art with twist Essays

art with twist Essays art with twist Essay art with twist Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Mona Lisa’s Salvador Dali Alteration In 1954, Salvador Dali painted the Mona Lisa as a self-portrait. The alternation associated the painter’s facial features to the Original Mona Lisa. For instance, the Salvador Lisa painting exhibits a moustache and no central hair division, uncharacteristic of the original Mona Lisa. Additionally, the soft feminine hands are replaced by callous masculine hands that are not folded but holding many coins. Salvador prefers restricted color shades using only black and white unlike Leonardo’s painting. The eyes in the later painting are conspicuous while disproportional to each other. However, the later painting retains most original details in reference to the burst hair and neck. I choose the paint because of the contrast in emotions it creates to a viewer familiar with the original art piece. Salvador Dali is Spanish in decent and was born in May 1904. He was made to believe by he was the incarnate form of his brother who had died nine months before Salvador’s birth. With his mother’s encouragement, he pursued art in Madrid’s fine art institute earning recognition for his cubanism art style (Bennett 16). He was later expelled on claiming none of the faculty members was competent enough to examine him (Dali? et al. 201). However, he excelled to the extent of having exhibitions with acclaimed artists such as Picasso and Miro. More ever, Salvador’s painting illustrates a level of outrageousness in its distinctive features such as the moustache or hands. The beautiful mystic inherent in the original painting is replaced by disbelief from the hideous stare in Salvador’s painting. An audience of the later painting can deduce a cultural transformation during the period between the two art pieces. Where artists in Leonardo’s era were resp ected beauty freedom and mystic in comparison to Salvador’s era where self-perception and money are of preeminence given the addition of personal facial features with a handful of coins replacing the liberty of Mona Lisa’s hands. Leonardo da Vinci is the artist behind the original Mona Lisa. He exhibited great ingenuity during the renaissance age through his music, physics, paintings and literary works. Born in Italy in 1452, Leonardo acquired informal education in languages, art, and mathematics and related engineering fields while as an apprentice. His Father was a rich and practiced polygamy. He was born out of wedlock to a peasant young girl in Vinci Italy. Leonardo’s recognition in the early ages was mostly through his scientific and industrial inventions. The Mona Lisa was a project he undertook between 1504 and 1519 to paint a smiling woman. The painting is characterized by enigma given the smile and the stare where Leonardo darkens the shade on the lip as well as the eyelids. The painting is arguably Leonardo’s’ most favorite given he kept it until his death (Witteman 20). The enigma in the painting inspired artists such as Walter Pater to express better female mystique via painting. The oil colors where combined and brushed to create a background uncommon at that age complementing the appeal already existing in the smooth neck and burst. Mona Lisa has no sign of overlaying thus indicating Leonardo’s expertise in spite of his habit of leaving paintings unfinished. His paintings like the Mona Lisa demonstrated an integration of knowledge in geology, anatomy and color traits learnt while as an apprentice (Witteman 4). Salvador, replaces the sense of freedom in the original background by painting a grey almost turbulent shade. This can be explained as an attempt to create a satirical twist on the original painting. Work cited Bennett, L. (2005). Salvador Dali. Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library. Dali?, Salvador, and Haakon Chevalier. The Secret Life of Salvador Dali?. New York: Dover Publications, 1993. Print. Galli, Letizia, and Leonardo. Mona Lisa: The Secret of the Smile. New York: Doubleday Book for Young Readers, 1995. Print. Witteman, Barbara. Leonardo Da Vinci. Mankato, Minn: Capstone, 2008. Print.

Blue Ocean Strategy Paper Essays (783 words) - Outerwall, Inc.

Blue Ocean Strategy Paper Essays (783 words) - Outerwall, Inc. Blue Ocean Strategy Paper MKT/421 Blue Ocean Strategy Paper When undertaking a business endeavor individuals and firms alike must determine a strategy. One of the most important strategic dilemmas is whether to use a blue or red ocean strategy when creating new products. Both strategies possess strengths and weaknesses that need careful consideration before launching new products. Description and Importance of Blue Ocean Strategy Growth in any business is often associated with innovation. That is, paving the way in creating a ground breaking product previously unheard of. In many ways innovation can be associated with a blue ocean strategy. Blue oceans denote all the industries not in existence today-the unknown market space, untainted by competition(Kim and Mauborgne, 2004, pg.77). This strategy is especially important not only for the growth within a firm, but also, growth with societies. Innovative ideas, goods, and services are needed in order to generate growth for both societies and economies. One of the most appealing benefits of blue ocean strategy is creation of new industries within untapped market space means that there is no initial competition with little to no barriers to entry. This allows the opportunity for generation of profit at drastic rates. Additionally, rather than exploiting and sharing a portion of demand from competitors, blue ocean strategy creates demand. This allows the firm to capitalize from all of the newly created demand. As with most things, blue ocean strategy also has weaknesses. Although firms do not share portions of customer demand, creating demand within a new industry is challenging. Additionally, because there are no similar products in market there are no accurate indications as to whether the product will result in success or failure. What is important to understand is that while the rewards associated with blue ocean strategy are high, the risks attached are also escalated. Example of Blue Ocean Strategies It is important to understand that blue ocean strategy includes more than giving rise to entirely new industries. In most cases, a blue ocean is created from within a red ocean when a company alters the boundaries of an existing industry(Kim and Mauborgne, 2004, pg.78). An example of a blue ocean move was the introduction of Redbox movie kiosks by Outerwall Inc. Movie rentals within the entertainment industry were not a new concept. However, Redbox revolutionized this industry through placing movie rental kiosks at convenient locations. Rather than driving to movie rental stores and spending large amounts of money to rent newly released movies, customers could drive to the local convenience store and rent movies at a much lower rate. This is an example of a blue ocean move because rather than introducing another substitute version of Blockbuster movie rental stores, Redbox chose a path that altered the existing industry. Altering the manner in which customers can rent movies to more of a self-service option, decreases costs, in turn savings can be transferred to consumers providing an enticing option for movie rentals. Alternative Red Ocean Strategy Redboxs decision to use a red ocean strategy in attempting to enter the crowded market of video streaming with the introduction of Redbox Instant resulted in the exact opposite of the movie rental kiosks. It could be said that just as quickly as Redbox movie kiosks became a desired product and flourished, Redbox Instant failed. Redbox Instant, a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc and Outerwall Inc was operational for approximately one year before the two determined the venture was not as successful as either had hoped (The Huffington Post, 2015). This is an example of a red ocean strategy because the joint venture attempted to tap into a market which already had generated demand. While previously generated demand is one of the strengths associated with using red ocean strategy, the result of this joint venture is prime example of just how dangerous red ocean strategy is when attempting to enter an already crowded market industry. Conclusion The important thing to remember when marketing new products is that products should encapsulate the satisfaction of customer needs(Perreault, Cannon, and McCarthy, 2011). A firm must quickly decide whether to enter into an existing market space or create a new market space. Evaluating the pros and cons of both red and blue ocean strategy will help

Nursing - Use of Herbals Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing - Use of Herbals - Research Paper Example Studies have also shown improvements in the control of quality and evaluation of these compounds. Considering that many herbal compounds do not undergo chemical processing, many people think that they are safe, and have no side effects even when taken beyond measure (Cassileth, Yeung, and Gubili & 2008). They also tend to use these compounds alongside prescribed medicines having the impression that they will improve treatment. Despite their proven values, herbals do not have the perceived safety, and neither do they all improve treatment when used alongside prescribed drugs. One of the emerging issues in modern times is that herbal compounds are not as safe as they are thought to be. In fact, they may be counterproductive when used by patients undergoing certain treatments and those on prescription medications. History of herbal medicine use The use of herbals has a long history dating back about ten thousand years. Some of the longest records of the use of herbal medicines include t hose found in Egypt, India and ancient China. Herbals also have a long history in other indigenous cultures including the Native American and African cultures. With the advent of chemical analysis in the 19th century, scientists started extracting and modifying active ingredients contained in plants and came up with pharmaceuticals. Even with the development of pharmaceuticals, natural remedies to human health still represent a significant portion of the US market, and other parts of the globe. In places like Germany, for example, the sales turnover of one herbal product called silymarin amounts to $180 million annually (Breevort, 1996). This herbal compound is used almost exclusively for treating liver problems. Almost a third of outpatients seeking medical care from liver clinics use this product according to Breevort (1996). Breevort (1996) also explains that marketing of herbals between 1992 and 1996 increased threefold. Studies also reveal that over the last two decades, there has been growth in the level of public dissatisfaction with the prices of prescription medications, coupled with a growing interest in organic or natural remedies in the United States. This essentially has led to an increase in herbal medicines use. How herbals work Unlike doctors practicing conventional medicine, herbalists try to find and deal with the underlying causes of a health problem instead of treating individual symptoms. This is done based on the belief that the use of herbal tonics and tinctures can help the body heal itself by restoring harmony and balance, and activating the life force of the body (Cassileth, Yeung, and Gubili & 2008). Just like naturopathic medicine, it aims at supporting the body’s natural ability to achieve optimal health, and facilitating the innate healing mechanisms of the body. The compounds used for conducting herbal treatments are extracted from roots, barks, berries, seeds, leaves, flowers and petals of plants, and are presented as com plex mixtures of many different compounds. Efficacy and safety of herbal products There are a number of scientific literatures that have documented the safety and efficacy of herbal products including their toxic effects. Many of these reports contradict the popular view asserting that herbals are natural compounds and, therefore, are harmless. A study conducted by the National Poison Information Service during the period 1991-1995 recorded 785Â  cases of confirmed or probable cases of adverse reactions to

Credit Risk Analysis - Application of Logistic Regression Essay

Credit Risk Analysis - Application of Logistic Regression - Essay Example The scales of different variables are set as most of the variables are set as â€Å"nominal†, which however, is not correct. Out of a mix of 20 independent variables, 7 variables are referred as â€Å"scale† variables, 4 variables are labeled as â€Å"ordinal† and the rest of variables are considered as â€Å"nominal†. 2. In applying binary logistic regression, â€Å"Forwards LR† method is used to run the data because this method takes variables one by one in the analysis and in the last step, present the most statistically significant and important variables which are helpful in the analysis. 3. Hosmer and Lemeshow Test, is selected to find out the relationship between the observed values and the expected values. With the help of SPSS, following tables are generated, since â€Å"Forward LR† method is used and due to this method, 11 steps are taken by this method, therefore, in order to maintain the conciseness of the report, the values of al l previous 10 steps have been omitted from the tables. Only values pertaining to step 11 are taken in the analysis. All the tables and their interpretation are presented from next page. Classification Tablea,b Observed Predicted CreditRisk Percentage Correct Bad Good Step 0 CreditRisk Bad 0 300 .0 Good 0 700 100.0 Overall Percentage 70.0 a. Constant is included in the model. b. The cut value is .500 The 2 x 2 table that has been presented above, tallies the incorrect and correct estimations for the constants of null model. Rows represent the actual (observed) value of dependent whereas columns represent the predicted values. The overall percentage is taken as 100%. In a perfect model, the cases will be in the diagonal. If there is heteroscedasticity in logistic model, then for both the rows, the percentage will nearly be same. This phenomenon is not found here, the model is predicting â€Å"Good† cases but any â€Å"Bad† cases are not predicted. While, the overall perc entages are predicted exactly having overall percentage of 70% which is moderately good. It is to be noted by the researcher that the category which is most frequent for all â€Å"Good† cases produces the same and correct percentage of 70%. Variables in the Equation B S.E. Wald df Sig. Exp(B) Step 0 Constant .847 .069 150.762 1 .000 2.333 In the above mentioned SPSS results, for all the independent variables, the coefficients are 0. The findings significantly reveal that in this case, the null hypothesis should be rejected. Omnibus Tests of Model Coefficients Chi-square Df Sig. Step 11 Step 5.276 1 .022 Block 300.781 31 .000 Model 300.781 31 .000 The purpose of chi-square goodness of fit test is to investigate whether the step of judging null hypothesis is justified or not. In this case, the step has been taken from constant-only model to independent model. The step of adding variables or variable in this scenario can be justified if the values are less than 0.05. If the step would be to exclude variables from equations of this model, than it would be justified by taking the cutoff point as greater than 0.10. Since the sig. values are less 0.05, therefore null hypothesis can be rejected and the model is statistically significant. Model Summary Step -2 Log likelihood Cox & Snell R Square Nagelkerke R Square 11 920.948a .260 .368 a.† Estimation terminated at iteration number 5 because parameter

Main idea and themes of Simon Schama's Caravaggio Essay

Main idea and themes of Simon Schama's Caravaggio - Essay Example One of the themes represented is breaching of Renaissance art. Caravaggio went against the rules of Renaissance that is sticking to religious subjects, capturing reality, and depicting mythology in most of their work. He settled for his own style of art; capturing what he saw in real time, and translating it directly onto canvas. The other theme of the video is the use of paintings in the Roman Catholic Church. The [Catholic] church used paintings to seduce people, or â€Å"win souls†. The paintings depicted Christian themes of the Virgin and baby Jesus, and were used to decorate churches. The final theme appearing in the video is the standoff that existed between the Roman Catholic Church and the emerging Protestant Christians. The Protestants were advocating for the destruction of all catholic paintings saying that the Bible is what should guide a Christian, and not paintings. Additionally, the Protestants were attacking the Catholic’s obsession with painting, terming it as idolatry and a misguided

Management and leadership of astrazeneca

Management and leadership of astrazeneca INTRODUCTION Strategic management leadership is the framework of all organizations success. According to my experience of working in AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, it is my understanding that strategies are tactical plans needed by any organization to ensure dynamic achievement of its objectives. Both areas of management leadership are magnanimously benefited by how these strategies are enforced. Hence, the way management is being performed must be conjoined by a leadership that shares similar tenacity in reaching its goals. But these goals may not always be objectified nor the organization geared to the path it is expected to go. This also gives great importance in controlling these strategies to the people who do it. 1.1.1 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT comprises a series of long-term managerial decisions actions in which a firm selects implements strategies. The purpose of these strategies is to build the firms strengths through market positioning /or accumulation of internal resources that will give the firm an advantage over rivals (Parthasarthy, 2007). 1.1.2 STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP refers to the leadership capabilities of strategic managers in conceiving an inspiring vision guiding the firm to its vision. The quality of leadership is assessed by the strategic choices managers make that endow the firm with the competitive advantages it needs for sustained good performance (Parthasarthy, 2007) The way an organization goes through its strategy processes in order to achieve its company mission translates to what management leadership styles are to be implemented. One organization that greatly exemplifies a successful management leadership style that is congruent to its strategies in achieving its objectives is the global company AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT IN ASTRAZENECA PHARMACEUTICALS 1.2.1 COMPANY PROFILE AstraZeneca takes great pride in having an immense range of pharmaceutical products in its pipeline is one of the worlds leading companies in the market. It discovers prescription medicines, both biologics vaccines, develops manufactures them for significant dimensions of healthcare: pain infection, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurology, oncology respiratory. It spends more than $15 million daily on breakthrough medicines. Its head office is located in London, UK but its 3 major research development sites are found in SWEDEN, UK USA. Now, AstraZeneca operates in more than 100 countries worldwide. 1.2.2 LINK BETWEEN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP The success of the organization is reliant on how its strategic management leadership is confederated translating to effective achievement of objectives. Strategic Management is responsible in formulating, executing assessing the effectiveness of these corporate tactics. It follows a global set of guidelines in all its areas of function research development, manufacturing distribution, operations management sales marketing. These are then streamlined to the different corporate levels for execution to meet the organizational performance target for the month, semester fiscal year. The company relies on how effective the strategies are as devised by the management in turn, the management entrusts the companys triumph in the market over competition by how leadership gets the job done on the frontline. 1.2.3 MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP STYLE IN ASTRAZENECA AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals performance is dependent on the level of commitment the employees devote to their individual tasks. The company commences its achievement of objectives from its vision of researching developing the best ethical pharmaceutical products in the market for sales marketing people to promote create demand for. Throughout the process, every other corporate function gets involved in achieving the organizations target sales growth market leadership. Thus, it is fitting to say that how these people are being motivated managed dictates how much commitment they are willing to put into practice. 1.2.3.1 REASSURE CHALLENGE STYLES OF LEADERSHIP adjust the level of challenge and make sure there is an appropriate level of performance anxiety. The goal is anxiety in moderation. Performance commitment is high if only if employees feel slightly anxious about succeeding. Reassure style of leadership help employees cope with the stresses challenges of work life. Challenge style of leadership push employees by raising the level of challenge (Hiam, 2000). This organization deals with a business that sustains life health. Its main guideline for all its employees around the globe is the promotion of safety, health environment protection. It demands its employees to follow these guidelines for their own individual benefit but it also ensures the organizations protection of its employees as well. The management actively advocates for well-documented reporting of adverse events or any untoward incident involving any of its promoted on-study products showing its commitment to valuing life health. 1.2.4 LEADERSHIP STYLE ADAPTED IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS Since pharmaceutical business presently faces a diversity of issues in the market, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals campaigns for the 3 Bsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Brilliance Beyond Basics. The company urges every employee to utilize every company resource strategically. As research development processes cant be compromised, strategic spending effective economics are implemented in the sales marketing departments specifically. Having brilliance beyond basics is utilizing the best companys assets, its people, breakthrough pharmaceutical products, employee training skills enhancement in the most strategic way. To help these employees cope perform satisfactorily, there is a constant mentoring in-field coaching for the frontline employees, scientific trainings conducted regularly involving all levels of sales marketing management to combat competitors strategies, team-building activities being held quarterly in all departments giving importance to professional-personal life balance, regular forum between top management all other levels to discuss any concern involving employment, benefits disputes, open communication among all employees performance review of not just managers on employees but employees on managers as well, ultimately national conferences to gather employees from all parts of the country/organization to give citations merits for job well done. 1.2.5 EVALUATION OF LEADERSHIP STYLE AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals competes in the market with various pharmaceutical giants influx of local drug companies by meeting them headstrong through its valuable product portfolio. As this organization is involved in research development, it takes pride in its ethical products envisions itself to be the No.1 ethical pharmaceutical company in the world each passing year. It believes in empowering its people who as a result empowers the organization its business. In ensuring that all employees get heard, the company uses the greatest tool in knowing about their view of the entire organization, its management leadership, through the Focus Survey. This strategic tool serves as evaluation by employees of how strategic managers leaders run the organization. Global guidelines being designed each year every revision period in AstraZeneca is dependent on the result of the Focus Survey. 1.3 CONCLUSION The management leadership style of AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals have been successful in enduring the stringent market competition. It strategically addresses every business challenge continuously empowers motivates its employees. The style adapted by this organization is best exemplified by Buhler in stating that leadership is more focused on energizing people in their performance while management is more focused on monitoring their performance levels (2001). Both areas really work hand in hand serve critical functions for this organization to achieve its objectives. The management leadership style of an organization transcends to employee performance. Motivated people in a company sustains the organization its goals.

Bonds and The Bond Market Essay -- essays papers

Bonds and The Bond Market Given today's uncertain economy, many people are taking time to examine various options for their financial future. Different types of investments are investigated and bonds are one of the more popular choices considered. Many of the same people who talk about investing in bonds, however, do not fully understand them nor where they place in the economy. Many individuals believe that they should simply buy a bond and wait until it matures before cashing it in. These people fail to realize that they may be losing a lot of money due to the fluctuation of bond prices. At some point it may be more profitable for them to sell their bond than to keep it until the payment date is reached. There are many people who do not understand what bonds really are. A bond is an agreement between two separate entities. One of these bodies gives, to the other, use of their money for a period of time and, in return, may receive a "bond". The bond issuer agrees to a fixed rate of return which he will pay the supporting person or business. This fixed rate of return is an amount, in percentages, which is paid at regular intervals until some future specified time ( the "maturity date"). Upon reaching the maturity date, one's original investment is returned to them. As previously mentioned, bonds are one of the more popular types of financial investment in today's economy. There are many reasons why people invest in bonds. For example, if one chooses a stable and profitable bond, it will provide a steady source of income through interest payments during the lifetime of the bond. As well, the risk when investing in a bond is considerably less than for most other forms of investment. The bond does not, for instance, experience the volatility of a stock on the stock market, like many other forms of investment do. Also, in instances where the issuer fails to pay the principal amount back to the bond holder, legal recourse is available. Furthermore, in cases of bankruptcy within large corporations with stock holders, bond holders take priority and are ... ...onsequently the prices of previously purchased bonds decrease. If you are able to hold onto your bond until the maturity date is reached, temporary changes in interest rates will not affect your financial investment; however, if you need to sell the bond before the marked maturity date, you might have to accept LESS than what you paid for it. This volatility can work to your advantage too, because it is possible that your bond could be worth more at the time you decide to sell. This is why it is important to keep up to date on bond prices. You may be able to make money by simply selling your bond before it's maturity date. In conclusion, I would suggest that bonds are a wise venue for anybody wanting to financially invest in different corporations or governments. I would caution, however that when selecting a bond, one should seek the guidance of an experienced investor. By choosing a bond that is right for you and your lifestyle, you have the potential of increasing your profits greatly and going home wealthier and happier.

Women in the Workplace

From running for president, making up over half of the workforce, managing some of the world’s most successful companies, and earning almost 60% of university degrees in America and Europe, women’s presence in the workforce is more prominent today than ever. This â€Å"economic empowerment of women† is changing the workplace, as we know it. Only 20 years ago, women were viewed as only capable of unskilled jobs and were assumed to place marriage and children before having a career. In today’s society, women have more opportunities to have power over their lives and chose their career path. In today’s global economy, every country should be utilizing the talents of their women in their workforce. For many countries, this progress has not been the same as America. For example, in Italy and Japan men employment rates are more than 20 percentage points higher and women’s employment rate is still below 50%. On average, women still earn significantly less than men and are a minority in top management. Remarkable Social Change without Conflict The Economist found three surprising results from the increase of women in the workforce: the lack of privilege felt from women about their new opportunities, unmet expectations of women’s role in the workforce and the lack of resistance from society, especially men. The lack of celebration from women is believed to be because of the economic necessity of women to work. Today, most households are two-income and women have little choice as to whether they want to work or not. Their contribution is the only way for many households to maintain their standard of living after having children. Also, many young women take this opportunity to work for granted, because they have grown up in a welcoming environment where women were always part of the workforce. Although women are encouraged to enter the work force, only 2% are managers and less than 13% are board members. Men dominate top management. America and Britain’s average full-time, female workers earn only about 80% as much as their male counterpart. Finally, most Americans are comfortable with women in the workforce with 9 out of 10 men are even comfortable with women earning more than they do. The minimal resistance to this social trend, especially by men, has allowed it to adapt rapidly and with little conflict. Contributing Factors to this Social Change A major explanation for increased women in the workforce is the large amount of women who are university graduates and professional workers. Growth of higher education has increased women’s value in the job market and has caused a shift in the woman role model as professional women, not just homemakers. According to The Economist, in 1963, 62% of college-educated women were in the workforce whereas 46% of those who had a high school diploma. Today, 80% of American women with a college education are in the workforce in contrast to 67% with a high school diploma and 47% without one. Women are also educated in more â€Å"marketable subjects† such as business and management. In 1966, 40% of women obtained a degree in education and 2% in business and management. Where as today, 12% obtain degrees in education and 50% obtain degrees in business and management. Engineering and computer science are one of the few areas women are lagging in. Politics have had a major effect on this revolution. Feminists have made domestic slavery unacceptable. Feminists have also strongly criticize discrimination toward women in the work place. We’ve even seen equal-rights acts passed in order to assure an equal playing ground in the work force for men and women of all ethnicities. Economic and technological forces have also played a role in the empowerment of women in the workforce. There has been a growing demand for women in the workforce. When strength was required to work, men had the advantage. The growth in the service sector and decline in the manufacturing sector has made brainpower more of a demand in the work force. This puts men and women on a more equal playing ground. Lastly, women have been more than willing and able to meet the demands of being in the workforce. Many factors play a role in this. For example, traditional cleaning is done easier and quicker than before. The contraceptive pill has allowed women to get married late, increased their ability to invest in their careers, and allowed them to finish schooling instead of taking breaks due to childbirth. Major Challenges Faced with a Woman Workforce Two major challenges have occurred with the increase of women in the workforce. First, women continue to be under-represented in top management, with only 2% in America and 5% in Britain, and are paid considerably less than men. Secondly, it is very demanding for women to manage both their career and their family. In America, 74% of parents believe they don’t spend enough time with their children because they are constantly juggling their work and home life. In two-parent working households, childcare consumes a large proportion of the budget, but having one parent stay at home could result in much lower income for family expenses. Therefore, having only one income is not an option. Poor households are affected the most because of the large amount of poor mothers in the workforce and the unwillingness to spend public funds on childcare for these mothers. Career Woman vs. Motherhood As women become more and more prevalent in the workforce, they find themselves choosing between being successful in their careers and being a stay-at-home mother. Many women are in challenging careers in their 20s, leave in their 30s to have children and find it hard to return after their leave of absence. Of all the women who left work to have children, 93% of women wanted to return to work, but only 74% returned to work, only 40% returning full-time. Also, many women find the role of motherhood damaging to their professional career. Those women in corporate America who don’t have children earn as much as men, where as mothers earn less and single mothers even less. The Economist explains that the â€Å"cost of motherhood† is great for women in professional careers because wages increase abruptly and schedules are very demanding. Many times executives are expected to work in numerous departments and travel often. Therefore, the gap ii pay and positions between men and women may be because women are measured exactly the same as men, not because of discrimination or unfair treatment. This trend is producing high cost on individuals and society because many professional women are eliminating motherhood altogether or are forced into the fertility industry when they do decide to have children. Solutions for these Challenges For the most part, people believe that this trend will handle itself. Others argue that government intervention such as women quotas, state-funded daycares, extended paid maternity leave, â€Å"parent’s salary,† earlier preschool education, or the elimination of part-time jobs is necessary to fix these problems. The Economist discusses how these different alternatives have been used in other countries with success, but there is not enough evidence to show these measures have created the success. In fact, America has had many of the same results as these countries without taking such drastic measures. There are less dramatic steps that the American government can take to improve and ease women into the workforce. These include alterations such as longer school days and shorter summer holidays or closing midday. The struggle with fixing problems from â€Å"the social consequences of women’s economic empowerment† will continue for decades to come. The Future of Women in the Workforce This trend of women in the workforce is likely to continue to grow and is apparent throughout all aspects of business. The Economist predicts that by 2011, there will be 2. 6 million more female than male university students. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that women already compose more than 2/3 of employment in 10 of the 15 job categories today. Many women are also opening their own business, doubling that of men in the last 10 years. Women will also benefit from the â€Å"war for talent† because of the ageing workforce and need for skill-dependent workers. Many firms are dividing hours differently such as judging hours annually instead of weekly, allowing them to come in early or late, allowing Fridays off as long as hours are made up, and even allowing husbands and wives to share jobs. The corporate world is even making adjustments to encourage women into the workforce and help with the juggle of raising children and working such as rethinking promotional practices and sustain communication with mothers who are away from work due to their children, allowing them to work from home, or offering flexible scheduling. With the advancement of technology – Internet, e-mail, and conferencing – redesigning the workplace is much more possible.

Huaca del Sol (Peru)

Huaca del Sol (Peru) Definition: The Huaca del Sol is an enormous adobe (mud brick) Moche civilization pyramid, built in at least eight different stages between AD 0-600 at the site of Cerro Blanco in the Moche Valley of the northern coast of Peru. The Huaca del Sol (the name means Shrine or Pyramid of the Sun) is the largest mud-brick pyramid in the American continents; although much eroded today, it still measures 345 by 160 meters and is over 40 meters tall. Extensive looting, the purposeful diversion of the river alongside the Huaca del Sol, and repeated El Nià ±o climatic events have impacted the monument over the centuries, but it is still impressive.The area surrounding Huaca del Sol and its sister pyramid Huaca de la Luna was an urban settlement of at least one square kilometer, with midden and rubble deposits up to seven meters thick, from public buildings, residential areas and other architecture buried beneath the floodplains of the Moche River.Huaca del Sol was abandoned after a large flood in AD 560, and it was likely the influence of similar El Nià ±o-triggered climate events that did much of the damage to Huaca del Sol. Archaeologists associated with investigations at Huaca del Sol include Max Uhle, Rafael Larco Hoyle, Christopher Donnan, and Santiago Uceda. Sources Moseley, M. E. 1996. Huaca del Sol. Pps 316-318 in Oxford Companion to Archaeology, Brian Fagan, ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Sutter, R. C. and R. J. Cortez 2005 The Nature of Moche Human Sacrifice: A Bio-Archaeological Perspective. Current Anthropology 46(4):521-550. S. Uceda, E. Mujica, and R. Morales. Las Huacas del Sol y de la Luna. This site is a marvelous source of information about the Moche, and has English and Spanish content.This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.

Definition and Examples of Panegyric

Definition and Examples of Panegyric In rhetoric, panegyric is a speech or written composition that offers praise for an individual or an institution: an encomium or eulogy. Adjective: panegyrical. Contrast with invective. In classical rhetoric, the panegyric was recognized as a form of ceremonial discourse (epideictic rhetoric) and was commonly practiced as a rhetorical exercise. Etymology From the Greek, public assembly Examples and Observations Isocrates Panegyric at the Panhellenic FestivalNow the founders of our great festivals are justly praised for handing down to us a custom by which, having proclaimed a truce and resolved our pending quarrels, we come together in one place, where, as we make our prayers and sacrifices in common, we are reminded of the kinship which exists among us and are made to feel more kindly towards each other for the future, reviving our old friendships and establishing new ties. And neither to common men nor to those of superior gifts is the time so spent idle and profitless, but in the concourse of the Greeks the latter have the opportunity to display their prowess, the former to behold these contending against each other in the games; and no one lacks zest for the festival, but all find in it that which flatters their pride, the spectators when they see the athletes exert themselves for their benefit, the athletes when they reflect that all the world is come to gaze upon them.(Isocrates, Pane gyricus, 380 B.C.) Shakespearean PanegyricThis royal throne of kings, this scepterd isle,This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,This other Eden, demi-paradise,This fortress built by Nature for herselfAgainst infection and the hand of war,This happy breed of men, this little world,This precious stone set in the silver sea,Which serves it in the office of a wall,Or as a moat defensive to a house,Against the envy of less happier lands,This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England . . ..(John of Gaunt in William Shakespeares King  Richard II,  Act 2, Scene 1)Elements of Classical PanegyricsIsocrates may have been the first to give a specific name to speeches given at such gatherings by naming his famous appeal for Hellenic unity Panegyrikos in 380 B.C.E. This was Isocrates most famous composition and may well have popularized the use of the term generically to refer to festival speeches . . ..[George A.] Kennedy lists what became the traditional elements in such speeches: A panegyric, the t echnical name for a festival speech, consists normally of praise for the god associated with the festival, praise of the city in which the festival is held, praise of the contest itself and of the crown awarded, and finally, praise of the king or officials in charge (1963, 167). However, an examination of panegyric speeches prior to Aristotles Rhetoric reveals an additional characteristic: early panegyrics contained an unmistakeable deliberative dimension. That is, they were openly political in orientation and aimed at encouraging the audience to follow a course of action.(Edward Schiappa, The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece. Yale Univ. Press, 1999) Amplification in Classical PanegyricsOver time, moral virtues came to be seen in Greco-Roman political philosophies as canonical, and panegyrics in both languages were regularly founded on a canon of four virtues, usually justice, courage, temperance and wisdom (Seager 1984; S. Braund 1998: 56-7). Aristotles main rhetorical recommendation is that the virtues be amplified, that is, expanded, by narrative (of actions and achievements) and comparisons (Rh. 1.9.38). The Rhetorica as Alexandrum is less philosophical and more practical in its advice; amplification remains the key ambition for the panegyrist, in an attempt to maximize the positive and minimize the negative content of the speech; and invention is urged, if need be (Rh. Al. 3). Thus from democratic and monarchic contexts, Greece left a substantial and varied endowment of panegyrical material, in prose and verse, serious and light-hearted, theoretical and applied.(Roger Rees, Panegyric. A Companion to Roman Rhetoric, ed. by Wi lliam J. Dominik and Jon Hall. Blackwell, 2007) Cicero on PanegyricsCauses are subdivided into two categories, one that aims at giving pleasure and a second that has as its goal the demonstration of a case. An example of the first type of cause is the panegyric, which is concerned with praise and blame. A panegyric does not establish doubtful propositions; rather it amplifies what is already known. Words should be chosen for their brilliance in a panegyric.(Cicero, De Partitione Oratoria, 46 B.C.)Fulsome PraiseThomas Blount defined panegyric in his Glossographia of 1656 as A licentious kind of speaking or oration, in the praise and commendation of Kings, or other great persons, wherein some falsities are joyned with many flatteries. And in fact panegyrists strove for a double goal, working to popularize imperial policy while hoping to restrain the abuses of power.(Shadi Bartsch, Panegyric. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric, ed. by Thomas O. Sloane. Oxford Univ. Press, 2001) Pronunciation: pan-eh-JIR-ek

Economics & Glob Bus Apps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economics & Glob Bus Apps - Essay Example Task 1 Relationship between Marginal Revenue and Marginal Cost Marginal revenue is defined as the revenue generated by the sale of one extra unit of a product. Whereas total revenue means the entire revenue generated by the total quantity sold. (Sloman) Marginal cost is defined as the cost of producing one extra unit of a product. Whereas total cost refers to the sum of all the expenses incurred by a company, to produce all the units of the product. (Sloman) Profit is the excess of revenue over cost. Profit is defined as the return that a person gets on investment. In economics, there are three types of profit: normal profit, abnormal profit and subnormal profit. (Sloman) However, the term profit maximizing means that a firm is operating at a point where the difference between its total revenue and total cost is highest. (Lipsey & Harbury, 1992) The profit maximizing firms produce where their marginal revenue equals their marginal cost. Now common sense will suggest producing where t he revenue brought by an additional unit is the greatest and the corresponding cost is the lowest but at this point the total production and the total profit will be very low. Thus the firm will not be maximizing profit at all. So to fulfill the definition and requirement of profit maximization, a firm has to produce where MR=MC. In addition to that, MC and MR are the gradient functions of both TC and TR curves. So when both gradients get equal, the curves get parallel and the distance between them becomes the greatest. (Lipsey & Harbury, 1992) If a profit maximizing firm is faced with a situation where its MC increases its MR, then it will have to reduce its production. This is due to the simple rule that MR reduces as the production increases and MC increases with it. So to get back to the equilibrium, the firm will have to reduce the production. (Lipsey & Harbury, 1992) On the other hand, if the firm’s MR exceeds its MC, then it will have to increase its production. This i ncrease will cause the MR to fall and the MC to increase and the equilibrium will be attained. (Lipsey & Harbury, 1992) Task 2 Supply and Demand Concepts Elasticity of demand is defined as the measure of ‘responsiveness of the demand’ of any good or service with a change in its price. It can also be defined as a ratio of the ‘percentage change in the demand and the percentage change in the price’. Elasticity of demand is of three types. Elastic demand is the demand that responds greatly to a small price change. Inelastic demand shows a smaller change in quantity following a greater change in price. Unit elastic demand shows the same change in demand and price. Price Elasticity of Demand can be calculated by the following formula: Percentage change in quantity demanded / Percentage change in the price. (Sloman) Cross price elasticity of demand gives us the effect on the demand of one good due to a change in the price of other good. Therefore, cross price ela sticity of demand is a measure of the relationship between percentage changes in the demand of one

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Why Has Essay

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Why Has Structural Adjustment implemented Proved so Controversial - Essay Example This has generated intense controversies on the effectiveness of the structural adjustment policies. This paper explores the controversies surrounding the effectiveness of the structural adjustments in the developing economies. Structural adjustments are measures formulated to facilitate and accelerate economic development in the targeted economies3. According Ahmed and Lipton structural adjustment polices are intended to rectify the structural imbalance in the foreign and public balances2. The policies could be initiated internally by the country concerned or external forces such the World Bank and the international monetary fund. The structural adjustments reforms endeavour to reduce and eliminate the various financial distortions, such as over valued exchange rate, huge monetary deficits and to restrict inefficient public services that hinder fair distribution of the resources in the economy of particular country1. 1I. Ahmed, and M. Lipton, â€Å"Impact of Structural Adjustment o n Sustainable Rural Livelihood: A Review of the Literature.† (1997), http://www.ids.ac.uk/files/Wp62.pdf Accessed 14 January 2012. 2 ibid., p25 3 F. Stewart, and A. Berry. â€Å"Globalisation, Liberalization and Inequality: Real Causes.† Challenge, February 2001, 45-86. In general, the structural adjustments are intended to minimise or eliminate the balance of payments and the public sector deficits, with an objective of stimulating high economic growth. In addition, the policies aim at achieving an appropriate structural change capable of sustaining a robust economic growth and a favourable monetary environment in a particular economy3. One of the major characteristic of the structural adjustments is promoting specialization where the targeted economy is influenced to produce commodities â€Å"tradable† in the global market and reducing factors that enhance production of commodities with no or little economic value especially in the public domain4. Enhancing the flexibility and adaptability of the targeted economy to the changing global economic environment is an important objective of the structural adjustments. This reduces the effects of adverse global economic changes on the economy of a particular country 3. Structural adjustment policies comprise of measures aimed at facilitating short-term economic stability and long-term adjustments3. Short-term stabilisation measures are usually intended to the improvement of macro economic balance and overall stability. In order to attain the envisaged stability, structural adjustments enforce measures aimed at reducing the cumulative demand 3. Therefore, the major segments targeted include reduction of expenditure accrued in the public sector, increasing taxes and interests rates on loans. Usually, short-term stabilisation measures combine monetary, fiscal reforms and devaluation of currency, which deflates the actual exchange rate. These measures influence the value of commodities traded in the international market in relation to those produced and consumed in the local market 3. 3 P. Agenor, P. â€Å"Macroeconomic Adjustment and the Poor: Analytical Issues and Crosscountry Evidence â€Å"(2002). www.worldbank.org accessed 14 January 2012. 4 Ibid., p 33 Measures for ensuring short-term economic stabilisation include credit restrictions or ceilings, adjustment of exchange rate, minimising expenditures in the public sector, high tax policies and reforming the pricing of commodities3. Greenaway and Morrissey argued that the short-term nature of the stabilisation measures makes such policies to rely heavily on the managing and controlling the demand of the targeted economy. Eventually, the economy adopts a tendency of monetary absorption in the