The Crisis at Three Mile Island essays

The Crisis at Three Mile Island essays In Middletown, PA, a quiet rural community, sits the nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island, better known as TMI. It was at this station that the worst commercial nuclear accident in the country's history occurred. Early in the morning of March 28, 1979, during routine operations a false reading on a valve caused the hot nuclear core of the reactor to be without water to cool it. The operators also wrongly thought the cooling system was full. The opposite was true. The core began to melt and build up of hydrogen took place in the building that housed it. The fear was that the nuclear core would melt through the floor and contaminate all the groundwater for miles around. Also, it was feared that the hydrogen would spark an explosion which would devastate the area. Government officials struggled all day on March 28th and 29th to size up the scope of the accident. The governor ordered all pre-school children and pregnant women to be evacuated from areas in proximity to the plant. Through careful analysis, the operators and government experts were able to bring the reactor to a cold, stable, but unstable condition. By April 4th, the people who were evacuated began to return. However, life for the plant and the industry that spawned it was forever changed. Protests abounded as the cleanup began. Officials wanted to vent what they claimed were small amounts of radioactive gas. There was also strong opposition to the transport of nuclear waste from the site. A plant that had once hosted tours and ran an observation site was now off limits and patrolled by armed security forces. The value of land in the area plummeted as peopled feared contamination. Today this issue still rages within the scientific community. Government scientists claim there was no significant environmental or genetic damage to the area of its residents. Conversely, groups such as the Union of Concerned Scientist point to private studies showing an increase in...

Crucible Character Study of Abigail Williams

Crucible Character Study of Abigail Williams Abigail Williams, a vicious antagonist from Arthur Millers The Crucible, will stop at nothing to attain her demented goals. In another writer’s hands, Abby could have been portrayed in a sympathetic light. After all, she is under age and has been sleeping with a supposedly honorable man thirteen years her senior. ​Arthur Miller, however, finds little humanity within her. Abigail Williams' Reputation Throughout the play, Proctor labels her a â€Å"harlot† and a â€Å"whore.† And perhaps Miller isn’t far off. According to the playwright’s research, the real Abigail Williams turned to prostitution several years after the Salem Witch Trials. Her Almost Unrealistic Characteristics She convinces young women to dance in the dark forest (a sinful act by Puritan standards).She practices voodoo in an attempt to win back her lover, John Proctor.She feigns demonic possession, luring the rest of the girls to behave the same way.She plants evidence of witchcraft in Elizabeth Proctor’s home, hoping to send her to the gallows.She manipulates the judges and denies having a relationship with Proctor. Perhaps the most sinister act takes place after a dozen citizens have been hanged. Abigail steals Rev. Parris’ life savings and runs away, never to be heard from again. In short, Miss Williams is a wretched, diabolic person!

Descriptive a Restaurant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Descriptive a Restaurant - Essay Example The crowd there was not talking loudly nor were they misbehaving in any sense. A slow music could be heard in the restaurant which added up to the beauty of the atmosphere. The restaurant used different types of pieces for decorating the structure which attracts the consumers. Paintings were seen to be hanging on the wall along with different graffiti on the walls. The lights in the restaurant were adjusted to a dim beam because of which the atmosphere seemed calmer. Altogether it can be said that the atmosphere of the restaurant added up to the beauty of the restaurant and made it worth visiting. The food is the most important thing that matters to the consumers entering the restaurant. A restaurant should ensure that they have a variety of food items which would attract the consumers. After entering this specific restaurant I ordered the recommendation of the chef and found it be very delicious. The variety of food in the restaurant ranged from Indian food to Chinese food which was very amazing for a person like me. As soon as I ordered my food I could smell the starters from a long way and as they served the starters I realized that they were as delicious as the smell was earlier. I ordered an Indian dish and found it to be very delicious.

A Look into A Forum of Ice and Fire Research Paper

A Look into A Forum of Ice and Fire - Research Paper Example Getting online forum members to contribute regularly occurs through motivating them to do so, as well as offering them rewards (Howard, 2010). Fans of both A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones have several motivational factors that encourage them to contribute on the online Forum of Ice and Fire. Such motivations include seeking to build a reputation and gain status in the community, create connections with other members who have similar interests, to make sense and gain understanding of the series, to exchange information, and to entertain and receive entertainment. The main motivation for members of the forum to contribute, therefore, is their interest in the series and books and wanting to connect with fellow fans in order to feel validated and valued. Fans of a Forum of Ice and Fire continue to contribute to the forum because it allows them to build a reputation or gain status within the community. One of the biggest motivators in life is to gain social recognition, which brings instant approval and gratification (Kraut, Resnick, & Kiesler, 2011). Unlike the real world where people with expertise are more likely to be identified where information on a specific topic is required, the forum enables participants to display expertise in a mythical subject matter. By contributing to the forum, it is possible for a fan to establish himself/herself as an expert or authority on the subject of Westeroos politics, for example. For prospective authors or political commentators, on the other hand, such a forum will become a place for them to hone and highlight their skills. Since the tasks involved in the forum are tailored for the participants, they are motivated to continue contributing as their views add value to the forum in their name. These fans can create a positive reputation that they feel can be transferred to the real world if other fans appreciate them.

The Claim of English women to the Suffrage Constitutionally Considered Essay Example for Free

The Claim of English women to the Suffrage Constitutionally Considered Essay 1.Classification a.Text type: This is an article published in the â€Å"Westminster Review† in 1867. b.Cultural and historical background: It dates back to 1867, Victorian period (1837-1901), which corresponds with the reign of Queen Victoria. This was an extremely exciting period, sometimes called â€Å"the second British Renaissance†. It was published after the amendment to the Bill presented by John Stuart Mill, backed up by 1500 signatures, including some of the most remarkable women at that time. His petition for women’s suffrage was rejected. c.Author: Helen Taylor was born in 1831. Her mother, Harriet Taylor, was particularly politically active, supporting women’s rights. As John Stuart Mill’s step-daughter, Helen helped him with his books and articles after her mother’s death. In 1865 Mill got a seat in the House of Commons and presented a petition in favour of women having the right to vote in 1866. His petition was defeated. In 1967 she published this article and she was a founding member of the London Society for Women’s Suffrage. d.Addressee: I think that this article was thought to act as a support document for the incipient women’s suffrage movement. She was preparing the ground for a more formal petition, as though Mill’s petition containing around 1500 signatures was turned down. She was echoing the women petition while societies demanding women’s vote were flourishing all around the country. I think this was intended to be a declaration calling for the women right to vote. 2.Analysis Miss Taylor first published it as an anonymous article in the â€Å"Westminster Review† in January 1867 and it was reprinted afterwards. She based her position on the idea that since women were fully allowed by English law to hold all kinds of properties, so they should to vote in the election of the Parliament representatives: â€Å"This petition [†¦] sets forth that the possession of property in this country carries with it the right to vote†. So it was that even American politicians fought against slave’s right to vote based on their inability to hold property. According to Taylor, it was â€Å"hard to see how, if the law of England endows a woman with property, it can, [†¦] deprive her of the essential privilege†. Following the legal positivism developed by thinkers such us Jeremy Bentham (Westminster Review founder), she based her claim on constitutional grounds stating that women were only asking for the recognition of rights that â€Å"flew naturally from the existing laws and institutions of the country†. She stressed the importance of this social movement, mentioning the number of women’s signatures (fifteen hundred) which backed up the official petition presented to House of Commons by Mr. J. S. Mill in 1867, demanding the vote for women. In addition, she set a 10 to 1 ratio. For each woman that signed the petition, there would be ten that also supported the idea but for several reasons, were not able to express themselves. She thought that it should be taken into account when considering the petition and signatories should be regarded as representatives of larger social body. She then referred to what she called â€Å"domestic despotism†, which did not allow women to openly speak their minds. Apart from grounding her petition on the British Constitution and the already recognized right to property and its management, she highlighted that women were perfectly adequate for the government and management as female sovereigns were. Ironically, Queen Victoria, was openly opposed to such kinds of political concessions to women. â€Å"Universal Suffrage† as the word said, implied the personal representation, which comprised both men and women. That brought up the theory of â€Å"class representation† according to which all mothers, wives and women were part of a very large group by virtue of their female condition. Again, she underlined the odd position in which laws placed women who were property owners. She described that as an â€Å"anomaly of the system†, as anyone entitled by law to hold and manage property, should also be able to take part in the political decisions, as they may have side-effects on their properties. She thought that this political exclusion was due to a prior period when women were not able to own properties and as a result, they were not included among the voters. English law â€Å"has long ago refused to drive women into marriage, as sheep are driven into a fold, by shutting every gate against them but the one they are intended to go through†, this comparison drew a very clear image of the kind of â€Å"anomaly† Taylor was talking about. Women needed to be able to protect their possessions within the legal frame, and one of the very first steps was to be given the right to choose their representatives at the Parliament. She also analyzed what would happen if this petition was admitted and the vote to women was granted. She thought that in a way, men were afraid of losing their decision power and that was why the objected to the petition. They should not be afraid of independent women, as they were already acting that way, governing their own lifes and properties. Occasionally voting, will not make any difference. Besides, she thought that politics at the time were full of â€Å"domestic† subjects, such as education, labour regulation, water supplies, etc. 3.Conclusion The Industrial Revolution (a period from 18th to 19th century) dramatically changed everyday’s life in the United Kingdom. Women taking part in the workforce with new kinds of jobs, tough working conditions, etc. were a challenge for the traditional idea of the women’s role, and its relationship with the environment. Traditionally the woman’s place was the house, children and home caring, playing an absolutely secondary role, subordinated to her husband. This article can be considered one of the major texts regarding the role of women in the Victorian society and the controversial right of women’s suffrage. Taylor made a unique contribution to the suffrage movement. Apart from playing an active founding role in different women’s suffrage associations with this article, she gave visibility to an old claim, organizing a widespread campaign getting thousands of signatures to back up the formal petition. In my opinion, Helen makes a mistake with regards to her consideration of the legal position of women and property, particularly in the case of married women. They were not able to exercise any rights over their property most of the times. It was their husband the one entitled to do so on her behalf. That â€Å"full property† she mentions as basic pillar for her theory is not such, except in the case of some widows and single women. However, Taylor was a pioneer in the movement for womens rights and her contribution was valuable in the battle for equality in the context of a shaky era such as the Victorian. This can be considered one of the milestones regarding the role of women, as it was one the early demands for womens suffrage in the United Kingdom.

Embryonic Stem Cells Research Essay -- Biology, Science Experiment

Embryonic stem cells research is a very conflicting subject in the United States. Some people think that it is morally and religiously incorrect as they are killing a human life at the first stage of life. While some think it is ok because the human life to them starts at the stage of the fetus. In this paper we are going to discuss the total aspect meaning: how the government takes playThe intention of this research paper is to inform about the benefits of animal testing for humankind through the development of medical treatments and the quality of life throughout history. Also try to persuade the society that is opposed to this practice about the many positive factors that has given us the animal experiments in the battle against diseases and conditions. By which today are successfully eradicated many viruses and pests that once were fatal. Finally, we will also demonstrate ours arguments availing ourselves of some books and articles published on the internet about this controvers ial issue. Ours purposes are to expose the many positive factors that have animal testing on the few disadvantages that some organizations in most cases deliberately exaggerated. Animal Testing We decided to do this research about the animal testing because is one of the issues that have generated more controversy worldwide over the years. Like any issue that is an international ethical dilemma, there is always a part of the society that supports, and another that condemns it. We intend through this research to determine the reasons why we're all in favor of this practice and support it in its entirety. To reinforce this point of view in this work we have included three arti... ...kes, Alzheimer, birth defects, organ transplant and many more. Imagine how other people will benefit from those studies. We may be even able to assist other countries with the study of embryonic stem cell. We could save people’s lives or make them live a bit longer until a real cure is found. We have reviewed many areas of embryonic stem cells. We have discuses how the government takes play in the research of embryonic stem cells. We also touch how embryonic stem cells are created, and that there are different ways to take embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryo. Finally we were able to find one FDA approved trail going on involving embryonic stem cell research. We still haven’t decided if this is a good or bad research as there are many different aspects and point of views on this controversy topic. Guess we have to agree to disagree on this one.

Metal Lab Essay

Data Analysis: 1. What was the temperature change for the water in the calorimeter (ΔTwater)? 3 °C 2. What was the temperature change for the metal sample (ΔTmetal)? Assume the intial temperature of the metal was the same as the temperature of the water it was boiled in. 70 °C 3. What was the specific heat of water in J/g °C? 4.186 J/g °C 4. Using the following equation, your answers to questions 1-3, and your data table, determine the specific heat of the metal sample you tested. 5. Identify you metal using the list of specific heat values provided. The metal that was identified was Zinc. 6. Calculate the percent error in the specific heat value that you determined experimentally. Conclusion: The purpose of this experiment was to determine the identity of a mystery metal by finding the specific heat of the metal and comparing it to a list of specific heat values for different metals. Before beginning the lab and during the lab, the mass of the metal sample and water sample was taken. This information was later used to help determine the specific heat of the mystery metal. The temperature of the boiling water, the temperature of the water in the calorimeter without the metal, and the temperature of the water and metal in the calorimeter were also collected to help determine the mystery metal. After this, the temperature changes for the water in the calorimeter and the metal sample were collected. After all the data was gathered, an equation was used to find the specific heat of the mystery metal and determine its true identity. The calculated specific heat of the metal was 0.231 J/g °C. Even though this was close to the specific heat of Cadmium, the actual metal was Zinc , which had a specific heat of 0.390 J/g °C. The purpose of the lab was met, but not very well. There was a percent error of 40%, which is ridiculously high. Many things could’ve gone wrong in the lab such as reading the thermometer wrong, miscalculating the specific heat of the â€Å"mystery† metal, or not following the procedure. One thing that could’ve gone wrong is the possibility of reading the thermometer wrong. Reading the thermometer wrong could’ve resulted in the failure of the entire lab. Another possible error was miscalculating the specific heat. This is very plausible and easy to achieve. It is no surprise if it happened during the lab. One final error could’ve been not following the procedure. Not following the procedure could’ve easily messed up the entire lab. Following directions is a very crucial part of any lab. Despite these errors, there are ways to fix them. One solution is to use a digital thermometer instead. This would eliminate the possibility of reading the thermometer wrong. Another solution is to explain the equation more clearly. Making the equation as clear as possible to anyone who may use it could definitely almost completely erase the misunderstanding of an equation. One last solution is to read the procedure thoroughly multiple times before starting the lab. This would ensure that no direction has been skipped or skimmed, and the lab will run smoothly.

Does the Media Promote Terrorism?

Assignment: Some scholars argue that too often the media helps promote terrorists' agenda. Others, however, disagree. What is your own position on the media's role and impact in covering terrorist cases? Organize your reply by selecting three case studies that, by employing the same assumption or hypothesis, appear to compose a pattern that supports your opinion. Your answer should not exceed five hundred words (about two double-spaced, typed pages). Does the Media Promote Terrorism? The news media of American society does not encourage terrorism. The only thing that the media encourages is knowledge of what is going on around the world. Unfortunately, some terrorist organizations use the news media to gain recognition for their groups causes and goals. Most of the time, the media will serve as force to gain citizen support for the government's actions against a terrorist movement. The only problem with having the freedom of press that the United States enjoys is that everyone has a voice. When it comes down to an American killing an American, the media is not allied with the terrorist. Americans do not like to see fellow citizens die at the hands of a terrorist, especially by an American terrorist. Timothy McVeigh, probably unknowingly, helped in decreasing the number of American terrorist. McVeigh's act, bombing the Murrah building in Oklahoma City, was seen as so repulsive that many law-abiding people attracted to militias simply walked away. The majority of Americans didn't want to be associated with anything like the killing of 168 Americans, even though McVeigh had only attended a few militia meetings. (Mahan & Griset, p. 225) The media coverage for the bombing in 1995 gave the American public the education needed to assess what was going on in the militant organizations across the United States. No one truly believes that the media plan or suggest terrorist attacks to groups or individuals. But the action of the media has been scrutinized intensely in recent years to determine whether media coverage of terrorist events caused terrorists to choose one particular choice of action over another. (Combs, p. 179) The education of American citizens is an invaluable tool that is channeled through the media for the benefit of all citizens. With the help of the media, the people get all of the facts and are able to form their own opinion about what is going on, who is responsible for events, and how future events can be avoided. The media and the government have common interests in seeing that the media are not manipulated into promoting the cause of terrorism or its methods On the other hand, neither the media or policymakers want to see terrorism, or counter terrorism, eroding constitutional freedoms including that of the press–one of the pillars of democratic societies. (Perl) In conclusion if terrorists seek media attention and are given after an attack, their act will be seen as successful so, by not overruling other ‘real news’ media, have the ability to affect the scale of an attack. With today’s worldwide Internet accessibility to anyone at anytime the support and especially funding of terrorism acts may increase. But, however, the ‘CNN affect’ in other words may increase the number of casualties from a terrorist attack if international press exaggerating the hatred towards terrorism and ‘war on terror’. Out of this it is clear that media as the ‘voice of the people’ encourages the scale of the terrorist attack but not the actual terrorist attack in itself. References Combs, C. (2010). Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century ( 6th Ed.), Charlotte, NC.: Pearson Mahan, S. & Griset, P. (2008). Terrorism in Perspective ( 2nd Ed.), Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. Perl, R. (1997). Terrorism, The Media, and the Government: Perspectives, Trends, and Options for Policymakers Retrieved Febraury 25, 2011 from http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/crs-terror.htm.

Free Foreign Market Entry Strategy Essay

Free Foreign Market Entry Strategy Essay Foreign Market Entry Strategy Introduction International business has assumed new and complex proportions in the recent times on account of globalization of markets and economies. The globalization phenomenon has exposed organizations to new challenges that creates the need for a deeper understanding of global markets and economic environment that shape industry trends. Business in todays world is guided and affected by the economic, social, financial, technological, political factors and system of any country. So in order for any international brand to be able to flourish and get a hold on the foreign market, it is imperative that all these factors are considered and analyzed. With more and more companies going global the strategic alternatives and practices differ widely from one business to another. The market entry strategy is based on an in-depth assessment of new market environment and an understanding of vital factors driving the industry operations in a global context. The business world is not limited to trading in any ones home country only. In order to expand and grow the almost all the countries in todays world try to venture into the foreign market. The success or the failure would depend on the strategies adopted for a fruitful international business (Ghemawat, 2001). Thus, evaluation of foreign markets and analysis of economic environment is important in determining the feasibility of entering new markets. Firms entry Burger King is one of the leading fast food retailer in the United States having a global market presence across 73 countries. The company started its operations in the year 1954 with its first restaurant in Miami, Florida (Burger King website, 2012). As part of its international expansion strategy the company plans to venture into the Indian markets that holds great potential for extended sales and revenue. The country has a vast population and growing economic prosperity has lured many multinational companies to venture into this market. {t_essay_order} India has witnessed a tremendous economic growth over the past few decades. In 2006, Indias gross domestic product grew by 9.2% (Martin Kronstadt, 2007). Many U.S. companies consider India as one of the potential candidates for investment in any business. In spite of this economic growth, most of the rural people are poor and they can afford only the bare minimum necessities of life. Owing to the growing rate of inflation, the economic expansion is still restricted. Unemployment is still a prominent problem. More than half of the population still depend on agriculture (Martin Kronstadt, 2007). India is a land of varied demographic and geographical variety. One third of the population lives in urban areas and a significant proportion of the population are dependent on agriculture for their living (Martin Kronstadt, 2007). The social division in India is based on the regional background, religion, caste and these affect the Indian politics as well. There are more than 22 official regional languages in India. The attitude, set of mind, likings are more or less guided and influenced by these divisions in the caste system. The competition policy of the Government of India enhances market efficiency and protects the consumer interest as well. India has a complicated and rigid bureaucratic system which poses a problem with regards to implementing new economic policies and programs. The large population also poses problems for Indias environment (Martin Kronstadt, 2007). The workforce and the manpower are available at a considerable moderate cost. The intellectual population is also abundantly available. India has a vast population in IT professionals. There is a huge population of skilled and unskilled labor (IPTU, 2011). In a developing country like India, often the companies fail to reach the scale due to the predominant government failures and market gaps as well. As a result of which the shareholders loose interest and consequently there results in the downturn of the company. The financial viability of a foreign company in the Indian market is very fragile (Pfitzer Krishnaswamy, 2007). There has been a significant liberalization of Indias trade and international investment policies. Over the last few years, India has been relaxing its import policies, thus lowering tariffs and eradicating the requirement of import licensing. India is one of the most popular democratic countries. India is a federal republic and mostly all the financial decisions rests with the prime minister and the cabinet. The trade relation between India and United States is also quite cordial (Martin Kronstadt, 2007). Management considerations The concept of globalization is very attractive and lucrative to all the companies but at times the companies underestimate and overestimate the attractiveness of foreign market which may cause them pay a heavy price in future. The two aspects of any business trade and distance always are inversely proportional to each other. It has been analyzed and studied that there is a negative impact of distance on trade (Ghemawat, 2001). The distances pertaining to any country reflects the diversity in cultural, administrative, geographic and economic aspects. The policies of the government, the size of the country which refer to the population of the country or the patriotism of the country men which inhibit the entry of any foreign country on their soil plays a major role in shaping the fate of a foreign company. Among the other factors the cross border complexity, the availability of natural resources, infrastructure, intellectual property, financial resources also poses a problem if the st rategies or the methods chosen cannot solve the added cross border complexity to initiate or sustain the cross border business (Ghemawat, 2001). The main aim of any international business strategy is to manage the difference which arises at the border of any country. According to Alexander and Korine (2008) there are three effective criteria to the challenges of globalization which reflect the viability of entering foreign markets. These relate to the question of how the company will benefit from this move, if the country has the capabilities to invest and try to expand in the foreign country and last but not the least will the benefit cover the cost incurred. Many companies have been unsuccessful in their pursuit to globalization because of impractical strategies and techniques used by them. This however does not mean that there are only negative side of globalization. Burger King needs to consider the strategic alternatives that define the success of its market expansion plans through an in-depth assessment of the Indian market. The fast food culture is popular among the younger generation and market trends reflects increased market potential. However, the competitive environment presents increased challenges to the management along with the restrictive trade environment that makes it difficult to establish operations in India. Strategic alternatives may involve alliances and partnership that enable the company to enter the markets easily. Brand presence and market penetration should be the key focus for increased market shares. Organizations operate in an increasingly competitive environment today and that makes it essential for management to consider strategic options for growth and development. The strategic alternatives for growth and expansion are however, much influenced by the firms performance in domestic markets and its core competencies that define its competitive advantage in the defined industry sector (Stonehouse Campbell, 2004). While the domestic environment forces regulate the success of firms in capturing markets, the performance of firms is to a large extent influenced by managerial capabilities to harness existing potentials and resources to gain competitive advantage (Henry, 2011). The global markets have assumed new significance in terms of value addition and marketing efforts that involve product differentiation and standardization approach. Every product market like the computers, fast foods have their presence in the global market and thus have foreign competitors. Governments have also played an immense role by lifting the trade barrier, the growth and the demand in the domestic market is also contributing to the expansion and opening the door of one country to invite other countries (Hamel, Doz Prahalad, 1989). Employee considerations All the countries across the world reflect different mental set up of the people, diverse attitudes, and numerous rules and regulations supported by the government that result in different type of barriers in the form of cultural, social and economic differences. For any company to be able to establish itself in that country requires difference in approaches as well as solution of the management problems. India is rich in culture and is marked by diversified cultural, social, economic and geographical differences. Owing to the cultural differences the consumers preferences are also very different. The cultural attributes also decides how people interact with one another and their reaction to a company especially to the one which is not local (Alexander Korine, 2008). People management plays an important role in defining organizational strengths and capability to handle management challenges. While India provides an extensive source of labor, the employment laws of the country are conservative. Labor management in the country requires efficient management techniques. India has a huge proportion of population whose income can be considered as low as per the international standards. As a result, the tenacity of spending money, living and using the product also differs as per the international standards. The human resource can be a considerable boon for any foreign country as the cost of the labor is cheap and the intellectual population can also be utilized and nurtured. The different religious beliefs, races, social norms and practices bring differences among countries. The social structure gives rise to the difference in the buying capacity of people (Prahalad Hamel, 2001). Any company, who is trying to enter the market where the local companies are already in existence, must adopt a reasonable and affordable pricing structure for their products. Conclusion There are some benefits of global strategy which are cost reductions, the quality of products and their various programs and last but not the least there is an increase in the competitive edge. For example, the Japanese success in the automobile is the global focus. The potential benefit from the virtue of globalization can be derived from the fact that many countries offer low labour costs, thus by outsourcing the profit margin can also be kept at a considerable low rate (Yip, 1989). The concept of globalization still holds true as now a days the government has somewhat relaxed its internal tariffs, so the imports, exports and the trade has also become much smoother. Through the virtue of globalization, a continuous flow of learning, better staff accumulation and gaining knowledge in the specified areas and last but not the least it contributes to the increase in the profit margin (Aswathappa, 2010). Recommendations Burger King must focus its strengths on gaining industry leadership through adaptation to new product segments and tapping market needs to improve market penetration in the domestic markets. The operating environment in which firms exist are prone to rapid changes marked by shifting trends and emerging ideas that guide market behaviour and consumer needs (Johnson, Scholls Whittington, 2011). Firms in order to adapt to emerging trends have to adopt new strategic approaches that can help them retain market shares and explore new market opportunities. This kind of strategic approach is referred to as strategic fit that implies the change of internal strategic capabilities to better fit such opportunities (Johnson et al., 2010). Firms in their pursuit of international growth and expansion must re-define their existing strategies to accommodate the needs and demands of the new market region. Initial hiccups are inevitable since differences in cultural, political and economic environment play an important role in defining market behaviour. The effectiveness of strategic approaches lies in their ability to research and understand these differences (Hamel Prahalad, 1996). Joint ventures and alliances with local partners can help in easing these initial challenges and enter the new markets with improved confidence (Jadhav, 2007).

Top Characteristics of Ancient Civilizations

Top Characteristics of Ancient Civilizations The phrase top characteristics of civilization refers both to the features of societies that rose to greatness in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, Chinas Yellow River, Mesoamerica, the Andes Mountains in South America and others, as well as to the reasons or explanations for the rise of those cultures. Why those cultures became so complex while others faded away is one of the great puzzles that archaeologists and historians have attempted to address many times. The fact that complexity happened is undeniable. In a short 12,000 years, humans, who organized and fed themselves as loosely associated bands of hunters and gatherers eventually developed into societies with full-time jobs, political borders, and detente, currency markets and entrenched poverty and wristwatch computers, world banks, and international space stations. How did we do that? So, What is a Civilization? The concept of a civilization has a fairly grubby past. The idea of what we consider a civilization grew out of the 18th-century movement known as the Enlightenment  and the term is often related to or used interchangeably with culture. These two terms are tied up with linear developmentalism, the now-discredited notion that human societies evolved in a linear fashion. According to that, there was a straight line that societies were supposed to develop along, and ones that deviated were, well, deviant. That idea allowed movements such as kulturkreis in the 1920s to brand societies and ethnic groups as decadent or normal, depending on what stage of the societal evolution line scholars and politicians perceived them to have achieved. The idea was used as an excuse for European imperialism, and it must be said still lingers in some places. American archaeologist Elizabeth Brumfiel (2001) pointed out that the word civilization has two meanings. First, the definition arising from the grubby past is civilization as a generalized state of being, that is to say, a civilization has productive economies, class stratification, and striking intellectual and artistic achievements. That is contrasted by primitive or tribal societies with modest subsistence economies, egalitarian social relations, and less extravagant arts and sciences. Under this definition, civilization equals progress and cultural superiority, which in turn was used by European elites to legitimize their domination of the working class at home and colonial people abroad. However, civilization also refers to the enduring cultural traditions of specific regions of the world. For literally thousands of years, successive generations of people resided on the Yellow, Indus, Tigris/Euphrates, and Nile rivers outliving the expansion and collapse of individual polities or states. That sort of a civilization is sustained by something other than complexity: there probably is something inherently human about creating an identity based on whatever it is that defines us, and clinging onto that. Factors Leading to Complexity It is clear that our ancient human ancestors lived a far simpler life than we do. Somehow, in some cases, in some places, at some times, simple societies for one reason or another morphed into more and more complex societies, and some become civilizations. The reasons which have been proposed for this growth in complexity range from a simple model of population pressure- too many mouths to feed, what do we do now?- to the greed for power and wealth from a few individuals to the impacts of climate change- a prolonged drought, a flood, or tsunami, or a depletion of a particular food resource. But single-source explanations are not convincing, and most archaeologists today would agree that any complexity process was gradual, over hundreds or thousands of years, variable over that time and particular for each geographic region. Each decision made in a society to embrace complexity- whether that involved the establishment of kinship rules or food technology- occurred in its own peculiar, and likely largely unplanned, way. The evolution of societies is like human evolution, not linear but branched, messy, full of dead ends and successes not necessarily marked by the best behavior. Nevertheless, the characteristics of burgeoning complexity in a prehistoric society are pretty much agreed upon, falling roughly into three groups: Food, Technology, and Politics. Food and Economics increasing sedentism- a reduction in the amount of mobility within a society, allowing or requiring people to settle down in one place for longer periodsthe need to produce a stable and reliable source of food for your group, whether by growing crops, called agriculture; or raising animals for milking, plowing or meat, called pastoralismthe ability to quarry and process tin, copper, bronze, gold, silver, iron and other metals into usable objects, known  as metallurgythe creation of tasks that require people who can dedicate part or all of their time to complete, such as textile or pottery production, jewelry production and referred to as craft specializationenough people to act as a workforce, be craft specialists and require the stable food source, referred to as high population densitythe rise of urbanism, religious and political centers, and socially heterogeneous, permanent settlementsthe development of markets, either to meet the demands of urban elites for food and status goo ds or for common people to enhance the efficiency and/or economic security of their households Architecture and Technology the presence of large, non-domestic buildings constructed to be shared by the community, such as churches and shrines and plazas and collectively known as monumental architecturea way to communicate information long distances within and outside of the group, known as a writing systemthe presence of a group level religion, controlled by religious specialists such as shamans or priestsa way to know when the seasons will change, by means of a calendar or astronomical observationroads and transportation networks that allowed communities to be connected Politics and People Control the rise of trade or exchange networks, in which communities share goods with one another, leading tothe presence of luxury and exotic goods, such as baltic amber), jewelry made from precious metals, obsidian, spondylus shell, and a wide variety of other objectsthe creation of classes or hierarchical posts and titles with different levels of power within the society  called social stratification and rankingan armed military force, to protect the community and/or the leaders from the communitysome way to collect tribute and taxes (labor, goods or currency), as well as private estatesa centralized​ rule, to organize all those various things Not all of these characteristics necessarily have to be present for a particular cultural group to be considered a civilization, but all of them are considered evidence of relatively complex societies. Sources Al-Azmeh, A. Concept . International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition). Ed. Wright, James D. Oxford: Elsevier, 2015. 719–24. Print.and History of CivilizationBrumfiel, E. M. Archaeology of States and Civilizations. International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences. Ed. Baltes, Paul B. Oxford: Pergamon, 2001. 14983–88. Print.Covey, R. Alan. Rise of Political Complexity. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. Ed. Pearsall, Deborah M. New York: Academic Press, 2008. 1842–53. Print.Eisenstadt, Samuel N. Civilizations. International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition). Ed. Wright, James D. Oxford: Elsevier, 2001. 725–29. Print.Kuran, Timur. Explaining the Economic Trajectories of Civilizations: The Systemic Approach. Journal of Economic Behavior Organization 71.3 (2009): 593–605. Print.Macklin, Mark G., and John Lewin. The Rivers of Civilization. Quaternary Science Reviews 114 (2015): 228â₠¬â€œ44. Print.Nichols, Deborah L. , R. Alan  Covey, and Kamyar Abdia. Rise of Civilization and Urbanism. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. Ed. Pearsall, Deborah M. London: Elsevier Inc., 2008. 1003–15. Print.

Amazon Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Amazon - Case Study Example The operating cash flow for amazon increase to 31% to record $5.47 billion in the financial year ended December 2013 compared to $4.18 billion in the year 2012. For the net sales for the fourth quarter in year ended 2013, the company recorded a 20% increase that is equivalent to $25.59 billion compared to $21.27 billion in the financial year 2012 fourth quarter. The company in overall accrued a net sales of $74.45 billion in the financial year 2013 which was a 22% increase compared to $61.09 billion in the year 2012 ("Why Amazon Is A Lousy Business"). The company is divided into two segments that include; the North American segment and the international segment. The North American segment is involved in export sales from the www.amazon.ca and www.amazon.com, all of which are based in U.S. The international segment is involved in international websites that are involved in export sales to customers in Canada and U.S. from abroad (Amazon.com, Inc.). Jeff Bezos is an American entrepreneur and the founder of amazon.com and acts as the company’s chief executive. He was born in 1964 January 12th in Albuquerque in New Mexico. He studied in Princeton University where he was awarded a computer science and electrical engineering bachelor’s degree in 1986. He worked in several firms in Wall Street that included Bankers Trust, Fitel and lastly in D.E. Shaw investment firm where he was acknowledged as the youngest vice president in the year 1990. He later quit the job in 1994 to go to Seattle where he had seen an opportunity in internet market which by then was untapped market. Despite the successes that Bezos achieved after founding amazon.com, he was first faced with the challenge of marketing budget. He had to use word of mouth to make the business succeed and be recognized by many people. Another challenge he faced in his first years is the skepticism that people had about him. They saw him as a failure, someone who left a good job to start something