The Paradox of Corporate Entrepreneurship Free Essay Example, 2000 words

Corporations based on entrepreneurship blur the line between what is an acceptable practice and what is not, taking advantage of grey areas and loopholes in the legislation. The pursuit of profits inspired by entrepreneurial leaning by corporations influences them to identify grey opportunities for operations. In a capitalist manner, such undertakings can be justified as they may not directly breach any laws. However, this may be due to an oversight in legislative processes or ignorance on such loopholes. The lack of legislation guiding certain practices or outlawing certain acts does not make them moral or acceptable to society (Philips 2003, pp. 36-38). This, however, makes them acceptable practices to an entrepreneurial corporate venture. For instance, multinational corporations may sell products with carcinogenic or mutagenic risks in third world markets. Such products may be outlawed in the countries of origin, but not legislated upon in the foreign markets in developing countr ies. Whereas no legal mechanism may pin down corporations behaving in this manner, there exists no moral justification for such practices. Here, the firms are engaging in business that may be harmful to the perhaps oblivious consumers while taking advantage of failure in legislative capabilities. We will write a custom essay sample on The Paradox of Corporate Entrepreneurship or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now This is a result of uncontrolled entrepreneurial action where such business opportunities are spotted, noted as illegal and exploited by the corporations. Entrepreneurship also leads to various aspects of corporations becoming defunct and disposed of. The much-maligned bureaucracy in corporations serves several essential functions for the corporation. According to Down (2010, p. 116), bureaucracy is commonly equated with red tape and blamed for inhibiting effectiveness due to complex and rigid procedures. However, a closer look at the issue opens up a number of positives brought to a corporation due to bureaucracy. Bureaucracy provides for control mechanisms within corporations and thus protects the firm from chaotic operations and ultimate falls.

American And Korean Culture Cultural Immersion Through...

Like many of my undergraduate peers, I have yet to discover my whole self. Having a multicultural background, in both American and Korean cultures, I felt as if I did not belong in either group due to characteristics that fit into neither category. Also being on the border of two very different health-care professions also inhibits me from fully submerging myself into a field of study. Throughout my adolescence to now, I have forced myself to conform to the American side but also felt a loss in a part of myself from the neglect towards my Korean side. I believe that I can learn how to embrace both cultures successfully by equalizing my exposure to South Korean culture, thus developing a holistic identity for myself. With the greater understanding of myself, I hope to figure out the best fit path for myself. During my future practice in the medical field I can incorporate the experience of cultural immersion through respect and acceptance of new cultures. Being able to embrace two cul tures, maturing myself, now will allow me to accept people and new ideas I will encounter during my education and career as well as mentor others to find themselves. Studying at Korea University, one of the best universities in South Korea, will obviously enrich my educational experience. Learning opportunities, including shadowing doctors in different countries, will help me understand non-Western perspectives, while allowing me to combine medical philosophies in my future practice. LearningShow MoreRelated Asian Americans in the Classroom Essay4678 Words   |  19 PagesAsian Americans in the Classroom Asians are one of fastest growing minority groups in America today. During this century, various factors at home and abroad have caused people from Asia to immigrate to the United States for better or for worse. Due to these factors, Americans and American teachers, in particular, need to educate themselves and become aware of the Asian American students’ needs in terms of success and happiness. Before beginning my research, I felt I had an easy subject: studyingRead MoreThe Paradox of Samsungs Rise4535 Words   |  19 Pagesprevious generation. Twenty years ago, few people would have predicted that Samsung could transform itself from a low-cost original equipment manufacturer to a world leader in RD, marketing, and design, with a brand more valuable than Pepsi, Nike, or American Express. Fewer still would have predicted the success of the path it has taken. For two decades now, Samsung has been grafting Western business practices onto its essentially Japanese system, comb ining its traditional low-cost manufacturing prowessRead MoreGoogle Organizational Culture9872 Words   |  40 Pages 2010 ISSN 1549-3652  © 2010 Science Publications Cultural Issues in the Business World: An Anthropological Perspective Michael P. Lillis and Robert Guang Tian Department of Business, Medaille College, New York Abstract: The significance of cultural influence on business has been widely recognized in both academic and business circles. A number of authors suggest that an anthropological approach is the most appropriate way to study cultural factors and assess their impact on an organizationalRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 PagesVIEW Strategic Human Resource Management Taken from: Strategic Human Resource Management, Second Edition by Charles R. Greer Copyright  © 2001, 1995 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. A Pearson Education Company Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 Compilation Copyright  © 2003 by Pearson Custom Publishing All rights reserved. This copyright covers material written expressly for this volume by the editor/s as well as the compilation itself. It does not cover the individual selections herein thatRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pages22/10/2007 11:54 Page 600 600 Guide to the main focus of cases in the book Introduction to strategy Business environment: general Five forces analysis Capability analysis Corporate governance Stakeholder expectations Social responsibility Culture Competitive strategy Strategic options: directions Corporate-level strategy International strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategic options: methods Strategy evaluation Strategic management process Organising Resourcing Managing change StrategicRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 PagesDESIGN DIRECTOR SENIOR DESIGNER SENIOR MEDIA EDITOR George Hoffman Lise Johnson Carissa Doshi Dorothy Sinclair Matt Winslow Amy Scholz Carly DeCandia Alana Filipovich Jeof Vita Arthur Medina Allison Morris This book was set in 10/12 New Caledonia by Aptara ®, Inc. and printed and bound by Courier/Westford. The cover was printed by Courier/Westford. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright  © 2009, 2006, 2004, 2001, 1998, 1995, 1992, 1989, 1986, 1981, 1976 John Wiley Sons

BRL Hardy Australian Wine Company Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the BRL Hardy Australian Wine Company. Answer: Marketingroles and responsibilities include managing themarketing activities of the company and developing strategies as per the company objectives. In this particular case the global brand strategy of BRL Hardy, an Australian wine company has been considered. The Australian wine industry had gone a lot of changes within few years. Therefore the company had to think carefully about the marketing pattern carefully in order to pursue a global brand strategy. As innovation is an important part of marketing therefore fortified wines became obsolete and vineyards were substituted by varieties of table wine. The changes in the wine industry were responsible for affecting the upcoming wine companies in Australia. That is why in order to pursue global brand strategy it becomes essential to practice responsive, future- proof, resilient and growth- oriented management. In order to ensure that the brand functions properly on a global context adaptability and flexibility are important. Philips is one of those brands which became successful by maintaining balance and thus made a big impact in the Chinese market. It is also important to adapt to the solutions based on technology as it is considered as the best benefit of brand management. If consistency, is maintained in the identity and marketing strategy of brand then it acts as a strategic guide. For instance, Unilever has made use of Percolate, a marketing software company for supporting global brand management practices. By modifying the structure of the organization and working actively global brand management can be improved. Initially the BRL Hardy Company was at the top of Australian wine selling companies and Carson, the managing director always felt proud about the situation. But the condition became different when he had to decide between the future strategies of the company and the implications on the international functions. This became a matter of concern for both Carson and Davies. In addition to that company managers had to decide on two competitive proposals for making new entry in the Australian wine market. Stephen Davies was appointed as a marketing manager of the BRL Hardy Company to evaluate the global operations. In doing so he found that the international operations were not at a very good stage, rather poor. This became a matter of tension for him and he started to think of ways by which this difference can be sorted. He made Quality Wines for the World the slogan of the company to build the perfect export strategy based on a premium quality of brand image. When both of these persons were in anxiety to save the company from distress Millar, the managing director of the parent company came to their rescue. He was the one who wanted Carson to be involved in this matter. Along with that he also wanted to make sure that the European activities are aligned with the strong and new strategies of the company so that they can remain in the top position in the market. In this way he did not even want to endanger the position of this company in the market as it was responsible for two- third of the export sales. Among the two proposal files that led Carson and Davies to worry about the future of the company, one of the files contained the proposed launch of Distinto, a new line of Italian wines. These were developed after collaborating with a Sicilian winery. It can be suggested that BRL Hardy should not launch Distinto in the UK even though Carson and his team was deeply involved in this project. This is because there was quite a lot of controversy among the Australian management. They were concerned about Mapocho which was another business sourcing pact. It was battling at that point to make a proper marketing launch and make the weakening relation with Chilean sourcing associate better. In such a critical situation it will not be a wise decision to ignore either of the two projects. The plan behind launching Distinto is to build an amazing image for it in the Mediterranean lifestyle. However it would not have been possible if the concentration of the managers is shifted to Mapocho. Thus one of the two projects needed to be compromised for the sake of the other. Since Mapocho was already launched in the market therefore it deserved better treatment than Distinto which was yet to be launched. Moreover, even though the idea of this Italian wine was appreciated but many questions were raised before its approval. The management had negative feeling about this particular brand because of previous ventures gone badly. There was an issue in deciding between the managers of the company whether to launch Banrock Station in the UK. The UK based management had become successful in developing a reasonable amount of commitment to Kellys Revenge. It was a brand that was built up to react to the UK market opportunity. On the other hand the parent company was more concerned about the promotion of Banrock Station because this product was successfully launched in Australia before and that is why they wanted to continue it as an international brand without modifying the price level. The company should launch Banrock station in the UK because it was positioned in the market as an environmental- friendly product where the profits were partly allocated to the conservation groups. If it would be launched in the UK then the price would be kept similar to that of Kellys Revenge. The product would be considered as an instant success for the Australian market and tends to be the largest selling imported brand in New Zealand. Moreover, the Banrock Station should be launched in UK because Davis and Millar were convinced of the potential of this brand at an international level. They also convinced the BRL Hardy companies in other places such as Europe and North America to put their best efforts behind it. It was accepted by Canadian managed to be launched immediately because they had foreseen the benefits behind it. The ample benefits that were being received from this brand should not be overlooked. There was a constant issue between the launching of Kellys Revenge on one hand by the UK management and Banrock station on the other hand by the parent company. It can be suggested that Kellys Revenge should not be launched in UK. As it has been discussed in the report that Banrock Station will also be launched in the same price level of Kellys Revenge to succeed in the new market. Moreover, Banrock Station was also a potentially global brand and Davies and Millar was convinced by that. Kellys revenge could stand nowhere in front of its competing brand. Millar added to this explanation that when Kellys Revenge was taken to UK, it failed to appeal to the marketers. Instead, Banrock Station was successful in getting compliments in the UK market. This was counted as a great opportunity for positioning the brand in the UK market. Therefore it will be a great decision to stop the launch of Kellys Revenge in the UK market because nobody would like to put the companys reputation at stake. Banrock Station was already successful in appealing to the consumers in its production stage because of its conservation efforts. That is how the company could gain its reputation as a potential global brand. Bibliography Bartlett, C.A., 2001.BRL Hardy: Globalizing an Australian Wine Company. Harvard Business School Pub.. Bianchi, C., 2015. Consumer brand loyalty in the Chilean wine industry.Journal of Food Products Marketing,21(4), pp.442-460. Bianchi, C., Drennan, J. and Proud, B., 2014. Antecedents of consumer brand loyalty in the Australian wine industry.Journal of wine research,25(2), pp.91-104. Carsana, L. and Jolibert, A., 2017. The effects of expertise and brand schematicity on the perceived importance of choice criteria: a Bordeaux wine investigation.Journal of Product Brand Management,26(1), pp.80-90. Ertimur, B. and Coskuner-Balli, G., 2015. Navigating the institutional logics of markets: Implications for strategic brand management.Journal of Marketing,79(2), pp.40-61. Fleming, A., Park, S.E. and Marshall, N.A., 2015. Enhancing adaptation outcomes for transformation: climate change in the Australian wine industry.Journal of wine research,26(2), pp.99-114. Gmez, M., Lopez, C. and Molina, A., 2015. A model of tourism destination brand equity: The case of wine tourism destinations in Spain.Tourism Management,51, pp.210-222. Logan, S., 2016. Wine and viticulture journal marks 30 years.Wine Viticulture Journal,31(3), p.7. Rowley, M., 2017. Supply and demand: Supply and demand dynamics for Australian wine following vintage 2016.Wine Viticulture Journal,32(3), p.58. Saltman, Y., Johnson, T., Wilkinson, K. and Bastian, S., 2015. Australian wine consumers acceptance of and attitudes toward the use of additives in wine and food production.

Conference on Foundations of Genetic Algorithms †MyAssignmenthelp

Queston: Discuss about the Conference on Foundations of Genetic Algorithms. Answer: Introduction: The encryption process in the recent time is playing a very vital role in every sphere. The message which is send from one person to another have to be secured and has to be seen that it is not in hand of nay user expect the actual recipient of the message. In Symmetric key encryption each of the computer system has a secret key. The secret key can be used to encrypt a packet of information mainly with the main propose of protecting it from other users before it is send over the network to another computer system (Goyal, Koppula Waters, 2017). In the process of sending message with the indicated encryption process it is very important to know the computer which is going to interact with in order to install the key. The drawback aspect of the process is that the transfer of key is very much important and it has to be seen that the key does not reach anyone else than the intended recipient. Symmetric key is very similar to secret code that each of the two computers which are interacti ng must know in order to complete the communication process (Prajapat Thakur, 2016). In Symmetric key encryption each of the computer system has a secret key is can be considered as the most important and the most beneficial aspect of the encryption technology related to Symmetric key encryption process. The public encryption can be referred to as a system of cryptography that mainly consists of two keys a public key and the private or the secret key. The public key is basically known to everyone and on the other hand the private and the secret key are known only to the intended end user of the message. The main aspect in this cryptographic function is that the two keys are related in a way that only the public key can be used to encrypt the message and only the corresponding private key which is related to the public key can be used to encrypt the message from the recipients side (Bellare, Kane Rogaway, 2016). The security aspect involved in the technology is that it is virtually impossible to generate the private key if some user knows the public key. From the hackers point of view it is generation of the private is a hard job at hand, so the message is transferred in a secured manner. The hashing function is almost available in all application which is related to the information system (Waters, 2016). The technology is very much important from the users point of view with the security aspect related to the internet and the communication medium. The hash function is mainly a mathematical function which is used to convert an input value which is numerical and convert it into a numerical value which would be compressed. The value which is returned by the hash function is termed as message digest or in order words hash value. Technique Used For Confidentiality and Authentication Hashing is the most popular implementation of the cryptography which uses different aspect of security which can directly insure Confidentiality and authentication (Koppula et al., 2017). In computer security aspect the term confidentiality and the authentication play a very vital role. Everybody who access the network want their data to be secured and no one expect the intended person would not get access to the data stored in the server or over the network. There are two direct application of the hash function which is based on cryptographic property. If the password is stored in a normal text it would be directly accessible to anyone. Instead of this mostly login procedures store hash values of the related password in the file. The intruder who has the intention of hacking the password would only see the hashes of the password, even if access to the password is made (Goyal, Koppula Waters, 2017). Logging with the password or deriving the password would not be possible, this is due to the factor that hash function mainly processes the property with are related to the pre- image resistance (Altman et al., 2016) The integrity data check is the most common application of the hash function. The main aspect in the process is the generation of the checksums on the data files. The integrity check helps the user to detect whether any change is made to their original file (Appelt et al., 2016) the concept how ever does not give any sort of assurance related to the originality aspect. The concept is useful on if the user is somewhat sure about the originality of the file or the data. The Denial of service attack is mainly an attack in which the system, server or the traffic which is related to the network is flooded with resources and as a result of which it makes it very difficult for the user to use them accordingly. The server is in this scenario is flooded with inappropriate request that any task or job cannot be achieve from the system. The attack crashes the server and it can be dealt by merely restarting or rebooting the system. There can be different ways in which accompany can be protected from the denial of service attack. Two most effective way in order protect are stated below Create an action plan in advance The main aspect in this case is not waiting for the attack; it is the intelligence in response to the potential risk before the attack is done. The main focus should be on the creation of a system that absorbs a DDoS attack potential. Thought the precaution measure before the intended action takes place is not 100% foolproof it does not help in mitigating the risk to a extent. The action plan might consist of the following aspects. Implementation of a sensor so that it gives an indication whenever a website is down. Dumping of logs should be provided in any case of any malicious activity. Construction of ISP in order to get the understanding about the free and the paid DDoS protection plans and its implementation (Chen et al., 2016) Confirmation should be obtained with the DNS TTL ( time to live) for system which are prone to attack in the near future The result of the DDoS attack accounts in a unprecedented amount of traffic in the server which is beyond imaginations. Putting emphasis on the hacker an ideal time to jack into the website is when a huge amount of traffic is concentrated (Gollmann, Meier, 2006). Therefore the best way to notice quickly the attack is by looking out for the situation of the abnormal traffic in the website. It can be estimated the amount of traffic in a particular website in a pre defined time, whenever the rate increases the DDoS attack may be in active mode. Staying alert with it monitoring and setting the threshold time or limit when the traffic goes beyond a certain level will help an individual to protect themselves from the DDoS attack (Antonakakis et al., 2016) Rules of working in secure areas Maintaining the integrity with the physical security for the secure areas. Confirmation that the door is closed with the access of the area. Never leave the door open or unattended while working in the area. Never allow the access of unsupervised personal by a contractor or technician with the role of maintaining (Ling Chen, 2016). Maintaining the integrity of the environment in the area which is secured. Do not involve food, hazardous material or drinks in such an area. Never store any equipment like tools, cleaning supplies, ladder, ceiling tiles, unused servers, etc). Maintenance of the fire protection unit is very much essential. Report of any building mechanical failure such as door not working in proper condition, a water leak or a burned out bulb light (Chen et al., 2016) Limitation of action with regards to authorized and appropriate activities. An approval from the ITS request should be taken in order of all the changes made in the infrastructure and production system. The response on the production system in a n emergency or equipped failure must be accordingly followed by emergency request for change. If not responsible or authorized never open the cabinet for equipment In many situation there can be a case that accidently switching of or damage of computer equipment is done in such case the ITS service desk should be approached. Computer security mainly involve in securing the computer system and preventing it from unauthorized access. The task of securing a system is very much challenging. Hackers are considered to be upper hand than the normal people with emphasis on the technological knowledge aspect . However securing the computer system is very essential in order of protecting the data Updating the system regularly: the operating system should be updated at least ones a month in order to keep the system updated. Installing the recent patches and security installation can help in securing the aspect. Internet Browser: the browser is considered as the most important aspect in order to achieve connectivity to the internet. One of the most renowned browsers is the Mozilla Firefox which is mainly open source software. This is advantageous because the personal who are involved with the security aspect can easily fix the bugs and build better security features which are involved in the aspect. Another important aspect of Firefox is that it is Add- one or implementation of extensions, this aspect can help in building the build in security and features which are related to the privacy aspect. Software aspect: unwanted software can directly affect or infect the computer system, if during the downloading of the software it is not taken care of. The source of the software is the main aspect here and it should be ensured that there is bundling of additional wanted program with the legitimate software. If the computer system has java installed in it, it should be disabled as stated by the Homeland Security. Java is responsible for many malware attacks on the computer which are unsuspecting from the users point of view. Virus and malware: A virus can implement anything that a normal computer program can do. The virus spreads by infecting files or the area involved in the system and then it makes copy of itself. On the other hand some computer viruses are not harmful at all others may damage the data files and some destroy the files and some can directly spread to other computer systems. Malwares is considered as a broad category of threads which are related to the computer including unwanted programs and spyware that may get installed in the system without the proper knowledge of the user of the computer system. an spyware program may be included with other softwares. The spyware can reach the intended system when a download is ion activated such as a music file.. The user should be conscious of the pop- up boxes where a answer to a question is asked in aspect of yes and no. Firewalls An intrusion detection system is mainly designed in order to maintain all the inbound and outbound activity of the network and identify and pattern which may be assumed to be suspicious that may be an indication of someone attacking or attempting to break into the network (Korman Avidan, 2016). The intrusion detection system is considered to be passive in the sense that its suggests user of the suspicious activity taking place not prevent them. There are two types of filter associated with the filtering process of the IDSs which are deep packet inspection and packet stream analysis (Hoffmann et al.,2016). The deep packet inspection role is not only limited on the footer and the header of the packet of the information but also looks into the content of the packet (the data part) in order to search for illegal statement and criterias that are predefined. This allows the firewall to make appropriate decision about the aspect of whether to allow or disallows the packet of the data in order to get through the route of the internet. Delving into the content with the packet is done by the DPI by which it allows determination to be made with respect to the packet are finally allowed traveling into the network (Desai et al., 2016) The Deep packet inspection enforced a strong foothold in the aspect of the security. The DPI offers just more than the examination of the packet of the data (Thorup, 2017). The network management tools which can a future player in the security aspect of networking gather the deep packet inspection information in order to create a better knowledge and understanding of the network traffic, performance related to network and unifying applications. The concept also provides an additional advantage of information that are implemented and user for network trending, forensics and analytics with network (Roy, 2017). Packet Stream Analysis The packet stream analysis can be used in both way legitimately or illegitimacy. When the technology is used legitimately the packet sniffer identifies any transmission error for the network and data. The most important function of the technology is the network detection. The process of packet capture is very much similar in the essence of telephone wiretapping in basic sense detecting anything which is going through the computer network (Weiss, Y., Torralba Fergus, 2009). Monitoring the network problem and troubleshooting any problem when it arises can also be an advantage of the implementation. The Packet sniffer has a variety of function which would be very much beneficial in the near future. By this mean it can help defend in detection of attempt of intrusion, detect misuse of the network ,monitoring momentum with the data , debug communication in the server, filter out suspect content, isolate and detect exploited system, gather statistic on the network issues. Thus it can be stated that these method serves as a primary point for the monitoring purpose of the network. References Altman, Y., Keren, A. Y., Krupkin, I. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,306,971. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Antonakakis, E., Perdisci, R., Lee, W., Ollmann, G. (2016). U.S. Patent Application No. 15/384,025. Appelt, D., Nguyen, D. C., Briand, L. (2016). Automated Testing of Web Application Firewalls (No. TR-SnT-2016-1). Bellare, M., Kane, D., Rogaway, P. (2016, August). Big-key symmetric encryption: resisting key exfiltration. In Annual Cryptology Conference (pp. 373-402). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Chen, P., Ong, Y. C., Page, D. N., Sasaki, M., Yeom, D. H. (2016). Naked black hole firewalls. Physical review letters, 116(16), 161304. Chen, R., Mu, Y., Yang, G., Guo, F., Wang, X. (2016). Dual-server public-key encryption with keyword search for secure cloud storage. IEEE transactions on information forensics and security, 11(4), 789-798. Desai, M., Patel, S., Somaiya, P., Vishwanathan, V. (2016). Prevention of Distributed Denial of Service Attack using Web Referrals: A Review. Gollmann, D., Meier, J. (2016). Computer SecurityESORICS 2006: 11th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Hamburg, Germany, September 18-20, 2006, Proceedings (Vol. 4189). Springer Science Business Media. Goyal, R., Koppula, V., Waters, B. (2017, April). Separating semantic and circular security for symmetric-key bit encryption from the learning with errors assumption. In Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques (pp. 528-557). Springer, Cham. Hoffmann, H., Daily, M. J., Holland, G. D., El Defrawy, K. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,336,239. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Koppula, V., Pandey, O., Rouselakis, Y., Waters, B. (2016, June). Deterministic public-key encryption under continual leakage. In International Conference on Applied Cryptography and Network Security (pp. 304-323). Springer International Publishing. Korman, S., Avidan, S. (2016). Coherency sensitive hashing. IEEE transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence, 38(6), 1099-1112. Ling, H., Chen, Z. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,503,425. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mell, P., Grance, T. (2017). The NIST definition of cloud computing. Prajapat, S., Thakur, R. S. (2016). Optimal key size of the AVK for symmetric key Encryption. Covenant Journal of Informatics and Communication Technology, 3(2). Roy, S. (2017). Denial of Service Attack on Protocols for Smart Grid Communications. In Security Solutions and Applied Cryptography in Smart Grid Communications (pp. 50-67). IGI Global. Sinclair, G., Olson, R., Falcone, R. (2017). U.S. Patent No. 9,721,099. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Thorup, M. (2017, January). Fast and powerful hashing using tabulation. In Proceedings of the 14th ACM/SIGEVO Conference on Foundations of Genetic Algorithms (pp. 1-1). ACM. Waters, B. (2016, June). Deterministic Public-Key Encryption Under Continual Leakage. In Applied Cryptography and Network Security: 14th International Conference, ACNS 2016, Guildford, UK, June 19-22, 2016. Proceedings (Vol. 9696, p. 304). Springer. Weiss, Y., Torralba, A., Fergus, R. (2017). Spectral hashing. In Advances in neural information processing systems (pp. 1753-1760).

Applying To University: The Five Point Plan

​ Should you decide it's something you want to do, the process of applying to university is a very long, challenging, rewarding but ultimately worthwhile process. In your first year of sixth form, you may begin the process of thinking about what you want to do with your life, and where you want to go to study (should you decide that is what you want). You may even have a strong idea of what you want to do with your career; this can only further inform your decision. Should you decide it's something you want to do, the process of applying to university is a very long, challenging, rewarding but ultimately worthwhile process. In your first year of sixth form, you may begin the process of thinking about what you want to do, and where you want to go. You may even have a strong idea of what you want to do with your career; this can only further inform your decision. From planning and starting your application, to (hopefully) starting your freshers' week, there will be a lot of thinking, a lot of writing, a lot of fretting and a lot of dreaming. Check out our step by step guide with some handy web links to get you through the process; we start with the process of shopping for a course and campus that suits you and take you all the way through to your first week of university (assuming all goes to plan) The Five Steps Step One: Choosing a University Step Two: Applications Interviews Step Three - Making a decision Step Four - After the exams Step Five - Planning for university Step One: Choosing a University The process of choosing a university can be a massive, daunting task when you first think about it. After all, you don't yet know what your grades are going to be, and you may not have any idea what course you want to do. Choosing a university will also depend on your personality - do you think you will be more comfortable at a campus university, where you are more likely to feel like part of a smaller community, or a city university, where you are in more of the position to blend in to a wider culture.University: what I wish I knew at the start Help! I don't know which university to pick How to make the most of university open days Step Two: Applications InterviewsOnce you have made your decision, it's of course time to get started on your UCAS application. It's a fairly long and involved process that can take up a lot of your time and concentration. The most important thing to remember is that you are going to need to provide potential admissions tutors with a compelling and truthful application which shows why you want to study the course you have chosen. This means that the personal statement section of your application needs to be written and then re-written. And then re-written again. Writing a personal statement 10 odd university interview questions and why admissions tutors ask them Interview questions to look out for 10 steps to better express yourself in writing The worst UCAS mistakes you can makeStep Three - Making a decisionOnce you have sent your applications off, all you can do is wait. This can be the most nerve-wracking part, as you wait for that letter to drop through the post. As the replies roll in, you will become better placed to make an informed decision. Here is the first opportunity for re-evaluation. You may have had a complete change of heart between first application and the point at which the first replies arrive. You may get several offers and be spoilt for choice. You may get no offers at all, at which point it's time to turn the first disappointment into opportunity, and decide what you're going to do next. How to decide between offers What to do if you've changed your mind What to do when you get no offersStep Four - After the examsSo it's Results Day, and you're holding that piece of paper with those much-anticipated grades printed on them. Here's the point where you are either on your way to the university of your dreams, or once again having to do some serious thinking. If you haven't got the grades you needed, don't worry, it's not the end of the world. It can often feel as though A-levels will define your entire life. They won't. You can always take some time, reconsider and then re-apply.What to do on A-level results day 5 steps to surviving clearing What if I just miss my grades? 9 reasons why A-level results day shouldn't terrify you Step Five - Planning for universityLet's say everything's gone to plan, and now you're off to university. The final step (or first depending on your point of view) is to start to make plans for what you're going to do when you're there. This ranges from sorting out your accommodation, opening a student bank account and buying any books or textbooks you will need before you start the course. You may even be thinking about how you are going to make friends, and whether you will fit in.Top tips for surviving your first term Choosing your student bank account ​How to make friends at college or university Is your first year of university really that important?

Biography of Mary Leakey

Biography of Mary Leakey Mary Leakey was a very important Anthropologist. She was born February 6, 1913 in London, England. Since her father painted, her family moved from town to town on many occasions. She grew up in places such as England, France and Italy. At age eleven, when she lived in Dorgogne, she became interested in prehistory after meeting Abbe Lemozi. Mary's life was very good until 1926 when her father died and she was shipped off to a Catholic convent school. She was expelled many times from the school. Mary later went on to receive a degree in prehistory. She was very determined and usually attended lectures on prehistory at the University of London.Her first career opportunity happened when her artistic abilities were discovered by Dr. Thompson. She asked Mary to illustrate her book, The Desert Fayoum. Then, Dr. Thompson invited Mary to meet Louis Leakey while he was speaking at the Royal Anthropologist Institute.Olduvai Gorge, February 2006He was very impressed by her drawings and asked her to illustrate a book of his, Adam's Ancestors. Louis then left his wife and two children for Tanzania in 1934. Mary and Louis married Christmas Eve 1936. Mary then started to work on excavating Hyrax Hill. She then moved onto the Naivasha Railway Rock. However, she took a break when her first son was born in 1940. Then she took another break in 1943 to give birth to their daughter who died three months later. Again, in 1944 another child was born, Richard Leakey. Another son was also born later in 1949.In 1948, Mary made an exciting discovery. She found the skull and jaw of an apelike creature called Proconsul Africanus. It is dated at 18 million-years-old. Most of the 1950's were interrupted by political problems in Kenya. Although, in 1959, Mary discovered the Australopithecus...

International and Members of the International Court Essay

International and Members of the International Court - Essay Example The provision for the law is such that any culpable individual cannot escape the wrath. It is therefore still better if the US wants to take the initiative of subjecting the suspects to a trial. The sentiment of the Saudi government through their minister for defence can be lawfully interpreted as giving the suspects a feeling that either they are not responsible for the alleged crimes or that in the event that they are, then the US government has moral and legal authority to adjudicate on the matter. There may be no established structures within the US and Saudi government which clearly indicates the channel that should be pursued in such a case, and that it entirely depends on the goodwill of the Saudi government to surrender the suspect which in this case are their citizens to be tried in a foreign land. The prosecution in pursuit of the American system become appreciated on grounds that they are the complainant, just on this fact, they have the moral authority to try the suspects using their jury. On the other hand, the Saudi government may be right as giving another country a leeway to try citizens of your country is an act of surrendering sovereignty to foreigners. In the light of sovereignty, the Saudi government are legally in order to avert possible extradition of her citizens for a trial through a system they cast sufficient doubt in. the fact is even accentuated by the fact that no legal extradition arrangement exists between the two countries. In the event of extradition, it is legally proper that there should be a formal and effective arrangement that provides for a course of action in the event that such is necessary (Stanbrook, Ivor, and Clive 97).

Bait-ul-Maal. Creation, Functions and Resources of Bait-ul-Maal Essay

Bait-ul-Maal. Creation, Functions and Resources of Bait-ul-Maal - Essay Example The Islamic financial system is among the most autonomous and righteous systems in our society. The Holy Qur'an states this truth in Surah al-Hashr [59:7], "In order that it may not (merely) make a circuit between the wealthy among you." For that reason, the Islamic society focuses on the required circulation of wealth among all citizens and not just those who are affluent, as this may carets humiliation to the Muslim society and raise social class culture (Tamer, p. 102, 2005). Definition of Bait-ul-Maal Bait-ul-Maal is an Arabic expression, which means ‘House of wealth’ or ‘House of money’ (Ayub, pp. 23-25, 2008). Traditionally, it was a financial institution in charge for the management of taxes in Islamic nations, mainly during the early Islamic Caliphate. It provided as a noble reserve for the Caliphs and Sultans, controlling personal finances as well as government expenses. Additionally, it managed circulations of Zakat revenues for community efforts. Contemporary Islamic economists believe the institutional structure suitable for modern Islamic nations (USA International Business Publications, p. 187, 2009). Creation of Bait-ul-Maal The Muslims began establishing Bayt al-Mal from the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He (PBUH) is accustomed to choose the administrators as well as the commanders for the different areas. Each commander was in charge for gathering Zakah, Jizyah in addition to the fifths of the booty and Kharaj. Every now and then, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) inured to employ somebody in charge just for the financial dealings to gather the owing cash for the State together with, Kharaj, Jizyah, Tenths (Zakat on lands, assets and the fruits) and donations and give them to Bait-ul-Maal (Ayub, pp. 31-37, 2008). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did the same with Mu`adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) when he sent him to Yemen to gather the funds of Zakat from its representatives and with `U baydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) (Kettell, pp. 56-60, 2010) when he sent him to al-Bahrain to gather the Jizyah. The beginning of Bayt al-Mal from the time of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) reign is an obvious proof on the accuracy of the Islamic financial structures since this early time. As a result, it is usual that Bayt al-Mal extends in accordance with the different ages (USA International Business Publications, p. 76, 2009). Functions of Bait-ul-Maal The authority of Bait-ul-Maal consists of the wealth due for Muslims as a group not possessed by one of them and the wealth used for the gain of Muslims. For that reason, Bait-ul-Maal is among the key establishments of the Islamic society as it is the single power entitled to paying money on the different Muslim benefit. It has the influence of a Ministry of Finance and a Central Bank during the present days (Tamer, p. 76, 2005).   Divisions in other Countries of Bait-ul-Maal During the reign of the Umayyad Caliphate, finances get better. The sum of money was very big without doubt, as it came from just one Muslim state, that is Egypt, let alone other finances that made their way to the Bayt al-Mal from other Islamic states (Kettell, pp. 56-60, 2010). There is no uncertainty that such enormous sum of funds accentuated the significance of the Bait-ul-Maal during the period of the Umayyads, and consequently the prominence of this caliphate. It is obvious from the report of Ibn `Abdul-Hakam that there was a middle management for the Bait-ul-Maal in the Islamic caliphate's centre of Damascus as well as sub-managements in every state independently. The

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Research Methods - Essay Example Opposite relationships hold for net asset positions, which are denominated in an FC. As a result of the cash flow impact of transaction exposures and the requirements of Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement no. 52, Foreign Currency Translation, to include foreign exchange transaction gains and losses in the determination of net income, most companies are hedging these exposures. In fact, a 1986 FASB research report, Foreign Exchange Risk Management under Statement 52, revealed that 84% of 162 company treasurers engaged in foreign trade regularly or selectively hedge foreign transaction exposures. The research of the problem of the foreign currency risk is important because the globalization of the world economy and the devaluation of the U.S. dollar have allowed more American companies to enter the export/import markets. Additionally, many managers who previously avoided these markets are finding that international transactions can make their companies more competitive in marketing products and procuring parts and/materials. As new companies are exposed to foreign exchange risk, managers will necessarily be concerned with the development of an effective hedging program. While the task of managing financial risks generally falls to the CFO or treasurer, it is often others in the accounting department who are asked to evaluate the bottom line impact of these risks. The proposed research paper will introduce several of the most widely practiced hedging policies and strategies that will add a new knowledge to the field of foreign exchange currency trading risk and management thr ough the research within a number of multinational companies that face the risk. Besides providing a real organizational case, the research focuses on the modern risk management strategies that include applying foreign exchange derivatives. Employing the sample of firms for the

The concept of national identity

The concept of national identity In recent years, due to the expansion of modernism and modernisation on a global scale, there have been developments at cultural and structural levels, resulting in a change in national identity and making the study of nationalism and national identity an important topic in social science. These studies are often concerned with the complex and contradictory nature of cultural identities and the role of communications media in the development and reconfiguration of those identities. This essay will attempt to define the terms nation and national identity and discuss how far these concepts relate directly to geographical location and/or political boundaries. It will look at the relationship between the media and national identity and explore its extensiveness and what it means for the concept of national identity itself. Additionally, the issue of whether national identities are real or perceived will be addressed as well as whether the concept, or indeed, the experience of national identity is a media-dependent phenomenon. Other issues that will be discusses include the elements that may contribute to an individuals sense of national identity and what an absence of (national) media would mean for the concept of national identity and the sense of belonging to a particular nation. Many scholars would agree that the concepts of nation, nationality and nationalism have all proved difficult to define and analyse. Anderson (1991) notes that while nationalism has had significant influence on the modern world, plausible theory about it is conspicuously meagre (p.54). Seton-Watson (1997) concludes that while no scientific definition of the nation can be devised, the phenomenon has existed and exists (p.5). Even Nairn (1975) remarks that the theory of nationalism represents Marxisms great historical failure. But even this confession is somewhat misleading, in so far as it can be taken to imply the regrettable outcome of a long, self-conscious search for theoretical clarity (p. 3). Although there is little consensus regarding the forces responsible for its manifestation, most theorists on nationalism believe it to be an essentially modern phenomenon, appearing in the late eighteenth century in Europe and North America. Three theorists stand out in the genealogical debate over nationalism. Hobsbawm (1990) defined nationalism as the popular realisation of political rights in a sovereign state. A populace linked itself to a limited national territory and was embodied through a centralised government, an event he believed first occurred during the French Revolution. If nationalism was a modern invention, so were nations: the nation-state was the result, rather than the origin, of a nationalist discourse (Hobsbawm, 1990, p.28). Gellner (1983) adopted an economically reductionist approach, deeming nationalism a necessary function of industrialisation. He argued that because industry required skilled labour, a common vernacular, and high rates of literacy, the need developed for a national high culture promoted by a state run educational system. Simultaneously, the old agrarian order faded away and societal anonymity replaced provincial distinctness, facilitating the creation of a homogeneous national cul ture. Like Hobsbawm, Gellner sought to dispel teleological notions of the nation as eternal and reiterated that national was a modern invention, created in response to the needs of a new economic system, even it represented itself as a natural, historical phenomenon. The theory of the nation as invention was taken further by Anderson (1983), who saw nationalism as a process of imagining communities. Nation-states are imagined because members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each live the image of their communion (Anderson, 1983, p.15). He argued that the decline of universal religious paradigms and the rise in print capitalism allowed for this cultural construction to flourish in eighteenth century. The mass consumption of newspapers and novels enforced a common vernacular, linked a populace to urban centres, and encouraged common participation in a shared imagined culture. Anderson (1983) implied that the reformation of the printing press did more to encourage nationalism than did the advent of industrialisation. Despite their differences, all three of these prominent theoreticians identified nationalism, and by association the nation-state, as a phenomenon of the last few centuries. It has therefore been suggested that time, is not the most useful tool for categorising nationalism or national identity. While nationalism is dependent on a variety of historical factors, it has been noted that national identity cannot be labelled as embryonic nationalism because not all national identities function within nations. Estel (2002) describes national identity as a special case of collective identity: This does not mean an objective, i.e. systemic, connection built by human beings, but its interpretation by the members of that collective hence it must be socially shared, the binding knowledge being the key factor. National identity then means a socially shared and binding knowledge in the form of an officially prevailing conception of itself in a certain nation being imparted through certain institutions (p.108). As many have asserted to, the concept of national identity is complex, and its intensity, character and origins vary with time and place. Smith (1991) argues that identity operates on two levels, the individual and the collective which are often confused in discussions of ethnic and national identity. Collective identities are composed of individual members they are not reducible to an aggregate of individuals sharing a particular cultural trait. Similarly, from a description of the elements one cannot read off the probable actions and dispositions of individual members, only the kinds of contexts and constraints within which they operate (p.130). He adds that the broadest subtype of collective cultural identities is the ethnie or ethnic community. Connor (1993) agrees: If we look at todays countries, many of them seem to build their perceived internal similarity on a premise of shared ethnicity. A subconscious belief in the groups separate origin and evolution is an important ingredient of national psychology. This belief in the groups separate origin and evolution is the basis of ethnic identity, and ethnic identity seems to constitute the core of nations (p.377). Ethnic communities are characterised by a perception of similarity among members, stemming from a perception of kinship (a blood relationship), and a simultaneous perception of difference from other ethnic communities (Eriksen, 1993, p.12). They have a common collective name, a collective historical memory, common cultural traits, a homeland, a myth of common descent, and a strong sense of internal solidarity. This element of fictive kinship, which is at the heart of ethnic affiliation, is also at the heart of feelings of nationhood (Smith, 1991, pp. 21-22). As Connor (1993) suggests, it is not what is but what people perceive as is which determines the extent of national feeling. The nation-as-a-family metaphor is not a rational feeling, but rather an emotive one; it is a bond beyond reason appealing not to the brain but to the blood (Connor, 1993, p.384). Das and Harindranath (2006) suggests that even in the absence of an ethnically homogenous population, nations rely on the idea o f an over arching ethnic bond to emphasise the difference from non-members and to join all members into a national community (p.11). National identity, to whatever degree it exists, is constituted by the interlacing forces of history and collective choice (Parekh, 1994). It is a dynamic structure of affiliation, with strong foundations in the past but susceptible to change in the future. Nations base their claim to statehood on assumptions of a shared cultural heritage, which are in turn most often based on assumptions of shared ethnicity. The latter assumption has less to do with a reality of common ethnicity than with a myth of common ethnicity which is cast over multi-ethnic communities to turn them into politicised national communities (Das and Harindranath, 2006, p.12). Most modern nation states are multi-ethic, making it difficult to define one unified conception of national identity among all members. Throughout the early modern period, the character and intensity of national identity varied widely from place to place. The idea of the unity of a nation-state could come either from its cultural or political unity. Sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe was the location of the formation of nation states. In England, France, Spain and Sweden, the dominant ethnic community incorporated outlaying regions and ethnicities into a dominant ethnic culture through the use of bureaucratic, centralised state machinery. Employing fiscal, judicial, military and administrative processes it welded together often disparate populations into a single ethnic community based on the cultural heritage of the dominant core (Smith, 1991, p.68). This is what Smith (1991) identifies the dominant ethnie model which is present in countries like Burma where the dominant Burmese ethnic community has heavily influenced the formation and the nature of the state of Burma (now known as Myanmar), rather than the Ka ren, Shan or Mon ethnic groups. Other cultures continue to flourish but the identity of the emerging political community is shaped by the historic culture of its dominant ethnie. The construction of the nation here becomes a process of reconstructing the ethnic core and integrating the culture with the requirements of the modern state and with the aspirations of minority communities. Non-dominant cultures are then relegated to the position of minority cultures (Smith, 1991, pp.110-111). Smith (1991) also notes that there are some multi-ethnic states where discrepancy in inter-ethnic power is marginal enough to allow for a state along the lines of the supra-ethnic model, where the emphasis is on political rather cultural unity (p. 112). However, Das and Harindranath (2006) states the success of this model is debatable as representative examples are few and far between (p.13). Such cases might include the Nigerian case, where the attempt to build a supra-ethnic state resulted in the concentration of power in the hands of three major ethic groups (out of the existing 250 groups) rather than any one. As Connor (1993, p.375) argues, a people who are politically and culturally pre-eminent in a state (even though other groups are present in significant numbers) tend to equate the entire country with their own ethnic homeland, and to perceive the state as an extension of their particular ethnic group. Oommen (1990) suggests that once a multi-ethnic or poly-ethnic state emer ges it becomes a reality-in-itself. The coexistence and interaction between the different nations or ethnic groups produce certain emergent properties which give a new meaning and a collective self-identification to the constituent units (p.35). This collective self-identification of a people with a nation-state according to Das and Harindranath (2006) is their national identity. Tying a nation together is a deep network of common institutions: a military, a common economy, a common legal system, a common administrative infrastructure, and a variety of shared institutions transport, communications, public utilities and banks among others. At a more visible level are the overt makers of national identity, the political symbols that set one nation-state apart from others: a name, flag, national emblem, national language, common currency (p. 16). These are invented traditions which soon acquire the feel of antiquity but are in fact usually of recent origin (Hobsbawn and Ranger, 1983). The formation of such identification involves dimensions of unity and permanence (Melucci, in Schlesinger, 1991, p.154). The latter suggests that the nation has to be seen as persisting through time, well into the past and future; it has to be seen as beyond time (Connor, 1993, p.382). Such an imagining of the nation as beyond time, according to Das and Harindranath (2006) takes national identity partly into the realm of non-rational, making it an emotional identification rather than an intellectual one. The issue of creating certain uniformity within nation-states and the process of nation-building then comes to the forefront and most nations look to the media to play its part in the construct of a national culture and a national community. Why the media? Das and Harindranath (2006) explains that considering how much of our knowledge of the world comes from mediated communication, either through people or through the mass media, this is likely to be a primary source of influence on our structures of identification since we cannot accomplish very abstract levels of identification (as with a nation-state) by exclusive reliance on our own direct lived experience or face to face communication of others (p.18). Media have typically been institutional products of nations and, as such, play a fundamental role in their maintenance (Anderson, 1983, pp. 24-25). In most countries national broadcasting in the early forms (especially before its commercialisation, when it could not afford the str atification of its audience), has made possible the transformations of individual activities (dramas, performances, etc) into fictions of collective national life for millions of individuals who may never interact with one another. It is a fact that nation-states must have a measure of common culture and civic ideology, a set of common understandings and aspirations, sentiments and ideas that bind the population together in their homeland. The major agencies through which this socialisation is carried out are the mass education system and the mass media (Smith, 1991, p.11). Das and Harindranath (2006) notes: National identity has been an underlying theme in communications research since the 1950s, when new technologies were linking the world with their ever-increasing reach into diverse global populations. At that time, these technologies were held up as a panacea for the ills of underdevelopment researchers such as Schramm and Lerner eagerly endorsed the view that judicious deployment of Western media products in the Third World would help bring to them the benefits of western progress and development (p.18). Sreberny (2008) points out, this idea and model of development was criticised for equating development with the West. The media/cultural imperialism theory, which gained impetus from such criticism, argues that the excessive flow of media products from West to East of from North to South leads to the erosion of national cultures in the non-Western world, resulting eventually in a homogenised world in the image of the west. Melucci (1989) disagreed with this theory as well: To simply be aware of something is not to identify with it; identification comes from the making of an emotional investment, an investment which enables a group of people to recognise themselves in each other, and to feel a similarity with other members of a group. In addition to being aware of the existence of nation-states therefore, I must also be aware that there are many of them, that the one I live in is different from the others, and that I belong to a particular one because of my similarity with others of that nation-state. I can then be said to possess a national identity. My identity is therefore not just Indian but equally not French, not Thai (p.17). Today, national media are participating in the two processes of national identity building. Firstly, as tellers of national myths, (especially in times of crises, rapid social change or external threat), as engravers of national symbols upon the nations memory, and presenters of national rituals (elections, celebrations, etc), they work in the direction of emphasising the similarities among the group members. For media producers, the prominence of national identity in the media content is encouraged by the knowledge that they are constructing news for a national audience with which they share national membership (Entman, 1991; Rivenburgh, 1999). Secondly, as a primary domain of the public sphere, the media produce and reinforce the relational opposition of us and the others. One of the areas of media content to which such nationalist discourse today is very high, is news and especially the coverage of foreign affairs. Comparative international news research shows the significant role of the media in perpetuating a world view that consistently favours the home nation perspective on world affairs (Rivenburgh, 1999). Discrepant perceptions of world affairs largely emanate from different cultural and political values held by groups with different national identities enhanced by national media coverage (Rivenburgh, 1991, p.1). The media play a significant role in collapsing the experience of distance by creating a global simultaneity, rendering events across the world into nightly news broadcast into our living rooms. Media coverage of crisis events may not only affect public opinion but may increasingly provide policy makers with vital information to determine lines of foreign policy and diplomatic initiatives (Sreberny, 2008). Additionally, At the start of the 21st century, more and more people lived in mediatised societies where our understanding of local, national and international political, economic and cultural issues is framed by and through the media and other cultural industries. While we need to be wary of collapsing cultural issues into technological developments, it is nonetheless true that the global spread of media has raised a host of new questions about our identities, about our relations with others and about our understanding of the world (Sreberny, 2008, p.10). One prominent pattern that emerges in the images of nationhood is the definition of national and anti-national by the media, the normal and abnormal, the good and the bad. Such delineation is important especially in nation states characterised by diversity (Das and Harindranath, 2006, p.19). Scannell and Cardiff (1991) illustrate such a definition in the British case showing how the BBC treated British music as essentially synonymous with English music while the music of Scotland, Wales and Ireland was marginalised. This case clearly illustrated how the media contribute to the articulation of the identity of the dominant ethnic group in a multi-ethnic nation-state. New forms of communications and media such as the internet have made it possible for those individuals living outside of their respective nations to still maintain a sense of national identity. The internet can be a very important vehicle for the transmission of ideas concerning a national identity, particularly for those people who have lost or left their homeland. The internet provides a special type of community with a very strong common feeling national communities without a nation. People scattered all over the world regardless of they are from still have succeeded in maintaining a national identity without a nation state. While this used to take place in physical places, the internet and other forms of new media offers different possibilities for these communities, for they can now organise worldwide, reach new members and communicate with these members more often. The websites visited and used by these communities form more than a virtual nation. Their aim is to construct a true nation and it is done by presenting users with sites that are as complete and historic as possible as all varieties of news and information can be found on the internet. The mass media thus engender a we-feeling, a feeling of family, among the community, providing continual opportunities for identification with the na tion. The media enable entire populations to participate in the everyday life of a country-wide community, uniting individual members of the national family into a shared political and cultural rubric (Chaney, 1998, p. 249). It is equally important to note that agencies of socialisation such as the media can also be harnessed to divisive purposes which might have the consequence of impeding the construction of a national identity or of undermining the force of one or more elements of the symbolic repertoire of nationalistic ideology (Das and Harindranath, 2006, p.19). In some cases, nationalist views and provocative views have provoked some of the worlds worst massacres. One such example is when RTLM (the Hutu radio/television station in Rwanda) played an inciting and aggravating role in the massacre of the Tutsis by repeatedly broadcasting messages in which Tutsis were slandered and ridiculed and depicted as despicable. On another continent, media in former Yugoslavia have played a significant role in creating an environment of ethnic hate and xenophobia that contributed towards the pre-conditions for savage ethnic wars. While these may be extreme cases, the simple fact of establishing the homogenising tendency of national media is not an adequate base from which to conclude that audiences are homogenised and that advocacy does not always med acceptance. In cases where the national image promoted by the media is not accepted it does meet with resistance from sections of the populations. While some resistance is severe as in the cases of Rwanda and Yugoslavia other populations use organised forms of resistance where the groups in a nation state who are not part of mainstream culture find peaceful ways of asserting their own identities. One such example is the Ernabella Video and Television (EVTV) project in Australia. It was established by leaders of the Ernabella aboriginal community in 1983 as a video project intended to record the local culture, which was fading away with the decline of their previously nomadic lifestyle. It was also a reaction to outside media which local leaders saw as a negative influence on their community. EVTV developed into a television channel by which aboriginals recorded and rediscovered their culture, and it simultaneously enabled them to construct a pan-aboriginal identity among the dispersed aboriginal populations of Australia. It was the discovery and assertion of ethnic aboriginal identity which they actively used to reduce the pote ntial homogenisation influence of mainstream Australian culture depicted on national television (Batty, 1993). Another form of resistance is through readings where the argument here is that media audiences interact with media texts in extremely complex ways. Studies have uncovered significant differences in the way audiences from different backgrounds produce diverse readings of an episode of a soap opera, suggesting that social identities affect interpretation of media messages (Ang, 1990). Media texts can therefore no longer be thought of as binding each member of the audience evenly into a particular interpretation; the meaning of the text, rather, is open to negotiation between the text and the viewer. Differences in interpretation are not, however, the result of a failure of communication, but are rather the results of differences in the lived experiences and mental words of audiences. Where cultural realities are different, there is a likelihood of different interpretations (Jensen, 1987, p.31). In conclusion, although the established literature lacks firm evidence of individual level media effects it nevertheless suggests with some confidence that there is a strong, positive tie between media consumption and individual level national belonging. Drawing largely on historical and textual analysis methods, the claim has been established that the media have been foundational over the past three centuries in the shaping, distribution and institutionalisation of identities. The classic texts on nationalism repeatedly argue that the media have played a key role in nation building and that the idea of a one-culture-for-all does not work and attempts at enculturation of diverse people into a mainstream culture are inevitably resisted through social movements at the peripheries of the mainstream (Das and Harindranath, 2006, p.21). Martin- Barbero (1993) further suggests that communication is a field in which these battles over identity are fought out. The media is therefore the site where states explore routes to uniformity within their nations and are simultaneously the site which assists non-mainstream groups to explore and announce their distinctiveness.

Impact of Society in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay

Impact of Society in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman      Ã‚  Ã‚   Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman examines outside influences on the individual.   These influences include society as a whole, the family as a societal unit and beliefs which the individual thinks he should espouse. In order to understand Willy Loman and the struggles with which he is dealing, the society in which he exists must first be understood.   He is relying upon a slightly different set of values and motivations than everyone else seems to be, and this sets him apart.   A prime example of the rest of society is Willy’s brother, Ben. In sociological terms, Ben is a classic representative of the old, 19th century middle class, while Willy represents the new, dependent, salaried, pathetically other-directed middle class.   Ben’s character is clearly inner-directed†¦ While Willy stresses the importance of personality, of being ‘well-liked’ and acceptable to the world, of pleasing others, while insisting on proper form, dress, manner, and style, Ben ignores all of this.   (Martin 56) Willy is looking to the rest of society for guidance, to see how he needs to act in order to be successful by their terms.   Yet he cannot fully let go of the belief that his way of trying to â€Å"please all of the people all of the time† is right. Society is made up of people like Ben who are focused on getting ahead.   It is an industrial society which is quickly expanding; people have to move quickly to stay on top.   They do not have time for the old ways anymore.   Willy has been working for many years, but he has not been able to keep up.   Ultimately, this is why he is let go from his job.   His boss, Howard explains it to him. Howard: I don’t want you to represent us.   I’ve ... ...4) While there is some disagreement as to what the effect of Willy’s actions ultimately will be on Biff after the curtain goes down, it is clear that Willy’s behavior destroyed the family unit as the Loman’s knew it and destroyed Willy as well.   The play does, however, end with the focus on the remaining member of the Loman family.   They are still a societal unit, and they must continue to live in the material modern world as best they can. Works Cited Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds.   The Norton Anthology of American Literature.   4th ed.   New York: Norton, 1994. Costello, Donald P. â€Å"Arthur Miller’s Circles of Responsibility: A View From a Bridgeand Beyond.† Modern Drama. 36 (1993): 443-453. Martin, Robert A., ed. Arthur Miller.   Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982. ---.   Eight Plays.   New York:   Nelson Doubleday, 1981.

How bad leadership affects organization Essay

Jean Lipman-Blumen defined bad leadership as, â€Å"A toxic leader is one who engages in numerous destructive behaviors and who exhibits certain dysfunctional personal characteristics that inflict some degree of serious harm on either individuals or the organization. † (Bad Leadership: Antecedents and Prescriptions) Where there is a bad leadership present in the organization and workplace, this could lead to harmful consequences. For example, accidents, loss of productivity, cost ineffectiveness, low quality of product, communication gab, employees’ absences, industrial sabotage, etc. However, reasons for poor leadership could take place from a number of reasons such as leaders who possess poor leadership skills. And this could affect employees, co-workers and not surprisingly, leaders as well. In addition to this, leaders with insufficient skills may be worried with their own problems and may slow down any business activity within an individuality or group. A research study has revealed the fact that inadequate leadership skill significantly affects on other coworkers and inexperience member of the organizations. Because of poor leadership skills of a leader, an organization may suffer from pessimistic work views, lack of vision towards the company’s future goal, shortage of qualities to motivate workers, lack of social skills, and lack of inspiration. Obviously, leaders are paid to solve problems and not just to hold them. Thus, leaders are paid to provide good leadership which results in the achievement of a company’s goals. Kevin Dwyer, Poor Leadership; Poor Results 2006, said that, â€Å"Leaders must take it upon themselves to make â€Å"it† happen. Shuffling off responsibility for action to committees, subordinates, government departments and forever bemoaning the lack of action is not good enough. Leaders are in the position of being able to both diagnose the ailment and treat the ailment of an organization. If they won’t do it, who will? † (Dwyer, n. d. ) Communication is considered the life blood of every organization. Hence, lack of communication leads to negative outputs. Besides this, a leader who possesses poor communication and social skills can be harmful for a company. Because of poor leadership, communication often fails and this leads to several work mistakes and unwanted business expenses. For successful business operations, it is important that leaders should be equipped with great communication skills which can be applied in the organization in order to achieve a company’s desired objectives. In other words, Robert Hogan, Gordon Curphey, and Joyce Hogan wrote in American Psychologist that â€Å"abusive and incompetent management create billions of dollars of lost productivity each year. † (Stanford Business Magazine May 2006). More than 290 professionals were taken into consideration in a survey conducted in the period from 2004 to 2005. This survey revealed what seemed to be a murky spot among best planners and their own management & leadership skills. It is a fact that planners spend most of their work time in planning and summarizing things for future. In the study, they found that in most of the cases, poor leadership dumps a company’s overall planning. Or sometimes even worse, poor leadership hinders planners for producing new ways of problem solving. In addition, Business Corporations seldom get success where leaders do not know how to solve a particular problem. According to one survey, â€Å"if an organization pays an average leader $80,000 a year, that leader should bring back at least that amount of value to the organization; otherwise, the person could be considered a losing investment. Ideally, leaders return more than what they are paid, thus producing profit. Past studies have shown that there is about a 40 percent deviation in performance for a given role. So, an average leader might be worth $80,000, a great leader worth $112,000 (+ 40%), and a poor leader worth $48,000 (- 40%)†. (Cost of Poor Leadership Calculator) Psychologically speaking, workers and employees who perceive their leaders abusive, experience psychological distress, boredom, increased work conflicts, lower levels of commitment towards the company’s goals and objectives, depression, lower production outputs, low levels of job satisfaction, decreased individual working capabilities, and so forth. And consequently, in the presence of these above mentioned findings among employees, it seems very difficult to achieve organizational goals in a timely manner. According to another study conducted in the UK about retail banks, the average high street bank could increase sales by ? 65 million per year by improving employee satisfaction by just 10 per cent and almost half of the 44,000 people surveyed said that poor leadership was adversely affecting their organization’s performance. Steve Young, Project Director at ISR said that, â€Å"Leadership is an area that is really letting organizations down when it comes to employee commitment, while a quarter of employees blamed either a bad working climate or low work enablers, a half blamed poor leadership. † (Poor leadership pushes down banking profits) In poor leadership, employees’ morale declines and they feel less committed towards the company and its mission. In this dilemma situation, projects are completed slowly and hastily. In addition, when employees’ morale is down, they experience boredom. Some Suggestions for Good Leadership In order to run the organization in an effective and competitive way, management makes an outline about the leadership strategies. Moreover, they should not also watch poor leadership but also eradicate the roots of poor leadership. In this regard, the following are some points that can be used by any management to improve a leader’s qualities. 1) Quietly undermine the leader 2) link with others to confront the leader 3) link with others to overthrow the leader 4) Avoid entrapment by friends and family members 5) bound the term of leadership 6) enhance the selection process 7) Create good exit options for leaders 8) Hold directors in charge make them act 9) make a system of checks and balances 10) Protect whistle blowers. Despite all these facts, a poor leader should evaluate him or her and determine his weakness and pitfalls in each and every respect of the leadership. And following are guidelines for it 1) know your power and how to use it 2) welcome the worth of leaders and cherish the assistance they make 3) recognize the seductiveness and drawback of the power of leaders 4) Study bad leadership to learn from the mistakes of bad leaders. Conclusion As I discussed above and gave several examples about good and bad leadership, it makes very clear that a company’s success and failure depends upon the fact that how leaders can lead a team to achieve an organization’s motives. Historically speaking, leaders have a significant effect on the overall business and group performance of an organization. Besides this, good leaders can apply their superior leadership skills to make things better and to turn organizational goals in the right direction. On the contrary, bad leadership affects a company’s performance negatively in terms of production, employees’ morale, ethics, communication and many other things. So, it is the responsibility of the management and the director to keep a check on the leader’s role in the organization for the sake of that organization’s success. Hence, a good leader makes a significant difference in the successful operation of any organization regardless of the scope of that organization. However, we must not forget that superior leadership is not just confined to the business sector. Effective leaders are also necessary for the peace of the whole world in every sense. References A good leader offers reality check, thank yous – The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area: http://www. bizjournals. com/triad/stories/2004/04/26/smallb3. html Accessed, April 9, 2007. Bad Leadership: Antecedents and Prescriptions http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:nBXXeIOGawEJ:www. koreagsis. ac. kr/bbs/pds/Bad%2520Leadership%2520Colloquium_1. ppt+bad+leadership+effects+organisation&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=20&gl=pk Accessed, April 9, 2007 Cost of Poor Leadership Calculator http://www. ddiworld. com/imex/greatleadervalue. asp Dana Hinders, (Published June 21 2005) Michael Useem’s Leading Up: Upward Leadership In Action How To Lead Your Boss So Your Both Win Journal Article Dwyer Kevin , Journal article Poor Leadership; Poor Results. Emcc – Transforming organisations – the importance of leadership and culture in managing change http://eurofound. europa. eu/emcc/content/source/eu04006a. html? p1=reports&p2=null Accessed, April 9, 2007 Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I Sutton, (2000), journal article, The Half-Truth of Leadership. Stanford Business Magazine May 2006 http://www. gsb. stanford. edu/news/bmag/sbsm0605/feature_leadership. html Accessed, April 9, 2007 McLean Cari, October 18, 2005, journal article, strategic leadership: A superior state of mind. Tsun-yan Hsieh and Sara Yik, Journal article, Leadership as the Starting Point of Strategy Poor leadership pushes down banking profits http://www. management-issues. com/2006/8/24/research/poor-leadership-pushes-down-banking-profits. asp Accessed, April 9, 2007 What is Leadership? http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache:q_XTVWqb68QJ:www. med. umich. edu/csp/Course%2520materials/Fall%25202005/Thorson_What%2520is%2520Leadership. ppt+definition:+leadership&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=pk. Accessed, April 9, 2007.

The Train Essay Example

The Train Essay Example The Train Essay The Train Essay The blistering cold numbed my eyes as I stumbled through the biting snow, dragging a dull, faded suitcase overloaded with necessities behind me, leaving a train in the deadly, ice snow. All abroad! a man in a bright red suit, a funny red hat and an equally crimson nose called, his voice straining to be heard over the howling wind. I struggled up to him and handed over my ticket, which was faded from sweat, tears and the bitter snow. Then man, whom I safely assumed was the train conductor, glanced briefly at the ticket, then smiled at me slightly. Terrible morning isnt it? he commented. I did not reply. In for a long ride, I see! he added when he saw my ticket. I gave no response as I checked my heavy bag. He beamed wider as he said, Welcome aboard the Windows Express, maam! I tried to smile back, but my scarf was bundled around my nose and my mouth, so I nodded instead. Thank you. My voice was barely audible over the gusty breeze as I stepped off the platform and boarded the tra in. The front compartment was crowded, packed like sardines. I squeezed past the numerous bodies to get to the next train ar, which was where I was to be seated. Even though the warmth there was comforting, I hoped it was not too stuffy in my car. I finally broke free from the crowd, swinging the car door open and entering a considerably cooler car. I removed my scarf from my face. My skin was raw with cold, but I barely felt it. I glanced around. This car was deserted, the seats along its aisle empty. I checked the number of compartment I had been assigned then opened the door to it. There was a small bunk bed in the corner, with a little closed off area I guessed was the bunk. I lanced out the single window, but there was nothing to be seen through the fog and slat than plummeted so hard against the glass it felt like hail. Feeling slightly claustrophobic in the narrow compartment, I briskly threw off my jacket and exited, walking back into the aisle. I noticed a door at the back of the car and decided to check it out. I made my way down the aisle and slid the door open. It led into the next car. This one did not have seats, but little booths lined up neatly along either side. There was a bellboy near the back, tending to a little refreshment stand. His eyes were bored, even as he attempted to reet me pleasantly. Hello, maam, welcome to the lounge. Would you like anything? Some pie, perhaps, or a cup of coffee? Uninterested, I declined politely, just as another door caught my eye. Without thinking, I flung it open. There was nothing in the room except a door with a window fixed into it, and a shiny red handle. This is where youll be disembarking, the bellboy informed me. That theres the emergency brake, he added, pointing at the handle. Youre perfectly welcome to pull that at any time. Taken aback, I spluttered on my Coke. What? I wouldnt. Thats ridiculous. Then how will I get to where I am going? I demanded incredulously. The bellboy shrugged. Sometimes you cant rely on trains to get you to where you want to go. I stared openly at him. Quickly dismissing him as crazy, I turned away and hastily returned to my compartment. Once safely inside, I lay on my bed, thinking to myself about my destination, a place I had never been and a face I had not seen for so many years it hurt to think about it. Flashbacks began to attack my once- peaceful mind, invading my would be calm pondering. At four years old, my hands pressed tightly over my ears, rying in vain to block out the sounds of heated arguments over nothing. Seven years old, an empty bottle crashing over my head as I tried to escape the debris of broken plates. Thirteen years, bruises covering my face, blood on my hands, a broken ankle, pain enveloping my body. Sixteen, my broken ribs causing me to shake as I slammed the front door behind me and limped as fast as I could into the night, my mother screaming for me to come home and my fathers threats chasing after me I jerked awake, nearly falling out of bed. My head felt heavy, and my eyes groggy, as if I had not slept or days. Sluggishly, I checked my watch, which still hung from my wrist. My eyes snapped wide open as they read the time, then relaxed again. My watch had stopped at around the same time I boarded that train. I got up, feeling tired, and felt my stomach growl. I stood up, stretched, brushed my hair and hurridly with my fingers and left my compartment. I was about to go to the lounge to eat when I noticed another girl sitting on a seat in the aisle, next to the window. She was clothed very thinly for the morbid weather, and her long locks of auburn hair poured over her shoulders. I approached her slowly. Hello, I said, and she jumped in surprised. Sorry for startling you, but do you have the time? She looked up at me, and I saw a thin ragged face that would have been pretty if not for the exhaustion consuming it, and the melancholy sadness in her eyes. Oh hello, its quite alright. Let me check. She lifted her mobile phone from her pocket, glanced at it, then shook her head apologetically. Strange. It seems to have died. I couldve sworn I charged it yesterday. I thanked her anyway, and asked her where she was going. She looked even weary when I questioned her. Im going to see my long-distance partner for four years, she said, in an almost rehearsed answer. I think he may propose to me, but I doubt Im ready for such a change. She drifted off, her voice trailing away, then came to her senses and asked me where I was headed. Im going to see my father. I havent seen him for nearly a decade, I said quietly. I cant say Im looking forward to it. She agreed with me, and we made small talk for awhile longer before I excused myself and when to the lounge. The bellboy was not there anymore, and I breathed an inward sigh of relief. The batty guy had freaked me out. I saw someone sitting down in one of the lounge booths. Hidden behind stacks of paperwork and a newspaper sat a middle aged man in an impressive suit and tie, muttering to himself in what looked like disgust. I walked over to him. Hi, sorry to bother you, but do you know what time it is? He glanced up and stopped grumbling. Hmm? Oh, yes. he shot a look at his fancy wristwatch. Well, what is this? My watch isnt working! He began to mumble again. I found it strange that nobody knew the time, so I stole a glimpse of the watch, and sure enough it ceased to ick. That’s a shame, I said good-naturedly, and asked him what he was doing. Its for a case I have, he replied. I must have looked puzzled, because he elaborated. Im a lawyer, you see, and Im about to defend the biggest drug cartels of all time- then again, I probably shouldn’t have told you that. I was about to leave him in peace when he continued on. In my defense, my client is one of my oldest friends. I owe him my life and hes gotten me out tons of scraps. I really have no choice. I began to feel a little uncomfortable, and averted my gaze to rest on the window. To my surprise, evening was over-the sun was rising on another day! Had I missed my stop? I was supposed to be off the train by dusk, yet here was dawn, a new day beginning right before my eyes! Panicking, I ran back to my car and asked the girl still sitting on he seat, What time did you get on? Which state are you going to? Bewildered, she told me the details of her travel. I calculated in my head. But what would only take you a few hours! You should have arrived by now, I said, unable to keep my voice from getting louder. She seemed indifferent. Maybe we made a few stops along the way. I wasnt awake the whole time, you know. But I had it all figured out. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, forming an unbelievable picture in my head. I ran back into the lounge, and flung open the door at the back of it, where the emergency brake ws. The lady came racing after me, asking where I was going. Look, it’s the emergency brake. If we pull it, well be able to get out of here! I exclaimed. She looked at me the same way I had looked at the bellboy- as if one of us had gone bonkers. What? Are you crazy? Why? Its ridiculous. Then how will I ever get to where Im going? I smiled at the distinct resemblance her words had to mine. Reaching over, I grasped the red handle in my right hand and pulled as hard as I could. The train screeched against the metal of the tracks. I pushed against the exit door, and it opened easily. I leaped off the train. The ground was icy and cold beneath my feet, and the cold wind cut my uncovered face like a knife. I became aware that I did not even have my jacket with me as the cold began to envelope my very being. What are you doing? Youll freeze to death! the girl cried next to me. You dont even have your suitcase with you. I vaguely recalled my stuffed baggage, filled with things I suddenly realized were of no importance to me. And just like that, suddenly, I felt free. Free of all my emotional baggage, free of everything that weigh me down, free of guilt, pain and sorrow. A sense of warmth, a beautiful feeling, filled up my body, and I no longer felt the chill. I turned ba ck to the train, smiling for the first time in years. Why don’t you come with me? I asked the girl. She shook her head, eyes wide. And then the train door slammed shut, and began to move again. Free of doubt, I turned from the sight of the train slowly resending out of sight until it vanished, and began to trudge through the snow, in the direction of my destination. Sometimes we are weighed down by the pain, grief and guilt. We go through life day by day, merely existing, not living, and time stands still. Those days we live, so burdened by emotions, are meaningless and pas by without notice of purpose. If we could just let go of it all, forget our troubles for a few seconds, and look around us, perhaps we would see the beauty we are meant to see, and the wonder we would feel if we only let go.

I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry. Essays

I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry. Essays I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry. Paper I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich because he was hungry. Paper There are few historical debates that have aroused such controversy as that of the causes and origins of World War One. There is an abundance of sources, both reliable and not so, and the blame for the war has been thrown around and indeed at everybody involved. Unlike the Second World War, where Germany is generally accepted as being to blame, WW1 is steeped in disagreement even to this day. Unfortunately for the historian, the blame for the war simply depends on who you ask. Britain, Germany, France, Russia, even capitalism itself have strong arguments against them. A problem one faces when investigating the crisis is that each argument does have its strong points, and, if approached unwarily, each could be accepted as the main cause of the war.Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that Baldrick should become a little confused as to the state of affairs. It accepted that at the time of the war, many Tommies and indeed civilians were unclear as to the reasons for conflict. The obvious point Baldrick is referring to is the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in June of 1914. This short term cause was accepted by many at the time to be the main cause of the war, but I believe this is only because of the events proximity to war itself, and media hype (the British popular press becoming prominent in the late eighteen hundreds).I do not question the fact that the death of Ferdinand contributed to the start of the war, but I believe that war would have broken out if the assassination had not taken place. It was, we must remember, the state of international affairs which made Ferdinands death so significant in the first place. For example, the Black Hand, the organisation to which Gavro Princip, Ferdinands killer belonged, had been formed to aid the creation of a Greater Serbia. I think that this is evidence that international diplomacy, although perhaps not so dramatic (and accessible to the masses), played the key role in the start of war.I think that, as has been refle cted in the media coverage of war in Iraq, peoples ideas of the causes and justification of war are largely influenced by the popular press. As is the same now, different newspapers had different opinions on the war. The most prominent papers, such as The Daily Mail, promoted the idea of the evil hun, skewering babies on bayonets and suchlike, and the idea was generally accepted by the British public. I think it is the presss influence which is largely responsible for the public perception of war, but with the extremely useful tool known as hindsight, we can see the whole picture.Marxist historians state Imperial rivalry and capitalism as the underlying causes of war. I agree with the idea that Imperialism significantly contributed to the war. The fact that there was a fairly hefty rivalry between nations is clear from their aggressive actions overseas, with the major powers such as Britain and Germany scrabbling to obtain and retain significant areas around the globe. The Marxist t heory, however, goes on to say that the acquisition of new territory led capitalists to look for new markets abroad, which in turn encouraged governments to obtain more and more land, adding to the tensions between states.They claim that this ultimately led to war. I disagree with this theory, one, because the hostilities in Africa and Asia never truly threatened international war, and two, because I think that business heads at the time were keen to encourage amiable relations between states, with trading between nations truly coming into is own at this time. Fritz Fischer, a prominent German historian, claimed that all of the nations international diplomacy was ruled by domestic policy. I disagree with this statement. If we look at the political circumstances of the nations at the time, I think it is clear that the general public were not adequately empowered to influence diplomacy. For example, Germany, who had more voters than any other country, parliament had no actual power ov er the government. This meant that although public opinion was probably taken into consideration, it is unlikely that her actions were actually dictated by the masses.It is my opinion that the First World War was not caused by a single event. It may be fair to say that Ferdinands assassination sparked the war, but I find it incredulous to think that this one spark was the actual cause of a world war. I think that the reasons for war are numerous and interlinked; a patchwork quilt if you will of diplomacy and economy. The treaties and agreements at the time the Franco-Russian alliance of 1892 (although it was not made public until 1918), the triple entente, the German-Habsburg alliance of 1879, and the various trade treaties at the time all set the stage for war. So was war inevitable?I believe so, although I think that the circumstances of war could have been very different. I think that the rise of Germany itself thanks to Bismarck, and the amazing acceleration of production there , was bound to lead to competition with another state. The theory of Social Darwinism; that if you are not growing you are dying (originally invented by English philosopher Herbert Spencer), could be argued to be illustrated by the actions of Germany and Britain during the naval arms race. Their expansion, both militarily and territorially, I think is fair to say was only down to competition with each other; Britain had been a clear leader in Europe, and had no real need to expand other than to prevent a rival close to home.There is an idea that if Britain had made its stance clear during the July crisis in 1914 (we must remember that the triple entente was only an informal agreement, rather than a binding alliance), then Germany would not have gone to war with France. I think that this is plausible, as Germany would certainly have been reluctant to fight such a close rival, but I retain the belief that war would have taken place, if not that month, perhaps not in 1914, but at some point in the near future.So how close was Baldrick to the truth? It could be argued that he is right in saying the war started when Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, but I think it would be wrong to say it started because of his death. The tangled web of alliances in Europe at the time ensured that if one country went down, they all went down. Because of this I believe that if Princip had not shot Ferdinand and his wife, there would have been another incident to act as a catalyst to war.