Diversity Management as Beneficial For Employees Essay - 1

Diversity Management as Beneficial For Employees - Essay Example This paper illustrates that organization focuses on various factors of diversification such as product diversity, employees, management practices etc. The intention of the organization for diversification remains to maximize profits and increase productivity. It is examined that the effects of diversity are beneficial for the organization, but not for employees. The major factor of this argument prevails that employees had to work even harder and fruits are solely enjoyed by the organization. The key objective of this research work is to clarify ambiguities about diversity management. Critical evaluation and conclusion of this research are decisive to present the real market review. Organizations tend to diversify in order to expand business operations and activities. The motto behind this move is to generate revenues, build stronger human resource management department, systemize operations and explore new markets. Diversity can be very beneficial if it is done in the right way. Div ersity management ensures that greater productivity through employees can be gained. Engaging people from diverse cultures and giving them the opportunity to work in the organization depicts that organization is an equal opportunity firm and is against racism. The positive image of the organization is spread in the market. Problem-solving in management decisions is some of the fruits of diversity management. Creativity and innovation are practiced which brings new revolutionary ideas for the firm to expand its operations. Moreover, new products are formulated and every employee tries its best to be a useful asset for the firm. Diversity gives the organization an opportunity to compete globally as they are employed with staff from all around the world. Globalization of business is fundamental to an organization.

That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without Essay

That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence (Christopher Hitchens). Do you agree - Essay Example They tried to prove that the correspondence truth is unknowable or unthinkable as it would call for comparison between cognition with its uncognized object which would be impossible (Net Industries, 2012). Moreover, Peire, the American Pragmatist proposed that the only way a concept can be indentified is from its practical effects of its objects. This implies that when this proposal is applied to definition of truth, a belief can only be true so far as it satisfies practicality of its objects. The fact that truth can only be sustained through inquiry implies that for truth to be indentified there has to be evidence to support such truth, which has to be practical and verifiable. However, knowledge can be attributed as evidence: to the extent that such known concept is true, inconsistency with the knowledge of an individual would amount to inconsistencies with some form of truth (Kelly, 2006). This applies to both normative and indicative evidence. Stating that smoke is the evidence o f fire implies that whenever smoke is sighted there must be presence of fire. Therefore, Hirtchens assertion â€Å"that which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence† is true in justifying the truth. Kelly (2006) defines evidence to be the kind of thing which makes a difference in what one has justifications in believing, or what is perceived to be reasonable for one to believe. Therefore, one’s justification in believing is barely a matter which can be traced to one’s evidence (Kelly, 2006). This implies that two individuals with the same types of evidence would be exactly the same according to what they are justified in believing regarding a particular issue. Therefore, the main question is if believing requires evidence, and whether the object believed can be proved beyond any doubt regarding its identity and hence truth. According to Dunwoody (2009), belief is matter of judgment and decision making. Evidence is more related to fact s; evidence leads to justification in believing something as the truth. However, a fact is by itself subjective in nature as one has individual evidence to believe in a particular object, which to them represents the truth. Schmitt (2004) explains that to apprehend a fact by itself is an act of judgment and perception; this is directly related to the belief held by a particular individual. Therefore, facts which would amount to evidence that can sustain inquiry is also a belief as nothing is knowable in the world; everything is mediated by an individual’s senses and it is only a representation of objects in the world. Therefore beliefs are constructions of individual’s evidence and lead to construction of truth through consistency of these beliefs (Schmitt, 2004). Therefore, to establish the truth there are definite evidences required to support such beliefs, implying that evidence is critical in attaining any truth. According to James (1907) the truth of an idea is fa r from the stagnant property inherent within the idea, but truth happens to an idea. In other words, and idea is made true by events through a process which an idea verifies itself. The process of making an idea to be true is composed of a series of evidences, which justifies the truth in such an idea. Therefore, the fact that people seek evidence to believe or to assert the truth of a specific idea is thus correct; truth is verified through a process and by events, which constitutes a series of evide

Theories of Entrepreneurship

Theories of Entrepreneurship Jump to: Sociological Theories of Entrepreneurship Economic Theories of Entrepreneurship Cultural Theories of Entrepreneurship Psychological Theories of Entrepreneurship This essay aims at reviewing the development of the enterprise, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship literature to date. Comments from various authors point to the fact that this area, both as an area of study and an area of research, is relatively new when compared with other fields of business such as economics and business management. There are however a multitude of theories that have been propounded to explain the developments in the area. These theories, their assumptions and pronouncements will be reviewed and critiqued in this essay. The concepts of enterprise, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship will be discussed in the first section. The subsequent section shall review major or leading theories in the area and the third section shall look at the development of the event management industry, the relevance of entrepreneurship within the area of event management and the role entrepreneurship has played in the development of the industry. A supplement to this essay shall look at the skills an entrepreneur should possess from the perspective of different authors. A brief self assessment of my own skills will be made and indications of how I plan to develop these skills in the future will be highlighted. Enterprise Thefreedictionary.com defines an enterprise as an undertaking especially one of some scope and risk (www.thefreedictionary.com). Other online dictionaries on google.com use words and phrases like a bold, a difficult, a dangerous, an important, a business venture, a company, requiring courage, energy, dedication to describe what an enterprise actually is. Veblen (2005) in his book, the theory of business enterprise gives a more subtle description of what an enterprise really is (in the business sense). He notes that the motive of business (an enterprise) is pecuniary gain, the method is essentially purchase and sale †¦ the aim and usually the outcome is the accumulation of wealth (p. 16). This contention about the motive, the method, the aim and the outcome of an enterprise qualifies the former definition. The insight drawn from these phrases is that literally all establishments on the high streets today and all the ways in which people try to earn a living is one form of enterprise or another. It could range from big businesses such as public companies through partnerships to family businesses and sole proprietorships. The event management industry for example is composed of several event management enterprises. These are mainly partnerships and private limited companies formed and managed with the goal of turning a profit. Exam ples include OWL Event Management LTD and Innovative Event Management. These comprise organizations where individuals come together to provide a service to individuals and other businesses in return for a profit. Entrepreneurs Congruent with the definition of an enterprise, one can contend that an entrepreneur is that person who runs, manages or owns an enterprise. This statement however does not fully describe who an entrepreneur really is. Arthur and Sheffrin (2003) regard an entrepreneur as a person who possesses a new venture, a new enterprise or a new idea, assumes responsibility for the risks involved in running such a venture or enterprise or pursuing his idea and enjoys the benefits and outcomes from such activity. The recurrent theme in Arthur and Sheffrins view of an entrepreneur is new which in the literature refers to innovation. As the subsequent discussions will indicate, Innovation is a central theme that runs through the entrepreneurship literature and practice. There are other views on this issues which will be expounded on shortly. The act of being an entrepreneur is referred to as entrepreneurship. Both terms are therefore closely related and there is no marked distinction in the literat ure between them. The discussion on entrepreneurs will therefore be culminated with entrepreneurship for simplicity and clarity. Entrepreneurship Baron and Shane (2008) contend that there is no single agreed definition of entrepreneurship either as an activity or a field of study. They acknowledged that the definition of entrepreneurship introduced by Shane and Venkataraman (2000) is one with high popularity. Shane and Venkataraman (2000) define entrepreneurship as a field of business aimed at understanding how opportunities for innovation in terms of new products, services, markets, production process, raw materials, ways of organizing existing technologies, arise and are discovered (or in fact created) by individuals (entrepreneurs), who develop and exploit these opportunities through different ways to produce a wide range of effects (Baron and Shane, 2008). Baron and Shane, (2008) support this definition by emphasizing that entrepreneurship involves identifying an opportunity that is potentially valuable in the sense that it can be exploited in practical business terms and yield sustainable profits†¦ and actually exploiting or developing this opportunity (p. 5). They extend this definition by emphasizing the need to be able to run the resulting business successfully after the opportunity is developed. Early entrepreneurs in the event management industry recognized the need for a service- event management. The history of humankind is marked with celebrations-man is a social being. People always come together, mainly temporary, to achieve certain goals under a time limit. This raised the need for effectiveness in these meetings which today is ensured by the event management industry. The growth in entrepreneurship Baron and Shane (2008) present startling statistics revealing that over a million new businesses were started in the US over a 10 year period with over 10 million people being registered as self employed. The growth in entrepreneurship has been attributed to three main factors. Baron and Shane (2008) argue that three factors have spurred growth in entrepreneurship through the 20th and 21st centuries. These include the media, fundamental changes in employment contracts and change in basic values (p.9). These conform to theories of social change discussed above. The media has put entrepreneurship in a positive light with many entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, taking up role model positions in the world. In terms of the employment contract, the writers argue that workers are increasingly seeking for independence and freedom. Employers also employ strategies to hire and fire with ease in order to cut costs. This has made entrepreneurship a safety hob for most individuals. Theories on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship Several theories and a continuum of approaches have been developed over the years to describe entrepreneurs and to explain the development of entrepreneurship. Deakins and Freel (2009) surmises major contributions and view points held in the area. Deakins and Feel (2009) contend that an entrepreneur has been considered as an innovator (Schumpeter), an organizer of factors of production and a catalyst for economic change (Say, Casson and Cantillon), a highly creative individual (Shackle). Ucbasaran et al (2001) reviews the development of entrepreneurship literature and contends that various themes or lines of enquiry can be identified in the building of entrepreneurship theory. These include: entrepreneurs personalities, backgrounds and early experiences; entrepreneurs traits; behavioral aspects of entrepreneurs; cognitive processes in decision making; and heuristics (Ucbasaran et al., 2001). Below, I review some of the early contributions in this area under four different umbrellas; sociological theories, economic theories, cultural theories and psychological theories. This classification is pervasive in the literature (Ucbasaran et al., 2001; Deakins and Freel, 2009, Mohanty, 2005). Sociological theories Several theories have been advanced to explain how social factors affect the growth of entrepreneurs. Two established theories have been recurrently discussed in the literature; the theory of religious beliefs and the theory of social change. These theories explain how sociological factors accelerate the growth of entrepreneurs (Mohanty, 2005). Theory of religious beliefs Max Webber was a famous sociologist and political economist of German origin. His writings in the early 20th century have tremendously influenced sociological, religious and political thinking today. His books have been recompiled and republished. In his book the theory of social and economic organizations edited by Parsons (1964) Webber asserts that entrepreneurship is a function of religious beliefs and the impact of religion shapes the entrepreneurial culture (p. 36). He argues that entrepreneurial energies are exogenous i.e. they are come from external factors, and are fuelled by religious aspects (p.37). Webber argues that the rise of capitalism in Northern Europe was due to the protestant theology which inspired many followers to engage in work, open up enterprises, accumulate wealth and make investments. This he calls the spirit of capitalism (Parsons, 1964). One factor spurring the creation of businesses in his theory is the inducement of profit, where people are motivated by the prospects of making a profit from their enterprise (Parsons, 1964). His theory proposed in a nutshell that, the Spirit of Capitalism arising from the protestant ethic therefore combines with the motive of profit resulting in the creation of many businesses. Needless to say, this theory has received heavy criticism over the years from contemporary researchers mostly based on the assumptions on which the theory was built (Karotayev et al., 2006). Karotayev eta l., 2006 for example noted that the promotion of literacy, education and learning by the protestant movement rather than the protestant ethic in itself resulted in the capitalism through the development of enterprises. Another yet related sociological theory of entrepreneurship was advanced by Everett E Hagen in his Theory of social change. He asserts that economic growth resulted from political and social change (Karotayev et al., 2006). His model shows that an entrepreneurs creativity was the main ingredient and driving force behind social transformation (change) and economic growth (Karotayev et al., 2006). Other social theories include theory of entrepreneurial supply advanced by Thomas Cochran and theory of group level pattern propounded by Frank Young (Mohanty, 2005). Economic theories Schumpeters Theory of innovation In his theory Schumpeter describes innovation as the central feature of economic development and an entrepreneur as the driver of change (Sweezy, 1943, Mohanty, 2005). He defines an entrepreneur as someone who perceives the opportunity to innovate by forming new enterprises (Sweezy, 1943, Mohanty, 2005). He views innovation as a form of creative destruction which is process of industrial mutation that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one (Sweezy, 1943, p. 95). The concept of creative destruction has been widely used in practice to refer to a situation where something new and more advanced replaces and destroys its predecessors. For example, Oil replacing Coal. The concept of innovation has been maintained as the core of entrepreneurship today. Innovation has been extended and expanded to include several aspects such as the introduction of new goods, the improvement of the quality of existing goods, the introduction of a new (cheaper, faster, more efficient) method of production, the discovery or opening of a new market, the discovery of a new source of raw material supply and/or the formation of a new organization (Burns, 2007, 2008, Gray, 1995, Lowe and Marriott, 2006). Schumpeterian theory of entrepreneurship furthered that big companies were mainly behind the drive of entrepreneurship as they had the resources and capital to engage in research and development activities (Sweezy, 1943). Schumpeter later complemented this position by contending that small companies were also drivers on entrepreneurship because their size allowed for flexibility and agility (Sweezy, 1943). The relationship between size, innovation and entrepreneurship has not seemingly been further established in the empirical literature. His position became controversial when he argued that both big and small companies are in the best position to innovate. This implies that size does not moderate innovation capacity. Some researchers criticize the stance of Schumpeter based on his assertion that individual business men as well as directors and company managers were all entrepreneurs. This stance undermines the role of risk, taking, creativity, idea generation, and innovativeness as an integral part of entrepreneurship (Baron and Shane, 2008, Shane and Venkataraman, 2000). Again, Schumpeter uses innovation as the foundation of his theory asserting that innovation was the main driver of entrepreneurship. This point is also subject to criticism as it uses innovation as a sole defining quality of an entrepreneur while undermining the role of risk taking, technical skills and organization abilities as key factors for entrepreneurship (Ward, 2005). Proponents of sociological and cultural theories of entrepreneurship will argue that this theory is limited in its view of the subject as it does not explain why entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ability varies greatly across countries. Other economic theories of entrepreneurship include Knights theory of profit and Hayeks theory of market equilibrium (Mohanty, 2005). In the theory of profits, Knight views an entrepreneur as someone who takes risks and is exposed to uncertainty (Mohanty, 2005). FH Von Hayek in his theory of market equilibrium showed that market equilibrium is characterized by the absence of entrepreneurs. Though relevant these subsequent theories have not taken the pride of place in the literature. Cultural theories The basic tenet and argument put forward by cultural theorists is that entrepreneurship is a product of culture (Mohanty, 2005). Cultural theories of entrepreneurship explain the differences in entrepreneurial ability and spirit across different cultures. The major attraction of these theories is that they explain why some countries are underdeveloped while others develop and grow so rapidly. Other theorists mentioned above such as Schumpeter and Hagen have no explanation of this occurrence. Hoselitz theory of entrepreneurship supply Mohanty (2005) noted that Hoselitz theory posits that the supply of entrepreneurship is governed by cultural factors and culturally minority groups are the spark plugs of entrepreneurial and economic development (p. 49). This attempts to explain why certain socio-cultural groups have spurred development and small business growth in many countries; Mohanty (2005) quotes the examples of the Jews and the Greeks in Medieval Europe, the Indians in East Africa and the Chinese in South Africa. These culturally minority groups have been at the forefront of enterprise development, entrepreneurship and economic growth in these areas. Hoselitz was one of the earliest theories to contend that managerial skills as well as leadership abilities in addition to the drive to amass wealth were key to entrepreneurship (Mohanty, 2005). His theory is also in line with Max Webbers concepts of the protestant ethic and how it drives capitalism. This is through the realization that particular socio-cultural groups or classes foster economic growth through entrepreneurship. Hoselitz realizes the role of change as a stimulus for innovation in his Hypothesis of the marginal men (Mohanty, 2005). He posits that marginal men are best suited to make creative adjustments in times of economic change and through these adjustments are able to introduce better ways through genuine innovations in social behavior (Mohanty, 2005). The theory seemingly presents a holistic view of entrepreneurship by considering the influence of factors such as change, innovation, culture, social class, managerial as well as leadership skills, personal traits etc. Other cultural theories of entrepreneurship include Stokes theory of entrepreneurship (Mohanty, 2005). Psychological theories Psychological theories look at how the psychology of the society influences the supply of entrepreneurs (Mohanty, 2005). Although this strand of theories is not popular in the literature, it has received significant contributions from Schumpeter, Krunkel and Carland (Mohanty, 2005). Other theories One of the most esteemed management scholars of the last century was Peter Drucker. Incidentally, Drucker has contributed colossally to the development of the entrepreneurship theory and literature. He has written several papers over the years which have led to the advancement of knowledge in this area. Peter Drucker defined an entrepreneur as one who always searches for change, responds to it and exploits it as an opportunity (Deakins and Freel, 2009). His focus is on the attitude of an entrepreneur and how he views the world around him. Drucker notes that two factors lead to entrepreneurship; resource and innovation. He argues that innovation creates resource†¦ and resource is anything with an economic value (Mohanty, 2005; Deakins and Freel, 2009). The main contribution of Drucker is his view that an entrepreneur must not be the owner or creator but he who manages or executes is also an entrepreneur. His works point out aspects that can be considered as entrepreneurship which include; increasing customer satisfaction from a resource, increasing the perceived value of a resource, creating new value from an old product, converting a material into a resource, combining existing resources into a new and more productive configuration (Deakins and Freel, 2009). Drucker extends the view of entrepreneurship to non profit organization while emphasizing that the practice has a knowledge base, with concepts and theories and is not based on intuitions (Mohanty, 2005). Controversially, Drucker argues that entrepreneurship behavior rather than personality traits spurs and enhances entrepreneurship (Mohanty, 2005). Several writers in the area have argued against this point presenting empirical evidence to show that there is a high correlation between certain types of personality traits and entrepreneurship behavior (Ward, 2005). Druckers contributions still remain significant. Entrepreneurship as a process Baron and Shane, (2008) have extensively reviewed the literature on entrepreneurship building on early theories and propositions and have arrived at what they term the entrepreneurship process. This process involves a series of steps that a successful entrepreneur will take. Their model includes steps such as; Recognition of an opportunity, Deciding to proceed and assembling the essential resources, Launching a new venture, Building success and managing growth, Harvesting the rewards (Baron and Shane, 2008). The writers advocate a more holistic view of entrepreneurship from idea recognition through development. In their view, opportunities for innovation are external and they arise from three sources; Technological changes, political and regulatory change, social and demographic change (Baron and Shane, 2008). In conformance with the view of other writers such as Drucker, the researchers recognize various forms of innovation including; a new product or service, a new way of organizin g, a new market for existing products, a new method of production and a new raw material. This view is widely accepted and can be classed as contemporary as it is widely promoted in current entrepreneurship literature. Enterprise, Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship in the Events management industry (1000 words) Events management generally refers to managing event projects i.e. applying project management techniques to the management of events. Ramsbord et al., (2008) noted that event management involves several project management aspects such as brand analysis and consideration, analysis of event audience, creation of an event concept, planning and coordinating the event delivery. The authors also noted that other aspects such as event appraisal and event profitability are growing in significance as part of the event management concept. An event means several things to different people and variations will develop in terms of size of the event, the event audience, the significance of the event, the frequency of the event, the location of the event and the potential revenues to be generated from the event etc. In the context of event management however the word event takes a multitude of meanings. It includes corporate events such press conferences, other business conferences, corporate meetings (such Annual General Meetings), corporate anniversaries and product launches amongst others. It also includes corporate marketing programs such as opening of business sites and road shows. Events in this sense may also refer to corporate hospitality events such as award ceremonies, fashion shows, movie premieres, music concerts, music launches. It can refer to national events such as National days and sporting meets (Olympics, world cup, champions league games and English premier league games). Bowdin et al., 2006 reviewing se veral concepts of events resolved that an event is an organized occasion such as a meeting, convention, exhibition, special event, gala, dinner etc. which is composed of several yet different functions. They assert that it is temporary in nature, it is unique and it stems from management, program, setting and people (p. 14). Aspects involved in event management as noted by Bowdin et al., 2006 include venue surveys, site design, budget drafting, supply chain and logistics management, cash flow management, project scheduling, materials procurement, health and safety, technical aspects (sound, light, video), security and crowd management. As noted above, post-event appraisal and event profitability are increasing growing as a significant part of the event management discipline. This also constitute major concerns for entrepreneurs. The view of classical theorists such Webber and Schumpeter shows that profitability is that main push behind entrepreneurship. The business of event management is relatively new when compared to other businesses such as retail and transport. Recognition for the need for an event management service it self indicates entrepreneurship. Before too long along, event organizers had to manage the event without the need for any professional and experienced organizer. Today many organizations can outsource event management to professional organizations which have the skills, experience and resources to run such events. This has tremendously improved the success of events. Within the events industry several innovations have been made over time. Sign-Up Technologies, a small US firm has recently released its eticketing system which allows event promoters to sell tickets and collect customer information online. This eliminates the need for third party retailers who charge high commissions. It also expands the markets by allowing customers to easily access markets. The introduction of sophisticated video and sound technologies and new practices in stage design allows event managers to expand the capacity of events while ensuring that the customer experience and the quality of the event is not hampered. This helps to improve profitability. The use of new sophisticated surveillance and monitoring equipment has improved the cost incurred by event management companies. An Irish Event Management Company, EventSec LtD uses a mobile monitoring system that allows it to reduce manning at events (cutting costs) but improve security through effective and efficient monitoring. EventSec LTD has also found a new market for its product and has now worn a contract to engage in traffic management OWL Event management LTD current has gained fame in the events management industry through its use of contemporary technology in lighting, sound and video to improve the event experience of its customers. The firm also liaises actively with other firms to provide bespoke catering, security, cleaning and more services. This business model innovates by combining different resources in a configuration that serves a need. This comprehensive event management model improves the customer experience. OWL Event Management LTD also realized that exhibition stands where sometimes an important factor drawing potential customers towards exhibitionist. The design of exhibition stands has for a long time been taken for granted by firms. Most firms use stands that provide sitting space, a table and a shade. OWL Event Management has introduced its new range of stands which it provides to its customers. These stands are attention grabbing through their bespoke designs, their contemporary curves and th eir eye catching lighting. The firm argues that these stands keep visitors glued to exhibitionists thus facilitating the message delivery. The demand for these set up has helped the firm improve its profit position. SECTION B A reflection on my current entrepreneurial skills and  traits, and a discussion on how I plan to develop these in the future Entrepreneurial skills The literature and research in the area highlights several skills, traits, personalities and characteristics which should be possessed by successful entrepreneurs. One of the most holistic view of these has been provided by Ward (2005) in An integrated model for entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship. Ward (2005) asserts that entrepreneurs require a personality, technical skills and behavioral skills in order to be successful. The desired or winning personality traits according to his model include; Risk tolerance, Self confidence, Achievement oriented, Proactive, Innovative, vision, flexibility, high energy, uncertainty tolerance, Desire for autonomy, assertiveness, resilience, tenacity, self awareness, creativity, capacity to inspire and emotional stability. These personality traits help in the generation of winning ideas. These must be matched by technical skills and behavioral skills which will enable the entrepreneur to transfer these ideas to viable businesses through the establishment and management of the enterprise. As indicated by the model, the technical skills involved include; marketing, finance, business planning, strategic planning, human resource management, production management, legal issues, logistics management and quality management (Ward, 2005). The behaviora l skills involves include; communications, judgment, negotiation, creativity, decision making, delegation, customer-supplier relationship, motivation, problem solving and team working (Ward, 2005). The model indicates that all three types of skills are necessary for effective entrepreneurship. The model also shows that several external factors combine with these skills to determine the outcome of an entrepreneur. These external factors include, opportunities in the market place which may arise from uncertainty or changes (Ward, 2005). The model shows that the availability of resources in the external environment coupled with the entrepreneurs control over such resources moderates the outcome. Such resources include the other factors of production such as material, land, building (Ward, 2005). Self assessment; A reflection As an individual, I strongly believe that I am creative and innovative. I have always questioned the way things are done and thought of better ways of doing certain things. I adopt a proactive approach by thinking ahead. I am open-minded, flexible and always happy to embrace change. I am not dismayed by uncertainty but find uncertainty but find change and uncertainty as an opportunity to break the status-quo and enjoy new experiences. I will confidently say I fit Wards (2005) personality profile of an entrepreneur. With respect to technical skills, I have expounded my knowledge in several areas of business through my course learning and additional external reading. Despite my broad knowledge in the field of business, I am still unconfident about taking my ideas to the next level because I feel I lack the experience to by successful. I call this inertia. Most of my ideas only remain in my head. I am sometimes impressed with myself when my friends comment on how good my business ideas are. I however lack technical knowledge in legal issues and my knowledge on human resource management and logistics management needs to be improved. As concerns behavioral skills, I think I am a good communicator. This has helped my in my studies in building relationships with friends and creating alliances at work. I am good with team working and have been successfully involved in minor business negotiations. At certain times, I let my emotions get in the way of my negotiations and do end up regretting some of the decisions I make. I am working on being firm in my decision making and negotiations. I lack sufficient experience on certain areas such as delegation, motivation and problem solving. Plans for future development I plan to hone my entrepreneurial abilities by actually engaging in small scale ventures. I am currently setting up a small venture with a friend. The initial stages have involved drawing a business plan and meeting up with potential suppliers and customers. We have carried out market surveys and have taken a look at factors such as logistics, marketing, distribution and financial reporting. This experience has opened up my horizons and given me an insight of what entrepreneurship is all about. I also get very constructive feedback from my business partners. This helps me to amend and improve certain issues. Concurrent with the assertion of Ward (2005), external factors seem to play a huge role to the success of entrepreneurs. Some of the ideas, we have conceived cannot be implemented due to the lack of resources. Certainly, this current venture will not be my last or my best but it will allow me to develop my skills in the area. Aside from this, I also read books and listen to speeches from motivational writers and famous entrepreneurs. This inspires me to pursue my dreams as an entrepreneur.

Environmentally Friendly Cars Essay -- automotive industry, global war

When I was younger, I remember begging my mom at every toy aisle in the department store to buy at least one hot wheel car that I picked out. I had a problem; I had an undying thirst for these tiny cars in those recyclable blue cardboard and plastic packages. I used to pretend that I was a small person, small enough to fit in the cool cars I bought with just a glimmer of hope that maybe I would be able to fit inside and drive away. That never did happen though, but I had an indomitable dream. I had the patience that maybe one day, I would be able to drive my own actual car. I am nineteen now, and my fascination for cars has not changed one bit. I am finally old enough to drive, but it still feels like I am still my younger self; stuck at the store in a hot wheels aisle trying to decide what car I should get. I look at the cars today to notice that even though the essentials of a car never changes, essentially four wheels and some sort of motor to move, something is different about ca rs that are in the present compared to what they were when I was a kid. Today, the growing concern of Global Warming is taking affect into people’s mindset. Automobiles emit more than 333 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. (Ginovieto) In United States, and other countries like Europe there is a fossil fuel shortage that threaten the futures of the automotive industry. Gas prices have been fluctuating an all time high. The consumer market for cars continually grows. Many countries are industrializing at a rapid pace, such as China, and demand for cars and transportation have also increased. These problems all affect one another to add and combine to bigger problems. Pollution, overcrowding on the roads, and rising gas prices, all are prevalent in ... ... industry can focus on environmentally friendly but unreasonably fast super-cars like the hot wheels I always dreamed to be in. Works Cited "Advantages of Turbochargers." Turbo Servis -. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. Williams, Stephan. "Toyota Engineers Flowers to Offset Production Pollution." Wheels Toyota Engineers Flowers to Offset Production Pollution Comments. New York Times, 3 Nov. 2009. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. Sutcliffe, Steve. "Has Audi Spoiled Le Mans?" Autocar. Autocar, 21 June 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. Roos, Dave. "Does Hybrid Car Production Waste Offset Hybrid Benefits?"HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2014. Ginovieto. "Global Warming Causes." : Cars and Global Warming. Global Warming Blogspot, 06 Mar. 2009. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. Zoellter, Juergen. "2014 Volkswagen XL1." Car and Driver. Car and Driver, June 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.

Asn report

Materials and products must be inspected to assure that the quality characteristics conform to requirements. Inspection may occur as the product is being produced, at final Inspection on completed product at the producer, or at receiving Inspection at the consumer. There are three ways that a lot of N quantity may be Inspected: complete Inspection of the lot, no Inspection of the lot, or a partial inspection of the lot. Complete inspection of the lot, referred to as 100% inspection, can be extremely time consuming, and as such expensive. 0% inspection should be reserved for those situations where even a single defect is associated with unacceptable risk, as in medical or aerospace applications. 100% inspection may also be necessary if there is reason to believe that the lot is of particularly low quality, or if no information is available to estimate the lot quality. No inspection of the lot, or 0% inspection, is the ideal inspection level from a financial view, as there is no cost a dded. However, 0% inspection Is risky, as even one bad lot of material can have a significant monetary impact, easily erasing any savings realized from the lack of Inspection.Regardless, certain situations do lend themselves to Inspection. The material may be so Inexpensive, Like a screw or nut, that there Is no Justification for Inspection. Or there may be sufficient statistical and/or historical evidence that the lot will meet the required quality level that inspection is unwarranted. A partial inspection of the lot, called sample inspection, provides an alternative to the extremes of 100% or 0% inspection, and is the most common method of lot inspection. Sample inspection Lana typically use statistically derived tables from a know standard, such as the ubiquitous IEEE military standard.These sampling plans allow for the selection of an Acceptable Quality Level (SQL) with a corresponding sample size (n) based on lot size (N). The inspector then uses the specified acceptance number (c) and rejection number (d or r) to decide if the lot should be accepted or rejected, called sentencing the lot. The lot Is accepted and considered of adequate quality when the number of Identified defects In the sample is less than or equal to the acceptance number; otherwise the lot Is rejected. A refinement to single sampling plans, where a single sample is used for lot sentencing, is a double sampling plan.Instead of a single sample (ml), a second sample size (no) is also defined by the selected plan, as well as a second set of acceptance and rejection numbers (ca and do). If the number of defects identified in the first sample is less than CLC, the lot is accepted; if the defects are greater than ca, the lot is rejected. If the number of defects is greater than CLC, but less than or equal to ca, a second sample is drawn. If the sum of the defects identified in both samples is less than or equal to ca, the lot is accepted, if the sum is greater than ca, the lot Is rejected.Dou ble sampling plans can be psychological appealing, with a perceived â€Å"second chance† for accepting a lot. The reality Is that no such advantage exists, as both single and double sampling plans are designed to provide similar probable's for accepting or rejecting lots of Identical quality. The actual advantage of double sampling plans over single sampling plans Is found In the sampling plan will always have a lower ASSN then a single sampling plan; the inspection took less time and so cost less.

Gay, Defined

Liz Schmidt Kate Brady English 101 October 9, 2012 Formal definition: Gay (adj. ) merry: happy and carefree; brightly ornamental or colorful; homosexual. (n. ) A homosexual. (â€Å"gay†) Synonymous definition: Gay (syn. ) merry, lighthearted, joyful, cheerful, sprightly, jolly, happy, joyous, gleeful, jovial, colorful, bright. (â€Å"gay†) Negative definition: Gay (adj. ) unhappy, lacking color, heavyhearted Because of the literal definition of the word, people that are homosexual are often seen as â€Å"colorful† and â€Å"cheerful†. Etymological Definition: Gay (n) usually male, homosexual.In middle English, it meant â€Å"excellent person† â€Å"noble lady† â€Å"gallant knight† or â€Å"something gay or bright†; â€Å"ornament or badge† (â€Å"gay†)2 Stipulative definition: Gay (adj. ) being homosexual Illustrative definition: Two men walking down the street holding hands. Thesis statement: The meaning of the w ord gay has changed vastly over time, which today, can be offensive. Liz Schmidt Kate Brady English 101 October 9, 2012 The definition of the word â€Å"gay† has evolved greatly over time. What you consider â€Å"gay† today is definitely not what was considered â€Å"gay† 200 years ago, or even 50 years ago. 00 years ago, the word was used as a term of promiscuity. It was also used as a slang term to call someone a â€Å"young hobo. † (â€Å"gay†) Today, we use the word mostly as â€Å"homosexual† or referring to someone who is attracted to the same sex. At the same time, the younger age group of America is using the word â€Å"gay† as a way to express dislike toward something. A common way would be saying â€Å"that’s gay† when a friend tells them their team lost the game. This misuse of the word can often lead to offending the homosexual community. The meaning of the word †gay† has changed vastly over time, which today, can be offensive.How did the meaning of the word â€Å"gay† once turn from being â€Å"merry and happy† to â€Å"homosexual†? It all started around the 1630’s, when people often used it as both â€Å"splendid and showily dressed† and calling a brothel a gay house. It is believed that the word was used this way up until about the early 1900’s. The slang meaning (homosexual) began to appear in psychological writing in the late 1940’s. At first, the word was used solely among homosexuals themselves, by mostly male prostitutes referring to each other, but also female prostitutes. â€Å"gay-rights movement†) It seems to me that nobody ever really used the term as its true meaning â€Å"merry and happy†. However, there are songs in old musicals where they use it that way, so I guess that meaning wasn’t completely extinct. Although the â€Å"merry and happy† meaning of gay wasn’t really used a whole lot in the past, we do see the â€Å"bright and colorful† meaning in many Christmas songs. One well-known example is in â€Å"Deck the Halls†. The lyrics are â€Å"Don we now our gay apparel†; this most likely implies that they were dressed in bright colors.Without doubt, the word â€Å"gay† has a boundless history and has been used so many different ways in the past. A teenager walks into their favorite store, and immediately spots something they love. They see that the price is much more than they have currently, and furiously groans, â€Å"Fifty dollars? That’s gay! † When someone says â€Å"that’s gay† about something that they find just plain stupid, why don’t they just say â€Å"that’s stupid†? The improper use of this word may offend the homosexual community because it is a lot like calling them stupid. From my observation, this whole â€Å"that’s gay† thing started recently, wit hin the last few years.Mostly young people started saying it about nearly everything that they found idiotic. It’s not even homophobic people using the word this way, it’s anybody. It’s a bad habit that most people probably picked up from hearing others say it. However if you say it wrongly you may be seen as homophobic. How can there be a double meaning of both â€Å"homosexual† and â€Å"stupid† for the word â€Å"gay†? Imagine if instead of â€Å"gay† people said â€Å"that’s straight† about an object they didn’t like. Wouldn’t it be wrong, to basically call someone’s sexuality bad or stupid?It sounds silly, but the inappropriate usage of the word â€Å"gay† is implying that you think there is something wrong with being gay. It’s obvious that someone who is gay is going to be offended if they hear someone using the word the wrong way. They could take it as insulting, or they could ju st be a little annoyed. Either way, it’s not right. I once worked with a girl who was homosexual. Sometimes I would easily forget that she was in the room and catch myself saying â€Å"that’s gay† about something totally random. I never really noticed that it could be offensive until a co-worker said something to me.She asked me, â€Å"Don’t you know Emily’s gay? † When I said yes, she then told me that I should stop saying â€Å"that’s gay† in front of her. At this point, I felt really bad about it and definitely wanted to stop saying it completely. Saying â€Å"that’s gay† is such a bad habit of many young people. I guess Emily understood that it was just a bad habit for me, but not everyone will be that understanding. Furthermore, the word â€Å"gay† should be used solely for meaning â€Å"homosexual†. The other day, I was conversing with a friend about some news in the media. She had told me that Brad Pitt makes 250 million dollars in just one sitting.I laughed, and replied, â€Å"that’s gay. † After I said that I realized I should definitely stop saying that because it doesn’t even make any sense if you think about it. The meaning of the word â€Å"gay† shouldn’t be â€Å"stupid†, although it is for many people. The definition has changed greatly throughout the years, which may cause some people to take offense by it. Works Cited â€Å"gay-rights movement. † The Columbia Encyclopedia. 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 8 Oct 2012. â€Å"gay. † Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus. 1997. Print. â€Å"gay. † Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, 2012. Web. 8 Oct 2012.

planeacion estrategica.

planeacion estrategica. PlaneaciÂÆ'Â ³n EstratÂÆ'Â ©gica.La planeaciÂÆ'Â ³n estratÂÆ'Â ©gica es el proceso que sirve para formular y ejecutar las estrategias de la organizaciÂÆ'Â ³n con la finalidad de insertarla, segÂÆ'Â ºn su misiÂÆ'Â ³n en el contexto en el que se encuentra.La estrategia define la estructura y los procesos internos de la organizaciÂÆ'Â ³n con la expectativa de que produzcan efectos muy positivos en su desempeÂÆ'Â ±o.Los principales beneficios de la planeaciÂÆ'Â ³n estratÂÆ'Â ©gica son:La claridad de la visiÂÆ'Â ³n estratÂÆ'Â ©gica de la organizaciÂÆ'Â ³n.La comprensiÂÆ'Â ³n de un entorno cambiante y competitivo.El enfoque dirigido mediante objetivos de largo plazo.Comportamiento proactivo a los elementos del entorno externo de modo independiente a los del interno.Comportamiento sistÂÆ'Â ©mico y holÂÆ'Â ­stico.Interdependencia con el entorno externo.Tipos de PlaneaciÂÆ'Â ³n:PlaneaciÂÆ'Â ³n:EstratÂÆ'Â ©gicoTÂÆ'Â ¡cticoOperativoTiempoLargo Plazo.Med iano Plazo.Corto Plazo.AlcanceComprende la organizaciÂÆ'Â ³n como un todo, y se preocupa por alcanzar los objetivos a nivel organizacional.Abarca a cada departamento con sus recursos especÂÆ'Â ­ficos y se preocupa por alcanzar los objetivos del mismo.Abarca cada tarea o actividad de forma aislada y se preocupa por alcanzar metas especÂÆ'Â ­ficas.ContenidoGenÂÆ'Â ©rico, sintÂÆ'Â ©tico y comprensivo.Menos genÂÆ'Â ©rico y mÂÆ'Â ¡s detallado que el estratÂÆ'Â ©gico.Detallado, especifico y analÂÆ'Â ­tico.DefiniciÂÆ'Â ³nEsta en manos de la alta gerencia de la organizaciÂÆ'Â ³n y corresponde al plan mayor, al que se subordinan todos los demÂÆ'Â ¡s planes.En manos del nivel intermedio correspondiente a cada departamento de la organizaciÂÆ'Â ³n.En manos del nivel operativo y se concentra en cada tarea o actividad.El rol de la mercadotecnia en la planeaciÂÆ'Â ³n estratÂÆ'Â ©gica.La mercadotecnia es tanto una filosofÂÆ'Â ­a de negocios como un proceso orientado a la acciÂÆ'Â ³n, desempeÂÆ'Â ±a un numero de tareas necesarias para el funcionamiento efectivo de una economÂÆ'Â ­a de mercado.Hello Hello EuropeMarketing Operativo.Marketing EstratÂÆ'Â ©gico.Orientado a la acciÂÆ'Â ³nOportunidades existentesVariables diferentes del productoEntorno estable...

Significance of Loneliness and Isolation in Our Lives Essays

Significance of Loneliness and Isolation in Our Lives Essays Significance of Loneliness and Isolation in Our Lives Essay Significance of Loneliness and Isolation in Our Lives Essay As we climb up the mountain of life, we realize that at some point in time we all have to go through a stage of loneliness and isolation. It’s not easy but this stage does help us to become better people. A lot of people believe that when they get their dream career and their dream lives they would be happy beyond measures, but unfourtanely life does not work out that way. You see that stage of loneliness and isolation can happened at any stage in your life child hood, adolescence, adult hood. We all as human beings must experience this only because it makes us stronger; it opens our eyes to the world. Cathedral† by Raymond Carver and â€Å"Sonny’s Blues â€Å"by James Baldwin are two exemplary works of literature that shows the importance of going through loneliness and isolation and how it opens up one’s eyes to a whole new life. James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is a perfect example of how one is not open with their self to view others just as others view him. The narrator of the story is a high school algebra teacher, a husband, a father, and last but not least a brother. Throughout the beginning of the story you can tell that the narrator is missing something in his life, you wouldn’t think that because it seems like he had everything. That just goes to show you that nothing is what it seems on the outside, and the narrator noticed that I believe. In the beginning of the story the narrator recently found out that his little brother Sonny had been arrested for dealing drugs. He couldn’t understand how a bright young man such as his brother could get himself into such a situation. â€Å"I told myself that Sonny wasn’t crazy†¦ he’d always been a good boy, he hadn’t turned hard or evil or disrespectful they way kids can†¦ especially in Harlem† (413). Even though he had suspicions he didn’t bother with them he kept putting it out his mind. â€Å" I hadn’t wanted to know. I had had my suspicions, but I didn’t name them, I kept putting them away†(413). The narrator hasn’t seen his brother for over year, even if he wanted to do something, what could he do, his brother chose the life that he is living he couldn’t do anything about it. It took the narrator a while before he wrote his brother, when he finally did it was after his daughter died. When Sonny wrote back to him, the brother felt bad, as if he was a bastard. After that first letter they stayed in constant contact with each other, they even went as far as seeing each other face to face when Sonny got back to New York. It was at that moment that the narrator felt like he needed to worry about his brother, he wondered about what type of life his brother was living. He remembered when their father had died and his mom told him that he must look after his brother,† Im telling you this because you got a brother. And the world ain’t changed† (422). Sonny wanted to become a musician and the narrator didn’t feel like that was going to be much use of Sonny in life, he didn’t really support his brother and that drove a wedge between him and his brother. That became the first sign of isolation, just because they didn’t agree on Sonny’s life choices didn’t have to pull them apart. Family is supposed to support each other through whatever. The isolation became a void of loneliness plagued into his heart. The narrator couldn’t see how being a musician was going to better nor enhance his brother’s life, he couldn’t understand that the blues tell a story, and that was the only way Sonny could get his voice heard by all. You see that was Sonny’s natural high, performing and letting people feel his vibes, his joy, his pain. By discussing the issues between them and them coming to a mutual ground, Sonny invited his brother to see him perform so he could understand better. Sonny showed him that everything that you keep bottled inside needs to be released and one way to do that is by music. Keeping everything inside is like silently suffocating yourself with the truth. Its okay to let things go, it’s ok to embrace your pain that’s how life is. Life is unpredictable you never know when a curve ball might be thrown at you, or better yet when you might be challenged. That is just the kind of thing that happened in Raymond Carver’s story â€Å"Cathedral†. It is a little different from Sonny’s Blues but it still deals with the concept of loneliness and isolation. The narrator of this story has been married to his wife for some time, but for some reason he becomes jealous of his wife’s old friend who so happened to be a blind man. His wife used to work for the blind men 10 years prior to their marriage and he was paving a visit to her house to see her and catch up, since his wife died not too long ago. The narrator was bothered by the thought of a blind man coming into his house. â€Å"My idea of blindness comes from the movies†¦the blind man moved slowly and ever laughed†¦A blind man in my house was not something I was looking forward to†(438). It seemed to me that the narrator was lonely because he didn’t know who he was; he struggled to figure out who he really was. The narrator was very stand offish when the blind man finally came over. He watched how is wife and the man interacted with each oth er. He was very quiet but he also seemed very awkward. The three ate dinner, sat and talked and even watched/listened to some TV. The narrator even asked the blind man if he wanted to smoke herbs with him, and so they did. When the narrators wife dozed off on the couch and it was just the blind man and him left alone he felt uncomfortable, the sounds of what was portrayed on the television was the only thing that broke the silence in the room. A Documentary about cathedrals. Until a thought came to the narrator and he asked the question, â€Å"Something has occurred to me. Do you have any idea what a cathedral is, what they look like, that is? Do you follow me? If somebody says cathedral to you, do you have any notion what they are talking about? Do you know the difference between that and a Baptist Church†? This question struck a very intriguing conversation between the two. The blind man asked the narrator to describe the cathedrals to him. He is making the narrator think outside of his little bubble, it was as if the narrator was afraid of who he was or maybe even ashamed of it, and I believe that the blind man knew that which is why he told the man â€Å"Why don’t you find us some heavy paper? And a pen. Well draw one together†. The narrator went to go find the stuff, came back and they began to draw the Cathedral together. Then the blind man told him to close his eyes and keep drawing. In that moment he realized that he and the blind man had more in common than he thought. He only saw blind men as nuisance and not as a human being who is lonely and isolated just like him but yet he has seen the world he has experienced everything. The blind man showed the narrator that it is okay to be scared but it’s not right to pretend to be something you not, no matter how different you are remember that we are all human and that we are not all the same, we don’t go through the same experiences but we might feel the same pain. Life is not always what we expect it to be, but one thing is for sure that it is an experience that we will never forget. Baldwin, James. Sonnys Blues. Responding to Literature. 5th ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill. 412-37. Print. Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. Responding to Literature. 5th ed. New York: McGraw HIll. 437-49. Print. Stanford, Judith A. Responding to Literature. 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006,2003/1999,1992. Print.

Charles Perkins Freedom Rides

Perkins was born in Alice Springs in 1936. His early education was at school in Adelaide. A skilled soccer player, Perkins played professional soccer in England from 1957 to 1960. Having turned down an offer to try out for Manchester United, he returned to Australia to coach a local Adelaide team. Here he became vice president of the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines. Perkins moved to Sydney in 1962 and in 1963 became captain and coach of the Pan Hellenic Club. to redress it. The tour was also a response to the criticism that Australians were quick to champion the work of Martin Luther King and the United States civil rights movement but slow to do anything to redress racism in Australia. In the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans led a program of protest and civil disobedience against racist policies that denied people their civil rights. In Australia, the activists of the Freedom Ride were concerned with: †¢ Aborigines’ appalling living and health conditions †¢ Aborigines being forced to live on reserves outside country towns †¢ local authorities denying Aborigines access to facilities like hotels, clubs and swimming pools †¢ the fact that Aborigines were not counted as citizens in their own land. The ? rst step in each town was to survey both indigenous and non-indigenous people to ? nd out about the living, education and health conditions of local Aborigines. If there was an issue of blatant discrimination, the Freedom Riders took action to publicise and hopefully overturn it. Perkins admired the efforts of the US civil rights activist Martin Luther King, and he encouraged SAFA members to read King’s ‘letter from Birmingham Gaol’. Source 10. 1. 1 Source 10. 1. 2 A young Charles Perkins receives a trophy as captain–coach of Adelaide Croatia football club, 1961. In 1963 he also began studies at Sydney University, where he was a founding member of Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA), later becoming president. On 12 February 1965, he and fellow student Jim Spigelman led about 28 others on a 14-day, 3200-kilometre bus tour of rural New South Wales that became known as the Freedom Ride. THE 1965 FREEDOM RIDE The tour targeted towns like Walgett, Moree and Kempsey, which had the reputation of being racist towards their Aboriginal inhabitants, and included some like Lismore that were supposed to have better records. The aim was to raise awareness of discrimination against Aboriginal people and to try Photograph showing the Freedom Riders with the bus that took them on their month-long campaign 44 RETROactive 2 CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP FOCUS Perkins was particularly interested in King’s emphasis on ‘non-violent direct action’ and establishing ‘creative tension’ by dramatically highlighting examples of discrimination so that people could not continue to ignore them. Whereas the 1961 Freedom Rides in the United States had speci? cally focused on the desegregation of interstate transport, in Australia the focus was on the desegregation of leisure facilities in country towns and information-gathering on race relations in rural New South Wales. The ? st two stops were at Wellington and Gullargambone, where the Aboriginal people surveyed spoke of their need for housing and access to fresh water on the reserves. Racial discrimination was a major problem and not one that th e local indigenous people felt they could work with SAFA to ? ght. The bus moved on to Walgett. who had been murdered on a country road while campaigning in Alabama. They saw four or ? ve cars surrounding them and were relieved to ? nd that these were driven by local Aborigines who had come out to offer protection. The other trucks and cars disappeared. A journalist itnessed the incident and it became headline news in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Daily Mirror and the Australian. Mirror reporter Gerald Stone and his editor Zell Rabin highlighted the parallels between the racist attitudes and behaviour they observed from their work as journalists in the United States and the racist attitudes and behaviour in New South Wales. Moree The bus moved on to Moree and a new issue of discrimination — a 1955 council by-law prohibiting Aborigines and those with ‘a mixture of Aboriginal Walgett blood’ from using (except during school hours) the local artesian baths and swimming pool. Other In Walgett, the local RSL club refused entry to examples of racism in the town included the refusal Aborigines, including Aboriginal ex-servicemen who to allow Aboriginal patients to share hospital facilhad participated in World Wars I and II. They were ities with white patients and the insistence that occasionally allowed entry on Anzac Day. Perkins they be buried in a part of the local cemetery that led the Freedom Riders in forming a picket line was separate from the section for white people. outside the club (see source 10. 1. 3). They held up SAFA’s protest began with a demonstration outposters proclaiming ‘Aborigines also fought’, ‘Bullets side the council building. They then got families’ did not discriminate’ and ‘Good enough for Tobruk, permission to take eight children and try to gain why not Walgett RSL? ’ Perkins addressed the crowd entry to the pool. Charles Perkins got more children of onlookers to try and convince the RSL committee from the reserve. The manager refused to sell them members to change their policy. Members of the entry coupons, saying ‘darkies not allowed in’. A local Aboriginal community joined in. arge crowd gathered and after an hour the manThe Anglican minister evicted the students from ager, four police and the local mayor came up with their lodgings in the church hall because of people’s another answer: Aboriginal children were allowed hostility to their actions. A line of cars and trucks in as long as they were ‘clean’. The children went followed the bus out of Walgett. One of the trucks forced the bus off the road. The scene reminded the swimming and the Freedom Riders left Moree students of the three American student activists thinking that the ban had been overturned. The mayor and the pool anager re-imposed the ban. Three days later, about six children from the Source 10. 1. 3 Moree Reserve joined the Freedom Riders in another attempt to break the ban. They tried without success for over three hours. A crowd of about 500 angry locals, including a group from the pub across the road, shouted abuse, spat at them and threw tomatoes and rotten eggs at them and the bus. Perkins later said he feared for his life during this incident. The confrontation received huge press coverage and also television coverage from a BBC crew and a team from Channel Seven’s investigative program Seven Days. Many journalists made comparisons between the racist attitudes shown in Moree and those evident towards African Americans in A photograph of the picket line formed by the Freedom Riders outside the United States. Walgett RSL club in 1965 245 CHAPTER 10: PEOPLE POWER Finally, the police escorted the Freedom Riders out of Moree. The bus continued on to Lismore, Bowraville and Kempsey before returning to Sydney. Source 10. 1. 4 An extract from Gerald Stone’s newspaper account of the Freedom Riders’ experiences in Moree MOREE, Saturday. Mob violence exploded here today as student freedom riders were attacked by a crowd crazed with race hate. White women spat on girl students and screamed ? lthy words as the students tried to win Aboriginal children admission to the town baths. Several people were arrested and the town’s mayor, Alderman William Lloyd, pitched into the battle, grabbing students by the scruff of their necks and hurling them out of the way. Throughout the ? ghting a barrage of eggs and rotten fruit rained on the students. Mr Jim Spigelman, a 19-year-old student from Maroubra, was smacked to the ground while the 500-strong crowd roared its approval. Sunday Mirror, 21 February 1965. Lyall Munro, one of the Aboriginal children who swam in the Moree pool as part of the Freedom Ride protest, was later inspired by these events to become an activist himself. In March 2004, he was a spokesperson for the Aboriginal community at Redfern following the death of teenager T. J. Hickey. He spoke out against the overpolicing and police mistreatment of Aboriginal youth in the Redfern area. Source 10. 1. 6 Source 10. 1. 5 A photograph showing Charles Perkins being led away from the Moree pool in February 1965 after locals confronted the student demonstrators and violence broke out ONGOING EFFORTS The Freedom Riders had an impact on the local Aboriginal communities they met during the trip, and they did not want to abandon them when they returned to Sydney. In August 1965, SAFA campaigned with the Walgett branch of the Aborigines Progressive Association (APA) to end segregation at the Luxury Theatre and the Oasis Hotel. The APA continued and eventually won a long struggle to achieve this. Students kept up the visits to country towns, going to Bega, Dareton, Bowraville and Coonamble, where they publicised many instances of racism and pressured communities and authorities to change their ways. Photograph of Charles Perkins and local children in the Moree pool, 1965. Perkins’s simple act of swimming in the pool was a stand against racial discrimination. 246 RETROactive 2 CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP FOCUS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHARLES PERKINS AND THE FREEDOM RIDE The Freedom Ride occurred at a time when Australians were beginning to see the injustice of obvious examples of racism like those evident in the segregation of facilities in many country towns. It generated discussion and debate throughout Australia about the plight of indigenous communities, and media coverage stimulated national and international pressure for reform. Through the Freedom Ride, Charles Perkins became a national ? gure and a role model for Aboriginal people throughout Australia. His Freedom Ride showed Aboriginal Australians that non-violent action could result in change. His organisation of protests and public debate demonstrated both his leadership skills and his willingness to take action to demand change — characteristics that continued throughout his life. The Freedom Ride became part of the campaign movement that resulted in the 1967 referendum (see page 190) giving citizenship to Aboriginal people — a result supported by 89 per cent of voters. The two events and Australia’s economic prosperity at the time stimulated expectations that governments would intervene to address problems of inequality. This process began in 1972 when the Whitlam government took of? ce (see page 272). In the late 1960s, student activism focused more on protest against Australia’s involvement in war in Vietnam. Charles Perkins continued throughout his life to campaign for Aboriginal rights. He protested against the reluctance of authorities to allow self-determination for Aboriginal Australians and against government failure to effectively address the inequalities in Aboriginal Australians’ access to education, health, housing, employment and the law. Charles Perkins died of kidney failure on 18 October 2000. He was granted a state funeral — an honour usually given only to those who have held signi? ant government of? ce. ABC television broadcast the funeral, and traf? c in George Street Sydney came to a temporary standstill as a crowd gathered outside Sydney Town Hall to watch on a large screen the funeral service taking place inside. Check your understanding 1. Write a paragraph of 10 to 15 lines to summarise the Freedom Ride. Use the ‘W’ questions (what, when, where, who, how and why) to guide the selection of your information. 2. What impact did the Freedom Ride have on different groups at the time? 3. What were the results of the Freedom Ride? Using sources 1. In what ways do source 10. 1. 1 and the description of his early sporting career indicate that Charles Perkins might have had special qualities? 2. Use source 10. 1. 2 to describe the participants in the Freedom Ride. 3. What message were the protesters in source 10. 1. 3 trying to convey through their placards outside Walgett RSL Club? 4. What does source 10. 1. 4 indicate about how people in Moree responded to SAFA’s campaign? 5. What captions could you create for source 10. 1. 5 to express: (a) its signi? cance to Charles Perkins (b) the attitudes of the pool’s manager? . What stage of the Freedom Ride protest at Moree does the photo in source 10. 1. 6 seem to be showing? What aspect of the protest does the photo not reveal? 7. Describe the scene in source 10. 1. 7, commenting on the diversity of faces among the mourners, the signi? cance of the occasion and what it indicates about public feeling and respect for Charles Perkins’s life and achievements. Researching and communicating 1. Use the Internet to review some of the obituaries written at the time of Charles Perkins’s death. Select from them what seem to be the most signi? ant features of his life and work. Use these as the basis of a brief biography of Perkins suitable for publication in a dictionary of biography. 2. What would you have done? Imagine yourself in 1965 as either a Sydney University student or a resident of one of the country towns that the Freedom bus visited. How would you have responded to SAFA and the Freedom Ride? Give reasons for your answer.

Ethics and Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ethics and Intellectual Property - Essay Example The essay will focus on the LG- Samsung intellectual property dispute. The business environments are essential and laws put in place are aimed at ensuring the environments remain competitive and accommodate diversity. The ethical issue arises when individuals or groups bridge the intellectual property clause. The manner in which people solve disputes will determine their future relation. The private space needs to be protected and it is up to the laws to protect these rights. The essence of intellectual property regulation is to create the private spaces. The moral aspect emerges when a party infringes the property rights or steals an idea or a product that was initially designed by a different party. In the case of LG versus Samsung, the firms as used each other of have stolen technologies in their mobile phone products and other household electronics (Yoon-Seung, 2015). There is the argument of competitive advantage. Samsung engages in a legal proceeding for damages after it alleged LG infringed the intellectual property rights after it produced products similar in shape and design as those produced by Samsung (Yoon-Seung, 2015). The dispute emerges whenever the rival firm uses product designed by another firm with no permission. Patents and copyrights are meat to ensure a firm protects its rights and in an event the rights are infringed, the law protects their ri ght. The law outlines how different firms may deploy legal means or mediation to settle dispute relating to intellectual property. The protection of intellectual property is applicable to both established firms and new venture. The nature of protection may vary depending on the local regulation. Intellectual property can be protected thought copyrights, service rights, patent, and trademarks. The nature of product will determine the manner in which a given product is protected through the intellectual property laws. The stolen technology by both Samsung and LG

Specificity and Sensitivity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Specificity and Sensitivity - Essay Example y of a given clinical test refers to the ability of a test to accurately classify those patients with disease while specificity refers to the ability of the test to correctly identify patients without the disease. Consequently, Lovallo et al (2010) noted that specificity and sensitivity are inversely related in that the higher the sensitivity in a test, the lower the specificity of the same test. Therefore, a test having high sensitivity and lower specificity will accurately indicate higher percentage of patients as having a disease while limitedly identifying patients without the disease. Therefore, the use of high sensitivity and lower specificity is best suited in screening a severe but curable disease. On the contrary, the second test with a high specificity and low sensitivity will accurately identify higher percentage of patients without the diseases but inadequately provide information on those patients suffering from the diseases. Therefore, in the case of a deadly disease that is curable, it is essential that clinical tests apply the first test since it will accurately identify a higher percentage of patients having the disease and hence facilitate mitigation of the disease. Prompt and accurate identification of individuals suffering from the disease will enable early detection and issuance of medical treatment. The screening process should hence apply test one. Lovallo, C., Rolandi, S., Rossetti, A., & Lusignani, M. (2010). Accidental falls in hospital inpatients: evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of two risk assessment tools. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 66(3), 690-696.

Affect of Internet on Print Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Affect of Internet on Print Media - Essay Example The paper evaluates the hypothesis about the presumed replacement effect on print media of internet. Discussion The issue of the impact of internet on traditional print media has been investigated by researchers in certain disciplines. Various facets of internet vs. print media are analyzed. Internet vs. Printed News Levmor and Craven (2011) evaluates the area of news publications for effect of internet on print media. Levmor and Craven (2011) states that online channel has caused a declining effect on print media in the context of news publication and consumption. The reason for this impact is ascribed by Levmor and Craven (2011) to benefits of online news over print news. Online news has the functionality of having the facility to place news stories into better context by including photo galleries, videos, and hyperlinks to different sources or relevant articles published online. The superior level of customization for individual reader made possible with the Internet gives it a re markable edge over print media. Several newspapers have gone out of business or shifted to online model during the last ten years (Baigi, 2011). Dijkstra, Buijtels and Raaij (2008) adopted a circulation model to understand the impact of interent on physical news publication business by using circulation measure rather than readership model. Circulation of printed news pertains to the cumulative number of individual copies distributed or printed, while readership relates to the total count of people reading a publication taking into account borrowing and sharing, as well (Dijkstra, Buijtels and Raaij, 2008). The former was utilized due to greater accuracy of the count. A positive correlation was found between growths...Internet is referred to as a worldwide system of computer networks which is based on the use of routing of data and information in electronic form. Internet forms a global information space and is the physical basis for the World Wide Web and many other systems for dat a transfer. At the present time the internet is fastest growing medium and it is used in everyday life. There have been observable impacts on magazines and newspapers and related print media after free digital content became widespread. One can expect that free digital content would eventually cannibalize entire sales of print media. Introduction Print media refers to all means of dissemination of written information, which includes newspapers, periodical publications  and books. Print media has evolved into new forms of newer forms in recent years like free newspapers and targeted magazines for specific population groups. Print media is generally perceived to have receded in the late  twentieth  century and early  twenty-first  century. Internet forms a global  information space  and is the physical basis for  the World Wide Web and many other systems for data transfer. At the present time the internet is fastest growing medium and it is used in everyday life. It is frequently hypnotized that emergence of internet and growth of internet technologies is causing a continuous decline in consumption of print media. Rationale for this supposition is asserted as the ease of access of online medium and low cost. The paper evaluates the hypothesis about the presumed replacement effect on print media of internet. Print media is generally perceived to have receded in consumption. The phenomenon of diffusion of the press is taking place at a rapid pace while distribution of newspapers and magazines is decreasing. Evidence is present to support the fact that internet contains greater diversity of information and is less regulated by governmental authorities and power groups than printed media. For this reason, internet is being favored by the readers and several newspapers have gone out of business or shifted to online model during the last ten years. Also it is concluded that a positive correlation is found between growths of internet penetration among masses with the reduction in newspaper circulation. Nevertheless, a highly interesting observation put forwarded by some thinkers it that the internet is not economically viable mode of publishing and communication.

Youth and Problem Gambling in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Youth and Problem Gambling in Australia - Essay Example Gambling is so prevalent that in 1993 alone, Australians spent 6 billion dollars, more or less, on lotteries, horse racing, gaming and other forms of gambling. Most states not only tolerate it, but profits from shares of revenues of these gambling outfits. Gambling’s wide acceptance in the Australian culture and its availability encourage youth gambling (Moore & Ohtsuka 2002, pp. 429-430). Moreover, high gaming and wagering opportunities mostly account for youth gambling in Australia. These opportunities take the form of EGMs that can be found in hotels and clubs in most states except in Western Australia, casinos, and games of chance like X-lotto, Tattslotto, Powerball, Keno, scratch-tickets and Bingo, some of which are sponsored by state governments. In addition, advances in technology open another opportunities for youth participation in gambling and wagering. These new technologies include the internet and mobile telephony. On the other hand, some events that provide gambl ing and wagering opportunities, such as such as sports bar, specifically target the youth as its niche market (South Australian Centre for Economic Studies 2003, p. 1). In 2000, a study was made on 505 Australian youths aged 15 to 17. It was found that 60% of these youth gambled periodically, with 3.5% of them characterised as problem gamblers. On the whole, the study revealed that they had a predilection towards gambling as evinced by their attitude towards gambling, intention to gamble and actual participation. A positive attitude towards gambling was influenced by family, society and peers whilst frequent gambling was associated with parental and peer gambling. It was also revealed that youths whose parents taught them the value of money (budgeting and... In Australia, gambling is a popular and accepted form of pastime and is considered well-entrenched in the Australian culture. Gambling is so prevalent that in 1993 alone, Australians spent 6 billion dollars, more or less, on lotteries, horse racing, gaming and other forms of gambling. Most states not only tolerate it, but profits from shares of revenues of these gambling outfits. Gambling’s wide acceptance in the Australian culture and its availability encourage youth gambling. Moreover, high gaming and wagering opportunities mostly account for youth gambling in Australia.On the other hand, some events that provide gambling and wagering opportunities, such as such as sports bar, specifically target the youth as its niche market. Gambling is well-entrenched in the Australian culture, but gambling really flourished in the 1990s with the introduction of modern EGMs and the proliferation of huge casinos all over the country. Gambling is now considered a growth industry in Australia bringing revenues not only to private operators but to the government as well. The downside, however, to this growth industry are the twin problems of youth and problem gambling that are now slowly emerging in the horizon. Although problem gambling affects only a negligible number of persons, its dispersive nature logically involves more persons than the problem gamblers themselves. On the other hand, youth gambling is closely linked to problem gambling because studies have indicated that most problem gamblers belong to the 18 to 30 age groups, which naturally leads one to conclude that for these people, gambling must have started at a really young age. Studies, which have pegged the crucial age at, as young as, ten, have confirmed th is theory. Youth gambling is closely linked to familial, societal and peer influences.

Film Analysis - The Truman Show Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Film Analysis - The Truman Show - Essay Example These different stages in the story of a drama are organized in to a sequence by the construction of certain devises called as ‘narrative’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is the narrative that defines a story in terms of space and time. It also decides and structures the dramatic elements and the events of the story. The narrative can also manipulate the awareness of audience by using a series of â€Å"co-creative techniques† such as â€Å"flashbacks, replays of action, slow motion, speeding up, jumping between places and times for constructing the story world for specific effects† (Schmidt 2011). There exist some theories that govern the narrative that share some links with the theories of drama. Both the narrative and the drama draw their theories from Aristotle’s â€Å"Poetics†, where he explains that topics such as â€Å"character, plot, beginnings and endings, poetic justice, and the goals of representation, are as re levant to narrative theory as to a poetics of drama†. In the modern times, however, most theorists follow the view of Roland Barthes who stated that â€Å"narrative is present in myth, legend, fable, tale, novella, epic, history, tragedy, drama, comedy, mime, painting [think of Carpaccio's Saint Ursula], stained glass windows, cinema, comics, news item, conversation" (Richardson  2012).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though there are similarities in the literary and filmic narratives, there exist diverse dissimilarities when the narrative strategy is articulated through the medium of films. Since films use various cinematographic modes for the aesthetic expression of narrative, the concept of generalization that rules a dramatic film and a literary text gets obscured. The filmic... This study is an analysis of a drama film, â€Å"The Truman Show† and the narrative constructed in it. "The Truman Show" (1998) is an American drama film directed by Peter SWeir and written by Andrew M. Niccol. The film has a voyeuristic setting that allows its viewers to gaze upon the everyday life of Truman. A few close-up shots of the producers and the main characters of the Show provide an insight as well as the base for the main plot of the film, which is Truman's life. The time marker and the show credits are inserted in the Show while allowing the show viewers to watch their star Truman. Thus, the filmic audiences are provided with a 'window within a window' style of spectatorship. For instance, Truman is being gazed by the hidden camera in Meryl's necklace; his neighbors, friends and colleagues; the actors on the set; the production crew; the 'global' audience members of the television show on the film set; the real film spectators in the theaters; and finally the gaze effected by the subjectivity and reflexivity of the narrative text. Reality is a perception created by the temporal and spatial continuum. A successive and mutual blending of images gives these images a chronological function. In this film, the representation of reality is done not by the conventional integration or dissociation of time and space and image and sound. The subject of the show, Truman’s life, is a continuum in the electronic space, for the broadcast viewers. Truman's life, like any theater performance, is a staged performance by a group of artists who plays their roles to perfection.

Affect of Internet on Print Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Affect of Internet on Print Media - Essay Example The paper evaluates the hypothesis about the presumed replacement effect on print media of internet. Discussion The issue of the impact of internet on traditional print media has been investigated by researchers in certain disciplines. Various facets of internet vs. print media are analyzed. Internet vs. Printed News Levmor and Craven (2011) evaluates the area of news publications for effect of internet on print media. Levmor and Craven (2011) states that online channel has caused a declining effect on print media in the context of news publication and consumption. The reason for this impact is ascribed by Levmor and Craven (2011) to benefits of online news over print news. Online news has the functionality of having the facility to place news stories into better context by including photo galleries, videos, and hyperlinks to different sources or relevant articles published online. The superior level of customization for individual reader made possible with the Internet gives it a re markable edge over print media. Several newspapers have gone out of business or shifted to online model during the last ten years (Baigi, 2011). Dijkstra, Buijtels and Raaij (2008) adopted a circulation model to understand the impact of interent on physical news publication business by using circulation measure rather than readership model. Circulation of printed news pertains to the cumulative number of individual copies distributed or printed, while readership relates to the total count of people reading a publication taking into account borrowing and sharing, as well (Dijkstra, Buijtels and Raaij, 2008). The former was utilized due to greater accuracy of the count. A positive correlation was found between growths...Internet is referred to as a worldwide system of computer networks which is based on the use of routing of data and information in electronic form. Internet forms a global information space and is the physical basis for the World Wide Web and many other systems for dat a transfer. At the present time the internet is fastest growing medium and it is used in everyday life. There have been observable impacts on magazines and newspapers and related print media after free digital content became widespread. One can expect that free digital content would eventually cannibalize entire sales of print media. Introduction Print media refers to all means of dissemination of written information, which includes newspapers, periodical publications  and books. Print media has evolved into new forms of newer forms in recent years like free newspapers and targeted magazines for specific population groups. Print media is generally perceived to have receded in the late  twentieth  century and early  twenty-first  century. Internet forms a global  information space  and is the physical basis for  the World Wide Web and many other systems for data transfer. At the present time the internet is fastest growing medium and it is used in everyday life. It is frequently hypnotized that emergence of internet and growth of internet technologies is causing a continuous decline in consumption of print media. Rationale for this supposition is asserted as the ease of access of online medium and low cost. The paper evaluates the hypothesis about the presumed replacement effect on print media of internet. Print media is generally perceived to have receded in consumption. The phenomenon of diffusion of the press is taking place at a rapid pace while distribution of newspapers and magazines is decreasing. Evidence is present to support the fact that internet contains greater diversity of information and is less regulated by governmental authorities and power groups than printed media. For this reason, internet is being favored by the readers and several newspapers have gone out of business or shifted to online model during the last ten years. Also it is concluded that a positive correlation is found between growths of internet penetration among masses with the reduction in newspaper circulation. Nevertheless, a highly interesting observation put forwarded by some thinkers it that the internet is not economically viable mode of publishing and communication.

Film Analysis - The Truman Show Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Film Analysis - The Truman Show - Essay Example These different stages in the story of a drama are organized in to a sequence by the construction of certain devises called as ‘narrative’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is the narrative that defines a story in terms of space and time. It also decides and structures the dramatic elements and the events of the story. The narrative can also manipulate the awareness of audience by using a series of â€Å"co-creative techniques† such as â€Å"flashbacks, replays of action, slow motion, speeding up, jumping between places and times for constructing the story world for specific effects† (Schmidt 2011). There exist some theories that govern the narrative that share some links with the theories of drama. Both the narrative and the drama draw their theories from Aristotle’s â€Å"Poetics†, where he explains that topics such as â€Å"character, plot, beginnings and endings, poetic justice, and the goals of representation, are as re levant to narrative theory as to a poetics of drama†. In the modern times, however, most theorists follow the view of Roland Barthes who stated that â€Å"narrative is present in myth, legend, fable, tale, novella, epic, history, tragedy, drama, comedy, mime, painting [think of Carpaccio's Saint Ursula], stained glass windows, cinema, comics, news item, conversation" (Richardson  2012).  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though there are similarities in the literary and filmic narratives, there exist diverse dissimilarities when the narrative strategy is articulated through the medium of films. Since films use various cinematographic modes for the aesthetic expression of narrative, the concept of generalization that rules a dramatic film and a literary text gets obscured. The filmic... This study is an analysis of a drama film, â€Å"The Truman Show† and the narrative constructed in it. "The Truman Show" (1998) is an American drama film directed by Peter SWeir and written by Andrew M. Niccol. The film has a voyeuristic setting that allows its viewers to gaze upon the everyday life of Truman. A few close-up shots of the producers and the main characters of the Show provide an insight as well as the base for the main plot of the film, which is Truman's life. The time marker and the show credits are inserted in the Show while allowing the show viewers to watch their star Truman. Thus, the filmic audiences are provided with a 'window within a window' style of spectatorship. For instance, Truman is being gazed by the hidden camera in Meryl's necklace; his neighbors, friends and colleagues; the actors on the set; the production crew; the 'global' audience members of the television show on the film set; the real film spectators in the theaters; and finally the gaze effected by the subjectivity and reflexivity of the narrative text. Reality is a perception created by the temporal and spatial continuum. A successive and mutual blending of images gives these images a chronological function. In this film, the representation of reality is done not by the conventional integration or dissociation of time and space and image and sound. The subject of the show, Truman’s life, is a continuum in the electronic space, for the broadcast viewers. Truman's life, like any theater performance, is a staged performance by a group of artists who plays their roles to perfection.

Human cloning Essay Example for Free

Human cloning Essay If there was one technology that the world never accepted, then it will be the cloning of humans. Just 30 hours after the news of a cloned lamb hit the streets, movements against human cloning already started forming (Pence 1998, p. 1). 90 days after the study, a law against human cloning was already being pushed. People claimed that there is no good reason to clone humans, and yet, how can this be known when there wasn’t enough time to discuss it? When the scientific community did not even have time to prove its advantages? Most of the arguments against cloning are philosophical in nature. It is not about â€Å"scientific facts but about ethics, human nature and public policy† (Pence 1998, p. 3). If we look at human cloning in an objective point of view we will realize that there are certain merits to this technology. Certainly, there are disadvantages too, but whether the disadvantages outweigh the advantages is still a question unresolved today. Advantages of Human Cloning Human cloning becomes a good prospect when we talk about the issue of infertility and genetic illnesses. In an article published by ScienceRay (Whatani 2008), it was mentioned that only half of the population of females are capable of gestation. Estimates show that current infertility treatments are only 10% effective (Benefits of Cloning n. d) hence, there are many couples who end up getting frustrated because of their inability to have children. With human cloning, there is no need for the egg to be fertilized, and there is no need to find a mate, and only one parent is needed to create a child (Teacher’s Domain 2010). Researches show that an average person carries 8 defective genes (Benefits of Cloning n. d). In some cases, these genes are recessive and no symptoms will appear, but there are also instances when the genes are inherited by the children and they become dominant traits. Down’s syndrome and Tay Sach’s disease are just two genetic illnesses which can be inherited if reproduction is left to natural means. Though human cloning, parents can choose which genes their children will inherit, thereby allowing them to get rid of the defective genes. Another advantage of cloning is that it is now possible to create organs which can be used for transplants (The Advantages of Cloning n. d). People with liver and kidney trouble no longer need to wait for a donor to get a transplant. People suffering from leukemia can get cloned marrow. Scientists will be able to produce effective therapy for cystic fibrosis if only they are allowed to test the technology for human cloning. Lastly, cloning will allow medical professionals to understand how cells differentiate and become cancer cells, thereby allowing the creation of a cure for the disease. Disadvantages of Sexual Reproduction In several researches conducted (Science Daily 2006; Treisman 1976; Williams and Mitton 1973) it was discovered that sexual reproduction allows populations to adapt to their environment better because they are able to resist harmful mutations. Yet, sexually transmitted diseases are already so widespread that sex has become risky. Also, sexual reproduction has its costs wherein the female carry most of the burden, a situation called as the two-fold costs of sex (Science Daily 2006). In his study, Ricardo Azevedo says that in order to overcome the two-fold cost of sex, two things must be true ‘The production rate of harmful mutations must be relatively high, such that each individual acquires on average one or more harmful germline mutations not inherited from its parents. The second is that these harmful mutations must interact in a special way, called negative epistasis, such that adding more and more harmful mutations makes you progressively worse off (Science Daily 2006). This means that in order for genetic illnesses and harmful mutations to become extinct, these two conditions must take place. Needless to say, there are no studies which show how prevalent negative epistasis is in nature, hence the extinction of genetic illnesses and mutations are purely by chance. With the world becoming even more chaotic because of the discovery of new incurable diseases and the rapidly degrading environment, there is a big possibility that the survival of humankind may need to rely with artificial means. With human cloning, it is now possible to create a healthier, if not a better race of individuals who are more resistant to mutations and have lesser diseases to endure (Phil for Humanity n. d).