The Basis of Economics

Japan has performed a miracle. The country's economic performance following its crushing defeat in World War II is nothing short of astounding. The economic expansion of Japan is second to none. All of the elements are in place for Japan to continue increasing its share of the world's wealth as America's gradually declines. The country is on track to becoming the world's largest economy. How did Japan do it? There are many theories and studies that have traced the Japanese miracle without success. The answer to the mystery can by examining Japan's culture, education, and employment system. Japan's success is not just a case of good technique and technology in business, but a real recognition and development of the necessary human skills. A better understanding of the Japanese society provides the framework to understanding the workings of Japanese business (and possibly the Japanese mind. ) The ayes of the Japanese provide a foundation for their economic adaptability in modern times. Japan is a culture where human relations and preservation of harmony are the most important elements in society. It is their sense of identity and destiny, which gives their industrial, machines its effectiveness. Among the Japanese, there exists an instinctive respect for institutions and government, for the rules of etiquette and service, for social functions and their rituals of business. Japan is a traditionally crowded island; the people are forced to share the limited space with each other and to live in harmony. The Japanese are very protective of their culture. They are very conservative to outside intrusion. Their distinctive ways are a source of pride and national strength. Japan's striving for purity is very different form a North American idea of open doors and diversity as strength. Accordingly, one of the main sources of Japan's strength is its people's willingness to sacrifice, to be regimented and homogenized, and to subordinate personal desires to the harmony of the working group. The Japanese people have had to become a group-oriented society. While in the western world, individuality and independence are highly valued, Japanese society emphasizes group activity and organization. The people accept that they will belong to one social group and work for one company for life. The crowded island conditions have driven society to value conformity. The culture that Japanese people are brought up in causes them to recognize that they have to work together to succeed. Only harmony will provide improvement. This development of the human nature and attitude relates directly to Japan's business practice and provides a basis for good business relations. Japan's education system has grabbed the world's attention as it is specifically designed to teach the children skills and aptitudes to give them an edge in the business world. The educational system, based on the principle of full equality of educational opportunity, is widely recognized as having greatly contributed to the prosperity of Japan by providing a highly qualified work force supplemented by extensive in training programs by many of the major employers. The primary and secondary educational system is probably the most comprehensive and most disciplined in the world. Where North American students attend school 175 days a year, Japanese students attend 240 days. Japanese students attend elementary and secondary school six days a week and for two months longer each year than North American students. In addition, they have long hours of homework. A large majority of Japanese students attend Juki, or preparatory schools, in the evenings and on Sundays. In higher education, while lacking the strong University system which exists in North America, the curriculum is equally rigorous, and Japan is graduating 75 000 engineers per year, 3 000 more than the U. S. , from a University population one fifth the size. The education system itself is a unifying force. It molds children into group oriented beings by demanding uniformity and conformity form the earliest ages. The attainment of excellence within this complex environment, and the importance it holds for one's future is stressed early. This emphasis places a great burden on the young to perform well in school a to earn admittance to high status universities. The public school system not only produces good, obedient citizens, it produces good workers. A willingness to give oneself to the corporation's best interest, to arrive early and stay late, and to produce good work is attributes learned in the Japanese schools. Those who cannot learn these skills do not do well in school or do not rise in the ranks of the corporate world. The education system is an excellent example of how the Japanese recognize and develop the necessary human skills that are needed in society and stressed in the business world.

Audre Lorde, Black Lesbian Feminist Poet

Audre Lorde, Black Lesbian Feminist Poet Audre Lorde Facts Known for:  poetry, activism. While some of her poetry is known for being romantic or erotic, she’s better known for her more political and angry poetry, especially around racial and sexual oppression. She identified through most of her career as a black lesbian feminist. Occupation:  writer, poet, educatorDates:  February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992Also known as: Audre Geraldine Lorde, Gamba Adisa (adopted name, meaning Warrior – She Who Makes Her Meaning Known) Background, Family: Mother: Linda Gertrude Belmar LordeFather: Frederic Byron Husband: Edwin Ashley Rollins (married March 31, 1962, divorced 1970; attorney) Children: Elizabeth, Jonathan Partner: Frances Clayton ( - 1989)Partner: Gloria Joseph (1989 – 1992) Education: Catholic schools, Hunter High School (New York City)Hunter College, B.A., 1960.   Library Science.National University of Mexico, 1954.Columbia University, M.L.S., 1962. Library Science. Religion: Quaker Organizations: Harlem Writers Guild, American Association of University Professors, Sisterhood in Support of Sisters in South Africa Audre Lorde Biography: Audre Lorde’s parents were from the West Indies: her father from Barbados and her mother from Grenada.   Lorde grew up in New York City, and began writing poetry in her teen years. The first publication to publish one of her poems was Seventeen magazine. She traveled and worked for several years after graduating from high school, then came back to New York and studied at Hunter College and Columbia University. She worked in Mount Vernon, New York, after graduating from Columbia University, moving on to become a librarian in New York City.   Then she began an educational career, first as a lecturer (City College, New York City; Herbert H. Lehman College, Bronx), then associate professor (John Jay College of Criminal Justice), then finally professor at Hunter College, 1987 – 1992.   She served as visiting professor and lecturer around the United States and the world. She was aware early of her bisexuality, but by her own description confused about her sexual identity, given the times. Lorde married an attorney, Edwin Rollins, and had two children before they divorced in 1970. Her later partners were women. She published her first book of poems in 1968. Her second one, published in 1970, includes explicit references to love and an erotic relationship between two women.   Her later work became more political, dealing with racism, sexism, homophobia and poverty. She also wrote about violence in other countries, including Central America and South Africa. One of her more popular collections was Coal, published in 1976. She characterized her poems as expressing her â€Å"duty to speak the truth as I see it† including â€Å"not just the things that felt good, but the pain, the intense, often unmitigating pain.†Ã‚   She celebrated differences among people. When Lorde was diagnosed with breast cancer, she wrote about her feelings and experience in journals which were published as The Cancer Journals in 1980. Two years later she published a novel, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, which she described as â€Å"biomythography† and which reflects her own life. She founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press in 1980s with Barbara Smith. She also founded an organization to support black women in South Africa during the time of apartheid. In 1984, Lorde was diagnosed with liver cancer. She chose to ignore the advice of American physicians, and instead sought experimental treatment in Europe. She also moved to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but continued to travel to New York and elsewhere to lecture, publish and engage in activism. After Hurricane Hugo left St. Croix with devastating damage, she used her fame in mainland cities to raise funds for relief. Audre Lorde won many awards for her writing, and was named New York State Poet Laureate in 1992. Audre Lorde died of liver cancer in 1992 in St. Croix. Books by Audre Lorde The First Cities.  Introduction by Diane di Prima. Poets Press. 1968.Cables to Rage.  Broadside Press. 1970.From a Land Where Other People Live.  Broadside Press. 1973.The New York Head Shop and Museum.  Broadside Press. 1974.Coal.  Norton. 1976.Between Our Selves.  Eidolon. 1976.The Black Unicorn.  Norton. 1978.The Cancer Journals. Spinsters Ink. 1980.Zami: A New Spelling of My Name. Crossing Press. 1982.Chosen Poems Old and New.  Norton. 1982.Sister Outsider. Crossing Press. 1984.Our Dead behind Us.  Norton. 1986.A Burst of Light.  Firebrand Books. 1988.Need: A Chorale for Black Women Voices.  Women of Color Press. 1990.Undersong: Chosen Poems Old and New.  Norton. 1992.The Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance.  Norton. 1993.The Collected Poems of  Audre Lorde.  Norton. 1997.

Birds without Wings

Birds without Wings Book Summary De Bernieres’ book â€Å"Birds Without wings† begins in 1900s in a peaceful town at the end of the Ottoman Empire. Iskander the potter, a character in the book, says that â€Å"Man is a bird without wings, and a bird is a man without sorrows† (De Bernieres, 145). The title of the book is extracted from this saying. This town is inhabited by Greek and Turkish people; in addition the town is populated by both Muslims and Christians.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Birds without Wings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Regardless of the fact that these people have different religious beliefs, they live peacefully and they do not allow outside forces to distract the peace. According to Iskandar the villagers â€Å"were very much mixed up, and apart from the ranting of a few hotheads whose bellies were filled with raki and the devil (everyone) lived together in sufficient harmony† (D e Bernieres, 23). At some point, this peace dissolves and as a result people turn against each other. Iskander feels that these differences have caused harm especially after the Christians were chased from Eskibahce, he says â€Å"without them our life has less variety, and we are forgetting how to look at others and see ourselves† (De Bernieres, 7).This event is characterized by religious differences and killings. Apart from presenting the inhabitants’ way of life, the novel presents us with information about the Ottoman Empire as well as the formation of the modern Greece and Turkey. The author takes the readers through the events with the aim of enabling them to experience the horrible events such as pointless deaths, sicknesses and diseases. De Bernieres also uses moments of hilarity in his novel perhaps to break the tension that may have built among his readers (De Bernieres, 1-576). Narrative analysis The novel has a complex plot with many characters. The novel l acks a main protagonist since the author does not concentrate on any of his characters for long. The frequent change of focus from one character to another is not a good aspect. First, this can make the novel uninteresting since the reader does not get a chance to identify with the characters well. Focus on each of the characters is minimal since the book has been written from numerous perspectives. This further makes it hard for the readers to identify themselves well with the characters as should be the case. The role played by each and every character in the novel does not provide sufficient information hence making the narrative shallow. With a small number of characters, it becomes easy for the reader to identify and remember the role played by each and every character when it comes to theme development. With many characters, the readers may even forget the role played by some characters because one may be confused, this means that the reader has to make reference to previous p ages so that he or she can establish who a certain character was and the role that he or she played (DiBattista, 56-60).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Majority of the characters in this novel are infuriating and they are morally corrupt hence little is likeable about them. The media has a strong influence on how people behave and as Karatavuk notes â€Å"†¦..because we cannot fly, we are condemned to do things that do not agree with us† (De Bernieres, 550-551). Lessons touching on morals are important in any piece of work hence those that do not teach morals may not be the reader’s choice. According to (Dibattista, 55), a writer should ensure that his or her piece of work teaches moral values regardless of the events taking place. This means that the apart from presenting the evil deeds of the characters, there should be people in the society wh o are opposed to the vices. Too much focus on one aspect may make the readers to lose interest in the novel. Any piece of art be it music or novels present ideas that relate to the society. This means that there should be undertakers and those who oppose to the undertakings. It is important to note that this aspect is common in many pieces of art since it is one of the qualities that should be prioritized. Once the readers identify themselves with characters, they suddenly develop an interest to know the fate of each and every character. Sometimes the readers can make predictions on the issue to show their feelings about a certain character. This maintains and increases the readers’ concentration since they have something to confirm at the end of the novel. It becomes hard for the readers to make any predictions if the characters are many, this is because the main ideas may not be well presented in the book hence the roles of the characters may not be well defined (DiBattista , 65). Following this, the information that has been provided is not enough to discern the traits of the characters. eople do not just always read books for fun, students may read the novels for academic purposes. This means that they have to analyze the themes and characters from a certain angle. De Bernieres book â€Å"Birds Without wings† is not recommendable for academic purposes, rather those reading it may benefit from the history presented although Hegel, a philosopher, said that â€Å"the only thing the we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history† (DiBattista, 123). Woloch (44) is of the view that curriculum developers should be careful when selecting such books since the styles used by the authors determines the extent to which learners comprehend the main ideas in the book. A good book should not also have a complex plot since it becomes hard for the readers to link ideas, this may make them to lose interest in reading the book since they are forced to be critical and creative; this quality that is not inherent in many people.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Birds without Wings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The ideal number of characters is dependant on the volume of the book but it should be small enough to allow the development of themes. With this, the piece of work gives room to conflicts and some values. The number of characters determines the extent to which the readers get emotionally involved in the story. If there are too many characters in the book, then it becomes hard for the readers to absorb everything hence making it harder for them to decide who to care for. DiBattista (60-62) compares this with a state where one gets the attention from two or more people; it becomes hard to decide who to be attached to since the degree of attention may seem equal. DiBattista (22) on the other hand suggests that emotional attachment can only be perfect if there are less people involved, more people tend to dissolve the attachment. The issue of having many characters in any piece of work does not add depth and meaning to the themes (Woloch, 34). The playwright assigns small roles to the characters hence each of these roles is hardly well developed. Novels that have fewer characters tend to assign the characters bigger roles where the main theme is well developed. With fewer characters, the readers’ comprehension is enhanced since it becomes easy to establish why some characters behave in a certain way and the things that they are capable of doing. Further, instances of confusing one character with another are rare since each of the characters have well defined roles which characterize them. The book has over one hundred short chapters, following this; it is evident that the author does not provide much information on the events. This means that the themes in the story are not well presented since the events do not provide a rich background of information. De Bernieres book â€Å"Birds Without wings† is appropriate for people who read short stories whose events conclude at the end of the every chapter. The mode in which the subplots have been presented may force the readers to carry ideas over to previous pages so that they can link the ideas of the two chapters. The readers may also be forced to identify with the characters once again since they may have concentrated on the previous chapters that they forgot the names and the traits of some characters. This can be tiring and boring especially for those leaders who read for fun (Woloch, 52), on the other hand, those who read for academic purposes may have a hard time and the process of trying to understand the book may consume more time. Books with less complex plots are interesting particularly to people who are not constant readers. Woloch describes De Bernieres book as â€Å"Having weaved subplots from chapter to chapter† De Bernieresà ¢â‚¬â„¢ book is limiting since not all people can read the book and understand the content. People who are more comfortable reading short books that do not link ideas in the next chapter will love this book. The narrative voice comes out in an unsophisticated manner; one could argue that this has been brought about by the many characters in the story which forces the author to focus less of each of the characters.Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Woloch (35) is of the view that one’s concentration depends on the number of items he or she is dealing with, the more the items, the lesser the concentration on individual items. This can be compared to reading books with less or more characters. Readers will concentrate better if they are able to identify with the characters well. The role played by each and every character in the book is important since each character has a role to play in the overall development of the plot, however, some characters play more important roles than others hence it cannot be assumed that all characters play equal roles; this feature lacks in De Bernieres book. De Bernieres, Louis. Birds without Wings. Canada: Knopt Canada, 2005. DiBattista, Maria. Novel Characters: A Genealogy. New York: John Wiley Sons, 2010. Woloch, Alex. The one vs. the many: minor characters and the space of the protagonist in the novel. New York: Princeton University Press, 2003.

Water Properties and Facts You Should Know

Water Properties and Facts You Should Know Water is the most abundant molecule on the Earths surface and one of the most important molecules to study in chemistry. The facts of water chemistry reveal why this is such an incredible molecule. What Is Water? Water is a chemical compound. Each molecule of water, H2O or HOH, consists of two atoms of hydrogen bonded to one atom of oxygen. Properties of Water There are several important properties of water that distinguish it from other molecules and make it the key compound for life: Cohesion is a key property of water. Because of the polarity of the molecules, water molecules are attracted to each other. Hydrogen bonds form between neighboring molecules. Because of its cohesiveness, water remains a liquid at normal temperatures rather than vaporizing into a gas. Cohesiveness also leads to high surface tension. An example of the surface tension is seen by beading of water on surfaces and by the ability of insects to walk on liquid water without sinking.Adhesion is another property of water. Adhesiveness is a measure of waters ability to attract other types of molecules. Water is adhesive to molecules capable of forming hydrogen bonds with it.  Adhesion and cohesion lead to capillary action, which is seen when the water rises up a narrow glass tube or within the stems of plants.The high specific heat and high heat of vaporization mean a lot of energy is needed to break hydrogen bonds between water molecules. Because of this, water resists extreme temperature cha nges. This is important for weather and also for species survival. The high heat of vaporization means evaporating water has a significant cooling effect. Many animals use perspiration to keep cool, taking advantage of this effect. Water is a polar molecule. Each molecule is bent, with the negatively charged oxygen on one side and the pair of positive-charged hydrogen molecules on the other side of the molecule.Water is the only common compound that exists in solid, liquid, and gas phase under ordinary, natural conditions.Water is amphoteric, which means it can act as both an acid and a base. Self-ionization of water produces H and OH- ions.Ice is less dense than liquid water. For most materials, the solid phase is denser than the liquid phase. Hydrogen bonds between water molecules are responsible for the lower density of ice. An important consequence is that lakes and rivers freeze from the top down, with ice floating on water.Pure liquid water at room temperature is odorless, tasteless, and nearly colorless. Water has a faint blue color, which becomes more apparent in large volumes of water.Water has the second highest specific enthalpy of fusion of all substances (after ammonia). The specific enthalpy of fu sion of water is 333.55 kJ ·kg−1 at 0  °C. Water has the second highest specific heat capacity of all known substances. Ammonia has the highest specific heat. Water also has a high heat of vaporization (40.65 kJ ·mol−1). The high specific heat and heat of vaporization result from the high degree of hydrogen bonding between water molecules. One consequence of this is that water is not subject to rapid temperature fluctuations. On Earth, this helps to prevent dramatic climate changes.Water may be called the universal solvent because it is able to dissolve many different substances. Interesting Water Facts Other names for water are dihydrogen monoxide, oxidane, hydroxylic acid, and hydrogen hydroxide.The molecular formula of water is H2OMolar mass: 18.01528(33) g/molDensity: 1000 kg/m3, liquid (4  °C) or 917 kg/m3, solidMelting point: 0  °C, 32  °F (273.15 K)Boiling point: 100  °C, 212  °F (373.15 K)Acidity (pKa): 15.74Basicity (pKb): 15.74Refractive index: (nD) 1.3330Viscosity: 0.001 Pa s at 20  °CCrystal structure: hexagonalMolecular shape: bent

The future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The future - Essay Example Thus, my analysis of the future will begin with the likely changes and trends that will emerge in the global society. One country cannot be analyzed in isolation of the larger global community. Geographical and political boundaries are being eradicated by the elimination of trade barriers and rapid integration of capital markets. The world is quickly becoming a global village which facilities the entry of products, services, people, and capital in each country. Alongside is the huge advancement in technology. Technological breakthroughs brought products which are important in promoting efficiency in business operations. These advances ripple to households and individuals in the form of luxury and convenience. I believe that these trends will continue in the future. Furthermore, these factors will have the most significant impact in the personal and family life. The rapid integration of markets in the global community will have a huge effect in my personal life specifically in my career. I know that this development, together with companies' increasing preference of having a more diversified workforce will bring me face to face with people having different cultures. The interaction with these individuals will affect me in more ways that I can imagine. It is irrefutable that a person is shaped by his immediate environment.

Understand the nature of the national environment in which businesses Essay

Understand the nature of the national environment in which businesses operate - Essay Example Understand the nature of the national environment in which businesses operate Moreover, these organisations are able to meet the market demand effectively. P&G complies with all the state and federal laws including the Honest Leadership Act, Lobbying Disclosure Act and Open Government Act. Effective environment funding helps the organisation to avoid political challenges. Economical The recent financial crisis and global economic recession have affected the economic environment of the country. The organisation tries to implement a competitive pricing strategy to support the low purchasing power of people. On the other hand, infrastructure development supports the FMCG industry. The infrastructure followed by the company supports the industry. The target of the company includes growing the organic sales from 1% to 2% at a faster rate than that of the market and delivering the highest earnings per share. It also targets to generate free cash productivity of free cash flow of 90% or greater. Social The organisation tries to introduce healthy goods to target healt h-conscious people. For example, UNICEF and Pampers are working together to maintain good health of babies. The company follows good governance and contributes for the benefit for the society. They have offered healthier products for the health conscious society and the targets set by the company for the future are always in line with the objectives of societal benefits. Technological Leading global business organisations try to implement advanced technology in business process to enhance their business performance. P&G uses latest and developed technology to attract customers. Moreover, random technological innovation has provided P&G with a significant competitive advantage. The company uses latest technology in order to attract the customers. The company offers tremendous competition to other competitors in the market. The degree of competition is backed by use of advanced technologies. Environmental The organisation has developed several business operation objectives in order to reduce the level of carbon emission. They try to reduce the level of GHG emission in order to bring sustainability into their business operations. The goal of the company includes building at least 550 billion in cumulative sales in the product category of sustainable innovation. This category of products follows an improved environmental profile. Legal The organisation maintains health, safety and environmental standards to avoid legal chaos. The customers are becoming more and more aware of the health and safety requirements and hence try to opt for the products that are healthier and safer. The company maintains the regulations existing in the countries of operation. P2. 1 The United Kingdom is one of the largest global economies. The UK economy is a mixed one. Over the last two decades, the strength of public ownership has been significantly reducing. The United Kingdom is known for the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Slowly and gradually, the economy of UK has shift ed towards the service sectors (Lipsey and Chrystal, 2011, p.16). Tourism, banking, insurance and other business services are considered as the major growth driver of the UK economy. A mixed economy presupposes a unity of public and private control. It reflects the characteristics of both command economy

Finance; Enterprise Risk Management Thesis Proposal

Finance; Enterprise Risk Management - Thesis Proposal Example nterprise, designed to identify potential evens that may affect the entity and manage risk to be within its risk appetite to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of entity objectives† (Steinberg, Everson and Martens). The proposed project is based on extensive research in the concept of Enterprise Risk Management which will focus on providing important information regarding evolution of ERM and its importance, various risks faced by businesses and different risk management techniques which companies can implement to mitigate the extent of their risk exposures. From the literary discussion on ERM a case will be developed where possible applications of ERM will be assessed in respect to the companies listed of Tallinn Stock Exchange (TSE). Different industry groups will be examined and recommendations will be put forward for implementation of effective and efficient ERM framework in companies. The research will seek out important information from both primary and secondary sources. For primary research a survey questionnaire (Badke) will be prepared to inquire from companies’ risk managers to comment and elaborate on risk issues facing their companies and ERM techniques they have implemented. Furthermore, secondary research from a collection of journals, articles, periodicals, books and credible internet sources will be carried out to form basis of background to the context of the research, literature review, research methodologies and information pertaining to the companies under