Social Performance of Gap Inc.

Introduction Social responsibility means taking care of the interests of the stakeholders of a company1. The stakeholders of a company are the employees, the customers, the government, the suppliers, shareholders and the public in general.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Performance of Gap Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With the increasing competition, managers of companies are doing their best to ensure that they stay ahead of competition. Social responsibility to all stakeholders has become a great strategy to enhance competitiveness. Gap Inc. has all the classes of stakeholders. The company has 134,000 employees who work in its various departments worldwide2. It has an approximate customer base of 14 million customers who are served from various stores owned by the company. The company appreciates the fact that in order to achieve success, it must incorporate the help of all the stakeholders. The company also understands that the problems they face in the global business arena are too complex and they can be overcome through combined efforts. The major stakeholders to the company are government officials, manufacturing companies, factory managers, human rights groups, environmental groups, trade unions and investors. The stakeholders play an important role in the social responsibility program of the company. Their input in terms of expertise has seen the company go far. Collaboration with the stakeholders has enabled the company to address issue of child labour in Uzbekistan and improve on the supply chain of the company. The company has collaborated with the International Labour Rights Fund (ILRF) to improve on labour relations and standards in global export business3.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gap Inc. has also collaborated with workers united to help improv e on the garment production in Canada and the United States. This has ensured that the workers in the North America have an ample economic environment. Another stakeholder that collaborates with Gap Inc. is Maquilla Solidarity Network (MSN) to improve on the rights of employees4. This collaboration has seen the increasing respect freedom of association of workers among other benefits. The company also offers other benefits to the employees such sick pay, transport and other employee benefits. These are just some examples of responsibility performance of the Gap Inc. Gap Inc. also operates within the legal requirements hence it is responsible to the government. The company complies with the provisions on employment, minimum and maximum wages of employees, employee safety among other provisions. Social Performance with Regard to Employees Positive Aspects The company views its employees as important stakeholders in the organization. There are many positive aspects of employee social r esponsibility by the company. One positive aspect is encouragement of employees to pursue their goals in the organization. The company encourages the employees to â€Å"wear their passion†. Another positive aspect is on the communication to the employees. The management has always encouraged the communication to the employees on the progress of the company and also on their roles and responsibilities. By encouraging the employees and motivating them to take pride in their jobs has created a positive impact to the society. Employees interact with the customers of the company and if the employees are well motivated, the customers will get better services from them. Employees play a central role in creating a positive impact in the society5. Gap Inc. has entered into collaborations with various human rights groups and trade unions. This shows that the company’s social performance with respect to employees is great. The company has reduced child labour in the companyâ€⠄¢s activities through the collaboration with groups such as the International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), As You Sow, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and Environmental Justice Forum among others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Performance of Gap Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By reducing or attempting to eliminate child labour, the company is impacting positively on the society. To start with, the children are rehabilitated and encouraged to attend schools. This gives the children a chance for better lives in the future hence a better society. By employing people who have attained the legal age, the company has set a good precedence to other companies hence the society will reap from this later. Gap Inc. has shown a lot of social responsibility to the employees by following the provisions of the human rights groups and employment law. The company has entered into partnerships with International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), Workers United, Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), Ethical Training Initiative (ETI), Corporate Involvement Program (CIP), and Maquilla Solidarity Network (MSN) among others. This has ensured that the company respects human an employment rights of employees. As a consequence, the company offer attractive salaries to the employees and it strive to reduce occupational hazards. The company also provides insurance to any eventualities which may happen to employees in the course of their duties6. Through providing better services and offering good salaries, the company has contributed positively to the social lives of the people. The company also provides transport facilities to the workers working in various farms such as in Uzbekistan. The lower level employees are also provided with sick pay and sick care where they are paid even when they are on sick leave. With these benefits and incentives, the employees can afford to live comf ortably and take care of their families. By reducing the occupational hazards and providing insurance to the employees, the company ensures that the society is healthy. This is a big positive impact on the society. Negative Aspects Despite the efforts mentioned above, there are negative aspects in responsibility to the employees. One negative aspect is failure to eliminate employment of underage children in the cotton farms in Uzbekistan.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company has only managed to reduce the employment to these underage children but not to eliminate the practice fully. Employment of underage children has impacted negatively on the society. The children do not get a chance to acquire better education and their future is at stake. This is dangerous for the future of the society in general7. Another negative aspect is the fact that the company has partially ignored training and employment development. Very little efforts are directed to this important aspect and this has a negative impact in the society. Employees are trained only on ethical issues but not on work other technical workers. The employees do not stay up to date with the current trends and therefore there is possibility that their services to the company and to the society in general will become obsolete. According to a research conducted by the company on its responsibility to thee employees, 67% of the employees expressed their dissatisfaction with the training prog rams that the company has8. Apart from the good remuneration, the company has ignored other aspects of employee responsibility such as sick pay, provision of food within the work place, organizing of social events and other related benefits. This has a negative effect to the society since it leads to less socialization and a possibility of strained families. These are some aspects that have contributed to poverty and social deprivation of the employees. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that the company has done a lot to enhance employee social responsibility. The company has been striving to create an ample working environment, to remunerate the employees well, provide incentives to the employees and follow general international guidelines in its dealing with employees. This has created a positive impact in the society. However, the company needs to improve on some issues which affect negatively the company’s social responsibility to the employees. The comp any should eliminate employment of minors since this has a negative effect on the society. Additionally, the company should start training facilities for the employees and facilitate growth. This will enable the employees to keep in touch with the recent developments and be able to think rationally. Another issue that the company needs to improve is on provision of social benefits such as vacations, outings, employee team building activities and other activities which enhance the social well being of people9. The opinion of the writer is that the Gap Inc. has achieved a milestone in employee responsibility. When asked about their views about Gap Inc., its 77% of the employees responded that they considered the company to be a great place to work in10. Gap Inc.’s performance with respect to employee responsibility is better compared to that of other companies. This is because of the importance that Gap Inc. attachà © to its employees and other stakeholders in general. The com pany understands that employees are important assets to an organization and they can be used to enhance competitive advantage11. Bibliography Andersen, Erika. Growing great employees: turning ordinary people into extraordinary performers. London: Erika Andersen, 2006. Bourne, Lydia. Stakeholder relationship management: A maturity model for organizational implementation. Burlington: Gower Publishing Ltd, 2009. Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc.,2011. Web. Horrigan, Bryan. Corporate social responsibility in the 21st century: debates, models and practices across government, law and business. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009. Pohl, Manfred and Tolhurst, Nick. Responsible business: How to manage a CSR strategy successfully. London: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Footnotes 1 Bryan, Horrigan. Corporate social responsibility in the 21st century: debates, models and practices across government, law and business. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009. 2 Gap Inc. Social responsi bility. Gap Inc., 2011. 3 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 4 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 5 Erika, Andersen. Growing great employees: turning ordinary people into extraordinary performers. London: Erika Andersen, 2006. 6 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 7 Lydia, Bourne. Stakeholder relationship management: A maturity model for organizational implementation. Burlington: Gower Publishing Ltd, 2009. 8 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 9 Manfred, Pohl and Nick, Tolhurst. Responsible business: How to manage a CSR strategy successfully. London: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. 10 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 11 Bryan, Horrigan. Corporate social responsibility in the 21st century: debates, models and practices across government, law and business. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009. This essay on Social Performance of Gap Inc. was written and submitted by user Preston Nelson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Disabled People in the Workforce Professor Ramos Blog

Disabled People in the Workforce HuffPost Article Summary: In the article, â€Å"Disabled Individuals Bring Innovation to the Workforce† by Jay Ruderman, it discusses the positive effects of disabled people in the workforce. Unfortunately, â€Å"the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is twice the national average† (Ruderman, 2013), which really sucks because disabled have a lot to offer. Where would we be if Beethoven stopped composing music after he became deaf? Or if Roosevelt wasn’t elected to be the President of the United States? Also, because of the difficulties they’ve had to face in their daily routines, â€Å"they know how to think out-of-the-box† (Ruderman, 2013). The U.S. Department of Education has released studies that said â€Å"workers with disabilities are rated consistently as average or above average in performance, quality and quantity of work, flexibility, and attendance† (Ruderman, 2013). There also needs to be more disabled people in the workforce because the disabled population has increased by 25% and they need to make a living somehow. People with disabilities may look different than us, talk different than us, and even perform tasks different than us but just because theyre different doesnt mean that they should be thought of any less than people without disabilities. Discussion Questions: Is there a mostly positive environment for disabled workers? Will a negative environment affect their performance/the willingness to hire them?

Short case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short - Case Study Example This article seeks to explore some of the problematic details in the relationship with specific reference to the value of unions to the Canadian economy. The general thinking behind the establishment of trade unions is the safeguarding of the welfare of workers. In the rush to make profits and enhance their corporate profile, companies may engage in trade practices that contravene their moral obligations to the workers. Proponents of trade unions including United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) work under the philosophy of protecting workers from the excesses of corporate practices (Business Case 8). Comparative evidence, case reviews and situation analyses indicate a gap in trade union activity between the United States and Canada. Unlike Canada, there has been a significant decline among workers in the United States to join trade unions (Bronfenbrenner, 2007). Differences in corporate culture and working practices have been cited a determining factor of the differences between the United States and Canada. Critical questions continue to attend to the question regarding the value of unions in the Canadian economy. Although collective bargaining agreement are meant to secure the interest of workers, past incidences show and precedence shows that companies would not easily cede to the demands by workers, which may lead to dire consequences on the economic front (Segerlund, 2010). Basically, collective bargaining denies the corporate world of the individual initiative and competition within the work force. This is because the workers are conditioned to operate under some common laws, which do not inspire the nurturing and growth of individual enterprise. One case that is easily recalled was the tussle that pitted Walmart and UFCW in 2009. Walmart refused to accept the condition set by the arbitrator and chose to close down its stores. Walmart’s action illustrated a growing resistance by the

Business Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Research - Essay Example This trend of use of celebrities in adverts is not likely to change in the near future. The media have contributed to this obsession through overloading the society with information and demonstrations of celebrities and giving them entertainment. The use of celebrities in adverts accrues benefits not only to the organization but also to the celebrity. Through the use of a celebrity, the consumer feels a positive feeling of association and security. The consumers deem their celebrities as idols, and once they recommend the use of a product, they deem such products as of high quality. Consumers like to be associated with celebrities, and they end up buying such products because they would like to be like the celebrity. In essence, the use of a celebrity makes a product stand out and be recalled by the consumers. The use of a celebrity makes the products or services stand out. Celebrity endorsement has been regarded as a way of getting the brand noticed amidst the high competition in th e market environment. There are huge impacts of the use of celebrities in adverts among consumers through audio visual commercials. ... Relevance of the Research Numerous studies have been carried out to identify the impact of celebrity endorsements on sales and marketing. Nevertheless, there is disagreement and debate on the precise role of celebrity endorsement on customer discernment towards the brand. Customer attitudes form the basis for increased sales and marketing of a product. Some studies note that there is a weak correlation between the two while others state that there is a strong correlation between the two. This research proposal will provide a basis on the acquisition of insights in the field of consumer discernments towards a brand or product and the impact of celebrity endorsements on them to influence sales and marketing. This proposal will structure a systematic review with respect to these associations to offer marketing economists a useful guide on celebrity endorsement. Because this proposal will assist clarify the role of celebrity endorsement in adverts, it will also serve societal and practic al relevance. For organizations, it is particularly significant to identify the positive and negative effects of celebrity endorsement on the discernment of the customer towards the product and brand so purchase decision making and purchasing behavior can be increased. This paper will give insights on the significance of celebrity endorsement through giving reference to an example of celebrity endorsements such as David Beckham by Adidas. An enhanced comprehension of celebrity endorsement unquestionably prompts managers to take on an effective policy by which sufficient customer discernment will be engendered. This will lead to increased customer purchase intents, which will positively affect the

Explain how to establish ground rules with learners to promote respect Essay

Explain how to establish ground rules with learners to promote respect for others - Essay Example Their ultimate goal is to create a conducive learning environment. Success establishment of these rules and group discussions should be considered. Each and every student’s opinion must be reflected and then discussed thoroughly. A list of these rules is finally written down and pinned in the classroom for everyone to refer to (Frei 2007, 55). The teacher should encourage interactive teamwork between the students. These set of rules mainly involves negotiable rules and non-negotiable rules. The teacher usually states non-negotiable rules, but they should not be discriminative. They include observing start and finish time of the lesson, full participation in class and preparedness of the learners. Negotiable rules may include switching off phones or eating in class. After establishment of ground rules, awareness must be created to students on the measures to be taken if they override them. This should be very clear and must be enforced by the agreement and subsequent adherence to the rules. Encouraging group work and teamwork in class highly improves the supportiveness of the student towards each other (Frei 2007, 77). It also establishes mutual respect between the learners and towards the teacher. This directs positive thinking and makes learning interesting which has an overall positive result on the course and education at

Comparative Advantages Of Presidential And Parliamentary Systems Politics Essay

Comparative Advantages Of Presidential And Parliamentary Systems Politics Essay At the birth of every nation is the key structural question, how best to govern ones people and state. This has predominantly been met with two, very differing and opposing answers that of presidentialism and parliamentarism. The variables that determine this choice are inherently entrenched in the political, social and economic history of the state in question. As such one cannot dismiss one particular system on a political or ethnocentric basis, but evaluate it on its applicability and suitability to the state that it presides in, and the impact the innate strengths and flaws of both systems. However given the huge number of political systems to study and the national variations that occur within each state it would be impossible to present a comprehensive comparison of the systems, as such I will focus on two systems in particular, the United Kingdom and the Unites States of America. These can be regarded as the figureheads of their respective systems and the models upon which most other systems are based. The American constitution was created in 1787 with the radical idea that no single branch of the political structure should have precedence over another. As such the concept of separated power was introduced. This involved a significant departure from the traditional forms of government of the colonial states that had controlled and exploited the New World states such as the US itself. The governments of the industrialised imperialists tended to be dominated by the executive. This is another significant factor which encouraged these ex-colonial states to reject the democratically imperfect parliaments of the European imperialists in search of a fairer, more representative system inspired by the ideas of Aristotle  [1]  . Therefore both the executive and legislative is elected separately and therefore have dual democratic legitimacy. Therefore neither body is accountable to the other such as in the British parliament, so there is no danger of one branch holding more power and dominating the other. This ensures a more balanced government and one that more correctly expounds the political will of the public. The fact that there are bicameral and presidential elections makes the system much more representative and democratic then in the UK where only the legislature is elected. It also makes the political institution more flexible to the changing tide of public opinion. For instance if the British public becomes dissatisfied with its Labour government after its election it may have to wait five years before they can vote against them, whereas in the US elections for at least one aspect of government occur every two years, enabling government to better represent the contemporary political desires of its c itizens. This arouses another key component of the presidential model; it has set term times for its officials. For instance the President is in office for four years and can only be removed by being impeached by the congress, a very rare move. This gives the system a stability and removes the uncertainties of the parliamentary system where the threat of both the vote of confidence and anticipated elections always hang over the government. Anticipated elections though inducing a certain amount of uncertainty into the parliament, they also give the government a much greater flexibility then that of its American counterpart, enabling them to alter the political landscape of the parliament to react to the changing moods and reality of the domestic and international environment. New elections may be called before the obligatory five years for a number of reasons, for instance to strengthen a parties ruling majority, to introduce a new government if one cannot be created or becomes unworkable or t o respond to crises such as a huge scandal in government.  [2]   In terms of elections in the Congress the framers ensured that both houses of the bicameral legislative should be elected, in keeping with the founding democratic principles of the American constitution. This leads to a much fairer and representative governing of the people as all aspects of the legislative and presidency are elected by the people. However the relatively high number of elections may go some way to explaining the extremely low voting turn out of the American people, perhaps somewhat apathetic to elections they dismiss as commonplace and thus irrelevant. These dual Presidential and Congressional elections allow the opportunity for both a legislative and government division. If different parties occupy each house or the congress is united against the opposing administration there can be a divided government. This can lead to a deep division within the presidential system if the two sides disagree, it can be very difficult to enact legislation or concur on appointments to the Supreme Court  [3]  , famously described by Rauch under the term of demosclerosis. However, few examples of a unified government since WWII demonstrate that unification does not guarantee efficient, informed, timely and effective public policy  [4]  , as seen under Jimmy Carters administration and due to the individualist based nature of US politics rather then party orientated. In fact the potential delays associated with dual democratic legitimacy ensures that policies are not rushed and are mutual accepted by both the executive and legislature. The third branch of the presidential system is the Supreme Court, yet Schubert has shown that it is only since 1957 has the supreme court began to exert its power over the congress and president by asserting its constitutional right to veto laws it deems unconstitutional. Previously to this the Supreme Court had only struck down Presidents actions fourteen times, failing to maintain an effective separation of power by undermining the system of balance and checks that the US model is based on.  [5]  A more independent and aggressive judiciary helps to ensure that the constitutional rights of the public are preserved and to limit the powers of the executive and legislative. However there still remains the capacity for a combined, presidential, congressional and federal over turning of the Supreme Court ruling so as to ensure the balance of power remains. Though the British parliament encompasses a number of similarities with the US model such as a bicameral legislative and three branched system, it still remains profoundly different in how these institutions are created and distributed. Most importantly only the legislative is democratically legitimate. This means that the executive originates from and is appointed by the legislative. This has a number of critical implications. Without the potential legitimacy conflicts that may occur in America the government can rule much more efficiently and quickly then the grid locked Presidential model. However the executive is prevented from abusing this power by the fact they have no democratic power base and as such, are accountable to the legislative by a vote of confidence. This allows a flexibility in the parliamentary system that America lacks. If the government suffers from ineptitude, an unworkable hung government or national crisis the government can be expelled and new elections call ed. This has only occurred once in Britain in 1979 when the minority government of Labours Callaghan was removed with a vote of no confidence when the government had become hung and ineffective  [6]  . The UK also has an unelected head of state, albeit a de jure power role. Though this is extremely undemocratic when compared to the US system, monarchists argue that the royal family acts as a symbolic vessel for all the heritage and wisdom of the previous generations and is a fundamental institution of the British consciousness. The same can also be said for the lower house of the UKs bicameral legislative. The house of Lords is another unelected part of the parliament, albeit much less influential then the house of parliament. This gives the parliament a stability, in its continuity that the permanently changing congress lacks, even if this is at the expense of democratic inclusiveness. The house of Lords also acts as the highest judiciary court of the parliamentary system. They can repeal government decisions only by legal precedents as the UK has no constitution. This streamlines the political structure and thus reduces the opportunity for inter-branch conflict which would slow down and inhibit the mechanism of governing as demonstrated by the demosclerosis that occurs in the US. However this is an obvious merging of powers and allows room for the abuse of power and conflict of interests, and as such is a serious flaw in the UK system. The traditional form that parliament or legislature takes is that of a majoriatarian, where there is one dominant party with a majority of seats (51 %plus). With Britains tradition of a ministers loyalty to their party and the whip system, they have very disciplined parties compared to America. This allows the party with an absolute majority to pass their legislative quickly and efficiently. Whereas in the US, despite the importance of party labels, member of Congress are independent players who vote not primarily out of party loyalty but to advance their constituency and career interests  [7]  . This means that the fluidic environment of Congress relies on undisciplined parties in order for it to function in a divided government, the existence of a whip system in such a divided government would produce comprehensive grid lock. This is a final example of the inherent indigenous nature of politics, what works in one state may not work in another. This is evident in the wide spread failure of president democracies such as in South Vietnam. Americas attempts during the Cold War to remake the third world in its image have obviously been an over-riding disaster. Both these systems require a number of prerequisites in the nation they are being implemented in. America requires a lack of ideological rigidity, undisciplined parties and locally-orientated politics  [8]  , whereas Britain needs public deference to its political rulers and an allegiance to authority. So despite each systems blatant imperfections they are ideally suited to the two entirely different nations they exist in.

Cda Competency Goal # 1 Essays Examples

Competency Goal #1 To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment. One of the primary concerns in a preschool center based program is establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy learning environment. I will explain how I maintain this with examples in different areas and the goals I feel are important for a child to achieve. Two of the activities that I practice are fire safety and tornado drills. The purpose of fire/tornado drills is to let the children know where and what to do in case of and emergency situation.The most important reason for these drills enforces is to try and to teach the children to be calm and feel safe. We practice the drills monthly. The classroom is another area of significance for safety. The toys are checked daily, the room is clean and clutter free. The child’s personal belongings are put in his or her cubby and marked with their name. All medicines and chemicals are stored in a cabinet and are locked at all times. The room is set u p in a manner that my Para’s and I are able to supervise the children at all times. The telephone numbers of each child’s parents are in a file cabinet located next to the office phone.All emergency numbers are posted next to the office phone. The outdoor play area is checked daily for debris and equipment is in good and stable condition. We practice hygiene habits such as washing hands before and after meals, after the use of the bathroom and after they have their diaper changed. By establishing this habit at a young age, the children will grow-up developing cleanliness and pride in taking care of themselves. I use a private room separate from the classroom when changing diapers and use the Universal Safety precautions as well.The room is clean and tidy. The toys are washed weekly and the diaper area after each change with Clorox wipes and a disinfecting spray. This helps to keep germs from spreading. Good nutrition is essential in young children. Serving well balance d meals by choosing foods from the Food Pyramid (4 basic food groups) is important. All of our meals and snacks are provided through our school meal service and is pre-portioned for each child. I also use nutrition as an overall theme by doing activities like art, stories, and food tasting projects.The children sit at tables and chairs; also use silverware that is size appropriate. Meal time is a learning experience so all the children serve themselves family style. The actual room is set in an organized manner with open stations for the children to see materials and are able to play freely. All of the centers are labeled and books are shelved in an orderly fashion. I have developed a daily schedule and weekly themes to provide stimulation and knowledge. Having the room structured assists me to meet my goals as a lead teacher.

Compare and contrast the poems by Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke

The scale of World War one was enormous resulting in 8556315 deaths across the whole world. It was the largest war in history. The conditions in the trenches was horrific, as all men had lice, were vulnerable to frequent gas attacks and could easily catch diseases such as, trench foot and gangrene. Rats infested the trenches, the men where covered in mud and they didn't have time to regularly wash. The men smoked to relax at night. It's not surprising that the life expectancy of a soldier in the trenches was Wilfred Owen was born on the 18th March 1893 in Owestry, Shropshire. He was educated at the Birkenhead institute and at Shrewsbury Technical School. Owens jobs consist of a lay assistant to the vicar of Dunsden and a pupil teacher. Prior to the outbreak of World War one he worked as a private tutor teaching English. In October 1915 he enlisted in the artists rifles where he trained for seven months. In January 1917 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant with the Manchester regiment. Owen began the war as a optimistic and cheerful man, but soon changed after many traumatic experiences. Owen was diagnosed with shellshock, it was when recovering in Craiglockhart hospital, Owen met Siegfried Sassoon. During a period in Scotland Owen wrote many of his poems. Owen died on November 4th 1918 at the age of twenty-five. In contrast Rupert Brooke, another famous War poet. He was best known for his idealistic, patriotic poetry during World War one, however Brooke never did experience first hand combat. Brooke was born in Rugby on the 3rd August 1887. Brooke was educated at Rugby School, Kings College and university of Cambridge. In 1913 Brooke suffered an emotional breakdown, believed to be because of jealousy and sexual confusion. Brooke was commissioned in the royal navy volunteer division as a sub lieutenant. Brooke developed sepsis from a mosquito bite, whilst travelling with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary force. He died on April 23rd 1915 off the island of Lemnos. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† is a poem by Wilfred Owen, which is said to be his most famous. The poem explains many ideas of war. The poem is about a small group of soldiers limping back from the front line. They're in a bad condition from the fighting they have endured and are in need of some respite. As they return they are attacked by a gas attack. The soldiers struggle in the chaos but successfully put on the gas marks. However in the struggle on man fails and is left behind. The poem tells how Owen becomes haunted by the image of the painful death of the man. The thought never left his mind. The poem gives the reader a full insight into the horror of the war. Another one of Wilfred Owens poems is â€Å"Disabled.† It shows the neglection of soldiers who have come back from war. The poem tells a story of a young man who was good looking and loved the glory on a football pitch. He decided to sign up for the war. His reasons? He got told he would look a God in uniform, to impress his girlfriend and he loved the idea of glory. However, in the war he lost his limbs. On his return to the country he did not get his hero welcome, but instead he was neglected. Even the nurses looking after him avoided him. On the other hand â€Å"The soldier,† one of Rupert Brooke's most famous poems, tries to depict the glory of the war. In contrast to Owens more realistic views of war, Brooke's is far more, noble and glorified. His attitude was to reassure the British and hide them form the actual truth. The poem â€Å"Dulce et Decorum est,† uses similes such as â€Å"bent double like beggars under sacks† this brings the image of the soldiers looking like beggars and almost being crippled under the weight of their bags. Owen uses alliteration throughout the poem, â€Å"knock – kneed.† The use of alliteration describes effectively and quickly the conditions of the soldiers, letting the reader create the image in their mind. The line â€Å"haunting flares,† is one of many powerful descriptions Owen uses. It describes the picture of shells exploding behind the men but having an almost ghostly effect on them. Into the poem Owen uses effective punctuation such as â€Å"Gas! Gas! Quick boys!† This line quickly increases the tempo of the poem and the seriousness. The use of one syllable words with an exclamation mark also makes you experience the adrenaline rush the soldiers would of experienced. AS the tempo of the poem is increased so too is the urgency, this can been seen with words used such as, â€Å"floundering,† â€Å"drowning,† â€Å"fumbling,† and â€Å"stumbling.† Because the words are ending in â€Å"ing† it adds to the sense of urgency and speeds up the poem. Owen likes to involve the reader into his poems, he does this by the use of word â€Å"you.† As Owens views are against patriotism and the glory of battle he involves the reader to show just how bad and horrific the war was, and to experience the pain and death surrounding you like a shell. â€Å"Disabled† by Wilfred Owen also involves the reader and attaches the reader emotionally to the soldier. The first stanza begins with, â€Å"he sat in a wheel chair waiting for dark, and shivered in his ghastly suit o f grey.† This quotation shows a soldier who is disabled but also by the phrase, â€Å"waiting for dark† shows the loneliness of the man and can be seen as he is being forced to stay in his lonely state. The poem fluctuates between present and past and it is clearly seen in the poem the man's present life is dull and depressing, this can be seen with the line â€Å"voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn, voices of play and pleasure after day.† The voices remind him of his lost youth and how the world carries on oblivious to his condition. In the second stanza, Owen goes into the man's past and expresses the liveliness of his old life. The line â€Å"now he will never feel again how slim girls' waists are,† shows he has lost the ability to be a normal man and is tormented by girls' affection. This can be seen clearer in the line † touch him like some queer disease,† this shows the feeling of rejection and torment and how they are now repulsed by him. In the first stanza it is stated he has lost his legs, â€Å"Legless† but the phrase â€Å"before he threw away his knees, â€Å"shows he is held responsible for the loss of his legs and almost mocks him for his carelessness. Before he signed up for the war he felt proud to sustain an injury while playing football, â€Å"one time he liked a blood-smear down his leg.† He loved the glory on a football pitch and celebrated like a hero for a small wound. After one of the football matches the man got drunk, â€Å"drunk as a peg† and decided to sign up for the war. The man's reasons for signing up for the war were, â€Å"someone said he'd look a God in kilts.† The use of the word â€Å"someone† shows that the man was easily persuaded to join the army and by someone of no importance to him. Also he signed up to show his masculinity to impress the ladies and his girlfriend. However his career in the army was short lived and he was â€Å"drafted out.† â€Å"Some cheered him home,† this line shows the man did not get all the praise and glory he signed up for especially after sacrificing his life, and ironically the cheers was bigger for him on a football pitch. This shows Owens strong thoughts against glory and patriotism that a man who sacrificed his life is not shown the praise he deserves and the lack of care for the man after the war. The poem ends with a question to the readers, â€Å"why don't they come?† This question shows the man is desperate for care and need of attention, and is shouting out for the help of the nurses, however it could be seen as the man is waiting for something maybe his death to end his suffering. Rupert Brooke's â€Å"The Soldier† has a completely different view to Wilfred Owens poems. Although both poets deal with the issue of war, Brooke's poems are different from Owens because Brooke believes it is brave, fitting and courageous to die for your country. The poem starts with an arrogant statement â€Å"If I should die only think this of me.† This statement seems to be directed to someone close to him. It is also written in the conditional tense as if he believes he will not die. In the next line Brooke's use of alliteration is shown with â€Å"foreign fields.† This emphasises the word foreign, stressing Brookes feeling of patriotism even if you were to die in a foreign country. In the third line Brooke the word England is introduced for the first time which is somewhat strange because of the patriotism views of Brooke. The word England is then repeated several times in the poem, reinforcing Brooke's intense love of his homeland. In the poem Brooke uses enjambment which gives the poem its measured, calm feel. Repetition is also used to influence the feeling of pride and glory. In the line â€Å"her flowers do love,† Brooke refers to nature as a calming contrast to the war that is taking place. Brooke uses personification when he refers to England as a person, â€Å"her sights her sounds dream happy as her day.† Brooke uses this personification as a way of saying fighting for your country is like repaying all the things England has done for you. The structure of â€Å"Dulce et Decorum est,† is very intreseting as throughout the poem the speed and intensity of the poem is forever changing. â€Å"Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!† This use of monosyllabic words quickens up the poem and the usage of the exclamation marks higher the intensity. The poem opens with â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge.† The heavy use of commas in the opening paints a picture of organised group of soldiers marching back from the front line. The rhyming scheme emphasises the sense of marching by using words such as, â€Å"sludge, trudge,† â€Å"boots, hoots,† and â€Å"blind, behind.† Also the rhyming scheme alternates in groups four. The poem â€Å"Disabled,† has a very unique structure as it includes some of your senses, touch, sound, sight and smell.†Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn.† The use of your senses helps the readers paint a clearer picture of how the man feels and is treated. Also as the poem changes between ten tenses the rhyming scheme is disguised. Rupert Brooke's poem â€Å"The Soldier† is a measured sonnet which has a break of eight and six. The use of the sonnet gives the poem its calm, controlled, measured and reassuring feel. Brooke use of heavy enjambment disguises the rhyming scheme which can be seen as there is no rhythm to the poem. However as the poem is a sonnet it clearly gets Brooke patriotic views across. In conclusion I found the total contrast between the poets very interesting and can clearly understand the message the poems give. I find Wilfred Owens poems more engaging tho because of the true realistic tales he tells.

The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493)

The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493) How was the first voyage of Columbus to the New World undertaken, and what was its legacy? Having convinced the King and Queen of Spain to finance his voyage, Christopher Columbus departed mainland Spain on August 3, 1492. He quickly made port in the Canary Islands for a final restocking and left there on September 6. He was in command of three ships: the Pinta, the Nià ±a, and the Santa Marà ­a. Although Columbus was in overall command, the Pinta was captained by Martà ­n Alonso Pinzà ³n and the Nià ±a by Vicente Yaà ±ez Pinzà ³n. First Landfall: San Salvador On October 12, Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor aboard the Pinta, first sighted land. Columbus himself later claimed that he had seen a sort of light or aura before Triana did, allowing him to keep the reward he had promised to give to  whoever spotted land first. The land turned out to be a small island in the present-day Bahamas. Columbus named the island San Salvador, although he remarked in his journal that the natives referred to it as Guanahani. There is some debate over which island was Columbus’ first stop; most experts believe it to be San Salvador, Samana Cay, Plana Cays or Grand Turk Island. Second Landfall: Cuba Columbus had explored five islands in the modern-day Bahamas before he made it to Cuba. He reached Cuba on October 28, making landfall at Bariay, a harbor near the eastern tip of the island. Thinking he had found China, he sent two men to investigate. They were Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, a converted Jew who spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic in addition to Spanish. Columbus had brought him as an interpreter. The two men failed in their mission to find the Emperor of China  but did visit a native Taà ­no village. There they were the first to observe the smoking of tobacco, a habit which they promptly picked up. Third Landfall: Hispaniola Leaving Cuba, Columbus made landfall on the Island of Hispaniola on December 5. The natives called it Haità ­, but Columbus renamed it La Espaà ±ola, a name which was later changed to Hispaniola when Latin texts were written about the discovery. On December 25, the Santa Marà ­a ran aground and had to be abandoned. Columbus himself took over as captain of the Nià ±a, as the Pinta had become separated from the other two ships. Negotiating with the local chieftain Guacanagari, Columbus arranged to leave 39 of his men behind in a small settlement, named La Navidad. Return to Spain On January 6, the Pinta arrived, and the ships were reunited: they set out for Spain on January 16. The ships arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, on March 4, returning to Spain shortly after that. Historical Importance of Columbus First Voyage In retrospect, it is somewhat surprising that what is today considered one of the most important voyages in history was something of a failure at the time. Columbus had promised to find a new, quicker route to the lucrative Chinese trade markets and he failed miserably. Instead of holds full of Chinese silks and spices, he returned with some trinkets and a few bedraggled natives from Hispaniola. Some 10 more had perished on the voyage. Also, he had lost the largest of the three ships entrusted to him. Columbus actually considered the natives his greatest find. He thought that a new slave trade could make his discoveries lucrative. Columbus was hugely disappointed a few years later when Queen Isabela, after careful thought, decided not to open the New World to slave trading. Columbus never believed that he had found something new. He maintained, to his dying day, that the lands he discovered were indeed part of the known Far East. In spite of the failure of the first expedition to find spices or gold, a much larger second expedition was approved, perhaps in part due to Columbus’ skills as a salesman. Sources Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962 Thomas, Hugh. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. 1st edition, Random House, June 1, 2004.

Sambal Belacan Speech Essays

Sambal Belacan Speech Essays Sambal Belacan Speech Paper Sambal Belacan Speech Paper Good evening to everyone here. Before I begin, let me ask you one simple question. Do you know what sambal belacan is? Yes, I’m sure everybody in here, at least have heard of it. It is one of the famous foods in Malaysia. I’m standing here tonight not to talk about local foods but Mongolian foods. What are orom, tarag and shar tos? Sound bizarre, right? For your information, they are some of the well known and weird Mongolian foods. The cold weather in Mongolian has affected their ways to eat. They also nomad who always move from one place to another. So, they need to take foods that are high in protein, carbohydrate, and fat to fight with the cold climate and for their energy. Therefore, their staple traditional diets are milk and meat. Mongolians also eats cereals, barleys, and natural fruits. The Mongols turned the food high in protein and minerals, but relying less on seasonable vegetables and fruits. What happen if we have to eat Mongolians foods for the rest of our life? Is it healthy? Of course not. If we eat like them, it will bring a lot of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and so on. The milk from sheep, cattle, horses, camels and goats are used in preparing their foods. I would say that they have found creative and ingenious way to use the milk from all the animals. Usually, the method of drying is common in preparing the food from the milk. The dried food is stored for a long winter and spring. Their diets also have a large proportion of animal fat. It is necessary for Mongols to withstands the cold weather about -40 degree Celsius. The common dish is dried cooked mutton without any ingredients called buuz. The tradition of using, producing and preparing are familiar outsides main cities. Some other Mongolian foods are orom (cream that forms on top of boiled milk), aarul (dried curds), airag (fermented milk from female horses), nermel (home made vodka), tarag (sour yogurt), shar tos (melted butter from the curd) and etcetera. The Mongols also treats their visitors warmly. They will try their best to make the visitors happy. A guest that enters a yurt will always be given something to eat. It is rude to reject the offer but not necessary to finish the bowl. As a symbol of support, the foods are passed and receive with the right hand while the left hand touching the right elbow. As a conclusion, the Mongols absolutely have unique diets to fit with their artic climate. However, their diets are not particularly suitable for us and vegetarians because they contain a huge amount of fat. That’s all from me. Thank you very much for listening.

Earthquake's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Earthquake's - Essay Example The plates interact at their boundaries (margins) or edges. There are various types of plate margins which include; diverging, converging and transform faults (kearey, Klepesis and Vine, 2009). Converging plate boundary Converging occurs when two plates travel towards each other. When the plates converge, different types of margins are formed depending on the boundary; the boundary can either be between two continental plates, oceanic plates or either one of each. One type of convergent margin occurs when a continent meets another continent along the convergent line where they crumple upwards and downwards as the lithosphere thickens in a collision zone. Another type of convergent margin takes place when one or both plates are oceanic where by one plate typically slide underneath the other plate sinking into the asthenosphere where water that is released from the wet rocks of the seafloor advances the formation of the magma (kearey, Klepesis and Vine, 2009). Diverging plate boundary Diverge is also known as rifting or spreading centers. Diverging occurs when two plates move apart from each other and can occur in either continental or oceanic crust. When plates diverge from each other a new ocean may form in the widening rift, an example of this is the Red sea. When oceanic crust diverts (splits apart) the result is known as a midocean ridge (kearey, Klepesis and Vine, 2009). Transform faults plate boundary The transform plate boundaries are the locations where plates slide past each other. A crack zone that normally forms a transform plate boundary is well known as a transform fault. The transform faults are mostly common in the ocean floors (ocean basins) where many of them run perpendicularly to the midocean ridges (Kearey, Klepesis and Vine, 2009). Why earthquakes are common along plate margins Earthquakes occur mostly at the plate margins because under the plates there is much friction and the plates are constantly bouncing off each other. The plate’ s margin material is not as sturdy and is found near the molten part. The earthquakes occur normally near the fault lines (this is where the plates are normally separated). In the fault line two plates confine together until much pressure is formed and they are forced to grind away from each other. The lateral fault line happens frequently and within different magnitudes, an example of a lateral fault line is the San Andreas Fault in California. How the earth moves when it quakes and shakes When the earth quakes and shakes sudden movements on the grounds occur. The quakes are mostly provoked by movements along the faults, landslides, bomb blasts and volcanic eruptions. When a quake occurs, the surface of the earth forms into waves that move across; these waves are considered to be pretty spectacular and extremely destructive. During a quake the seismic waves move about in all directions just like the sound waves (Kusky, 2005). Events that cause the earth to quake and shake Earthquak e is the ground shaking that is caused by an abrupt slip on a fault. When pressure in the earth’s outer layer pushes the sides of the faults together causing stress to build up and the rocks to slip all of a sudden discharging energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust causing the shaking that is felt during an earthquake. Earthquake measurements Earthquakes are recorded by seismometers up to great distances as the seismic waves are

Strategic Management of Apple Inc. and Samsung Group Assignment

Strategic Management of Apple Inc. and Samsung Group - Assignment Example Strategic management, as used in most businesses simply refers to the process of identifying and describing the strategies that managers use in achieving better performance and competitive advantages for their business organizations (Jeyarathnam, 2008). A business can be described as having competitive advantages when its profitability at the end of the trading period is higher when compared to average profitability for other businesses in the same industry (Markides, 2008). Strategic management can be described as a set of acts and decisions that managers undertake that results in the firm’s effective performance (Jeyarathnam, 2008). The manager is expected to have a comprehensive analysis and knowledge of the competitive and general business environment in order to arrive at right decisions that enhance the success of the organization. In doing this, managers are supposed to conduct a SWOT analysis of their organizations consistently (David, 2005). From the SWOT analysis, they are able to effectively utilize their strengths for better performance and success, minimize their weaknesses, and exploit the opportunities identified in the business environment (Jeffs, 2008). Additionally, the SWOT analysis helps them to identify their threats, thus establishing better strategies and approaches they can use to remain competitive. From this process, it can be deduced that strategic management, as applied in business organizations, involves much planning about many predictable and unfeasible contingencies (Markides, 2008). The process applies to small, medium and large organizations because even small organizations often face competition just like other businesses (Jeyarathnam, 2008). This paper examines the concept of strategic management as it applies at Apple Inc., and Samsung, which are among the world’s largest renowned companies in the manufacture and sale of consumer electronics. Apple has been a successful company since it's in 1976.