Swot Analyss

Strengths Comar chemicals is regarded as a leader in the tyre and paint industry. This phenomenon is ascribed to the following strengths: †¢Contracts in place with Goodyear, Continental, Plascon, Bridgestone, Dunlop, and Michelin. †¢Product quality of the highest standard. Automated plant control systems in place, constant in-production quality control tests controlled by chemical director, Vernon Redding. Compliant raw materials with specifications are being utilised. †¢Succession planning in place since the appointment of Stefan as operational manager. This person is ear marked to substitute Vernon Redding, in the event of his departure.Buy and sell agreement entered into by directors, Udo Eric Eichrodt and Dieter Roland. †¢Management team is experienced and highly qualified. †¢Udo Eric Eichrodt: 30 years – BComm Marketing Management †¢Dieter Roland: 29 years – Bcomm Investment Management †¢Vernon Redding: 45 years – PhD Chemi stry †¢Stefan: 12 years – BScHons Chemistry †¢May Rossouw: 24 years – BCommHons (Management Accounting) †¢Nicki de Villiers: 15 years – MComm (Transport Economics) †¢Low staff turnover. The company invests in staff morale as it understands it to be its biggest asset. †¢BEE Status 20% black owned, Vernon Redding, Indian.Promotes business in South Africa and abroad. †¢ISO 9001:2008 Certified (International Organization for Standardization. ) Little trouble has been encountered in the past to comply with minimum standards required by this certification. †¢Unqualified annual audited financial statements. This is testament to good governance practiced. Low gearing, although non-current assets are shown at R4m. Market value of plant and property exceeds R20m. Company is liquid, considering current assets to current liabilities ratio of 4:1. †¢Comar chemicals operates from totally owned premises. European Safety & Reliability Ass ociation (ESRA) certified. Toxic waste is dealt with in a responsible and reliable manner. Contamination of ground is highly unlikely as the company places a high premium on â€Å"going green. † †¢Flexibility and research development ensures ongoing sustainability. †¢Product reliability. Order tracking procedure and commitment of staff ensures a good reputation of the company. †¢Absolute advantage, ability to produce specific product more efficiently than any other nation. Factors of production are relatively cheaper than any other country. †¢Zero tolerance for human error.The company has strict rules and procedures that need to be followed to ensure the mainstay of the business. Disciplinary actions are taken against culprits, which could lead to dismissal. Weaknesses The following weaknesses have been identified: †¢Comar Chemicals is faced with multiple taxes due to the fact that it is a multinational enterprise that runs in various different contri es. Operating in various different countries leads to multiple tax jurisdictions. Multiple tax jurisdictions may lead to the overlapping of taxes and the company may end up with a double taxation. (1) †¢The economic model introduces some weaknesses to the company.There are various factors that affect the economic activity of Comar Chemicals. These include the resource limitations placed on the company’s ability to obtain certain chemicals or the availability of chemicals needed in the factors of production. Environmental or geographical constraints can increase their expenses due to extra transportation costs for raw materials and finished goods. The factory could be situated in an area which is prone to seasonal bad weather (Cape Town). This could slow down the process of moving materials and Comar Chemicals will bear the economic impact of a loss of potential revenue and increased costs.Theirs will also be certain institutional and legal requirements that Comar Chemica ls will have to follow and they will vary in the three different countries that they operate in, South Africa, Switzerland and Germany. Comar Chemicals may have to adhere to different legal levels of Co2 production that they create during their production process and will have to regulate these levels in compliance with the legal levels set by the government. †¢Comar Chemicals has no buy and sell agreement supported by life insurance.A buy and sell agreement is a binding legal document that governs the conditions if a co-owner dies or is otherwise forced to leave the business. The fact that there is no buy and sell agreement supported by life cover means that if owner of the company passes way or is forced to leave the business then all the debt or liabilities incurred by the business will be left to the closest relative of the owner. This could lead to a liquidation of the business if there is no insurance cover. Therefore the business is not completely safe in the case of a p ersonal crisis within the business. 2) †¢Promotion for staff is limited due the low staff turnover that Comar Chemicals has. Comar Chemicals has a total of 38 employees that includes two scientists, one accountant and one logistics manager. This can also be seen as a strength however the fact that there are so few employees, there are few promotions to employees. This can cause employees to become less motivated towards their job and company and in turn this could decrease the total production and the total efficiency of production. †¢Employee empowerment is the act of giving more responsibility to workers in the work place. 3) The empowerment of staff can lead to a weakness within Comar Chemicals due to the fact that firstly, the business has a relatively small number of employees. This can lead to an increase in conflict between the employees as to why one employee has been empowered more than another. This can cause bad interpersonal relationships between employees. Emp owerment can also be a weakness if the wrong employee has been empowered to take on a certain task or manage a project that he or she has not been specifically trained for. This could create problems within the managerial and operational sectors of Comar Chemicals.If empowerment of employees is going to be an on-going activity at Comar Chemicals then it has to be carried out in a way that makes sure that the right employees are being empowered for the right reasons. †¢Comar Chemicals has no key man insurance. This is very similar to the absence of a buy and sells agreement, supported by life cover that was previously mentioned. Key man insurance is an insurance policy that is takes out by the business to compensate for financial losses that would arise from the death or extended incapacity of an important member of the business.Key man insurance can cover many insurable losses that include, losses related to the period when the key person was unable to work and insurance to pro tect profits, insurance to protect shareholders and partnership agreements. Without key man insurance, Comar Chemicals is vulnerable to the chance that something happens to the owner and there is no protection or financial security for the business in the future. (4) Opportunities There are many opportunities for Comar Chemicals to utilise to maximise their business productivity and profitability. There are two types of opportunities, external and internal.External opportunities affect the organisation due to independent factors. Internal opportunities exist within the firm. Opportunities, when realised, can have enormous rewards for the business if the opportunities are exploited correctly. An opportunity is indication of positive potential that can help a business increase its success. Possible sources of business opportunities in most industries and markets include: Potential Business Opportunities Technological innovation New demand Market growth Demographic change Social or lif estyle change Government spending programmesHigher economic growthTrade liberalisation EU enlargement Diversification opportunity Deregulation of the market The opportunities that Comar can use to their advantage are: import quotas, developing markets, revising job descriptions/digressions, improving competitive levels, forward exchange cover, Solar power, life policies, association with universities and joint development with customers. An Import Quota is like a form of protection. It fixes the amount of products a foreign producing firm is allowed to bring into a country over a specific time period, which is usually a year.The objective of an import quota is to limit imports into a country therefore encouraging the use of domestic products and services, as the amount of the good being imported is limited the price of the specific good increases therefore domestic firms benefit. Comar, being situated in South Africa, Switzerland and Germany, can use this as an opportunity by increa sing domestic employment. There will be a larger demand for Comar Chemicals because import quotas will make it more expensive to import these goods from international competitors.This will encourage Comar to employ more citizens that are qualified for the job because of the expanding demand of their product and the need for increased labour and skills in the organisation. Comar is a small business, with 38 employees including two scientists, an accountant and a logistics specialist. Comar is 14 years old, which is relatively young compared to it competitors therefore it can be considered an â€Å"infant industry† which is still developing and is not big enough to compete fairly.Import quotas allow Comar to mature onto a same competitive level as international organisations. South Africa is a developing country and the market for metal carboxylates is expanding with the increase of paint and coatings, printing inks and chemical industry, polyester industry, grease and gear oil s industry and PolyButadiene, Isoperene Butadine and Copolymers industry. With the increase of construction and manufacturing in South Africa, these industries are in higher demand than ever before. Comar can improve their competing levels through product quality.Quality relates to ‘appropriate use': how well a product does what it is intended to do. This can include a compliance of raw materials with specifications, detailed manufacturing and quality control test procedures, in-production tests of final products, introduction of automated plant control systems. These quality control methods leave little room for error, positioning the product on a high level of quality which will lead to a smart modern working environment and a reflection of the quality of the business as a whole.Comar’s leading product is COMCAT, which inclueds a rare earth catalyst which is used in the synthetic rubber industry to manufacture advanced rubber tyres – making tyres softer but mor e durable which in turn lowers the level of CO2 emissions from vehicles. This gives Comar a competitive advantage as their products are also helping the environment and decreasing the level of harm through innovative products, which will draw the attraction of buyers.There can often be discrepancies about the actual responsibilities, tasks and duties of a certain position within the organization; this can be managed by revising job descriptions. There must be an accurate reflection of the true functions and responsibilities for a job description to be effective. A comprehensive job description can be used in management to measure employee performance and employees can use the job description as a guideline to comprehend the expectations of the position. This can lead to improved productivity and ohesiveness within the organization to help realize the organizations objectives and goals. Comar can use the opportunity to become involved with universities to further their research and p rovide university departments with their expertise of the product to evolve students into potential employees of their firm or for that specific industry. For example, Comar could give bursaries to deserved students to pay for their studies in a BSC, specializing in COMCAT (PolyButadiene, Isoperene Butadine and Copolymers industry).They could provide all the necessary tools (research, expertise, information) in order to establish awareness of this specific product and market the need for this specific scientist in this field. Joint development with customers involves a good relationship between the manufacturer and the customer. The manufacturer must be enthusiastic and prepared to open up its daily practices and activities to its customers, this will give the customer the opportunity to carefully scrutinize and evaluate the ways in which the manufacturer operates, during the production process, and the quality of the finished products.An important issue when dealing with joint deve lopment with customers is communication. When there is a healthy line of communication between the manufacturer and the customer, there can be am exchange of ideas between parties leading to effective production and customer satisfaction. Threats Threats are conditions in the business environment that are uncontrollable and have the potential to harm business profitability. One of the most common threats is competitors. There are a number of threats that Comar may face, including: future trends in the specific field, social issues, the economy, funding, demographics and the physical environment.When observing the potential threats that Comar may face, the following needs to be determined: the obstacles Comar may face, competitor’s activity, quality standards and changing technology. Threats can be divided into two categories namely, industry threats, an increase in competition or a decrease in the market size, and macro threats, threats that affect all industries in Comarâ₠¬â„¢s area. Possible sources of business threats include Potential Business Threats New market entrants Change in customer tastes or needs Demographic change Consolidation among buyersNew regulationsEconomic downturn Rise of low cost production abroad Higher input prices New substitute products Competitive price pressure A potential threat Comar may face is the diversity. Diversity is often defined as a positive term for a business, but it also comes with threats that have the potential to ruin productivity. Comar has a diverse workforce, co-workers each have different experiences and perceptions as they have all come from different backgrounds. This could cause cultural clashes which can decrease productivity and cohesiveness of the business as a whole.Comar could also experience divisions in staff members due to the formation of cliques and other groups, this can create competition between employees rather than teamwork, a lack of respect amongst one another and this could lead to costly diversity training to resolve diversity issues within the organisation. Comar has a diverse client base as their company is also situated in Switzerland and Germany. It is therefore crucial for Comar have a bi-lingual customer service, if they do not they will lose a massive amount of clientele as there needs to be effective communication between the two parties in order for the business to be successful.Social issues in the business environment may be a threat to Comar. A social system is a pooling of ideas, attitudes and behaviour which are involved in human relations and interactions. Comar is influenced by its customers attitudes and behaviour, if they are negative relationships within the organisation this could dampen productivity and decrease business profitability and if there are social issues external to the organisation, such as political unrest, could affect consumer behaviour negatively and affect the success of the business.The political; and legal system can a lso pose as a threat to Comar, as business have to follow the specific regulations as set out for them by the government, it creates a set of rules and guidelines that business are expected to adhere by, if a business does not there could be serious consequences that could lead to decreased profitability and even as far as a business being banned. The monetary system facilitates business exchange. Monetary activity has distinct basic functions, namely saving, borrowing, spending and earning, which are all linked to business profitability.Comar has to pay careful attention to all these activities because each of these factors can easily turn into a threat for the business. There are many different parties involved when dealing with money, they are financial institutions, debtors, creditors, customers and suppliers. The interest rate is very important when Comar is dealing with its monetary activities, when an interest rate is high, it increases Comar’s costs and will limit the amount of spending that Comar can participate in.Exchange rates are the value of one nation’s currency in comparison to another. It is very important when determining a business’s effectiveness and whether it will serve as an opportunity or a threat. Comar is a company that does business in South Africa and globally, therefore exchange rates will have an enormous effect on the profitability. When Comar exchanges its products over national borders causing another currency to become involve, fluctuations in exchange rates can lead to profits or losses for Comar.Comar is at an advantage when the rand is relatively strong compared to the currency that the organisation is trading with. When the rand is weak compared to the business it is doing the exchange with, Comar is at a disadvantage as it will be more costly to exchange products across borders. A massive threat that Comar faces is import duty, which is a tax on goods imported into a country. This causes prices to be higher because of the tax cost involved. This cost is passed onto consumers at higher prices, which in turn can lead to consumer dissatisfaction and a loss in clients.Trade restrictions were introduced to restrict importing for many reasons, mainly to protect domestic industries. There are two types of restrictions, tariffs and non-tariffs. Non-tariffs include, methods such as embargo, import quota – which is a limitation on the amount of goods a business is allowed to import, foreign exchange control and currency devaluation. These trade restrictions pose a massive threat to Comar because the organisation is continuously trading over borders and having to deal with trade restrictions, which will inevitably hinder profitability.

Essay on Carolyn Keene

Biography Who is the real Carolyn Keene? The author of the Nancy Drew series and many more wrote under a pen name. Carolyn Keene does not exist. The person behind all the stories was Mildred Wirt Benson. Her life was an inspiring journey and she even made it to the Ohio Woman’s Hall of Fame. Mrs. Benson did not stop writing until she was 96. Mildred Benson's early childhood was much like every other child’s. She was born on March 28, 1905 and grew up in Iowa with her parents. She lived in Ladora, Iowa for most of her life.As a child, Mildred Benson was a tomboy and enjoyed exploring the rural area behind her family’s farm. In addition, Mrs. Benson was well-educated and very intelligent. In elementary school, she showed signs of being adventurous and independent. Even at a young age she published her first piece of writing. At age 14, her story appeared in a fiction magazine â€Å"St. Nicholas. † When she entered high school, Mildred was bright and was able to graduate early. She went straight to college and she graduated with a degree in English and a master’s in Journalism at the University of Iowa.Writing was a big part of Mildred’s life, and she wrote for Stratmeyer during college. Author and reporter, Mildred Benson married Asa A. Wirt, but once Asa Wirt passed away, she married a man named George Benson. In 1936, Mildred gave birth to her daughter Peggy. Mildred wrote books, and also was a reporter who never backed down. However, her life was not always necessarily perfect and she faced hardships in her life. Mildred Benson was able to keep her identity well hidden, but was forced to reveal who Carolyn Keene was in court when someone tried to take credit for the writing.She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1997, but nothing could stop her from writing, even cancer and failing eyesight. When she was not writing, she spent her time as a pilot, amateur archeologist, and adventurer. Eventually, the cancer took over an d Benson passed away at 96. Although Mildred Benson is not alive today, she still stands as an inspiration and role model to many. She wrote over 100 books in her lifetime. Mildred was also the first woman to graduate the University of Iowa with a degree. As Mildred Benson (a. k. a. Carolyn Keene) said about writing, â€Å"I know I’ll miss it more than anything else in my life. †

Recruitment At Richer Sounds Essay

John Clayton is the training and recruitment director within the business. His two key areas are the colleague support or the recruitment/training office. He works closely with the manager of colleague support, Tracey Armstrong. Richer Sounds personal views on Recruitment Richer Sounds always tries to recruit people who have friendly personalities and like to enjoy their work. The company looks for these keys on candidates rather than much of their grades because normally these people normally start to work as a sales person or work in the support department. The promotion policy in Richer Sounds enables efficiently working colleagues to be promoted up in the company rather than recruiting new employees who have no understanding within the business. Richer Sounds only recruit employees if they need someone who has the skills to do particular work such as professional in I.T. How Richer Sounds advertise for new colleagues Within every edition of the in-store catalogue and website they advertise their vacancies, these vacancies are usually for needs of new sales person or need new employees to work in the departments. This generates ongoing application from many interested people. If there are no vacancies at that time then they keep all record of people who applied, for about six months. Colleagues are also able to advice his/hers friends o relatives to work in the company, however these applicants should also follow the same rule of application as all other people. These adverts causes the company to save major amount of money each time because if they would publish it on the newspaper everytime then they would have to pay certain amount to the newspaper company therefore this idea of having to publish on their catalogues and website is good idea. If the company doesn’t receive any phone call from any people regarding the job then finally the company will have to publish it on the newspapers. For specialist employees to recruit the company notifies the vacancy to the employment agency. The recruitment process at richer sounds The recruitment process is shown on the following steps: – Identify any vacancies within the business – Advertise the vacancies – The company the look’s through all the CV’s relevant to that store or department – They schedule for interviews – with appropriate store or department manager. In Richer Sound all managers have completed their Managers Development Course and while doing they also received training on interview, how to interview a candidate. – The applicant which is been successful is been given a trial day to work at richer sounds – If all the interview and trial day is completed and the candidates are successful then the candidates can either send an application form which states that he/she is agreeing to work with richer sounds. – Next all these new candidates have to meet either Jez Avens, John Clayton or Lee Nelson for their final approval – When the company receives the application form, the business then sends these forms for references and as the candidate gets one or more good reference he/she is offered the job. They then write a letter to the candidate, which also includes the statement of terms of employment. – Final step for the company is to send off letters to all candidates given an interview regarding that they have given this job to someone. This is given so the candidates would know if he/she would get the job. The company policy and rules Richer sounds have several policies on recruitment so they do not operate within the law but also operate truthfully. These include – The company’s equal opportunities statement. – The test shouldn’t require high level of English – Richer Sounds never ask a woman about their family

The event which influenced me a lot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The event which influenced me a lot - Essay Example It all started when I look at some of the pictures of that devastating incident on my TV screen first. It all looked terribly bad. Hundreds and thousands of men, women and children live their lives without food, water and shelter. After this impression I tried to keep follow-up of that story. It al happened on the morning of 8th of October and I got first glimpse of that on 12th of October. Since world has been witnessed of so many tragedies in past two years, it awakens my interest in that. At the time of Tsunami, We were al amazed to witness something so huge swept across whole of the population from the face of the earth. This time around it all looked even more tragic. I know that South East Asia is not a very developed part of the world. They have their own set of problems. So I guessed at that time that it would not be very easy for them to get out of all that themselves. I mentioned the tragedy of tsunami. I saw pictures of that on net several times. But as far as my information is concerned I knew it from the newspapers that the effected area of tsunami was al plain fields. One big tidal wave came and destroyed everything in its vicinity. After the water of that tidal wave dried out, it was relatively east to get started with the rebuilding process. It was easy in those areas to transport food, medicines and other supplies as well. Injuries of water were of different type as well. When I made that comparison then I realized that it all looked very bad.I saw pictures of hungry children, people fighting for blankets and tents, rescue workers taking people out of the rubble without proper equipment and accessories, spending their nights under heavy rainfall and in bitter cold. It all took it away from me my sleep and appetite. As I got into thick of the things, I got information that UN reported that more than 4 million people were directly affected, prior to the commencement of winter snowfall in the Himalayan region. It is estimated that damages incurred are well over US$ 5 billion (Rs. 30 billion) Five crossing points were opened on the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan to facilitate the flow of humanitarian and medical aid to the affected region. It was broadcasted from the whole of the media channels that whole towns and cities were completely vanished from the face of earth. According to the officials death toll was around 87,350 and tally of injured people was around 100,000. I heard in reports that winter was approaching very fast in those areas and to keep all those helicopters in operation to provide them with tents and basic necessities they need huge sum of funds.Everyday channels all around the world were giving different web addresses where we all can donate our contribution to that poor people. I tried to gather something out of my own pocket money as my friends and I did at the time of Tsunami as well. I donated directly to Red Cross. I felt helpless. First it was Tsunami, second Katrina and then this massive earthquake. That is all I can do. Not more than that in the kind of conditions where even the best-developed nations felt helpless. I heard rescue workers saying on TV

Research on Occupy Movement Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Occupy Movement - Research Paper Example Almost in every country of the world, inequality is a common issue and except the extreme top level of the system every other person is somehow related to the problem. As the rate of the suffering reached the highest point, the people who are the victims of the system decided to come out of the border and stand together for the same novel cause, and the name of this movement is Occupy Movement. The name itself describes the motto of the movement. The people have come together to protest against the inequality in the economy and the society. The protest is all about the unfairness to the various levels of people in the country or in the world. Discrimination, ignorance, avoidance, and inequality in the power and authority have created the two different categories that are rich and poor. The main reasons behind the protest are the inequality in the income and the ever increasing corruption. The large corporations and banks in Wall Street and the higher political entities who are the 1% of the population are enjoying the wealth of the world and also earning much higher than the rest 99%. Basically, the 99% is compromising in their living standard, their education, their employment and the 1% is relishing the outcome of the compromise. Once the movement has started it should reach a pleasurable and a fruitful end and the outcome of this protest should spread all over the world to erase the inequality forever (Appleby, â€Å"The Wealth Divide†). Thesis Statement Inequality in the system of a country majorly affects the education, employment, culture, and society. The people of the world are not getting enough return on the world economy or revenue in spite of paying adequate taxes to the government and the protestors at last became conscious about the issue and they came to the streets. The movement can either be a pathfinder for the victims of corruption and inequality, where they can join and fight for their rights or it can be neglected by the government a s they have the supreme power which is yet not in the hand of the 99% (University of South Florida, â€Å"Professors Dissect "Occupy Movement"†). Discussion and Argument Almost in every other country in the present world the middle and lower middle class families, groups, students, employees and any other general people are suffering from a common reason, that is inequality in the economy and the society. Being a part of the country and the economy of the country, every people have to pay a certain amount of tax to the government, which depends upon the income of the people. But the major problem is in spite of paying such taxes the people are not being facilitated enough. Most of the world’s wealth and revenue is enjoyed by the higher level of the country who comes under the 1% of the population, and the rest 99% has to suffer for that, by paying donations to the schools for their children, by paying bribe to get a deserved job and by paying extra money to buy a prope rty among others. The government is not being fair to the people as promised (Hertzberg, â€Å"Occupational Hazards†). Every people in the world have certain Human Rights Acts, which support people to have their own say and to stand against the corruption and the unfairness towards them. And the people of the

Paradise Lost vs. Heart of Darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Paradise Lost vs. Heart of Darkness - Essay Example Marlow’s narration about his journey to the Congo in Africa is the central subject of the novel. Marlow is employed as a ferry-boat captain by a Belgian trading company. His job is to carry ivory downriver, but the main task assigned to him is to bring Kurtz back to his society. Kurtz is a rebel who has moved away from his own civilization and settled in deep jungles of Congo. The character of Kurtz is revealed by Marlowe’s narration inducing a mixed feeling of hatred and sympathy for him. In the epic poem, â€Å"Paradise Lost† by John Milton, the poet recounts the events that led to the downfall of mankind. Adam and Eve, the first human beings to be created by God lived in the Garden of Eden. The beauty of the Garden of Eden was so enchanting that it was also called as Paradise. But Satan who was keen to avenge God, lures Eve to consume the forbidden fruit. On the knowledge of Eve’s horrendous act, Adam also eats the fruit for he is not ready to leave Eve alone in her suffering. Adam and Eve are expelled by God from the Garden of Eden as a chastisement for their act of disobedience. The title of the poem refers to the lost purity of Adam and Eve. The two characters that make one to feel sympathetic towards them are Kurtz in the novel, â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and Adam in the poem, â€Å"Paradise Lost†. Kurtz has gained control on the tribes of the jungle and taken over the territory. He has a great influence on the native tribes who worship him. The company is not ready to accept any threat to its own control over the region and assigns Marlowe to bring Kurtz back to his own civilization. Kurtz has settled in jungles as an act of defiance against the cruel ways of the company but he is not able to keep himself away from the temptation of power. He utilizes the natives to conduct brutal incursions in the neighboring regions to procure ivory. Though Kurtz is living amidst the

The Cell Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

The Cell Cycle - Essay Example Meiosis is a form of cell division that results in the formation of haploid gametes. In meiosis I, the homologous chromosomes are separated. The first phase is prophase I where the chromosome condenses and pairs to recombine. The second is metaphase I that involves attachment of chromosomes to the spindle fibers and aligns with the call center. At anaphase I, the chromosomes migrate to opposite poles while spindle fibers shorten. The last phase is telophase I where there is the formation of the nuclear membrane.However, meiosis II involves separation of the chromosomes to form two chromatids. The phases in meiosis II include prophase II, where there is dissolving of the nuclear membrane, condensing of chromosomes and the formation of spindle fibers. In Metaphase II, chromosomes align at the center of attachment of spindle fibers. Anaphase II follows; chromatids migrate to opposite poles while spindle fibers shorten. The last phase is telophase II where there is the formation of the n uclear membrane. Finally, the cytokinesis occurs resulting in the formation of four haploid cells.In prophase I, anaphase I and anaphase II there is crossing over that lead to the formation of four unique chromatids hence increasing genetic variation. Crossing over is vital in the evolution since it brings emergence of species that are more adapted and resistant in the environment. The two-fold cost of sexual reproduction refers to where members must produce both male and female sexes during reproduction.

Violence cannot be properly understood if it is approached as an Essay - 1

Violence cannot be properly understood if it is approached as an evolutionary aspect of human nature'. Discuss - Essay Example It is therefore pretty correct to state that violence is the basis of a number of human-related problems which have come about of age, and that too have lingered on in the longest time. What needs to be understood is the proper role of violence within the midst of human comprehension because it shall make the good and the bad souls within any society get the hang of how things shape up within violent realms. This paper discusses the basis of violence and how it is dealt within an evolutionary aspect of human nature or the lack thereof. It is important that violence is understood exactly in the way it should be done. How violence comes of age here is the fact that its repercussions are varied on the people and it is manifested in a number of different ways. What remains significant is the fact that it is something which is abhorred in essence. The element of hatred with regards to violence is because no one appreciates its incorporation within his/her life. There is immense negativity that comes in the way of violence and quite rightly so. Since the domains of violence are now being seen as elements of extreme disruption, people usually understand the related dictums more than ever. This is because violence brings about destruction and problems for all and sundry, creating a sense of negative upheaval within any society of the world where the aspect of violence is on the rise (Wrangham, 1997). How human beings decipher the notion of violence is understood differently because the people who are close to such levels believe that it is something drastic and could easily destruct the basis of not only their own lives but the ones around them as well. It is indeed an inherent feeling within the people all over the world that violence can ransack their peace, destruct the basis of their tranquility and turn their serene environments into wrath-filled zones. More than anything else, violence is something that is a definitive no-no from all sides and should always be ke pt at a safe distance from the lives of the commoners. Whether or not human beings are intrinsically violent in their regimes is an unsubstantiated feeling. This is because many people are of the view that there are aggressive individuals spread all around them but whether they possess the violent streak in them is something that needs to be understood in the most proper sense. Violence can be a part of an individual’s personality but it might not be a vital facet within his own domains. People are of the view that violence is usually something that creates anarchy within the society, though not in a fast-paced way. It does create anarchy of sorts because it is an element which stirs up emotions and sentiments, all of which are deemed in a negative fashion. The evolution of human beings is such that violence can affect or literally break their basis. It is something that makes them think and thus find out ways which can deal with the foundation of violence in the first place (Ferguson, 2004). There have been critical views regarding the essence of violence creeping into the different societies of the world. It is yet to be established whether or not violence is the root cause of many a problem within the national regimes, and more so in an area to area basis. This is because locals

Marketing In the New Age of Information Technology Essay

Marketing In the New Age of Information Technology - Essay Example The total concept of marketing - branding and promotion, customer segmentation and product positioning has become a totally different ball game in the new technology scenario. As an example of the change, in 2004, six out of the 10 hotel web-site hits came through the use of an online search engine; this makes search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising key to the successful marketing of a hotel (FHRAI). "Increasing occupancy rates and revenue by improving customer experience is the aim of modern hospitality organizations. To achieve these results, hotel managers need to have a deep knowledge of customers' needs, behaviour, and preferences and be aware of the ways in which the services delivered create value for the customers and then stimulate their retention and loyalty" (Minghetti, 2003). Almost every organization is considering customer relationship management (CRM) as the new paradigm in marketing, where the customer, and not the process, is at the heart of the marketing initiative (Grnroos, 1994). However, a more fundamental question that needs to be answered is: to what extent are developments within Information and Communications Technology (ICT) changing how marketing is or can be done This paper attempts to answer this question. T The customer needs the service or product to be provided on time, appropriately and at a fair price; the traditional 4P's (McCarthy, 1978). While information technology is of tremendous use has placed capability in the hands of the marketer it has also given marvelous tools to the customers through which they can evaluate the products available, compare features and price and make a decision that is purely individual and difficult to influence by traditional methods. The first priority, then, obviously is to be on the information grid (Internet) and look for ways to improve customer value through a competitive edge. The market segmentation has thus come down to a 'segment of one' and the emergence of one-to-one marketing strategies (Berry, 1994). But is this all Is it enough to be an effective marketing organization Understanding the customer and the best way to communicate and build profit is at the heart of all marketing efforts. Enhanced customer satisfaction and retention lead to increased customer loyalty, occupancy rates and revenue per available customer (Dub & Renaghan, 1999a, 1999b). "Managing customer value by creating quality and service that customers can see now is considered a critical component of companies' strategic marketing. Customer value is what builds loyalty" (ibid, p. 79). However, most hotels use information technology only for administrative purposes and have not realised the full possibilities for generating customer value (Minghetti, 2003). The effects of ICT on marketing are not only potentially dramatic they can be catastrophic to managers who choose to ignore the new technology. Marketing is increasingly becoming reliant on understanding and knowing about new concepts and skills that have become essential to stay ahead in the modern marketplace - or marketspace! The customer expects to be able to access a virtual audio-visual tour that give them the complete feel of the facility before deciding where to holiday. Face-to-face marketing, using ICT to provide

The importance of accounting information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

The importance of accounting information - Essay Example This research will begin with the definition of accounting as the process of â€Å"identifying, measuring and communicating economic information to permit informed judgments and decisions† by the users of the information. Hence accounting information is very useful to its various users as it helps them to make informed and calculated decisions. All stakeholders of an organization including the shareholders are potential users of accounting information. Following are some of the user of this information: decision makers inside the organization (such as the directors, managers, etc.), employees, shareholders, customers, lenders, shareholders, suppliers, etc. Traditionally anybody who is interested in the activities and performance of an organization is a stakeholder. Accounting information is useful to different users in a different way. Accounting information such as cash inflows, expenses, fixed assets, liabilities, operating profits, can be used by decision makers inside an o rganization to make critical decisions such as future investments, pricing strategies, expansion plans, etc. Employees of an organization can use accounting information to analyze the financial and commercial success of a company and in turn understand the security with respect to the job that the organization promises. Lenders and suppliers can use the information to analyze the financial health of the company before lending loans and materials to the organizations.

The Importance of Character Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Character Essay According to Booker T. Washington, American educator and civil rights activist (1856-1915) â€Å"Character, not circumstance, makes the person† – it is the things you choose to do that shape your personality and develop good character. Your character is the deciding factor of what you choose to do in any circumstance. Character is built throughout a person’s lifetime and often what you learn as a teenager is what is used to lay the foundation of your adult self. Self-control builds character. As human beings, each of us has desires – some of them innocent; others morally wrong. Humans are the only animals who are actually able to make individual choices. Making the right choice is a feature of self-control. You may not always get what you want when you want it but the presence of self-control means you are able to wait patiently. Citizenship is a way for a person to give back to their community. It is important not only for the good of the community, but for the good of the individual. It teaches cooperation and selflessness in that giving back to those who support you is a way to build your own character. Patriotism goes hand in hand with citizenship except that it involves not only the good of the community, but of the nation that we are fortunate enough to live in. The nation must be protected so that the rights of its people are also protected. Being involved with the community and the nation is a great way to keep a teenager involved in worthwhile activities. Honesty is a trait found in those of strong character. At times it is hard to be honest but the development of character means doing the right thing, no matter the cost or pain to yourself. To fully enjoy relationships with others, you must care enough about them to promise nothing less than honesty. Lying is easy; facing the truth and stating it without fear is often the harder, less traveled road to take. The concept of fairness means that you need to treat all people as equals. Give others the benefit of the doubt and assume they are being honest. It shows your own good character to treat others the same as you expect to be treated. Courage is a component of all the aspects of a person’s character. Only with courage can you speak the truth, do what is morally right and live up to your own high expectations of the type of person you should be. There is no one thing that makes a person’s character. Strong character is a mixed bag of admirable traits, any of which can be pulled up and relied upon when necessary. It is character that will see a person through the toughest of times knowing that he is able to rely on his own self-control, honesty, courage and sense of fairness to do what is right, not only for himself but in service of his community, and nation.

Public Opinion Caused by News Media Essay Example for Free

Public Opinion Caused by News Media Essay Public opinion is a sensitive but important issue to consider. Taking into consideration relative literary works, this paper identified and presented that Bush’s war on terrorism policy is the best reason that resulted into the unfortunate negative public opinion towards U. S. Most importantly, this paper justified that it is the power of the media field that ultimately paved the way for anti-American public opinion about the said presidential strategy. War on Terrorism: The Anti-American Public Opinion Caused by News Media Public opinion, especially how people and societies view a particular leader and his policies, is undeniably an important factor of success or failure. Taking into consideration the sentiment of the public is supposed to be an ideal principle and practice for the government and leader of a country. This is because of the reality that public opinion significantly speaks of what and how the people and community think and feel thereby affecting a President’s management of a nation. Coupled however with the compelling nature and impact of mass communication, news media in particular; public opinion expectedly signifies and creates either an acceptance of or opposition to the decisions and policies of a leader. The media component has long been proven to be a vital ground that determined whether a country and its President are positively or negatively perceived by the public. In fact, with the enormous impact of news media, a leader as well as his strategies and judgments are scrutinized by the media and the subsequent news presentation results to either criticism or recognition. It is under such premises and circumstances that the government and his leader must highly regard what the news media can offer and eventually do. This is also under the principle that news media absolutely has the power to affect public opinion. With such influence, it will be empirically valuable for a President to formulate and perform his policies and course of action fundamentally in accordance to what and how news media views a specific event. It is therefore necessary and worthy for a President and his government to consider the established authority of news media to achieve a consenting public opinion otherwise any policy or decision, however good it is, may be opposed and paves the way to the downfall of the administration. Public Opinion, an Overview Prior to digging further into the issue of the significant influence of news media to what and how a leader and his policies are perceived, it is useful to initially learn and understand the nature and relative components of public opinion. In doing so, it is hoped that the true essence of public opinion is known and that the manner how it is shaped by news media is ultimately realized. Public opinion remains to be a relevant element which energizes the political field of one nation. This condition holds true for American politics judging from the persistent nature and indication of public opinion in the lives of American people and most importantly, with their leader and his policies. To be specific, public opinion manifests â€Å"What does the public think? † (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004, p. 3). Public opinion is importantly considered because authorities are required to learn what kinds of ideas, policies and decisions that the public adheres to and uphold. Additionally, the thought and sentiment of the public are valuable factors which leaders regard in order to come up with acceptable, rational and effective undertakings. It is also through getting the public opinion that the government determines what endeavors will be agreed to or supported by the people. Hence, creating and implementing policies that are sure to conform to what people and the society think and feel are the very purposes of public opinion (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004). Glynn and company further presented the three provisions that comprised public opinion. These included public opinion in the light of â€Å"politics, communication, and social process† (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004, p. 4). The authors however signified that of the said three vital terms, it is public opinion in the context of communication that is most significant (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004). They explained that while public opinion shapes the political and societal or cultural frameworks of a country, it is communication which established a difference. This is primarily based from the fact that public opinion is communicated and imparted both to people and societies based on the influence of the media profession. Aside from the generalized mass media and interpersonal communication, it is news media that is directly connected with public opinion. This is basically due to the field’s power to manipulate the minds and feelings of the public (Glynn, Herbst, O’Keefe, Shapiro Lindeman, 2004). â€Å"To See Ourselves as Others See Us† It is through Holsti’s (2008) â€Å"To See Ourselves as Others See Us† that the relationship between public opinion and both the local and international news media environments was analyzed and eventually recognized. A part of the Holsti book offered different several probable explanations and foundations of the nature and effect of public perspective. This is because such causes determined how an anti-American public opinion widely and deeply affected U. S. President George W. Bush and his policies after the country was struck by tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (Holsti, 2008). As an offshoot of dreadful 9/11 terror assaults, the public opinion towards President Bush as well as his decisions and policies was attributed to several reasons. These included, but not limited to, the war on terrorism specifically against the country of Iraq. This issue relatively resulted into the reported violations supposedly committed by the administration against people’s basic rights such as the alleged use of too much force by American military. In the book, Holsti eventually noted that the presented explanations aggravated the anti-American public opinion. This is supposedly because the international news media influenced the public opinion thereby made the Bush policies and decisions unpopular especially those related with 9/11 (Holsti, 2008). If analyzed on a personal perspective, it is the war on terrorism particularly which targeted Iraq as â€Å"axis of evil† that made the most sense. From the variety of reasons that explained the breadth and depth of the anti-American public opinion resulting from the September 11 attacks, the Holsti book realized that it is indeed the war against terrorism specifically on Iraq that rationally described the negative opinion of people about Bush and his policies (Hoslti, 2008). In discussing the why and how the war on terrorism paved the way for the anti-American public opinion, the book relied and became firm on a condition which signified the connection between news media and public opinion. This is also because of the premise that we can only recognize ourselves based on how others view us. Hence, the Holsti book made the public realize that Bush’s policies and decisions concerning the war on terrorism are the ones that affected the reason and manner how Bush and his policies are viewed, first by the news media and eventually by people and the society, (Holsti, 2008). Holsti further stated that while survey and poll supposedly establish the ground of public opinion, such practices do not always and reliably manifest the entire or collective view of the public. This is because a leader such as Bush is more directed by â€Å"the national interest† that, in turn, is influenced by the structure of both the local and international news media. Such condition, in fact, signified a chain reaction and the link between public opinion and news media. Hence, the anti-American public opinion is shaped by how the news media presented the Bush’s policies specifically concerning its administration’s war on terrorism (Holsti, 2008). News Media’s View on War on Terrorism Caused Negative Public Opinion The title of this section appropriately described and logically explained the significant connection between the media and public opinion. Centered on the issue of war on terrorism, such link specifically proved and paid particular attention to the power or influence of international news media. This is basically based from the reality that the manner how media presented to the public the said policy created a significant effect on Bush and his policies. This particular principle was what Entman (2004) clearly and effectively exemplified in the book â€Å"Projections of Power: Framing News, Public Opinion and U. S. Foreign Policy. † In carrying-out and eventually recognizing the reality and harmful impact of news media on public opinion, the author discussed how Bush’s decision and policies towards engaging in war against terrorism was unfortunately taken against his administration (Entman, 2004). In the first part of the book, Entman initially presented the surrounding circumstances of the post September 11 terrorist attacks in the U. S. Relatively, the news media initially presented that such factors necessitated the undertaking of the war on terrorism policy. In fact, the book showed how such presidential strategy was tremendously approved and even supported by the public. This is because during its initial stage and precisely because the world is still fresh from the glaring outcome of 9/11, the public appreciated and realized the need for Bush and the country as well as even the worldwide community to embark on such daring policy (Entman, 2004). Noticeably, news media initially presented that it was only proper for Bush and his war on terrorism policy to be executed. Entman cited CBS news anchor Dan Rather who, after Bush made the said policy, offered to put on his combat uniform and said â€Å"George Bush is the president, he makes the decisions, and, you know, as just one American, he wants me to line up, just tell me where† (Entman, 2004, p. 1). Entman added that such kind of statement and other relative remarks symbolized the â€Å"patriotic fervor† manifested by the media as an aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and based from the intense speech of Bush (Entman, 2004). However, it is not all the time that the Bush administration got an ally in the person of Rather. Entman noted that this is because of the link between the content and purpose of a news media report and what the White House really required the media to present. Relatively, such connection or should it rather be said as conflict worsened the relationship between a free and impartial press and the Bush government that is bent to retaliate against terrorists under the leadership of Saddam Hussein while at the same time maintain a supposedly consenting public opinion (Entman, 2004). As the author further explained, a supposedly ideal affiliation between Bush’s war on terrorism policy and news media reporting does not exist in reality. This is because of the fact that the two entities treat each other in a remote way and definitely not in accordance with what is expected. As Entman specifically said: â€Å"†¦in practice, the relationship between governing elites and news organizations is less distant and more cooperative than the ideal envisions, especially in foreign affairs† (Entman, 2004, p. 2). Thus it was worthy to note that an originally ideal and useful leadership strategy, such as the principle and practice of engaging into war against terrorism by the Bush administration, unfortunately marred the President’s relationship with the media and negatively affected the public opinion towards him. Such condition also resulted from the premise that the field of media was restricted with the contents and purposes of its reporting in order for the government to maintain a cordial yet in reality, a cruel foreign approach resulting from the damages of 9/11 (Entman, 2004). Most importantly, it was the objective but painful presentations made by the international news media environment that inevitably resulted into an anti-American public opinion, criticisms against Bush war on terrorism in particular. When analyzed however, it is likely that the media side is more justified in its efforts and objectives in presenting the nature and effects of the government’s war on terrorism specifically against Iraq and Hussein. This is precisely because of the innate quality of the media to provide the public with fair and accurate reporting (Entman, 2004). The author further justified that despite the tragedies created by 9/11, it did not alter the expectedly conventional nature and standard of the media profession. As such, Entman maintained that: The attacks of September 11, 2001, may have â€Å"changed everything,† as a cliche’ of the time had it, but at least on first impression, one thing it did not change was the news media’s traditional promotion of patriotic rallies around presidents when America appears under attack. Reflecting the surge of outrage and nationalist fervor, the news made little room for any but official, government-sanctioned interpretations. Even the mildest dissent was immediately condemned. It would be unrealistic to expect much else in light of the stunning, unprecedented, and heinous nature of the violence. (p. 2) Ultimately, the Entman book imparted that the projection of power made by Bush and his war on terrorism policy, in the light of the 9/11 terrorists’ attacks, framed the way how news media adhered to uphold its natural reporting principles. In doing so however, it required the field to expose the glaring cruel objectives and implications of the said policy. By bravely, explicitly and objectively presenting the American war on terrorism, first against Iraq and Hussein and eventually with other terrorist-laden countries; the minds and sentiments of the people were opened and, unfortunately for the part of Bush and the entire nation, it resulted into an anti-American public opinion (Entman, 2004). Media Reports on Bush Policy Led to Anti-American Public Opinion At the onset, the power and eventual influence of media concerning how people think and feel was already presented. In the book â€Å"Framing Terrorism: The News Media, The Government and the Public, such premise or argument was emphasized by Norris, Kern and Just (2003). Beyond the supposed rational and righteous nature and objectives of the war on terrorism policy by the Bush administration, it is the instinctive and ethical attitude of the international news media community that prevailed (Norris, Kern Just, 2003). In particular, the authors maintained the position that it is the rightful obligation of the news media profession to provide the public with just and correct reporting. Regardless of the own authority of the government, the media is expected to present to people what are actually happening even if such conditions put the government in bad light. Hence, in the course of the mandate of the news media to report the nation’s engagement into war in Iraq and other â€Å"terrorists† nations, the human rights violations reportedly committed by American soldiers were exposed. While after the 9/11 attacks, the public opinion was collectively geared in favor of the government and its planned policies, the aftermath of such undertakings created bad impressions among people and eventually resulted into an opposing American public opinion (Norris, Kern Just, 2003). This condition is where the role and involvement of the news media field were highlighted. The authors made a clear position that in shaping the nature, circumstances and effects of terrorism, the news media industry definitely has a significant function in the manner how the government policy is criticized or accepted by the people. Ultimately, due to the undeniable violations and hostilities brought about by the said Bush war on terrorism policy, the news media played an important part in shaping the general perspective that eventually led to an anti-American public opinion (Norris, Kern Just, 2003). Conclusion It is now clear that the war on terrorism policy by the American government explained the extent and intensity of the negative public opinion. Beyond this however, it is the undisputable influence of news media that was identified as the best reason for the said opposing public perspective towards U. S and its president. Such condition is a sad but true occurrence that ultimately affected people’s view on Bush and his leadership style. References Entman, R. M. (2004). Projections of Power: Framing News, Public Opinion and U. S. Foreign Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Glynn, C. J. , Herbst, S. , O’Keefe, G. J. , Shapiro, R. Y. , Lindeman M. (2004). Public Opinion. Boulder, CO: West view. Holsti, O. R. (2008). To See Ourselves as Others See Us. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Norris, P. , Kern, M. Just, M. R (2003). Framing Terrorism: The News Media, The Government and the Public. New York: Routledge.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Effective Budget Control

Advantages and Disadvantages of Effective Budget Control This paper will look at what is required of an effective budgetary control mechanism and try to assess the advantages and disadvantages of using a system imposed from above, or externally, over a decentralized system controlled by lower level management as task level. Using an empirical case study from the international banking sector, it will be shown that too much managerial autonomy can lead to disaster not just for the manager concerned but also for the whole organization. In contrast the role of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in imposing nation-state loan budgets will be critiqued to highlight the potential flaws of centralizing and dominating budget control management. Effective budgetary controlHenderson (2003) notes that regardless of the situation or workplace, in order to be effective it is crucial that budgetary control systems: Account for money received and spent Make sure that the organizations financial policies are adhered to Ensure that money is not wasted Assist managers to run, and develop, services or departments These controls have developed from the need to account for large sums of money but are equally applicable to any budgetary situation. However, from a managerial perspective they have often been criticised for being insensitive and restrictive at the lower levels of management. As the number of stakeholders increases so does the need to be fully accountable and therefore more controls are also needed. This is particularly noticeable in the public sector National Health Service. Here lower level management are extremely subservient to imposed and tight budgeting restrictions from a distantly senior level. This is arguably a result of the need to satisfy a multitude of stakeholder interests and a concern that empowering lower management with the autonomy to control their own budgets would fail to include the number of interested parties from politicians to doctors and patients. With organisations as complex as the NHS whether public or private sector – It is safer and easier to p lan and control from above using imposed budget control methods. Politically imposed budgeting is preferably because senior managers, directors, or institutions who set the budgets are arguably best placed to recognise the wider implications of budgeting decisions but, according to Marginson (1999), financially imposed budget controls make sense too. Financial losses, which can occur for such damaging reasons as incompetence, error, negligence or fraud, are most likely to be minimised, or avoided altogether, by well constructed control systems. Imposed budgets benefit from the experience, acquired knowledge and full backing of senior management. They arguably encourage a sense of confidence in lower level management to do their job whilst reducing the massive levels of stress that come with having to create and manage your own budget. Another advantage of imposed budgeting is that it encourages regular monitoring, reporting, progress reports and ultimately improvements in the budgetary system. This enables problems to be uncovered and dealt with quickly and efficiently. Henderson (2003) states that it is advantageous to review arrangements occasionally. Even if procedures within your work area operate well, you should ensure that the budgetary responsibilities of staff at all levels are clear and understood by everyone. It would be unfortunate if problems arise because people do not know the extent or limit of their responsibilities (p33). Autonomous managers are arguably less likely to self-review their processes if they are deemed to be working well. Whereas senior management may be able to employ the use of an external or dedicated process-auditing team, lower level management are unlikely to have the resources or inclination to do the same especially if a process is deemed to be largely successful and given that any negative results will reflect directly and negatively on their managerial budgeting ability. There are further problems with lower level management dictating their own budget. As a budget manager, you are in charge of producing an annual cash flow forecast detailing accurately all of your income and expenditures. Budget managers are also expected to collect a range of information throughout each year, both financial and non-financial, to supplement their cash flow predictions and help better manage their finances. Finally they are then expected to critically compare the planned figures and the actual revenues and expenditures that occurred and act to ensure that the inflows and outflows of cash are within budget limits. In short, managers who are given control over their own budgets are required to be financially adept. Often, even if the manager is financially confident, proof of budgetary ability will only be learned from success or failure by which time it may be too late to rectify any problems. Marginson (1999) suggests that the concept of self-managing a budget at all levels through an organization is essentially flawed. If a manager has responsibility for a budget they he argues should not be expected to regulate and monitor is on their own. Ideally a system would be in place to bring any relevant or potentially important information to the managers attention. The flaw of any budgeting system that encourages managerial autonomy is that, eventually, in the case of poor performance a reporting system will eventually alert senior management to the crisis. Inevitably, senior manage will then try to rectify the situation costing time, resources and money. This often lengthy process would almost certainly be entirely avoided if senior management imposed budgetary control measures tightly from the top. A potential hazard in using imposed budgetary controls Imposing financial authority from the top-down may be one method of ensuring that the commands of senior management (or external bodies such a the Government) are carried out but this strict system of financial control is not necessarily the most productive method of financial management. The most commonly cited problem with a top-down method of strict budgetary control is the message that it permeates down the hierarchy. This invariably is translated as a lack of trust in the ability of lower-level and middle-management from those above them. As Benston (1963) explains: Decentralization contributes to effective motivation. The firm’s accounting system that facilitates decentralization hence has an indirect but important impact on motivation. The direct use of accounting reports, such as budgets, for motivation can result in reduced performance, if the budget is imposed on the department manager. (p347) The financial advantages of imposing budgetary control – such as less risk of money being wasted, tighter adherence to company financial polity etc are potentially offset by the negative effects on motivation (and therefore productivity and profitability) such a gesture could make.According to Petrova (2004), autonomy and motivation are commonly considered to be extremely closely associated to one another. Given the value of a motivated workforce, the use of imposed budgets could be limiting the success of the business as well as its employees. Case Study:  Too much managerial autonomy – Nick Leeson and banking crises Over the last two decades crises the banking worldwide and the subsequent global financial instability they have invariably caused have occurred with alarming regularity and always at a huge, often crippling, cost. According to estimates by the International Monetary Fund, more than a dozen banking crises in the past 15 years have cost the countries afflicted 10% or more of their gross domestic product (Economist, 2003). Although the majority of banking collapses seem to occur in the less developed and therefore poorer nations of the world, rich countries are also susceptible, as Japan demonstrated before the world in the 1990s. The blame is frequently – and correctly – laid on macroeconomic policy: an unsustainable exchange rate has no doubt often exacerbated problems but it is poor budgetary control that has been at the root of the majority of banking crises in recent times.. It is not just the banks who are to blame for this. Imposed budgets do not necessarily have to come from within the organisation. Bank regulators, too, should have done, and should do, more to help avoid these crises. The Basel Accord is the main external control that is used to protect the financial safety of banks. The Accord established a set of international rules that limit banks exposure to risk by requiring that their capital must at least equal a minimum proportion of their assets (Economist, 2003). This proportion is weighted by a calculated risk based on the circumstances of each individual bank. The Basel Accord is effectively the banking industries version of imposed budgeting. The external regulator oversees the business of the banks to ensure that they do not assume too much autonomy. (Economist, 2003) The case of Nick Leeson and the collapse of Barings Banks provides a hugely unlikely yet extremely note-worthy case to act as a warning of what can happen to companies that do not impose strict financial controls on their management. As Van der Stede (2000) warns, this is especially pertinent for companies concerned with achieving tangible results as they are more likely to have managers with a stronger focus on business matters that affect the short-term results (p609) and are therefore more likely to take poorly calculated risks with company money. In the Leeson case the bank were found to be guilty of allowing an unprecedented degree of managerial influence in the trading budget. This eventually allowed just a single employee Leeson to accumulate debts of over  £1.3 billion and bankrupt one of the worlds oldest banks. In a fatal mistake, the bank allowed Leeson to remain Chief Trader while being responsible for settling his trades, a job that is usually split. This had made it much simpler for him to hide his losses. (BBC, 2002). If any case highlights the dangers of allowing managers unbridled participation in budgetary control, the Lesson case is it. Problems with imposed budgets a global political perspective. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund control the flow of finances and effectively national budgets in every country across the globe. Their role is to promote stable growth in a bid to increase the wealth of citizens across the globe. However, as recently as April 2005, hundreds of members of parliaments around the world are calling on these two institutions lenders of billions of dollars every year, – to renege many of the numerous conditions they impose on borrowing countries in order to secure their loans. These conditions, they say, are eroding national sovereignty and impeding long-term economic planning necessary to achieve positive and sustained growth. Instead, global politicians, most vocally from the less developing countries who are the primary victims of the current restrictive loan scheme, are calling for the World Bank and IMF to let local legislators have the final say in domestic economic policies. Typical IMF conditions imposed on lending nations include devaluation of local currencies, deregulation of state-owned industry, tight public spending caps, liberalisation of trade and exchange controls, withdrawal of subsidies, and more protections for the private sector and multinational companies (Mekay, 2005). Beyond this critics argue that both institutions have been guilty of providing inaccurate and detrimental economic advice that has only helped to compound the economic rigidities created by the loans causing delayed debt relief, increased poverty and undermined democracy, prompting demonstrations and street protests in many countries (Mekay, 2005). According to the petition, in 2003, the former Soviet state of Georgia’s budget deficit exceeded its IMF-set limit. The Fund then asked Georgia to revise its budget for that year, but the parliament refused to pass it. Rather than accepting this decision, the IMF allowed its lending programme with Georgia to expire in retaliation. This led to threats from the World Bank that it, too, would pull the plug on existing projects. (Mekay, 2005) The IMF and World Bank reflect a system of imposed budgeting that is arguably more detrimental than it is effective. Imposed budgets must be careful to provide some degree of flexibility and maneuverability if they are not to cause resentment and productivity problems. This is particularly the case if budgets are being set and imposed from external sources. On a local or company scale there are further problems with the use of imposed budgeting in trying to link financial failures with those responsible for them. It is important to be able to link levels of activity, the consumption of resources and the achievement of targets with the managers primarily responsible for making decisions about these issues (Henderson, p33). If budgets are imposed from above, it is potentially difficult to identify the source of budgetary failure. If managers are autonomous, any budgetary failure is attributed directly to them. This arguably generates stricter budgetary discipline, responsibility and better management. Unless you have the authority to control financial resources, you cannot effectively manage the services for which you are responsible (Henderson, p23). Conclusion Henderson (2003) argued that successful budgetary control resulted in; being able to account for money received and spent, making sure that the organisations financial policies are adhered to, ensuring that money is not wasted, and assisted managers to run, and develop, services or departments. There is no single correct way of managing budgets but from the evidence presented above it is arguable that imposing a set of budget controls is a more effective method of safeguarding company finances. Certainly this method guarantees that company polices are adhered to and money is accounted and, if employees and managers are motivated, imposed budgets do not necessarily detract from department development or cause money to be wasted. It is the assumption that motivation is sapped by reducing autonomy that is the major criticism of imposed budgeting but this is little proof that this is the case. Petrova (2004) writes in her article on motivation and autonomy that motivated employees may gain more from autonomy but autonomy in itself is not a guaranteed method of increasing employee motivation. In addition, Petrova concludes that the likely benefits for increasing autonomy for already motivated employees are unlikely to be returned in financial gains but rather in changes in leadership styles and organizational structure. Given that the foremost concern of budgeting is to secure the financial future of the company, rejecting imposed budgeting on account of its effect on organizational structure and leadership style arguably inappropriate. Bibliography Mekey, E (2005); MPs demand more budgetary control from IMF and World Bank; Finance Customwire, Public Agenda/All Africa Global Media Economist (2003); Guiding the pack; Vol 368, Issue 8334 Henderson, Prof. E (2003); Budgeting Part Two; Nurse Management Vol 10, Issue 2, p32-37 Van der Stede, W (2000); The relationship between two consequences of budgetary controls: budgetary slack creation and managerial short-term orientation; Accounting, Organisation Society; Vol 25, Issue 8, p609-623 Marginson, D.E.W (1999); Beyond the budgetary control system: towards a two-tiered process of management control; Management Accounting Research; Vol 10, Issue 3, p203-231 Benston, G.J (1963); Accounting Review; Vol 38, Issue 2; p347-354 Petrova, K (2004); Does Motivation trigger Autonomy, or Vice-Versa?; Econometrics of Labour Demand; VXXXVIII International Conference Applied Econometrics Association; www.aea.fed-eco.org 10/05/05 BBC News Website (2002); Nick Leeson and Barings Bank; Crimewatch Case Closed; www.bbe.co.uk/crime – 10/05/05

Climate Change Essay -- Environment Environmental

Climate Change Introduction What is the oceans role in climate? The oceans play a vital and pivotal role in the distribution of life sustaining water throughout our planet. 86% of the evaporation that occurs on earth is over the oceans. The oceans are the planets largest reservoir of water transferring huge amounts of water around the hydrological cycle. In fact the oceans â€Å"dominate the hydrological cycle, for they contain 97% of the global water inventory† . The hydrological cycle can be disrupted by changes in ocean circulation that play such an important role on evaporation and precipitation. When the ocean circulation system changes it can change how much heat and rainfall is distributed around the world. Changes on a global scale can ultimately lead to flooding and long term drought in various regions. The big questions are can we monitor the oceans circulation and watch for climate changes? Can we predict what might happen if the ocean circulation changed dramatically? We have experienced majo r climate changes in the past; can we look for evidence of ocean change during these periods? The Conveyor Belt The global ocean circulation system is called the thermohaline circulation. Often called the ‘conveyor belt’ courtesy of Wallace Broecker who in an article for Natural History in 1987 had an artist draw a simplified version of the thermohaline circulation and called it the conveyor belt. Wallace Broecker is the Newberry Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. He has taught at Columbia since 1959, and his research interests include paleoclimatology, ocean chemistry, isotope dating and environmental science. He conducts much of his research in Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth O... ...’s for past as well as future. Computer models are limited partly due to the limits of current technology and the fact that there are so many factors to analyse. Some scientists believe we require a more detailed study of the sub-grid-scale processes in the ocean and others say we need to establish the oceanic equivalent of our MET office. It is fair to say that considerably more research and investment is required if we are to learn more about the fine balance of the atmosphere and the oceans. Global climate changes have had a devastating effect on societies in the past. Rapid climate change in Britain could grind the infrastructure to a halt and effect the economy drastically. Ecosystems, economies and societies adapt better to gradual change and our ability to predict what the consequences are of global warming or changes in the oceanic currents is very important.

performance enhancing drugs :: essays research papers

I’m pretty sure you all have engaged in some sort of athletic competition that could be classified as a sport. If you can say that you have, most of you could not keep up with some of the more naturally athletically gifted people you were competing with or against.. If you are sitting there remembering that feeling of being inadequate, thinking back when your parents told you all that mattered is that you tried your best, was a huge crock. No matter how hard you tried you failed, you felt like the scum of the earth, and everyone was laughing at you. You let everyone down, if this has ever happened to you. You are not alone you share the same feelings of many amateur and professional athletes who feel that the only way to reach their goals, to be in the limelight, to make the winning score, they need that edge. The edge that puts them ahead of the rest, to be on a level that most can only dream of achieving. The edge some athletes use is steroids. There are many types of stero ids. To many to name, so they are talked about in groups. These groups are as follows: Stimulants, Narcotic Analgesics, Cannabinoids, Anabolic Agents, Peptide Hormones, Beta-2 Agonists, Masking Agents, and Clucocorticosteroids The most commonly used is called Anabolic steroids. A anabolic steroid is a chemical similar to the male hormone testosterone. Steroids are taken by pill, or injection. They enter the bloodstream they are distributed to organs and muscle all over the body. After reaching the organs the steroids surround individual cells in the organ, and then pass through the cell membranes to enter the cytoplasm of the cells Once in the cytoplasm, the steroids bind to specific receptors and then enter the nucleus of the cells. The steroid-receptor complex is then able to alter the functioning of the genetic material and stimulate the production of new proteins. It is these proteins that carry out the effects of the steroids. The types of proteins and the effects vary dependin g on the specific organ involved. Steroids are able to alter the functioning of many organs, including the liver, kidneys, heart, and brain. They can also have a profound effect on reproductive organs and hormones. Steroids were first experimented with in the 1860 by Brown-Sequard, although he did not know what he was using.

Computer Multimedia :: essays research papers

Computer Multimedia Computers have come a long way very fast since there start in the 1940's. In the beginning they were mainly used for keeping financial records by banks and insurance companies, and for mathematical computations by engineers and the U.S. Military. However, exciting new applications have developed rapidly in the last few years. Two of these areas is Computer Graphics and sound. Computer graphics is the ability of the computer to display, store and transmit visual information in the form of pictures. Currently there are two main uses for this new ability. One is in the creation of Movies and the other in Computer Games. Computer visual information is also increasingly being used in other computer applications, such as photographic storage, and the Internet. Computers can also store, transmit and play back sound. When a picture or a sound is stored on a computer it said to be digitized. There are two main ways of digitizing a picture. One is by vector graphics. Here the information in the picture is stored as mathematical equations. Engineering drawing applications such as CAD (computer assisted device) use this method. The other method is by bit mapped graphics. Here the computer actually keeps track of every point in the picture and its description. Paint programs use this technique. Drawing programs are usually vector mapped programs and paint programs are usually bit mapped. Computer sound is handled in two different ways. The sound can be described digitally and stored as an image (wave format) of the actual sound or it can be translated in to what is called midi format. This is chiefly for music. In a piano, for instance, the information for what key to hit, for how long ad at what intensity is stored and retrieved. This is kind of like the way and old player piano worked. Computer graphic applications in the beginning were developed on large computes. The computer hardware and software were developed by individuals and groups working independently. These projects were very expensive and carried on by large companies and investment groups. Applications which only a few years ago would have cost millions of dollars, can now be run on a desk top computer with programs costing under $100. It is the purpose of this paper to research and examine several areas of computer multimedia by using a typical application programs in that related area. These areas are: Paint Programs - Photo Finish -Zsoft 3d Rendering Programs - 3d f/x - Asymetrix Animation Programs - Video Artist - Reveal Morphing Programs - Video Artist - Reveal Sound Recording Programs - MCS music rack - Logitech Midi Recording Programs - Midisoft recording Session - Logitech

Mahogany Production vs Sugar Production Essay

When sugar became the major crop produced my plantation owners in the 18th century, many slaves were needed to produce the commodity. It was a labourious and strenuous job due to the conditions. African slaves were imported to the Caribbean from the western coast of Africa. Some slaves though didn’t all work on the sugar plantation; some were exported to countries such as Honduras. In the paragraphs to follow, the differences between the slave labour and the way of life of slaves on the mahogany plantation as opposed to that of those on the sugar plantation will be explored. A negative outlook on the production of mahogany to that of sugar was the distance of the forests where the mahogany was located to the dwellings of the slaves. The trees were huge and grew singly throughout the forest, often many miles from a river. The slaves would have to leave their dwellings and family for many months while working on the mahogany plantations. This meant that the slaves wouldn’t see their family for many months at a time. On the other hand slaves on the sugar plantation worked on the same land as their dwellings and families and were able to always be in contact with their family. In addition to the previous point mentioned, a positive outlook of mahogany production to sugar production was that the relationship between Europeans and slaves was far better on the mahogany plantation. The machete –carrying slaves on the mahogany plantation were allowed to roam the jungle with perhaps the only European present being the captain. There was sometimes a close bond between the owner and his slaves because unlike the planters who lived in England, mahogany trader’s only home was Honduras. The closer bond between the master and slave lead some slaves being freed when they aged or saving up money to buy their freedom. This was definitely not the case on the sugar plantation where planters lived in England and those who lived on the plantation only interacted with the domestic slaves. They also lived on hills away from the slave dwellings where they were able to supervise but not be near to them. Secondly, another positive outlook in the comparison between mahogany productions to sugar production was that mahogany production provided a very distinct division of labour amongst the slaves. On the mahogany plantations the men cut the wood while the women tended to the crops. The men had jobs such as huntsmen who searched for wood who were almost invaluable to the captains, axmen who chopped down the trees and cattlemen who drove and fed animals which transported the trees. On the other hand, on sugar plantations, both women and men did strenuous work in the fields in the scorching hot sun throughout the days and there was little to no divide to what work women did as opposed to men especially after it became illegal to import slaves from West Africa. To conclude we can almost accept the fact that when comparing slave life and labour on mahogany plantations and sugar plantations, the life of those on the mahogany plantations had it easier. Although there were some negatives such as the distance from family and their homes and the long periods of time spent away from family, the positives outweigh the impact of the negative.

Architect Peter Behrens

The purpose of this analysis is to identify, define, and explain. It is a three part analysis that also has an Introduction and a Conclusion. The first section discusses the â€Å"Historical Background of the Architect†, Peter Behrens. Behrens was born in Germany where he made a significant contribution to the industry field. He brought the styles of Expressionistic, Industrial Classicism, Jugendstil, and International Modern Style to his masterpieces. In fact, these styles are explained in section two which is the â€Å"Critical Analysis†.Behrens’ buildings, Behrens House, A. E. G. High Tension Factory, I. G. Farben Offices, and New Ways are assigned particular styles based upon the way they were designed and the year in which they were built. The final section is the â€Å"Building Analysis†. Additional details are given for the Behrens House. These details are in terms of technicality, criticism, and building for the times. Based upon the findings of th is information, a Conclusion is drawn. Historical Background of the Architect Peter Behrens was originally from Hamburg, Germany. He was born in 1868.Behrens first profession was as a painter. However, graphic and applied arts appealed to Behrens more. Thus, he re-channeled his energy to those areas and steered away from painting. In 1899, an invitation to attend the Artists’ Colony in Darmstadt enabled Behrens to establish a leadership role there. Yet, he would not stay put for long. Behrens next venture was in Dusseldorf where he was employed as the Director of the Kunstgewerkeschule. It was an interim position that sparked Behrens’s interest in adding a unique geometric abstraction to his work (â€Å"Peter Behrens?† 2007). The 1890s was the time period when Behrens was located in Munich where he was employed as a painter and graphic artist. It is also when Behrens gained membership into the Jugendstil movement. However, it was not until 1893 that Behrens beca me one of the co-founders of the Munich Secession. Additionally, â€Å"He produced woodcuts, colored (sic) illustrations, designs for book bindings and crafts objects entirely shaped by the Jugendstil formal language† (â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens† n.d. ). Artists and architects such as Augst Endell, Bernhard Pankok, Bruno Paul, Hermann Obrist, and Richard Vereinigte united forces with Behrens in 1897 to find â€Å"†¦the Vereinigth Werkstatten fur Kunst und Handwerk in Munich to produce handmade utilitarian objects† (â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens† n. d. ). These contributions to society were just as the word utilitarian means: functional, practical, and down-to-earth. Consequently, Behrens displayed humbleness in his work as well.This side may also have been evident when Behrens joined forces in 1898 to design â€Å"Pan†, a Berlin journal as well as when he fashioned the first of his furniture designs (â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens† n. d. ). At the same time that Behrens was creating unique architecture that stirred up a lot of talk and criticism, he was knee-deep in leadership roles. For example, â€Å"In 1899 Peter Behrens was appointed by Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt to the Mathildenhohe artists’ colony the Grand Duke had just established in Darmstadt† (â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens† n. d. ).Naturally, having a position of such this caliber bestowed upon him by such a high prestige, this meant that Peter Behrens had earned respect, in addition to this honor, in the eyes of the Grand Duke. This could have been the reason why Behrens felt it time to build his own home. â€Å"Designed as a total work of art, â€Å"Haus Behrens† caused quite a stir; Behrens himself designed the architecture and the interior with all its appointments and furnishings down to the last detail† (â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens† n. d. ). Accordingly, Behrens was able to implemen t the Expressionistic style into his home.Perhaps this inner-creativeness is what caused the AEG to become interested in Behrens. The time between 1907 and 1914 led Behrens’ life to Berlin where he became an artistic advisor to the AEG. It was during this period in his professional career that Behrens became known as the person who â€Å"†¦created the world’s first corporate image† (â€Å"Peter Behrens? † 2007, par. 2). Remarkably, Behrens’ work with the AEG was when he displayed a keen interest for designing architectural pieces that utilized the form and material found in the industry field.Moreover, Behrens’ work helped pave a path for others to follow. Therefore, he â€Å"†¦can be considered a key figure in the transition from Jugendstil to Industrial Classicism. ’ ‘He [indeed] played a central role in the evolution of German Modernism’† (â€Å"Peter Behrens? † 2007, par. 3). During the time fr ame between 1922 and 1936, Behrens was headmaster to the Vienna Akademie der Bildenden Kunste which is an architecture department where he also taught (â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens† n. d. ). As a result, Behrens was able to play a significant part in the way Germans (and people, in general) perceive architecture.Furthermore, Behrens â€Å"†¦designed china, glass objects and patterned imoleum flooring for various companies. ’ ‘One of his last commissions, in 1938, was to plan a new AEG headquarters in Berlin’† (â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens† n. d. ). This was, of course, all accomplished before Peter â€Å"†¦died in Berlin in 1940† (â€Å"Peter Behrens? † 2007, par. 4). Fortunately, Behrens was able to put many of his ideas into his architecture. In addition, he was able to demonstrate a high level of skill and technicality in his work. Critical Analysis One of Behrens’ first works was the Behrens House.It was designed in 1901 and is located in Darmstadt, Germany. The house is known for its fine dining rooms and music appeal. Its outline is one of the normal formats â€Å"†¦for a small burgeois house†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Behrens House† 2007, par. 1). However, â€Å"†¦its internal and external expression was unusual, particularly for its combination of features drawn from the English Arts and Crafts movement†¦with elements such as the high-pitched roof drawn from the German Vernacular† (â€Å"Behrens House† 2007, par. 1). In this sense, the word vernacular gives a strong indication that the German culture was evident in Behrens’ works.Vernacular is just another term for the word language. Thus, the Behrens House is characteristic of the Expressionistic style (explained later) as well as of Industrial Classicism which is basically an ideology in which human beings and machines can coexist. In this case, the word â€Å"machine† refers to bu ildings. Another of Behrens’ works is â€Å"A. E. G. High Tension Factory† (2007). The building was designed in 1910 and is located in Berlin, Germany. It is an industrial plant made of glass and iron. When Behrens created the building, he was able to incorporate a very unique and different look to it.â€Å"Behrens achieved a plastic effect and a dynamic form of construction of the trusses, which were pulled towards the outside, as well as through the tapering iron trusses and the glass areas which were drawn towards the inside† (â€Å"A. E. G. High Tension Factory† 2007, par. 1). This look aroused many other architects and caused them to criticize Behrens. In fact, â€Å"Luduig Hilberseimer wrote: ‘Peter Behrens is led astray by the imperialistic power consciousness of the prewar years and restrained by classical influences, and he thinks to add a facade to his turbine hall of the AEG at Moabit, an otherwise terse structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"A .E. G. High Tension Factory† 2007, par. 1). However, Behrens’ work really demonstrated Expressionistic, Jugendstil, and Industrial Classicism styles. Yet, it was also represented of the International Modern Style. Did knowing these things stop others from criticizing Behrens’ works? No. Another architect also had strong words to say about Behrens. In fact, â€Å"†¦Erich Mendelsohn criticized the building [A. E. G. High Tension Factory}; ‘He pastes over the expression of tension, which the hall creates, with the rigidity of a repeatedly broken temple tympanon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"A. E. G.High Tension Factory† 2007, par. 1). However, this meant the work was characteristic of the Expressionistic style. This style was â€Å"A movement in the arts during the early part of the 20th century that emphasized subjective expression of the artist’s inner expressions† (â€Å"Peter Behrens? † 2007). Of course, the expressionistic style o ccurred around the World War I era. Perhaps the strains of the war created a stir within the architects’ souls because Behrens was not the only artist to take up this style; other German architects did as well (â€Å"Peter Behrens? † 2007).Consequently, maybe that is why some architects saw the beauty in Behrens’ masterpiece. â€Å"Le Corbusier†¦admired the structure as being a charged center, which represents the integral architectonic creations of our time—rooms with admirable moderation and cleanness, with magnificent machines, which set solemn and impressive accents, as the center of attraction† (â€Å"A. E. G. High Tension Factory† 2007, par. 1). This means that Behrens’ architecture was both Jugendstil and Industrial Classicism. Jugendstil is a cross between Art Nouveau and other unique styles (â€Å"Jugendstil† 2007).Art Nouveau is defined as â€Å"†¦a new form, an original artistic and decorative movement ins pired by the idea of ‘total art’† (â€Å"Introduction to Art Nouveau† 2007, par. 4). Behrens also put Jugendstil and Industrial Classicism styles into his offices. The I. G. Farben Offices were designed between 1920 and 1925. In fact, these buildings are located in Frankfurt, Germany. Behrens used brick masonry as the construction system for these commercial offices. He followed the Dutch Expressionist Modern style as well.This type of architecture was symbolic of both â€Å"†¦the theatrical play of light†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as well as â€Å"†¦the systematic use of slanting rafters which serve to disrupt the overall rectilinearity† (â€Å"I. G. Farben Offices† 2007, par. 1). Consequently, this building was reminiscent of the Expressionistic style as well. Again, in this style the artist puts his heart into his work. One of Behrens’ later masterpieces was New Ways. â€Å"In 1926 Peter Behrens designed ‘New Ways’, a pri vate dwelling in Northampton, which is regarded as an early example of the International Modern style† (â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens† n.d. ). Carpenter (n. d. ) indicated, â€Å"Need and demand inspires Art. ’ ‘International Modern Style buildings appeared in the early post war in the form of many large industrial sized buildings’† (par. 1). During the years following the war, hospitals were needed for the injured and other buildings were needed to house soldiers after they were released from the hospital and before they could go home. Of course, this is mandatory when dealing with any war. However, back in the 1900s when World War I was occurring, people were not familiar with so many injuries.Thus, architects that were able to design establishments that would benefit the war contributed greatly to their countries. In fact, the German language was present in Behrens’ Behrens House, as indicated in previous sections. Building Analysis The Behrens House is unique in nature. It was built to become Peter Behrens habitat, where he could display his ideas into his work in detail. Moreover, the house was where Behrens thought of some of his greatest ideas. In fact, it was discussed at the Wikipedia website that, â€Å"†¦Behrens built his own house and fully conceived everything inside the house (furniture, towels, paintings, pottery, etc. ).’ ‘The building of this house is considered to be the turning point in his life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Peter Behrens: Biography? † 2007). It was the time period when Behrens went to the Expressionistic style and re-directed many of the thoughts he put into his architecture from the Jugendstil style. During this period, Behrens also steered away from the Munich artistic circles for which he had grown acquainted. Behrens became temperate and rigorous in his style of designs (â€Å"Peter Behrens: Biography? † 2007). This was evident in the Behrens House. In fact, the construction system was made of brick and stucco facade, with a wood interior (â€Å"Behrens House† 2007).Thus, this gave the impression that Behrens had been serious when he built this home. It could have been the strain of involvement with so many different things or the toil that war can bring to even citizens of the war, whatever the case, Behrens House was amongst the first designs that took Peter Behrens in a totally different direction. This would be the Art Noueau style (â€Å"Behrens House† 2007). Of course, this style brings the total package of art designs to the home. So, what are the technicalities behind this design? Well, architecture itself is a technicality.Egan (1998) wrote, â€Å"In terms of architecture, before we decide how to build, we must decide what to build, and why† (par. 4). Peter Behrens decided that he wanted to construct a home and then he built Behrens House to be his home. At the same time, Behrens knew his safe-hav en would be the building ground for many of his ideas. This factor relates to Egan’s (1998) discussion in the fact that Egan said, â€Å"†¦the most challenging questions in architecture are not answered through laws of physics or engineering; they are questions of culture and psychology† (par. 4).Behrens became Expressionistic around the time of World War I. Since the details in his architecture were somber, one could say that Behrens had seen some horrors of the war that had found a place in his heart and came out in his designs. Even so, Behrens still portrayed the fact he was a German by having the German culture displayed in his work. This answers the question of culture. Psychology is answered by the fact that Behrens went from Jugendstil to an Expressionistic style of design. Do these attributes imply that technicalities existed in Behrens design? Yes. However, Egan (1998) mentioned,†¦the essence of architecture is not construction; instead it is the de sign of spaces for humans. It includes spaces for humans, for their activities, for their treasures, and for their aspirations. Architecture uses the physical world of construction to shape, order, structure, articulate, and embody our spaces and our beliefs. (par. 4) This statement, in itself, gives way to the fact that Industrial Classicism existed. Industrial Classicism was considered to be the style that connected man with machine. Thus, Behrens tied himself with his architecture by building his own home and then working out of it.What type of mentality did this suggest of Behrens? It could be noted that Behrens had a Cognitive pragmatics mentality. Tirassa (1999) pointed out, â€Å"Cognitive pragmatics is concerned with the mental process involved with intentional communication, that is, with the characteristics of the mind/brain that allow individuals belonging to the human (and possibly to other) species to intentionally communicate with each other† (1). If this is the case, then Behrens was able to communicate his thoughts and aspirations with the design of his home in 1901. Architecture does not rely on oral communication.Therefore, Behrens was able to effectively communicate his design style, which everyone did not approve of. In order to fully understand what this means, the assumptions behind cognitive pragmatics must be given. Tirassa (1999) wrote, â€Å"The first is that communication is best viewed as one form of social activity and that a theory of communication belongs therefore to the study of action and social action rather than of language or of the transmission of information. The second is that communication involves some form of active cooperation between participants. (1-2)In architecture, this may not be entirely true. For example, Behrens’ critics picked up on his rigid style by viewing his buildings and so did those who enjoyed Behrens’ work. Therefore, on social interaction had to take place for this to occur. Additinally, not everyone was in agreement that the Behrens House was one of the best pieces of architecture of that time. However, the design had people talking. Unfortunately, not all the communication was good—as criticism was evident amongst some of the discussions (discussed earlier). So, was Behrens House a building for the times?Yes and no. It is because Behrens designed the home to last. Not only that, Behrens House received a lot of talk and during a time when war rages, opening up some form of communication is better than keeping it all bottled in until it explodes on its own. The main reason is because when/if that tension explodes in a negative manner, no telling what type of additional problems it will cause. Behrens House was also a building of its time because it allowed Behrens to express himself in such a manner, that he helped others go on to achieve great things.This was evident due to the contributions of architectural teachings and creations of utilitaria n objects that Behrens brought to the world. On the other hand, Behrens design may not be the best building for all times. In the presence of war and ever-increasing technological advancements, Behrens House may not have been practical living quarters for a family on the move. In these times, houses can be built in a matter of days and those with a high degree of difficulty can be built in one week (as seen on ABC’s, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition). Yet, back in those days, houses could be quickly assembled as well.An article about snail-like homes surfaced around 1943. It indicated that buildings, called Ratio Structures had been created and the buildings were being tested in The Bronx. The article also pointed out that these buildings were, Built on small concrete piers†¦[and] is unique having its framework, like a snail’s, on the outside. The Structure is composed of two practically independent parts: 1) an arch-shaped roof made of insulated panels and supporte d by posts; 2) rooms, formed of demountable inner & outer panels (sic) which can be shuffled around at will under the roof.Thus the structure has no weight-carrying walls. (â€Å"Houses Like Snails† 1943). Consequently, these buildings were good for housing the injured and supporting the war. In fact, it was written that the â€Å"Large unites could be changed to meet the requirements of homes, hospitals, recreation centers, storage, schools, etc. † (â€Å"Houses Like Snails† 1943). These factors, alone, make Ratio Structures both durable and convenient for today’s times as well. Moreover, this statement is relative to current war issues. This is because the article also mentioned,Under (sic) wartime restrictions the panels are made of celotex and wallboard. But they could be made of any material. Having no weight-carrying walls, the Wiener-Sert system uses only 50% of the structural lumber and 80% of the metal permitted by WFB. (â€Å"Houses Like Snails † 1943) What do all these things suggest about Behrens and his art? More than meets the eye. Conclusion Peter Behrens was able to listen to his heart and design the desires therein. That speaks volumes of the man. Not too many architectures, let alone, people are willing to do something new.Many professionals and individuals, in general, are more concerned with what others might do, think, or say than they are with being different. Of course, World War I had a lot to do with the fact that Behrens changed the way he designed from the Jugendstil style to the Expressionistic style. Yet, what should be noted is that those were not the only two design styles of the architect. Behrens also created works that displayed the style of Industrial Classicism and International Modern Style as well. Therefore, Behrens House should be considered as groundwork to other masterpieces in his time.References â€Å"A. E. G. High Tension Factory. † Great Buildings. com. 2007. Kevin Matthews and Artifice, Inc. 17 May 2007 â€Å"Behrens House. † Great Buildings. com. 2007. Kevin Matthews and Artifice, Inc. 17 May 2007 â€Å"Biography: Peter Behrens. † n. d. 17 May 2007 â€Å"Jugendstil. † Senses Art Nouveau sprl. 2007. 17 May 2007 Carpenter, Steve.International Modern Style. n. d. 17 May 2007 Egan, Christopher K. Ideas in Architecture. 1998. Egan/Martinez Design. 18 May 2007 â€Å"I. G. Farben Offices. † Great Buildings. com. 2007. Kevin Matthews and Artifice, Inc. 17 May 2007 â€Å"Introduction to Art Nouveau. † Senses Art Nouveau sprl. 2007. 17 May 2007 â€Å"Peter Behrens?. † Answers. com. 2007. 17 May 2007 â€Å"Peter Behrens?. † Great Buildings. com. 2007. Kevin Matthews and Artifice, Inc. 17 May 2007 â€Å"Peter Behrens: Biography?. † Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 17 April 2007. Berne Convention. 18 May 2007 Tirassa, M. Communicative competence and the architecture of the mind/brain. 1999. Acade mic Press. 18 May 2007 â€Å"House of Snails. † Time, Inc. 24 May 1943. 18 May 2007