, television shows, and video games all of which can be illegally recorded and shared as well as ripped without due pay to the companies and artists who produced them. By adopting new approaches to free-share options, record companies and artists might at least begin to recover some of the lost revenue base they have experienced as consumers migrate to illegal sites for file downloads. References Anonymous. I-phone advertisement, archived You-Tube; accessed 11-26-07 ; http://youtube. com/watch? v=FLxB4pHH_GY Mann, Charles C. Heavenly Jukebox: Rampant Music Piracy May Hurt Musicians Less Than They Fear. the Real Threat to Listeners and, Conceivably, Democracy Itself Is the Music Industrys Reaction to It; The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 286, September 2000. p. 39+ Drew, Rob. Mixed Blessings: The Commercial Mix and the Future of Music Aggregation; Popular Music and Society, Vol. 28, 2005. p. 533+

Illegal Immigration to Australia Essay Example for Free

Illegal Immigration to Australia Essay MORE than 11 illegal immigrants are arrested in Victoria every week and the numbers are expected to continue to rise. In the past financial year 612 people were arrested up from 429 the year before. Few of the illegal workers were likely to be asylum seekers who arrived by boat, with 517 arrested after overstaying their visa. A further 95 were on the run following their visa being cancelled. The figure was revealed last month as the Department of Immigration and Citizenship prepared to deport 13 illegal farm workers located in northwestern Victoria. Nine men and four women, all Malaysian nationals, had been employed on farms as pruners. They were caught in a 48-hour operation chasing illegal workers in the Mallee. The detainees were transferred to Melbournes Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre and nine to the Adelaide Immigration Transit Accommodation facility, pending their removal from Australia. All had overstayed their visas and were living here unlawfully, according to the department. Two other foreign nationals were given warnings, including a Malaysian national who was in Australia on a student visa but had not been studying. The employer faces fines of $13,200 and two years imprisonment per illegal worker. In Australia there are an estimated 19,540 people who have overstayed their visa an increase of 4430 from the 2009-10 financial year. In response to the growing numbers of people overstaying their visas, last month the Federal Government announced a crackdown. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen promoted the dob-in line and encouraged anyone with information about illegal workers, visa over stayers or visa fraud to call 1800 009 623 Accessing the law Migrants coming to Australia face various difficulties when accessing the law. Such dilemmas are brought about by various factors including the inability to communicate due to language restrictions and lower standards of income levels limiting access to appropriate facilities. Furthermore, the lack of knowledge of the Australian legal system and their own rights further restricts their ability to access a fair and just outcome. Due to these multiple factors an evident divide is apparent between the ability of inherent Australians and migrants in accessing the Australian legal system A major reason migrants are unable to access the law is because of the distinctive language barrier. Statistics as recorded in 2006 indicate that  74% of migrants cannot speak English well or cannot speak English at all (abs.gov.au). This has had a major impact on their ability to access the law. As they are illiterate in the English language they are unable to interoperate any possible help. This places them at a disadvantage as it is fundamental to know English when coming across the law. As shown in the case more than 11 illegal immigrants are arrested each week, meaning that most are unable to speak English, each of these illegal immigrants need legal representation to appear in court, as the majority of these immigrants cannot speak English they will need an interpreter. This makes it more difficult on the immigrant as they are not communicating directly with the judge, thus their opinion may be ‘lost in translation’. Due to their inability to communicate, their knowledge of the Australian legal system is further restricted as simple tasks such as reading, writing and communicating in English cannot occur. Due to such issues migrants may be unaware of information and assistance programs available to them, and so they are incapable of accessing the legal syst em in such a way where their needs and wants are met. This is made evident through recent statistics that indicate 49% of migrants have come to Australia with post school qualifications, leaving the other 51% without a proper education. (abs.gov.au) However, this statistic can be ambiguous as illegal immigrants are not accounted for. Every legal system around the world is different, most migrants who come to Australia are unaware of their rights and do not understand what the law is asking of them. As shown in the case, 517 immigrants were arrested, this further justifies their lack of knowledge as they may have been un aware of when they were scheduled to depart from Australia. Migrants who flee to Australia come with little money or no money at all. This creates a barrier when trying to access the law as money is what places the migrant at an advantage. As most these migrants did not receive a proper education their level of skills may be limited and so obtaining work is another challenge. The income levels of migrants are likely to have only just been sufficient for their daily needs, whereas those who have achieved higher levels of education are exposed to a wider range of job opportunities allowing them to obtain better access to legal representation. Exemplified  in the case 612 people were arrested, due to their low socio economic status legal aid is provided during court. Legal aid can be ineffective in some aspects as some are not as experienced and can be placed at a disadvantage when up against those who can afford barristers and QC’s. Communication can also be a barrier due to the lack of understanding and the immigrant unable to speak E nglish. Accessing the law Every person in this world has rights, rights to access the law in a fair, just an equal way. However, there are various groups in Australia who face difficulties in accessing the law, in particular migrants. There are many outstanding factors which contribute to this problem; language barriers, discrimination, low income and lack of recognition of cultural differences, each play a major role in how migrants are faced with difficulties when trying to access the law. The purpose of this report is to show awareness and educate the people on how the Australian legal system can help migrants facing issues regarding accessing the law. Effectiveness of the legal system Over time, the legal system has become aware of the unsettled issues in society regarding various groups who are put at a disadvantage in retrieving equal access to the law. One major issue which most groups face (in particular migrants) is regarding the language barrier. As many of these groups are from ethnic backgrounds, the ability to interoperate legal documents and understand their rights as a migrant is very difficult. As the government has taken this into consideration, the adult migrant English program was created. Migrants are able to have equal access in learning the English language by either sitting a class, taking tutoring lessons, doing the class online or by a distance learning program. However the end result of this program was not effective as in 1993, the funds to this program were cut, and the classes were limited. This affects many of the migrants as their only way of learning English in Australia has been terminated, therefore they are faced at a disadvantage when accessing the law. In 1992, a report called multiculturalism and the law was released it stated there was a need for interoperates, this relates to the migrants who are unable to speak English. With the representation of the interpreter the migrant will be able to express themselves and then in return not only will migrants  understand what the legal system is asking of them, they will also be able to acknowledge their rights and responsibilities. Statistics show that 20.1% of NWS residents speak another language than English at home.(abs.gov.au) Therefore, there are capable people of performing this job. Although it is virtually impossible to enforce and control discrimination, there are acts which help assist in discontinuing the use of discrimination to people , especially the indigenous Australians. A recent program called ‘close the gap’ was created to basically close the gap between the Australians and the indigenous Australians meaning both are the same and both share the same rights and responsibilities. Studies show that indigenous earn around $460 a week whereas the average non indigenous earns around $740 a week (http://www.abs.gov.au) Mean Equivalised Gross Household Income, As shown in the above graph non indigenous earn more than an average indigenous person. As part of the close the gap program, the government has implemented housing commission (2011), where a person with a low income (indigenous) are able to live in a house and only pay a small amount of money to maintain the house and the rest is funded by the government. This is very effective as it gives those indigenous who are struggling a place to live and therefore, they do not have to seek refuge in a shelter or temporary housing. Shelters may have limited space and therefore there may not be enough room at all times. In 1995, the racial discrimination act was re written along with the introduction of the racial hatred act 1995. This act forbids any form of offensive behaviour based on racial hatred. This act states it Is illegal to offend anyone in public about their race, colour, ethnic or national origin. This is a very effective act as it forbids any type of discrimination; this will put a stop to many disputes about groups especially the indigenous Australians and migrants who believe to be discriminated against. Conclusion In conclusion, all groups in society will face a barrier or obstacle in accessing the law, mainly regarding the main factors of language barrier, lack of recognition and low income. Although these groups are disadvantaged the government has implemented many acts which assist these differences, some are effective and some are ineffective compared to others. Overall, it  is important to promote an environment where all groups in society are equal and able to achieve equal access to the law no matter who the group is. Bibliography White, Alex, A.w. Illegal Immigrant Arrests Are on the Rise across Victoria. NewsComAu. Herald Sun, 7 Sept. 2012. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. Law and Justice Foundation. EdDesk, 9 Aug. 2010. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.

Is Media Globalization A Form Of Cultural Imperialism Media Essay

Is Media Globalization A Form Of Cultural Imperialism Media Essay It can be argued that media globalisation can be a form of cultural imperialism but others may argue that its not. Many critics have defined globalisation or media imperialism as an important channel for the expansion of consumer-based culture extending across borders (Tomlinson J. 1997, p22). The critics have also defined the growing phenomenon of people from North America who tend to buy media and entertainment products from there. As a result they are heavily influenced with what the media tells them that the consumers seem to be led in one direction of culture and hence the effect of this is that people are dislodged from their own culture because of cultural imperialism which is a direct result of media globalisation and the effects of it. Media globalisation can play a huge role in various cultures thus impending cultural imperialism. For instance, the generation of ideas and culture from the developed and modern west to the undeveloped world such as Asia can result in homogenisation of consumerist culture which can endanger and alter cultural values (Tomlinson J. 1997, p23). Media imperialism can be defined as a progression where the arrangement, ownership allocation and the actual content of the media in a specific country can be influenced by external pressures from the content of the media in other countries or country without the same response of influence from the country that is affected (Boyd-Barrett, O. 1998, p160). The concept of media imperialism was developed after a broader analysis of cultural imperialism and dependency took place. Imperialism could differ in relation to other forms of media which consist of diverse heights, proportions of activity in various different media sectors. The definition itself refers to ownership, structure, distribution or content (Boyd-Barrett, O. 1998, p162). Many factors can affect media globalisation such as economic, social, cultural and political factors. Media globalisation is a form of cultural imperialism as media in places such as America with channels such as CNN broadcast government news which can most assuredly influence people from around the world as television is a communication channel and depending on what industry they belong to, it may biased thus it would contribute towards cultural imperialism which shows how the media integrates and thus affect it (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). During the 1960s and the 1970s America and some other First World nations took the media to their advantage. America challenged the idea of the emergence of news and cultural factors for example film, music, television and advertisements and thus entertainment was portrayed through the media which helped to develop many countries (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). Some critics such as Herman and McChesney argue that the main universal avenue, specifically in regards to the media, is still taken over by the American interests and by the American domestic market, although its importance may turn down as other nations become more prosperous and become more media active (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). With the widespread of the Internet, it has given the media another channel to which to interact with the world and is the most useful, all-encompassing channel of communication used throughout the world. Media globalisation has greatly expanded the significance of communication through various media channels such as social networking sites on Facebook which has become so dominant that people from around the globe and from countless different cultures use these communication channels even though it originally originated from the West but which still has many affects on the less developed world. The radio is also another form of media which can generate globalisation in the sense that it has universal accessibility. The radio has been around for hundreds of years and it still seen as an influential tool in helping and expanding ideas around the globe. The radio in Europe was mainly used for governmental uses during the times of war and thus other countries from around the globe considered the radio as a popular movement as well as a political dissenter which was used to criticise the state policies (Boyd-Barrett, O. 1998, p162). Furthermore, the radio is a tool which can be used for media purposes, educational, entertainment and they provide as useful political mediums to benefit the community. Hence, although many people treat the Internet as a worldwide, electronic device which is best known for democracy at its peak, it has led to a divide and has its own disadvantages. The Internet and technology itself has affected many social and economic factors within the society which has also affected those living in undeveloped countries that people who are poor do not have access to the Internet and considering that the Internet is part of a global movement, they seem to be neglected. The radio can still solve this issue in the sense that the radio has been around for many years and the less fortunate people may have some or little access to it and can contribute to everyday debates, politics and communication (Boyd-Barrett, O. 1998, p162). In summary, media globalisation affects people on so many levels depending on which form of media they use that although the Internet revolution may leave some people neglected, the radio may help and act as a substitute. Thus the form of cul tural imperialism will depend on who uses what media and whether they are influenced by it or not. Schilers early definition of cultural imperialism was highly inclusive. He described it as the total of the procedures in which the community is placed into the modern world system and how powerful it is that it tends to attract, force or even induce social institutions by shaping them (Stevenson N. 1999, p22). Thus the way the social institutions are shaped, it liaises and advertises the morals and structures of the powerful centre of the actual system. There is no globalisation without media and communication but this is sometimes ignored. The media itself acts as a connector which interconnects different cultures from around the globe. Marshall McLuhan describes globalisation as inter-relations amid various countries which aim to highlight the electronic media and technology which increasingly integrates the world and therefore the events in a certain country may be experienced in real-time by other people which would make the world more integrated (Eds. Golding P. Harris P. 1997, p17). Hence people from around the world are imposed by the cultural imperialism which takes place in regards to the media which heavily influences the public. The fusion of different cultures from different countries can be integrated, mixed and represented into various foremost forms of media representation which can form the media globalisation and multiculturalism. The expansion of the business model of media, foreign investment in the media and the power of multinational advertisers were seen to threaten the use of media for nationally determined, development -oriented purposes (Eds. Golding P. Harris P. 1997, p16). Media globalisation is a form of cultural imperialism as the media is tied in with the cultural concepts which originate from the financial dealings of dependency. Thus the minor or Third World countries are dependent on the industrialised world for money, technology and commodities whilst delivering cheaper items ensuing in little advantage to the local economy (Eds. Golding P. Harris P. 1997, p16). Therefore, the role of this culture is to make the undeveloped countries satisfied with what they have. This idea is similar to Gramscis theory of hegemony, in which the privileged battle to use the media and in order to set a prominent ideology for culture and informational uses (Eds. Golding P. Harris P. 1997, p18). In conclusion, there are many theories in regards to media globalisation and whether it is a form of cultural imperialism. The media imperialism is not structured. Boyd-Barrett depended on an experimental definition. He believed that media imperialism was unequal in the sense it provided different set of connections amongst countries specifically in regards to the media (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). On the other hand, Marxist centered his theory on the inequality of power and the path in which the media flows whereas Lee described the stages of media imperialism which was observed. He particularly focused on the emergence of television, overseas savings and the adoption of foreign models and their impact on cultures (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). However, some other critics noticed that Lee had missed several correlations between the bigger context of dependency and the media especially advertising as the focal point (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40).

Workplace Diversity Essay -- Racial Diversity, Ethnic Diversity

Diversity is the uniqueness which every employee brings to the workplace in an organization or establishment. Examples of differences include nationality, belief, disabilities, physical appearance, race, gender, age, educational background, sexual orientation, and work experience, social and family status. At the workplace, valuing diversity means creating a work environment that respects and includes individual variation by maximizing the potential of all employees or in which every employee feels included. It means acknowledging that other people, other races, other voices, and other cultures have an equal claim on the world. Valuing diversity is the recognition that there are many ways of viewing the world, solving problems, and working together. Workplace diversity is the differences people bring in an organization. It encompasses learning and interacting with people who share different opinions, backgrounds from us and creating an environment which fosters diverse views and opinions. It does not only involve how people perceive or relate to themselves but how they perceive others and these perceptions do affect their interactions. â€Å"Most diversity experts believe that the significant distinctions are race, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, nation of origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities, occupation, and class† (Leo Parvis, 2003). Complications begin from workplace difficulties to diversity which can disorganize and create a hostile environment. These threats, if not exposed and resolved through effective leadership, will lead to loss of potential and ultimately failure in the undertakings of the organization. Furthermore, diversity is in an elevated studying curve and similar to others continuin... ...ity is an important aspect in the workplace. We need diversity to offer the best service to customers, employees, affiliated companies, and share holders. Diversity offers personal difference in the people we work with. It is every employee's responsibility to ensure diversity is valued in the workplace. In every organization, employees should be open-minded and treat others with dignity, respect, courtesy and consideration and not tolerate harassment or discrimination. This creates a workplace that encourages learning and associating with people from diverse groups. With a diverse working environment and an equally diverse opportunity, the sky is the limit to what you can achieve during your career. In addition to a very important requirement when people deal with diversity is when there is a promotion of a "safe" place for people to communicate (Koonce, 2001).

The Irrationality of Existence Essay -- Literature, Gilgamesh

One of the most fascinating traits of humanity is the tendency to reflect and to create art on the basis of that reflection. In the days before writing, cave paintings and the oral tradition of storytelling demonstrated ways that people expressed their feelings – taking the time after winning, even if only briefly, the struggle against the demands of subsistence to leave a product behind, for posterity. Even the earliest recorded examples of literature, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, poignantly express the struggles that humanity faced when dealing with such abstractions like mortality and grief. The most recent bestseller books published last week may have cooler cover art and use figurative language more intricately than that ancient poem. But the anger and grief that Gilgamesh felt after a snake ate the plant of immortality was much greater and powerful. It was the plant he found after a long and bloody journey. Because of one careless moment when he stopped to take a quick dip in a pool, he lost it to the snake. The absurdity of life comes into high relief at this moment, and while the writings of Samuel Beckett, Joseph Heller and Sylvia Plath are just some of the many that express the same theme, none will be displayed more vividly than. Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Michael Seigneur de Montaigne’s Of Experience also mirror the irrationality of existence. These books suggest that what is important in life, and what gives life meaning is much more than what we are able to accumulate and acquire during our time on the planet; it is how we respond to what Hamlet would term the â€Å"slings and arrows of outrageous fortune† (Shakespeare). The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio was written in the 1350’s... ...es. Throughout European history, such movements as the Age of Reason and the Romantic Era represented different schools of thought as the way to find happiness and contentment in life. Boccaccio, Shelley, and Montaigne are just three of the many writers who have taken on this idea as a theme. Ironically, there may be as many answers to the question of finding the significance of life as the number of people trying to answer it. Works Cited Boccaccio, Giovanni, and George H. MacWilliam. The Decameron. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 2003. Print. Montaigne, Michel De. "Of Experience." Essays By Michel De Montaigne: 633-88. Print. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Web. Retrieved 4 December 2011 from http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/hamlet/ Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Joseph Pearce. Frankenstein. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2008. Print. The Irrationality of Existence Essay -- Literature, Gilgamesh One of the most fascinating traits of humanity is the tendency to reflect and to create art on the basis of that reflection. In the days before writing, cave paintings and the oral tradition of storytelling demonstrated ways that people expressed their feelings – taking the time after winning, even if only briefly, the struggle against the demands of subsistence to leave a product behind, for posterity. Even the earliest recorded examples of literature, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, poignantly express the struggles that humanity faced when dealing with such abstractions like mortality and grief. The most recent bestseller books published last week may have cooler cover art and use figurative language more intricately than that ancient poem. But the anger and grief that Gilgamesh felt after a snake ate the plant of immortality was much greater and powerful. It was the plant he found after a long and bloody journey. Because of one careless moment when he stopped to take a quick dip in a pool, he lost it to the snake. The absurdity of life comes into high relief at this moment, and while the writings of Samuel Beckett, Joseph Heller and Sylvia Plath are just some of the many that express the same theme, none will be displayed more vividly than. Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Michael Seigneur de Montaigne’s Of Experience also mirror the irrationality of existence. These books suggest that what is important in life, and what gives life meaning is much more than what we are able to accumulate and acquire during our time on the planet; it is how we respond to what Hamlet would term the â€Å"slings and arrows of outrageous fortune† (Shakespeare). The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio was written in the 1350’s... ...es. Throughout European history, such movements as the Age of Reason and the Romantic Era represented different schools of thought as the way to find happiness and contentment in life. Boccaccio, Shelley, and Montaigne are just three of the many writers who have taken on this idea as a theme. Ironically, there may be as many answers to the question of finding the significance of life as the number of people trying to answer it. Works Cited Boccaccio, Giovanni, and George H. MacWilliam. The Decameron. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 2003. Print. Montaigne, Michel De. "Of Experience." Essays By Michel De Montaigne: 633-88. Print. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Web. Retrieved 4 December 2011 from http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/hamlet/ Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Joseph Pearce. Frankenstein. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2008. Print.

Why Students Tend to Slack Off

Writing Prompt: Why consistently do most students don’t do their assigned work? The reason why I believe students now a day don’t do their work is because either they’re to busy doing unimportant things or they have other responsibilities that don’t allowed them to finish their work. Some students prefer hanging out with their friends all day after school instead of going home and finish their homework. They leave everything last minute and in the end they just give up and go to sleep.Other students might have other responsibilities that might take time from them and only have time to finish homework at night. For example some students might have to go home right after school and do chores at home, help out their siblings, have after school clubs or sports to attend, or they might have a job. When teachers give a good amount of time to finish a paper or project students tend to wait the last minute to do it or simply not do it.The reason why we procrastina te with school work is because we’re not really looking forward to doing it. The longer we procrastinate, the bigger the task seems in our mind. So that makes it more and more difficult to get started because it becomes this huge terrible task that we want to avoid at all costs. This is the reason why I believe students tend not to finish school work because of procrastination. It causes student to become more and more lazy and leads them to not doing the work or continue being like this with future assignments.

A Brief Survey of the Languages of the Neelam Valley

[i]A brief Survey of the Languages of the Neelam Valley Khawaja A. Rehman[1] The Neelam Valley, formerly known as Drawa, is located at an altitude of 4000 to 7500 feet. However, the mountain peaks around the valley range up to 17,000 feet. The total length of the valley is about 150 kilometers and according to the census of 1998 the population was 120,661 with 84 separate villages (online census report). In 2005, it was given the status of a distinct and has been known since then as District Neelam with two tehsils: Sharda and Athmuqam. Previously, it was subdivision of Muzaffarabad District with its headquarters at Athmuqam. Before partition in 1947, the tehsil headquarters of the area was Titwal, now under Indian control, the area was known as Drawa and the river flowing through the valley was called Kishan Ganga (Stein: 1900). The name of the river after partition has been changed to Neelam and the name of the territory to Neelam Valley. The word Neelam comes from the name of a village on the right bank of the river about 12 kilometers upstream from Athmuqam. Moreover, there are also two other small villages known as Neelam in the region. The river Neelam originates from Indian administered Kashmir and enters Pakistani administered Kashmir, known as Azad Kashmir, at Taubutt. Beyond this point it is still referred to as Kishan Ganga. The population lives on both sides of the Neelam or Kishan Ganga River. A few villages on the left bank of the Neelam valley fall under Indian control This region remains a relatively uncharted territory on the linguistic map. The Linguistic Survey of India (edited by Grierson in the early 20th century) does not contain substantive information on the languages of the valley, and neither does one find much information about the area in the more recent literature (Schmidt: 1981, 2002, Koul: 2004, Hook and Koul: 2002, Radloff: 1999, Grimes: 2000, O’Leary: 1992). The fact that the Line of Control runs right through the valley is one obvious reason as to why the area is hardly accessible to researchers presently. However, before partition the area was inaccessible due to nonexistence of road link In this paper, I present a brief overview of the language varieties spoken in the Neelam Valley based on recent research as well as my experience as a resident of the area. These varieties include forms of languages that are spoken widely elsewhere, such as Hindko, Gojri, Shina (Guresi and Chilasi), Kashmiri, and even Pashto, but also the rather distinct language of the village of Kundal Shahi, located near the Neelam district headquarters, Athmuqam (Rehman & Baart 2005).. Hindko . The Hindko language spoken in the Neelam Valley is usually known as Parmi , by the communities other than the Kashmiries and PArim by the Kashmiries and sometimes Hindko or Pahari as well. The word Parmi or PArim’ is derived from the Kashmiri word ApArim ‘from the other side’ Historically speaking the Hindko speaking communities lived in the highlands of the Kashmir Valley and these highlanders were referred to by the Kashmiries as apArim.. Afterwards the use of this word would have been extended to their language as well. The word ‘pArim’ for Hindko is also used in Indian administered Kashmir as the expression I found in a Kashmiri comedy recorded in Srinagar. The use of Hindko has never been documented before in any part of Kashmir. In traditional linguistic literature the Hindko language spoken in Kashmir is referred to as Pahari In 2004, I recorded a word list, used as part of the Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan, from eight different locations in the Neelam valley. I analyzed the word list in collaboration with Dr. Joan Baart, who has been working on the languages of Northern Pakistan for the last 13 years. The analysis of the word list showed that the variety spoken in the Neelam valley was closer to the variety of the Kaghan Valley than that of the Murree Hills. In traditional literature, the language spoken in the Murree Hills is classified as Pahari and that of spoken in the Kaghan Valley as Hindko. The conclusion was also confirmed in informal discussions with the Hindko speakers as well as the Hindko speakers from the Kaghan Valley and Mansehra. This proves that the Northern dialect of Hindko is also spoken in Azad Kashmir and my hypothesis is that same variety is also spoken on the other side of Line of control. There are many villages in Indian administered Kashmir along the line of control, at a distance of only few yards from the villages of Azad Kashmir. The Line of Control actually divides some villages in the Neelam Valley. Linguistically speaking, it may be interesting to look into the speech differences that have evolved during the last 58 years among adjacent villages lying on either side of the Line of control. It is worth distinguishing two populations of native Hindko speakers in the Neelam Valley: ethnic Hindko speakers and the Hindko speakers of other ethnicities. According to the oral histories Hindko speakers came from Mansehra and the Kaghan Valley, which parallels the Neelam Valley where as the non-ethnic Hindko speakers came from either the Valley of Kashmir or other parts of South Asia. In spite of the fact that most of the groups originally speaking languages other than Hindko have shifted to Hindko, they retain a strong ethnic consciousness, identifying along ethnic rather than linguistic lines The variety of Hindko spoken in the Neelam valley very interestingly retains, unlike other varieties of Hindko, Pahari and Punjabi, the old Indo-Aryan voiced aspirated stops /bh/, /dh/, /Dh/, /gh/, in the initial positions. However my present research shows that a shift is going on very rapidly. The reason being that the frequent contact with the Hindko speakers of other varieties of Hindko, Punjabi and Pahari speakers, is a major cause of this change. The shift is quite evident along the roadside and in main towns, where the influx of the outsiders is very frequent. The settlements away from the main road and further up stream from Dudnial, show strong retention of this feature. The influence of the Punjabi is not only restricted to the Phonology but also at syntax level. The dative and accusative marker kUo f traditional Hindko is being replaced by the nuu of Punjabi. Hindko is the predominant language of the Neelam Valley. It is the main lingua franca. Speakers of other languages are usually proficient in Hindko except some women in a few Kashmiri and Shina speaking villages. It is also encroaching upon the languages of smaller groups. Virtually all members of the other language communities are bilingual in Hindko. A process of language shift to Hindko is going on in many of these communities. In some of these communities this process started relatively recently, while in others it has been going on much longer. . Kashmiri Kashmiri is the second largest language of the area. it is spoken by the ethnic Kashmiries. However many kashmiries have switched to Hindko in the last two centuries. The villages where Kasmiri is spoken exclusively as a mother tongue include: Halmat, Sardari, ShunDdas, Tehjian, Malik Seri and Khawaja Seri. Among these the former three are adjacent to each other at the distance of about 193 kilometers from Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad Kashmir. And if we go further up the stream we come to Nekro, where majority are Kashmiri mother tongue speakers with a few families of Shina speakers. The village Nekro is adjacent to Karimabad, formerly known as Sutti, where Guresi Shina is spoken as a mother tongue. The residents of these villages are less proficient in Hindko than other Kashmiri speakers of the region. They usually prefer to use Urdu with the Hindko speakers. The latter two villages Malik Seri and Khawaja Seri are adjacent to each other and normally known as Khawaja Seri but the revenue department of the state lists them separately. These villages are bout 130 kilometers from Muzaffarabad. Tehjian, another Kashmiri speaking village, is about seven kilometers further down stream from Khawaja Seri Almost all individuals of these villages are bilingual in Hindko. Apart from these there are some six other villages where Kashmiri is the language of majority group. The variety of Kashmiri spoken in the Neelam Valley is closer to the variety spoken in northern Kashmir especially that of the Kupwara District, of Indian administered Kashmir rather than that of Muzaffarabad city. Although the Kashmiri spoken in Muzaffarabad is intelligible to the Kashmiries of the Neelam Valley, they can understand the variety of Srinagar better than that of Muzaffarabad. The Kashmiri spoken in the Neelam Valley has retained some archaic features. For example, Nealam Valey Kashmiri has daram maj ‘woman’ and daram boi ‘friend’, which are hardly found in other varieties of Kashmiri. The word daram is probably derived from the Sanskrit word dharma. Moreover, my research reveals that the Neelam Valley dialect of Kashmiri retains the third person plural subject agreement suffix –ukh more consistently than other dialects.. Speakers of the Srinagar dialect accept this usage, but it is not in common use, suggesting that it is an archaism. It also shares the retroflex flap /R/ with the variety of Kupwara, which is an alveolar flap in the variety of Srinagar. A historically very important town located five kilometers upstream from Khawaja Seri and Malik Seri, known as Shardi or Sharda, is headquarters of the tehsil of the same name. . A marvelous Hindu/ Buddhist temple is still standing and ruins of a great civilization are still visible. The place had been a seat of learning for a long time and it is likely that the Sharda Script developed to write the languages of the region. The script was developed some 1200years back and was popular in most parts of the South Asia and was named after Sharda (Deamb:online). No substantial research has been carried out so far in Sharda. It is very much likely that the script would have been developed in Sharda as this place had been a very famous seat of learning (Stein: 1900) Before partition the place was frequented by the Hindus from different parts of India and was esteemed sacred. Kundal Shahi Kundal Shahi is a village that is located in the Neelam valley 74 kilometers upstream from Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad Kashmir, and seven kilometers from the district headquarters ‘Athmuqam’. The Kundal Shahi anguage is spoken by an ethnic group, called Qureshi. They make up the majority of the Kundal Shahi village. There are some other tribes, but they do not speak it as their mother tongue (Rehman and Baart 2005). The people claim to have migrated from a town called Tajjar, presently in the Indian part of Kashmir some three centuries back. No other variety of the language is known. A first publication on the language, ‘A First L ook at the Language of Kundal Shahi in Azad Kashmir’ appeared in March 2005 (Rehman &. Baart 2005) The tribe comprises approximately 1,500 to 2,000 people(ibid). In recent years a process of language shift has been taking place to Hindko. Almost all members of the community are bilingual in Hindko and are very rapidly shifting to Hindko. Gojri Third largest ethnic group in Neelam valley is Gojars. Basically there are two types of Gojars: settled Gojars and nomads or Bakarwals. Settled Gojars Local folktales indicate that the settled Gojars are the earliest settlers of Neelam valley. They are believed to have migrated to the Neelam Valley to find summer pastures for their goats and sheep and gradually settled down permanently. These Gojars no longer raise sheep and goats on a large scale. Their villages, Marnat, Kharigam, Kuttan and Ashkot, are scattered all over the Neelam valley. The interesting thing about these Gojars is that the majority have abandoned their mother tongue and adopted Hindko. However, there are still a few settlements among the Gojars who speak their mother tongue at least at home. The settled Gojars hardly use Gojri in bazaars and other public places in front of speakers of other languages. The Bakarwals The Bakerwals ‘goatherds’ are those Gojars who still raise goats and sheep. They are not permanent residents of the Neelam Valley, but come during the summer with their animals, especially goats, sheep and mules (for carrying load). They go to high pastures for the summer and sometimes even travel to the Northern Areas and the Kaghan Valley. These people usually go to the Punjab plains and lower parts of Azad Kashmir during the winters. They use the Gojri language in their daily communication and show a strong tendency for language maintenance, reducing the probability of. Language shift among these people in the short term. The total population of these nomadic Gojars is not available. However, according to the crude estimate of the Wildlife Department of Azad Kashmir, the summer of 2005 saw a total of 150,000 goats and sheep traveling into the Neelam Valley (personal communication with Manzoor a local official) Shina Although the Gojars are the third largest ethnic group in the Neelam Valley, third largest language spoken is Shina. Though Shina is only spoken in three villages, there are two clearly different varieties of Shina, Guresi Shina and Chilasi Shina. Guresi Shina Guresi shina is spoken in Taubutt, the last village of the Neelam valley and its adjacent village: Karimabad (Sutti) Taubutt is about 215 kilometers from Muzaffarabad. Both villages are on the right bank of the river Neelam. The language is locally known as ShiNa and some times Dardi. Total population of these two villages was 1332 in 1998 and majority among them are Lone by tribe. Most of the Shina speakers of the area are bilingual in Kashmiri. They use Kashmiri with their neighboring Kashmiries. They have also borrowed many Kashmiri words. Their Hindko intelligibility is very poor and with Hindko speakers they usually use Urdu. Moreover, they don’t consider themselves grouped in any way with the Shina speakers of Phulwei. On the other hand they are culturally closer to the Kashmiri speakers of Halmat and Sardari and associate themselves with these people rather than Phulweites. There are intermarriages between the neighboring Kashmiri communities and there is no record of intermarrying with the Shina speakers of Phulwei. According to my informants the mutual intelligibility with the people of Phulwei is very poor and their language is different in vocabulary and pronunciation. They claim to have relatives on the other side of the line of control and also claim that their variety is similar to the variety spoken in the Gures valley of Indian part of Kashmir. However when I compared some words with the Guresi Shina collected on the other side (Schimdt: 2000) I found most of the words quite different These Shina speakers also claim that they can communicate easily with the people from Qamri – a town in the northern areas – without any difficulty and their variety is quite closer to theirs. Chilasi Shina Phulwei a large village with many sub villages, locally known as Mozas, is at the distance of 180 kilometers from Muzaffarabad Total population of the village was according to 1998 census 2912. My current research shows that the in the beginning, about some two centuries back, the first group of these shin speakers settled at ‘Pain Seri (meaning lower plain). This group included four brothers who had migrated from Nait, a town in Chilas, owing to some family feud. Majority of the people claim to belong to lone tribe, have assumed local titles. Clans living in this village include: Kachray, Nasray, Butt, Sheikh and Rajput etc. The majority belong to Kachray and both Kachray and Nasray claim to belong to Lone clan. It is very interesting that in Taubutt and Karimabad the same tribe is in majority. Grierson (1915) claims by using secondary information, that in Nait , Chilas some people speak Guresi Shina. However neither any research (Schimdt: 2002, Carla: 1992, 1999) reports such kind of variety and the variety spoken by the people of Phulwei also negates the statement of Grierson. My respondents belonged to all groups and all claimed to have come from Nait. Their mutual intelligibility with those of from Nait is far better than the shins of Taubutt and Sutti/ Karimabad. They have their close relations in Chilas and frequently travel to Chilas. However for the last nine years the intermarrying with these people has been terminated. This boycott is a result of feud, which claimed many lives on either side some nine years back. The people in the Neelam Valley are normally very peaceful but the people of Phulwei are known for their feuds and fights all over the region. They themselves also admit the fact. One of my informants told me that there are very frequent murders and narrated that his grand father had committed seven murders, his father three and his son killed a man. Locally these people are known as Dards and they themselves call the Hindko speakers Gojars irrespective of their ethnic group. They have no record of intermarrying with the people of Karimabad/ Sutti or Taubutt. However there are some instances of their intermarrying with the local Hindko Speakers. According to them the Shina or Dardi spoken in Taubutt and Karimabad is not standard variety and refer to it as kachi ‘half-baked’ In the village there are few Hindko speaking households but they are bilingual in Shina Pashto Dhaki and Changnar are two villages of Neelam valley, where Pashto is the mother tongue of all residents. The speakers of the language refer to their language as Pukhto/Pakhto. The population of these two villages, according to1998 census, was 1087 with 170 households. The people claim that some two centuries back their forefathers migrated from Swat, a region in Northern Pakistan, and settled in Dhaki and few others, among these, settled in Kashmir valley as well. The main reason, according to the oral history for choosing the place, was its conducive and rich environment for raising livestock. Dhaki is at about two hours walking distance from the left bank of the river Neelam and later some, among these, shifted to another nearby village Changnar. Both villages are right on the Line of Control, separating Indian part of Kashmir from that of Azad Kashmir. Almost all male members of the group are bilingual in Hindko. Some of the females of the group can understand Hindko but most of them are not bilingual in Hindko. The reason being that the men have very frequent contact with the Hindko speaking population where as the women are less likely to travel outside these villages and have no Hindko speaking community nearby. During the last fifteen years cross border firing between the Indo-Pak troops has caused large scale migration from these villages and this migration has led to the language loss at large scale. It will be very interesting to document the degree of this loss The Pashto spoken by the population is quite different from other varieties of Pashto and is a dialect on its own right. These Pashto speakers can communicate with the Pashto speakers from outside but they can’t understand them fully. My current research shows that they have assimilated many Hindko words into their Pashto, and also have kept some archaic words of Pashto, which are no longer used by the other Pashto speakers in Pakistan. . No linguistic literature has mentioned the existence of Pashto in any part of Kashmir (Grierson 1921, Hallberg 1992, Personal communication with Hook and Koul. To my Knowledge this is only settlement in both parts of Kashmir who speaks Pashto. In the Neelam Valley, apart from these Pashto speakers, there are some other groups who claim to be ethnic Pathans, but have apparently shifted to Hindko long time ago. Locally these groups are still known as Pathans and they also refer themselves as Pathan. Present Member of legislature and minister in the cabinet of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, from the District Neelam, also belongs to the same group. . Conclusion: Apart from these local languages Urdu and English are also used. These languages are medium of instruction. No indigenous language is taught in schools. No standard orthography is available for these local languages. However, Some Kashmiri literatures, especially poetry books, published before partition, are available at some houses. Lots of borrowings from Urdu and English are obvious in these local languages. This is a preliminary overview of the languages of the Neelam Valley. The aim of this study is to introduce this linguistically rich but undiscovered area to the outer world and invite scholars to carry out linguistic research in the region. And also create awareness about the languages loss among the speakers of these languages References: Barbara F. Grimes, Ed, 2000 fourteenth edition) Ethnologue; volume1, Languages of the world; SIL International, Dallas, Texas, USA. (http://www. ethnologue. com/web. asp) Deambi, B. K. Kaul. The Sharada Script:Origin and Development. in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh linguistic predicament Eds. P. N. Pushp and K. Warikoo: Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation Har-Anand Publications online:http://www. koshur. org/Linguistic/3. html Federal bureaue of sensus online: http://www. isepak. com/Forms/VillageListMUZAFFARABAD. pdf. Grierson, George. 1915. Linguistic survey of India, volume 8,part 2, 150-190. Calcutta Hallberg, Daniel G. and Calinda E. Hallberg. 1999. Indus Kohistani preliminary phonological and Morphological analysis. Islamabad: National Institute of Pakistan Studies and Summer Institute of Linguistics. Hook Edwin Peter & Omkar N. Koul. 2002. Eds. Koul N Omkar & Wali Kashi Top ics in Kashmiri linguistics, P: 130- 143, Creative books New Delhi Joan L. G. Baart . 2003. Pakistani languages and society: Problems and Prospects. NIPS and SIL, ed. with Ghulam Hyder Sindhi Koul, N Omkar, 2004,Kashmiri: A Grammatical Sketch In The Indo-Aryan Languages. Eds. George Cardona and Dhanesh Jain, Rutledge, London Local revenue department. The cesus report 1998. O’ Leary, Clear. (ed). 1992. Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan. 5 Volumes. Islamabad: National Institute of Pakistan Studies and Summer Institute of Linguistics Radloff, Carla F. 1999. Aspects of the Sound System of Gilgit Shina. Islamabad: National Institute of Pakistan Studies and Summer Institute of Linguistics Rehman, Khawaja. A & Joan Baart (2005) A First Look At The Language of Kundal Shahi in Azad Kashmir, SILewps, 2005-2008, Dallas, Texas, USA. http://www. sil. org/silewp/abstract. asp? ref=2005-008 . Rehman, Khawaja. A. 2005. Ergativity in Kundal Shahi, Kashmiri and Hindko: A paper presented in 11th Himalayan Languages symposium, 6-9Dec 2005, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand Rehman, Khawaja. A. 2006. Hindko: A Grammatical Sketch (Forth coming) Schmidt, Ruth Laila. 2002. A grammatical comparison of Shina dialects in Himalayan Languages past and present, 33:55 Ed, Anju Saxena. Mouton de gruyter, Berlin Stein, M. A. 1999. KalahaNa,s Rajatarangni. A chorological of Kings of Kashmir. Trans. Mirpur: Verinag Publishers. Originally published: London: constable, 1900 ———————– [1] The author is a PhD candidate at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan ———————– [i] Paper was presented at the 19th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies, Panel 31: ‘Linguistics in Lesser-known languages in South Asia’, 27-30 June 2006, Leiden, The Netherlands. http://213. 207. 98. 217/index. php? q=node/56

How Personal Can Ethics Get? Essay

The level of ethics competency is determined by the individual’s ability to identify elements of ethics, assess issues with ethics that arise, apply knowledge and regulations when making ethical decisions, and communicate those decisions to others. As stated by Curry in his discussion of workplace ethics: Ethics are about making choices that may not always feel good or seem like they benefit you but are the â€Å"right† choices to make. They are the choices that are examples of â€Å"model citizens† and examples of the golden rules. We’ve all heard the golden rules: Don’t hurt, don’t steal, don’t lie, or one of the most famous: â€Å"Do unto others as you would have done to you. † These are not just catchy phrases; these are words of wisdom that any productive member of society should strive to live by. (Curry, n. d. ) Organizational ethics depends on the culture of the company or organization and the extent of the importance of codes of ethics within the company. Organizational ethics is the company’s codes and procedures that manage the actions and decisions of its employees and leadership. Personal difference and preference can impact this, however. There are occasions when organizational ethics and personal ethics are not in line with one another. A lot of times employees do not know how to balance the personal side with the business side. In businesses there are several factors that influence the morality of individuals. Those factors are peers, company policies and procedures, and superiors such as management. In our personal lives there are factors as well. Those factors include family and friends. Ethics are thought of by many people as something that is related to the private side of life and not to the business side. In many businesses, having ethics is frowned upon or thought of as a negative subject. This is because business is usually about doing what’s best for number one, not about what’s really the right thing to do. (Curry, n. d. ) With this in mind, there are occasions when business decisions are not made simply because the decision is really the right thing to do. Businesses are created for a number of reasons, but to stay in business the company must practice good decision making and make a profit. Over time, in the long run, the business that finds a way to balance personal differences and preferences with organizational ethics will last longer and be more profitable. Mary White, the co-owner of MTI Business Solutions addresses business ethics in her article. In one particular point White states: Companies and businesspeople who wish to thrive long-term must adopt sound ethical decision-making practices. Companies and people who behave in a socially responsible manner are much more likely to enjoy ultimate success than those whose actions are motivated solely by profits. Knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing what is right is the foundation for ethical decision making. In many cases, doing the right thing often leads to the greatest financial, social, and personal rewards in the long run. (White, n. d. ) Often times, individuals in leadership positions put their own goals and preferences before that of the company. For example, a CEO might accept a deal with another company that includes an extra incentive or reward that solely benefits the CEO and deny a deal with another company because there is nothing extra that benefits the CEO. Although the company benefits by accepting another client, the ethics of the organization is compromised. Although the company with no included incentives may provide more value in the long run for the company looking to make a deal, the CEO may lose the opportunity to gain a deal in the future. When any individual becomes a part of a company, their own personal differences and preferences do not only impact the individual, but everyone around them including the company. Organizational Policies and Procedures and the Impact on Ethics In addition, organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics. The policies and procedures put into effect by businesses provide guidelines in efforts to allow the business to run smoothly. These procedures and policies set by the organization provide a means of what is right and what is wrong. This is the company’s code of conduct or set of organizational ethics. The organizational policies and procedures can either benefit the company or hinder the company. The purpose of setting this code of right and wrong is so that the company is providing employees with guidelines in hopes that employees will follow. The benefit is all employees are working towards a common goal in a common matter. This provides a sense of order within the business. Every position has its own guidelines so that employees know exactly what is expected. When an employee violates a code that is clearly documented in the company’s policies and procedures, the employee cannot state that he or she did not know what was expected. In the same sense, just as the organizational policies and procedures can benefit the ethics of the company, the policies and procedures can also produce a negative outcome. This can occur when employees refuse to follow these procedures. An employee may choose not to abide by policies when he or she has his or her own motive. For example, an employee does not agree with a company policy that states that no employee may release a certain type of information. In turn, the employee shares the information with a highly competitive company. This affects the ethics of the company as well as the individual. In this situation, the policy is clearly documented. Although the policy is set in place to provide order and give a guideline for employees to follow, the employee violated the policy. Ethical Dilemmas and Valerie When ethics become an issue within a company, ethical dilemmas occur. An ethical dilemma is a dispute between what is right and wrong between two opposing parties. Although ethical dilemmas occur every day, there is really no right or wrong solution. It is simply a matter of what one believes. In the case study, Valerie is facing an ethical dilemma. The ethical dilemma she is facing is not only about what she considers right or wrong, but also her job. As a result of her decision, she could lose several things. The ethical dilemma that Valeria is facing is if she tells anyone what she has learned, she could lose her job, her privilege to stay in the United States since she doesn’t have a Green Card, future education, and her career relationships. In this situation, Valerie can reveal the information and risk losing everything or keep the information to herself and work for a company of which she no longer respects. In either situation, Valerie is losing something. It is up to her to decide what is more important. If I were in the situation Valerie is in, I would keep the information to myself. Although neither decision is potentially right or wrong, if Valerie chooses to keep the information to herself, she does not have to risk losing her job and ability to stay in the United States. Even though Valerie does not reveal the information herself, the information may still come out in the future from another source. Another method that I would chose is to provide an anonymous explanation to corporate. Most businesses provide a means in which employees are able to provide information anonymously. In either case, Valerie will not have to jeopardize losing her job, right to live in this county, education, nor relationships within the company. Conclusion In closing, personal differences and preferences can impact organizational ethics. Employees must realize that their own decisions and beliefs affect the company they work for. In the same sense, organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics as well. Although companies set up policies to address what is right and wrong, there are positive benefits as well as negative outcomes.