Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd Essay Example

Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd Paper 1. What are the most important issues confronting Sheila Mason? Explain you priority of important issues. The most important issue confronting Sheila is that her previous company, ATS, is claiming she may be in violation of her Employee Noncompetition, Nonsolicitation, Nondisclosure and Development Agreement that she signed when she was hired by the company. The day after she quit she began officially working for her own company, which ATS indicates is in direct competition with its own business. Her agreement with her former employer indicates that she cannot be involved directly or indirectly with another company for a period of one year after leaving ATS that is in competition with ATS. Mason also has another issue with the agreement she signed which states that she cannot, for one year from her termination date of her ATS employment, solicit or do business with any customer of the Company or any potential customer of the Company. So, her first hurdle is going to be to prove that her new business is in no way in competition with ATS. If she succeeds at this, she will then have to ensure that does not speak with any customers that ATS currently holds. This will significantly limit her market for initial sales of the product. Another issue confronting Mason is that she frequently uses her personal laptop for business travel and as such, she syncs her work data with her personal data. ATS, her former company, is now claiming ownership of this data and requesting that she turn it back over to the company. We will write a custom essay sample on Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Within this collection of data there is likely revealing information relating to her new venture. This could give ATS all the proof they need in order to charge her with the violation of the agreement she signed with the company. This issue should be her least priority at the moment because if she is careful, she can ensure that no information relating to her new venture is ever transferred to ATS. 2. What are the most important issues confronting Craig Shepherd? Explain your priority of important issues. The most important issue confronting Shepherd is that his current employer, Nova, is claiming all rights to his invention. This was a direct result of Shepherd disclosing information to his boss that revealed his invention. This is by far the most pressing issue for Shepherd because if he is unable to fully protect his invention from his employer, none of the remaining issues even matter. Nova does not develop any type of translation engine themselves, however they are in the business of rewriting applications to run on new systems. This demonstrates to Nova that Shepherd could have used knowledge gained while working at Nova to develop the translation engine. This also brings up the issue of the translation engine he developed being in direct competition with Novas current business. Another issue confronting Shepherd is that the software he created, even though it was development during his own personal time using his own personal machine, it was created while he was currently an employee at Nova. Disclosing this information to his employer gives them enough justification to claim ownership of that software. As agreed by Shepherd when joining Nova, they claim all ownership of any ideas or software that Shepherd generates while he is an employee of the company. 3. What is your evaluation of the non-disclosure agreement (NDA)? Would you sign this as a venture capitalist? Why or why not? The non-disclosure agreement presented by Mason and Shepherd seeks to safe guard their idea, such that the venture capital firm is legally unable to implement Mason and Shepherds idea themselves or disclose the idea to any other parties. The problem with the NDA is that it cannot prevent the idea from being implement by another party. However, if the idea is implemented it by another party after receiving the information, it gives Mason and Shepherd legal precedence to claim that they acted in violation of the NDA itself which will strongly support their case if they must take the other parties to court. As a VC, I would not consider signing the NDA. This would only create unnecessary costs and complexity for the venture capital firm along with the associated potential legal issues that could arise. The VC would need to hire a team of lawyers solely to ensure they are not violating the terms of the NDA. This would also require them to review their entire investment portfolio to ensure that none of the products they current have a stake in are in no way similar to the product that Mason and Shepherd are presenting to the firm. Simply put, this would create undue problems for the VC that would otherwise be nonexistent. Also, from another perspective, presenting the NDA to a VC would cast Mason and Shepherd in a negative light as it would indicate they dont necessarily understand the VC process. This would deter the VCs from investing in the product even without having to sign the nondisclosure agreement due to the friction it created. 4. What actions do you recommend that Mason and Shepherd take to guard against the appropriation of their ideas in the absence of an NDA? Mason and Shepherd should seek to secure a patent that would protect the intellectual property that they have developed so far. Shepherd has already development a working proof of concept, which can be used for filing the patent. While their idea is not patentable itself, the technology they have already created may be patentable. The technology they have already created provides a fairly simple solution to the complex problem of creating the translation engine. If this technology is patented, they will have a significant head start on any competitors that may try to create their own translation engine. The competitors would be deterred from initiating this venture due to the increased complexity of development of the translation engine since they would not be able to used the easier approach that Mason and Shepherd lay claim to. If Mason and Shepherd are unable to secure patent protection for their IP, they should simply proceed as aggressively as possible. Instead of defending themselves upfront, they must take an offensive strategy and bring the product to market as quickly as possible. This aggressive strategy will help ensure they always remain ahead of any competition that may exist. Once they control the initial market, it will be much more difficult for any competitors to try to break into that market. 5. What actions do you recommend that employees take to terminate their employment relationship with current employers? Relating to Mason and Shepherd: Mason and Shepherd should immediately terminate their relationship with their employers. However, at this point in the process, I dont believe that they are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to sever this relationship appropriately while also putting them in the best possible position for protection. They should immediately acquire an attorney experienced in this area of practice to draft their resignation letters and handle all further communication between the parties. Relating to employees in general: Employees should never disclose any knowledge of ideas, intellectual property, or any information relating to something they have developed or will develop to any employee of their company. Any information provided only serves as ammunition to the employer with which they can use to build a case against you and attempt to claim any such property. Employees should also seek to terminate their relationship with their employer as soon as possible. If there is any such suspicion that the employer may attempt to seek claim to property or seek some violation of non-compete by the employee, an attorney should always be involved as mentioned above. This presents complex situations which the employees are unprepared to handle on their own without legal advice.

Bond Dissociation Energy Definition

Bond Dissociation Energy Definition Bond dissociation energy is defines as the amount of energy which is required to homolytically fracture a chemical bond. A homolytic fracture usually produces radical species. Shorthand notation for this energy is BDE,  D0, or  DH °. Bond dissociation energy is often used as a measure of the strength of a chemical bond and to compare different bonds. Note the enthalpy change is temperature dependent. Typical units of bond dissociation energy are kJ/mol or kcal/mol. Bond dissociation energy may be measured experimentally using spectrometry, calorimetry, and electrochemical methods. Key Takeaways: Bond Dissociation Energy Bond dissociation energy is the energy required to break a chemical bond.It is one means of quantifying the strength of a chemical bond.Bond dissociation energy equals bond energy only for diatomic molecules.The strongest bond dissociation energy is for the Si-F bond. The weakest energy is for a covalent bond and is comparable to the strength of intermolecular forces. Bond Dissociation Energy Versus Bond Energy Bond dissociation energy is only equal to bond energy for diatomic molecules. This is because the bond dissociation energy is the energy of a single chemical bond, while bond energy is the average value for all the bond dissociation energies of all bonds of a certain type within a molecule. For example, consider removing successive hydrogen atoms from a methane molecule. The first bond dissociation energy is 105 kcal/mol, second is 110 kcal/mol, third is 101 kcal/mol, and final is 81 kcal/mol. So, the bond energy is the average of the bond dissociation energies, or 99 kcal/mol. In fact, the bond energy doesnt equal the bond dissociation energy for any of the C-H bonds in the methane molecule! The Strongest and Weakest Chemical Bonds From bond dissociation energy, its possible to determine which chemical bonds are strongest and which are weakest. The strongest chemical bond is the Si-F bond. The bond dissociation energy for F3Si-F is 166 kcal/mol, while the bond dissociation energy for H3Si-F is 152 kcal/mol. Th reason the Si-F bond is believed to be so strong is because there is a significant electronegativity difference between the two atoms. The carbon-carbon bond in acetylene also has a high bond dissociation energy of 160 kcal/mol. The strongest bond in a neutral compound is 257 kcal/mol in carbon monoxide. There is no particular weakest bond dissociation energy because weak covalent bonds actually have energy comparable to that of intermolecular forces. Generally speaking, the weakest chemical bonds are those between noble gases and transition metal fragments. The smallest measured bond dissociation energy is between atoms in the helium dimer, He2. The dimer is held together by the van der Waals force and has a bond dissociation energy of 0.021 kcal/mol. Bond Dissociation Energy Versus Bond Dissociation Enthalpy Sometimes the terms bond dissociation energy and bond dissociation enthalpy are used interchangeably. However, the two are not necessarily the same. The bond dissociation energy is the enthalpy change at 0 K. The bond dissociation enthalpy, sometimes simply called bond enthalpy, is the enthalpy change at 298 K. Bond dissociation energy is favored for theoretical work, models, and computations. Bond enthalpy is used for thermochemistry. Note that most of the time the values at the two temperatures are not significantly different. So, even though enthalpy does depend on temperatures, ignoring the effect doesnt usually have a big impact on calculations. Homolytic and Heterolytic Dissociation The definition of bond dissociation energy is for homolytically broken bonds. This refers to a symmetrical break in a chemical bond. However, bonds can break asymmetrically or heterolytically. In the gas phase, the energy released for a heterolytic break is larger than for homolysis. If a solvent is present, the energy value drops dramatically. Sources Blanksby, S.J.; Ellison, G.B. (April 2003). Bond dissociation energies of organic molecules. Accounts of Chemical Research. 36 (4): 255–63. doi:10.1021/ar020230dIUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the Gold Book) (1997).Gillespie, Ronald J. (July 1998). Covalent and Ionic Molecules: Why Are BeF2 and AlF3 High Melting Point Solids whereas BF3 and SiF4 Are Gases?. Journal of Chemical Education. 75 (7): 923. doi:10.1021/ed075p923Kalescky, Robert; Kraka, Elfi; Cremer, Dieter (2013). Identification of the Strongest Bonds in Chemistry. The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 117 (36): 8981–8995. doi:10.1021/jp406200wLuo, Y.R. (2007). Comprehensive handbook of chemical bond energies. Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-7366-4.

Examples of Diacritical Marks

Examples of Diacritical Marks In phonetics, a diacritical mark is a  glyph- or symbol- added to a letter that alters its sense, function, or pronunciation. It is also known as a diacritic or an accent mark. A  diacritical mark is a point, sign, or squiggle added or attached to a letter or character to indicate appropriate stress, special pronunciation, or unusual sounds not common in the Roman alphabet, according to  L. Kip  Wheeler, a professor at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. Purpose While diacritical marks are more common in foreign languages, you do encounter them quite often in English. For example, diacritics are often used with  certain French loanwords,  words  that are imported into one  language  from another language. Cafà © and clichà ©Ã‚  are loanwords  from French that contain a diacritical mark called an acute accent, which helps indicate how the  final  e  is pronounced. Diacritical marks are used in dozens of other foreign languages, including  Afrikaans, Arabic, Hebrew,  Filipino, Finnish, Greek, Galician, Irish, Italian, Spanish, and Welsh. These marks can change not only the pronunciation but also the meaning of a word. One example in English is rà ©sumà © or resumà © versus resume. The first two terms are nouns that mean  curriculum vitae, while the second is a verb meaning to return to or begin again.   Diacritical Marks in English There are literally dozens of diacritical marks, but it is helpful to learn the basic diacritics in English, as well as their functions. Some of the marks and explanations are adapted from a  list of diacritical marks  created by Professor Wheeler. Diacritical Mark Purpose Examples Acute accent Used with certain French loanwords cafà ©, clichà © Apostrophe * Indicates possession or the omission of a letter children's, don't Cedilla Attached to the bottom of the letter c in French loanwords, indicating a soft c faà §ade Circumflex accent Indicates reduced primary stress à ©levtor à ´pertor Diaeresis or Umlaut Used with certain names and words as a guide to pronunciation Chloà «, Brontà «, coà ¶perate, naà ¯ve Grave accent Occasionally used in poetry to indicate that a normally silent vowel should be pronounced learnà ¨d Macron or Stress Mark A dictionary notation to signify "long" vowel sounds pÄ dÄ  for payday Tilde In Spanish loan words, the tilde indicates a /y/ sound added to a consonant. caà ±on or pià ±a colada Tilde In Portuguese loanwords, the tilde indicates nasalized vowels. So Paulo *Because marks of punctuation arent added to letters, theyre generally not regarded as diacritics. However, an exception is sometimes made for apostrophes. Examples of Diacritics Diacritical marks are plentiful in English-language articles and books. Writers and  lexicographers  have used the marks to great advantage over the years as these examples show: Acute accent:  Feluda handed over the blue  attachà © case  before he sat down.- Satyajit Ray, The Complete Adventures of Feluda Apostrophe: Lets go down to my house and have some more fun,  Nancy said. Mother wont let us, I said. Its too late now. Dont bother her, Nancy said.- William Faulkner, That Evening Sun Go Down. The American Mercury, 1931 Diaeresis  or Umlaut:  Five young activists were voted into office, bringing political validation to a youth-driven movement dismissed by establishment elders as naà ¯ve, unschooled, and untenable.- Youthquake. Time,   Oct. 6, 2016 Grave accent:  Margret stood in her chamber;Shed sewn a silken seam.She lookà ¨d east an she lookà ¨d west,An  she saw those woods grow green.Tam Lin, The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads Macron: neighbornoun  Ã‚  neigh ·bor   \ˈnÄ -bÉ™r\- Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., 2009 Diacritics in Foreign Languages As noted, there are literally dozens of diacritical marks in foreign languages. Wheeler gives these examples: Swedish and Norse words may also use the circle marking above certain vowels (à ¥), and Czechoslovakian words may use the hacek  (ˆ), a wedge-shaped symbol to indicate a ch sound as in English chill. But unless you learn- or at least develop a proficiency- in those languages, you wont know how to read the words and letters altered by diacritical marks. You should, however, learn where these marks have become common in English- and where they have been dropped, notes  Shelley Townsend-Hudson in The Christian Writers Manual of Style. It can be tricky to know when to retain the diacritical marks, she says: The language is in flux. It is becoming more common, for example, to see the acute accent and diacritics being dropped from the words  clichà ©, cafà ©, and  naà ¯ve- thus,  cliche, cafe, and  naive. But dropping diacritical marks can change the meaning of a word. Townsend-Hudson argues that in many cases you should retain these crucial marks, particularly various accents, to ensure you are referring to the correct word, such as  pà ¢tà ©Ã‚  instead of  pate: The first use means  a spread of finely chopped or pureed seasoned meat, while the second refers the crown of the head- certainly a great difference in meaning. Diacritical marks are also important when you are referring to foreign place names, such as  So Paulo, Gà ¶ttingen, and  Cà ³rdoba  and personal names such as  Salvador Dalà ­, Molià ¨re, and  Karel ÄÅ'apek, she notes. Understanding diacritical marks is the key, then, to correctly identifying and even using many of the foreign words that have migrated into the English language.

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam Research Paper

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam - Research Paper Example (Waines 92) This ambiguity of the meaning of Islam ultimately evolves from the concept that one’s submission to the will of God will bring peace in this worldly life. A fundamental Muslim thinks that submission to God and peace are the two sides of the same coin. Conventionally it is often believed that Islam was founded by Muhammad, in the 640 AD, who claimed himself to be the messenger of God. But referring to the Quranic evidences, some scholars claim that the origin of Islam dates back to Adam, the first man as well as the first prophet of Islam. This is how, all of the Abrahamic religions and few others were the ancient versions, of Islam, which have now been annulled by God Himself. (Nasr 45) But other scholars argue that since the ancient versions of Islam such Christianity (the religion of Prophet Zesu, one of the most revered prophets in Islam), Judaism (the religion of Prophet Moses, another revered prophet in Islam) and other religions have been repealed by God beca use the distortions of these religions by men, the true Islam for modern people is the one that Muhammad founded in the Seventh Century. Articles of Faith in Islam Institutional Islam, to a great extent, can be viewed as the summation of some seven beliefs and actions according to these beliefs. A follower of Muhammad or a believer of Islam needs to believes in: a. one God (Allah), b. prophets starting from Adam to Muhammad including Noah, Moses, Jesus, Abraham, etc. c. divine scriptures (Qutub) such as the Torah (the divine message of David or Da’ud), the Zabur (the divine message of Moses or Musa), the Bible of Zesu or Isaac (the Ingile as the Muslim calls it), the Quran (Muhammad), other unnamed minor religious scripts that were descended upon the prophets, d. the angels as the servants of God, e. belief in the â€Å"Day of Judgment† () and f. belief in fate. The summation of these beliefs is known as Islamic Belief, in Arabic ‘Iman’ or ‘Aqidahâ⠂¬â„¢. ‘Iman’ or ‘Aqidah’ essentially means to have beliefs in these six articles. Indeed five of these Articles of Faiths are supported by the textual evidences from the Quran. For an example, the verse 136 of chapter â€Å"An-Nisa† says, â€Å"Whoever disbelieveth in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily wandered far astray.† (4:136) Again the verse 285 of Chapter ‘Baqarah’ tells about the four of the main articles of faith in Islam: â€Å"believers have believed in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers† (2:285). Tawhid: Islamic Belief in the Oneness of God Islamic belief in God is both confirmation of one’s belief in one God and denial of many. In this sense, belief in Islamic God is a rigorous monotheism. In Arabic, this monotheism is called Tawhid or the oneness of God. This ‘Tawhid’ is the most fundamental concept of Islam. Indeed th e Islamic belief in the existence of one God is essentially the denial of many gods. According to the Quran, the fact that God is one is self-evident and therefore, the concept of many gods is simply false. God as well as His oneness, in Islam, often sides with transcendentalism. Though the transcendentalism has not directly been affirmed in Islam. The description of God, in a round about way, infers that God is transcendental. The Chapter, â€Å"

The Importance Of Financing Smes In Oman - Government Intervention Dissertation

The Importance Of Financing Smes In Oman - Government Intervention - Dissertation Example It is so because the business environment in Oman is different from that of the western countries. Hence, to examine this argument, this research study focuses on the internationalisation approaches followed by the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Oman. The decision makers of four SMEs in Oman have been interviewed in this research study. The collected data from the interviews and other secondary researches have been analysed using two approaches namely, within case analysis and cross case analysis. The findings obtained from this research study has been compared with the relevant literature on internationalisation process that exists like the theoretical framework of international new ventures (INVs) and the Uppsala School's internationalisation process model (U-model). The findings of this research study suggest that the internationalisation behaviours of SMEs in Oman are not completely different from that of the firms in the western countries. The INVs framework and th e U-model cannot explain the internationalisation process of SMEs in Oman on its own. However both these models have explained the internationalisation patterns in different ways. ... 2.3.2Factors Responsible for Internationalisation by SMEs 22 2.4Internationalisation Procedures by SMEs 26 2.4.1The U-model 26 2.4.2INVs Framework 27 2.5Conclusion 28 CHAPTER 3: Research Methodology 28 2.6Introduction 28 2.7Types of Research 29 2.7.1Qualitative Methodology 29 2.7.2Case Study Research 30 2.7.3Semi-structured Interviews 30 2.8Sources of Data 31 2.9Research Design and Tools 33 2.9.1Construct Validity 33 2.9.2Internal Validity 34 2.9.3External Validity 34 2.9.4Reliability 36 2.10Conclusion 39 3.CHAPTER 4: Findings and Results 39 3.1Introduction 39 3.2Summary of Data 40 3.3Company Backgrounds 40 3.3.1Company A 40 3.3.2Company B 41 3.3.3Company C 42 3.3.4Company D 43 3.4Within Case Analysis 44 3.4.1Company A 45 3.4.2Company B 47 3.4.3Company C 48 3.4.4Company D 49 3.5Cross Case Analysis 50 3.5.1Motives for Internationalisation 50 3.5.2Factors Leading to Internationalisation 51 3.5.3Intensity of Internationalisation 52 3.5.4Resource Base Orientation 52 3.5.5Mechanism of Red ucing Uncertainty 53 3.6Propositions 53 3.7Conclusion 55 4.CHAPTER 5: Conclusion 55 4.1Introduction 55 4.2Conclusions 56 5.CHAPTER 6: Recommendations, Limitations and Scope for Future Study 58 5.1Introduction 58 5.2Limitations and Recommendations 58 5.3Future Scope of the Study 59 References 61 Bibliography 67 Appendices 68 Appendix – 1 (Interview Schedule) 68 1. CHAPTER 1: Introduction There has been an extensive study on the internationalisation process followed by different organisations worldwide. However, the internationalisation process followed by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) has not received such extensive attention in the 21st century (Forsman, Hinttu, & Kock, n.d.). Market globalization also has a significant impact on these SMEs (Asiedu, & Freeman, 2006, p.2). With

Transition to adulthood Essay Example for Free

Transition to adulthood Essay This article was full of information in the transition to adulthood. It begins with a history of becoming an adult. This article takes you through comparisons of the statistics from the past to now. This article gives you an idea on the difference between race and ethnic backgrounds. It also provides support for its findings. What I found interesting in this article is that back in the day, which young people viewed adulthood as a requirement at an early age. Nowadays young people are taking a lot longer to transition to adulthood, they are completing college and finding careers, I think is a great thing. Children need to focus on their education and the opposite sex. I think it is important for young men and women to have a plan of action about where their life is headed. I think today we are more thinkers then doers, I think we are looking into the long-term affect more now. This also gave me statics on when the kids become independent, the past versus present, male, female, and race. I choose this article because I have a step son in the military; this article gave me ideas on how fast they are required to step into adulthood. It was interesting to discover the difference between the age groups, races and what programs they are involved in. If I had to write a research paper this would be the article I would use. This is an interesting topic that I think I could take further. After reviewing this article I feel this is a creditable source, it has supporting facts and documentation to back up its findings, reads well the flow is right. This was definitely a very informative piece of work and you can tell the author spent their time and effort on this as well.

Taco Bell Not Real Mexican Food in The Great Taco War :: essays research papers

RR - â€Å"The Great Taco War† The Real Deal Mariah Carey is one of the top pop singers in America today. On an average, her CD’s sell for fifteen dollars. However, many find it easier to purchase a â€Å"knock-off† for a cheaper price than to purchase the real thing. For instance, an individual can purchase the exact CD at a local flea market for five dollars and save the extra ten dollars for something else. In the short story, â€Å"The Great Taco War,† Jose Antonio Burciaga informs readers that fast food industries like Taco Bell do no sell authentic Mexican tacos. He urges readers to purchase tacos from taquerias because unlike Taco Bell, their food is â€Å"real† Mexican food. In the beginning, Burciaga provides a brief history when Taco Bell was established. First starting in Mexico City and then spreading throughout the United States, the chain sold â€Å"mild imitations of the real thing† (382). Many Mexican businesses and people protested against Taco Bell because unlike homemade tortillas made from hand, they used â€Å"prefabricated hard tortilla shells† (383) that tasted nothing like real Mexican tacos. Additionally, the restaurant also combines food and makes up names so that it appears different. From Enchiroto, a combination of a burrito and enchilada, to Cinnamon Crispas, known as bunuelos, Burciaga points out that â€Å"the Taco Menu can be a mystery if one is not familiar with the renamed food items† (383). Lastly, the author informs readers that compared to Mexican food, Taco Bell’s food is cheaply made. Upon visiting a local Taco Bell restaurant, Burciaga orders a menu item and begins to consume the taco when he notices that the â€Å"meat was lukewarm and the cheese and shredded lettuce were cold.

Concept of childhood Essay

Break their will betimes: begin this great work before they can run alone, before they can speak plain, or perhaps speak at all †¦ make him do as he is bid, if you whip him ten times running to effect it †¦ Break his will now and his soul will live, and he will probably bless you to all eternity. (Wesley, quoted in Reader,Foley p. 28) It was not until the 18th century Western culture began to see a new view of childhood. Philosopher Rousseau in his largely influential book Emile published in 1972 wanted to protect the innocence of the child, believing it was the child’s right to be a child. His writings seemed to suggest the first realization of the concept of childhood being a special time of life. Rousseau was a large influence of literature of this time as children begun to dominate art and literature, and ceased to become souls in need of salvation but childhood became synonymous with innocence. This idea existed in opposition to the older belief that children were instinctively sinful because of the Judeo – Christian belief of original sin and continues to be seen in both literature of 19th and 20th century. In more recent times social construction has been defined by another theory; postmodernism. An important part of the postmodernism theory is the idea of ‘discourse’. Within postmodernism ‘discourse’ is taken to mean a whole set of interconnected ideas that work together in a self contained way, ideas that are held together by a particular ideology or view of the world†¦ The term ‘discourse’ is also used to specify a particular ‘take’ on some phenomenon. The two images†¦ the image of the ‘innocent and wholesome child’ and the image of the ‘wicked and sinful child’ can be seen as being based upon two different ‘discourses of childhood’. (Children in society p29) Although the two discourses within the postmodernism have two very different views on children and how they should be treated, they both share a common concept of ‘concern’ about children. This is a shared belief that adults do in fact have a responsibility towards children. However, they do not agree on what the actions of the adults are but do agree on action. Theses two different discourses are defined as the discourse of welfare and the discourse of control. The discourse of welfare being based on the romantisization of childhood and the assumptions that children are entitled to a good child hood and are innocent and need protection from the adult world. The discourse of control is based on the theory of original sin and children should be controlled and disciplined. The two discourses in turn have influenced policy and practice towards children. The discourse of welfare informs the Children’s Act 1989, which allows intervention where a child is seen to be at the risk of harm and the discourse of control informs education policy imposing compulsory education and strict regulation of the material being taught. Although the majority of time the two discourses can co exist well alongside each other conflicts can arise. Even though each discourse has its own set of professional bodies they can sometimes find the two competing discourses confusing and stressful and can leave employees sometimes failing. This in turn is highlighted by the media and leaves the Government under immense pressure to tighten their policy and procedures leaving it even harder for workers within health and social care Even today childhood is not seen as a universal stage of human life. Variations over time and culture are dramatic. Historians such as Aries and Rousseau had a profound impact on Western society and their beliefs on childhood and how children should be perceived and treated. This in turn has shaped the policies and practices for those working with children and their families.

New Barbie Doll produced by Mattel

Who is our target ( give brief lifestyle/attitudinal descriptions. Include some demographics, but not as important for most products. Users, heavy users, nonusers, users of competitive brands? Relationship to other product/ service usage? Emarati girls and their parents are the primary market for the new Islamic Barbie doll.   The highly religious, orthodox group still follows the fundamental Islamic traditions, including the formal dress and head coverings for women.   The most likely to purchase these dolls would be Emarati living in the United States or Europe, or those that are more wealthy and indulgent in the Islamic nations.   Mattel hopes to reach these consumers in the UAE. Where are we now in the mind of the person? (They don’t know us. They know us but don’t use us. They prefer another brand because†¦ they don’t understand what we can do. They don’t use us for enough things. And so on.) The traditions of the Islamic culture differ greatly from American culture.   This could initially present as a source of mistrust on the part of the Islamic consumer.   However, Mattel’s willingness to offer Farah will go a long way to melting this distrust.   In addition, the wild popularity of Barbie will give Farah some brand association along with the wide variety of peripheral products. Where is our competition in the mind of this person?   (Use the same approach as above, but focus on the competing brands). With few Islamic dolls on the market, Mattel should be well positioned to be the leader in marketing its products to Emarati girls.   The only real competition should come from small, family stores in Islamic countries and in predominantly Islamic areas of the United States and Europe. What is the consumer promise, the â€Å"big idea†? ( State the major focus of your campaign. Not a slogan or tag line at this stage, but an idea in simple language that will serve as the basis for a tag line – a brief statement that sums up what the campaign is about.) Mattel hopes to use cultural identity and promotion as the key idea for the marketing of Farah.   Embracing culture means healthy young women. What is the supporting evidence? (Draw on consumer benefits to strengthen and elaborate on what you chose in item 5. build benefit after benefit in support of your big idea.) Diversity and acceptance are becoming important concepts for global marketing.   With the shrinking borders of the world due to technology, cultural practices and values are no longer hidden.   Young Emarati girls will benefit from the knowledge that an international company is focusing on their own culture by promoting it through the Farah doll. What is the tone of voice for the advertising? ( Decide on the appropriate tone – warm, family, values, startling, hi-tech, sobering fact, mild guilt, and so on†¦) The tone of the advertising should be a warm and inviting tone which focuses, as the Arab nations due, on family strength and traditional values.

Basketball

Basketball Basketball is an athletic sport, usually played on an indoor court in which two competing teams of five players each attempt to score by throwing an inflated ball so that it descends through one of two baskets suspended, at each end of the court, above their heads. The team scoring the most such throws, through field goals or foul shots, wins the game. Because of its continuous action and frequent scoring, basketball is one of the most popular spectator as well as participant sports in the world.Court and TeamsThe measurements of American and international basketball courts differ slightly. The basketball court is a rectangular area ranging in size from about 94 ft by 50 ft to about 74 ft by 42 ft. At each end of the court is a vertical backboard, measuring usually about 6 ft by 4 ft. Each backboard is anchored to a wall, suspended from the ceiling, or otherwise mounted so that its lower edge is about 9 ft above the court.Portrait of the University of Michigan varsity bas...

Atlantic Slave Trade

The Atlantic slave trade, between the fifteenth and the nineteenth centuries, was the largest forced migration in the history of mankind. This migration was distinct from others of the kind, in terms of its begrudging nature, record breaking mortality rates and the alienation of generations from their roots. This essay aims to explore the various factors that led to the development of Atlantic slave trade political, technological, social and economic.It also analyses the profitability of the trade from the viewpoint of the various stakeholders entangled in this epic trade network kings, slave traders and dilemma, planters and ordinary consumers. POLITICAL FACTORS The yearning of the Europeans especially Portuguese, Spanish, British and the Dutch for exploration, colonization and imperialism was a major factor in expanding the slave trade networks in the Atlantic. As discussed by Timothy P.Grady in the book The Atlantic World 1450-2000, explorers from Portugal, Spain and other European nations expanded the geographic knowledge southward along the coast of Africa and westward across the Atlantic shores of the Americas . The urge for this exploration was triggered by the fall of Constantinople in May 1943, the last vestige of the Roman Empire, to the Muslim Turks which shook the fortitude of the European countries and the Christian faith. The expansion of the Ottoman Empire around the Mediterranean region deprived European merchants of the lucrative trade routes along the Silk Road to the East. The threat of lost communication and trade routes across the Mediterranean into China, India and other regions of eastern Asia and lost access to silk and other precious commodities carried along this route, forced Europeans to explore alternate trade routes to Asia by turning westward for new opportunities. Discovery of new routes west of Europe through the Atlantic, led to European arrival off West coast of Africa in the late fifteenth century.By mid seventeenth century, the coast line of West Africa was infiltrated by fifty forts and slave trading posts of competing European countries Portugal, Spain, Britain, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Germany dividing the coastline into -? Ivory Coast, Gold Coast and Slave Coast. The political set up in Africa also facilitated slave trade. Africa was divided into a number of small and l arge states, chieftains and independent villages each with their own form of government, religion, customs and radiations. These territories often fought with each other and the captives of war were taken as slaves. Such conflicts were justified wars which according to Warren. C. Whitley was natural struggles Of nation building conducted in the normal course of affairs. The captives referred to as joint-products of war or stolen goods were then exported. With the advent of the Europeans, domestic conflicts became slave raids. As Robin Law asserted, the Kingdom of Doomed dominated the slave raiding and trading from 1 715 to 1850. Their kings held a royal monopoly on the trade and conducted slave aids through their armies. Thus the political ambitions of the European and African monarchy led to the development of the slave trade. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS The developments in technology and its impact on navigation, ship building, and firearms aided the growth in Atlantic slave trade. Navigation The desire for exploration spurred European scholars, navigators and sailors to expand their knowledge of geography and devise new ways of charting and mapping their journeys. Increased use of the hour glass and logs to measure time and distance and the Portola charts clearly documented navigation.In 1462, the Portuguese navigators devised methods of figuring out latitudes by measuring the height of the Pole Star above the horizon. Later in 1484, astronomers in the court of King Jiao II, using the midday sun to figure latitudes, produced a set Of declination tables. Under the patronage of prince Henry of Portugal, other significant developments were made in the study of winds, tides and ocean currents; documents fro m previous explorations were compiled and maps and charts were continuously improved. Thus a good number of problems associated with navigation were resolved by late fifteenth century.As navigation across the great oceans became manageable, the transportation of the slaves between the continents Europe, Africa and America became less complicated. Ship Building The changes to the design and functionalities of the European ships were another major factor that contributed to the expansion of Atlantic slave trade. Between the fourteenth and mid- nineteenth centuries, sailing ships were the main means of transport of the slaves. These sailing ships kept changing over time in terms of design, fittings, equipments and materials used as sail. SE of here to four masts, sturdy hull, square latten and sprit sails, and stern rudder enhanced their sailing power, speed and eased control of the ships in wild weather conditions. Small ships such as the caravel, highly unbearable ships introduced in the fifteenth century encouraged the Portuguese to explore regions around West Afric an coast such as Senegal and Cape Verve and Canary islands to secure staples, gold and slaves. Other ships designed by Portuguese for travel in the Atlantic Ocean were the cracks, four master ships and the galleon, heavily armed multi deck sailing ships.The ships also ere in size and multi decks were able to accommodate larger number of slaves. The mean tonnage of the slave ships from Liverpool in 1730 was 75 tons. This increased to 130 tons in 1 790 and 226 tons in 1805. Weapons The supremacy of Europe in the slave trade was driven by its guns, cannons and restraints. They used a variety of weapons to threaten the slaves and the enemy ships at sea, to maintain control both on land and at sea. The diffusion of the new gunpowder technology accelerated the slave trade. The African communities, threatened by armed neighbors, resorted to trading the patties for gunpowder, guns and muskets.In the words of Warren. C. Whitley, the vicious cycle, a raid or be raided arms race known as the Gun- Slave-Cycle was created. The replacement of the ineffective matchlock musket by the flintlock nil 6805, drastically increased firearms demand in West Africa. According to J. E. Nikkei, the firearms imported from England during the eighteenth century were between 283,000 and 394,000 guns per annum. The demand for firearms from West Africa was so high that manufacturing companies such as Farmer and Gallon were forced to pressurize their workers to increase production.The demand for firearms was matched by supply of slaves. The developments in restraining technology aided the slave trade in terms of terrorizing the slaves and reducing escapes. The restraints used in the trade included, neck restraints, iron collars linked by chains, tongue restraints and leg and wrist shackles to trammel movement. The ability to stow more slaves per cubic foot of the ship, ability to navigate better around the coast Of Africa, the reduction in escapees due to draconian restraints, and the organization of forts around the coast to lodge the captives helped to reduce costs and promote trade.SOCIAL FACTORS African Demand for goods from Europe The introduction of a wide range of consumption goods in West Africa, the possession officio was a matter of social status and power, was another factor leading to the development of Atlantic slave trade. The African demand for iron and copper bars, textiles, salt, earthenware, weapons and firearms, rum, wine, gin and cowries shells and a variety of both European and oriental goods had a profound impact on slave trade. The demands for these goods were so high that the European suppliers could not cope with the increased demand.J. E. Nikkei commented that firearms and textiles were in such high demand by the slave traders that they were not prepared to clear their slave cargo, if they were not satisfied with the quantity of supply of these items of trade. The merchants were willing to trade their morality to capture slaves in exchange for European goods. Alan Rice clearly identifies this when he asserts, The desire for luxury goods was so great that these African elites would consign war captives and domestic slaves to an unknown fate across the ocean in exchange for them. Growth in Slave trading institutions Growth in social institutions to perform a more organized slave trade was a key factor in Atlantic slave trade. The increase in demand and prices of slaves encouraged the development of various institutions to address the issues associated with the trade capture, enslavement, seasoning, trade, regulations and taxation. The merchants explored new ways of trapping the slaves deception, kidnapping, ambush attacks, promoting conflicts between villages and the pretence of family substitution for the runaways.The kidnap of Aloud Equation in asses in his words, One day when all our people were one out to their works as usual and only I and my sister were left to mind the house, two men and woman got over our walls and in a moment seized us both And ran off with us into the nearest wood. The drought and famine in Africa due to marginal rainfalls in the Savannah areas Angola and the grasslands extending from Assignment to Cameron, forced despoiling families to sell themselves. People were too poor to survive and offered themselves as collateral for credits.Non repayment made them slaves. Development of enforcement mechanisms also encouraged the slave trade. Credit was offered to slave traders to cover costs of acquiring transporting and housing slaves until they were boarded on the ships. Other types of such mechanisms, described by Warren. C. Whitley were the use of factories and forts as holding pens and warehouses, African canoe houses and other trade coalitions, secret societies and treaties between European and African nations.The cycle of violence to hunt down the slaves continued leading to an upsurge in slave trade The decline in population in the Americas This was another important factor that led to the development of Atlantic slave trade. With the European colonization of the Americas, there was a growth in mining and plantations in the islands between North and South America and the labor demands were met by native Indians. The massive mortality rates of the natives due to poor working conditions and new European and African diseases such as measles, small pox, the plague, influenza, malaria and yellow fever led to decline in the population of Americas.Figure 1 presents data on the drastic decline in population in Americas which led to a decline in labor. The Europeans now turned to the Negroes in Africa for l abor. They soon found that the African slaves were more productive and the output quadrupled. Shiploads of slaves were exported to work in these American islands and soon the slave trade was transformed from a marginal institution to a global phenomenon. ECONOMIC FACTORS Growth in Plantations The development of Atlantic slave trade stemmed from the growth in plantation agriculture such as sugar, cotton, tobacco, tea and rice in the New World.The demand for plantation workers in sixteenth century Brazil, seventeenth century Caribbean and nineteenth century Cuba instigated slave supply from Africa. The intensity of the growth in plantations could be seen in small islands like Barbados. By 1650 Barbados had 300 plantations which multiplied to 900 by 1670, a rate of 100% per annum. The growing demand for sugar, multiplying at a compound rate of 5% per annum in the seventeenth century to about 10% in the nineteenth century, increased the demand for African slaves to work in the sugar plantations in the New World lands.As H. Hoboes puts it, nonfood became responsible for the Fractionation of the Caribbean. This small group of islands accounted for 80% of the sugar and slave trade until the eighteenth century. The slave labor for majority of these plantations was secured from Africa through the Atlantic. As plantations became the expanded into a global trade network, so did the Atlantic slave trade. Slave Trade and Profitability There were various groups of stakeholders in the Atlantic Slave trade who participated in it due to the profitability from the trade in slaves.African Rulers profited in terms of taxes and custom duties paid by the European merchants. They were given the first choice of any merchandise that was brought into Africa for trade and were able to bargain lower prices for these goods. The rulers also commanded premium prices for their own slaves. They also received considerable gifts from the merchants in order to secure preferential trading agreements. Idaho, a coastal town in Benign, West Africa was a strong European trading post since 1720 and was accessed by forty to fifty European trading vessels per year.Hence the ruler who started off with ten slaves in exchange for opening his market in 1 700 was able to command a higher price of twenty slaves by 1720. This was in addition to the privileges in the purchase or sale of the commodities which included the slaves as well. According to Miles Osborn, by 18005 the rulers in Africa Were able to obtain goods for each slave worth three or four times as much in 1700. Both African and European slave traders were paid well. Overwhelmed by the profits from slave exports, wealthy merchants both in Africa and Europe, expanded slave trading networks to prodigious numbers.Figure 2 analyses changes in supply by African slave merchants in response to changes in prices. The data reveals that the supply increased as price increased. Hence, the largest emigration of slaves in the eighteenth century can be attributed to the increase in price from E 14 to EYE. Between the years 1 779 and 1788, there was a decrease in demand for slaves due to the War of American Independence. This created excess supply of slaves in the African coast. Hence the planter in Americas started restocking their slave supply. The European slave traders capitalized on this by securing supply at cheaper prices from Africa and selling higher prices in the Americas; thereby making abnormal profits between these years. Thus slave trade allowed African and European slave traders to maximize profits from the trade. The consumers of Europe profited in terms of cheaper commodity prices due to increased output by African slaves in the plantations. Figure 3 presents data on the production of sugar and tobacco by British colonies.The increased volume of production of these commodities reduced their prices much to the favor of European consumers. Tobacco which fetched twenty to forty shillings In 1619 was sold for a shilling or less while the price of sugar halved be;en 1 630 and 1680. Thus the consumers were able to enjoy the luxury of these commodities at affordable prices. The planters were another group of stakeholders in the trade who profited in their own way. Labor became heap and more available due to Atlantic Slave trade.The planters always worked with a motive of profitable exploitation of the factors of production, especially labor and work was dictated by discipline and violence. Successful planters were able to create immense wealth and have extravagant lifestyles. While the slaves slogged day and night in the plantations, the owners were able to retreat in the Great Houses built on commanding positions, with beautiful gardens, imported china, furniture and furnishings. The fortune and lifestyle of Sir Charles price, the largest land and slave owner of Jamaica teen 1 738 and 1772 demonstrates the height of planter lifestyles. The Decoy, the Great House he built was a mansion with magnificent rooms with mirrors and wood carving in the dcore, lakes and parks around the house and elegant gardens with fruits, flowers and vegetables. CONCLUSION This essay has clearly illustrated the factors that led to the development of the Atlantic Slave trade. Penthouse the political set up in Europe and Africa and the growth in plantations laid the foundation for the trade, it was the technological developments and social influences on the Europeans and Africans that took the trade to global heights.Overall, the technological improvements lowered transport, handling and shipping costs enabling the achievement of economies of scale. Similarly, the growing demand for goods from Europe in Africa, the growth in slave trading institutions and the decline in Americas population fostered the slave trade. Finally, the profitability from the trade influenced various groups of stakeholders to become intensely involved making it an international trade spanning four continents and altering their social, economic and political composition.

The aim of this assignment is to develop your planning and analytical Essay

The aim of this assignment is to develop your planning and analytical skills in the context of a complex project orientated environment. (MS project software required) - Essay Example EVM is one of the widely used techniques by project managers in order to analyse and keep an eye on the status of the project. EVM can be used by the project manager to analyse the project’s progress. There are three important factors that are used in measuring the performance of the project and EVM analyses the performance of the project on these three basis: So, using EVM a project manager is able to track the performance and make sure whether project is going in the right direction or not and whether the project will be completed within the deadline and within the cost. If the project is right on track then the project manager needs to make sure that same pattern is continued or followed so that it is completed appropriately. If the project is not on the right track, then he needs to analyse the problems and take corrective actions. The project in this report has been evaluated using EMV and PERT analysis techniques. EMV tool has been used by project managers in order to evaluate the progress of the project on the basis of time, cost and scope or quality. EMV has been an important tool for the project managers in not only analysing and identifying the project progress (Hamilton, 2004) but it is also an important for the project manager in order to evaluate the cost that has already been incurred in the project and thus, the project managers can also evaluate the cost that has already been incurred and the cost that would be incurred even in between the project duration. Before EMV, project managers used to face many problems in analyzing the progress of the projects however the problem has been solved to a great extent with the introduction of EMV. On the other hand, PERT analysis is the other technique that has been used. The word PERT is the abbreviation of Program Evaluation and Review Technique and this tool