Reflective Account and Mind Map - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1835 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Reflective Account and Mind map Description In order to analyse the business environment on global level, it is imperative to understand the dynamics which are either supporting or hindering the organisations which are functioning. As the global context is getting competitive, the enterprises have to focus on three key dimensions i.e. sustainability, happiness and technology (Goodwin, 2013). Each of these elements have been studied in-depth during the year so that there is sufficient evidence about their contribution in the corporate world. During the entire period, the main area of focus was on the protection of environment (Biggemann, Williams Kro, 2014). Due to rapid changes takes place globally such as developments in IT world, technology becoming an integral part of routine life, shift towards efficient production procedures so that economies of scale is achieved, changes in climatic conditions and others, it has become imperative for the firms to analyse their impact on their operations (Albinsson Arnesson, 2012; Varey, 2013). Hence, three major activities were performed in the form of groups so that a first-hand experience can be gained. Anyone who wants to assess the implication of theories has to undertake a practical endeavour as it is close to reality and it allows an individual to acquire worthwhile examples from such exercise (Harrison, 2010; Mullins, 2013). The first task was to develop three things for an environmental pressure group FirstHand i.e. press briefing, infograph and poster campaign. With the help of this project, everyone within the team got an insight about the efforts which have to be undertaken on collective basis so that the desired targets are effectively attained. Later, as part of the Happiness theme, the group had to carry out a study to analyse the implication of this aspect in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s contemporary business world. This activity allowed the team members to apprehend the factors which influence this feeling and it is important to perform app ropriate activities for creating a contented and supportive learning environment (Lau et al., 2014). Finally, the effect of technology was studied with special reference to the society. It is referred to as the gift of fire as it has both positive and negative implications in the community. For the evaluation of this theme, an assignment in the form of biometric podcast development and implementation was given. Hence, all three assessments shed light on various aspects of the theme which were studied in the lectures and workshops. These activities provided an opportunity to learn the art of working in teams and be ascertained that theories learnt during the studies are practically applied for assessing their applicability. Both experiences and reflections are the crucial factors of these practises as these features allowed us to unleash various facets of teamwork (Schoemaker, Krupp Howland, 2012). In the teams, excellent communication, effective leadership, conflict resolutio n, time management and cohesion are important parameters (Karalis, 2010). Thus, these attempts benefited me a lot as I identified my strengths along with areas for improvement so that I can capitalise on my potencies and flourish as a competent person. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Reflective Account and Mind Map" essay for you Create order Analysis / Interpretation During the complete year, there were many instances which enhanced my learning capabilities. From this course, I realised that the business world is composed of elements which have to be addressed for adding value to the society. Almost all the leading organisations have incorporated the sustainable development concept within their operations so that they can be assured that their processes are in alignment with the requirements of the present era (Savageau, 2013). When I was involved in the sustainability workshop, I gathered useful information about its implication and role it plays in enhancement of the environment. Moreover, these sustainable initiatives provide a direction to the companies to get engaged in activities which will make appreciated contribution in the society such as eliminating carbon dioxide measures, controlling the waste disposal procedures, promoting carbon footprints, organising charitable events and etc. (Zizek Mulej, 2013). Furthermore, our group deci ded to assign me the role of team leader as they found me to possess leadership, communication and management skills. When working in teams, it is imperative to make decisions on consensus basis (Marshall, 2012) so that conflicts are avoided and members work in cohesive manner (van Emmirek et al., 2011). Despite all the efforts of performing the tasks with friendly and organised approach, problems were encountered in coordinating the assigned responsibilities as some members were unwilling to fulfil their commitments. As a leader, I had to converse with them so that I could understand their viewpoint and be ascertained that all concerns are handled. One of the members even discontinued from the team as he wanted to join other group. In order to cope with this situation, I realigned the duties and made sure that everyone was satisfied. We were given four weeks to complete the task and everything was progressing smoothly as our press briefing and infograph were ready beforehand. However, there were some issues with the poster campaign as every member wanted to implement his/her idea. After two hours of discussion, a final concept was selected and the poster was given for designing phase. On the printing day, the printer was not working and we had only two hours left for submitting the document. With too much stress, our project was completed. It made me realise that everyone has to work co-operatively and be prepared to work in calm way even in under stressful situation (Savelsbergh, 2012). Likewise, when I was involved in the project of second theme, I asked to act as a group member. Initially, everyone was reluctant because they were expecting that I will carry on the leadership role. For this assessment, I wanted to testify my team working skills so that I can unleash my competencies and avail this opportunity for taking responsibility for another function. After initial meeting, it was decided that I will be given the final project proofreading and editing task along with compilation of information extracted from studies required for the paper. At that point, I noticed that my leader had taken me for granted and has assigned me complex tasks. Besides, this might have happened because of my own weakness of saying à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"yesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ to everybody. For me, it was a learning aspect that there should be a line drawn between the act of being too lenient and stringent. Hence, everyone has the prestige of making certain firm decisions (Yukl, 2012) and I took this event as an area of refinement for future endeavours. Finally, in the third project regarding the technology, I decided to limit my responsibility only to the development of biometric testing podcast. Since I have interest in learning about technological gadgets so this incident provided me a chance of enhancing my knowledge about biometric testing. One issue which was faced during the event was that other member wanted to perform this task. I decided t o step backward and agreed to undertake the data compilation responsibility. This significantly made me realise that one has to keep good control on anger when working in teams so that stress can be mitigated to a great extent. Thus, it is mandatory for everyone to comprehend the dynamics of working in teams (Savageau, 2013) and also the factors which are impacting the businesses in global context (Mullins, 2013). During the activities, it was revealed that the sustainability paradigm is impacted by politics, law, government and other influencers. Furthermore, it is imperative for the firms to abide by the legalities of creating sustainable business environment so that they can add value within the corporate world. Equally important for the students is to understand the role of happiness in businesses in global context so that the organisations can respond proactively to the external and internal factors impacting their operations (Savelsbergh, 2012). Also, the technologies ha ve to be utilised in such a way that they encourage the companies to perform their work with excellence and enhance value in the community. Hence, it is mandatory for me to develop my competencies for outshining in the professional world. Outcomes This course proved to be a productive and valuable endeavour for me as I realised that there is an array of business dynamics which are hidden in the organisational framework and they need to be addressed so that an individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capabilities can be enhanced (Schoemaker, Krupp Howland, 2012). With the help of reflection exercise, I learnt that I can become an effective and apt leader. Initially, I was unaware about this aspect of my personality. Moreover, I have noticed that I have significantly improved my communication and leadership skills. Furthermore, my writing ability has been polished which has made me confident about preparing the reports in proficient manner. Additionally, I have realised that I need to understand the situations in which I have to speak out to clarify my viewpoint. Even there is immense requirement of embedding time management skills as I lack expertise in this area which was evident from the completion of first project just on time. H ence, I have decided that I will get enrolled in courses which will provide me opportunities for developing my time management and team working capabilities so that I can give appropriate direction to my organisation. References Albinsson, G. and Arnesson, K., 2012. Team learning activities: Reciprocal learning through the development of a mediating tool for sustainable learning. The Learning Organization, 19(6), pp. 456-468. Biggemann, S., Williams, M. and Kro, G., 2014. Building in sustainability, social responsibility and value co-creation. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 29(4), pp. 304-312. Goodwin, D., 2013. Linking political and managerial leadership à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a personal reflection. International Journal of Leadership in Public Service, 9(1/2), pp. 59-64. Harrison, A., 2010. Business environment in a global context. 1st ed. London: Oxford University Press. Karalis, T., 2010. Situated and transformative learning: exploring the potential of critical reflection to enhance organisational knowledge. Development and learning in organisations, 24(1), pp. 17-20. Lau, P., Kwong, T., Chong, K. and Wong, E., 2014. Developing studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ teamwork skills in a c ooperative learning project. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 3(1), pp. 80-99. Marshall, J., 2011. Images of changing practice through reflective action research. Journal of Organisational Change Management, 24(2), pp. 244-256. Mullins, L.J., 2013. Management and Organisational Behaviour. 10th ed. USA: FT Publishing International. Savageau, A.E., 2013. Letà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s get personal: making sustainability tangible to students. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 14(1), pp. 15-24. Savelsbergh, C., 2012. Team role stress: relationships with team learning and performance in project teams. Development and Learning in Organizations, 26(4), pp. 67-101. Schoemaker, P.J.H., Krupp, S. and Howland, S., 2013. Strategic Leadership: The essential skills. Harvard Business Review, January-February 2013, pp. 131-134. Van Emmerik, H., Jawahar, I.M., Schreurs, B. and de Cuyper, N., 2011. Social capital, team efficacy and team poten cy: The mediating role of team learning behaviours. Career Development International, 16(1), pp. 82-99. Varey, W., 2013. Reflexive thought-ecologies: a reflection on practice. Kybernetes, 42(9/10), pp. 1470-1478. Yukl, G.A., 2012. Leadership in organisations. 8th ed. USA: Prentice Hall. Zizek, S.S. and Mulej, M., 2013. Social responsibility: a way of requisite holism of humans and their well-being. Kkybernetes, 42(2), pp. 318-335. Appendix I à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Mind map of Theme 1 Appendix II à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Mind map of Theme 2 Appendix III à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Mind map of Theme 3 1

According to Theurer (2011), miscue analysis is based on...

According to Theurer (2011), miscue analysis is based on the early work of Ken and Yetta Goodman. This method of assessment strategy assists teachers to develop a rich understanding of the reading process of English language learners. A miscue is an unexpected response tat occurs when the reader’s knowledge of language and concepts of the world fails to match the text he or she is reading. This paper will aim to (a) summarize the articles describing retrospective miscue analysis; (b) analyze and critique the articles and the retrospective miscue analysis strategy and (c) implications for English language instructions as per the retrospective miscue analysis strategy. Under the RMA assessment strategy, readers use a number of cueing†¦show more content†¦However, this study had a negative effect on the participant because it made the participant believed that reading was all about reading each word correctly. As mentioned earlier, making miscues is acceptable and the teacher should ensure that students are not demotivated and afraid to make miscues as that will result in a decrease in the students’ confidence level. The individualized nature of the RMA approach can present a challenge to its implementation in an inclusive classroom with thirty or so students, and teachers might be at loss as to how implement the strategy in a timely manner. Since RMA sessions generally utilize a one-to-one instructional format, it is natural that the RMA sessions be conducted by trained teachers and learning specialists. These session can be held as a part of an after school program or during breaks between lessons. As part of an after school program, RMA can be integrated into a traditional developmental reading curriculum, thereby creating a more comprehensive and individually responsive reading support for all students. Furthermore, another way to overcome this challenge would be to use audio recording of the reading and to record directly onto a copy of the text that has been prepared with wide line spacing for comments. With practice, this can be effective and sufficient to give a preliminary indication of a student’s reading

Business Information System and Online Technology

Question: Discuss about the Business Information System and Online Technology. Answer: INtroduction: August Online Technology have been selling Indo-western clothes for over a period and wanted to improve the sales with the help of web technology. August Online Technology needs improvement of the marketing and sales as well as the impact of network attack, the internet, and risk related to the security of Indo-western clothes. Improving marketing and sales There are various process and method for increasing the annual sales through improvement of marketing and sales. On having a close observation of the Indo-western clothes, it is analyzed that August Online Technology can use internet and web technology for improving the annual sales as well as marketing of the product (Johnston and Marshall 2016). The company will be launching the product on the various online shopping sites product can also be advertised through face book, twitter, etc. Marketing of the Indo-western can be done on a regular basis at the social media and with the help of search engine. The company can give offers on purchasing the clothes online. Cash on delivery services will be provided to the customer giving an online order. Marketing of the product can be further done with the help of online pop-up. All the above mentioned method will be boosting huge sales in the sales of the product, because of the arrival of the festive season and attractive offer. Online sale s and marketing are one of the easier methods for increasing the annual sales of the company (Kotler et al., 2015). Network security risks and protection Security has become one of the major issues in each and every aspect specially related to a product. Security risk related will be related to the product designing, the design of the clothes may be stolen by another company. Indo-western clothes are the new trend, and it is mainly available on costly boutiques, high level designer, and costly shops. Moreover, the security of the product will also be affected by the hackers who are always in search of doing theft. If the encryption of the company is not met the company cannot save the database of the customer. Further, the cyber policy should be maintained, for not getting affected by the risk related to privacy and security of the company (Andres et al., 2012). There are network attacks which may affect the risk of the company. Here are some network attacks which will be affecting the company security in the following ways: Data modification - A network attack can be termed to be a modification of the data packet, by not affecting the knowledge of the receiver and sender. For preserving the message send to the customer of a company will be saved in the way of transition. Identifying Spoofing Some of the IP address can also be preserved with the identification of the valid entity. The attacker can make modification in the route of the data and turn it towards itself. Password-based attacks - Attacks based on the password will be affecting the company too much. Password attacks will be attacking only on a certain user if the hints of the account are known by the hacker (Chen and Zhao 2012). For protecting the company from these securities the company can make use of various tools and software. Tools used by the company can be in the following ways: The company needs to keep an update of the software use for maintaining the database as well as product related information. Different password and OTP facilities should be mentioned in each and every aspect of the company. Encryption should be present in the account of the company, so that company data is not getting hacked by the external user. Reference list Andres, S.G., Cole, D.M., Cummings, T.G., Garcia, R.R., Kenyon, B.M., Kurtz, G.R., McClure, S.C., Moore, C.W., O'dea, M.J. and Saruwatari, K.D., Mcafee, Inc., 2012.System and method of managing network security risks. U.S. Patent 8,201,257. Chen, D. and Zhao, H., 2012, March. Data security and privacy protection issues in cloud computing. InComputer Science and Electronics Engineering (ICCSEE), 2012 International Conference on(Vol. 1, pp. 647-651). IEEE. Johnston, M.W. and Marshall, G.W., 2016.Sales force management: Leadership, innovation, technology. Routledge. Kotler, P., Keller, K.L., Manceau, D. and Hmonnet-Goujot, A., 2015.Marketing management(Vol. 14). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

International Institutions Contribution to Justice after War or Political Violence

Available scholarship demonstrates that international institutions continue to play a fundamental role not only in peacebuilding initiatives but also in the provision of justice for victims in post-conflict societies (Meernik, Nicholas, King 309).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on ‘International Institutions’ Contribution to Justice after War or Political Violence’ specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper uses the Ugandan and South African case studies to locate the importance of international institutions in contributing to justice within a state after war or political aggression, and also the extent to which these institutions reflect problematic conceptions or relations of power that might hinder justice. In terms of contributions, it can be argued that international institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) act to provide justice and truth in post-conflict societies wit h weak judicial systems, hence contributing to peacebuilding by removing war criminals and peace spoilers (Meernik et al 309). By referring the political conflict concerning the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to the ICC for action to be taken on the principal perpetrators including the leader Joseph Kony, the Ugandan government hoped that such a legal process would bring lasting harmony and justice to the war-torn northern Uganda (Branch 179). This objective appears to have been met as it has been a while now since the LRA caused breached peace in Uganda, though analysts still believe that the guerilla outfit is still active. It is also clear that international institutions contribute immensely to the achievement of peace and justice in post-conflict societies by deterrence (Meernik et al 309). However, going by the Ugandan case, this contribution is yet to be validated as critics argue that the ICC interventions in Uganda have indeed complicated the situation by removing †Å"the LRA’s command’s incentive to leave the bush, which has made peace talks difficult, if not impossible† (Branch 183). According to these authors, it is obvious that nobody has the capacity to convince the LRA leaders in the Ugandan case to come to the negotiating table in the presence of international arrest warrants by the ICC.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most of the international institutions adopt the Nuremburg model in ensuring that they use the due process to serve justice to war crimes perpetrators and victims (Mamdani 33). In this context, institutions such as the ICC are seen to contribute to justice by judiciously dealing with perpetrators while contributing to enhancements in human rights and the sustenance of peace. But while it is clear that most international institutions adopt the Nuremburg model in developing interventions aimed at achieving justice and healing, a challenge exists in that politically-instigated mass violence cannot be holistically perceived as a criminal matter since the criminal actions it involves have profound political consequences (Mamdani 33). When deeply entrenched political interests and power games are involved, international institutions have largely been unable to provide the needed justice as most are seen as interested parties in the conflict (Branch 185). For instance, the ICC has often been accused in the Ugandan cases as a decoy used by Western powers to destabilize nations for political gains. Some commentators are of the opinion that international institutions such as the ICC have no capacity to provide justice due to their overreliance of the Nuremberg model, whereby powerful countries are seen to take the role of both the prosecutor and the judges (Mamdani 33). In such a situation, it would be plausible to employ the CODESA and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (T RC) models, which originated from South Africa when the country was seeking to bring justice to victims of the apartheid era. In the South African context, a local solution was found to deal with apartheid conflicts when TRC granted amnesty in return for truth-telling and seeking for forgiveness (Mamdani 33-34). Lastly, the potential for international institutions to avail justice in post-conflict societies appears limited by the institutions’ orientation to deal with those in power while forgetting that they too could have been instrumental in fueling conflicts or committing atrocities. In the Ugandan case, for example the government-instigated violence has been largely downplayed in ICC investigations as the Office of the Prosecutor limits its focus to LRA’s brutality (Branch 182). Works Cited Branch, Adam. â€Å"Uganda’s Civil War and the Politics of ICC Intervention.† Ethics International Affairs. 21.2 (2007): 179-198. Academic Search Premier. Web.Ad vertising We will write a custom essay sample on ‘International Institutions’ Contribution to Justice after War or Political Violence’ specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mamdani, Mahmoud. â€Å"The Logic of Nuremburg.† London Review of Books. 35.21 (2013): 33-34. Web. Meernik, James D., Angela Nicholas and Kim L. King. â€Å"The Impact of International Tribunals and Domestic Trials on Peace and Human Rights after Civil War.† International Studies Perspectives. 11.4 (2010): 309-334. Academic Search Premier. Web. This essay on ‘International Institutions’ Contribution to Justice after War or Political Violence’ was written and submitted by user Aubrianna Mccarthy to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Bullets Over Broadway Essays - Cinema Of The United States

Bullets Over Broadway Bullets Over Broadway is definitely something you've never seen before. It's hard to imagine any other writer in the entire world coming up with the basic plot that drives the film. Woody Allen takes a humerous concept and allows it to grow more absurd and surreal with each passing moment. And somehow, by film's end, the ridiculous seems acceptable. The film has been referred to as a comic take on the themes explored in Crimes and Misdemeanors, and while a comparison is interesting, I don't necessarily think it holds up. Bullets Over Broadway is an entirely unique film, inhabiting a bizarre universe completely its own. While both films feature the killing of an innocent, if annoying, female character, the comparison really ends there. Besides, in this film, the character pays for his murder. Perhaps the more interesting question the film raises is this: should artists really be willing to kill (or die for) their art? Of course, you'd never have time to ponder this question while in the midst of viewing the film. There's simply too much else going on, too many characters and plotlines to allow you the time to reflect on the underlying questions the film raises about art. And this is for the best; after all, the film is a comedy. Allen stayed behind the camera for this film, marking the first time he decided not to act in one of his own comedies. Though he'd not appeared in any of his three dramatic films (Interiors, September, Another Woman), he had always made an appearance of some sort in each of his comedies. It's an intersting choice that has no real explanation, but definitely ends up being the right decision. I say this only because John Cusack is wonderful in his Woody-ish lead role. You don't miss Allen, primarily because of Cusack's built-in charm and the great chemistry he has with both Dianne Wiest and Chazz Palminteri. Both Wiest and Palminteri were nominated for supporting Oscars (Wiest won the award), and both definitely benefited from Cusack's performance. Bullets Over Broadway tells the story of a young, seemingly talented playwright, David Shayne (Cusack). As the movie begins, he's having problems raising the funding for his latest play. In addition, he has no cast to speak of, and a great deal of self-doubt. His agent finally finds a producer, who happens to be a powerful gangster. The aging gangster, Rocco,agrees to back the play -- as long as his young girlfriend, Olive (Jennifer Tilly) is allowed to play a major role. Cusack agrees without realizing what he's in for. The girl is loud, obnoxious, ditzy and annoying. In addition, she's an absolutely horrible actress in every imaginable way. Of course, Cusack can't back out on the deal, as the gangster makes very clear. As the play begins to take shape, the gangster sends a fellow gangster, Cheech (played by Palminteri), to supervise the rehearsals (i.e. to make sure no one cuts Olive's lines or mistreats her). This masterful set up allows Allen and co-writer Douglas McGrath numerous comedic opportunities which they take full advantage of. The grand lady of the theatre, Helen Sinclair (Dianne Wiest), the over-eating thespian (Jack Warden), the gangster's moll, and the stuffy words of the questionably talented playwright come together in the near-perfect rehearsal scenes. In time, Cusack's playwright falls head over heels for the pretentious theatre star, and they carry on a love affair, all the while making plans for her big comeback to the stage. Wiest often plays the rather obnoxious actress to absurd lengths of characterization, and it works every time; in a film full of comic roles and stereotypes, she all but steals the show. The brilliance of Bullets Over Broadway is that it keeps getting more and more ridiculous, without ever seeming too far-fetched to lose its audience. The final masterstroke of the film's plot(and perhaps its funniest twist) comes when Palminteri, tired of hearing the stiff, stilted dialogue of the play, begins to make suggestions at rehearsals. Cusack is at first outraged, and threatens to quit, but he eventually realizes that the gangster's suggestions are actually quite good. Palminteri's gangster turns out to be a genius; a raw, natural playwright who

Free Essays on Greek Architecture Up To The Doric Order

Greek Architecture Aristotle once said â€Å"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.+† The architecture of ancient Greece is represented by buildings in the sanctuaries and cities of mainland Greece, the Aegean islands, southern Italy and Sicily, and the Ionian coast of Turkey. Monumental Greek architecture began in the archaic period, flourished through the classical and Hellenistic periods, and saw the first of many revivals during the Roman Empire. The roots of Greek architecture lie in the tradition of local Bronze Age house and palaces. The following paper will cover the basic forms of Greek architecture. One of the many types of Greek building structures was Sacred Architecture. The Greeks conceived of their gods in human form, as anthropomorphic representations of the forces and elements of the natural world. These gods and goddesses were worshiped with sacrifices made at an outdoor altar. At many sanctuaries, the altar was much older than the temple, and some sanctuaries had only an altar. The temple designed simply as a shelter or home for the cult statue and as a storehouse for offerings. This shelter consisted of a cella (back wall), a pronaos (columned porch),an opisthodomus (enclosure), an antae (bronze grills securing the porches), and a colonnade that provided shelter for visitors. The earliest monumental buildings in Greek architecture were the temples. Since these were solidly built and carefully maintained, they had to be replaced only if destroyed. The architectural orders, Doric on the mainland and Ionic in the eastern Aegean, were developed in the archaic temples, and their lasting example tended to make Greek architecture conservative toward changes in design or in building technology. The Archaic period evolved after the Mycenaen palace collapsed in 1200 BCE during the dark ages when people began rebuilding. This era brought about the int... Free Essays on Greek Architecture Up To The Doric Order Free Essays on Greek Architecture Up To The Doric Order Greek Architecture Aristotle once said â€Å"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.+† The architecture of ancient Greece is represented by buildings in the sanctuaries and cities of mainland Greece, the Aegean islands, southern Italy and Sicily, and the Ionian coast of Turkey. Monumental Greek architecture began in the archaic period, flourished through the classical and Hellenistic periods, and saw the first of many revivals during the Roman Empire. The roots of Greek architecture lie in the tradition of local Bronze Age house and palaces. The following paper will cover the basic forms of Greek architecture. One of the many types of Greek building structures was Sacred Architecture. The Greeks conceived of their gods in human form, as anthropomorphic representations of the forces and elements of the natural world. These gods and goddesses were worshiped with sacrifices made at an outdoor altar. At many sanctuaries, the altar was much older than the temple, and some sanctuaries had only an altar. The temple designed simply as a shelter or home for the cult statue and as a storehouse for offerings. This shelter consisted of a cella (back wall), a pronaos (columned porch),an opisthodomus (enclosure), an antae (bronze grills securing the porches), and a colonnade that provided shelter for visitors. The earliest monumental buildings in Greek architecture were the temples. Since these were solidly built and carefully maintained, they had to be replaced only if destroyed. The architectural orders, Doric on the mainland and Ionic in the eastern Aegean, were developed in the archaic temples, and their lasting example tended to make Greek architecture conservative toward changes in design or in building technology. The Archaic period evolved after the Mycenaen palace collapsed in 1200 BCE during the dark ages when people began rebuilding. This era brought about the int...

Wilderness, place and nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wilderness, place and nature - Essay Example It has been extended to include wildlife. Sometimes the term is also used to define places that are deserted with lack of cultivation. The most modern perception of the word ‘wilderness’ lies in the depiction of areas, which confuse people. It represents mystery. The word can be said to have a dual meaning. On one hand it is inhospitable and threatening and on the other it represents beauty that is capable of providing solace to human eye. (Nash, 10-12, 44-45) The universe is a composition of nature and soul. Nature remains unchanged by mankind. It represents space, the air we breathe, rivers and even the leaves of trees. Every item that is a part of nature leaves a â€Å"kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence† (Emerson, 1). It reflects the wisdom and the simplicity of childhood. There is a considerable link between wilderness and nature. The biodiversity of nature is well maintained by the remoteness of wilderness, which directly benefits th e former. Absence of artificial barriers in the areas of wilderness helps in the preservation of nature. A place on the other hand refers to any space of the universe that may have definite or indefinite boundaries. There are similarities in the concepts of wilderness, places and nature along with slight differences in the conceptualization of the three. Wilderness, places and nature interact amongst themselves to render a meaning to human lives.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of the term wilderness has been a tenet that is fundamental to the environmental movements that last for decades. It has rather been a passion. The last place on the earth where the artificial civilization of human beings has not yet infected the space with all diseases of the species is termed as wilderness. Wilderness can be termed as an island in the sea of polluted industrialization achieved by the urbane modernity and this term rules out the chances of pollution. Wilderness is that place on the eart h where human beings can escape being tired of the artificial happiness that has been created by them in the name of modernization. In the hope of saving the planet from this spread of modernization and hence industrial pollution, there is the need of rethinking wilderness. According to Thoreau, the preservation of the earth and nature lies only in wilderness. Wilderness has been described profoundly as a creation of human beings and not something that is far from the reach of humanity. He expresses his desire to retreat into the wilderness as he comments â€Å"Let me live where I will, on this side is the city, on that the wilderness, and ever I am leaving the city more and more, and withdrawing into the wilderness † (Thoreau 2). Though wilderness seems natural, it hides the unnaturalness behind the mask, which is more captivating â€Å"because it seems so natural† from outside. Imaginations and reflections often trick human beings into perceiving the same as â€Å"n ature when in fact we see the reflection of our own unexamined longings and desires† (Cronon 1). The preservation of wilderness is for the betterment of human beings and needs to be ensured for the ultimate pleasure of them. As the frontier began to fade away, Americans tried to protect the wilderness within specific places termed as National Parks (Cronon, 2). Cronon therefore argues that the wilderness perceived by human beings is not actually a part of nature. For instance, the Indians previously used to live in the wilderness which they called their home but later they were removed from there to give space to tourism activities such that the place could be referred as â€Å"uninhabited wilderness† (Cronon, 7). Hence the wilderness in America is very much constructed. It is important for human beings to be a part of nature and accept the same as their

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

The Elegant Universe - Essay Example forms that may have developed in the presence of water and in the earth-like conditions but there is every possibility that life forms may exist in conditions that we may discard as being unsuitable for life since those are not the conditions for life as we know it (Greene). It, therefore, seems very unlikely that we are alone in this universe and somewhere out there may be species waiting to be contacted.  According to almost all of the scientific community, the universe was formed about 13.6 billion years ago and it has been expanding since its conception. There had been quite some debates regarding the shape and nature of the universe in the scientific literature. There were many hits regarding the expansion of the universe including the famous Doppler effect on the electromagnetic spectrum where the radiations are red shifted. However, the most startling fact about our expanding universe is that the expansion is accelerating and the regions that are farthest away from us are mo ving the fastest. Moreover, there is no hint whether this acceleration would ever hint and therefore all the clues point towards the fact that the universe is infinite or if it has an end, it is almost at an infinite distance from us.  Even though the universe is so vast that our existence seems puny and negligible, I feel a deep connection to the universe. All the atoms in our body as well as in everything that we use, are born in the hearts of the stars. And it would not be an exaggeration to say that we are an embodiment of the universe trying to understand ourselves. The universe and its vastness is also a source of calmness and serenity; it is always there whether we try to observe it or not and hence its presence casts a shadow over us all the time. The stars, the sky as well as all the galaxies and the planets have aroused the curiosity of humans for generations and have played a vital role in laying down the foundations of science.

Architectural Analysis of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Essay

Architectural Analysis of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Essay Example â€Å"Steven Holl Architects’ extension to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has torn up the rule book of established codes of extension conduct and transformed the existing building into one of the most exciting exhibition spaces we’ve seen. The existing Nelson-Atkins museum is a ceremonial, classical structure – all colonnades, porticos and grand facades, sitting atop the undulating hillocks looking down on Kansas City. When in 1999, Steven Holl Architects entered the competition to build a suitable extension, it was the only firm daring enough to tamper with the existing facade and not hide its proposed structure in the shadow of the grand building. And it clearly paid off† (Yanko Design, 2007). In order to understand the choices that went into the Bloch Building, it is essential to understand architectural theory, philosophy, phenomenology and structuralism. Interpretive Strategies of Architecture as Art Though a kaleidoscopic array of the ories exist on the matter of architecture, three should suffice. By far the most important is the architects' theory: Stephen Holls', as explicated in his 2009 Urbanisms: Working with doubt. Holls' philosophy here is that urban planning in the 21st century faces qualitatively new techniques. He argues that the attempt to break down all architecture to quantitative mathematical analysis is quixotic and counter-productive; instead, architects must â€Å"work with† and manage doubt in increasingly complex cityscapes by managing Fragments, Porosity, Insertions, Precious and Fusion elements. Holls emphasizes phenomenology here. He argues, â€Å"It is odd that few urban planners speak of the important phenomenological characteristics determining the qualities of urban life – spatial energy and mystery, qualities of light, color, sound and smell. The subjectivity of urban experience must be held in equal importance to the objective and practical† (2009, pg. 16). Holl a rgues that, just as the brain has a rational left side and a creative right side, so too must urban planners synthesize art and science, and urban planning must represent both the vagaries of subjective psychology and the rationality of controlled and planned spaces created by mathematical-scientific intervention. What is phenomenology? â€Å""The philosophical movement that concentrates on the study of consciousness and its immediate objects† (Lecture 2). The distinction is complex. In essence, since the skeptical revolution of Hume, wherein it was demonstrated that it is impossible to philosophically know any empirical fact (such as that gravity follows the inverse square or that billiards bounce the way a pool shark knows they do) because of the limits of inductive logic and the fact that to generalize from the past to the future requires an untestable assumption: That the past is like the future (Hume, 1910). Kant then argued that not only was it impossible to know the na ture of things, their ontology, but in fact human beings could never get access to ontological truth. Just as a camera takes an image of the world but that photograph it produces is not the same as the world it represents (â€Å"Ceci pas un pipe†), the human eye makes a model of the real world, a model that psychology has increasingly come to realize is a highly specific one with many features jettisoned for ease of processing. That model is not the real world, so no matter how precise our instrumentation or perceptions, we are never seeing things as they are. Thus, Kant argued that the study of ontology was impossible, and sharply cut it off from the study of phenomenology, which Husserl, Heidegger and Sartre later developed (Lecture 2). What does this have to do with architecture? Holl's argument is only

A Critical Analysis Of Alternative Renewable Energy

A Critical Analysis Of Alternative Renewable Energy Introduction In this chapter I will provide brief overview and scope of the dissertation. I will present the highlights of the major topics that will be covered in this dissertation and summary will be presented of the later chapters. The dissertation will be research based and the research sources will be from journals, books and internet articles. Through this research I will explain the aims and objectives of the dissertation which will be covered in this chapter. Furthermore I will also look upon the need for alternative renewable energy in this chapter and the benefits alternative energy brings to the environment, society and corporations. The growth in the alternative energy industry will also be mentioned along with theoretical framework and research methodology. Aims and objectives The main focus of the dissertation will be on the benefits of alternative renewable energy. The supply of traditional energy resources such as oil, gas and coal are depleting and ever increasing demand of these energy resources is drawing our attention towards alternative renewable energy thus one of the aims of my dissertation is the need for alternative renewable energy. Alternative renewable energy doesnt impact the environment, society and climate in a negative way thus the second aim of my dissertation will be the advantages of various forms of alternative renewable energy sources. The investment in development of alternative energy sources is very limited primarily because of the perception that this investment will not match the profits generated by investment in traditional energy sources. Contrary to this popular opinion I have designed another aim of my dissertation which will be the benefits of alternative renewable energy to corporations. Since there is lack of confidence in big corporations so I will also consider the limitations in development of alternative energy industry and will present the solutions to these limitations in my dissertation. Justification of the subject: In the recent past the world has heavily relied on traditional energy sources such as oil, gas and coal. The growth in industrialization in all parts of the world particularly India and China and in developed parts of the world U.S, Japan and Europe has increased the global demand of oil and made these countries net importers of oil. The supply of oil by OPEC and Non-OPEC members is decreasing and there are not sufficient oil resources to meet the ever increasing demand of energy. Moreover oil has huge impacts on the society and the environment particularly in the form of oil spills. The dependency on oil is changing the climate of this earth and increasing the threat from global warming. I believe to meet the demand deficit of energy it is time that the world should consider investment and growth in alternative renewable energy sources. The decreasing supply of oil and its adverse impacts on the environment and society increases the need for alternative energy sources. Alternative e nergy sources bring along benefits to the society, environment and corporations and thus it is the need of this hour that upcoming and large oil and gas companies shift from traditional energy to alternative renewable energy. Some background to the problem: Need for alternative energy: As Hasan stated in his report Introduction to alternative energy on page 1 that the worlds dependence upon oil and the decrease in traditional sources of energy such as oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear power is changing the structure of this world. The world is heavily oil dependent rather I will say addicted to oil and the growth in industrialization in all parts of the world is increasing this dependency on oil. However at the same time there is decrease in the supply of traditional energy. The resources of traditional energy are limited and due to depletion these resources cannot match the demand of energy and thus it is believed by every authority that without alternative energy the growing demand of energy in the future cannot be met. The global supply of coal, oil and gas is limited while nuclear energy is dangerous and thus the discovery of alternative renewable energy sources is of utmost importance to meet the energy challenge. The traditional energy sources such as oil, g as, coal and nuclear power are not renewable and produce a lot of waste products and harm the environment. The smoke and chemicals produced by these sources pollutes the air and affects global warming. On the other hand alternative renewable energy doesnt impact the environment and for these reasons the need for these sources is at its peak. Alternative energy sources are environmental friendly and technologically advanced and at the same time renewable energy will strengthen the core businesses of oil and gas companies. It is believed by all that alternative renewable energy will replace the traditional energy in years to come. 1.4.2 Growth in the Renewable Energy Market: With time the world is seeing the growth in alternative renewable industry and greater investment is coming in this industry from public and private sector e.g. the investment in renewable energy capacity rose from $30 billion in 2004 to $38 billion in 2005 (Alternative energy: A global survey, 2007 pg 4). According to survey on alternative energy conducted by Goldman Sachs in 2007 the increase in investment can be attributed to following factors: The supply of traditional energy resources is uncertain and at the same time the energy cost is high which increases the cost of production. On the other hand the cost of renewable energy is low and the supply is unlimited. Alternative energy reduces cost and thus increases competitiveness and at the same time it allows small players to match the threat from big players. Traditional energy doesnt bring economies of scale not energy efficiency. Various governments through laws are promoting the use of alternative renewable energy e.g high tax on coal and at the same time grants for companies expanding in the alternative energy sector. People these days are more aware of impacts of traditional energy on the environment and thus for better future the support the alternative energy sources. Moreover the global survey conducted by Goldman sachs in 2007 also identified certain macro factors are also increasing the importance of alternative renewable energy and among them include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continued global economic growth: The world is seeing the emergence of new economic powers in the form of Brazil, China, India and Russia and in order for these countries to continue grow economically new alternative energy is required. . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continued population growth: The worlds population is growing and moreover people from rural areas are shifting to urban areas. In order to meet the energy challenge of this growing population new cost effective alternative energy sources are required. .à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Climate change: the traditional energy is a great threat to the climate particularly in the form of GHG emissions associated with fossil fuel and thus in order to protect the climate environmental friendly renewable energy is required. 1.4.3 Various forms of alternative energy: Alternative renewable energy is a form of energy that is renewed by the natural processes of Earth and is environmental friendly such as sunlight from the sun or wind from the air. In this section I will consider various forms of alternative renewable energy sources available which were presented by Hasan in his report Introduction to alternative energy on page 2, 3 and 4. Solar energy: Solar energy comes from the light of sun and it can be harnessed through the use of solar power cells. Sunlight is free, easy to harness and accessible to everyone. It is difficult to harness solar power on a larger level and thus solar power has more usage in home electricity production. The only cost involved in creating solar energy is the cost of solar panels. Apart from the low cost of solar energy, the power is environmental friendly and no waste byproduct is produced through the creation of this power. At the same time solar power promotes a greener future. Sun light from the sun can be used to create solar power at a domestic level and at the state level. Currently many households and companies create solar energy by putting solar panels on the roof of their buildings and thus protect the environment from unfriendly waste material and at the same time benefit from low cost of energy. Wind Energy: Wind power is another form of renewable energy which protects the environments and creates electricity at low cost. Wind power is harnessed though the use of wind turbines which are turned by the wind to produce electricity. Wind is vulnerable to weather conditions but in costal offshore and high altitude areas there is a steady supply of wind. Wind power can be used to produce electricity at a large level by using multiple turbines and at the same time at a household level. Critics of wind power claim that the generation of wind power through use of turbines result in ugly noise and kill birds however the benefits in the form of low cost and friendly environment outweigh the disadvantages. Geothermal energy: Geothermal energy is another cost effective renewable energy which draws energy from the planets core through thermal power stations. The heat from planet boils a liquid which evaporates to turn turbines, producing the electricity. The cost is low because the heat is free and only cost incurred is of a thermal station. Geothermal is an environmental friendly energy that doesnt pollute or produce waste material and it can be used for heating and cooling purpose. Hydroelectric energy: Hydroelectric power is created through water and it comes from dams which harness the power of rivers. The water passes through turbines at base of dam and thus electricity is generated. Hydroelectric energy is created on macro level by the state of or companies and not at a household level. Hydroelectric energy produces no pollution at all and promotes a greener world. Tidal Power: Tidal power is another form of renewable energy that can provide clean and free energy in the future. It is created when water from the ocean flows through the tidal stations and thus turbines create the energy. Biomass technology: Any form of renewable energy that can be created from biological matter is biomass technology. Biomass can be in the form of biofuel and biogas. Through biomass technology any material e.g. dead vegetable, crops, meat and plants can be converted to create biofuel and biogas. The transformation of these materials into electricity will save the cost and the material which if unused will be a waste product and spread pollution. Biofuel will be in liquid form while biogas will be in the form of natural gas. This technology is very cost effective and can be used to create electricity or satisfy any needs from oil or gas. . 1.4.4 Advantages of alternative renewable energy: According to the article Seven most beneficial alternative energy advantages Alternative energy offers various benefits to the environment and society and these benefits have been explained below: 1. Municipal Solid Waste Elimination The harmful fossil fuels will run out in the near future and thus to meet the energy demand the solid waste material can be used to create energy. The municipal waste or household garbage will be used to generate energy and it will be very cost effective and environmental friendly. 2. These Energy Sources Are Renewable Through alternative energy there will be unlimited supply of energy as the sources are renewable. So whether its the solar power, wind power, biofuel or hydroelectricity it wont get wasted and unlimited supply will be available for households and industries and thus there will never be an energy crisis. The oil, gas and coal resources will be finished one day however renewable energy will remain forever. 3. Local Production and Benefits The traditional energy in the form of oil and gas are produced by big players such as BP, Shell and Exxon Mobile. These companies operate in various countries and use the local resources to supply oil and gas. Moreover these resources are sold to the local population at high prices and profits are returned to the shareholders. Thus there is nothing for the local economy and the local population. On the other hand alternative renewable energy can be produced by local investors in the form of large and small businesses. The local businesses, society and government will benefit from local production of renewable energy and benefits will be in the form of low energy cost, steady taxes, generation of jobs and returns to local investors. The renewable energy will be produced locally and the involvement of foreign companies will be minimal. 4. More Environmentally Friendly Oil and gas result in creation of smoke and pollutants which impact the environment e.g. greenhouse gas emissions which harm the environment and contribute to global warming. Thus these energy sources are increasing the temperature of planet and making it a more dangerous place to live. On the other hand renewable energy does not have carbon emissions nor do they cause damage to environment. The environmental friendly renewable energy will make this earth a better place to live. 5. Better National Security: The reserves of oil and gas are under control of some countries while they are explored and distributed by only a couple of companies this means that rest of the world are dependent and on mercy of some hands. A catastrophe, unstable government or war will heavily impact the supply of oil and national security will be at threat. However on the other hand renewable energy will secure the countries more and will enhance the national security because of domestic production. 6. More Price Stability As seen in the recent past the fluctuations in the prices of crude oil resulted in financial crises and it also affected the economies of many countries and left some companies on the verge of bankruptcy. The high price of traditional energy also keeps the cost of production high. On the other hand renewable energy is very cheap which will keep the cost low and there will be no fluctuations in prices that will result in catastrophe. 1.4.5 Benefits to upcoming companies: Oil and gas sector is dominated by a bunch of large companies and thus it becomes difficult for upcoming startups to compete with them. The high barriers to entry, limited resources and control over the production reserves by these large oil and gas companies makes it difficult for upcoming companies to enter the traditional energy industry. However on the other hand through favorable government policies towards renewable energy, unlimited supply and local production startups from emerging and developing economies can compete on the basis of cost with these large companies. The alternative renewable energy brings along various benefits for these upcoming companies which were identified by Goldman Sachs in 2007 during the survey Alternative energy: A global survey and they are explained below: Feed-In Tariffs In order to promote the alternative renewable energy sector the government purchases power from these upcoming companies at a fixed rate this is set above the market price. The fixed price creates stability and reduces financing barriers for these startups. Feed in tariffs result in stable long term payments for these companies and also gives the incentive to the producer to use the most efficient source of energy. Through long term stable cash inflows from the government the upcoming companies can compete with large firms and at the same time their liquidity needs will addressed and profits will be generated. The subsidy which the government provides to these startups in the form of feed in tariffs help them to grow and match the threat from competition. Tax Credits: In certain countries government offers two kinds of tax credits to companies that produce electricity through renewable energy. Production tax credit is based on amount of energy produced from renewable sources while investment tax credit is based on amount of investment in renewable energy projects. The tax credit can be in the form of income tax, sales tax or property tax. For upcoming companies the tax credits bring along a great opportunity to invest in renewable energy. The tax credits in any form will increase their liquidity position and allow them to expand more through money saved. The tax credits along with feed in tariffs will result in cost savings and organic growth for startups. Minimum GHG emissions: Regulators in certain countries set standards for minimum GHG emissions and encourage companies to reduce GHG emissions. Those companies that exceed the minimum level are penalized while others that are below the minimum level are given incentives. Thus for upcoming renewable companies this kind of laws gives them a great opportunity to get incentives under such programs as renewable will result in minimum GHG emissions and companies will benefit from incentives. Similarly certain governments have imposed carbon tax and this kind of tax is discouraging for traditional energy companies and thus gives a great opportunity to upcoming companies to pursue a carbon free strategy. . Loans, Grants and Subsidies: In order to promote the alternative renewable energy many governments and authorities like World Bank or United nations offer grants and subsidies for upcoming companies. The grants and subsidies can be in the form of provision of land and technology, expertise or even low interest rate loan. Thus new upcoming firms can take this opportunity to address their capital requirements and though such grants and loans can step in the alternative renewable energy sector. These grants also offer great opportunities to companies in under developed countries in Asia and Africa to produce power from alternative renewable energy. Other benefits: There are various other benefits to startups investing in alternative renewable energy sector according to article Dollars from sense: The economic benefits from renewable energy and these can be later passed onto the society e.g. an investment in renewable energy project by the local investor will strengthen the local economy, help government in the form of taxes and at the same time create jobs for the local community. Secondly because of low cost of production and unlimited supply the prices will remain stable and thus this will ensure steady profits and cash flows to the company. On the contrary a sharp decline in oil prices result in losses to these big oil companies. Thirdly people now prefer energy from alternative sources because of less impact on environment so money invested in renewable energy will generate more returns than money invested in traditional energy. The increasing demand of alternative energy will result in high returns and high profits for shareholders. Theoretical framework To make the study more effective journal of corporate governance, journals of management in science and journals of industrial management were analyzed. The articles from internet were also analyzed and the theoretical framework is based on these journals and articles. In order to determine the benefits from alternative renewable energy to the environment, society and upcoming startups I will also consider the reports of various government agencies that support these programs. Many governments in developed countries offer subsidies and grants to upcoming companies planning to expand in the alternative renewable energy and moreover financial and technical assistance is also offered from international institutions like World Bank. The policy framework and benefits offered by these institutions will be analyzed in the literature review section of this dissertation. Methodological framework In order to make the dissertation fact based and reliable a lot of data was required. The research method I used to gather data was from secondary resources. Secondary resources were used first in order to understand the subject matter and validate the aims and objectives set earlier. The secondary resources that I used were journal articles, internet articles and reports from various government agencies. A lot of research has been done on alternative renewable energy in terms of benefits offered to the economy, environment, society and companies. This research from secondary data sources will be used and analyzed with literature reviews in the dissertation. The secondary research is cheap and easy to find moreover the information gathered is from reliable sources. The data was collected from librarys database and this research will be used to validate the research objectives. Quantitative and qualitative information is available on renewable energy sector and this information will b e presented during the course of dissertation. Outline of the following chapters I have divided the dissertation in five chapters. Literature reviews will be discussed in the second chapter and published information from reliable sources such as books and journals will be analyzed. In the 3rd chapter I will explain the research methods, the process used to collect data and their limitations. . In chapter 4 I will critically analyze the information gathered earlier through literature reviews and recommendations and data analysis will be presented. The last chapter will provide the synopsis of the study, limitations and the need for future study. Summary of the chapter In the initial part of the chapter the aims and objectives of the study were mentioned which are based on the need of alternative renewable energy, the benefits to the society, environment and companies and limitations of this sector. While in the later part of the chapter the overview of various alternative renewable energy methods were presented along with the benefits to the environment and upcoming companies. Last but not the least the theoretical framework and the methodology was presented.

Mutual Respect Between Students and Teachers Essay -- Education Relati

Mutual Respect Between Students and Teachers The relationship between students and teachers should be one of mutual respect. Students should listen to the teacher and try their best in the class. Teachers, on the other hand need to do their best to give their students a quality education and respect them as individuals. There should be a set curriculum, but teachers need to be creative in how they teach what is required. California is considered one of the lowest in terms of education standards. In order for this to change, teachers and students both need to start working towards a solution. Students need to have more respect for their teachers and take more responsibility for their education. I have noticed a difference in the attitudes of people in high school now and when I went to school. Some high school teachers tell me that their students come to school high on marijuana, or drunk. From my own experience with young people at my workplace, I noticed when they go out, they often talk about different drugs they will take to heighten their enjoyment, and have heard some comment they don't want to go somewhere like Disneyland, or Magic Mountain sober. When I attended high school, people would drink and do drugs at parties, but only the "stoners" would do anything at school, or at most other functions. Some of the students I talked to at work said they feel school is boring and they don't learn anything from their teachers. Most of the homework their teachers give them is busy work. Some pointed out they learned more in elementary school and junior high, but haven't learned much in high school. Another point that was made was the lack of useful electives. Art, Auto shop, and Music are offered, but there are no busin... ...ross boundaries in a classroom they may see as intimidating, and a revision of how we see educational excellence. (117) Education will only improve if teachers and students learn to respect each other's positions. A place to start is by finding a common ground, an understanding. The curriculum, canon, or list of "Great Books" is a good common starting place. By keeping this canon in our schools, we will keep a common link between generations. The next step is the teachers' presentation of their lessons. The students need to be able to relate to the lessons. The final step is the students. They must take responsibility for their education and try to learn what is being presented to them. Works Cited Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 105-119.

RoseWood Hotels & Resorts

RoseWood Hotels & Resorts: Branding to increase customer profitability and lifetime value. Rosewood Hotels& Resorts(Rosewood) , a private hotel management company started in 1979, that built a global reputation with iconic luxury hotels such as The Mansion and The Carlyle, became well known for its ability to enhance a property’s value by creating unique, one-of-a-kind properties with a small ultra-luxury residential style. But amidst this, the brand ROSEWOOD became muted, unmentioned. The issue here is to establish Rosewood as a true brand. A branding decision is to be made to establish the company’s future. Rosewood with or without a corporate brand needs to be evaluated in order to arrive at a decision. The first thing is-whether or not a corporate branding. * Establishing a corporate brand would mean to fall into the same league where other corporate brands were in. Rosewood without a corporate branding was at par with the branded ones. Its occupancy rate across years has been almost the same for- be it The Marriott or The Four Seasons Hotels, inspite of relatively higher prices at RoseWood. Moreover, it would mean to keep the brand promise across the properties – by ensuring perfect product/service performance across the portfolio, internal soft branding initiatives and significant marketing investment. But keeping in mind the uniqueness of each Rosewood hotel and their â€Å"SENSE OF PLACE† philosophy, consistent brand-wide performance standards seems a bit unrealistic. Each place has something new and unique to offer its guests. Standardizing it was not the Rosewood way of work. They understood the customer needs according to their functioning place and believed in offering the same. This was their Unique Selling Point and diverting from this would mean a high impact on the customer expectation. A corporate branding is not the only solution to increasing the customer profitability and lifetime value. Surely Rosewood needs cross-property increase. Seeing RoseWood’s statistics, upto 40% customers come back to the same hotel of Rosewood’s But only 5% are involved in cross property usage. In the individual brand range, they typically had 5-10% cross property usage rate and this number went upto 10-15% In case of corporate-branded hotels. But RoseWood was struggling at a mere rate of 5%- the lowermost rate even in the individual brand range. So they need to boost up this number to at least gain the higher edge in their own category of individual brands. I would suggest these short term course of action so as to achieve higher customer profitability and lifetime value. 1. People definitely like being at RoseWood- keeping in mind their occupancy rate (average of 60% for last 3 years) and 40% customers coming back again to the same hotel. Customers are happy to be at RoseWood properties. But little can they relate with other RoseWood hotels. The RoseWood hotel they go to provides them with a comfortable stay. When their guests go to a new place that also has a RoseWood property, they should know what to expect and those who liked it first will definitely want to have the same comfortable stay again. For e. g. A Mc-Donalds store worldwide is known for the food they provide. When going in a Mc-D they know what to expect and what level of food they will get. But even a Mc-D store in Gujarat has customized itself according to the place they are at and provides only vegetarian there. RoseWood’s main strength is their uniqueness. But they need to build an inter relation among their hotels so that they maintain almost same level of service and comfort. People should go in to experience something new but with the faith of same level of service. 2. When a customer checks-out from a RoseWood property, they can be asked to fill a small interactive feedback form and a satisfied customer should be handed with a handout of other RoseWood hotels with a promise that they can have the same satisfaction of stay there as well. . RoseWood can implement that when a guest leaves, he is made aware of other RoseWood hotels with a provision that whenever they are to go to a place having another of RoseWood’s hotels, they can just contact the manager of their regular RoseWood hotel staff/manager and all arrangements for their stay at that place can be made beforehand as per the guests convenience. Also, by this the customers would not go to a new place and make choices whether or not to turn up to RoseWood hotel at that place. They could implement the branding in a bit subtle way like The Mansion-from the house of RoseWood or The Mansion (RoseWood properties) so that people can be aware of and relate to them. 5. They need to collaborate more with the travel agents. They do promote the hotel but not the brand. Educating the customers about RoseWood as well along with the hotel would help the customers to relate and entrust in them. 6. Even the guests who have stayed in RoseWood hotels do not know of RoseWood as a brand. They need to bring the guests’ focus on RoseWood as well during their stay. Logo and promotion should be moved towards higher profile amenities as well. Their conversations on telephone to the dress of the staff should justify that they are a part of the RoseWood. As far as the long term initiative is concerned, being a status symbol never hurts. In Fact it is the need of the hour to be a leader in the competition. So, they might as well like to go for corporate branding if willing to compromise on their â€Å"Sense Of Place† philosophy to some extent.

The eNotes Blog Arthur Conan Doyle Cant Be Bothered with YourQuestions

Arthur Conan Doyle Cant Be Bothered with YourQuestions Ever heard of the Proust Questionnaire? Its a list of questions about ones personality, named not because Marcel Proust, the French writer, wrote the questionnaire, but because he took it. (You can see a full list of the questions and Prousts response at this Wikipedia page.) The idea is that the person sitting down to answer the questions does so in the spirit of playfulness and generosity of personality. Think the ending of Inside the Actors Studio, or two schoolkids huddled over a magazine questionnaire. Not so with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the late author of the Sherlock Holmes series and, apparently, very taciturn old grump. In his day, the questionnaire was a bit of fun, a parlor game. Seemingly, though, not one Doyle was keen to be roped into. At every turn, Doyle seems to be scoffing at the pretense of it all. Asked what he likes most in a man, its Manliness. And his favorite qualities in a woman? Womanliness. (Funnily enough, those are the exact opposite responses Proust provided in his own questionnaire.) He is Quite impartial to your query on his favorite color, thank you very much. But best of all is the totally tongue in cheek response to the question, If not yourself, who would you be? Doyle scribbles something, we dont know what, completely illegibly, only to top it off with the taunting side note, (Hope this is clear). All in all its an amusingly annoying response, and an insight into Arthur Conan Doyle, the man. Probably the only kind of answer to be expected of the man who joined an Arctic whaling expedition at the age of twenty, the journal of which can be seen here. A Kipling-loving, manliness-embodying Hemingway figure before Hemingway ever existed. What do you think of Doyles answers? Know of any other authors responses to the Proust Questionnaire? Tell us in a comment!

Principle of observation

Principle of observation The principle of observation can be defined as the art of passing knowledge or ideas by viewing the actions of a model from which one imitates (Bandura, 1962). This method of learning is also referred to as the social learning theory. Observational learning is very effective to all humans regardless of their age. Children for instance, are socialized into their personality through imitating their parents’ or other siblings’ actions. They learn the basics in life to the very complex of actions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Principle of observation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In work places on the other hand, the same technique is often utilized during trainings. For instance, new members of staff learn a lot more through observation than is the case with learning through reading or other learning methods. A recruit could be assigned a workmate who has more experience in that particular field, and is expected to acquire skills. The first proponent of this principle of observation learning was Albert Bandura, who was a Canadian by nationality. Bandura (1977) has it that Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. (p22). Observation learning engages four main ideas for it to be most effective. These ideas include; attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. A learner ought to engage all of his/her undivided attention to the process of observation. This ensures every detail of the actions is well captured for imitation to be successful. Once the action is done, the learner should retain a clear mental image of the details in the ac t. This mental image should aid the learner to reproduce the action along with all its complexity. All in all, it would be difficult for a learner to appreciate a certain action which he/she has no interest in. Therefore, there should be some source of motivation to build up his/her interest level. For example, a promotion would work well at the work place (1962). The following is a description of the structure to put in place for employees to appreciate putting away or leaving work materials/ equipment in the best condition for another person to use. First and fore most, call an early morning meeting to bring to the employees’ attention the tendency to leave equipments in bad states has been noted. Show them evidences of what you are talking about, for example dirty tools, broken down equipments etc. Let them know the problem associated with the condition of the equipments, like wastage of time in trying to clear previous day’s messes. Secondly, provide solutions to t he problem. This can be done by providing ideas on the easiest and most effective ways of cleaning the equipment in the case of dirty tools. Incase of equipments, show easy ways of maintenance or way to prevent damage while using the equipment. Ensure that you demonstrate each detail by action to show them that what they might have perceived as impossible is actually possible. Also, ensure that they do it themselves so as to retain the concept in their minds.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Appoint some of the employees to ensure that this becomes a daily routine along with normal practices of the organization. This ensures that this becomes the responsibility of each worker to see to it that he/she returns equipment in a better condition than he/she found it. Moreover, ensure that once in a while equipments are inspected by those in authority. This should see to it that emp loyees avoid misusing equipment as there are charges incase of a damage associated to maliciousness. Last but not least, it is important to motivate the workers towards good equipment maintenance practices. Motivation could come through promoting those that adhere to the new rules of engagement, or just by complementing the workers efforts. Alternatively, workers could be charged for any losses to the organization as a result of misuse or mismanagement of equipment. Observation learning has quite a number of strengths, especially due to the fact that it is responsible for socializing children to have a personality. This method covers quite a number of explanations which would otherwise take a lot of effort to put across by text. The method uses more than one mode of learning. It addresses the issue at hand from a wide range of perceptions since it involves all the five senses. Thus, it is easier for a learner to capture an idea hence less effort for the teacher (Akers, 1977). Furthe r, observation learning is effective because making the learner motivated simply comes by complementing his/ her efforts to imitate the master model. Sooner rather than later, the learner develops a high degree of expertise that he/she no longer requires to observe his/her master. He/she becomes a force to recon. Besides text, other resources on observational learning include images on power point presentations. This could be used to explain details besides what is written. Also, the teacher could use models, which could be experts in particular fields. Their time and effort are resources. Reference List Akers, R. (1977). Deviant Behavior: A Social Learning Approach. Belmont Mass, Wadsworth: NY. Bandura, A. (1962). Social Learning through Imitation. University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln, NE.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Principle of observation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Free to choose Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Free to choose - Assignment Example It is natural that different people may form diverse opinions of a person and therefore, the necessity to consider their opinion as a part of identity rises. As the most significant and well-known part of King’s legacy we will consider the famous speech â€Å"I have a dream† to examine people’s attitude towards racial identity. Identity of an individual is formed under the influence of numerous factors – social, political and cultural – that predetermine the way he/she will present him/herself to the society and his/her perceptions of various aspects of life. Moreover, in conditions of the modern culture, people tend to form their identities following the trends or adopting the legacy of certain prominent figures. Pop icons and mass media shape people’s views and behaviors and thus offer a wide range of opportunities for identity expression. Particularly, racial identity is the phenomenon that typically develops in close connection to such concepts as equality and segregation. This aspect of identity implies the way one feels about his or her race and, of course, the way society feels about it. On the other hand, one’s attitude towards certain race-related issue or figure might be subjected to this/her position in the historical and social contexts. Here, the issue of racial ide ntity for ethnic minorities like African Americans attracts much attention in this respect, as it used to be the issue of controversy and oppression for many years before African Americans succeeded in the struggle for their rights. Currently, the figure discussed is Martin Luther King, who made an immense contribution to formation of many people’s racial identity and proclamation of total racial equality. The personality of Martin Luther King is of extraordinary significance in the long struggle against racial discrimination and violation of human rights, which took so many years from the racial minorities.

Career Development in HRD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Career Development in HRD - Research Paper Example Below is my career development plan since my present position to three years to come. It will consist of my career coach or career counsellor as a guide. Finally, it will show how I would be successful in my first job. I am a second semester at Indiana state university and I major on business in human resource development. In this, I am aiming at achieving a nonprofits leadership certification and a minor in business administration. Naturally, I am interested at peoples’ elements in business functions, change interventions, thrives and their improvements through their daily works and thus I made a decision to pursue the human resource development. I feel like taking some training and development in my career path though I am not sure of the source for the training. I enjoy doing charity work and thus am becoming a CNP. In this case, I enjoy my work daily because it is helpful to some people and through it I tend to change ones life for the better. In addition, my work seems to help peoples journey. Due to my interests in that, I plan to continue to volunteer in nonprofits though I am not sure of pursuing a career in such organization after my graduation (Rothwell, Wang, & Payne, 2005). In my career development, I have been attending some HR internship. I have attended the ISU career centre. The human resource development at this ISU career centre requires me to complete the internship before my graduation. In that career centre I met many wonderfully staffed career counsellors who provided me with the help that will make me attain their ability. One of my counsellors in this department was mike Williamson. Through my counsellor and mentor, mike William; I have achieved some skills on how to work hard to completing a well developed resume. He has also helped me set up some practice interviews that aim at gaining better communication skills and have many ways of answering possible interview questions

The role of humans in the global warming Term Paper

The role of humans in the global warming - Term Paper Example A war that is now fought with scientific data as the baseline, the rifts between the two opposing sides continues to widen with rising global temperatures, evidently, becoming grossly enjoined in the controversy. From the observed instrumental temperature records, the rising sea levels, to the disappearing glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere relative to the increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, the indication that the present environmental state of affairs is massively man-made is beyond any reasonable doubt (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate (b) Change chapter 2). Indeed, from a sketchy â€Å"greenhouse† effect warning as a result of heat-trapping emissions due to global, heavy reliance on fossil fuels over the last two decades to the recent conviction of an increasing impact on the Earth's climate, coupled with deforestation, but to a lesser extent, the absolute certainty of man’s contribution to global warming has become even clearer. While scie ntific experts have fallen short of determining the precise amounts of warming attributable to human activities, recent measurements of the temperature increases of the world’s oceans relative to the expected amounts of warming from greenhouse gases, strengthen the IPPC consensus (Hansen 1433). Without a doubt, the observed dramatic increases in the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere since the advent of modern civilization, buoyed in part by industrial revolution, have been higher than at any other time in history (IPCC (a) chapter 12). As alluded above, the principal greenhouse gases [carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and the halocarbons (such as fluorine, chlorine and bromine)], each of which absorbs outgoing infrared radiation in the atmosphere, ultimately warming the planet, are all attributable to human activities. Increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere have not only resulted from the use of fossil fuel s in transportation, cooling and the manufacture of cement and other goods, but have also emanated from decaying plants occasioned by deforestation (IPCC (b) 19-20). The alterations of natural land cover around the world, principally for crop production since the industrial era, have all negatively impacted global climate. Available evidence indicates that industrial activities over the past 150 years increased the level of Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere from 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million (IPPC (b) 54). Agriculture related activities and man’s increasing need of landfills have contributed more than stuffed Methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. The use of fertilizers has also done a fair share in the emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O). Industrial use of halocarbons on the other hand has had irrefutable effects in stratospheric ozone depletion. A number of aerosols, now massively preset in the atmosphere, are the result of biomass burning and surface mining among other industrial processes (IPCC (b) chapter 8). The above human activities, in addition to many more similar activities, have all contributed to significant radioactive forcing in one way or another, consequently altering the earth’s surface temperatures over time. Accordingly, the 2013 revised, integrated scientific review of climate change by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (7) has

Significance of the study Essay Example for Free

Significance of the study Essay Using a help desk management software leads to the increase in efficiency in operation as it allows for the solution of some of the redundant issues over call. This has the effect of reducing traveling costs and man-hour billing to field engineers as they go to customer sites. Research Question The purpose of this research is to determine whether purchasing COTS or building a service desk tracking application is best for the automation and tracking of the GovComm, Inc. Engineering Support Services’ Helpdesk. To answer this question, this research must explore: ? The entities of GovComm, Inc. Engineering Support Services’ Helpdesk ? Based on advantages and disadvantages, which qualities of each configuration best adhere to Engineering Support Services automation and asset tracking; ? If these applications fulfill stakeholders requirements Design and Methodology This research is qualitative, drawing mostly from a review of the literature on the subject of Helpdesk/support desk tracking applications and the battle of building versus buying to determine which application structure provides efficient asset tracking, failure notification, and metrics collection. GovComm, Inc.’s Engineering Support Services will be reviewed to discover details that might affect the factors that will contribute to the decision of choosing build or buy. From the review of the internal workings of GovComm, Inc. ’s Engineering Support Services a decision will be made upon comparison with the inherent nature of the two systems of implementation. Chapter 2 Literature Review Automated office systems support (AOSS) is a model made up of teams of technicians in computer who are charged with the responsibility of providing a variety of support activities in a desktop computer environment and area networks for any organization. To ensure the provision of high quality services and products, each of these teams must follow the processes, standard and procedures. A process referred to as quality assurances is used in monitoring and evaluation of the level of adherence to the procedures processes and standard in a bid to determine the potential quality that the product will attain. Therefore, QA involves review and audit of the services and activities as a means of verification of their compliance with the relevant procedures and standards so as to assure the appropriate results are seen. The question of whether to buy or build an AOSS is one of the very complex decisions that an organization has to deal with in its daily activities. It is in deed a perpetual dilemma for the organizations that are contemplating on automating their office activities. Buying implies purchasing an off-shelf Automated office systems support that are produced in mass by some software company, more often multinationals (Leopoldo, 1999). The products typically contain contents that are not unique to a particular organizations or user population needs. Moreover, it is the general trend in the software industry to create new softwares that do no conflict with the existing and thus the technology can be implemented without conflict with the existing systems. Build imply the creation of Automated office systems support from scratch (Leopoldo, 1999). Therefore, the process of building requires the determination of the organizational needs, the data and information nature and needs of the organization, design of the system an the actual implementation of the system. The process of building may and often include testing the end product to ensure that its functionality are as per the objectives that acted as the basis for its formulation (Leopoldo, 1999). A decision to buy or build a Automated office systems support may seem to be complex but in reality it can be reduced to three considerations: Resources, Needs and uniqueness. The organization must clearly determine its needs and wants before a decision is made, this may involve identification of features which are critical in meeting the organizations needs. In determination of the organizational needs they must consider the following:? Organizational objectives ? Skills ? Information needs ? Culture ? Corporate direction. Meeting all the needs is an impossible event and therefore setting priorities is inevitable. Resources Resource as a factor is one that many organizations and individual would quickly jump at an opportunity to ignore. However, examination of resources is a very important aspect to the development agenda. Moreover, many organizations make the mistake of viewing resource in the monetary dimension only. Although money as a resource is quite critical, two other pieces; time and personnel, need to be considered to complete the puzzle (Shrapre, 1999). Time When taken in the context of either building or buying a Automated office systems support, time takes the following into account: ? The time that will taken in decision making. ? The developmental time of the Automated office systems support including the time taken in testing. ? The time taken in rolling out the Automated office systems support or implement it within the organization. Analysis of organizations against the three time variables helps in the determination of the importance of time in deciding whether to buy or build.

Why I liked the Movie In And Out :: essays papers

Why I liked the Movie "In And Out" The idea of a man coming to terms with his sexuality is always one that is relevant in our American culture. Its sad to know that in this day in age of advanced technology on society will always be hung up of the life style and preference of other individuals. "In And Out" as a movie did a good job at addressing this issue and making it light hearted enough for people to see, and possibly under stand. I’m sure that we all known some one in some way that we’ve thought to be homosexual: or at least we’ve considered them to be "Feminine" for a guy or to "Masculine" for a girl. With this we have our "doubts." With this movie taking place in a "Typical" suburban city it gives every one a chance to relate with the characters, from the high schools students all the way to the elderly grand parents. This allows the main character to touch the lives of every one. It also shows a little of why he cannot admit to himself his sexuality. He lives his entire life trying to live up to expectations of his community. However he doses know that within his true self needs to escape and some time dose, with his fascination for Barbara Strisand and other typical homosexual interest. However he miserably fails the "man" requirements but dose make the scene very funny. Howard, the movies main character is engaged to a beautiful woman, who becomes confused about her fiancà ©e when the first accusation of Howard’s homosexuality comes out. Howard is a school teacher but when the roomer starts his students don’t know how to react, they don’t know if its "True" or not However a few of them are mature enough to still accept and appreciate the help he has given them through the years. From helping them with schoolwork to helping them get to college, his good natured heart never lets them down. Howard’s mother is typical of most mothers in the way she’s so adamant about, how she wants to see a big wedding before she dies. This is also another reason Howard attempts to oppress his sexuality. He feels that he must give his parents what they want. This is some thing that I am sure most of us can all relate too.

Islam world Essay

European countries colonized most of the Islam world in eighteenth and the first half of the twentieth century. They were able to manage the finances and economies of these countries which only catered on their own interests and in their own ways. Banks all over the world have their own system in operating their organization. They set policies to attain their specific objectives and goals. One of these is the Islamic banking. Islamic banking as defined in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia refers to a system of banking or banking activity which is consistent with Islamic law (Sharia) principles and guided by Islamic economics. In Islamic law, it forbids usury, the collection and payment of interest which is usually called as riba in Islamic discourse. In general, the Islamic law forbids trading in financial risk which is seen as a form of gambling. It also forbids investing in businesses that are considered haram such as businesses which involve in alcohol or pork, or businesses which produce un-Islamic media. Numerous of Islamic banking was founded in the late 20th century to cater to this specific banking market. History of Islamic Banking During the time of Prophet Muhammad, the Muslim communities have limited banking activity such as acceptance of deposits. In those days, the Muslims deposited their money with the Prophet or with the First Khalif of Islam whose name is Abu Bakr Sedique. The first Islamic bank was founded in Egypt which was put into under cover without giving any hint of Islamic image for having the fear of being seen as a manifestation of Islamic fundamentalism. In 1963, there was a pioneering effort made by Ahmed El Najjar who took the form of savings bank based on profit-sharing in Egyptian town of Mit Ghamr as an experiment. But the experimentation was ended in 1967 because during those days, there were nine banks in the country which had the same system as his. Principles in Islamic Banking Just like other banking systems, Islamic banking follows same purpose except that it operates in accordance with the rules of Shariah which is known as Figh al-Muamalat (Islamic rules on transactions). The sharing of profit and loss and the prohibition of riba’ which means interest is the basic principle in Islamic banking. There are common Islamic concepts which are used by the Islamic banking and these are the Mudharabah ( profit sharing) , Wadiah (safekeeping), Musharakah (joint venture), Murabahah ( cost plus) and Ijarah (leasing). Islamic banking uses many approaches in operating the system, if someone would like to loan the buyer money for him to purchase the selected item he chooses, the bank might be the one to buy that item to the seller and re-sell it to him at a profit by allowing him to pay the bank in installments but before his loan will be approved, the bank would ask him to have his strict collateral for bank’s protection against default. The land or goods which are registered in his name from the start of the transaction are the possible collateral. However, if he has late payment, there will be no additional penalties. This kind of arrangement is known as Murabaha. Ijara wa Iqtina is another approach use by Islamic banking. It is just similar to real estate leasing. All Islamic banks have the same approaches when it comes to vehicle loans. They sell the vehicle at a higher rate than in the market price to the debtor and have his/her ownership of the vehicle until the loan is paid. Islamic banks also used several approaches in business deals. They lend money to the some companies by issuing floating rate interest loans. This floating rate of interest is pegged to the company’s individual rate of return. In other words, the bank’s profit on the loan has equal ratio to a certain percentage of the company’s profit. There will be profit-sharing arrangement if the principal amount of the loan is repaid. This kind of approach is called Musharaka. Another approach is the Mudaraba. It is a venture capital funding which the bank provides financing while a certain entrepreneur provides labor so that both risk and profit are commonly shared. This kind of arrangement reflects the Islamic view that the borrower must not only be the one to bear all the risk or cost of a failure. Islamic banking only finance the Islamic acceptable deals and it doesn’t involve in alcohol, pork, gambling and other form of businesses that are against in their beliefs. The only acceptable form of investment is the ethical investing and moral purchasing is encouraged. Recently, there are numerous Islamic banks opened in the Muslim world but they still have a very small share of the global banking system. Concepts in Islamic debt banking *Wadiah (Safekeeping) The bank is entrusted as a keeper and trustee of funds. An individual deposits fund in the bank and the bank will guarantee and assure refund of the entire amount of the deposit, or any amount of outstanding balance whenever the depositor demands or withdraws it. The depositor may be rewarded with ‘hibah’ also called as gift as a way of showing gratitude for the use of funds by the bank. The bank compensates depositors for the time-value of their money; an example of this is the interest but refers it as a â€Å"gift†. *Mudharabah (Profit Loss sharing) It is an agreement or arrangement between an entrepreneur and a capital provider which the entrepreneur can use funds for his/her business activity. The capital provider and the entrepreneur will share the profits according to an agreed ratio but if ever there are losses, only the capital provider will bear them. The profit-sharing continues until the loan is repaid. The bank will be compensated for the time value of its money through the form of floating interest rate which is pegged to the debtor’s profits. * Musharakah (Joint Venture) This kind of approach is usually applied for joint ventures and business partnerships. They share same profits according to their agreed ratio and divide incurred losses based on the equity participation ratio. This concept is different from fixed-income investing. *Murabahah (Cost Plus) This concept is referring to the sale of goods at a price, which include a profit margin agreed to by both parties. At the time of sale agreement, the purchase and selling price, the profit margin and other costs must be clearly stated. The bank will be compensated for the time value of its money in the form of the profit money. It is a fixed-income loan for the purchase of a real asset such as real estate or a vehicle having a fixed rate of interest. The bank cannot have an additional interest on late payments. The asset remains in the ownership of the bank unless it is fully paid. This kind of concept is also similar to â€Å"rent-to-own† arrangements for furniture or appliances that are very common in North American stores. * Bai’ Bithaman Ajil (Deferred Payment Sale) This concept is almost the same with Murabahah but the debtor in this concept makes only a single installment and will pay on the maturity date of the loan. It also refers to the sale of goods on a deferred payment basis at a price including the profit margin agreed to by both parties. *Wakalah (Agency) The concept happens when an individual appoints a representative to do the transactions on his/her behalf which is just similar to a power of attorney. *Qardhul Hassan (Benevolent Loan) Of all form of loans mentioned, only Qardhul Hassan has an excellent effect to the debtors because in this loan, the debtor is only required to repay the principal amount lent. However, the debtor may pay an extra amount (any amount that is in his heart) beyond the principal amount of the loan as a way of gratitude to the creditor. But this transaction is a true interest-free loan because there are debtors who do not give an extra amount to the creditor. For some Muslims, they consider this loan as the only type of loan that does not go against with the prohibition on riba which is a type of a loan that does not compensate the creditor for the value of money. *Ijarah Thumma Al Bai’ (Hire Purchase) In this concept of loan, there are two contracts involved. Ijarah contract is into leasing/renting and the other contract is called Bai’ contact which means to purchase. These two contracts are undertaken one after the other. An example of this is in a car financing facility. A customer enters in an Ijarah contract where he/she leases the car from the owner which is the bank at an agreed amount over a particular period of time. When his contract in Ijarah expires, the Bai’ contract comes into effect which enables the customer to purchase and own the car at an agreed price. With this, the bank sells the car to the customer at an above market-price profit in return for agreeing to receive the payment over a period of time. The profit margin is equal to the interest earned at fixed rate of return. * Bai’ al-Inah (Sell and Buy back Agreement) In Bai’ al-Inah, the financier sells product to the customer on a long-term payment basis and then the financier immediately repurchased the product for cash with a discount. This agreement permits the bank to assume the ownership over the product or asset in order to protect default without charging interest in late payments or insolvency. *Hibah (Gift) The debtor in this concept voluntarily gives a hibah (gift) as a token given to the creditor in return for a loan. This concept is practice when Islamic banks voluntarily pay their customers interest on their savings account balances. * Takaful (Islamic Insurance) This concept is not new for it had been practiced by the Muhajrin of Mecca and the Ansar of Medina following the hijra of the Prophet over 1400 years ago. Takaful is also an alternative form of cover which a Muslim can avail himself the risk of loss due to misfortunes. Nowadays, in the modern business world, one way to minimize the risk of loss due to unavoidable circumstances is through insurances. The idea behind insurance is the sharing of risk. This concept of insurance does not go against in Shariah concept where resources are accumulated to help those who are in need.