American Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

American Foreign Policy - Essay Example When there is an issue that needs to be discussed in regards to the foreign policy, each facet of the process serves their own agenda before looking at the overall responsibility of the decision. In this regard, it is evident that each of the working unit feels an essential player in the process and seeks to safeguard the interests of the particular arm of the state. This is both beneficial and detrimental to the presidential power and ability to make decisions. For the latter, the best decision is reached at, and a decision that favors all involved departments and thus the state. As for the former case, the solution that is realized is largely as a result of compromised standards, and conflicts amongst the involved officials. There is diversification of interests amongst the parties, some of whom may have undue influence thus negatively affecting the process and wasting more time in the same. Foreign policy bureaucracy suppresses rationalism in decision making. This is again influenced by the influence of a particular department in policy formulation. A good example to this is the reason that compelled the U.S. to attack in Iraq in 2003. Just rationalism was definitely not used in the final decision making process, given the issues that erupted thereafter. This is detrimental to the president’s personal choices but acts or the best of the nation. In foreign policy decision making, the President is the most powerful and central figure. Psychologically, the President is bound by some limitations as time and energy, ideology as well as rationality. With the presence of the foreign policy circle of advisers, the process of decision making is decentralized from the President making life and governance much easier. In this case, the bureaucracy in foreign policy safeguards the president from making decisions constrained by irrationality and psychological inabilities. Bureaucracy in foreign policy is decentralized to four components

Impact of Globalization on International Conflicts

Impact of Globalization on International Conflicts Introduction Globalization is a process that relies upon strategies internationally with the aim of expanding business operations on the face of the world. This is with the help of global communications, which have been made possible due to advancements in technology, developments in the political front, socioeconomic, and the environment. Another definition to globalization is cross-border interactions being intensified and countries depending on one another. This definition shades light on how the international system has changed. Relationships have changed in individual states due to depending on one another and whatever events are ongoing outside their boundaries are more likely to have an impact within their territories. In this paper, we shall look at the conflicts and how different nations are embracing globalization to help root out these conflicts, (Holm and SÃ ¸rensen, 1995).[1] Global change is a rapid process and it is hard to keep track of the new and many developments. Nevertheless, trends are observable and they all add up to globalization. Currently, there is a contradiction in globalization being in full force and the global governance processes that are in existence have insufficient power, the scope and an authority, which ensures that a certain direction is followed, as well as regulations that all lead to beneficial results for all parties involved. Thus, more often than not, globalization does not offer equal effects and it is disruptive. New challenges also have rose in institutions (the public ones), which become less autonomous and are weak in their support. The process of globalization is turbulent, as analysts have found out. In addition, it may be touted as representing a rational economy, however, there is a dark side to it. Critics have always brought out the side of globalization that runs soley on economic power. In addition, it favors the western cultures and their corporations, which puts a lot of communities and jobs at risk. Rich countries have an exploitative nature; they harness cheap labor from countries that are poorer. This creates threats to the environment and does not uphold the principles of democracy and/or social stability. This is through plunging political institutions of the nation into unavoidable forces of change in the economy. Moreover, quite a volume of essays highlight that globalization is uneven, (Holm and SÃ ¸rensen, 1995). This can be analyzed in terms of its processes as well as its effects. It results in concentrations and deprivations which, on average, encompass a well defined structure of power. Globalization creates conflicts, which, on one end, focus on cultural issues as well as identity, and on the other, the issues are primarily economic. From historical archives, social change can be closely associated with the ever-rising levels of conflict. Sorokin did a study, which explored this, largely, (1937: 409-475). His study encompassed twelve countries and it showed to what extent what he refers to as social strife was at its greatest in eras when a certain society was involved in a change that was significant (for example, religion). Such a moment of change is transitional and it cannot pass by without it being muddled in conflicts of values and interests. There is also the paradox of reflectivity. Analysts say that increased reflectivity comes from effects of rapid changes. These changes emanate from societies from all over the world. These rapid changes in turn contribute to incidences of conflict. There is also the effect of globalization in terms of identity. Basically, globalization seeks to homogenize people but it is also a fact that it increases social heterogeneity as an awareness. There are quite a number of groups whose identity rests upon race and ethnicity, religion, and language. These groups have used media in a global sense to voice their discontent. At the end of cold war, ethnic revival was unleashed. It goes without saying that cold war was a conflict [2]among states and it propagated the primal need for a national identity in a worldwide society. During the 1990s, this notion was weakened by globalization. It was less effective in ensuring that people complied or being able to integrate a society nationwide. This means that minorities are better off in reasserting their identity in reference to cultural forces of hegemony. These minorities therefore identify the state as not being a reliable promoter and protector of their interests (which are domestic in natu re). They see the state as collaborating more with external forces (Scholte, 1997). Therefore, in the 1990s, we can argue that conflict is not primarily found between and among states, but rather, the state and its groups. In this case, we can comfortably say that globalization has helped root out conflicts between states but resulted in creating conflicts within the state itself. In the economic world, globalization compels businesses to embrace diverse strategies in relation to the new trend of ideas so as to bring on average the rights and interests of a person and the entire community. This makes the businesses have a competitive front in the world. This also gives business leaders, management, and labor a significant change. This is through accepting the contribution of workers and that of the government so that company strategies and policies are developed and implemented. In this case, globalization has reduced conflicts. It enables companies from different countries to share ideas, transact business together, make dealerships, et al. however, it should be noted that some companies may decide to undertake competition. Either way, it is healthy. Businesses will be motivated to embrace new ideas, strategies, and policies. The reduction of risks can be done through diversification. Companies will be involved with financial institutions internationally and thus making partnerships with businesses locally and with other nations. The process of globalization also increases the dire need for knowledge on the differences of culture between countries as well as the culture of the corporate world. Employers from time to time send their experts to other countries so that they can build subsidiaries and/or support the ones that are already in existence, (Beaverstock, 2012). For a successful subsidiary, language skills are fundamental, so are the influences of the sub culture, the styles of communications of which they are different, societal behaviors. This points out to the fact that in terms of economy, globalization does not create a conflict, it deals away with any conflict that is present. In the economic front, there is what Schumpeter refers to as ‘creative destruction’, (1942: 84). Firms are catapulted into innovation because of competition; surely, a firm cannot just look at its competitors embracing new ideas while it is just stagnant. Innovation here involves both products and the process of production. On the other hand, industries and regions can undergo destruction or marginalization. This is because competitors may become more innovative in a certain area and take lead. In an economy, that has become globalized, national boundaries and distances have diminished, (Ake, 1995: 26). This is because the many obstacles have been done away with thus ensuring market access. Cost of transaction has been reduced significantly as well as the time [3]and distance being compressed and this refers to the international transactions. Several changes have been brought about by globalization. They include trade dynamics, flow of capital, and technology transfer. Markets and production present in different countries have made these countries depend on one another. International competition, as said earlier, is increasing in intensity and in turn increases the strategic interactions across the border. This further makes the various business enterprises to organize and structure themselves into transnational networks. Globalization is characterized by increasing interdependence on various levels. For example, foreign direct investment goes hand in hand with technology t ransfer and the knowhow. It also includes the flow of capital, which is in form of international loans, equity, profit repatriation, et al. this facilitates the export of goods and services from countries that are investing. In this case, also, globalization has brought countries together to a united economic front. The aim is to develop interdependent business across different countries. It is due to globalization that we have trade blocs, (Sorensen, 2004). Members in the same block undertake transactions as it were within their national boundaries. However, we can note that the countries outside this trade bloc suffer from what is called trade diversion. This country will not be able to get the benefits the countries within the bloc are getting. It is from this trade ties that conflicts arise. A country may feel sidelined and thus any ties to the countries in the trade bloc may be severed. Conclusion Globalization by definition is a process, which relies on international strategies while aiming to expand businesses globally. The goal of globalization in this case is to give organizations an upper hand in competition through lowering costs, increased number of products as well as services and customers. Globalization has an hand in conflict creation as well as conflict resolution. In the economic arena, globalization has unified various economies and countries. International trade is now a possibility and countries depend on one another. Cross border costs when conducting trade have been lifted and transport and communication between countries conducting trade have been improved. Borrowing of ideas for implementation in other countries has also resulted because of globalization. New businesses have been started in other countries and this is because there are set policies and strategies. In addition, for businesses to be global, knowledge and language skills come in handy to under standing a foreign market and knowing the consumer needs. Globalization also enhances cultural diversity. People from different ethnic groups, big and small, have a worldwide audience for their cultural values and beliefs. Lastly, international trade may be facilitated by globalization, however, due to the emergence of trade blocs, some countries are left out. This is trade diversion and it may create a conflict between countries in a trade bloc and those without. This means, therefore, that globalization increases and reduces conflicts in the international system at the same time. However, the larger part it plays is to reduce conflicts or resolve them. Reference List Ake, C. 1995. The new world order: a view from Africa. In Holm, Hans-Henrik and SÃ ¸rensen, Georg Eds., Whose World Order: Uneven Globalization and the End of the Cold War, Boulder: West view. Beaverstock, J. V. (2012). Highly skilles international labour migration and worldcities:expatriates, executives and entrepreneurs. In B. Derruder, M. Hoyler, P. J. Taylor, F.Witlox, International Handbook of Globalisation and World cities (pp. 240-249). Cheltenham, Uk: Edward Elgar Publication Ltd. Scholte, Jan Aart. 1997. constructions of collective identity in a time of globalisation.http://nexxus.com.cwru.edu/amjdc/papers/76. Schumpeter, Joseph. 1942. Capitalism, socialism and democracy. New York: Harper. Sorensen, G. (2004).The transformation of the state – beyond the myth of retreat;Palgrave Macmillan. Sorokin, P.A. 1937. Social and cultural dynamics, vol III, fluctuations of social relationships, war and revolution. New York: America Books Co. Holm, Hans-Henrik and Georg SÃ ¸rensen. 1995. Introduction: what has changed. In Holm and SÃ ¸rensen, Whose World Order: Uneven Globalization and the End of the Cold War. Boulder: West view. [1] Holm, Hans-Henrik and Georg SÃ ¸rensen. 1995. Introduction: what has changed. In Holm and SÃ ¸rensen, Whose World Order: Uneven Globalization and the End of the Cold War. Boulder: West view. [2] Sorokin, P.A. 1937. Social and cultural dynamics, Vol. III, fluctuations of social relationships, war and revolution. New York: America Books Co. Scholte, Jan Aart. 1997. Constructions of collective identity in a time of globalization.http://nexxus.com.cwru.edu/amjdc/papers/76. [3] Sorensen, G. (2004).The transformation of the state – beyond the myth of retreat;Palgrave Macmillan

Michael Moore: An Influential Filmmaker Essay -- Cinema

Michael Moore, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker is known for his highly controversial documentaries. He appeals to the newer generation, trying to educate people along with addressing our unresolved social issues in the United States. He gives incite to corrupt things that our government is involved in that citizens do not know about if they do not read or watch the news. Michael Moore proved to be a big-time influence through his work in the movie industry. His main message is to get people to stop following their government blindly, but rather speak out, ask questions, get involved, and most of all shows peoples power to be able change what needs to be changed. He proves being patriotic means taking responsibility and being informed about what’s happening in the media and all of Michael Moore’s films give the audience this. Time magazine named Michael Moore one of the World’s 100 most influential people. Through his Oscar and Emmy awards, he proves even a powerless author and producer with nothing more than a pen and a movie camera can make a tremendous difference. His documentary Bowling for Columbine reiterated that by a determination and persistence that not only him, but patriots can create change. He interviewed some of the surviving victims of the Columbine shootings along with Charlton Heston, the NRA president. He shows the gruesome effect of allowing guns and bullets to be so easily accessible. Kmart was his main destination and he took it upon himself by going right to the top of a major corporate food chain. The documentary was about how he was able to get them to stop selling bullets completely. Getting Kmart to stop selling bullets doesn’t mean that you’re going to prevent kids from going somewhere ... ...n in public, which many people are not courageous enough to do, and for that many respect him. Michael Moore proves that one man can make a difference. He is a great example of exercising our right to free speech and questioning the government. If something doesn’t seem right he is a spokesperson for finding out the truth. Michael was a small town boy who grew up to become one of the most influential documentary film makers of our time. Works Cited Bowling For Columbine. Dir. Michael Moore. 2002. Fahrenheit 911. Dir. Michael Moore. 2004. Penn, Sean. Time.com. 18 April 2005. 8 March 2012 . Sicko. Dir. Michael Moore. 2007. The Oprah Winfrey Show. Michael Moore's Sicko. 1 January 2006. 8 March 2012 .

From being a maintenance planner at BMW

From being a maintenance planner at BMW , Norbert Reithofer was able to work his way up to being the head of production, and finally to being the company’s chief executive.Judging from his associates, his ability to build his network of alliances is indubitable. For example, the former CEO and now chief of BMW’s supervisory board is Joachim Milberg who was actually Reithofer’s thesis adviser in graduate school.This does not say, however that Reithofer’s ability to make alliances is limited to the top level. In 2002, he was able to halve the time requirement for full production of the next-generation three series from 6 months to three, with Burkhard Goeschel, BMW’s Development Chief.The increased level of production did not compromise the cars’ quality, as skeptics would like to think. Reithofer and Goeschel was able to assemble a team of R&D who worked for three years. From its introduction in March, none of the produced cars were reported t o have any quality problems. Reithofer believes that managers should be role models and should work together.Being the CEO, Roethofer will seek to keep the managers and workers to stay ahead. At present, he is expecting brands like Toyota’s Lexus and Nissan’s Infinti to set up plants in Europe and work on building BMW-like cars.

Easyjet Case Analysis Essay

Is the budget airline segment an attractive place to be? Why (not)? Yes, the budget airline segment is very attractive in a country where the people are interested to travel in low cost airlines without much comforts like business class and food. And more over if the company can reduce its costs in the areas of operations and utilising the resources more efficiently, then budget airline segment is definitely an attractive place. Some of the areas where we can look into reduce the costs are like using the no frills strategy, reducing the number of travel agents, reducing the aircraft stay in a airport (which reduce the fees to be paid for the airports). The above are the some of the strategies used by the easyjet airways and also they used their resources to maximum extent like they operated Boeing flights for 11 hours per day compared to their rivals who used 6 hours per day. Rising middle class all over the world is also another factor which makes the budget airline segment an attractive place because they can afford the air travel at such a low price there by increasing the volumes of air traffic and helps in increasing the profits of the airlines. As the prices are low for the aircraft, the profit margins are also very low and the airlines has to strictly adhere to its operating policies like punctuality and low fares to attract masses and generate revenues. If one cannot stick to their standards they may lose the market (as in the case it was mentioned some 60 out of 80 carriers went bankrupt). Some other aircraft carriers which are successful in this segment are American southwest airlines and Indian Spicejet (They generated profits after introducing the new strategy of low prices). Also in the case it was mentioned the European budget airline segment was expected to grow by as much as 300% by 2004. So it is definitely a best place to compete and sustain. Also some of the business executives also prefer the low cost airlines as they might be travelling a lot and travelling low cost carriers reduces their expense and as they are available at any point of time. Porters five forces can be also used to know the attractiveness of a industry. Bargaining power of Suppliers: The suppliers of the industry are major aircraft manufacturing companies, some of the outsourcing firms, and travelling agents. Here in this case aircraft manufacturers like Boeing have their upper hand. When coming to outsourcing and travel agents airlines try to minimise their intervention to be competitive. Bargaining Power of Buyers : Since there will be lot of competitors in the industry and ultimately the bargaining power rests with the majority of the customers or travellers in this case. Threat of New Substitutes : In many places in Europe, High Speed Rail network directly competes with low-cost airlines. Still 50% of people travelling in some of the routes preferred business class travel. Threat of New Entrants : As mentioned earlier there is scope of 300% growth by 2004 and so many new entrants try to compete in this industry but from the data available it is mentioned 60 out of 80 entrants went bankrupt. So this may restrict the new entrants to think before entering this sector. Intensity of Rivalry Among competetors: The intensity of competition is very high from the competitors like British airways which launched a separate airlines to tap the low budget airline segment So overall considering the above all cases and if an airline can reduce their costs and increase their operational performance, then definitely budget airlines is the place it can compete. How does EasyJet deliver its customer value proposition? Some of the value propositions offered to the customers by the Easyjet are 1. The airlines flew brand new fleet of Boeing 737s to impress the people and let them know they don’t compromise on the safety of the carriers 2. They hired the experienced pilots and crew at market rates and customers are pleased to find the smiling crew when they boarded the flight. 3. They operated strictly according to schedule and had the policy of refunding amount if they are late by 3 hours 4. The cost of changing to another flight was very less (â‚ ¬10+ difference of the fare) 5. Passengers are required to carry their 6 character reference number instead of the tickets. This reduces the paper wastage. 6. Stelios portrayed image of Man of the people by personal interaction with customers. 7. No pre-assigned seating offered. Allotment was based on first come first serve basis. The Harvard Business School case study on Amazon Web Services (AWS) by Huckman, Pisano, and Kind, outlines Amazon’s expansion into selling â€Å"cloud† services. In 2002, 8 years after Amazon appeared as an online retail bookstore, the company started exposing product data in a â€Å"developer-friendly† format to its affiliates via an application program interface (API). The resulting positive response exceeded expectations and led Amazon executives to recognize a market for renting their highly reliable and scalable technical infrastructure to developers in the form of pay-as-you-go web services. By 2008, Amazon had introduced 12 services, including four core offerings described as â€Å"Infrastructure Web Services†: Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Simple Storage Service (S3), Simple DB, and Simple Queue Service (SQS). While the move into cloud computing was an unexpected and bold step by Amazon that surprised the application hosting industry, was AWS a disruptive strategy or a new business model? Clayton Christensen describes a disruptive technology as â€Å"changes that toppled industry’s leaders.† While the idea of leveraging existing assets to create a new business opportunity and gain a competitive advantage was a unique concept and industry differentiator for Amazon, it was not disruptive by definition. Incumbent leaders on the server and computing side like IBM, Sun, and HP all had sophisticated back-ends and application frameworks similar to Amazon and each were starting to develop initiatives to provide infrastructure and software solutions in the cloud. In addition, many large corporations such as Network Appliance, EMC, and Dell already offered online storage capabilities comparable to S3, albeit few provided a similar pay-as-you-go model. AWS was also in front of the other Internet giants, but not by much as each major player already had a mature web hosting business and was starting to develop web service offerings. Microsoft introduced two families of web services in 2005: Windows Live, a suite of consumer software services, and Office Live, a similar range of services targeted to small business. Salesforce.com established force.com in 2007, a platform for developers to create business applications, and Google introduced App Engine in 2008, which was expected to evolve and compete directly with AWS. Amazon first considered creating a broader developer-oriented business when the company realized it was spending â€Å"†¦70 percent of its time building and maintaining the back-end technology ‘muck’ that did not differentiate Amazon from its competitors.† The company brilliantly identified the right new business model at the right time and Andy Jassy’s foresight and vision gained Amazon the first-mover advantage in the developer business. The company, however, did not redefine the back-end infrastructure technology supporting their services nor did they introduce a pioneering approach to data center management that significantly reduced overhead costs and destabilized competition. Amazon’s strategy introduced nothing that neither â€Å"toppled† the industry leaders nor prevented them from responding relatively quickly in offering their technology in the same manner as Amazon. While Amazon‘s cloud computing and web services offering is rich, encompassing, and ahead of its competition, AWS is a new business model positioned to reduce costs and increase free cash flows through better asset utilization. It will be interesting to see the impact true technology companies like IBM, Google, and Microsoft have on AWS as their web services solutions mature. What if AWS cannot maintain the volumes needed to offset their costs? Does Amazon’s move away from their core business and heavy investment in technology leave them inflexible and vulnerable to the strategy of a new online bookstore that utilizes cloud computing in a disruptive way to reduce costs and sell books for less?

Free Essays on Case Study Analysis

Case Study Analysis Janice is Chief of Research and Development and she is also John’s boss. John is Janice’s assistant. Janice is highly paid and John is underpaid. John is attempting to impress everyone with his new software package while Janice is just covering herself for not completing the project her boss assigned to her. John, Janice and ultimately Janice’s boss are affected by Janice’s decision. John will be affected because he is hoping to receive a promotion and a raise as a result of his creation. Janice will either receive praise from her boss from a job well done or possibly criticism for having her assistant complete an assignment that was given to her. Janice’s decision is definitely an ethical one because it is based on right and wrong. Specifically, it’s based on Janice’s definition of right and wrong. On one hand she needs to fulfill her obligation to her manager and turn in a software package that will address the company concerns. On the other hand, she has an employee that has worked hard and deserves credit for what he has done. Taking credit for his idea would be wrong in the eyes of most observers but Janice has to weigh the ramifications of not completing her assignment with the idea of taking credit for someone else’s work. Janice has the first and most obvious decision to make. She needs to decide if she should take credit for work that is not her own. If John will not go along with the idea of her taking credit for his work she has another decision to make about punishing him by lowering his evaluations and possibly firing him. John’s issue is different in that he can go along and get the promotion and raise he wants but no credit for the work he did. . John has to decide if he wants credit for his work or if he wants a guaranteed raise and promotion by letting Janice take the credit. According to Kant’s categorical imperative an act is ethical only if it remai... Free Essays on Case Study Analysis Free Essays on Case Study Analysis Case Study Analysis Janice is Chief of Research and Development and she is also John’s boss. John is Janice’s assistant. Janice is highly paid and John is underpaid. John is attempting to impress everyone with his new software package while Janice is just covering herself for not completing the project her boss assigned to her. John, Janice and ultimately Janice’s boss are affected by Janice’s decision. John will be affected because he is hoping to receive a promotion and a raise as a result of his creation. Janice will either receive praise from her boss from a job well done or possibly criticism for having her assistant complete an assignment that was given to her. Janice’s decision is definitely an ethical one because it is based on right and wrong. Specifically, it’s based on Janice’s definition of right and wrong. On one hand she needs to fulfill her obligation to her manager and turn in a software package that will address the company concerns. On the other hand, she has an employee that has worked hard and deserves credit for what he has done. Taking credit for his idea would be wrong in the eyes of most observers but Janice has to weigh the ramifications of not completing her assignment with the idea of taking credit for someone else’s work. Janice has the first and most obvious decision to make. She needs to decide if she should take credit for work that is not her own. If John will not go along with the idea of her taking credit for his work she has another decision to make about punishing him by lowering his evaluations and possibly firing him. John’s issue is different in that he can go along and get the promotion and raise he wants but no credit for the work he did. . John has to decide if he wants credit for his work or if he wants a guaranteed raise and promotion by letting Janice take the credit. According to Kant’s categorical imperative an act is ethical only if it remai...

10 Fascinating Facts About Painted Lady Butterflies

10 Fascinating Facts About Painted Lady Butterflies The painted lady is one of the most familiar butterflies in the world, found on nearly all continents and in all climates. They are a favorite subject of study in elementary school classrooms and are a familiar visitor to most landscape gardens. Yet common as they are, painted ladies have some unique attributes.  Here are 10 fascinating facts about the painted lady, or  Vanessa  cardui. 1. The painted lady is the most widely distributed butterfly in the world. Venessa cardui  inhabits every continent except Australia and  Antarctica. You can find painted ladies everywhere from meadows to vacant lots. Its sometimes called the cosmopolitan butterfly, because of its global distribution. Although it is resident only in warmer climates, it often migrates into colder regions in spring and fall, making it the butterfly with the widest distribution of any species.   2. The painted lady is sometimes called the thistle butterfly or the cosmopolitan  butterfly. It is called the thistle butterfly because thistle plants are its favorite nectar plant for food; it is called the cosmopolitan butterfly because of its global distribution. Its scientific name- Vanessa cardui- translates as butterfly of thistle.   3. Painted ladies have unusual migration patterns. The painted lady is an irruptive migrant, meaning that it migrates independent of any seasonal or geographic patterns. Some evidence suggests that painted lady migrations may be linked to the El Nià ±o climate pattern. In Mexico and some other regions, it appears that migration is sometimes related to overpopulation. The migrating populations that move from North Africa to Europe may include millions of butterflies, and migrating populations numbering hundreds of thousands of individuals are common.  In spring, painted ladies fly low when migrating, usually only 6 to 12 feet above the ground. This makes them highly visible to butterfly watchers, but also rather susceptible to colliding with cars. At other times, evidence suggests that painted ladies migrate at such high altitudes that they are not observed at all, simply appearing in a new region unexpectedly.   4. Painted ladies fly fast and far. These medium-sized butterflies can cover a lot of ground, up to 100 miles per day during their migration. A painted lady is capable of reaching a speed of nearly 30 miles per hour. Painted ladies reach northern areas well ahead of some of their more famous migrating cousins, like  monarch butterflies. And because they get such an early start to their spring travel, migrating painted ladies are able to feed on spring annuals, like fiddlenecks (Amsinckia). 5. Painted lady butterflies do not overwinter in cold regions. Unlike many other species of butterflies that migrate to warm climates in winter, painted ladies die once winter hits in colder regions. They are present in cold regions only because of their impressive ability to migrate long distances from their warm-weather breeding areas.   6. Painted lady caterpillars eat thistle. Thistle, which can be an invasive weed, is one of the painted lady caterpillars favorite food plants. The painted lady probably owes its global abundance to the fact that its larvae feed on such common plants. The painted lady also goes by the name thistle butterfly, and its scientific name- Vanessa cardui- means butterfly of thistle.   7. Painted ladies sometimes damage soybean crops. When the butterflies are found in large numbers, they can do serious damage to soybean crops. The damage occurs during the larval stages when caterpillars eat soybean foliage after hatching from eggs.  Ã‚   8. Males use the perch and patrol method for finding mates. Male painted ladies actively patrol their territory for receptive females in the afternoon. Should a male butterfly  find a mate, he will usually retreat with his partner to a treetop, where they will mate overnight. 9. Painted lady caterpillars weave silk tents. Unlike other caterpillars in the genus Vanessa, painted lady larvae construct their tents from silk. Youll usually find their fluffy shelters on thistle plants. Similar species, such as the American lady caterpillar, make their tents by stitching leaves together instead. 10. On overcast days, painted ladies can often be found on the ground, huddling in small depressions. On sunny days, the butterflies prefer open areas filled with colorful flowers.

Business Writing 101

Business Writing 101 Business Writing 101 Business Writing 101 By Ali Hale The term â€Å"business writing† covers any piece of writing produced in a business context. I’ll focus here on documents that are produced for internal use (such as memos and plans), and reports aimed at clients. Most jobs today involve a significant amount of writing, especially as you rise up the corporate ladder. Many of us find writing business documents a daunting process – and often procrastinate over it. This article should help you to gain confidence and to know where to start and how to progress. As with any forms of writing, your business writing will benefit if you follow the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing). Planning Your Business Writing Whatever the piece of writing you’re faced with – whether it’s an email to shareholders or a complex report – you should write a plan before you begin. In some cases, that plan will be very brief, perhaps a list of bullet points that you want to cover in your email. For longer documents, your plan may include: facts that you need to check or look up; a list of people whose input is required; the titles of sections or subsections; a list of illustrations or diagrams required. Having a plan means that you can â€Å"chunk† a large project into manageable sections. This is a good way to avoid feeling overwhelmed or stuck on your business writing. Structure Most companies will produce similar types of document on a regular basis. For example, a software company might produce an annual report to shareholders, a monthly newsletter for clients, and a new user guide each time a new software module is released. For each of these documents, your company should have a standard template. This not only saves a lot of work in formatting a new document each time – it provides you with a structure. If no templates exist (which is common if you are a member of a very small company, or if you work for yourself) use a previous example of the same type of document to create a template. When you have to come up with a structure from scratch, consider these possibilities: 1. Chronological Structure Some documents, especially short ones, are best structured chronologically (in order of time). A good example would be a work plan, stating what needs to be done each week for the next quarter. 2. Alphabetical Structure If you need to create a document which involves a large number of separate items, consider ordering it alphabetically (A – Z). This applies particularly to glossaries of terms. 3. Topic Structure In many cases, documents are best split into different topics or areas. For example, a Frequent Asked Questions page for your website could be divided into â€Å"about us†, â€Å"complaints† and â€Å"delivery†, with each section containing several questions related to that topic. Longer Business Documents When you produce a long and complex document such as a report, you should provide an overview at the start. This is often known as an â€Å"executive summary†. (You may also hear it called an â€Å"abstract†, â€Å"synopsis† or â€Å"overview†.) Here’s a ficticious example of an executive summary in a report by â€Å"Big Brother Corp† for their client â€Å"WidgetInc†. Note that a real executive summary would be longer and more detailed: The main objective of this report is to provide a detailed analysis of WidgetInc’s customer demographics. This was done using standard industry procedures (primarily telephone surveys of randomly-selected customers). Big Brother Corp found that 89% of WidgetInc’s customers are aged under 25, and that 63% are male. It is recommended that WidgetInc targets this segment by advertising on popular game and video websites. As well as providing an executive summary, long documents require: A table of contents Clearly-labelled sections and subsections, normally using a numbered structure Business Language and Style All business materials should be written in a clear, formal, professional way – but without using technical jargon or buzzwords. â€Å"Clear†, â€Å"formal† and â€Å"professional† means that you should avoid: Vague or ambiguous statements Jokes, humor, anecdotes and clichà ©s Unsubstantiated facts Slang or potentially offensive language You should also take care over your grammar, punctuation and spelling. Use your company’s style guide when you’re unsure about a particular point of language, layout or style. If a style guide doesn’t exist, create one. A couple of examples illustrating what you might include are: The word government should not be capitalized, unless it starts a sentence All titles, headings and subheadings should be in Title Case (You might decide differently on those points – the organization I worked for used sentence cases for titles, headings and subheadings, following the Guardian newspaper’s style guide.) Avoid padding out your document with impressive-sounding words that don’t say anything. Your writing should be concise and to the point – it shouldn’t involve waffling. In many cases, you will also include a title page, diagrams, appendices, footnotes and other supporting material. Using the Passive Voice The passive voice is used to avoid attributing an action to a specific subject (person or group). For example: The data was analyzed according to our protocols. Rather than: Joe analyzed the data according to our protocols.. In this case, it is probably appropriate to use the passive voice: the reader of the report is unlikely to need to know who analyzed the data – they just want to know that this was done. BusinessWriting.com suggests: Use passive voice when you do not know the actor, you want to hide the identity of the actor, or the actor is not important to the meaning of the sentence. However, the current trend in business writing is to use the passive voice sparingly, especially when communicating with customers. It can make a piece of business writing less engaging, and it can also seem evasive. Business Emails Much of the writing which you do during the business day will be in the form of emails. Many of these will be simple and straightforward, and you won’t necessarily need to plan them in detail. Even for short emails, you should: Write a clear subject line Write a clear subject line – and don’t forget to change the subject line if you’re replying to an email and introducing a different topic. Start with the person’s name, as you would with a letter – it can seem rude or abrupt to launch straight into the body of the email. Sign off with an appropriate closing such as â€Å"Best regards† or â€Å"Warm regards† and your name. In formal contexts where you are not already acquainted with the recipient, use â€Å"Yours sincerely† (or, if you don’t know the name of the recipient, â€Å"Yours faithfully†). Spell-check your email – errors don’t just make you look unprofessional, they can cause confusion, and waste time and resources. Be careful not to use jargon or acronyms unless you’re certain the recipient will understand them. This is particularly important for external communications, eg. with clients, customers or the media. Be familiar with basic email etiquette. Longer emails Keep your emails as succinct as possible, and consider sending an attachment or link to a webpage if you have a lot of information to convey. A good way to structure an email and to make it easy for the recipient to take in all the information is to use bold subheadings to separate sections on different topics. For example: Delivery dates We expect one article (text and image) to be delivered each week, by Wednesday noon. Images Please supply all images as .bmp files. They should be 600px by 400px, and should have a resolution of 300dpi or higher. Payment Invoice bob@widgetsinc.com on completion of work. If you’re sending a lengthy email, you may want to put a one- or two-line summary at the top. It’s also a good idea to make it very clear at the end of your email what action you want. State this clearly, and as a list if appropriate. For example: Could you please email me with: The latest date from Project X Your drafted report on Project Y The times and dates which you would be available to meet next week Remember that, even if your business writing is in the form of an email, you should be professional, polite and ensure that you have provided all the information which the recipient is likely to need. Check Out Other Articles from The Writing 101 Series: The Writing Process Creative Writing 101 Story Writing 101 Letter Writing 101 Business Writing 101 Freelance Writing 101 Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should AvoidEmail Etiquette5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions

Marketing and Communication Plan for Hilton Hotel Case Study

Marketing and Communication Plan for Hilton Hotel - Case Study Example Maintaining relationship with customers is highly impossible for a firm unless it has an efficient marketing system. The marketing system should be planned and executed in such a manner that existing customers are retained and new customers are created. In this context, Hilton Hotel has approached us to prepare a report on the present marketing system and finds the possibilities of developing a new marketing and communication plan for the firm. After an analysis of the present system of marketing, promotional activities, advertisement, marketing plan and communication system, a detailed report is prepared and presented as indicated by the client. The report contains the proposed plans of promotion, advertising and communication of marketing information which are to be implemented to realize the cherished goal. Increased competition has urged all business organizations to focus their attention to existing operations with utmost care so as to ensure survival and existence in the globalised market. All entities are facing stiff competition that pave the way for restructuring their strategies and finding new markets and customers. The well known fact 'customers are the king' will never get diluted as the very existence of business organization depends solely on customers and their satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is the blend of series of successful marketing efforts by an organization. The marketing efforts include a complex mix of many activities such as promotion, advertisement, marketing planning and communication and so on. To achieve the goal of marketing,-customer satisfaction- business has to endlessly put efforts to develop new and improved marketing strategies and implement the same to reach customers and effect sales. The Present Marketing System Hilton Hotel, started its journey back in 1919, has become one of the favorite brand of business and leisure travelers worldwide. The hotel group has grown to a network of more than 500 hotels and resorts in almost all major cities across the world. The hotel group has achieved many mile stones in its journey to become the perfect companion of travelers all over the world. It is evident from their growth that the marketing strategies of the hotels have been successful since its inception. They have been trying to adapt to the changing business environment and to flourish in a competitive market. Target market and segmentation Hilton Hotel group mainly focus on business and leisure travelers who are from different parts of the world. The target market has been segmented on the basis of customer class and type of journey. Business executives usually prefer economy class who budget their travel and accommodation well before tour is fixed. But, leisure travelers prefer luxury and executive class where they need high class service irrespective of the price. Product Life Cycle and Marketing Communication The hotel has already achieved its growth stage as it has been in existence for many years. In fact, when its product life cycle stage is considered as a whole, the hotel is in its saturation stage where it faces stiff competition from similar hotels. Marketing communication at this stage is very important. When there are many hotels to meet limited demand in the market, it is likely that customers may not know about the new products

The Japanese Quasi-Jury and the American Jury Term Paper

The Japanese Quasi-Jury and the American Jury - Term Paper Example A body was created to collect views and give recommendations on the approaches to reform the country’s judiciary. The body proposed the establishment of the quasi-jury to try the high-crime cases. The quasi-jury structure was formulated through the ‘Lay Assessor Act’ the system was a concession between the political elements and the conservative individuals. The Supreme Court was opposed to the move to create a jury that was similar to the American jury. Under the law, the judges are required to use the law in the determination of the innocence or guilt of an individual as well as give a ruling on the sentence. Moreover, the judges make a determination on matters regarding the interpretation of the laws and decisions beyond the authority of the lay assessors. A presiding judge administers the trial procedures but the statutes of evidence in Japan’s judicial process are indistinct and simple compared to the procedures in the US. The presiding judge has the a uthority to limit the number of questions on a witness as well as the determination of the unsuitable evidence given by a witness before a ‘Saiban-in panel’. Moreover, the opposing advocate may reject the improper assessment of the evidence. The discussions between the judges and lay assessors demand that majority as opposed to a unanimous decision. Nonetheless, the composition of the majority must have a professional judge especially when ruling on the guilt of an accused person. The information arising from is regarded as confidential while those leaking the information being subjected to a fine. The composition of the bench and lay assessors is dependent on the situation and the magnitude of the... The legal system in Japan has been largely a civil law since the approval of the Japanese Civil Code in the late 1890s. The system was borrowed from the western nations such as France and Germany. The model persevered even after the Second World War and the adoption of the contemporary constitution in Japan. The separation of power among the various arms of the government is similar to the American model. The judiciary has autonomy like the other arms. In the US, there are divergent procedures in the cases depending on the state although they are largely guided by the constitution. The quasi-jury exercised in Japan has both positive and negative effects depending on the administration. Whereas citizen participation in the judicial process is significant, the established procedures and restrictions are important to assist in getting timely and fair justice. The judicial system in any nation should be informed by the culture of its people and the nature of the governance structures in order to ensure the obligations are met in a desirable approach. It would be more desirable if the principles and frameworks of the jury are reformed in line with the demands of the country and the global environment. Judicial systems are viewed as essential in human-social existence in the society. The Saiban-in system has resulted in minimal effect regarding the prosecution of cases. The system has given the public a dynamic responsibility in the judicial processes, which is likely to improve when the citizens become familiar with the system and the lay judicial involvement.

E business exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E business exam questions - Essay Example The social welfare of the businesses increase and they look to increase the welfare to the customers. There can be price discrimination with the use of the Internet as the customers are aware of the products. The business houses may look to decrease the price of the goods to attract the customers. The e business model of Amazon is based on offering products at lower costs. This helps in the increase of the social welfare. With the rise of the Internet, various other business opportunities are open for the entrepreneurs. Complementarities: The model has described the services as the complementarities. The services of the e business model should be quick and precise. The basic concept is to provide the customer’s with valuable information that helps in the development of the business. Lock in: The lock in period of the business houses is relatively low while using the e business model. The search for customers’ get quicker and the cost is less than that of the traditional process. Therefore, the lock in of the company is automatically reduced. The company may also adopt a model to produce what is demanded. Novelty: In the e business model, there has been a rise in the novelty process with the rise of innovation. The business houses look to attract the customers with the use of innovative techniques. Amazon and Ebay offer discounts and gift vouchers, which encourage the customers to shop online. (Kirikova & Grundspenkis, 2002; Pp 378-379) Porter’s value chain activities describes that a relation exists between the firm’s activities regarding the suppliers and the customers. The value chain activities of a firm can be described as follows: With the advancement of technology and the use of the Internet, the value chain of a company can be related easily. The effectiveness of a company has increased with the use of the Internet. All the components in the value chain have been benefited by the use of the Internet. The

McDonaldisation of Disney Theme Parks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

McDonaldisation of Disney Theme Parks - Essay Example Literature shows that McDonaldisation has come to represent the vast commodification and standardization of numerous products and services in different industries and sectors (O’Toole 2009; Thompson 2006). Learning, for instance, has been McDonaldised with the rise of standardized approaches to tutorials and pre-school services, such as Kumon and kindergarten services that have the same learning strategies and materials. This paper reviews the McDonaldisation of Disney theme parks. The author already visited several Disney parks particularly in California and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. It begins with providing an overview of the theory of McDonaldisation and then it applies the features of McDonaldisation on these theme parks. This paper argues that Disney theme parks have been McDonaldised, because they promote efficiency, calculability, predictability, better control, and the substitution of human by non-human technology. Theory of McDonaldisation McDonaldisation â€Å"is the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world† (Ritzer 1993, p.1 cited in Keel 2010). The theory has been developed by George Ritzer who has taken important elements of Max Weber’s framework and broadened and made them more relevant to present society (Keel 2010). The vital theme of Weber's examination of modern society was the process of Rationalisation, which is a process where conventional modes of thinking were replaced by ends/means analysis that pursued efficiency and formalized social control (Keel 2010). For Weber, the demonstration of this process was Bureaucracy, a large and formal organization that possessed a hierarchical authority structure, clear division of labor, written rules and regulations, impersonality and technical competence (Keel 2010). Bureaucratic organizations stand for the process of rationalization and the structure they in flict on human interaction and thinking intensifies the process, leading to a more and more rationalized world (Keel 2010). Ritzer critically analyses the impacts of social structural transformations on human interaction and identity (Keel 2010). He stresses that in the later part of the 20th century, the social structures of the fast-food restaurant has become the â€Å"organizational force† that broadened the process of rationalization further to the dimensions of interaction and individual identity (Keel 2010). Ritzer stresses that the five themes within this McDonaldisation process are Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, Increased Control, and the Replacement of Human by Non-human Technology, as well as the â€Å"irrationality of rationality† (Keel 2010). Efficiency pertains to choosing the means of production that was rapidly and uses the least cost or effort (Keel 2010). Calculability concentrates on factors that have to be calculated, counted, and measure d (Keel 2010). Quantification tends to stress quantity over quantity, hence leading to mass production (Keel 2010). Quality becomes equal to quantity, such as quota (Ritzer 1994, p.142 cited in Keel 2010). Predictability means decreasing potential differences in the delivery of services or goods (Keel 2010). â€Å"A Big Mac is a Big Mac is a Big Mac† wherever it is served (Keel 2010). Increased control and the substitution of human by non-human technology are deeply connected (Keel 2010). Ritzer combines the two McDonaldisation process: â€Å"...these two elements are closely linked.

Experimental Designs II Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Experimental Designs II - Statistics Project Example Blocking however has a number of disadvantages to a research initiative. It is not appropriate for large number of participants as large sizes reduces the design’s efficiency. Another disadvantage of blocking is in its rigidity with respect to homogeneity as it is not appropriate for populations or samples with extremely diverse features. â€Å"Interactions between block and treatment effects† also contribute to experimental error, discrediting reliability of the design (Hawai, n.d., p. 1). A factor refers to an independent variable that is manipulated in the research process and can be subjected to different treatments to generate a variety of factor levels. Using factors benefits an experiment by providing a basis for comparison of different treatments as each factor or factor level is subjected to a different treatment (Stat, n.d.). Mains effect refers to the variation of means across factor levels within a given factor. It considers a factor level mean and compares it with means of other factor levels to determine existence of significant difference. Interaction effect however considers variation of a factor level mean across levels of another factor in a ‘multi-factored’ design to determine existence of significant combined effects among factors in a design (Stockburger, n.d.). Covariate refers to a control setup in an experiment and reduces noise by predicting outcomes of the dependent variables. This helps in identifying outliers for appropriate measures (Druckman, Greeen, Kuklinski and Lupia, 2011). Tradeoffs define compromises that must be made in an experiment. Experimental tradeoffs are for example realized in validity. Ensuring both internal and external validity is a tradeoff that must be made with respect to sample size and sampling technique because strict focus on achieving one type of validity undermines the other. Practicality is another experimental trade off that considers research methods that call for adjustments to ensure

Supply chain or operational challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supply chain or operational challenges - Essay Example Companies have opted to relocate their manufacturing to low-cost countries across the world in order to respond to the customer’s satisfactions and demands on price expectations. The relocation is done to reduce the indirect and direct costs at the same time minimizing taxes. Global suppliers contribute to the problems that come with delivery time that is extended. In the emerging markets, customers not only want products of lower prices but also timely delivery of their products. Global chain of supply is complex. Adding this to the ever-changing feature makes the challenge greater. The customers immediately put pressure to the company to come up with something big next time after the release of the product. Innovation is, therefore, an important element in today’s market. To enhance their products, companies are forced to redesign their products so that they can meet the market demand. The demand of the customers in the modern market is more demanding than ever. Companies are trying hard to expand their distribution towards the emerging market to increase the growth in their revenues and market shares. Several companies are working had to expand both foreign and home markets. The introduction of new markets possesses difficulties from government policies, fees and trading policies. Companies have responded positively with global networks, expansion of markets and innovation of products. Several companies, today, rely on supply chain managers to optimize on the value chains so that they can remain competitive in the market (Shankar et al., pg.

Experimental Designs II Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Experimental Designs II - Statistics Project Example Blocking however has a number of disadvantages to a research initiative. It is not appropriate for large number of participants as large sizes reduces the design’s efficiency. Another disadvantage of blocking is in its rigidity with respect to homogeneity as it is not appropriate for populations or samples with extremely diverse features. â€Å"Interactions between block and treatment effects† also contribute to experimental error, discrediting reliability of the design (Hawai, n.d., p. 1). A factor refers to an independent variable that is manipulated in the research process and can be subjected to different treatments to generate a variety of factor levels. Using factors benefits an experiment by providing a basis for comparison of different treatments as each factor or factor level is subjected to a different treatment (Stat, n.d.). Mains effect refers to the variation of means across factor levels within a given factor. It considers a factor level mean and compares it with means of other factor levels to determine existence of significant difference. Interaction effect however considers variation of a factor level mean across levels of another factor in a ‘multi-factored’ design to determine existence of significant combined effects among factors in a design (Stockburger, n.d.). Covariate refers to a control setup in an experiment and reduces noise by predicting outcomes of the dependent variables. This helps in identifying outliers for appropriate measures (Druckman, Greeen, Kuklinski and Lupia, 2011). Tradeoffs define compromises that must be made in an experiment. Experimental tradeoffs are for example realized in validity. Ensuring both internal and external validity is a tradeoff that must be made with respect to sample size and sampling technique because strict focus on achieving one type of validity undermines the other. Practicality is another experimental trade off that considers research methods that call for adjustments to ensure

Cross Cultural Management in the Context of Business Objects Essay

Cross Cultural Management in the Context of Business Objects - Essay Example Every organization has a unique culture that gives it a special identity. Historically the word, ‘culture’, has been used differently in different subjects. Sometimes it is used to describe the sophistication of a person, whereas sometimes it is used by the anthropologists while they are describing the rituals and customs that different societies have developed over the passage of time. However, over the past few decades, the word is more used in organizational context. Experts and researchers have used the term in order to describe the practices and climate that have developed in the process of managing and handling the people in the organization (Schein, 2004). In today’s competitive business environment organizational culture is considered one of the most important factors that influence the individual performance and hence organizational performance. Management of culture becomes critical when there are people from different culture work together in the organi zation. Â  This paper is all about the management of organizational culture and various issues related to it in an organization named Business Objects. The report includes a brief overview of the organization and different problem regarding its culture. It also includes a detailed overview of the policy that should be implemented in the organization in order to solve and manage cross-cultural issues. Culture greatly influences the team performance especially when the team consists of people from the different cultural background. This report contains some possible solutions of problems regarding multicultural teams in the context of Business Objects. Â  Business Objects was established by Bernard Liautaud and one of his colleagues in 1990. The company started with software development.

The Whole Palestinian Israel Conflict History Essay

The Whole Palestinian Israel Conflict History Essay Palestine is one of the historic country in the Middle East, Palestine is surrounded by Lebanon in the North, Syria in North East, Jordan by the East side, Egypt by the South West side, and the Mediterranean sea in the West side. The word  ¿Ã‚ ½Palestine ¿Ã‚ ½ came from a group of people that used to live in Palestine before the  ¿Ã‚ ½Kanaaon ¿Ã‚ ½ the leader of the group his name was  ¿Ã‚ ½ Falasta ¿Ã‚ ½ and the tribes used to be called  ¿Ã‚ ½ Fasteen ¿Ã‚ ½ and each one of the tribes used to be name  ¿Ã‚ ½ Flste ¿Ã‚ ½ when the  ¿Ã‚ ½Kanaaon ¿Ã‚ ½ came to Palestine, both of the tribes came together in one hand that no one could come between them, then they named it  ¿Ã‚ ½ Flesten ¿Ã‚ ½ and by ages the name changed to  ¿Ã‚ ½ Felesteen/ Palestine ¿Ã‚ ½. (Transition word) Palestine is the most wanted country in the world; leaders used and still fight to have it for them because Palestine has diversity of; cradle of civilization and religions, it is also t he central of Middle East and it include the three continents, Asia, Europe and Africa. Palestine also divers of the Mediterranean climate and it has the four seasons all year long for instance; in north its cold and windy, in the East side close to Jordan River is very warm. That is what made Palestine the most wanted country in the world. The whole Palestinian- Israel conflict started in 1915. The agreement started between the government Britain and France, to divide the Arab nation between them. France got Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey and Britain got Jordan and Palestine (The Balfour declaration pg.240) In 1917 Balfour Declaration the Zionist movement achieved the first movement its first real success, when the British issued the Balfour Declaration  ¿Ã‚ ½ His Majesty ¿Ã‚ ½s Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object it being clearly understood that nothing ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ This declaration culminated in the creation of the state of Israel. 1936: a six months in general strike in Palestine was during the British mandate by Palestinian Arabs in Palestine that lasted from 1936 to 1939. In April 1936, the Arab leadership in Palestine declared a general strike to protest against, and pu t an end to Jewish immigration to Palestine. The revolt was driven primarily by Arab hostility to Britains permission of restricted Jewish immigration and land purchases, which Palestinian Arabs believed was leading them to becoming a minority in the territory. In 1948 the state of Israel was created; the war between Zionist and Palestinian had left with two unsettled topic till nowadays.  ¿Ã‚ ½ The 1948 war between the Zionists and Palestinians, then between Israel and Arab state left two unresolved issues. First, although the state of Israel received the recognition of most states in the world, the surrounding Arab states did not extend it recognition ¿Ã‚ ½ The second, unresolved issues was what to do about the problem of the Palestinian refuge ¿Ã‚ ½ (Gelvin, 2005,Pg.283) During the war, Israel, decide to kick all the Palestinian form their home and exploded 600 villages so they wont come back to it. The 1967 war  ¿Ã‚ ½ The current factual setting continues to be largely a result of the outcome of the Six-Day War in 1967 and subsequent development associated with Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza. ¿Ã‚ ½(Friel, Falk, 2007, Pg.11) The six days war, Israel divided Palestine into parts. Palestinian start to immigrated to another cities that are when Palestinians become refugee for the second time. The countries surrounded by Palestine told them to leave so they can fight against Israel, but they lost the war and Israel won. The Palestinian who left Palestine had no right to come back to their land. My ancestors came from a small village called  ¿Ã‚ ½Bet-Iksa ¿Ã‚ ½ in Palestine; it ¿Ã‚ ½s the north west of Jerusalem the capital city.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Bet-Iksa ¿Ã‚ ½ was one of the main centers in the Islamic war in Crusades time. The location of the village made it easier for the soldiers to keep their clothes (Supplement) and all of their needs in  ¿Ã‚ ½Bet-Iksa ¿Ã‚ ½ because of the location were in the middle of all of the cities My ancestors were living in  ¿Ã‚ ½Bet-Iksa ¿Ã‚ ½ more than 3000 years; they all followed the same religion, tradition, and race till now, even though time has change. One of their traditions was that every Friday, they used to go to the  ¿Ã‚ ½ Doom Of The Rock ¿Ã‚ ½ to pray and then go to the old Jerusalem to shop. The first time my grandparents Diaspora from their village was on 1948. When the big war started between Israel and Palestinian. When Israel state becomes a country, my family were forced and expelled to leave their village and displace them in a refuge camp.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Palestinians refer to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 as al-Nakba, the catastrophe. Hundred of thousands of Palestinians were displaced as result of the creation of the Jewish state, the ensuring war between the Arabs and Israelis, and an Israeli policy of expulsion ¿Ã‚ ½ (Ensalaco, 2008, Pg.9) They lived in an exhibition area for a year, till they settle down and start building small houses for them to become independent again; they had no water, no food, and no electricity. And they were forced again to leave the camp and go to another one. Israel has done that, to make Palestinian move from Palestine and immigrate to somewhere else like Jordan and Lebanon. But many of them did not do what Israel want an d stayed in Palestine and that is what my grandparents did In 1960 my father was born in expat camp. In 1967 another war remain on the land of Palestine (West bank and Gaza) my family including my father and other refugees were expelled and displaced again to Jordan, they became refugee for the second time and immigrant for the first time in Jordan. Jordan is located in the heart of the Middle East, Northwest of Saudi Arabia, south of Syria, Southwest of Iraq, and east of Palestine. After two years living in Jordan, another war occurred in Jordan between Jordanian and Palestinian  ¿Ã‚ ½ In September 1970 a month that came to be known as Black September, terrorists belonging to the Popular Front of Liberation of Palestine (PELP) ¿Ã‚ ½ The incident dragged for two weeks. Then, in a spectacle to draw the world ¿Ã‚ ½s attention to the plight of the Palestinian people ¿Ã‚ ½ (Ensalago, 2008,Pg.1) the reason of the war is because the Palestinian were more than Jordanian people and they wanted to control everything in Jordan since they are more, so the war came between the Palestini an commando and Jordan army. When the war started my father was ten years old. e. After the war peace came from the two sides. Jordanian and Palestinian became together. Many people did not welcome the Palestinian and there were a lot of racism and discrimination against them and till nowadays, Palestinian found a way to get along with them and both share their cultural and tradition with each other, both Jordanian and Palestinian speak Arabic, follow the same religions either Islam or Christianity. Jordan was the host society for the Palestinian, they accepted them, they gave the Palestinian passport, land, houses, and they were allowed to work in Jordan and equal as a Jordanian person. In 2006, my family and I moved to Canada it was a totally different experience for us. None of my family member spoke English expects my father, although he knew the language but he has a tough British accent, so no one understood him or us. We have been in Canada for eight years and till now; my siblings and I are trying to learn the language. At first we had cultural shock and we were homesick, but year-by-year these have been decreasing and now we are accepting cultural and their life. There are many differences between the two countries the cultural difference between Jordan/Palestine and Canada are seen in their holiday, food and custom. For instance; the holidays in Jordan/Palestine its according to the local sightings of various phase of the moon, we usually fast during the day and feast at night according to the sun, after the month of the fasting, it is the day of our holiday is called  ¿Ã‚ ½Eid  ¿Ã‚ ½ Al Fitr ¿Ã‚ ½ its for three days, family members visit each other a nd men give money to their wife, sisters and close relative. But in Canada mostly celebrate Christmas ¿Ã‚ ½s the birth of Jesus Christ, they usually decorate the house and yards with light and the put up the Christmas ¿Ã‚ ½s trees and it usually held by December 25th. Since 1946 to 2010 Israel have been taking over Palestine, every decade Jews and Zionist are increasing and the number of Palestinian are decreasing, as statistic show by the end of the war Israel had occupied 78 percent of Palestine. During the Six-Day War, Israel occupied the final 22 percent of Palestine that had been avoid in 1948. My family history and Diaspora could refer to Phase number one  ¿Ã‚ ½Victim of Diaspora ¿Ã‚ ½ Phase what phase of Diaspara Why did I chose this topic

Sex Education Essay -- Sex Pregnancy School Teaching Essays

Sex Education Two drastic Emergency Room cases were handled in 1998 at Mary Washington Hospital. Concerned mothers brought their 12 year old daughters into the hospital thinking they were suffering from severe stomach pain or even appendicitis†¦both girls were actually in labor (Abstinence, 2002). The United States has the highest teen pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates in the Western world (Planned Parenthood, 2003). Are teens getting enough knowledge on sex and how to prevent STDs and unwanted pregnancies? Another heartbreaking statistic is that teenagers have the highest rate of STDs of any age group, with one in four young people contracting an STD by the age of 21 (Sex-Ed Work, 2003). Is sex education really working in school? Or do we need to change the type of curricula that is taught? There is no question that sex education should be taught in schools, but the question is how? The purpose of this paper is to determine which curricula of sex education should be taught in schoo ls to be most effective in lowering STD and pregnancy rates among teenagers. The first type of curricula is abstinence-only. Abstinence-only based curricula is taught to more than 50 percent of students worldwide (Sex in Review, 2003). Abstinence programs teach teens how to say no. It does not teach them about STDs and how to protect themselves, therefore keeping them in the dark about sex. This type of curricula typically uses fear and shame to encourage premarital abstinence. It usually provides a distorted view of sex and can lead to sexual anxiety. Students are taught misinformation and lies; You will learn that sex is horrible unless it takes place in a monogamous marriage. President Bush asked Congress for a thirty-three per... ....) Retrieved April 23, 2003 from http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factsheet/fssexcur.htm I used this website for studies showing how comprehensive based programs are proven effective in lowering STD’s and unwanted pregnancies. Sex education in schools. (n.d.) Retrieved April 8, 2003 from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/vox/sexedschool.html I used this to show how Congress is asking for a raise in abstinence programs when those types of programs haven’t even been proven to help teens. Zwillich, Todd. (1994). Parents Want More Comprehensive Sex Education in Schools. Retrieved April 23, 2003 from http://wwwbiology.ucsd.edu/classes/bild36.FA00/extra_html/sexand_school.html I used this to show what type of education parents would like their children to have in schools today to help the sexual transmitted disease rates decline.

Concepts of Family and Home in Jane Austens Persuasion Essay -- Jane

Concepts of Family and Home in Jane Austen's Persuasion In Jane Austen's last completed novel, Persuasion, England is one large family with two distinct branches, the navy and the aristocratic upper class-it is no accident that the two large books consulted in the novel are the Baronetage and the Naval Lists. The naval family poses a threat to the aristocratic family; in fact, undertones of social instability riddle the text, through imagery of death, illness, and accident. The marriages of Anne Elliott, Louisa Musgrove, and Harriet Musgrove reveal a gentry which can only redeem itself through intermarriage with the professional meritocratic class, symbolically taking on their values of utility and social responsibility, and abandoning an idle aristocracy in decline. In Persuasion, the only novel of Austen's that does not center around a landed estate, the letting of Kellynch Hall shows an aristocracy ousted from its familial seats of power, in favor of the fashionable world of Bath. Landed responsibility is given up for a hollow world of rented rooms and social display. The aristocracy is replaced in their hallowed hall by members of the new meritocracy, the Admiral and Mrs. Croft. The English navy has been world-renowned from the time of the Spanish Armada, in 1588, and played a key role in the expansion of the British Empire; not only does the navy serve as an example of Englishness, it helped create that very notion of national identity. In Persuasion, Austen domesticates the navy, portraying it as one large brotherhood. In fact, Captain Wentworth cancels a trip to his biological brother in order to visit his injured friend, Captain Harville. Officers discuss transporting each other's wives to and fro on their boats,... ... Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. 1813. London: Penguin Classics, 2003. Beer, Gillian. Introduction. Persuasion. By Jane Austen. London: Penguin Classics, 1998. vii-xxviii. Butler, Marilyn. Jane Austen and the War of Ideas. 1975. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987. Wiltshire, John. Jane Austen and the Body. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Works Consulted Austen, Jane. Mansfield Park. 1814. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1998. Austen, Jane. Emma. 1816. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000. Colley, Linda. Britons: Forging the Nation 1707-1837. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. Copeland, Edward and Juliet McMaster, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Johnson, Claudia. Jane Austen: Women, Politics, and the Novel. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988.

African American Essay

Write a 750- to 1,400-word paper in which you consider the following regarding the religious group and racial/ethnic group you selected: Religious group:Â  How does your selected religious group differ from other religious groups (such as in their beliefs, worship practices, or values)? What has been the experience of your selected religious group with others that do not share its beliefs or practices? In what ways has the religious group you selected contributed to American culture? Provide specific examples of prejudice or discrimination your selected religious group has experienced. What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? Does what you’ve learned about this religious group help you understand it? In what ways? Racial/ethnic group: How does your selected racial/ethnic group differ from other racial/ethnic groups (such as differences in ancestry, language, or culture)? What has been your selected group’s experience with other groups? In what ways has the racial/ethnic group you selected contributed to American culture? Identify some specific examples of prejudice or discrimination that your selected group has experienced historically. What were the sources of this prejudice or discrimination? Does what you’ve learned about this racial/ethnic group help you understand it? How? Include the following as part of your conclusion: How are the prejudice and discrimination experienced by your selected religious group and racial/ethnic group similar? How are they different? Can you draw any conclusions about discrimination from this comparison? Provide citations for all the sources you use.

Multicultural counselling issues

Gender plays role in racial discrimination because males and females of a different ethnicity are treated in different ways.   In particular instance, females of a specific ethnic group experience at least two forms of discrimination based of her race, gender, religious belief, age and social status.   The term racism is strongly associated with hatred and prejudice of an individual’s identity including any aspects of his identity and sexual orientation hence females experience a different manner of discrimination. International groups such as the United Nations have regarded racial and gender discrimination as two independent issues resulting in females continuing to suffer from numerous types of injustices.   It is thus essential that the gender component of racial discrimination be well understood in order to draw actions towards racial discrimination that are helpful to both males and females. There are several instances when the issues of gender and racial discrimination interconnect (Crenshaw KW, 2000).   The interplay of these two concepts may take different modes and arise in different circumstances.   One situation involves gender-based violence.   In this situation, females are more likely to experience more cases of violence because discrimination that is influenced by gender depicts females as the most defenseless elements of society. Inclusion of the concept of racial discrimination thus generates violence on females, making them twice at risk of violence.   These kinds of circumstances tend to be more difficult because certain women from remote areas may be hesitant in reporting any violent incidents that they have experienced because they are concerned that no action will be performed with regards to their report or that their statement will be received with indifference or hostility. Another situation wherein gender is interconnected with racial discrimination can be observed among impoverished women.   It has been estimated that approximately 1.3 billion individuals who are living in extreme need are women (UNDP, 2000).   Such condition is strongly related to their inability to receive any form of education as well as training courses hence rendering them under-qualified for most of the available employment. Simultaneously, the trends of globalization and alteration in governmental laws have resulted in more problems for women because gender inequalities were exposed.   One example can be observed among governments that do not provide unemployment insurance of single mothers or female heads of households. The merged effect of gender and racial discrimination may also hinder the retrieval of women to economic resources, including loans, credit and real estate property and can also affect the treatment they receive when they request for social services from the government.   Such hardship thus endangers women to poverty and financial hardship. Gender is also intertwined with the issue of racial discrimination in terms of education.   It has been discovered that the global literacy rate for women is significantly lower than that among men.   The discrepancy in literacy rate between men and women is even greater in developing countries.   More than half of out-of-school children are girls and that among illiterate adults, two-thirds are comprised by women.   These gender-based illiteracy reports show that females have less access to educational resources which in turn results in a lower rate of participation in training programs. Such decrease in education restrains females in their full understanding and awareness of their legal rights, including the right to be employed and to own real estate properties.   The access of females to education through attendance in school is also affected by circumstances of early pregnancy, childrearing and domestic family responsibilities.   The lack or insufficiency of knowledge on reproductive health among women due to poor access to educational resources further hampers the living conditions of women.   It is well-known that education is strongly correlated with employment options and financial stability, hence women are at a disadvantage with regards to availing such opportunities. 2.   Due to the increasing diverse population in our society, it is imperative for mental health practitioners to increase their cultural awareness and cultural competence in the process of psychotherapy.   A culturally competent therapist is one who has moved from ignorance to being educated with his/her own cultural heritage and to respecting differences.   In addition, he/she is cognizant of how his/her values and biases affect minority clients. A culturally competent therapist must acquire specific knowledge related to the history of cultural standards and lifestyles about the minority group with which he/she is working.   It is also important to have a thorough knowledge of socio-political factors and how they affect these marginalized groups in relation to the majority culture.   In addition, a culturally competent therapist should understand value assumptions (abnormality and normality) that are fundamental in the major schools of therapy and how they may influence the values of the culturally different. Some major models may limit the abilities of the culturally different client due to the generic characteristics of therapy including language issues; culture bound values and class-bound values. At the skills level, a culturally competent therapist should be able to tap into a wide variety of verbal and nonverbal responses. The focus should be to practice with a multitude of response modalities rather than relying on narrow set of skills in therapy. The application of psychology is largely a product of individualistic cultures and may be questionable when applied to collectivist cultures.   Individualistic and collectivist cultures are exact opposites on a continuum of how people interact with others and the collectivist values may often clash with the individualistic values inherent in the counseling and psychotherapy process. The psychoanalytic approach emphasizes achieving insight through the discovery of unconscious thoughts, feelings and motivations, which is similar to other ethnic cultural concepts such as striving for self-development through the process of introspection.   Although insight-oriented approach is appealing to most clients of different ethncities, they practice the process of self-examination privately and not revealed to others.   Hence, clinicians should attend to the possible uneasiness of the client while exploring the most intimate thoughts and feelings in their inner world. For example, most Asian clients anticipate quick symptom relief when they actually do seek mental health services.   Rather than mere reliance of free association, the clinician could instill structure in the therapy session by asking questions and giving directions to the client.  Ã‚   This would not only maximize the effectiveness of therapy outcome but also meet the client’s expectations in treatment.   One way of addressing of this problem is for the clinician to educate the client at the onset therapy the nature and rationale of psychoanalytic approach to ease the client into the process. Some of the more commonly complaints made by Asian clients is their impatience in the process of psychoanalytic therapy with the clinician’s pace in addressing the client’s symptoms; focus of the past rather than the present and lack of structure in the session.  Ã‚   Exploration of the client’s life events that are relevant to them such as migration experiences would inadvertently elicit important information such as past memories of childhood and or parental influences.   Clinicians should be aware of other culture’s worldviews and values and the similarities and differences that exist with the host culture. These values and beliefs are inherent in tales, fables and myths in a culture.   For example, hierarchical transference is common in Asian cultures where the client brings the Asian values of filial piety (children’s obligation to care for elderly parents) and respect to authority.   In addition, authority figures are idealized as benevolent in Asian cultures hence the client experiences a positive relationship with the therapist similar to that of a parent and child, in which the client will obey and respect the therapist.   Clinicians can work through this transference by offering a positive interpretation of this type of hierarchical transference as well as respecting the client’s cultural values. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The refusal to work with a homosexual client is an ethical violation because counseling should be provided to any individual regardless of culture, gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity.  Ã‚   The Rehabilitation Act Amendment of 1992 discretely describes that actions of inequitable treatment of minorities or members of an ethnic group or gender have been observed in majority of rehabilitation operations.   Research has indicated that cultural diversity is a common factor that a counselor has to deal with during his routine operations and that positive results have increased when personal information with regards to the patient are disclosed to the counselor prior to treatment or consultation. Disclosure provides ample time for the counselor to prepare himself for the encounter with the patient, together with the patient’s background, including sexual orientation, religious belief, cultural background and ethnicity.   The refusal of a counselor to work with a homosexual client thus is an ethical violation because the counselor restricts himself from providing his services to any individual who requests his service.   Every individual should have an equal opportunity to request and receive services from a counselor and any other healthcare practitioner, regards of the details of his background. For my future counseling practice, I will also employ the self-disclosure strategy in order to accommodate the multicultural setting of my practice.   I think the if I start to self-disclose my information to the client before counseling, the client will feel more relaxed and comfortable to interact with me during counseling sessions because my client will feel that he is not alone in terms of self-disclosure choices. References Crenshaw KW (2000):   Gender-related aspects of race discrimination, background paper for Expert Meeting on Gender and Racial Discrimination, 21-24 Novem-ber 2000, Zagreb, Croatia (EM/GRD/ 2000/WP.1). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2000): Poverty Report 2000: Overcoming Human Poverty.         

Context of Women in the 19th Century Essay

During the reign of Queen Victoria, a woman’s place was in the home, as domesticity and motherhood were considered by society at large to be a sufficient emotional fulfilment for females. These constructs kept women far away from the public sphere in most ways, but during the 19th century charitable missions did begin to extend the female role of service, and Victorian feminism emerged as a potent political force. The transformation of Britain into an industrial nation had profound consequences for the ways in which women were to be idealised in Victorian times. New kinds of work and new kinds of urban living prompted a change in the ways in which appropriate male and female roles were perceived. In particular, the notion of separate spheres – woman in the private sphere of the home and hearth, man in the public sphere of business, politics and sociability – came to influence the choices and experiences of all women, at home, at work, in the streets. As John Burgon pointed out in 1884, â€Å"Women’s strength lies in her essential weakness† (Burstyn 1980: 33), according to him, women are said to be men’s conscience and their strength is pureness in spirit. Inevitably, men’s and women’s tasks are likewise clearly distinguished. A man is expected to earn money, make it available to his wife, mother, daughters and sisters. Women’s tasks on the other hand, are overseeing the education and care of their children, shopping, organizing the household and by providing tranquility in a peaceful and comfortable home. A woman’s work is performed inside the sheltering house: it is spiritual and educational as it consists of teaching good virtues and moral values through her tenderness – the woman is to be the â€Å"moral guardian of society† (Burstyn 1980: 99) A women in the Victorian age who does not have to work is a status symbol for husband and family. The more well-off a family and the greater its economic success are deciding factors in how much leisure a woman can afford. Working middle-class women who had to make their own living came from socially deprived families and were treated with contempt. Excluded from the financial world, women depend completely on men. The denial of women being capable of experiencing passion and of having the natural ability to learn and to be suitable for a higher education leads to a general captivity of women, that many do not realize at all. Grace Pool in ‘Jane Eyre’ hardly ever leaves the attic, and both Adele and Georgiana are only concerned with their beauty and luxury. Helen Burns endures constant submission and takes refuge in religion. Other women, however, revolt against this assumption – not without result. As a women longing for fulfillment, Jane Eyre finds herself in captivity, imposed upon by society. This idea is symbolised through the red-room scene. Faced with her aunt’s degradation and injustice, Jane’s situation is best portrayed in this scene. As an unjust punishment Jane is locked up in a mysterious room and bound with a pair of female garters that symbolise her fate – one that women in Victorian England often face: ignorance, passivity, reserve, submission and stillness. Women are given no space for self opinion or free development of their own personality. â€Å"It’s only on condition of perfect submission and stillness that I shall liberate you,† Aunt Reed warns her (Bronte 2005: 16), but Jane can neither stand submission nor â€Å"endure patiently† (Bronte 2005: 67). Jane’s strong will to fight is symbolised by the â€Å"hot fire† (Bronte 2005: 503) inside her. â€Å"Suffer and be still† (Vicinus 1972) becomes a guiding principle of feminists who revolt and bring into conscience the doctrine of their society. That Jane cannot identify herself with the traditional ideal of women proves her utterance: â€Å"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; [†¦] they suffer [†¦] precisely as men would suffer† (Bronte 2005: 141). While more and more women become conscious of their situation and slowly start to take action, other circumstances accelerate the progress towards equality of men and women in English society when the â€Å"woman question† comes up. To understand the social situation in which ‘Jane Eyre’ is set and why Jane is such an extraordinary and revolutionizing character, one needs to briefly examine how society is constructed at that time.

Anti Trust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti Trust - Essay Example United States of America and State of Michigan V. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan On October 18, 2010, the Attorney General of US and state of Michigan brought civil anti-trust charges against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (Blue Cross). Blue Cross is one of the biggest independent licensees of the Blue Shield Association (Robinson, 2003, p.102). Blue Cross is a non-profit organization that administers and provides health care reimbursements to over 4 million members in Michigan. It was alleged in the charges that Blue Cross used most favoured nation (MFN) clause in contracts with its member hospitals to enforce monopolistic advantages. The Attorney General defended that such MFN status will hurt competition by Reducing capability other health insurers’ to compete with Blue Cross The clause will also help Blue Cross to raises prices beyond fair value It will create an entry barrier for new entrants MFN status of Blue Cross will raise the health insurance prices in Michi gan Hence, from the above summary of charges of anti-trust against Blue Cross by FTC it can be said that Blue Cross’ MFN status with the hospitals of Michigan are likely to influence anti-competitive effects in the market (Tonn, 2011, pp.1-4). Anti-Trust in Health Care The purpose of anti-trust acts is to encourage a free market place which have competitive environment. These laws are aimed to protect public interest and restrict monopoly practices that adversely affect public in society. The main purpose of such anti-trust law is to encourage best possible allocation of scarce resources and services to public at lowest prices (Ladenburg, 2007, pp.33-35). The federal anti-trust law is based on the following three acts that prohibit all restrictive trade practices and conspiracies in contacts or agreements: The Sherman Act – Under Section 1 of the act, the rule applies to all agreements which may include restrictive trade practices, monopoly practices and boycott of oth er firms, conspiracy to fix price, separate market territories, harm competition and use of coercive tactics. The Federal trade Commission Act – Under Section 5 of the act, the law applies to all types of actions that use unfair advantages and methods of competition. The Clayton Act – Under Section 7 of the act, it prohibits any such merger and acquisition that has the potential to create a monopoly in the market or substantially reduce in the market. Recommendations to Management From the above discussion regarding the anti-trust act against Blue Cross and lessons learned, it can be said that Blue Cross obviously had the market power to its advantage via MFN clause in contract which will further influence sale of health insurance products and services in Michigan. Making such a contract is discouraged by FTC under the anti-trust act in health care organizations. This is because, from the charges and rebuttals charged by the Attorney General on Blue Cross, it is clear that contracts including ‘MFN’ (Most Favoured Nation) status will fall under the purview of the act because of its very nature to of creating anti-competitive environment. In addition, it is also important to note that the senior management must ensure contract or agreement regarding the