Personhood and Abortion Essay

The topic of personhood and abortion is a very controversial one. I agree with Marquis and Thomson’s theory on how personhood does not settle the ethical debate on abortion. Therefore, I will explain Don Marquis’s argument, his critique of the traditional pro-life argument, why this argument is far off from the general idea of what a person is and why I agree with his argument. Then, I will discuss Judith Thomson’s argument and why I believe the Burglars and Seed People argument is the most persuasive. Lastly, I will describe what I believe the definition of a person is. Towards the beginning of Marquis’s article he states, â€Å"The anti-abortionist charges, not unreasonably, that pro-choice principles concerning killing are too narrow to be acceptable; the pro-choicer charges, not unreasonably, that anti-abortionist principles concerning killing are too broad to be acceptable†¦All this suggests that a necessary condition of resolving the abortion controversy is a more theoretical account of the wrongness of killing. † (92) I agree that personhood alone does not solve the issue of abortion. His article discusses the principle concerning the wrongness of killing. This principle entails that it is wrong to destroy cancer-cell cultures or any other human cell cultures that are done in a lab. This is far-off from what the general idea of a person is. Cells and a person share little of the same characteristics; therefore, the anti-abortionist’s principle is too broad. Marquis says, â€Å"Killing adults is wrong because it deprives them of their future. But in killing a fetus, we are also depriving it of its future. Thus, it seems inconsistent to object to one but not the other. (90) Basically, he is saying that if we think killing an adult is wrong then we ought to think that killing a fetus is wrong. Marquis concentrates on applying that personhood doesn’t matter when arguing about abortion because most arguments involving personhood are too narrow or too broad in scope. What matters is the fact that killing is depriving one of one’s future. This princ iple even suggests that fetuses at an early stage of pregnancy fall under the wrongness of killing idea. Marquis also discusses how the pro-choicer believes in a moral principle concerning the wrongness of killing that fetuses do not fall under. He says that this principle is too narrow in scope and does not embrace enough. This principle would allow for the killing of infants that were mentally handicapped or ill. I agree with Marquis’s concept on how personhood does not settle this controversial issue. Just being a person does not explain why abortion is wrong. As Marquis discusses, the wrongness comes from the loss of one’s life deprives one of the future. Judith Jarvis Thomson’s article begins with her saying, â€Å"Most opposition to abortion relies on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person, from the moment of conception. I think that the premise is false, that the fetus is not a person from the moment of conception. A newly fertilized ovum, a newly implanted clump of cells, is no more a person than an acorn is an oak tree. † (97) The first premise of the Potential Persons Argument says, â€Å"If it is wrong to kill persons, it is wrong to kill potential persons. † (Lecture) Thomson believes that potentially being something or someone does not give one the rights of actually being that something or someone. Therefore, a freshly implanted clump of cells in a female is no different than a new acorn growing to potentially become an oak tree. An acorn is just a potential oak tree; there is no guarantee that it indeed will grow into an oak tree, just as a clump of cells has the potential to grow into a human, but there is no guarantee this will happen. Thomson uses an interesting example in her argument. A violinist is dying and only you have the right blood type to save him. You are kidnapped overnight and the violinist’s circulatory system is plugged into yours. You have to stay plugged into him until he gets better. It is permissible for you to choose to disconnect yourself from him because you did not consent. The same idea would apply to rape and incest. Thomson says, â€Å"Even supposing a case in which a woman pregnant due to rape ought to allow the unborn person to use her body for the hour he needs, we should not conclude that he has a right to do so; we should conclude that she is self-centered, callous, indecent, but not unjust, if she refuses. † (108) This quote explains why the violinist theory would apply to rape and incest. Thomson also uses the Seed People argument, which I believe is the most persuasive argument. There are â€Å"seed people† who float in the air, land on your carpet and grow into adults. Because of this, you buy preventive screens, but the seed people pass through the screen and take root. It is permissible to get rid of the seed people because you did take preventative measures. This argument implies that abortion would be permissible if the mother did take preventative actions while having intercourse and still got pregnant. I agree with Thomson on this. If a woman is on birth control and uses a condom while having intercourse and she still gets pregnant, then it should be morally permissible for her to get an abortion. It is normal for adults to have an urge for intercourse and I believe they should be able to do so even if they do not want a baby. Intercourse is not just about pleasure, but about love as well. Therefore, it should be permissible for adults who have had protected intercourse to get an abortion. Some people might object to Thomson’s theory on the seed people because you are still â€Å"killing† a person. But, you have the right to what happens in your body and therefore I believe you have the right to make the decision for an abortion. Overall, I agree with Thomson’s article. I like that she starts with a controversial pro-life argument and then finishes with a pro-choice conclusion. She used great analogies when presenting her arguments. What makes up a person is another controversial issue. In my opinion, a person is a self-conscious or rational being with the ability to reason and a notion of self-identity. Although, I think an individual’s definition of a person may be based upon whether they believe abortion is morally permissible or not. One might try to fix the definition of personhood in order to get the desired outcome about abortion. For example, an individual who thinks abortion is morally permissible might define a person as someone who has the ability to reason, ability to consent, ability to control one’s attention and action, ability to communicate, and ability to be morally responsible. By this definition, a fetus would not really be a person because fetuses can not do all of these things. Therefore, abortion would be morally permissible because the fetus is not a person.

Bottled Water

Yizza Burgueno First Draft Instructor Michael Heumann English 101 March 26, 2013 Bottled Water Most American see bottled water as a necessity, even though bottled water did not exist many years ago. Drinking out of a water bottle has become the standard drinking source for most Americans. We have become dependent on plastic waste. Water is life sustaining, so many of us would think that drinking water out of a bottle is harmless. Regrettably it is not, there have been traces of PET and BPA in the plastic containers we are drinking out of. Both PET and BPA can stimulate sever health consequences.Not only are we putting our life in danger by drinking out of bottled water but our planet as well. Plastic bottles don’t just vanish into thin air. Most Americans don’t recycle, so most plastic bottles end up on streets, rivers, lakes, canals, streams, or oceans polluting our planet. Not only is bottled water way more expensive than tap, it also contains the same water quality a s tap water. In other words we’re just paying for the names on the plastic bottles. Rather than paying for quality, our tap water can produce just about the same quality as bottled water. Bottled water is not all it is made out to be.We all need water to survive, especially when up to 60% of the human body is composed of it (USGS, 2009). Water is absolutely necessary to our planet. Approximately 75% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, but only 1% of that is drinkable (Soechtig, 2009). Hence, clean drinkable water is not as easy to get as it may seem. Representative Dennis Kuchinich from Ohio states that, â€Å"Water is a basic human right, it’s a necessary for survival of life. When you start commodifying the necessities of life in such a way as to make it more difficult for people to gain access, you have the basis for serious political instability,† (Soechtig, 2009).Water is no longer a fundamental right, it has become bankable and sold to peopl e who already have perfectly drinkable water coming out of their tap. People are looking at water as if it were gold and are only looking for a way to profit off of it. Instead of waiting in line to drink from the water fountains, people are waiting in line at the stores to pay for overly priced bottled water. People are no longer drink out of water fountains or out their kitchen sinks because they have the luxury of buying bottled water.Therefore, the demand for water fountains has decreased because of how easily it is to obtain bottled water. The more we buy bottled water, the more we are convinced that bottled water is not a luxury, but rather a necessity (Gleick, 2010, p. 107). Although, drinking out of a plastic bottle can cost twice as much, if not more than the water that comes out of our kitchen sinks and public drinking fountains and may also harm not only our health but our planet as well, millions of people still keep buying and drinking out of bottled water.Peter Gleick author of Bottled and Sold: the Story Behind our Obsession with Bottled Water, wrote, â€Å"certainly, the environmental problems with bottled water, the economic costs to pocketbooks, and the growing support for improving tap water quality and reliability are all contributing to new thinking about the simple act of buying a plastic bottled water,†(Gleick, 2010, p. 161). Bottled water was nonexistent many years ago. Elizabeth Royote mentions in her book, that people did not start walking down the streets with their water bottles until 1989 when water could be put in clear, lightweight bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).Once that was created, bottled water skyrocketed in the 90’s. Water sales tripled in size, from 4. 5 gallons per year for the average American in 1986, to 12. 7 gallons per person in 1997 (NRDC, 1999). In 2007, Americans bout more than 29 billion bottles of water (Soechtig, 2009). America has engraved into people heads that drinking tap wat er is not healthy and in fear of the people have turned to bottled water thinking it’s the healthier option for them. Some people have gone to drinking bottled water literally because they are concerned about their water, and the problem is they are unaware of the fact that buying bottled water is not necessarily safe, that they end up being exposed to other chemical compounds,† says Stephanie King (PH. D. , M. P. H. ) a toxicologists and epidemiologist with Toxicology Inc. (Soechtig, 2009). Bottled water can actually lead to health concerns for those with weak immune systems, (NRDC, 1999). Most water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer derived from oil that adds flexibility, color, and strength to plastic (Royote, 2008, p. 48). Another health risky ingredient in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic is Bisphenol A (BPA), a non steroidal estrogenic compound (Rubin, Murray, Damassa, King, and Soto, 2001). BPA can be found in many products such as sports bottles, baby bottles, and water coolers (Soechtig, 2009). Every American owns or has own a bottled that contained BPA, and because BPA mimics estrogen most bottles say they are â€Å"BPA free†. â€Å"Bisphoenol A may be one of the most potent, toxic chemicals known to man. The problem is Bisphenol A acts at very low doses as an estrogen,† (Soechtig, 2009).Both PET and BPA can be harming to Americans health, one leading to cancer and the other leading to the reproductive system. One’s life is not only in danger from drinking out of bottled water but the earth’s life as well. A large amount of water is wasted to create plastic bottles plus the water used to fill it. The amounts of bottles produce are not nearly close to the amounts recycled. Of the 80 million single served bottles of water consumed daily, 30 million ends up in landfills (Soechtig, 2009). The other ends up all over the streets making their way to the ocean, lakes, rivers, ca nals.Etc. The average international recycling rate for beverages containers for the word is 50%, but the United States is 20% and this number has been declining (Soechtig, 2009). The cost to produce bottled water is twice as expensive as, if not more, than tap water. Why waste more money on bottled water when people are already paying for it in the comfort of their own home. There is the cost of materials, production, and transportation. â€Å"This energy cost is a thousand times larger than the energy required to produce, process, treat, and deliver tap water,† (Gleick, 2010, p. 5). Are we just paying for the brand of the bottle rather than the quality of the water? 40% of bottled water is really just filtered tap water (Soechtig, 2009). Meaning that if people added a filter to their tap they can have bottled water quality coming out of their own kitchen faucet for a lower price. Most bottled water labels show a beautiful picture of waterfalls or mountains with streams runni ng through, portraying that that’s where the water comes from but in all reality the bottled water People are drinking from doesn’t come from afar.Yosemite water one the most popular bottled water in the Imperial Valley comes from Los Angeles California (Gleick, 2010, p. 110). Bottled water can cause illnesses, pollution, and costs lots of money. It may have the advantage of being convenient, but convenient is not worth harming your health, making the earth less livable, or spending more money on something that can comes out of your kitchen faucet, which in most cases you’re already paying for. Bottled water may look fancy or have a different taste to it but it’s not worth all the consequences.That’s why bottled water is not all it is made out to be. Works Cited Gleick, Peter H. Bottled and Sold: The Story behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. Washington, Dc: Island, 2010. Print. Olson, Erik D. â€Å"Bottled Water. † NRDC:. NRDC, 1999. We b. 5 Mar. 2013. . Royte, Elizabeth. Bottlemania: Big Business, Local Springs, and the Battle over America's Drinking Water. New York: Bloomsbury, 2009. Print. Rubin, B. S. , M. K. Murray, D. A. Damassa, J. C. King, and A. M. Soto. Abstract. † National Center for Biotechnology Information. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 20 Dec. 2005. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. . Soechtig, Stephanie. â€Å"Tapped. † | Tapped the Movie – Official Site |. N. p. , 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. . Us Geological Survey. â€Å"The Water in You. † Water Properties: (Water Science for Schools). Us Geological Survey, Oct. 2009. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. . Bottled Water Yizza Burgueno First Draft Instructor Michael Heumann English 101 March 26, 2013 Bottled Water Most American see bottled water as a necessity, even though bottled water did not exist many years ago. Drinking out of a water bottle has become the standard drinking source for most Americans. We have become dependent on plastic waste. Water is life sustaining, so many of us would think that drinking water out of a bottle is harmless. Regrettably it is not, there have been traces of PET and BPA in the plastic containers we are drinking out of. Both PET and BPA can stimulate sever health consequences.Not only are we putting our life in danger by drinking out of bottled water but our planet as well. Plastic bottles don’t just vanish into thin air. Most Americans don’t recycle, so most plastic bottles end up on streets, rivers, lakes, canals, streams, or oceans polluting our planet. Not only is bottled water way more expensive than tap, it also contains the same water quality a s tap water. In other words we’re just paying for the names on the plastic bottles. Rather than paying for quality, our tap water can produce just about the same quality as bottled water. Bottled water is not all it is made out to be.We all need water to survive, especially when up to 60% of the human body is composed of it (USGS, 2009). Water is absolutely necessary to our planet. Approximately 75% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, but only 1% of that is drinkable (Soechtig, 2009). Hence, clean drinkable water is not as easy to get as it may seem. Representative Dennis Kuchinich from Ohio states that, â€Å"Water is a basic human right, it’s a necessary for survival of life. When you start commodifying the necessities of life in such a way as to make it more difficult for people to gain access, you have the basis for serious political instability,† (Soechtig, 2009).Water is no longer a fundamental right, it has become bankable and sold to peopl e who already have perfectly drinkable water coming out of their tap. People are looking at water as if it were gold and are only looking for a way to profit off of it. Instead of waiting in line to drink from the water fountains, people are waiting in line at the stores to pay for overly priced bottled water. People are no longer drink out of water fountains or out their kitchen sinks because they have the luxury of buying bottled water.Therefore, the demand for water fountains has decreased because of how easily it is to obtain bottled water. The more we buy bottled water, the more we are convinced that bottled water is not a luxury, but rather a necessity (Gleick, 2010, p. 107). Although, drinking out of a plastic bottle can cost twice as much, if not more than the water that comes out of our kitchen sinks and public drinking fountains and may also harm not only our health but our planet as well, millions of people still keep buying and drinking out of bottled water.Peter Gleick author of Bottled and Sold: the Story Behind our Obsession with Bottled Water, wrote, â€Å"certainly, the environmental problems with bottled water, the economic costs to pocketbooks, and the growing support for improving tap water quality and reliability are all contributing to new thinking about the simple act of buying a plastic bottled water,†(Gleick, 2010, p. 161). Bottled water was nonexistent many years ago. Elizabeth Royote mentions in her book, that people did not start walking down the streets with their water bottles until 1989 when water could be put in clear, lightweight bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).Once that was created, bottled water skyrocketed in the 90’s. Water sales tripled in size, from 4. 5 gallons per year for the average American in 1986, to 12. 7 gallons per person in 1997 (NRDC, 1999). In 2007, Americans bout more than 29 billion bottles of water (Soechtig, 2009). America has engraved into people heads that drinking tap wat er is not healthy and in fear of the people have turned to bottled water thinking it’s the healthier option for them. Some people have gone to drinking bottled water literally because they are concerned about their water, and the problem is they are unaware of the fact that buying bottled water is not necessarily safe, that they end up being exposed to other chemical compounds,† says Stephanie King (PH. D. , M. P. H. ) a toxicologists and epidemiologist with Toxicology Inc. (Soechtig, 2009). Bottled water can actually lead to health concerns for those with weak immune systems, (NRDC, 1999). Most water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer derived from oil that adds flexibility, color, and strength to plastic (Royote, 2008, p. 48). Another health risky ingredient in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic is Bisphenol A (BPA), a non steroidal estrogenic compound (Rubin, Murray, Damassa, King, and Soto, 2001). BPA can be found in many products such as sports bottles, baby bottles, and water coolers (Soechtig, 2009). Every American owns or has own a bottled that contained BPA, and because BPA mimics estrogen most bottles say they are â€Å"BPA free†. â€Å"Bisphoenol A may be one of the most potent, toxic chemicals known to man. The problem is Bisphenol A acts at very low doses as an estrogen,† (Soechtig, 2009).Both PET and BPA can be harming to Americans health, one leading to cancer and the other leading to the reproductive system. One’s life is not only in danger from drinking out of bottled water but the earth’s life as well. A large amount of water is wasted to create plastic bottles plus the water used to fill it. The amounts of bottles produce are not nearly close to the amounts recycled. Of the 80 million single served bottles of water consumed daily, 30 million ends up in landfills (Soechtig, 2009). The other ends up all over the streets making their way to the ocean, lakes, rivers, ca nals.Etc. The average international recycling rate for beverages containers for the word is 50%, but the United States is 20% and this number has been declining (Soechtig, 2009). The cost to produce bottled water is twice as expensive as, if not more, than tap water. Why waste more money on bottled water when people are already paying for it in the comfort of their own home. There is the cost of materials, production, and transportation. â€Å"This energy cost is a thousand times larger than the energy required to produce, process, treat, and deliver tap water,† (Gleick, 2010, p. 5). Are we just paying for the brand of the bottle rather than the quality of the water? 40% of bottled water is really just filtered tap water (Soechtig, 2009). Meaning that if people added a filter to their tap they can have bottled water quality coming out of their own kitchen faucet for a lower price. Most bottled water labels show a beautiful picture of waterfalls or mountains with streams runni ng through, portraying that that’s where the water comes from but in all reality the bottled water People are drinking from doesn’t come from afar.Yosemite water one the most popular bottled water in the Imperial Valley comes from Los Angeles California (Gleick, 2010, p. 110). Bottled water can cause illnesses, pollution, and costs lots of money. It may have the advantage of being convenient, but convenient is not worth harming your health, making the earth less livable, or spending more money on something that can comes out of your kitchen faucet, which in most cases you’re already paying for. Bottled water may look fancy or have a different taste to it but it’s not worth all the consequences.That’s why bottled water is not all it is made out to be. Works Cited Gleick, Peter H. Bottled and Sold: The Story behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. Washington, Dc: Island, 2010. Print. Olson, Erik D. â€Å"Bottled Water. † NRDC:. NRDC, 1999. We b. 5 Mar. 2013. . Royte, Elizabeth. Bottlemania: Big Business, Local Springs, and the Battle over America's Drinking Water. New York: Bloomsbury, 2009. Print. Rubin, B. S. , M. K. Murray, D. A. Damassa, J. C. King, and A. M. Soto. Abstract. † National Center for Biotechnology Information. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 20 Dec. 2005. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. . Soechtig, Stephanie. â€Å"Tapped. † | Tapped the Movie – Official Site |. N. p. , 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. . Us Geological Survey. â€Å"The Water in You. † Water Properties: (Water Science for Schools). Us Geological Survey, Oct. 2009. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. .

Environmental issues for business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental issues for business - Essay Example These impacts may interfere with the requirements that govern business activities and the response of the organizations to them is considered to be very important. This thus shows that there is a vital relationship between the activities of a business and the environmental impact. International businesses make the issue even worse as these requirements vary from one country to another. This should be considered critically when making plans for the running of the business. Pollution is one factor that affects the relationship between a business and the environment. The way the business disposes its waste products may bring about social costs as it may be forced to invent better ways that may turn out to increase operational costs. It is known to be against some government policies in some countries and good citizenship in others to dispose hazardous waste products in the water systems or even in the air especially for developing countries. This may go as far as restricting the running of some industries if not well taken care of. Solutions therefore for such problems should be considered right from the start of the business. Plans may vary and the cost may depend on the choice of plans. It may require new facilities to take care of the waste and may be an increment in working hours. However, business activities may be boosted if the waste product can be sold to other industries that use them as raw materials. Another favorable solution is the recycling of the waste products. This however may increase cost as the recycling equipment may be required. It may also not favor all organizations as some of their waste products may not be in a position to be recycled. Some wastes cannot be reused. It is the responsibility of the business organizations therefore to take note of them all and evaluate the possible solution for their case. This makes the environmental issues more important as far as planning for business

LITERATURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

LITERATURE - Essay Example While generally the end of the First World War can be regarded as the commencement of the modernist tradition in literature, end of the Second World War marked initiation of the postmodernism. The writers of modernist tradition, after experiencing the radical shift from romantic traditions which also was further worsened by great devastation of the First World War, attempted to develop a holistic approach that they considered to be a matter of great importance to solve the prevailing problems. The postmodernists on the other hand adopted quite a different approach than that of the modernists and emphasized on the evaluation as well as analysis of the different aspects that construct life from in a fragmented manner. Irrespective of the fact that postmodernists derived a great deal of their inspiration from modernist traits of writing, however, their attempt to deal with subjects of novels in a fragmented and highly individualized manner developed the core of postmodernism. Such effor ts not only helped in the genesis of different sub-genres in the 20th Century novel writing tradition but also helped readers to receive more accurate understanding of the social, cultural, political and philosophical scenario of the contemporary time. ... to art and aesthetics of modernist literature, development of popular literature and to which extent these two novels, respectively, have helped in understanding the forms of postmodern existence in a better way. In order to establish the criteria for determining the best novel of 20th Century, it is important to understand both modernism and postmodernism as these two literary and philosophical disciplines have played the most important parts in determining the aesthetics of the century, elaborated the socio-cultural aspects and finally help a reader to understand the relevance of texts with both aesthetics as well as socio-cultural dimensions. The term ‘modernism’ has raised a great deal of debate, dilemma and controversies among critics of literature and such vast is its expanse that quite often it becomes difficult to determine the actual literary-philosophical dimension of the discipline. Thus, critics like Malcolm Bradbury and James McFarlane, in their efforts to d etermine modernism, have emphasized on two different â€Å"sets of association† (Gupta, 2005, p. 221). In the first set of association they have opined is linked with â€Å"high aesthetic self-consciousness and nonrepresentationalism, in which art turns from realism and humanistic representation towards style, technique, and spatial form in pursuit of a deeper penetration of life †¦.† (Cited in Gupta, 2005, p. 221). This type of association helps in the genesis of experimental and innovative arts and consecutively deconstructs the traditional forms of artistic perception as well as representation in terms of structure, myth and organization. In the second type of association the critics have attempted to elaborate the reasons that resulted in such changes. While on one hand the intellectual dimension

Cisco Topic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cisco Topic Analysis - Essay Example The next main step was taken regarding the reallocation of the majority of the IT budget to the departmental level. In this way each department will have a direct control over the departmental money. In this new structure the concept of the cartelized management has minimized. The next main transformation he has made is regarding the separation of the central IT steering committee. He has established a new structure through which IT investment decisions on application projects will be taken by the line management. In this regard the main execution of these projects will be done by the centralized IT organization (Schwartz) & (Jouret). Accoring to Pinkowski (2004), old Cisco legacy system was a UNIX based software package that maintained its operations of manufacturing, financial, and order entry. This system was crashed on January 1994 and because of this problem organization’s systems were down for two days. At that time CISCO administration realized that they should implemen t an ERP system quickly. After the time of less then one year Cisco successfully established an ERP system from Oracle (Pinkowski). NOLAN (2005) has outlined the main benefits of the ERP system and the web-centric supply chain. This offered the greater facility of the email, and server operating systems, Voicemail, desktop, meeting schedule software and office productivity suites were all standardized. Through this transformation the whole business operational structure became centralized (NOLAN). According to Schwartz (2006) through the web-enabling CISCO whole systems’ operations were standardized and Cisco was capable to carry out business activities with enhanced efficiency and more effectively (Schwartz). Through this implementation of new technology based system and large IT projects CISCO was able to standardize the overall business structure. This offered Cisco to uphold and maintain an efficient supply chain through business networked applications and also

Institutions should perform affirmative action Research Paper

Institutions should perform affirmative action - Research Paper Example Before I get you to believe in affirmative action, it is very prudent to look at the historical background of the term â€Å"Affirmative Action†, I think by that, we will get to appreciate the initiator of the word, and then emulate the sense of humanity, which drove them into coming up with the word or rather a phrase, this word was used first in United States and was signed by President John  F Kennedy, he used it to promote activities that promoted non- discrimination, in conjunction to this, president Lyndon B. Johnson emulated the same by encouraging his human resource managers to hire workers indiscriminate of their race, national origin or religion. So who are we to defy the activities of this most important people and after all, would you like it, if you get disqualified from a job/ or attending an interview/ or even attending a learning institution just because of your color, or race, or origin, I guess no rational human being would buy the idea, well! But why, it is mainly because we do not admire to be discriminated.  So why am I insisting on introduction of this practice in learning institution? Well, I might say that a part from promoting equal opportunity amongst students, it brings about national development, you will concur with me that, some things would not have happened, if certain people could have been denied the chance and opportunity, because of either their origin or race, Take an example, if Americans could have been against Affirmative actions, then who knows, do you think, Mr. Obama could have been the president? Most likely he would not have, but the Americans gave Obama equal chance to study with other Americans in the same schools, same university, despite the fact that he was An Afro-American tracing his origin, to an African country Kenya, where his father was born. No one would be as adamant as to deny the fact that this was a national development. Or would we

Google and saving face in China Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Google and saving face in China - Case Study Example Thus, Google cannot always count on the Chinese government focusing on cultivating innovation and promoting technology. However, it should also be mentioned that innovation is a crucial factor for an emerging country such as China from longer perspective of development and considering this fact, companies such as Google should continuously strive for creating and enhancing innovative technologies.5 The incident about Google and China is unforgettable, but Google is very attracted towards Chinese market and it has developed innovative technologies such as ‘Nexus S’, ‘Android Phone’ and ‘Chrome Operating System’. 6 Recommendation to Google’s Openness Policy in Countries that have Autocratic Regimes Learning from Google's China adventure, it would not be wrong to suggest that the company has to be extremely careful in the future before implementing operations in other autocratic countries. Avoiding problems such as that of ‘losing face ’, the company should build on collaboration with the governments of these countries. In this context, partnership with the governments of the countries that have autocratic regimes that Google want to operate in can be found through mutual dialogues as this will help to avoid clashes in future. Google should carefully examine the sensitivities of the host country in order to avoid providing user access to websites that can compromise relations with the government. This will certainly help in eradicating any conflicting views especially in terms of political and cultural factors that has been the major conflicting issues in China.7 For the strengthening of the openness policy in those countries, Google should gravely concentrate on factors related to politics and religion. Any news,... Learning from Google's China adventure, it would not be wrong to suggest that the company has to be extremely careful in the future before implementing operations in other autocratic countries. Avoiding problems such as that of ‘losing face’, the company should build on collaboration with the governments of these countries. In this context, partnership with the governments of the countries that have autocratic regimes that Google want to operate in can be found through mutual dialogues as this will help to avoid clashes in future. Google should carefully examine the sensitivities of the host country in order to avoid providing user access to websites that can compromise relations with the government. This will certainly help in eradicating any conflicting views especially in terms of political and cultural factors that has been the major conflicting issues in China. For the strengthening of the openness policy in those countries, Google should gravely concentrate on factors related to politics and religion. Any news, articles or journals and forums that criticize the political or religious values of the countries should not be revealed through Google’s search engine. Views of opposition political parties should be avoided as far as possible. Any access to information that may insight violence within the country or threaten the government stability should be carefully vetted. Google should comprehensively adhere to the factors that can harm moral or cultural beliefs of the people of those countries in the East Asia, Middle East or Latin America.

Business Plan for Creative Practitioners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Plan for Creative Practitioners - Essay Example I will rely on a friend who has no background on film production mainly to help in carrying equipment and for moral support. The mission of the project is to create awareness on the realities of overseas education. The project will be aimed at helping me gain experience in film production. The project also is aimed at making a profit of 1000 AUD with the sale of at least 15 CDs. The project will be initiated with an initial capital of 500AUD. With the successful production of the short documentary, I hope to make strides toward making longer and more complex films which will probably draw bigger profits. Goals My project will be aimed at achieving a number of goals. The business hopes to produce and sell at least ten documentary CDs within the first month of production. Furthermore, the business hopes to make a profit of at least 1,000 AUD in profits from the first documentary production. The business also hopes to achieve an average growth rate of 10% per year in terms of sales and profits. The film industry in Australia is growing and more people need to tap and invest in it. The people need to be preoccupied with other projects that can be performed at the local level. Initiating a film production in towns like Melbourne and Canberra can be an opportunity in making a positive accrual to the film industry. For instance, the population in Melbourne has a record of high population of people attending schools. This documentary would be an opportunity to encourage on oversea learning. In addition to this, many people have not discovered their talents. With such projects, many of the people could be directed towards exploring their talents, which are not exposed. Another goal in establishing this project is to reach both old and young people in the Australian society. The Australian population could involve projects to generate improved production in the country. The film industry would record an escalating scale with an indulgence of both old and young. An eminen t advantage of the film industry is that, it does not have age brackets as a qualification (Branagan, 2012). Therefore, all people are legible to join in the production of films in Australia. Since the film production will be based in Melbourne, it will be an opportunity for the population in Melbourne to engage in participatory events. In addition to this, the initiation of the film making project in the area will be an avenue of improving the skills of the [population. The population is likely to amass quantitative experience that could be used in developing other films. Yet another goal of this project is to make an impact in the student perception. Melbourne has a large population of students that could be interested in films. This makes is a positive accrual as the students would appreciate a film that is produced in the vicinity. With a high demand for the films, the project will be a source of income (Kitchen and Proctor, 2001). This is an initial stage of making a documentar y that is 30 minutes long. The documentary will focus on overseas education and the life of students in oversea learning. Therefore, there will be a limited number of people involved in the production of the documentary to reduce the costs incurred in the initial stages. I am the sole founder of the project, working with one friend. Since this is an initial

International Relation East-Asian Essay Example for Free

International Relation East-Asian Essay In the past century, substantial changes have taken place in the international arena especially when it comes to the relation among state. The end of the Cold War had given way for the United States of America to achieve supreme power and authority as compared with other states in the world when it comes to its influence over international relation. In line with this, it cannot be prevented that the authority and influence of the United States have a large impact on other countries, especially Asian states. Being the case, it is essential that international relation is given due consideration and importance, especially in terms of the relation of the United States with Asian countries. The work of Ikenberry and Kang discusses international relation in terms of the respective power of the United States and Asian countries and the way by which power affects relations among states. Ikenberry argued that in studying international relations it is necessary that power, in the form of material capabilities is given importance. He asserted that the power disparities among states are one of the causes that generate security and insecurity, which also has an influence â€Å"on what states want and what they can get† (Ikenberry, 2003, p. 24). The main concern of the article written by Ikenberry is the issue concerning the way by which unipolar international order varies from a bipolar or multipolar order in terms of characteristics and functions. Specifically, he studied the shift from the bipolar system during the Cold War to the present day American-centered unipolar system. Moreover, Ikenberry also identifies the changes that characterized the behavior of states as well as international rule and order (2003). Ikenberry concluded that the unipolarity of the international system is attributed to the power of the United States, especially in terms of material capabilities. The United States has a large influence in the foreign policy and international outcomes that affects other states, especially those in Asia. As such, Ikenberry suggested that the patterns of foreign policy and events in the international arena can be better discerned if unipolarity will give way to bipolarity or multipolarity. In another view, Asia is seen as one of the most important continent in the international community. Thus, it is important for the international community to have good relations with different kinds of states in Asia most especially with China. Provided that China is the largest country in Asia, its power and influence is undeniably strong. More so, there is a need for the United States to have strong relations with China. In the article provided by David Kang, he pronounces that the Chinese power is the most important authority in Asia. He stated that â€Å"Chinese weakness had led to the chaos in Asia. When China is strong and stable, order has been preserved. The picture of Asia that emerges is one in which China, by virtue of geography and power as the central player in Asia (Kang, 2003, p. 182). † Therefore, the hierarchy of China is a vital issue with the relationship of the west with Asia. It is also mentioned that the course of development of China shall be the progress of whole continent. Thus, it is the leader for development among any other states in the region. In addition to this, it is pointed by Kang that there is a huge importance with the hierarchic position with the Asian super power. Through the relationship of different entities and the possible hierarchy of China, there is a great possibility that changes will be present in the whole international community. In the discussion of Kang, he strongly mentioned that the changes are not necessarily positive for the whole international community. More so, the influence and power of China will result to much negative results. On the other hand, it is given attention that there is a worry with the progress of Asia. Provided that the past European continent was conflictual it is also assumed that China together with other Asian countries shall have the similar experience as Europe. However, in the perspective of Kang, as China and Asia are leaning to a much peaceful community, peace shall also be attained. In conclusion, the context of hierarchy is important in the international community. Both authors have the different perspectives regarding hierarchy. More so, Ikenberry presents that international order is reliant to the hierarchy present in the international community. On the other hand, Kang states that the influence of China is important with the order of the international community. Through the order of China and Asia in general, there will be peace in the relationship of the whole global community. Therefore, the authors have laid various kinds of arguments that revolve with the importance of hierarchy in the global community.

Duopoly Coles vs Woolworths Essay Example for Free

Duopoly Coles vs Woolworths Essay For most of us its just part of everyday life decisions. Where to shop for the week, Coles or Woolworths? Should I drink Pepsi or Coke today? Do I go to MYER or David Jones to buy new make up from? We take in consideration a few prices, how convenient it will be to get there, what would we rather do, and that’s it. But there’s something bigger behind this. What is the impact on such big rivals, for us and the economy? It’s not just about personal choices. Living and studying in Australia for the past 11 months, going to do my grocery shopping at Coles or at Woolworths has become part of my routine. And because it is such an ordinary thing to do, we tend to forget that we make part of a much bigger picture, and are contributing to several factors regarding the Australian economy. However, this race for the best has its advantages and disadvantages, and of course, this is affecting us as well. The Price War One of the advantages of this never ending battle for us customers, are the low prices. Because there is such a big competition for prices, each of the supermarket brands will try to make it as affordable as possible to the consumer, as a reaction to get competitive advantage. One big example of this war is the milk price. Both supermarkets can sell milk for $1. It is very difficult to make any profit if you’re selling products at such a low price, as Rob Murray, the chief executive for the food and beverage group Lion stated. However this issue does not affect us consumers on a day-to-day basis, and the low prices keep us happy and of course, keep us shopping at these big supermarkets. Everyone wins with the Rewards Programs Another good thing for the shoppers at these two big chains is the rewards systems they have. And we win again. Despite the cheaper price war having been leaded by Coles the majority of times, Woolworths seems to have another way of fighting. Their CEO Grant O’Brien came out with a new strategy: the Everyday Rewards. The more the customer shops, the more discount they get. Users of the cards get exclusive offers, discount on fuel and can even earn Qantas flyer points. And not only in Woolworths, they have retail partners like Big W, Dick Smith and Cellarmasters that will also benefit the customer. Coles also has their rewards system, the Flybuys. With this card, apart from the exclusive offers on Coles and affiliated firms products, the customer collects points at every purchase, which can later be changed by different prizes. But this is not only good for the consumers. Its basically the company saying that they will give us prizes, in exchange for our information. A Rewards system allows the firm to collect data about their customers, which they can use in their favour, to create loyalty and promote trust. With the Everyday Rewards, Woolworths has been able to collect a good amount of information, while Flybuys is still in the process of build its strength. Easy and Simple Another very good thing for the customer about these two big brands is the convenience. Everywhere we go, every big shopping center and busy area in a suburb will have at least one of the two, if not both. Coles and Woolworths have very strong analysts that will know where to place their shops, and if there is an area lacking one, it’s probably not because they are still to build one, but because that are would not be so profitable yet. So for us, wherever we want to shop, we can always find one of these, and do not have to travel any long distance to get to one of these stores, as they are located almost everywhere too. Even for the most loyal customer from the small shops, sometimes it’s a lot more convenient to visit one of the big supermarkets, and they will end up buying something from there. Someone might be losing Unfortunately it’s not all flowers. For us to be paying such low prices, someone is losing money somewhere, and it’s not the big supermarkets. Because they are such big brands, suppliers need to have their products in their shelf. Coles and Woolworths claim they have built very strong relationships with their suppliers, and it might be true, but a lot of the smaller suppliers are getting ripped off. They â€Å"bully† the suppliers to sell their products at really low prices, and they know they have this power, otherwise they won’t sell enough. They will also charge more to have the  products placed in good positions on their shelves. A lot of the times the prices suppliers are charging are so small, that they are struggling to survive with these sales, and it generates another whole big problem. Creating Enemies The ones losing with the big duopoly from Coles and Woolworths are the smaller suppliers, and the smaller shops too. But not every customer is just happy in paying small prices, they want to make sure everyone involved is protected. For this reason, there is a big pressure on ACCC from suppliers and the smaller businesses which don’t have a chance to compete. There is a party called Australian Green, and they fight strong against the practices these two supermarkets have againg farmers and small suppliers. Their objective, as they state on the website, is to â€Å"tackle the supermarket duopoly†, and the measures they are willing to take are strong. For example, put a temporary ban on expansion from Coles and Woolworths, or stopping this duopoly to purchase agricultural land, so they can’t control the whole supply chain. The ACCC is also holding an investigation about the bullying of suppliers. While most of us will not care that much about the situation these su ppliers are in, or will not have option to shop somewhere else, there is a big group who does care. These are customers who are willing to pay more, but do their groceries in a small shop so they can help that business, and also do not buy the products from exploited suppliers. No more competition Unfortunately, the group of very unhappy customers mentioned before is not large enough to make sure the small businesses will survive. With such low prices and big chains, the two major supermarkets will not give a chance for a smaller business to survive in the middle of this war. It is just impossible to compete with the two major supermarkets prices and their powerful middlemen, and the small shops start disappearing. Without competition, a lot of the products that do not have space on Coles or Woolworths shelves may also disappear, and this will also have a big impact on the economy as there is unemployment rising. This process will damage Australia food’s industry, and with the lack of new firms it might mean a lack of new products, and the whole market can go stale. Tricking the customers To have products at such low prices, as it was mentioned before, the suppliers will end up losing. But the customers might also lose sometimes. For example, the free range eggs case. Both Coles and Woolworths claim that they want to help customers switch from industrialised to free range eggs, by cutting the prices on the second one. However, the suppliers pay for the price that we are not, as it is impossible to have a free range egg production at such low prices. The customer will end up buying free range eggs thinking they are contributing to improve the animal welfare standards from the supermarkets, however, they do not know that they are still purchasing the â€Å"industrialised† free range eggs, the free range version of these two big supermarkets. Even though it seems there are more disadvantages to small businesses and suppliers than there are advantages for us customers, it is not the number, but the quality of these advantages that count. This battle is far from the end, because it is not likely that the masses will stop shopping at Coles or Woolworths anytime soon. However, the ones that are more conscious about it can only expect that it will make a difference in the future, when the ACCC take strong measures or the political inaction ends, and someone who genuinely cares and is strong enough to change this is put in charge. In the meanwhile, we will keep enjoying the convenience to just walk for 10 minutes and find a shop, or receive rewards and discount on products and even fuel, and keep ignoring all the ones losing from this. In the end, it is a battle and someone will lose. If not the big duopolistic market, a part of the population will pay.

Culture and tourism

Culture and tourism Introduction For the course Sociology and International Developments we have chose the topic Culture Tourism. Our Tourism is increasing less the last period, because of the financial crisis that is taking place in the USA. Curacao is using our Culture as a promotion to solve this problem. The last few years they are building few hotels on Curacao (For example: The already built â€Å"Renaissance Hotel†, Hyat, Cabana Beach Resort, Jan Thiel and Caracasbaai), because 2 years ago there was a scarcity in hospitality, and also to attract tourists. We have chosen this topic, because it is a present problem which can affect our economy. This is because tourism is one of our premium Income Resource. The objective of this study is to find out solutions for this problem to prevent an economy crisis in Curacao. Research Question: Can our Culture help us increasing our Tourism? Sub Questions: Why is our Tourism increasing less the last period? Why are the investors investing in Hotels while our Tourism is increasing less? What are the characteristics of the Culture of Curacao? How can our Culture help us increase our Tourism? We will use different resources to obtain the necessary information to complete our report. Primary we intend to search for information about tourism culture in the local newspapers, then we will make an appointment with the CTB (Curacao Tourism Board) and the â€Å"Kas di Kultura†. And also we will search for information internet. The report will be divided in chapters, in each chapter a sub question will be discussed. Chapter 1 Tourism Increasing Less In this chapter we will discuss about the results that we had this last years in the tourism sector on Curacao. We will mention different reasons why is our tourism increasing less and also analyze what cause this less increasing. And we will give different ways how to increase our tourism. Tourism of Curacao stayed stabled with an increase of 1 % in the first 9 months of the year 2009 The quantity of tourist increase but the quantity of nights decreases. The numbers published by the CTB indicates that the first 9 months of the year 2009 a total of 267.968 tourists has visited our island. Compare to the year 2008 there was a increase of 1 percent. But the total nights that the tourist stayed in Curacao decreased compare to the year 2008 with 7 percent. The reason why tourist stayed less nights in our island is because of economic reasons (they spend a economic total). Analyses of the Total Arrivals of Tourists The total arrivales of tourists from europe where register with a increase of 9 precent of 98.965 tourist in 2008 to 108.123 tourists in 2009. The cause of increasing is because there where a mayor market of Netherlands that where register, 9.609 more tourist in the first 9 months in the year 2009 compare to the year 2008. And the other important European markets that increase are: belgic with 10 percent and Germany with 23 percent. And other important Markets that develop less where Sweden with a decrease of 34 percent and Finland with 24 percent. The total arrivales of the South-America markets where register with a increase of 4 percent in the first 9 months of the year 2009. This development is caused by the increase of the Suriname markets with 45 percent, Colombian with 7 percent and Venezuela with 5 percent. And other important markets that where register with a decrease where Brazil with a 19 percent and Ecuador with 41 percent. The total arrivales for the first 9 months of the year 2009 from North-America and Canada where registered with a decrease of 25 percent, the total was 30.390 tourists in 2009 and 40.329 tourists in 2008. Caribean markets decrease the first 9 months of the year 2009 with 13 percent, because of the decrease of the quantity of tourist from Jamaica with 23 percent, Trinidad Tobago with 21 percent, Aruba with 7 percent and Dominican Replubic with 6 %. This situation in the Caribean Area will stay fragil untill the Economic of North America gets better. A total of 289.878 cruise tourists visited Curacao in the first 9 months of the year 2009 which is an increase of 27.7 percent compare to 2008. Curacao is also experience the World Economic Crisis. But together with a private sector and community we can pass the negatives that this crisis brings with confident. Solutions to increase our Tourism There are many ways to increase our Tourism. But now a days tourist are very caution about their safety. That means tourists are not only aware to have a great hotel with a great room, a nice view of the beach, but also aware about the safety of the room, that means if the room has a window that can be open or if the room is safety. Thats why Curacao is planning to begin with a group of hospitality security, so they can offer the tourist a better and safer hospitality. Curacao began with this security training not only to be recognized, but to have a recognized certificate in USA. Because now a day many American tourists are very cautions about the place they choose to have a pleasurable and safety vacation. Thats why Curacao to gain more American tourist they began with this Security training. Chapter2 Why Investing in Hotels now? The past few years we have noticed that they are constructing many hotels on Curacao, meanwhile there is a global economic crises taking place. The decision to invest in constructing a hotel is not based on actual performances. An investor analyses the future possibilities of making his investment lucrative. Several factors are considered previous to realizing the investment. As a result, the decision to invest is based on the estimated future performance of the tourism sector. This sector is growing every day, which makes it very interesting for the investors. Effect of Economic Crises The economic crisis had an effect on the quantity tourists Curacao received from the North-America, it had a decrease of 25% September 2009 compared to September 2008. But its very important to know that our island have visitors from all over the world. If the economy crisis reaches a region, the people of that region will travel less or will stay fewer days at their destination. But the good news for us is that we have tourists coming from other region, for example Europe, South-America and Caribbean. September this year we had an increase of 4% in tourist visiting us from South-America (Venezuela), 9% increase from Europe and 141% from other destinations. Here you can see the decrease caused by some region will be recompensed by other region, causing an increase of 1% September this year in our tourism. In this case you will think the Hotel Occupancy rate will increase during 2009, but this isnt the case. October 2009 the average hotel occupancy was 74.92% compared to 85.18% in 2008. During October there was a decrease which led us to a hotel occupancy of 76.45% for 2009 compared with 80.57% in 2008. During September 2009 the average hotel occupancy was 74.75% compared to 85.69% in 2008. During September 2009 the hotel occupancy rate dropped to 74.15% compared with 79.74% in 2008. This is the effect of the increase of 27.7% in cruise ship arrivals on Curacao. This tourist came to visit our island, but didnt need a hotel stay causing a decrease in our hotel occupancy rate. Future vision The hotel chains who are building their hotels here on our island in first place didnt prognosticate the global crises and this situation. Maybe you think its not the right moment to invest in hotels. Youre wrong. The Curacao Tourism Board and the Kas di Kultura are working hard together promoting our island. Right now they are training personal for the tourism sector and the hotels are expanding their service. This because we are trying hard to increase our tourism, and when our tourism increase we need to have a room for every tourist. Its not only about the stay, but we have to give them the experience of their live and this we give them through our excellent service. This is why the investors are investing right now in our island. They have a future vision, where the tourism will increase drastically. Chapter 3 Mangusada Our beautiful Curacao is a small island in the Caribbean and has a population of 130,000 people. There are different cultures living side by side here on the island. There are people with culture background from Holland and Europe, Jews, Africa, Caribbean, Arabian, Syria, Madeira, China, Surinam etc. As you can see, Curacao have a Multi-culture and diversity in cultures which is called a â€Å"Mangusada† Curacaos Culture Our culture reflects its African culture background through language, music, and dance. An example of the African culture reflecting in our own culture is the music and dance of â€Å"tambu†. This music and dance was past through generation by the slaves, who carried the tradition and music of Africa. The dance is called â€Å"baila ban† (dance the drum). It is very unique, the dance consists of two people dancing but never touching each other. They moves their hips and bodies with the rhythm while leaving their feet in place. The slaves master and later the Catholic Church made this dance in the past unpermitted. But the dance had still been danced undercover, which is the reason how this dance does still exist and is an important part of our culture. Now a day it is a jewel of our culture, it reflects the past of our antecedents and history of our island. Seu There is an annual festival of â€Å"Seu† where musicians from around the island come to compete to win the title of â€Å"kantado mayo† and have their song selected as the song for the annual cultural festival called â€Å"Seu†. So you can appreciate this honored music and dance at the â€Å"Seu†. This annual cultural festival takes place a couple of weeks before eastern holidays. To understand the origin of this festival we have to go back in the history of Curacao where the slaves made a road march to celebrate their harvest. The slaves communicated true sounds of a blowing conch shell (Karko), this is why they use the conch accompanying the tambu. They also use â€Å"chapi† which is an instrument of agriculture, where they make sounds by slamming a metal peace like a nail on hoe. Now the people arent celebrating during this parade what their land gave them, but they are celebrating our culture. You will also see this at the folklore performances , Carnival and during the holiday seasons. Other origins Also other African musical instruments were used here on the island. One of them is the â€Å"bastel†, it is a horn made of a cow horn. Another example is the â€Å"benta†, which is a twig from a â€Å"karawara† tree, fastened at both end with a row, and bent to form a bow. The player places the bow in his mouth and taps the row, creating sound. This instrument is used to play the â€Å"zumbi†, which refers to zombies. Curacao has also adapted the European music and dances of the colonials and made them their own. For example the French quadrille, waltzes, and polkas were given an African flavor. Languages The original language of Curacao is Papiamentu, its a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and some African dialect. This language has been spoken for 300 years in the ABC Islands, and was intended for spoken communication not written. Along this language the residents of Curacao speaks several other languages. The most can speak 3 languages which are, Papiamentu, Dutch and Spanish or English. Dutch because it is the official language of Curacao, and because there is a high quantity of immigrants here on the island, the most people learn to speak a third language or it is their own language. Technology and Culture Technology of information and communication is a innovation which has not only technical dimension, but also cultural dimension. Basically every change has an effect on the culture. There is a variation in the way people react on the new technology, this for two factors which is acceptance and indifference. The new technology makes the difference between old and new generation. On the other hand, there are countries which cant maintain the speed of innovation because of scarcity in infrastructure and digital equipment. In our case infrastructure isnt a problem, but the recourse to buy the equipment and to pay for the use of the new technology. Chapter 4 Culture Helping Tourism Culture makes effect on the economy via tourism. Tourism is basically interaction of culture. Culture tourism is when people spend their time or vacation on cultural activities, either in their own country or in a foreign country. Our culture can help us increase our tourism in different ways. Cultural Tourism Cultural tourism is different of â€Å"Mass-tourism†. If mass-tourism has â€Å"Sun, Sand and Beach† as slogan, cultural tourism has â€Å"Culture, Adventure and nature† or â€Å"Travel to experience† as slogan. Mass-tourism is very dangerous for our culture, because it effects our environment and nature very strongly. Culture tourism is interested in tourist activities with culture flavour. These tourists are open to observe, experience and learn from things. In this case culture is the principal product. This product must be accessible, attractive and complete, to be effective. The tourists must be able to experience physically our product. For example, if a tourist visits the Snoa of the Hindus, they must be able to walk around and take a look and also experience a ceremony. In our case, if it is a dance of â€Å"kaha-di-orgel†, the tourist must be able to see the dance and then try the dance to experience our culture. There must be an explanation about the origin of the dance as a social activity some years ago and the influence from different cultures. Environment Cultural tourism has always culture in mind and is very environment friendly. Culture tourism is a long lasting and positive tourism, because it makes tourists today happy, while protecting and bringing new opportunity for future tourism. To maintain this tourism, we have to minimize the damage to our culture, we have to respect our community and cultural identity of our own country. We have to promote our culture and let them experience this more complete possible. The companies involved in tourism must act with a responsible identity to maintain our culture. Another example which tourism can help us is by conserving our nature area, archaeology and historic places and Traditional culture art. Tourism can be a reason to manage to conserve our environment also in a financial way which can lead to a benefit for the community, by organizing attractions with our environment. But if the managing is not well planned or managed, tourism can be a result of congesting, pollution and other kind of problems to our environment. And if there isnt a good control on the tourism this can cause a loss of economic benefits for the community. Kulturismo This year was â€Å"Siman di Kultura y Turismo† or better known as â€Å"Siman di Kulturismo† very successful. Its not only because the island is aware about the culture but also they had mixed the week of Culture with the week of tourism. This is the first time in history â€Å"Kas di Kultura† in conjunction with the Curacao Tourist Board organized from September 12 to 27, two weeks full of culture and tourism. The motto of this celebration was â€Å"Huntu desaroyando un dushi Kà ²rsou†. This project was aimed to show and remember the population of Curacao what our beautiful island has to offer and make them conscious about the values of our touristic attractions. Culture forms a big part of the tourism in Curacao, a great example is that our Center State is part of the â€Å"World Heritage List†. Thats why its better for us to know more about our Culture and Folklore, so we can offer this to the tourists. There are many places that have beaches and sun, thats why we must distinguish our self in different ways, and that can happen when we use our culture. Many companies, sponsors, voluntaries and others are working on our culture so it can be very successful. We think that a community that knows what his island has to offer and is conscious about its values, helps in the development of tourism. In other words more we know about our culture, the prouder we will be of our heritage and these will beneficiate our tourism. Relationship between Tourism, Community and Neighbourhoods Creating a responsible Tourism Tourism can bring different kind of benefits and also problems to the community or neighbour. But if its well organized it could bring very good benefits for the community, for example; Possibility for work, great income and also give small business the opportunity to participate in the economy. Tourism is a stimulation for other economic activities for example; agriculture, fishing, product industry and work of art. Tourism is responsible to make our community a better one, by given the possibility to have a better commercial circle and a new culture for our community and tourists. Involvement of the Community with Tourism This concept of involving the community with the tourism already exists for 10 years now on an international level. In the Caribbean the last 5 to10 years they are trying to fix the negative impact of the Tourist Industry. They are also trying to expand the industry around different destinations. The governors of the islands in the Caribbean were trying very hard to benefit the Tourist Industry. Meanwhile the income of Tourism has an average of 25% of the total Export on the different islands in the Caribbean. Benefits of the involvement of the Neighbourhoods with the Tourism An organized and well managed Tourism can bring sufficient benefits to the local community. Some Potential benefits are: Increase of the benefits distribution of Tourism Help decreasing unemployment, poverty and criminality To stimulate our local production. (For example: work of art, local products) To contribute to an authentic experience for the visitors And empowered the identity of the state Mayor plan of Tourism The actual mayor plan of tourism since 2005 till 2009 is to emphasis the attention in the involvement between the neighbourhoods and the tourism. This is to expand the duration of the tourism. And also the actual mayor plan is to give recommendations to begin with the existing projects for each neighbour (For Example: â€Å"Boka Sami†, â€Å"Banda Bou† and â€Å"Marie Pampoen†). CTBs management The management CTB is applying towards tourism in the neighbourhoods, is based on giving help and stimulating our own people to be more involved (as businessmen) in tourism activities. In this way not only local people are beneficiated from a durable development but on the same time our manners and ideas are conserved for future generations. Within the concept of involvement of the neighbourhoods in the touristic development, its the population who plays the key role. The involvement and participation of neighbourhoods or areas in tourism is a long term process, requiring patience. The types of projects that are being executed vary from neighbourhood initiatives to efforts in conjunction with the private sector of substantial investments, for a durable development. Necessary steps for Tourism to enter the Neighbours To ensure the process of involvement of the neighbourhoods in the development of our tourism on a durable way, some steps have been identified. These are: CTB organizes encounters with â€Å"Unidat di barrio /Plataforma di region†, meanwhile the region/neighbourhood will be evaluated for necessities and priorities. CTB will institute and lead a â€Å"Grupo di Konseho† and a â€Å"Grupo di Trabou† for tourism within neighbourhoods that will include entities from the government, the private sector and non-governmental organisations. They will work on a plan of action that contains the priorities and the plan of action that identifies the human and financial allocation of resources in the region/neighbourhoods. On behalf of the â€Å"Plataforma di region† the â€Å"Grupo di Konseho† and the â€Å"Grupo di Trabou† must prepare an action plan for the financiering of the project. Once the project is approved the â€Å"Grupo di Trabou† will determine how the guidance and implementation will be. â€Å"Grupo di Trabou† will control on the moment of implementation. An external entity will perform an analysis/evaluation of the impact on the region/neighbourhood. Pilot project: Boca San Michiel One of the first neighbours that introduced the concept of tourism in neighbours was Boka Sami. As a result of this project different activities have been revived. Such as the celebrations of â€Å"Bati Huda†, â€Å"San Juan†, â€Å"San Pedro†, â€Å"Parke di Lus†, â€Å"Dia di Boka Sami† and â€Å"San Miguel†. Different positive changes surged at the Sami Sail, vacation excursions have been organized. Excursions for the elder, social activities are being organized and the week of culture and the week of tourism are also being celebrated at Boka Sami. Boka Sami has a lot of potential to develop a durable tourism, an interesting point is that the neighbourhood is communicating more and more with the tourists. The inhabitants of the neighbours are more conscious that tourism contributes to a durable development. Finally there was an interest of hotel investors that were interested in buying large pieces of ground at Boka Sami, this all thanks to the cultural development of the area. Guarantee a Durable Development We must keep the inhabitants informed about the benefits when implementing tourism within the neighbour and the inhabitants must be conscious about the risks and costs related to the development. A profile must be made of the potential tourists that will visit the neighbour, in this profile we would address the manners and the expenditure patrons of the tourists. The inhabitants must be thought that some common gestures and actions could improve the possibility to receive tourists in a successful way. Finally we must identify the possible obstacles that must be surpassed to guarantee a durable development of the touristic product within the neighbourhoods. Conclusion As we can see culture can help us increase our tourism in different ways. This year was â€Å"siman di kulturismo† of Curacao very successful. Its not only because the State is aware about the culture but also they had mixed there week of Culture with the week of tourism. Culture forms a big part of tourism in Curacao, a great example is that our Center State in the â€Å"World Heritage List† appear. Thats why its better for us to know more about our Culture and Folklore, so we can offer this to the tourists. There are many places that have beaches and sun, thats why we must distinguish our self in different ways, and that can happen when we use our culture. Many companies, sponsors, voluntaries and others are working on our culture so it can be very successful. Culture makes effect on the economy via tourism. Tourism is basically interaction of culture. Culture tourism is when people spend their time or vacation on cultural activities, either in their own country or in a foreign country. They are other methods to increase our tourism. For example: Curacao began with a security training in hospitality to have a recognized certificate in USA. Now a day many American tourists are very cautious about the place they choose to have a pleasurable and safety vacation. Thats why Curacao to gain more American tourist they began with this Security training. Methodology Different resources have been used to obtain the necessary information to complete our report. First of all we started searching for information about tourism culture in the local newspapers; La Prensa and Vigilante. Then we made an appointment with Ms. A. Meulens from CTB (Curacao Tourism Board), we have obtained statistics with information about the total tourist visiting Curacao. Afterwards we mailed â€Å"Kas di Kultura† in search for information about our culture and the effects of culture on our tourism. But at the end we went personally to obtain the desired information. And also we search for information on the internet: www.chata.org, www.ctb.an, www.kasdikultura.an and www.ctb.an

The Relationship between Rhetoric and Social Conflict :: essays research papers

The Relationship between Rhetoric and Social Conflict In society there are daily occurrences that happen as a result of rhetoric, which then question and mold our individuality. How we react to these responses define us as a society and can then cause us to have a conflict socially. These occurrences challenge our perceptions allowing us to think independently about each issue. Without the linkage of rhetoric and conflict, we would have a difficult time justifying our understanding of these issues. A reaction to rhetoric can also characterize us from each other in a way that creates a singular identity. This individuality combined with the identities of others, make up our community and allow rhetoric and conflict to occur almost naturally. To further explain why rhetoric and conflict are so important we must understand the importance of this issue, in trying to relate everyday activities as examples of rhetoric and conflict. Our Society creates certain rhetorical ideologies, which are contained in social institutions, such as churches, communities, or clubs, in which conformity is a must. These ideologies bring people together to stand behind a common interest and fight for their own beliefs, morals, and values. It is when these social institutions collide with each other that social conflict is formed and problems arise. In order to understand the relationship between rhetoric and social conflict one must be able to define these terms adequately. Rhetoric is the ability to use words effectively in order to receive a response that is either positive or negative. To create a positive response, a person might appeal to the emotions of another who is sympathetic to the situation or who is currently involved with the same experience. They may use familiar experiences and memories to help the response take its shape. An example of this would be in the article ' The Cigarette as Representational Ideograph in the Debate over Environmental Tobacco Smoke'; by Mark Moore. Moore describes both sides of this controversy of smoker and antismoker rights, but when reading this article both sides are conformed to their own beliefs and support them quite well. 'Smokers discuss their rights as an American and their right to liberty, while anti-smoking activists talk about the hazards of second hand smoke discovered by scientific knowledge'; (Moore 48). The ideas of both sides make up an ideology, which is expressed over and over again through their justifications. Only a smoker can sympathize with a fellow smoker when explaining the right to be able to smoke in public.

Poseidon :: essays research papers

Poseidon is a god of many names. He is most famous as the god of the sea. The son of Cronus and Rhea, Poseidon is one of six siblings who eventually "divided the power of the world." His brothers and sisters include: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Zeus. The division of the universe involved him and his brothers, Zeus and Hades. Poseidon became ruler of the sea, Zeus ruled the sky, and Hades got the underworld. The other divinities attributed to Poseidon involve the god of earthquakes and the god of horses. The symbols associated with Poseidon include: dolphins, tridents, and three-pronged fish spears. Poseidon was relied upon by sailors for a safe voyage on the sea. Many men drowned horses in sacrifice of his honor. He lived on the ocean floor in a palace made of coral and gems, and drove a chariot pulled by horses. However, Poseidon was a very moody divinity, and his temperament could sometimes result in violence. When he was in a good mood, Poseidon created new lands in the water and a calm sea. In contrast, when he was in a bad mood, Poseidon would strike the ground with a trident and cause unruly springs and earthquakes, ship wrecks, and drownings. Poseidon was similar to his brother Zeus in exerting his power on women and in objectifying masculinity. He had many love affairs and fathered numerous children. Poseidon once married a Nereid, Amphitrite, and produced Triton who was half-human and half-fish. He also impregnated the Gorgon Medusa to conceive Chrysaor and Pegasus, the flying horse. The rape of Aethra by Poseidon resulted in the birth of Theseus; and he turned Caeneus into a man, at her request, after raping her. Another rape involved Amymone when she tried to escape from a satyr and Poseidon saved her. Other offspring of Poseidon include: Eumolpus, the Giant Sinis, Polyphemus, Orion, King Amycus, Proteus, Agenor and Belus from Europa, Pelias, and the King of Egypt, Busiris. One of the most notorious love affairs of Poseidon involves his sister, Demeter. Poseidon pursued Demeter and to avoid him she turned herself into a mare. In his lust for her, Poseidon transformed himself into a stallion and captured her. Their procreation resulted in a horse, Arion. Poseidon is Greek for "Husband" (possibly of wheat), and therefore it is thought that he and Demeter (goddess of wheat) are a good match because they reign as the god and goddess of fertility.

Leadership Examples in IT industry in India Essay

Azim Hashim Premji (born 24 July 1945) is an Indian business tycoon and philanthropist who is the chairman of Wipro Limited, guiding the company through four decades of diversification and growth to emerge as one of the Indian leaders in the software industry. After the demise of his father, Azim Premji took charge of WIPRO when he was 21 instead of taking up a high paid job. He believes in the concept of come easy go easy. A money earned was of far more value to him instead of five found. He never let success overwhelm him and constantly learnt from his failures and built an empire which does not need an introduction. He never stopped leaning and is the best example of humility in the software industry. He always strived to find better ways to innovate and treated excellence as journey rather than destiny. He evaluates with calm mind and does whatever is the most appropriate. At an age when most of the businessmen would retire and live a peaceful life away from stress, he is still active and inspires his employees to not only work but also enjoy the entire process. He is an idol for today’s generation and an epitome who shows us on how to live life without compromising on our core values. His desire to stretch and achieve which seem beyond one’s grasp is the most inspiring characteristic. His down to earth nature is visible from his charities. Nandan Nilekani is considered among the most successful business leaders from India. He has several accolades and awards to his name which are proofs of his tremendously rich leadership in fostering Infosys first and now the UIDAI. Nandan Nilekani was born in Bangalore, Karnataka on June 2, 1955 as the younger son of Durga and Mohan Rao Nilekani. He grew up as a typical  middle class child high on traditional and moral values. As a child, Nilekani was extremely brilliant and had good leadership skills. He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai and joined the Mumbai based software firm Patni Computers where he came into acquaintance with Mr. N R Narayan Murthy who later founded Infosys Technologies with Nandan and his associates. Nilekani was known for his bold leadership style and risk taking behaviour. He co-founded Infosys Technologies with his colleagues and a starting capital of $250 after three years with Patni. Despite having considerably less experience, he moved to the US in 1981 handling the marketing and development effort for Infosys. In 1987, he came back to India and in March 2002, he took over as the Chief Executive Officer of Infosys Technologies. Nilekani stressed in bringing about an excellence in execution within Infosys. He transformed the business at Infosys by division into verticals such as financial services, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, etc. emphasizing on values such as timely completion of projects on budget, hiring of high quality employees, excellent training programmes and high client and employee satisfaction. It was under his leadership that the global delivery model emerged as it is known today. Nilekani recognised the global nature of Infosys as it was emerging with a high number of employees and huge bio-diversity. Under his leadership, Infosys was awarded several awards such as â€Å"Best Company to Work for† and â€Å"India’s Best Managed Company Award†. His entrepreneurial skills inspire the present generation to take all responsibilities head on and increase the hunger of success. AZIM PREMJI 1. Explain the personality of the leaders based on Big 5 model. Cite instances to support your view. Big Five Model states that five basic dimensions underlie all others and encompass most of the significant variation in human personality. The following are the Big Five factors on which the personality of Azim Premji is evaluated against: The Big 5 personality traits are: (OCEAN) 1. Openness to experience: (Openness to new ideas) Azim Premji has been very open to ideas and experiences. After the death of his Father in 1966, the 22-year old scion to the hydrogenated-oil manufacturing firm returned to manage the business and diversified the company into other areas such as lightning products, soaps, etc. Also, the coming-up of Wipro as the leading IT Company was foreseen by Azim Premji. 2. Conscientiousness: (Show self-discipline and aim for achievement against expectations) In the span of 50 years, Wipro has transformed to one of the leading R & D service providers of the world. One of the popular Azim Premji anecdotes was when he attended his first annual general meeting. A shareholder doubted Premji’s ability to handle business at such a young age and publicly advised him to sell his shareholding and give it to a more mature management. This spurred Azim Premji and made him all the more determined to make Wipro a success story. His conscientiousness can also be seen in the focused efforts the CSR initiatives that the â€Å"Azim Premji Foundation† undertakes. 3. Extraversion: (Energy creation from external means; gregariousness) Azim Premji is considered to be an introvert. He maintains a measured engagement with the media. This can also be discerned from the relatively less number of news articles on Azim Premji (about 3000). 4. Agreeableness: One of the most famous quotes by Azim Premji is â€Å"We must have faith in our own ideas even if everyone tells us that we are wrong.† Also, he was one of the few corporate leaders in India who spoke out against the populist CSR measures taken by the Government of India. 5. Neuroticism: (Tendency to experience negative emotions) Azim Premji’s ability to manage the business in the face of difficult situations is a proof of his emotional stability. Time and again, he has shown dedication to his work and duties; even when faced with a grave personal loss (death of his Father). 2. What are the values of the organization or group the leaders represent? What are their personal values? Substantiate your claims by evidence. Wipro had 3 Values as stated on its Website (Popularly known as SPIRIT OF WIPRO): Intensity To Win: For Wipro It is not about winning at all costs, neither is it about winning every time, nor about winning at the expense of others. It is about working together to create a synergy; realizing that I win when my team wins, my team wins when Wipro wins, and Wipro wins when its customers win and when its stakeholders win. It is about innovating all the time. It is a continuous endeavor to do better than the last time. It is the Spirit of fortitude, the Spirit of never letting go†¦ ever. This is evident from the product extension of Wipro in various fields possible from its flagship product of vegetable oil to lightning products, from Computer software to FMCG product like soap. For this spirit of Play to win made Wipro achieve following: Wipro ranks 11th in the first edition of Interbrand’s ‘Best Indian Brands’ study, 2013. Global Telecoms Business recognizes Wipro with the ‘Wholesale Service Innovation Award 2013†² for their unique IT R&D Partnership Project. Wipro cited as a Leader in Sustainable Technology Services by Independent Analyst Firm. Act with Sensitivity: At its highest vision, respect for the individual is unqualified. The core of this sensitivity lies in understanding that every being, however different, is equal. The spirit of democracy underlies our notion of sensitivity. It believes in true respect meaning creating conditions in which every individual grows to realize his/her promise and potential. As quoted on its website â€Å"We are responsible for, and have an obligation to live in harmony  with, our ecological environment. We should actively act to preserve nature, and refrain from any action that harms ecology.† This Act with Sensitivity led them to bag the following awards: Wipro is the highest ranked gadget maker in Greenpeace’s latest green guide to electronics 2012. Ranked 2nd in the Workplace Diversity & Inclusivity category in India’s Best Places to Work For Study -2012 conducted by Great Places to Work Institute. Unyielding Integrity: Integrity is a commitment to searching for and acting on the truth. â€Å"Truth† is a word with many manifestations – it means keeping one’s word; it also means understanding and realizing the highest vision of oneself. As quoted on website â€Å"I am the litmus test of my integrity. For integrity is the manifestation of conscience.† Wipro’s code of conduct for employees says it all: Don’t do anything that you’re unwilling to have published in tomorrow’s newspaper with your photograph next to it. It’s that kind of Integrity that has catapulted Premji and Wipro to unprecedented heights. Personal Values: Azim Premji, the businessman, practices what he preaches. When it comes to upholding personal values, there’s no margin for error. He followed 2 principles throughout his life. They are: Value For Money: If ‘value for money’ was a guiding principle of Premji’s life, so was his practical nature. Although Wipro was well regarded, stories current in Bangalore at that time about Azim Premji related to his ‘careful about money’ habits. Azim Premji flew economy class and there was this tale about him taking an auto from the airport after disembarking from a flight and not finding his car. Everybody in Bangalore knew that he was a rich guy who was extremely simple and would do things such as borrowing magazines from the staff periodical pool with the promise of returning them later. It was not unusual for Premji to land up at the premises of customers for a sales pitch for his computers. If a good order could be bagged — and this could be anywhere in India — Premji disregarded his high status and became a salesman. Integrity: This was the value which he admires the most. One of the incident for which this principle is found to be evident in Premji is when Wipro managers speak in awe of the time they received a terse message that their chairman was flying down to Bangalore for a meeting. It was clear that something major was in the offing. Premji came straight to the point. A senior general manager of the company had been given marching orders because he had inflated a travel bill. The man’s contribution to the company was significant; the bill’s amount was not. Yet he had to go for this solitary lapse. It was, Premji stressed, a matter of principles. 3. What are some of the major conflicts that these leaders have confronted? Who were the stakeholders? How did they resolve the conflict? Were they able to live up to the expectations of all stakeholders? Conflict of Wipro:- In 2000 Wipro came out with an IPO of American Depository Shares (ADS) in the United States. Wipro offered a commonly utilized and Securities and Exchange Commission approved Directed Share Program (DSP) that allowed employees and clients of Wipro to purchase ADSs at the IPO market price. Their clients also included the World Bank staff to whom Wipro allowed to purchase shares at market price. The Program’s objective was to involve employees and customers with the public offering to expand recognition and brand of Wipro, but the World Bank in June 2007 determined that this was a conflict of interest. The World Bank deemed the IT firm ineligible to bid for direct contracts from IT sector for the period 2007-2011. The multilateral lender banned Wipro in June 2007 from doing business with the group under its corporate procurement program. Effects of ban on Wipro by World Bank:- The ban came to light in January 2009. Shares of Wipro were down by more than 10% when news came out after two years of ban. Employees of Wipro were under fear after what happened in Satyam. They were worried about future of their career as well as the future of the company. Leadership of the Chairman of the company – Mr. Azim Premji:- At this time, Mr. Azim Premji led Wipro from the front. He wrote a letter to 1,00,000 employees of Wipro. He denied allegations of providing improper benefits to Bank staff. He gave assurance to employees that all participants in the program signed a conflict of interest statement and their purchase did not violate any ethics or conflict of interest policies of their company. He said business ethics is their top priority while dealings with all stakeholders of Wipro. According to his letter, Wipro’s success over the decades has been built on the foundation of its values. Mr. Azim Premji was able to gain confidence from employees of Wipro. Wipro passed that difficult phase and continued their success story. World Bank lifted the ban on Wipro in 2011. It is now the fourth largest IT Company in India. Azim premji has shown us what effective leadership can do. 2. What are the CSR initiatives that these leaders support? Give examples. CSR Initiatives taken by Azim Premji: Azim Premji has already given 25% of his wealth to charity. Azim Premji has become the first Indian to sign up for the â€Å"Giving Pledge†, an undertaking by large-hearted billionaires to dedicate a majority of their wealth to philanthropy. Azim Premji’s biggest CSR initiative has been the establishment of â€Å"Azim Premji Foundation.† Azim Premji Foundation: Azim Premji Foundation was established in 2001 with a vision to contribute to education that facilitates a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. Their approach has been to focus all their resources and efforts on systemic change and improvement in quality of education in the government schools. The foundation has focussed on following areas while working with the government: Teacher Education Azim Premji Foundation’s teacher education programs have sought to build capacity in the existing education functionaries in terms of their  perspectives, subject matter knowledge, competencies and motivation levels. Since inception, they have worked with over 50,000 government school teachers across 8 states. Education Leadership and Management Azim Premji Foundation has developed about 3500 education functionaries in the state of Karnataka, including principals of schools in a unique effort involving training of master development facilitators for extended periods of time through classroom training and field projects. Examination Reforms Following Azim Premji Foundation’s work in the area, about 8 districts in 5 states have changed the way they conduct examinations for students up to 5th standard and the state of Karnataka has introduced external competency based evaluation. Technology in Education The Foundation initiated the Computer Aided Learning programme in the year 2002 to harness the potential of computer technology for education. The objectives of the programme were to make learning enjoyable and assessment fun, for all students. To this end, the Foundation created syllabus-based bi/trilingual multimedia content. It is probably the largest developer of Digital Learning Resources that address curricular issues of children from classes 3 to 8 in 18 languages (including four tribal languages). 2.5 million Children in 20,000 schools have used these resources across 16 states. Other Initiatives by Wipro: Wipro Care: â€Å"Wipro Cares† engages with communities in our proximate locations. The primary objectives of Wipro Cares are to support the developmental needs of marginalized communities in cities and towns where Wipro has a large presence. They have four core areas of work – education, health care, environment and disaster rehabilitation. Wipro Cares is currently engaged in 12 projects across India. Through its five health care projects in three states of India, Wipro Cares is providing more than 50,000 people access to primary health care. More than 70,000 children benefit from the six  education projects in five Indian cities and one Indian village. Their project in social forestry has helped plant more than 50,000 trees and has at the same time provided livelihood to around 40 farmers. Employee engagement is an integral part of Wipro Cares where they encourage employees to volunteer with our partners, acting thus as catalysts in bringing about positive change. Apart from these core areas, as part of the long term process that is typically involved in the rehabilitation of communities affected by natural calamities, Wipro offers its employees the opportunity to engage meaningfully with the affected communities. Mission 10X: Mission10X is a not-for-profit trust of Wipro, launched on September 5, 2007, with an aim to enhance the employability skills of engineering graduates in India. It aims to achieve this by collaborating with academicians & leading educational institutions across the country. The Mission10X Learning Approach empowers engineering faculty with innovative teaching techniques using which they can help learners in imbibing higher level of understanding of subjects, application of concepts learned and development of key behavioural skills. Since its launch, Mission10X has gained tremendous recognition and momentum in the field of engineering education. Mission10X has reached out to over 1,200 engineering colleges across 25 States in India and has empowered over 23,000 engineering faculty members. Eco–Eye: The core of Wipro’s social and community initiatives is focused on responsible and deep engagement with all stakeholders – present and future generations. Eco-eye is the way they see themselves and their engagement with stakeholders – on the journey to more sustainable business practices. The initiative focuses on reducing ecological footprint of their business operations, engagement with employees and supply chain, partners and customers to create a more sustainable society, and transparent reporting/disclosures. The ecological dimensions of their operations are focused on energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste/pollution management and recently enhancing biodiversity–they have set stretch targets for each of them. Moving beyond mere compliance with laws and regulations, engagement  with employees focuses on health and safety, people development, and increasing diversity and inclusivity at workplace are their important considerations. Close collaboration with suppliers to reduce their own ecological footprint and help meet and exceed labour and human rights norms is a key focus area. NANDAN NILEKANI 1. Explain the personality of the leaders based on Big 5 model. Cite instances to support your view. Big Five Model states that five basic dimensions underlie all others and encompass most of the significant variation in human personality. The following are the Big Five factors on which the personality of Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and ex- CEO & ex-MD of Infosys is evaluated against: The Big 5 personality traits are: (OCEAN) 1. Openness to experience. Nandan Nilekani’s career graph shows him to be a risk taker. He started his career in an IT firm as an engineer which he later quit to start his own business with his five other colleagues. Then, from an entrepreneur, he became a technocrat in the government in charge of transformational projects. Now, speculations are rife about his joining government by contesting elections from Bangalore constituency. He has also authored a book on ideas that have made India titled ‘Imagining India’. In his own words he describes his journey so far as from being an ideator to a change initiator. 2. Conscientiousness The biggest trait of a highly conscientious person is that he is reliable and responsible. Nandan Nilekani scores high on this parameter. Only a person who is deemed responsible and dependable can be made the chief of the biggest initiative by government. Other than that, he has also served as a member of the National Knowledge Commission, formed by the prime minister to reform higher education in India. In his stint at Infosys, its revenues grew fivefold. This shows the immense trust that the shareholders have on his leadership capability. He is well organized and persistent in his efforts.  He has managed to issue 380 million AADHAR cards so far which is consistent with his target of 400 million AADHAR cards by 2013. 3. Extraversion Nandan Nilekani is an extravert because he exudes gregariousness, is assertive and sociable. In 1981, Nandan Nilekani along with Narayan Murthy and five others co-founded Infosys. If he wouldn’t have been an extravert then probably he would have still remained as an employee of â€Å"Patni Computers† where he worked initially with the other co-founders of Infosys. Also, on his last day at Infosys, he made a speech that brought his assertive nature to the fore. It read â€Å"I am generally very articulate but this is not the day or place where I can be articulate. I’ve been wrapped up in Infosys for 28 years. My only identity is Infosys. I will be going to lead a programme to give identity to every Indian. But today I am losing my identity†¦But, in my new role, I’m supposed to work with 600 government departments knowing fully well that no two government departments get along with one other.† Also people close to him and the employees who have worked under him know him as a good orator and communicator. 4. Agreeableness Nandan Nilekani ranks high on the agreeableness dimension. He is known to be cooperative, warm and trusting. Mohandas Pai, co-founder of Infosys and a close aide of Nilekani says that he listens to all stakeholders, but has the capacity to take decisions. Also when he left Infosys to join UIDAI as its chief, many of his employees too left Infosys to join him in UIDAI. Even in UIDAI, he willingly subscribes to its rules, but at the same time also constantly looks for openings to subtly sell his ideas. 5. Neuroticism Nandan Nilekani is a positively stable person. The desire and urgency to serve a larger good has seen Nilekani and his wife, Rohini, give away hundreds of crores of their personal wealth—which Forbes estimates at $1.3 billion (about Rs. 9,000 crore), as of March 2013, largely from their Infosys shareholding—to educational institutions, and organisations that work to address some of the basic human needs. Some of this thinking is influenced by Nilekani’s father, Mohan Rao, a manager in a textile company  and a Nehruvian. Nilekani is considered the Bill Gates of our very own silicon valley for his benevolence and Samaritan acts. 2. What are the values of the organization or group the leaders represent? What are their personal values? Substantiate your claims by evidence. Hard work & sacrifice: I learned the value of give and take. I learned that there is the need to sacrifice your own wants in favour of someone else. I also believe in the popular saying: Let all living beings prosper. Another feature that this leader represents is the quest for knowledge. He stresses that success depends on continual learning. He also believes in the fact that ultimately hard work pays. He says that value system is very important as it acts as a guiding light in times of darkness, confusion and self-doubt, and when faced with moral dilemma. Leadership by example: Nandan Nilekani believes that transferring the values and beliefs of the organization to the next generation leaders is one of the most important functions. He is actively involved in the company’s leadership development workshops and mentoring activities. He believes that future leaders need to learn how to set direction, to create a shared vision, encourage execution excellence, embrace inclusive meritocracy. Ethics: The company recognizes the importance of nurturing relationships that reflect our culture of unwavering ethics and mutual respect. The company behaves ethically and honestly in all its interactions – with the clients, partners and employees. Right of Liberty: The company has unwritten rules. Everybody knows that if we want to work as a team we have to be transaction based. We start every transaction on a zero base. It is perfectly feasible for us to disagree on a transaction but we start the next transaction without any bias. Only an argument that has merit wins; it has nothing to do with hierarchy. Disagreeing is in the nature of  things. When you bring a set of people who have respect for each other’s competence in certain areas and you’re transaction-oriented then it can work as it has in our case. In Infosys, we have consciously brought about a respect and dignity for every individual. Pursuit of Excellence: We at Infosys take a long-term view of our business and life. We remember that success is, generally ephemeral. We remember that we are only as good as the results of our last quarter. Infosys has always placed a premium upon recruiting people with a high learnability quotient. Personal Values: Excerpts from an interview with the Indian Express â€Å"When I address new hires, the main thing I talk to them about is the value system. I tell them that even in the fiercest competitive situation they must never talk ill of customers. For heaven’s sake don’t short change anybody. Never ever violate any law of the land. It is better to lose a billion dollars than a good night’s sleep. It is a true meritocracy.† Once Nandan Nilekani was having lunch with Mihir S Sharma. They ordered something to eat and Nandan waited patiently for the food to arrive. The steward finally arrives. He received an education in how Important People are treated in restaurants. He’d rather be unimportant: mainly because it is assumed Important People are Too Busy to Order. The steward asks them if they want vegetables, chicken or meat, and tells them he’ll do the rest. Before he can interpose a panicked reply, Nilekani says: â€Å"dim sum.† The steward rushes off, and brings them a random selection. They’re terrible: undercooked and flavourless. Nilekani calls the steward over, and asks for the restaurant’s hottest sauce. The steward points to one on the table. Nilekani Smiles and picks up the sauce on his own. He understands that even the steward is a busy man and can get frustrated by his job. This clearly indicates the degree to which Nilkeni understands human behaviour and respects others. One, stay a technocrat, as he has been since 2009, when he was handpicked by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to lead a project to issue unique identity numbers to every Indian. Two, come in as a member of the Rajya Sabha, which does not require a mandate from the people, and be a minister like Jairam Ramesh or even Manmohan Singh. Three, in what will be the most challenging personally and professionally for Nilekani, a member of the Lok Sabha, elected by the people. This indicates value of excellence in Mr. Nilekani. Former Infosys chief and chairman of Unique Identification Development Authority of India Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini have announced Rs. 50 crore philanthropic grants to the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) to fund the establishment of a School of Environment and Sustainability. This indicates the generous nature of Mr. Nilekani. The principle of building and implementing great ideas that drive progress for clients and enhance lives through enterprise solutions. Mr. Nilekani has constantly endeavoured in bringing to life great ideas and enterprise solutions. His efforts in developing a unique identification project which aims at issuing identity to all Indian residents is commendable. 4. What are some of the major conflicts that these leaders have confronted? Who were the stakeholders? How did they resolve the conflict? Were they able to live up to the expectations of all stakeholders? Nandan Nilekani’s life seems like a smooth ride if you have a look at it. He has handled the conflicts in his personal or professional life so properly that you will feel like they weren’t even there. But, there were some brickwalls which he had to overcome. The two biggest conflicts in his life were: ‘To take care of newly started Infosys’s interests in US’ and of course, ‘the UID or Aadhar card project implementation’. To take care of newly started Infosys’s interests in US: After walking out of Patni with Narayan Murthy and co-founding the Infosys with him, Nandan Nilekani moved to US to take care of Infosys’s interest there. He was the face of the Infosys in US and did a brilliant job  in expanding its business. This part doesn’t necessarily seem as a big conflict but this was a really important phase for Infosys before it went public in 1993. Even when Infosys went public in 1993, no one picked up the stock. Among the first people Nandan Nilekani tried to sell the Infy stock before the Initial Public Offering was his IIT Bombay senior by one year, and now Union minister, Jairam Ramesh. So, I think the answer to this conflict in question is more related to his personality and his ability to give his team or co-workers a direction towards improvement through simple and logical questions that would properly analyse their work as well as its efficiency. Mr. Nandan Nilekani has a quick mind but at the same time he is very patient and a superb listener. He is quick in doing 360 degree analysis about any problems and is quick to ask the questions on exact points too. With these qualities he expanded the number of Infosys’ clients as well as provided them work the quality they needed. Even though, he makes it look effortless, it’s his experience, his quizzical & quick mind and his innovative thinking that makes this possible. With all these traits, he contributed to Infosys immensely and became its CEO in 2002. It was Nilekani who put Infosys on the global map and coined the phrase â€Å"flat world†, which inspired Thomas Friedman to title his book ‘The World is Flat’. The UID or Aadhar card project implementation: When Nandan Nilekani began working on providing a unique identification number to half of India’s billion-plus people four years ago, he ran into a wall of problems. The main criticism was that 120bn rupees ( £1.72bn; $1.89bn) project was also the world’s biggest biometric exercise. Not surprisingly Mr Nilekani, info-tech whizz turned head of the Unique Identification Authority of India, faced tough questions over access and misuse of personal information, surveillance, profiling, securing of confidential information by the government and threats of budget cuts. A parliamentary panel even trashed the idea, saying it would be â€Å"misused†. When all these were cleared the whole project was called directionless. The major stakeholders in this case were: He himself, Government, Opposition, Indian population and UIDAI. Nandan Nilekani persevered really hard, day and night to answer these questions and handled each one of them professionally and answering them with his actions. As his wife said in one of the  interview, â€Å"For 30 years Infosys consumed him and now it is UIDAI.† That’s how much he is involved. When the certain journalists went for the interview at his house, Nandan and Rohini Nilekani had just returned from a workshop at the National Law School in Bangalore where he had brainstormed with a group of legal experts on how to create the legal framework for the UIDAI. A week before that he was in Bihar where he had had a 90-minute lunch meeting at chief minister Nitish Kumar’s house. The day after the interview, Nilekani was flying off to Mumbai to meet the Maharashtra chief minister. In the four months before the interview took place, he had met 12 CMs to explain to them the intricacies of the UID project and ask for their support in enrolling people into the program. When he was interviewed about all this and why did he take up a project that was risky and that might face such a huge criticism, he said it was mainly because he was restless. He mentioned, â€Å"I thrive on challenges and new intellectual issues. I had to show that I could execute something outside my normal world. So there was that desire to prove myself again.† There was one more reason – the feeling that he needed to give something back to the country. Nilekani was aware that he came to this job with a certain â€Å"brand perception†. He was famous and wealthy and while these two attributes can help in opening many doors, there were people inside the government who did not believe that he understood the problems and issues of the poor. That is why he launched what he called an â€Å"outreach programme† where he made the first move in reaching out to various organizations and departments inside the government and public sector. Nilekani has been able to successfully complete the UID project and it has shown far reaching benefits. It has improved the delivery of social welfare programs, lead to more inclusion of the underprivileged, brought down the government’s transaction costs and plugged leaks and fraud in welfare schemes. But the implications of Nilekani’s role go far beyond the UID. He was one of the most high profile hires made by the Manmohan Singh government in the project. There were two implications – if he succeeds, a lot more people from the private sector and academic world will step forward to work with the government but if he fails that movement could slow down, which is why so many people across the country were watching this move so closely. Mr Nilekani was well-aware of the risks. As he himself says, â€Å"In the private sector, nine out of 10 start-ups usually fail and the UID too is like a  start-up.† He knew that his prior success didn’t guarantee success in this world and if he didn’t deliver the consequences would be large and four years on, Mr Nilekani – the famous co-founder of Infosys, the $7bn Indian info-tech behemoth – believes he has been able to allay fears. One of his biggest strengths at Infosys was building consensus and breaking down a complex problem and get people to identify the specific parts where they could not agree. The other was his supreme networking skills. And he put both of them to good use in UIDAI. He certainly silenced the critics with superb execution of the project, cleared all the doubts of the stakeholders and Indian people and even grass root politicians and provided people with Aadhar Card – their UID. 5. What are the CSR initiatives that these leaders support? Give examples. Nandan Nilekani himself is not an organisation or is not heading any profit making organisation so it is not mandatory upon him to devote 2% of his earnings towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. In fact he has right now devoted his complete time towards society by spearheading the UIDAI project. He is the chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIADAI). This project is aimed at creating a complete database of the Indian population in order for the government to reach out to the masses in a more effective manner. Besides this Mr. Nandan Nilekani’s wife Rohini Nilekani has been involving herself into a lot of social work which could be indirectly termed that she has been doing on his behalf. Recently Mrs Rohini Nilekani raised about Rs 163.58 crore by selling 5.77 lakh of her shares of the IT services company for philanthropic work. Mrs Rohini Nilekani recently stated that she has taken philanthropic initiatives in multiple sectors such as education, water, environment and governance among others. The proceeds of the sale of shares, post tax, are being deployed towards these and other philanthropic contributions. This was just a one-off social task undertaken by them. Besides this on a full time basis they have a non-profit organisation named Arghyam. Arghyam grants funds to organisations, which implement and manage groundwater and sanitation projects in India. Arghyam has made grants to recipients in 22 states of India since 2005, the year of its founding. Arghyam, a foundation she set up with a private endowment, to  work on water and sanitation issues in India. Apart from this Mrs Rohini Nilekani is also Founder-Chairperson of Pratham Books, a charitable trust which seeks to put â€Å"A book in every child’s hand.† All these initiatives it could be assumed are being undertaken by her but it cannot be denied that the source of income or the free movement of all projects undertaken by her have a bearing signature of her husband which can be easily noticed. When Mr. Nandan Nilekani was asked the reason for his leaving Infosys it was found out that he had a feeling that he needed to give something back to the country. It was feeling that lead him to develop the country’s first unique identification scheme that hopes to cover all of India in phases and give a unique number as exists in all other developed countries. Mr. Nandan Nilekani like his wife does not believe in philanthropy is the way to alleviate poverty and inequality. He rather believes that social work for the country can only be carried out by working with the government. He has also been trying to enter into politics and has a belief that if one academically successful man is able to enter politics and is able to help India there would be more who would get into it. A person who is working for the government in a selfless manner is the most apt example for social responsibility being carried out and Nandan Nilekani is doing that thing in the best possible manner there could be. 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