Thursday, December 26, 2019

On the Entrapment and Incarceration of the Victorian...

Thomas Blackburn describes the two Victorian poets, Robert Browning and Alfred, Lord Tennyson as being great contemporaries (47). As such it is apt that their works should muse upon and explore similar topics and themes. Their connection is especially evident in Browning’s â€Å"My Last Duchess† and Tennyson’s â€Å"The Lady of Shalott†. The themes of entrapment and incarceration feature heavily in both of these works. Specifically, it is the entrapment and incarceration of women which pervade their respective compositions. When taking into consideration the way in which women were viewed at this juncture in history- being nothing more than â€Å"beautiful objects† (Gilbert and Gubar 54), it is quite easy to see how the literary representations of the†¦show more content†¦While the Duke of Ferrara never explicitly verbalizes the Duchess’ fate, it is strongly implied that she died as a result of her inability to conform to his model o f appropriate behaviour: -And if she let Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse -E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose Never to stoop. Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands As if alive (Browning, My Last Duchess, lines 39-47) Thus the Duchess is bound to the Duke and has become imprisoned within his art collection as nothing more than a possession. The Duke exemplifies this view when he makes reference to another piece of his art collection, as if the current and previous subjects of his monologue were completely analogous, â€Å"Notice Neptune, though/ Taming a sea horse, thought a rarity/ Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me! (Browning 54-56), he truly appreciates both pieces with similar enthusiasm. Although the Duchess is allocated no space to give her side of the story, through the Duke’s depiction the reader can infer that she was killed for having her own free will and as such there is zero doubt that she is a victim of imprisonment of the Duke’s egocentric ideals. While he puts an adulterous spin on her actions, by declaring: She had A heart- how shall I say?-Show MoreRelatedJane Eyre Feminist Analysis1045 Words   |  5 PagesJane Eyre is recognized and acclaimed as a classic feminist novel, a bold social commentary penned by a daring woman intent on shedding light on the hypocrisy that riddled Victorian society. This view is indeed accurate. However, Charlotte Brontà « only dares so much; she only sheds so much light. In â€Å"â€Å"The Maniac Bellowed†: Queer Affect and Queer Temporality in Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Jane Eyre†, Carolyn Marjorie Davis asserts that the arms of Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s feminism do not embrace women who fail to fulfill certain

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Sports Basement Work For A High Performance - 995 Words

Sports Basement: I use to work for a high-performance establishment when I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. The easiest way to describe Sports Basement is to compare it to the â€Å"Costco† of sporting goods. Sports Basement motto is â€Å"Providing high end apparel at basement prices.† (Sports Basement) Four friends who had previously started their success from the dot-com era in Silicon Valley established the company first in San Francisco then opened up more location throughout the Bay Area. I was the marketing associate for the swim and triathlon department for all the stores. As one of the marketing associates for the company, I was coordinating with each department and store managers. Sports Basement has ten departments, which include running, bike, camp-hike, yoga, swim-triathlon, team sports, snow, men, women and kids. (Sports Basement) I got to witness first hand that I was working for a high-performance organization. (Self-managed work teams) and (Giving employees more control over decision making): Each department has a team of employees who are in charge of managing and coordinating their section. Each department has a department head that reports to the manager. The owners and the managers only hire employees who have actual knowledge and experience in the specific departments. This has allowed each department to be self-managing. In the text it states, â€Å"An organization’s HR strategies reflect its commitment to and treatment of its employees.† (Coulter, 2013, p.Show MoreRelatedNike And Organizational Structure1135 Words   |  5 Pagesstructure include its well-established brand name in the industry. The company positioned itself as a brand serving the needs of sports enthusiasts. The organizational structure of the company allows it to focus on its core competencies. This way, they can strengthen their core competency without worrying about other functions. The company has dedicated design team that works for designing innovative products and strives to g enerate more value for the customers. The design team helps the company inRead MoreOutline Of A Business Strategy Essay1713 Words   |  7 Pagesdone by Centers of Disease Control and Prevention which stated heart diseases could be prevented 40% less by walking 30 minutes every day[1]. That’s why we should move our bodies and get the appropriate outfit to do so. Under Armour is an American sports clothing and accessories company. It supplies sportswear and casual apparel. Under Armour began offering footwear in 2006. Under Armour s global headquarters is located in Baltimore, Maryland. Its European headquarters is in Amsterdam s OlympicRead MoreDesign And The Pursuit Of Innovation1782 Words   |  8 Pagesbetter†. He didn’t realize but that one, simple remark would soon launch the performance apparel Under Armour. After he graduated, he set out to make a superior T–shirt—one that stayed light and dry even in the nastiest conditions and Mr. Plan k has grew is organization form that. Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports footwear, clothing and accessories Company. Today, Under Armour produces the world’s most innovative performance footwear, apparel, and accessories and is a cornerstone on athletic fieldsRead MoreEvaluating Strategic Plan And Innovative Ideas For Teaching Essay1487 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopment of student such as games and sports, extra curriculum activities etc., starting our international talent school in Punjab our main focus will be on the people those who want to have international standard of education, as in Punjab there are no proper high standard international schools and in our school we will have classes from lower kinder garden to 12th standard IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL School is a temple and second home for students here they get high confidence, good information, totalRead MoreCeo - Kevin Plank1908 Words   |  8 Pagesan outgoing, people person. On the Big Five Personality Trait chart, he would be high on extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience. He always wanted to win, was good at motivating his teammates, he got along well with everyone and he was original and daring to take a risk and start up his own business. His internal locus of control probably contributed to him starting his own sports apparel business. Instead of being frustrated and blaming outside forces, he was ableRead MoreTodays Dominican Republic1570 Words   |  6 Pageslaws are passed by the congress and then executed by the executive through the leadership of the president. The president is concerned with the roles of appointing the cabinet, and being the commander of the countrys army. The president and his vice work in accordance to the te rms of the executive, and they are elected into office for a period of four years. The president does other roles like the appointment of the governors of the various governments (Bencosme Norton, 2005). These governors areRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On Teenagers1923 Words   |  8 Pagespurse of $30,000, and the finals have added suspense.† (â€Å"E-sports Come ‘Out Of The Basement’†) Video game players at the highest level can compete in frequent tournaments for large sums of money. While this money is not guaranteed, professional players can have consistent income through sponsorship deals or by being signed to an E-Sports team. Another job in the E-sports community is the following, as explained by David Gorman, who works in the field. â€Å"Basically, I explain what s going on, kindRead MoreUnder Armour Is Gaining Market Share And Challenging Nike2043 Words   |  9 Pages Abstract Under Armour is gaining market share and challenging Nike in the sports apparel industry. However, Under Armour is having major issues with inventory management and managing cost. Inventory cost has increased steadily over the past three years and is now at the point where it is out weighing revenue. UNDER ARMOUR: CHALLENGING NIKE IN SPORTS APPAREL 3 CASE DESCRIPTION Under Armour, Inc., was founded in1996, by Kevin Plank, by a former University of Maryland footballRead More1.A)For This Writer, The Definition Of Disaster Is When1536 Words   |  7 Pagestwenty-two years and my husband and I have two boys. Nolan is 18 and Cole is 12. This school year has been emotional for me with Cole starting middle school and Nolan graduating high school. Both boys have kept us very busy school sports. Nolan is a cross country runner and Cole plays baseball as well as any other sport he can fit into our schedule. At times, I feel as though I have a disastrous situation in our own home as I attempt to keep our busy schedules straight. 2. My area of expertiseRead MoreAn Athletic Sport Apparel Company1756 Words   |  8 Pagesan athletic sport apparel company that was built under the concept of creating superior base layer apparel that acts as a performance enhancer for serious athletes. Created by Kevin Plank, a former college football player at the University of Maryland, Under Armour has experienced exponential growth since it was founded in 1996 in Baltimore. The Under Armour story is a simple one, one where â€Å"two guys (Plank and his friend and company COO, Kip Fulks) working day and night in the basement of Plank’s

Monday, December 9, 2019

Starbucks Swot free essay sample

Starbucks was founded in the early 1970’s. Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel, and Gordon Bowker were three academics that came together to found the first Starbucks, named for the coffee loving first mate in Moby Dick. The company was founded in Pike Place, a Seattle marketplace over looking Puget Sound. Starbucks began as a shop selling only coffee beans. In the first twelve years, the founders had built Starbucks into a retail and wholesale business with its own roasting facility. A man by the name of Howard Schultz was hired in 1982 as the head of retail sales and marketing. He opened the first coffee bar in 1984. Though the bar was successful, he was unable to convince the founders to expand more into this area. Schultz had left Starbucks and opened his own coffee bar, II Giornale by 1987. Schultz pulled together some investors and bought out Starbucks from its founders. This new enterprise became the Starbucks Corporation. The company’s first year of profitability did not come until 1990. In 1991, Starbucks opened its first store in Los Angeles, and its first airport location at Seattle’s SeaTac International Airport. Starbucks was taken public on the Nasdaq National Market in 1992 to fund further expansion efforts. By the end of 1992, the number of stores reached one hundred sixty five, including seventy-three cafe locations inside Barnes and Nobles bookstores. Starbucks signed a national contract with Sheraton Hotels in 1994. Starbucks began selling compact discs and formed an alliance with Chapters, a Canadian chain of bookstores in 1995. The total numbers of locations at the end of 1995 had reached six hundred and seventy six. In 1996, Starbucks began to expand their locations internationally starting with Japan and Singapore. Starbucks has continued its global expansion over the years into China, Germany, France, Greece, Indonesia, and many other countries. Starbucks has also continued to expand its product range by joining with Dreyer’s Ice Cream and Jim Bean brand to introduce Starbucks flavored ice cream and liquor. They acquired TAZO, a Portland based Tea Company, and launched the Hear Music media bar. They also sell whole beans and ground coffee to hotels, airline retailers, and restaurants. The strengths of the Starbucks corporation include its global presence, reputation, brand image, workplace, ethics, and clustering of its locations. Starbucks widespread global presence has provided extensive brand recognition. It has also provided a strong customer base with the atmosphere they have built into all of its locations. It has more than 13,000 locations globally. The company has built a global coffee brand and a reputation for serving fine products and the great service given to customers. Starbucks has created a brand image that strongly appeals to Americans. They took common coffee and turned it into an elitist product. Starbucks is known as a company that values its workforce. The company has a generous and comprehensive employee benefits package. The benefits include stock options, health care, career counseling, training programs, discounts provide for all workers, full and part time. Starbucks has very strong ethical values, and are known as a company committed to being a leader in social responsibility. They only buy their coffee beans from reliable sources that do not abuse their workers. A unique strength that Starbucks possesses is the clustering of their locations in high traffic areas. They depended on the basis that an important driver of business is the convenience of location. Using a focus on locations that have convenient access to drivers and pedestrians, Starbucks has clustered its stores to dominate particular areas. Surprisingly, this has not shown to decline the business of the existing locations in that area. The weaknesses of Starbucks include a reliance on the US market, dependence on innovation, dependence on competitive advantage, problems in some international locations, and undermining of its image. Starbucks has a majority of its locations inside the United States of America. They should look to generate more profit from their international locations in order to spread the business risk. Starbucks also has a dependence on their beverage innovations. Their US store’s sales growth has been driven by innovation, this may falter over time, and have seriously adverse effects on the company’s performance. The company is dependent on their main competitive advantage, the retailing of coffee. Their competitive advantage is being infringed upon more now than ever and this could make them slow to diversify into other interests. Starbucks has also been facing problems in some of their international locations. The difficulties include a number of failed store openings, cancellation of some of their joint ventures, and cultural differences. The ending of some of its joint ventures has caused others in the same region to end the relationship with Starbucks also, affecting the growth prospects in these regions. There have also been some problems with their retail outlets in China, which ended in removing Starbucks from some locations in China. Starbucks has begun to undermine its own image. They had taken out their hand-operated machines and replaced them with automatic machines to speed up service. By doing this they have tarnished the image that the company was passionate about coffee, and great care of service. Starbucks opportunities include new products and services, expanding their global market, coffee market growth, and new ways of advertising. Starbucks is known for their ability to introduce new products and services that can be retailed in their cafes. They have introduced media bars, CD burning services, and many other services into their cafes. They have expanded their beverage selections joining with other brands to introduce Starbucks liquors and bottle coffee drinks into the mass market. Co-branding with other manufacturers to present Starbucks named products has great potential, because of the name recognition that Starbucks has created. The coffee markets in other countries are expanding. This gives Starbucks an opportunity to expand further into countries that are large in urban populations and have growing economies. The specialty coffee market is expanding. Starbucks has basically created the specialty coffee market and therefore, hold a good percentage of the current market share in the specialty coffee market. If they can keep their hold on the market, many opportunities for further growth can be expected. In the past, Starbucks has depended on their baristas and word of mouth advertising. This year for the holiday season, Starbucks began a mainstream TV advertising campaign, the first in the company’s history. Starbucks threats have increased in the last few years. These threats include many new competitors, the declining US economy, rising production costs, unpredictable coffee markets, and the nature of people. Mom and pop stores and Dunkin Donuts were Starbucks biggest competitors in the coffee industry, but they catered more to common coffee flavors without much variety. McDonald’s has announced their plans to open nearly fourteen thousand coffee bars inside their current locations. They will be Starbucks biggest competitor. The declining US economy and otential threat of recession will make Americans look harder for better prices, not for image. Starbucks image is that of an expensive and elitist brand, McDonald’s image is of affordability and convenience. In rough times, Americans are known to choose more reasonably priced chains. This is a significant threat to Starbucks. The rising cost of production necessities is also a problem. Prices for food commodities are risin g to an all-time high in America. This has forced Starbucks to pass this cost on to consumers with two price increases in the last year for its products. Another threat that Starbucks faces is that of the unpredictability of coffee markets. Starbucks requirement for quality coffee beans makes them vulnerable to many uncontrollable factors in other countries that grow coffee beans. These factors can include everything for the weather to the political climate of those countries. This could potentially cause serious disruption to the company’s operations. People in general are a fickle bunch. Specialty coffee drinks could be replaced by any new product that comes on the market at any time. In conclusion, I believe that the company is headed in the right direction at the present time. They have fired the Jim McDonald, the chief executive for the last few years, who has lead Starbucks into their first serious crisis. Howard Schultz will retake the lead at Starbucks. Starbucks shares are dropping, and the number of customers bring served has dropped for the last two years in a row. They have announced plans to close nearly one hundred low performing locations, and cut back on the new store openings that had been planned for this year, though they will continue to open new stores outside the United States. They are also getting rid of some of the food offerings, because of customer complaints that the food smells have taken away from the coffee aromas. I believe that these are all goods steps for Starbucks to take. They are also trying a few things I believe will not work. Starbucks has run a one-dollar coffee special at some of its Seattle locations. I think by doing this they are continuing to demolish they image. If they try to compete with the prices of chains, such as McDonalds, they lose the elitist image that brought them so much growth in the beginning. I believe they should stick with the image that has made them a strong force in the market place. I believe that Starbucks should institute sales, but in a way that would bring back their former glory. A happy hour special for example could bring in business away for bars and into the coffee bar. For the people getting off of work and looking for a place to unwind, Starbucks could offer happy hour specials that would cater to the after work crowd. Starbucks has the locations and atmosphere to make it a socializing occasion. This could open up a completely new market place for Starbucks.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Kinds of Cement

Cement refers to the powder that forms one of the key ingredients used to manufacture concrete. In the Roman Empire, where it originated, it served as an essential component in construction. The source of the modern cement is limestone, calcium and silicon. At times, aluminium and iron are included in its production.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Kinds of Cement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cement’s main use is to manufacture concrete inclusive of sand, gravel and water since the mixture strengthens after hardening. This resulting mixture can withstand high pressure due to its high compression strength (Mackie14). Additionally, before hardening, the mixture can undergo modelling to create various shapes. Thus, with this understanding, it is necessary to distinguish the different types of cement, which can allow someone to make either porous or watertight models. Depending on the cement type, a variet y of structures could demonstrate the features of cement. Portland cement is one of the major kinds of cement mostly used in concrete. This type of cement originated from a British bricklayer, Joseph Aspdin, in1824. Occasionally, people misunderstand the name Portland as a brand name, but it originated from the colour of the natural limestone in the isle of Portland. The other types of cement include the blended and the hydraulic cement (Hanson 28). Essentially, both the Portland and the hydraulic cements are hydraulic cements. The hydraulic cement comprises of cements, which have a generic nature in the construction industry. Furthermore, it is associated to any cement mixable with water before hardening. Due to this significant feature, the modern construction often uses the hydraulic cement. Among the three types of cement, there exist different forms, which are magnificent in the construction industry. The Portland cement is a form of hydraulic cement, but with its own unique co mponents and types. This type of cement contains the hydraulic calcium silicates, which differentiate it from the other types of cement. Under the Portland cement, there exist eight different varieties which range from Type one to Type five (Ryall et al.16).Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, within each type, there are two varieties, which portray the level of mixture of its components and the usage. Type one and Type one-A constitute of the Portland cement used for most of the basic construction. Type two and Type two-A constitute of the cement made up of tricalcium aluminate, but does not exceed 8 percent of its input components. Thus, it is suitable for hot areas. Concerning this feature, this form of cement can withstand moderate heat of hydration nature. Type three and Type three-A are finer despite exhibiting the characteristics of Type one cement. This aspect enables it to strengthen faster. Type four takes longer to strengthen, but once it has strengthened it lasts longer compared to the other types. Lastly, Type five is made from less than 5 percent of tricalcium that gives it the high resistance to sulphate. Blended cement is a form of hydraulic cement, but is originates from a mixture of one type of cement material with another. The main materials used to make the blended cement include the slag cement and Portland cement. In addition to these components, there is silica fume, pozzolan, fly ash, calcined clay and hydrated lime. Because of this mixture, there exist two types of blended cement. These include Type one-Y and Type two-Y (Mackie 81). Mixing Portland and slug in a furnace produces Type one-Y cement. On the other hand, the source of the Type two-Y is a mixture of Portland and pozzolan. In this case, the element Y represents the amount of the later material, which makes up the cement type. The hydraulic cement hardened becau se of its mixture with water consists of six varieties. This form of categorisation entails its usage in the construction industry, components and resistance to sulphate. The six types of hydraulic cement include Type GU, Type HE, Type MS, Type HS, Type MH and Type LH (Gebhardt 48). Type GU refers to the hydraulic cement made from both Portland and blended cement. It is usable for general purposes. Type HE entails the cement with a high early strength mostly used for construction purposes. Type MS refers to cement characterised by moderate resistance to sulphate.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Kinds of Cement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Type HS concerns cement with a high resistance to sulphate. Type MH refers to cement which can withstand moderate heat of hydration. For Type LH, it can withstand low heat of hydration. Considering these forms of cement, the derivation of any generic cement can relate to th e need of its usage. This implies that a mixture of any of the above types could result in a new type of cement. The categorisation of cement describes the different forms of cement use in the construction industry. Additionally, the categorisation demonstrates the different forms of cement manufactured in a variety of places based on the available components (Frohnsdorff 32). The attainment of flexibility is possible since the construction industries can use any type of cement according to the project. After mastering the different types of cement, it is essential to understand various forms of cement mixtures used to make concrete. This art needs specialised individuals in order to achieve the desired outcome exhibited by the cement. Additionally, cement could facilitate various projects as long as its characteristics are easily accessible to the constructors. Works Cited Frohnsdorff, Geoffrey. Blended cements: a symposium. Philadelphia, PA: ASTM, 1986. Print. Gebhardt, Ronald F. Rapid methods for chemical analysis of hydraulic cement. Philadelphia, PA: ASTM, 1988. Print. Hanson, Todd, and Ouyang Chengsheng. Evaluation of the Duggan test for concretes made of different types of cements. Ames, Iowa: Iowa Dept. of Transportation, 2000. Print. Mackie, John. The cement of the universe; a study of causation. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ryall, Mark, Godwin Parke, and Edison Harding. The manual of bridge engineering. London: Thomas Telford, 2000. Print. This essay on Kinds of Cement was written and submitted by user Kendra Heath to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

How to Use the French Adverbial Phrase Tout à Fait

How to Use the French Adverbial Phrase Tout Fait Tout fait,  pronounced  too ta feh, is a ubiquitous French adverbial phrase  that means absolutely, exactly, completely.  Pas tout fait  means not exactly or not quite. Tout, the  root of the expression, can be used in a number of ways. Tout as an adverb can team with  other adverbs, adjectives, and the prepositions  Ã‚  and  de  to form tout-based adverbial expressions and phrases, which means two or more words act together as an  adverb. Tout  in adverbial phrases and expressions is an intensifier that translates as very, right, quite, all as with tout cà ´tà © de moi  (right next to me).  When it is used  in an adverbial expression such as  tout droit  (straight ahead) or in an adverbial phrase with  Ã‚  and  de  such as  tout fait  (exactly), it is nearly always invariable, meaning its form does not change for agreement.   Pronunciation of the Final 'T' in 'Tout' When tout  precedes a vowel, as it does in  tout fait, the final t is pronounced  to make the phrase easier and faster to say.  Thus, the whole phrase is pronounced  too ta feh. The same goes for tout coup,  tout lheure, and tout au contraire.  When the final t in tout precedes a consonant, the final t is not pronounced, as with tout dun coup, too duh(n) koo.   'Tout' in Adverbial Phrases With the Prepositions: ''and 'de'   Ã‚  Ã‚  tout coup  Ã‚  all of a sudden  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout fait  Ã‚  absolutely  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout lheure  Ã‚  shortly, right away  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout au contraire  Ã‚  on the contrary  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout de suite  Ã‚  immediately  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout de mà ªme  Ã‚  all the same, anyway  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout dun coup  Ã‚  all at once 'Tout' in Adverbial Expressions   Ã‚  Ã‚  tout doucement   very quietly  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout droit   straight ahead  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout haut   very loudly  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout loin dici   very far from here  Ã‚  Ã‚  tout prà ¨s   very near Uses of 'Tout Fait' Generally speaking, the adverbial phrase  tout  Ã‚  fait is used in a couple of ways: 1)  As an interjection to express strong or enthusiastic agreement: Il devrait amener ses parents la fà ªte.   He should take his parents to the party.Oui, tout fait !   Yes, absolutely! 2)  For emphasis: ​Vous avez tout fait raison.   Youre absolutely correct.   Examples Sentences With 'Tout Fait' Ceci constitue notre problà ¨m.   This is our  problem.Tout  Ã‚  fait.   Exactly, I completely agree.Cest tout fait ordinaire.   Its completely ordinary.Ce nest pas tout fait ce que je voulais.   Its not quite what I wanted.Tout le monde est daccord ?   Does everyone agree?Pas tout fait.   Not exactly.En es-tu tout fait conscient  ? Are you fully aware of it ?Je vous comprends tout fait. I understand you perfectly well.Ce nest pas tout fait exact. Its not quite correctNai-je pas raison  ? Tout fait  ! Am I right ? Absolutely !Cest tout fait ce que je cherche. Its exactly what Ive been looking for.Vous faites les retouches  ? Do you do alterations ?Tout fait. Certainly (we do)​.   Additional Resources All About ToutExpressions With Expressions With Fait and FaireSynonyms for NonSynonyms for OuiSynonyms for Trà ¨sMost Common French Phrases

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Count Raymond of Toulouse - Crusader

Count Raymond of Toulouse - Crusader Raymond of Toulouse was also known as: Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Raimond de Saint-Gilles, Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, Raymond I of Tripoli, marquis of Provence; also spelled Raymund Raymond of Toulouse was known for: Being the first nobleman to take the cross and lead an army in the First Crusade. Raymond was an important leader of the Crusades armies, and participated in the capture of Antioch and Jerusalem. Occupations: CrusaderMilitary Leader Places of Residence and Influence: FranceThe Latin East Important Dates: Born: c. 1041Antioch captured: June 3, 1098Jerusalem captured: July 15, 1099Died: Feb. 28, 1105 About Raymond of Toulouse: Raymond was born in Toulouse, France, in 1041 or 1042. Upon taking the countship, he began to reassemble his ancestral lands, which had been lost to other families. After 30 years he built up a significant power base in southern France, where he controlled 13 counties. This made him more powerful than the king. A devout Christian, Raymond was a staunch supporter of the papal reform that Pope Gregory VII had initiated and that Urban II continued. He is believed to have fought in the Reconquista in Spain, and may have gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When Pope Urban made his call for Crusade in 1095, Raymond was the first leader to take up the cross. Already past 50 and considered elderly, the count left the lands hed so carefully consolidated in the hands of his son and committed to go on a perilous journey to the Holy Land along with his wife. In the Holy Land, Raymond proved to be one of the most effective leaders of the First Crusade. He helped capture Antioch, then led the troops onward to Jerusalem, where he participated in a successful siege yet refused to become king of the vanquished city. Later, Raymond captured Tripoli and built near the city the castle of Mons Peregrinus (Mont-Pà ¨lerin). He died there in February, 1105. Raymond was missing an eye; how he lost it remains a matter of conjecture. More Raymond of Toulouse Resources: Portrait of Raymond of Toulouse Raymond of Toulouse in Print The link below will take you to an online bookstore, where you can find more information about the book to help you get it from your local library. This is provided as a convenience to you; neither Melissa Snell nor About is responsible for any purchases you make through these links.   Raymond IV Count of Toulouseby John Hugh Hill and Laurita Lyttleton Hill Raymond of Toulouse on the Web Raymond IV, of Saint-GillesBrief bio at the Catholic EncyclopediaThe First CrusadeMedieval FranceChronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society The text of this document is copyright  ©2011-2016 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is   not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/rwho/p/who-raymond-of-toulouse.htm

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Undecided Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Undecided - Research Paper Example As international trade is complex and requires greater documentation and control, international commercial banks are actively involved in facilitating it by providing financial instruments that cater to exporters and importers. The role of commercial banks in international trade is of utmost important as they provide reliability and assurance to their clients, and provide an easy process to finance trade. This report will cover many aspects of international trade finance. It will focus on the financial instruments that are used to make payment in international trade, the parties involved in international trade finance, and trade finance methods. ... finances the trade cycle from the production till the goods are bought by the buyer and may require financing from the bank to support the production process. In most international trade transactions, the buyer and the supplier have separate banks that act as intermediaries to the transaction. Cash-in-advance The prepayment method involves cash in advance paid by the buyer to the seller. It is a risky and expensive method for the buyer but it may occur in cases where the seller is a long time business partner or a trustworthy party and the buyer is new in the market. In this scenario, the buyer will transfer the payment through his bank to the exporter’s bank account. This is the safest method of financing for exporters as they do not ship the goods till the payment is received from the importer. Letter of Credit A letter of credit is one of the most commonly used financial instruments in international trade. The letter of credit is a document that the importers bank issues pr omising to pay the exporter upon presentation of the relevant shipping documents such as bill of lading or bill of exchange in accordance with the terms agreed. This provides greater guarantee for the exporter as the bank is a more reliable creditor than any importer and it is easier for the importer as the bank will not release payment till the legal documents have been received. Although, this is riskier for the exporter as compared to the prepayment method, it is a secure was of transferring payment. The letter of credit stands even if the importer is unable to make the payment, thus the issuing bank is liable for the payment to the exporter and not the importer under the letter of credit. In cases where the exporter fears that the issuing bank’s guarantee is not sufficient, which could be

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Longitudinal study vs survey methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Longitudinal study vs survey methods - Essay Example This kind of a study is special in its nature in that the researcher is not required to interfere with the subjects of the study but, is required to use the same subjects in the conduct of the several phases of the study. Thus, a longitudinal study can establish a sequence of research events during its conduct. This form of study is very beneficial to a researcher in the sense that one is able to detect the changes or developments in the characteristics of the test subjects (sample population) either at the individual levels or at the group level. 1. Hutto, C.J., Yardi, S., & Gilbert. E., (2013). A Longitudinal Study of Follow Predictors on Twitter. CHI , 1-10. 2. Rajulton, F. (2001). The Fundamentals of Longitudinal Research: An Overview. Special Issue on Longitudinal Methodology, Canadian Studies in Population , Vol. 28 (2), 169-185. 3. Diamond, L. M. (2008). Female Bisexuality From Adolescence to Adulthood: Results From a 10-Year Longitudinal Study. Developmental Psychology , Vol. 44 (1), 5-14. 4. Huesmann, L. R., Moise-Titus, J., Podolski, C-L., Eron, L. D., (2003). Longitudinal Relations Between Children’s Exposure to TV Violence and Their Aggressive and Violent Behavior in Young Adulthood: 1977–1992. Developmental Psychology , Vol. 39 (2), 201-221. 5. Farrall, S. (2007). ... The chart below shows a summary of the benefits and challenges faced by this research method as shall be discussed later in the essay. PART 3 Survey method is a research method that studies individual units that have been sampled from the main population as well as the techniques of the data collection used in the survey such as the construction of the questionnaires. Consequently, a survey research method would look into the accuracy of the survey responses as well as the methods that can be used to improve their number. In most cases, the researcher undertakes the surveys so as to be able to make statistical inferences regarding the population under study (Zikmund, 2013). The chart below shows a summary of the benefits and challenges faced by this research method as shall be discussed later in the essay. PART 4 Longitudinal Research Method Survey Research Method Refers to an observational study that is conducted upon the same subjects or sample through the gathering of data repeate dly over a period of time. This period of time may extend to even one year or beyond like a decade Refers to a research method that studies individual units that have been sampled from the main population as well as the techniques of the data collection used in the survey such as the construction of the questionnaires. Benefits Challenges Benefits Challenges 1. It does allow the researchers to easily identify any changes or developments that may occur in the characteristics of the target or sample population both at the individual and group levels. 1. The observations by definition are not independent. As such the study must always account for the data dependency. 1. It is relatively easy to develop and to administer especially when using advanced survey

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The play A Doll House Essay Example for Free

The play A Doll House Essay A Doll House Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the play, A doll house, it is clear that there is imbalance of power between Nora and her husband Helmer. The husband goes to work and earns for the family while the wife is left at home to do the chores. This brings about the theme of gender inequality. It is also clear that the writer puts more emphasis on the looks of Nora than those of her husband; this shows how the society views men and women differently. The husband is also displayed as being questionable about how the wife is spending the money on gifts even without considering that its Christmas time and they can now afford it from the salary he is getting. If Nora had not been that beautiful, may be Helmer would not have married her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The writer of this book emphasizes much on gender inequality, there is also the aspect of the very many lies that couple keep in their marriages in order to keep them alive which in most of the cases end up being the reason for the separation. There is also the aspect of man eat man society, Krogstad uses Nora in order to retain his job threatening her for a favor he had done a long time ago. At the end of the play, Nora feels her husband had taken her like a doll only to be admired for its beauty and that he did not trust her and therefore she left.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The economic factors have really affected the society in a doll house especially the women to an extent of their ideas and choices about their marriages.  Nora illegally borrowed money for the trip that she and Torvald took to Italy; she told Torvald that the money had come from her father. For years, Nora reveals, she has worked and saved in secret, slowly repaying the debt, and soon it will be fully repaid. This money was borrowed through Krogstad’s help and when Helmer wanted to sack him,he asks Nora to use her influence to ensure that his position remains secure. When she refuses, Krogstad points out that he has in his possession a contract that contains Nora’s forgery of her father’s signature. Their conversation reveals that the two had been once deeply in love, but Mrs. Linde left Krogstad for a wealthier man who would enable her to support her family. She tells Krogstad that now that she is free of her own fa milial obligations and wishes to be with Krogstad and care for his children. References Ibsen, Henrik, Rolf Fjelde, CalistaFlockhart, Tony Abatemarco, Tim DeKay, Jeannie Elias, Gregory Itzin, JoBeth Williams, Rosalind Ayres, and Susan A. Loewenberg.  A Doll House. Venice, Calif.: L.A. Theatre Works, 2012. Internet resource. Source document

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Herb Garden :: Internet Chat Rooms Communication Essays

The Herb Garden The Internet until recently has not been something I am overly familiar with. It has only been in the last year that I have really been using a computer for much beyond word processing, and email. The Internet and its online communities, are a completely new experience for me, and quite a foreign one at that. During this past semester, I have found myself needing to look up all sorts of different information, and the Internet has been a primary source for that information. Since I have AOL, I attempted to get used to my computer and how the Internet works, by spending time in the AOL chat areas. The chat rooms that I have encountered with AOL, have pretty much been social environments. The people in these rooms are primarily trying to meet other people, on a personal level. The majority of chat rooms do not really contain people talking about anything different then they would in a bar. These chat rooms did however give me a quick lesson on how chat rooms worked, and I quickly figured out how to keep up with the conversations taking place. There is however and exception to the bar atmosphere. When my dog was ill I went into the dog chat room on AOL. All of the people in this room were true dog lovers, and extremely helpful. They seemed really concerned not only about my problem but there was also a person whose dog had been stolen. Every person in the room offered her sympathy and advice. One of the people I met even emailed me several days later to check up on my dog. So you can find help in some of the AOL chat rooms. I had much the same experience when I went to check out the Buffy The Vampire Slayer web page. I am a big Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan, and have gone to that web site many times. There is a posting board and a chat room attached to the site, which I was very excited about. I thought that since I was a Buffy fan, I would fit right in and have a lot to talk about. Unfortunately the people on the posting board and in the chat rooms seem to have formed special bonds. They were not overly friendly, nor did they really want to talk to me. After several frustrating attempts to join in, a member Angle3 finally told me that you have to post everyday, numerous times a day, before the other people will let you into their group.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Requirements Gathering

Requirements Gathering 101 By Duncan Haughey, PMP Requirements gathering is an essential part of any project and project management. Understanding fully what a project will deliver is critical to its success. This may sound like common sense, but surprisingly it's an area that is often given far too little attention. Many projects start with the barest headline list of requirements, only to find later the customers' needs have not been properly understood. One-way to avoid this problem is by producing a statement of requirements. This document is a guide to the main requirements of the project.It provides: A succinct requirement specification for management purposes. A statement of key objectives – a â€Å"cardinal points† specification. A description of the environment in which the system will work. Background information and references to other relevant material. Information on major design constraints. The contents of the statement of requirements should be stable or change relatively slowly. Once you have created your statement of requirements, ensure the customer and all other stakeholders sign-up to it and understand that this and only this will be delivered.Finally, ensure you have cross-referenced the requirements in the statement of requirements with those in the project definition report to ensure there is no mismatch. 10 Rules for Successful Requirements Gathering To be successful at requirements gathering and to give your project an increased likelihood of success follow these rules: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Don't assume you know what the customer wants, ask. Involve the users from the start. Define and agree the scope of the project. Ensure requirements are specific, realistic and measurable. Gain clarity if there is any doubt.Create a clear, concise and thorough requirements document and share it with the customer. Confirm your understanding of the requirements with the customer (play them back). Avoid talking technology or sol utions until the requirements are fully understood. Get the requirements agreed with the stakeholders before the project starts. Create a prototype if necessary to confirm or refine the customers' requirements. Common Mistakes Basing a solution on complex or cutting edge technology and then discovering that it cannot easily be rolled out to the ‘real world'.Not prioritising the User Requirements, for example ‘must have', ‘should have', ‘could have' and ‘would have,' known as the MoSCoW principle. Not enough consultation with real users and practitioners. Solving the ‘problem' before you know what it is. Lacking a clear understanding and making assumptions rather than asking. Requirements gathering is about creating a clear, concise and agreed set of customer requirements that allow you to provide exactly what they are looking for.  © Project Smart 2000-2011. All rights reserved. 1

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Family Violence Essay

Family violence is not a new phenomenon, as it has essentially existed since the beginning of time. Only in modern times, however have societies begun to recognize violence and family members as a social problem (Barnett, Miller-Perrin & Perrin, 2005). For many years, the social problem of family violence had not only been heavily ignored, but for a number of years, had not been fully understood. For example, family violence takes many forms and has a number of different names. Family violence, also known as domestic violence, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence (IPV), is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one partner against another in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation (Barnett et al., 2005). Moreover, family violence includes but is not limited to physical abuse such as kicking and punching, but also includes sexual and emotional abuse. Emotional abuse includes controlling or domineering; intimi dation; stalking; passive/covert abuse (neglect) and economic deprivation and in many cases is more severe than physical abuse. The changing visibility of family violence is the leading indicator of the necessity of an historical approach to understanding it (Gordon, 2002). Over the past few years, the general public in the US has become familiar with family violence through news coverage of highly publicizes cases, TV programs and movies. At the same time, researchers have made great strides in recognizing the scope of family violence and the context in which it occurs (Barnett et al., 2005). As sociologists know of it today, family violence is politically, historically and socially constructed (Gordon, 2002). In terms of power relations and functionalism, family violence arises out of power struggles in which members of the family are contesting for resources and benefits (Gordon, 2002). Furthermore, these contests arise from both personal aspirations and change social norms and conditions (Gordon, 2002). It is therefore important to know that family violence cannot be understood outside the context of the overall politics of the family. Historical developments that continue to influence family violence include prominent changes in the situation of women and children (Gordon, 2002). It is imperative therefore for a historical analysis of family violence to include a view of the changing power relations among classes, sexes, and generations (Gordon, 2002). Political attitudes have also affected research â€Å"findings† about family violence. Both psychological and sociological interpretations in the debate often ignore the gender politics of family violence issues, and the gender implications of policy recommendations, not only when women or girls were the victims, but also when women were the abusers (Gordon, 2002). Over the past 80 years, four major types of family violence have be studied and examined; child abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse of children and wife beating. In later years, there have been other forms of family violence, which include sibling abuse (which is the most common form of family violence), and elder abuse (Gordon, 2002). Family violence has had many different faces historically, and has been classified in five different stages with different focuses periodically. The first was the 19th century and child saving era, which was from 1876-1910. During this era, there was anti-cruelty to children movement that was influenced by the temperance movement. Emphasis on the cruelty done to kids was placed on the immigrant poor and never the respectable classes (Gordon, 2002). The progressive era was followed by a child saving era which lasted from 1910 -1930 which lead to an emphasis on child neglect. During this era, there was a decrease emphasis on alcohol and identified other forms of stress such as poverty, unemployment and illness (Gordon, 2002). The depressed followed the progressive era where there was an increased defense for the conventional nuclear family. During the World War world war 2 era and the 1950’s child neglect was increasingly seen as emotional neglect and the 1960s and 70s was a period of increased medicalization of family violence which, as sociologists have identified can have extremely negative affects (Gordon, 2002). A lot of attention to family violence began to gain increasing importance during the time of the women’s movement in the 1970s as a concern about wives being beaten by their husbands. Interestingly enough, there was a rise in what some call â€Å"the men’s movement† as response to the problem of domestic violence against men, which is largely omitted in the feminist theory (Barnett et al., 2005). Some flaws in the feminist approach to family violence (as well as others that will be further discussed in the paper), is that it has reduced domestic violence, especially against men as their likelihood of being killed by a female intimate partner has decreased six-fold (Barnett et al. , 2005). OVERVIEW OF SEMINAR READINGS: WEEK 2 Symbolic interactionism is a perspective which seeks to understand how people interact with others (Ingoldsby, Smith & Miller, 2004a). The theory claims that people interact with one another by interpreting each other’s actions (Ingoldsby et al., 2004a). Their response is based on the meanings that they attach to such actions (Ingoldsby et al., 2004a). Thus, human interaction is largely mediated by the use of symbols (Karp & Yoels, 1993). Authors Karp & Yoels (1993) discuss notions of the generalized other and looking-glass self as examples of symbols with which we interact. In one instance, the self emerges from common expectations that others have about social norms within a particular society (Karp & Yoels, 1993). But in another instance, people will self-evaluate themselves against the perceived judgments of others and act accordingly (Karp & Yoels, 1993). The emphasis on symbols brings attention to the roles people play. Role-playing is a key mechanism that allows people to see another person’s perspective to understand what an action might mean (Ingoldsby et al., 2004a). In sum, no situation is static but rather contextual (Ingoldsby et al., 2004a). Individuals then through their own behavior and interaction with others, construct their individual social realities (Karp & Yoels, 1993; Ingoldsby et al., 2004a). Situating family violence within a framework of symbolic interactionism is important in that it provides a context within which people develop their personal interpretations of events. Therefore to understand family violence requires knowledge of the processes through which such interpretations emerge. Rosen (1996) and Mullaney (2007) illustrate ways in which interpretations of the self are at the core of domestic violence. Their findings are essential for understanding how family violence continues over time. Findings also help to account for the formation and preservation of culture and social roles in society. In one respect, interpretations of the self are mediated through two primary orientations of communication: processes of seduction an d processes of entrapment (Rosen, 1996). This first is characterized by forces that tend to draw women into their relationships (romantic fantasies and romantic fusion) and the second by forces that keep them there: survival tactics, cognitive dissonance, roller coaster relationships, traumatic bonding, Romeo and Juliet effects, and peer-family collusion (Rosen, 1996). For example, within the framework of symbolic interactionism, processes of seduction can be loosely defined as a dependent emotional state (Rosen, 1996). Individuals then, connect with partners because they internalize similar understandings of weakness and dependency to communicate feelings of love (Rosen, 1996). The interplay of such communication patterns facilitates an environment of spousal abuse that is likely to continue so long as interaction is repetitive (Rosen, 1996). Processes of entrapment on the other hand, can be argued to demonstrate the externalization of the communication patterns found in processes of seduction. Once meanings of dependency and weakness have been internalized as being both legitimate and appropriate within the context of one’s relationship, these women rationalize such behavior as the norm and thus stay. Survival tactics for example illustrate these efforts, by which women actively engage towards relationship management of an abusive relationship, otherwise internalized as an acceptable social norm. In contrast, Mullaney (2007) identifies low self-esteem as a correlate of men’s violent behavior. Domestic violence then, is a reaction to the attacks or perceived attacks on men’s self-concept (Mullaney, 2007). Mullaney (2007) argues that men will most often justify, yet also minimize, excuse, or blame and offer no apology on account for their violence towards women. These categories serve as scripts through which perceptions of masculinity are restored (Mullaney, 2007). If threatened, masculinity evolves accordingly as men interpret the actions of those around them. For example, women’s irrational spending habits may undermine men’s role as financial provider (Mullaney, 2007). Men would argue that such habits do not align functionally with women’s domestic and social roles (Mullaney, 2007). By doing so, men’s responses are based on the meanings which they attach to such actions and reflect cultural expectations of gender difference. This is problematic because it helps promote and develop stereotypically gendered selves (Mullaney, 2007). Symbolic interactionism then, becomes useful in demonstrating how dominant ideologies of gender are enacted within the interactions of marital relationships, and lend to domestic violence in the process. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES Feminist Theory The root of feminist theory begins with the inclusion of gender and power. Feminists argue that the distinctions between males and females are not inherent or functional; rather they are socially constructed to create and maintain male power in society and thus the family (Yllo, 1993). This sense of patriarchy reinforces traditional social roles and the relationship between the division of power and gender. The feminist perspective suggests that men use violence to retain their dominance or sense of control within the institution of the family. Thus, the feminist paradigm believes that domestic violence is utilized as another means of the social control of women, and takes roots at a personal, institutional, symbolic and material level. The application of a feminist lens to Rosen’s (1996) article allows for a very different approach to the processes of abduction and entrapment. The feminist perspective would likely explain that the forces drawing women into abusive relationshi ps were largely due to the social expectations of femininity and masculinity. The concept of romantic fantasies can be explored through gender identities. Here society portrays the male as being a strong, aggressive, independent individual and the female as a weak, docile individual that is largely dependant on their partner. For instance, the fantasy of Cinderella eludes that a man can protect a woman and save her from her problems. Feminists would suggest that women fall victim to these relationships due to the inequalities portrayed by traditional gender norms. Feminist theorists would likely explain the concept of romantic fusion as being due to the extremely controlling nature of husbands within a patriarchal marriage. This type of relationship is defined as Patriarchal Terrorism (Johnson, 1995). Here, the woman in the relationship would be forced to part with her individual characteristics and become completely devoted to her husband (Johnson, 1995). Furthermore, the husband may further restrict the identity of the woman by refusing to allow her to go to work or maintain friends outside of the actual relationship. The feminist lens would offer a slightly different interpretation of the processes that restrict women from escaping abusive relationships. Though women may still use coping mechanisms and adhere to other social forces, outlined by symbolic interactionaists, feminist theory suggests two main reasons why they stay in violent relationships. The first reason women stay in abusive relationships is fro the sake of their children (Emery, 2009). In cases such as these women will stay with the intent of maintaining some stability for their kids by trying keeping the family in tact. The other reasons women may stay are due to the normalization of gender norms in society. Feminist theory sees the root causes of intimate partner violence as a causation of living in a society that excuses aggressive male behaviours (Yllo, 1993). In other words, because these behaviours are so normative, some women may excuse the behavior and treat it as the norm. What is perceived as the norm also varies across culture. Even today, many cultures adhere to traditional hegemonic norms and strongly believe women should be completely subservient to their husbands. In cases such as this, abuse may be next to impossible to escape. The application of the feminist perspective to Mullaney’s (2007) article would allow for a similar analysis of the attitudes of men and their reasons for rationalizing their abusive behaviours. Mullaney (2007) suggests that men will often become violent due to low self-esteem and a perceived attack on their self-concept. The feminist lens would suggest that men become violent due to the inequalities in society that allow men an advantage position and with that gendered norms. Traditional hegemonic masculine norms suggest that men should be leaders that are strong, in control and tough. This is what the men in the study were trying to demonstrate. Whenever, they felt that their sense of masculinity was being challenged they would lash out in an attempt to regain control. The Control Model of Domestic Violence further provides a precise framework in displaying the interconnectedness between violence and other forms of coercive control. Simply put, the feminist theory suggests th at men use violence as a tactic of controlling their abused wives from participating in actions they have not sanctioned. Family Systems Theory The Family Systems theory provides a very unique, holistic perspective on the topic of violence in the family. This perspective describes the family as a unit of interacting personalities. Sociologist Ernest Burgess, best summarized this perspective when he stated that the family is more then just a definition; it is a living, super personality that has its essence in the interaction of its members (Ingoldsby, Smith & Miller, 2004b). Each member of the family plays a very important role in the overall functioning of the unit. When applied to the topic of violence in the institution of the family, this paradigm focuses on the family dynamics that contribute to domestic abuse. Subsequently less attention is focused on the individual perpetrating the violence and more attention is paid to the environment surrounding the violence and the role each character in the family plays. The Family Systems perspective offers a diverse interpretation of Rosen’s (1996) article on the processe s of abduction and entrapment. Family Systems Theorists differ with respect to how they feel that women are drawn into abusive relationships. This perspective identifies the connection between family goals, rules and control, and how together one can fully understand the development and causation of domestic abuse (Ingoldsby et al., 2004b). For example in the article by Rosen (1996), it can be seen that by using family systems theory and studying familial interactions that certain females may be predisposed to the Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast paradigms. By looking at how their families’ function, one may be able to see the recycling effect due to unresolved or violent backgrounds these victimized individuals may come from. They may fall into a similar pattern from what they know at home, thereby examining the origins of this behavior and viewing the interconnectedness of how one internalizes family rules and ideas of control. Family System’s Theory offers a unique interpretation as to the role women play in becoming stuck in abusive relationships. In the stages preceding marriage, women will often date their partner, while simultaneously leading separate lives which consist of separate relations. As the commitment in a relationship increases, a couple begins to modify their individual social lives. In these types of situations, both men and women will often make more time for one another. This allows for the woman to feel appreciated and loved. As the relationship continues to progress, incidents of sexual jealously among men will often become a major source of conflict. This sense of possessiveness will ultimately cause the female to begin severing ties with male friends, and become increasingly committed to her future husband (Dobash & Dobash, 1993). Once married, dramatic changes occur and the extreme constriction of the wives social life takes place. With the introduction of children, comes the solidification of traditional gendered norms. Wives become extremely restricted and are left responsible for domestic work, such as the operation of the home (Dobash & Dobash, 1993). This may cause women to become increasingly dependant on their husbands. Subsequently, when sources of conflict occur, such as sexual jealousy, disputes over domestic duties or the expenditure of money, women may feel that they have no mobility and are stick in their current situation. Lastly, Family Systems Theory offers a holistic approach to the factors found in Mullaney’s (2007) article that cause men abuse their partners. Like Feminists, Family Systems theorists also believe that a very important aspect of traditional hegemonic masculinity is the element of control. However, unlike the feminist theory this approach attempts to understand what causes men to lose control. One explanation is that violent men often feel as if they may lose control, if they express their emotions, and thus hold it in. This in turn, causes violent men to generally be less emotionally reactive to stress on a day-to-day basis, then non-violent men (Umberson, Anderson, Williams, & Chen, 2003). Though in the short term, repression may be a successful coping strategy for reducing stress and anxiety, it causes the individual increased predicaments in the long run. Repression turns a violent man into a ticking-time bomb, one that is ready to explode in a violent manner. As a result, unlike feminist theories or social interactionism, family systems theory attempts to understand violence in the family by examining every interdependent part of the family. This includes the part both the victims and the offenders play, as well as the role everyday stresses and ones immediate environment have in contributing to family violence. Social Constructionism The methodological approach of Social Constructionism somewhat contrasts the assumptions of other theoretical perspectives that explore the issue of family violence. This paradigm suggests that the emergence of social problems is heavily due to how society, or more specifically institutions within society such as the mainstream media, portrays the issue at hand. Furthermore, social constructionists are often referred to as claims-makers, in that they present a claim that attempts to define the problem at hand. These claims can be heavily influenced by the agenda of the claims-maker, and will clearly identify the roles of the characters within the construct of the event. For instance, social constructionist’s will identify the perpetrator of the violence as the villain and the abused partner as the victim. The analysis of Rosen’s article surrounding the processes involved with seduction and entrapment, using a constructionist lens, provides a different interpretation to the ways women become bound to abusive relations. This perspective focuses on the subjective definitions that cause social problems and look to frame the phenomena of family violence as a social problem (Loseke, 2005). For instance, symbolic interactionism maintains that some abused women are bound to relationships by the process of cognitive dissonance. In cases such as this, women create discrepancies between what they believe the violence in the relationship signifies and what is actually happening. Constructionists on the other hand will focus very little time into how women construct the violent situations. Instead this perspective theorizes that these women have fallen victims to the violent, controlling nature of their abusive, villainous male partners (Loseke, 2005). The media or other primary claims-makers would further emphasis on violent verbal claims, visual images and specific behaviours. The reason of this is to evoke the emotions of society in order to persuade society that a troubled condition exists. The application of a constructions lens to Mullaney’s article on the reasons and types of rationalizations men provide for spousal abuse would allow theorists a better understanding of the ways victims and villains perceive family violence. The social constructionist lens suggests that men create their own social reality. This reality allows men to rationalize their behaviours. For example, in Mullaney’s (2007) article men would often minimize, justify or even deny abusive behaviours. These men will often excuse their behaviours by blaming social or external factors, such as alcohol abuse and the structural problems associated with poverty. These claims are sometimes able to persuade audiences and have allowed for some villains to be rehabilitated through the medicalization of their deviance. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Symbolic Interactionism Symbolic Interactionism is a key tool to examine domestic violence and its various intricacies. In essence, SI theory attempts to look at domestic violence from the viewpoint of individuals and their interactions with other people. This theory explains that individuals are engulfed in a symbolized environment, where the meanings for these symbols are altered within the course of interaction with other people (Karp & Yoels, 1993). For example, in the article â€Å"The ties that bind women to violent premarital relationships: Processes of seduction and entrapment†, SI is exemplified in the notion of cognitive dissonance. If a man were to slap his wife, while she may see this as an expression or symbol of love, many other people would see this as abuse. Therefore, the difference and meanings of symbols is very fluid, changing and subjective. Furthermore, SI theory is extremely effective in allowing researchers to understand and describe the individuals and their behaviors. It allows an understanding of how conflicts and complex behavioral patterns may arise in relationships, and how the interpretations of symbols may play a role in domestic disputes. This theory is quite effective in predicting future behavior (SI theory is advantageous to use as it grows and adapts to changes within society) and the roles they may play in the relationship either as a perpetrator or a victim, and the context in which these roles are played (Karp & Yoels, 1993). Rosen (1996) explains and clumps together several types of entrapment processes, such as placation or isolation, which predicts why and how females are coerced to remain in that sort of relationship. In addition, this theory does lack certain key elements in understanding domestic violence in its entirety. Due to the quite narrow scope of analysis, it is not very useful in understanding more macro levels of interactions such as groups or family systems. Another disadvantage is that it is quite difficult to apply the theory to other cultures, as its findings and hypotheses are based on a singular cultural atmosphere. Since monotony across cultures does not exist, a grand, overarching theory of domestic violence cannot be established, thereby making international or cross-cultural comparisons quite trying. Feminism Domestic violence as viewed through the feminist perspective focuses on the relationship between gender and the division of power in the familial framework (Yllo, 1993). This framework allows domestic abuse to be viewed in a way that is quite distinct from other theories. Feminist theory reveals that the social expectations regarding masculinity and femininity give relationships their shape, which may result in violent and abusive familial relations (Yllo, 1993). Feminist theory allows for the recognition of the effects of patriarchy in an abusive relationship, which is normally neglected in other theories. For instance, the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) looks at the violence in families, however it neglects several other aspects that could contribute to violence. CTS assumes that males and females are both equally violent in domestic relationships however, feminists note that CTS fails to account for the social expectations (Yllo, 1993). The social expectations of the division of power between a male and female within a relationship can give rise to the abuse and therefore, it cannot be assumed that males and females are equally violent and there are statistical measures that portray a gendered view. For example in the reading, â€Å"Patriarchal terrorism and common couple violence: two forms of violence against women† it can be seen that feminism denotes a difference in the types of violence that occur in domestic partnerships and further differentiates between common couple violence and patriarchal terrorism. This article notes that while CTS looks only at a limited number of control tactics, feminism can shed light to several other controlling methods. While, one can see that feminist theory brings up key defining points that are commonly overlooked, it does remain flawed in many respects. Feminist theory is difficult to apply to forms of domestic violence except for spousal abuse; specifically it only examines the abuse directed towards women. It automatically victimizes the female, and thereby situates the male in role of the villain. Another disadvantage of using solely feminist theory is that same-sex relationships are also not taken into account in their analyses, since it is assumed in feminist analysis that males are the perpetrators and use violence in the relationship to control women. For instance in the article, â€Å"The ties that bind women to violent premarital relationships: Processes of seduction and entrapment†, the analyses are based on the observation of heterosexual relationships. It did not look at how and if these processes of entrapment are applicable to homosexual relationships, for instance, do the Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast paradigm still adequately explain why homosexuals remain in violent relationships. It can be seen that there is a victim/perpetrator structure of the violent relationship, however it cannot be concluded that the processes that entrap victims in violent relationship are similar for same-sex couples. Family Systems Theory Family systems theory is a more holistic approach to understanding abuse within the family and further looks into how everyone within this framework is interconnected. Therefore, it explains how the individual affects the family system and vice versa. Through this analysis, one key contribution of this theory is that it paves the way of identifying the connection between family goals, rules and control, and how together one can fully understand the development and causation of domestic abuse (Ingoldsby et al., 2004b). For example in the article by Rosen (1996), it can be seen that by using family systems theory and studying familial interactions, certain females may be predisposed to the Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast paradigms. By looking at how their families’ function, one may be able to see the recycling effect due to unresolved or violent backgrounds these victimized individuals may come from. They may fall into a similar pattern from what they know at home, thereby examining the origins of this behavior and viewing the interconnectedness of how one internalizes family rules and ideas of control. In the article, â€Å"Stay for the Children? Husband Violence, Marital Stability, and Children’s Behavior Problems† it clearly articulates that the violent behavior is internalized or externalized by children by prolonged exposure of violent behavior. The cyclical pattern of violence is foreseeable in these sorts of family arrangements, thereby being consistent with the idea that the system of family and the individuals within it are affected by each other on a constant basis. Family Systems theory also helps identify the different sorts of family structures in terms of their communicational boundaries and also allows the recognition of the various outcomes for a particular situation (Ingoldsby et al., 2004b). Understanding that there are multiple outcomes for a given situation sets a more encompassing investigation and limits the likelihood of leaving something out or missing a key-contributing factor. It also allows a point of differentiation, and assumes that not all people react the same when the situation arises. This is important as it further provides the researcher with a defining and narrowing point as to which sort of family has a higher likelihood for domestic violence to occur and persist. Some of the downfalls of using family systems theory are that it is often criticized that it is too general and therefore, its application remains vague. The vagueness stretches from the assumption that systems theory is not a true theory rather it is a model that is more methodological than theoretical. Social Constructionism Social constructionist theory is a popular theory used to examine the roles played in an abusive relationship. An advantage of constructionist theory is that it clearly identifies the victim and the villain within the construct of the particular event (Loseke, 2005). Claims-makers are portrayed as practical actors constructing successful claims that reflect existing culture, and producing new culture of various social problems, specifically family violence. Social constructionism also allows domestic violence issues to be raised to the forefront and become more public, through the media. Through its application and explanations, this theory can be used to show how knowledge is socially constructed and how that knowledge reflects power and politics in family violence situations. Furthermore, it can give shape to other forms of domestic violence through counter claims making, such as husband abuse. Unlike other theories, constructionism is quite useful in examining other types of abuse and not singularly looking at wife abuse like feminism (Loseke, 2005). Constructionism allows for the understanding of child or elder abuse in the household. This theory also helps understand how people construct realities that keep them in abusive relationships, and how the relationship may be viewed differently to other people. In the article by Mullaney (2007), the construction of the men’s reality of the situation may differ from what abuse has occurred to the wife. The husband may reframe the abuse as â€Å"non-violent† or suggest that in that instance of abuse that it was not the â€Å"real him† that was carrying out the abuse. The disadvantages of using social constructionist theory are that due to the fact that individual events are a crucial component to the analysis, its subjectivity allows much room for debate. This makes it difficult to develop a theory that can encompass all the social realities and have it apply to all domestic violence cases cross-culturally. While looking at the article â€Å"Creating clients: Social problems work in a shelter for battered women,† it can be seen that shelters create an ideal client that one must fit in order to be allowed to be in the shelter. Creating this sort of criteria leaves out many other people who typically do not fit the stereotype or do not meet the conditions set out by the providers even though they are in need of assistance. Using this theory, it seems as though society has constructed an â€Å"ideal† victim and those who do not appear to fit this idealistic view of a victim are often rejected despite their need for immediate attention. Social constructionism therefore does not grant that everyone experiencing violence will be offered assistance, as this is based on the shelter’s perception of what a victim should look like. Family violence is a very serious social problem, and while social critics focus on how to achieve social change in this regard, social constructionists work to achieve new knowledge. Thus, social constructionism does not only pose a potentially dangerous approach to understanding and treatment of family violence, but it also does not examine objective conditions in their own right and seek to solve this social problem; essentially there are â€Å"no real truths† due to the subjectivity of the theory. REFLECTION Although much research and knowledge has been gathered in the field of family violence, there are ways in which this research must progress. Theoretically, family systems theory, symbolic interactionism, social constructionism, and feminist perspectives each have advantages in their application. As previously discussed, they each additionally have faults that hinder the study of family violence. We propose that a new theoretical framework be considered which essentially combines different aspects of each. For example, the notions of cause and effect associated with family systems, with an understanding of roles, salience and identity associated with symbolic interactionism. These theories can additionally be used to critically examine the core concepts of each. For example, how is the process of the looking-glass self influenced by the double-bind. Theoretical application in these ways may lead to new ways of perceiving family violence. The study of family violence also should attempt to increase its scope. Studies of family violence must adjust due to emerging and increasingly common alternative family forms; same-sex parent families and polygamous relationships are such examples. Methodologically, the study of family violence should attempt to attain a more culturally diverse sample. Many of the readings focused on this semester relied on a predominantly Caucasian sample, and studies focusing on different ethnicities would be beneficial. If researchers are to examine alternative family forms they must also establish a methodology that is sensitive to the stigma surrounding different identities, for example the emasculation associated with husband abuse, or the intersection of a homosexual identity within a context of family violence. Researchers should also establish a methodology that accounts for those patterns of violence considered â€Å"less severe† than others such as verbal abuse, as studies pertaini ng solely to physical violence are not enough. Practically, we suggest that researchers focus on early intervention through education. Researchers should aim for the implementation of programs directed to informing children and teenagers about this social issue. With increased awareness may come increased action towards ending the problem. These programs may assist a young person who is dealing with family violence, giving them an opportunity to speak to someone about it. Making the issue visible, giving it a platform to be discussed and early intervention is requisite to decreasing the frequency of family violence. The application of different aspects of the theories discussed this semester will be beneficial to the study of family violence as a whole. The fallacies of one theory may be redeemed through the usage of another. When evaluating such troubling social issues such as family violence, it is important to always think critically. In the cases of physical violence, we know that though symbolic interactionism, family members react to a situation based on their ability interpret the situation. So, it is important to understand the symbols the family uses to understand their interactions and behaviors. If a family is exposed to continuous physical abuse, in what ways do the family members interpret and internalize it? Why is it that many of the abused women came from families where no abuse was present and moreover continue the cycle of abuse? Where has the self worth gone or was it ever there in the first place? We now know some of the reasons why family violence is not reported and a lot of it has to do with the social stigma that is attributed both by those receiving the abuse and those who are the abusers. By building on – rather than challenging – the theories we can expand our knowledge and practically implement programs to assist those dealing with family violence. REFERENCES Barnett, O. W., Miller-Perrin, C. L., & Perrin, R. D. (2005). Family violence across the lifespan: An introduction (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: CA: Sage Publications. Dobash, R. E. & Dobash, R. (1993). Violence against wives. In B. Fox (Ed.), Familypatterns: Gender relations (pp. 299-317). Toronto: Oxford University Press. Emery, C. R. (2009). Stay for the children? Husband violence, marital stability, and children’s behavior problems. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 71, 905-916. Gordon, L. (1989). The politics and history of family violence. In A. Skolnick & J. Skolnick (Eds.), Family in Transition (pp. 68-86). Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company. Ingoldsby, B., Smith, S., & Miller, J. (2004a). Symbolic interactionism theory. In B. Ingoldsby, S. Smith, & J. Miller (Eds.), Exploring family theories (pp. 81-92). CA: Roxbury Publishing Company. Ingoldsby, B., Smith, S., & Miller, J. (2004b). Family systems theory. In B. Ingoldsby, S. Smith, & J. Miller (Eds.), Explo ring family theories (pp. 167-179). CA: Roxbury Publishing Company. Johnson, M. (1995). Patriarchal terrorism and common couple violence: two forms of violence against women. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 283-294. Karp, D., & Yoels, B. (1993). Socialization and the construction of social reality. In D. Karp & W. Yoels (Eds.), Sociology in everyday life (pp. 37-59). Illinois: Waveland Press. Loseke, D. R. (2005). Construction people. In D. R. Loseke (Ed.), Thinking about social problems: An introduction to constructionist perspective (pp. 75-96). London: Aldine Transaction. Mullaney, J. L. (2007). Telling it like a man: Masculinities and battering men’s accounts of their violence. Men and Masculinities, 10, 222-247. Rosen, K. (1996). The ties that bind women to violent premarital relationships: Processes of seduction and entrapment. In D. Cahn & S. Lloyd (Eds.), Family violence from a communication perspective (pp. 151-176). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Umbe rson, D., Anderson, K., Williams, K., and Chen, M. (2003). Relation dynamics, emotion state, and domestic violence: a stress and masculinities perspective. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 65, 233-247. Yllo, K. (1993). Through a feminist lens: Gender, power, and violence. In R. Gelles & D. Loseke (Eds.), Current controversies on family violence (pp. 47-62). Newbury Park: Sage Publications.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

BRITISH WOMENS BATTLE WITH, AND FOR THEIR GOVERNMENT IN THE essays

BRITISH WOMENS BATTLE WITH, AND FOR THEIR GOVERNMENT IN THE essays BRITISH WOMENS BATTLE WITH, AND FOR THEIR GOVERNMENT IN THEIR STRUGGLE TO ACHIEVE EQUALITY During the dynamic years of the early 1900s when the First World War was complicating womens relationships to the state, many feminists and suffragists were supporting the war in light of patriotism and the opportunity they capitalized on to demonstrate their civic responsibilities and gain their right to vote. Womens selfless service to country over identity during a time of great need in their country played a major part in Britains ability to sustain a German attack and was not to be overlooked. During this time, women proved to play an important role in the forward progress of the British nation. Women supported the war effort out of patriotism and the fact that a strong contribution from them would go a long way in bringing about social reformation. By playing such key roles in the success of Great Britains military, womens relationship to the state became one that consisted of a considerable amount of clout. The rights of British women, which had been an ongoing topic of debat e, were brought to the attention of the state after making such important contributions during the First World War and eventually led to the first enfranchisement of women. During the First World War, duty to country overcame the self-righteous fulfillment in duty to self within the women of Great Britain, causing the relationships between women and the state to become ever more complicated. The women, who had been deep-rooted in fighting an ongoing battle for enfranchisement, reassessed their priorities, and after the announcement of war in August of 1914, decided against their prior stance on war which was that of pacifism, and proclaimed a suspension of suffrage activity to focus their energy towards the war effort and free the government of the worries and hassles they caused them. ...In exchange, the government...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to keep in the best mental and physical shape when youre working

How to keep in the best mental and physical shape when youre working You might think having a desk job or working long hours means that you have no choice but to eat poorly, sit around all day, and generally not take care of yourself during business hours. Sorry, you don’t get a free pass to let health matters fall by the wayside, even if you’re stuck indoors for hours at a time. Here are a few great ways to make better choices and stay (or get!) healthy- even at the office.Wear comfier shoes.Do you find yourself taking the elevator for 1-2 floors instead of the stairs or skipping opportunities to take quick walks between meetings or calls or during your lunch break because your feet hurt in your dressy shoes? You might have to leave the sneakers at home, but from now on choose your work shoes wisely. Switch to something sturdier, where your toes move freely and your heel doesn’t slip. Once you’re free of the pinching and pain, you’ll be more apt to log some extra steps and get up and move.Bring your food from home.M aking your own lunch and bringing your own snacks means that you’re not constantly beholden to take-out, cafeteria grub, and vending machine snacks. You’ll know exactly what you’re putting into your body and can make more conscious food choices. With tupperwares full of healthy noshes like nuts, dried fruit, and yogurt, you’ll avoid sugar cravings and crashes. Plus, you’ll save money! Make sure to include plenty of vegetables- try to scoot one or two into every meal or snack.Set an alarm to get up and move.Set yourself a timer so that every hour, on the hour (or something that works with your schedule), you get up and do a quick lap around the office. Maybe refill a water bottle, tea mug, or coffee cup, or eat your packed apple on the go. The bit of movement will keep your blood flowing and your muscles moving- and your brain more alert.Don’t skip breakfast.Jumpstart your metabolism in the morning with a healthy breakfast. If you don’ t have time or energy to eat at home before arriving at work, then pack some Greek yogurt with pre-sliced fruit, or granola, or an oatmeal packet. The fiber and carbs and protein will perk you up for the long day ahead.Sit up straight.Stop slumping over your computer. Remain aware of your body placement throughout the day, and as soon as you feel your shoulders start rolling forward, straighten out that spine and place your head upright. Sitting up straight eases pressure on your spinal nerves and might even make it easier for you to concentrate.Exercise outside of work.Thirty minutes a week is all you need, provided you up the intensity enough. And keep in mind: little things add up. Can you park a 5-minute walk away from your office instead of vying for the closest spot? Can you walk somewhere for lunch instead of hopping in a car to drive a few blocks? These small things can make a real difference. Then, add in some daily post-work stretches, try a bit of light weight training to counteract some of the ill effects of sitting all day, and you’ll be good to go.Get enough sleep.Getting adequate sleep is a must for your sanity, your productivity, and your physical well-being. Start prioritizing sleep and you’ll see a noticeable difference in your energy and concentration.Smile when you can.Put on a happy face, even if you have to fake it until you make it. Just the simple act of smiling can release a physiological, hormonal response that makes you happier and relaxes muscles deep within.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Accounting Information Systems (AIS) And Telecommunicating Accounting Essay

Accounting Information Systems (AIS) And Telecommunicating Accounting Information - Essay Example This paper stresses that using Accounting Information System (AIS) is not risk-free. Any data that can be communicated across the internet or through satellite can be viewed and interrupted by a third party without main party’s prior consent. Such unwanted intrusion is also known as hacking into unauthorised systems. Every organization that has globalized over the years must ensure the safety of data of their customers when they operate. With thousands of new software built across the globe every day, the loop holes of the system penetration is getting more visible. Sometimes, it so happens that some hackers work so swiftly that even the organization to which they target to hack, cannot find out that they are being hacked until it’s too late to recover actual losses. This essay makes a conclusion that this unsecured public network connection becomes vulnerable to such attacks frequently so the organizations decided to work under secured private networks with B-2-B and B-2-C network architecture. These are basically electronic commerce concepts that incorporate AIS and enable the organization to communicate in secured zones where third party cannot intrude as the network is privatised. In short we may say that with little responsibility on organizations’ behalf, if the AIS are implemented in secured private networks, its benefits outweigh risks for the customers as well as the organizations.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Answer quesitons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answer quesitons - Essay Example This can cause confusion, and much worse. Sometimes people even use this confusion to promote their own goals, politically or otherwise. This is what has happened with the current climate change debate. An objective look and scientific data show that climate change is in fact happening, that, historically, a shifting climate rather than a stable climate is the norm on Earth, and there is a relationship between carbon in the atmosphere and global temperature – though there are also a great deal of complicating factors as well. On the one hand, it would appear that it is very difficult to establish a historical trend of world temperatures – we have only been measuring and recording temperatures for around the past one hundred and fifty years – before that we supposedly know very little. And on the surface this is true, we do not know exactly what temperature existed before the current period. But this belies the fact that there are excellent proxy measurements that have been shown to be relatively accurate when calibrated to current temperatures. We have ice-core samples that demonstrate how much snow has fallen in particular years, which can give a rough gauge of temperatures (National Research Council), as well as tree rings which show how well trees grew in a particular year (NRC). This data, when taken collectively and studied with statistical and scientific eye, can give a relatively accurate approximation of temperature over the last two thousand years. This can be combined with histori cal records (good and bad harvests, for instance, or records of when lakes and rivers freeze and when they do not), to be extra sure that the calibration is accurate, which has been done by several scientists/historians (Edwards 129). But this is something that lay people have a hard time understanding, which might cause some to doubt their findings. These

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Omeprazole Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Omeprazole - Research Paper Example They inhibit this pump and hence lead to a reduction in the production of the acid. The drug has many indications which include the ulcers of the stomach which are the primary indication. Other indications include disturbances caused by the acid in the stomach and heartburn. It may also be given to relive chronic cough. Certain medications like non-steroidal anit-inflammatory drugs cause damage to the lining of the stomach and the proximal part of the intestine. It is also considered to assist in reducing the risk of cancer of the esophagus. Omeprazole can be given to avoid this damage. It is also indicated as a pre anesthetic drug before the administration of general anesthesia. Omeprazole can be taken orally and it is also available in the form of injections. The oral form of the drug is coated to prevent damage to it in the stomach by the acid. The action of the drug lasts for approximately 24 hours and it is extremely important to be understood that for complete results, the drug needs to be taken for at least 3 to 4 days. The drug may have a few adverse effects which include headache and pain in the abdomen. It may result in other gastrointestinal problems which include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. It is also seen that treatment with this drug for prolonged periods of time may result in increased levels of gastrin in the blood. The drug is also associated with reduction in the absorption of the vitamin B12. Also as the drug leads to reduction of acidity in the stomach, it may hinder the absorption of drugs like digoxin which require an acid medium for their absorption. The susceptibility of infections of the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory system also increase with this drug.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Present and future of glaxosmithkline pakistan

Present and future of glaxosmithkline pakistan We have a challenging and inspiring mission: to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. This mission gives us the purpose to develop innovative medicines and products that help millions of people around the world. We are one of the few pharmaceutical companies researching both medicines and vaccines for the World Health Organizations three priority diseases HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and are very proud to have developed some of the leading global medicines in these fields. Headquartered in the UK and with operations based in the US, we are one of the industry leaders, with an estimated seven per cent of the worlds pharmaceutical market. But being a leader brings responsibility. This means that we care about the impact that we have on the people and places touched by our mission to improve health around the world. It also means that we must help developing countries where debilitating disease affects millions of people and access to life-changing medicines and vaccines is a problem. To meet this challenge, we are committed to providing discounted medicines where they are needed the most. As a company with a firm foundation in science, we have a flair for research and a track record of turning that research into powerful, marketable drugs. Every hour we spend more than  £300,000 (US$562,000) to find new medicines. We produce medicines that treat major disease areas such as asthma, virus control, infections, mental health, diabetes and digestive conditions. In addition, we are a leader in the important area of vaccines and are developing new treatments for cancer. KEY FACTS ABOUT GSK Every second We distribute more than 35 doses of vaccine Every minute More than 1,100 prescriptions are written for GSK products Every hour We spend more than  £300,000 (US$562,000) to find new medicines Every day More than 200 million people around the world use a GSK brand toothbrush or toothpaste Every year Our factories produce 9 billion Tums tablets, 6 billion Panadol tablets and 600 million tubes of toothpaste PAKISTAN OVERVIEW GlaxoSmithKline Pakistan Limited was created on January 1st 2002 through the merger of SmithKline and French of Pakistan Limited, Beecham Pakistan (Private) Limited and Glaxo Wellcome (Pakistan) Limited- standing today as the largest pharmaceutical company in Pakistan As a leading international pharmaceutical company we make a real difference to global healthcare and specifically to the developing world. We believe this is both an ethical imperative and key to business success. Companies that respond sensitively and with commitment by changing their business practices to address such challenges will be the leaders of the future. GSK Pakistan operates mainly in two industry segments: Pharmaceuticals (prescription drugs and vaccines) and consumer healthcare (over-the-counter- medicines, oral care and nutritional care). GSK leads the industry in value, volume and prescription market shares. We are proud of our consistency and stability in sales, profits and growth. Some of our key brands include Augmentin, Panadol, Seretide, Betnovate, Zantac and Calpol in medicine and renowned consumer healthcare brands include Horlicks, Aquafresh, Macleans and ENO. In addition, GSK is deeply involved with our communities and undertake various Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives including working with the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) for whom we were one of the largest corporate donors. We consider it our responsibility to nurture the environment we operate in and persevere to extend our support to our community in every possible way. GSK participates in year round charitable activities which include organizing medical camps, supporting welfare organizations and donating to/sponsoring various developmental concerns and hospitals. Furthermore, GSK maintains strong partnerships with non-government organizations such as Concern for Children, which is also extremely involved in the design, implementation and replication of models for the sustainable development of children with specific emphasis on primary healthcare and education. GSK PAKISTAN UK (HQ) CEO M. SALMAN TECHNICAL DIRECTOR DR. MUZAFFAR IQBAL DIRECTOR MEDICAL SERVICES DR. ATIF MIRZA DIRECTOR MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTMS. ERUM DIRECTOR FINANCE, IT, AND LOGISTICS DR. JAWED HEAD OF HR AND OD MS. FARIHA DIRECTOR SALES MR. PERVAIZ, MR. MAQBOOL DIRECTOR LEGAL AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS MR. SHAHID MUSTAFA QURESHI HEAD OF QUALITY MR. Z.U KHAN HEAD OF PROCUREMENT MR. HAJI MUHAMMAD HANIF DOTTED LINE REPORTING: Quality Assurance, procurement and HR reports to technical director Muzaffar Iqbal. SOLID LINE REPORTING: Quality Assurance, procurement and HR reports to UK. MERGER AND ACQUISITIONS OF GLAXO COMPANY: In 1957 Glaxo started working in Pakistan.than in 1996 glaxo merged with Wellcome and became GlaxoWellcome.in year 2002 Wellcome acquired SmithKline French and beecham and company became GlaxoSmithKline.2 months back GSK has acquired the branded generics business of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Libya and Yemen and also acquired Sirtris pharmaceuticals. PRODUCTS Leading products: à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Augmentin  Ã‚     Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Amoxil à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Panadol   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Ventolin à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Ampiclox   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Betnovate à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Calpol  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Zantac à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Septran Vaccines include: à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Engerix  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Typherix à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Infanrix  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Mencevax à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Fluarix  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Havrix à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Varilrix  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Hiberix à ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Tritanrix  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¦ Priorix Tooth pastes include: Mcleans Sensodyne STAKEHOLDERS OF GSK: A stakeholder is best defined as a person, group or organization that has direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can affect or be affected by the organizations actions, objectives, and policies The major stakeholders include: Employees Communities Shareholders Investors Government Suppliers Labor Unions Government regulatory Agencies Industry Trade Groups NGOs Prospective employees Prospective customers Local communities Public (Community) Competitors The relationship they have with a wide range of other organizations is an important part of their business. GSK has a number of policies and initiatives that enable us to work effectively with these stakeholders. STAKEHOLDER CONFLICTS: GSK do not face conflicts with stakeholder but there are two operating units where conflicts usually arises they are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Commercial unit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global manufacturing and supply Commercial unit includes sales and marketing whereas global manufacturing and supply includes engineering department and quality assurance. Sales department frequently demands more supply from the manufacturing department which is main problem between the two heads because often the demand is much higher while the employees are less. So at that time often the conflicts occur. Commercial unit is the one who directly faces the customers both the departments have to report separate heads. EVALUATION OF EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: At GSK employee performance is evaluated at the end of the year. They develop a plan known as performance and development plan (PDP) in which each employee sets two objectives: Hard core objectives Soft core objectives Hard core objectives are the targets that the employee has to achieve till the end of the year. Soft core objectives are based on the 12 high performance behaviors. Outstanding achievements of employees in any of 12 High Performance Behaviors underpin the continual success as individuals and collectively as an organization.   High Performance Behaviors Information Search Creating Business Solutions Flexible Thinking Influence Building Confidence Communication Building Relationships Teamwork Developing People Enable Drive Change Continuous Improvement Customer Focus GSK Spirit provides employees with an opportunity to recognize or be recognized for outstanding achievement where Top Achievers can receive significant monetary awards for both individual and team achievements. For each role, in addition to relevant experience and qualifications, GSKA is looking for employees that can demonstrate the attributes of our High Performance Behaviors. Innovative Thinking Information search Creating business solutions Flexible thinking Collectively describes how to collect and share relevant information which helps GSK people to form new ideas and create innovative options whilst taking into account the complexity of the context in which we operate. It maximizes the chances of creating and sustaining increased performance for GSK. Achieving Excellence Enable and drive change Continuous improvement Customer focus Describes the ways in which continuously improved performance by keeping focused on ways of achieving GSKs goals and delighting the customers. This ability to deliver performance levels beyond expectations distinguishes us from competitors. Leading People Influence Building confidence Communication Describes how engaging and inspiring others to embrace the ideas by communicating effectively. It results in generation of shared and collective belief in GSKs future success. Engaging and developing others Building relationships Team work Developing people   Describes ways in which GSK can develop open, trusting and collaborative relationships with a diverse mix of people both across and outside GSK, and ensure that these relationships develop collective capability to perform better. Through engaging each other and truly working together we will grow and enrich GSKs potential. After developing the objectives each employee discusses it with the manager and after agreeing the plan is signed by the manager and the employee. Midyear review of the plan is also done to check whether the plan is going on the track. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION: Rewards Recognition GSKs remuneration and reward programs are competitive with some of the best companies within and across our industry. Superior performance is recognized with both financial and non-financial rewards. Thanking people for a job well done is central to GSKs culture. Performance and reward GSK reward systems support high performance and help to attract and retain the best people. Performance-based pay and bonuses, share rewards and share options align employee interests with business targets. Compensation Benefits GSKA adopts a Total Compensation and Benefits approach in the design of its salary packaging model. This aim to provide: Optimum flexibility Choice; and Targeted incentive programs to provide us with the best opportunity to attract and retaining world class employees.   Bonus Plans are an integral component of the GlaxoSmithKline Total Compensation and Benefits Philosophy. A Long Term Incentive Scheme is offered to Senior Managers.   Employees are able to participate in the GlaxoSmithKline Australia Employee Share Plan on reaching the eligibility criteria. Employee Assistance Program GSK values the well being of its employees and, as a result, has made available an Employee Assistance Program to enhance well being, both personally and in the workplace. The Employee Assistance Program provides professional assistance and counseling for any work related or personal problems. The service is fully confidential and free of charge to employees and their immediate families.   Professional Development GSK recognizes that our people determine the success of the business and we are committed to developing this precious resource. Whatever your role, you will be supported through our Performance Development Planning process in your efforts to enhance your core capability, performance and ability. You will be assisted to achieve both your short and long term career goals through GSKA talent management initiatives. Training Development In order to reinforce the Performance Development Planning process GSK offers employees the opportunity to participate in a range of external and internal development courses as well as offering support for further Tertiary Education. Leadership Development Program   GSK Leaders set the tone for employees experience of GSK as being a place where they are truly valued. GSKA Leaders ensure the organizations business strategy and people practices are aligned with the GSK Mission, Strategic Intent and Spirit. This is achieved through the consistent application of our 12 High Performance Behaviors. Furthermore, a suite of high performance leadership development programs, including Foundations of Leadership has been developed to support all people management roles at GSK and will be linked to the recruitment and succession planning of future leaders. Talent Review The Talent Review process is a component of the GSK Performance Development Planning Program. It is one of GSKs Talent Management initiatives and consists of a series of workshops where GSK Leaders come together as a team to review and discuss their employees performance, development and career aspirations. CHALLENGES FACED BY GSK: The environment in which the Consumer Healthcare business operates has become ever more challenging: consumers are demanding better quality, better value and improved performance retailers have consolidated and globalised which has strengthened their negotiation power Cycle times for innovation have reduced. The pharmaceutical industry is experiencing a time of unprecedented challenge. Patent expiries, regulatory issues and increased pressures from healthcare providers have combined to create an environment where pharmaceutical sector is associated with lower growth and higher risk. KEY CHALLENGES The patents on many medicines that have driven sales growth in our industry over the past decade are coming to an end. These medicines may not be replaced by products of equivalent financial size. In addition, there are increasing pressures on pharmaceutical companies to deliver products with demonstrable benefits over current treatments. No longer do we merely have to discover and develop products that help people do more, feel better and live longer. We now have to justify that our products represent the greatest value for healthcare providers. At the same time, the pharmaceutical sector has been exposed to controversy regarding ethical and patient safety issues. As an industry, we are in danger of eroding what trust we already have when we actually need to be building stronger relationships with governments, regulators and the general public. These factors have combined to move the industry from one which was expected to deliver high growth at low risk, to the very opposite. These challenges are being tackled through three key strategic priorities that will transform GSK into a company that delivers more growth, less risk and an improved financial performance. Three strategic priorities In 2008, the following three strategic priorities were established: Grow a diversified global business Deliver more products of value Simplify the operating model These priorities will enable the organization to navigate the coming years successfully and retain the leading-edge position as a company able to meet patients and healthcare providers needs into the future. GROW A DIVERSIFIED GLOBAL BUSINESS GSK is reducing risk by broadening and balancing the portfolio, diversifying into new product areas that show potential, while also fully capturing opportunities for products across all geographic boundaries. Specifically, to generate future sales growth by strengthening core pharmaceuticals business and supplementing it with increased investment in growth areas such as vaccines, biopharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare. GSK is also seeking to unlock the geographic potential of the businesses, particularly in emerging markets and Japan. PLANS Drive growth in the pharmaceutical business in the core markets Deliver ambitious vaccines forecast Fulfill the potential of emerging markets Expand business Grow the Consumer Healthcare business DELIVER MORE PRODUCTS OF VALUE We are striving to build one of the strongest pipelines in the industry. We are transforming RD to ensure that we not only deliver the current pipeline but are also able to sustain a flow of new products for years to come. As we move towards a more diversified business we will concentrate on developing a higher volume of mid-size products for more clearly-defined patient populations. This will help develop a lower risk portfolio which is not dependent on the performance of one or two large products. Positive steps have already been taken, with 30 late-stage assets currently in our pharmaceuticals and vaccines pipeline. Our objective is to sustain this throughput of products over the long-term. PLANS Focus on the best science Diversify through externalization Re-personalize RD Focus on return on investment SIMPLIFY THE OPERATING MODEL GSK is a complex organization. We recognize that we need to simplify our operating model further, changing the way we work, removing unnecessary processes and structures which slow us down and distract us from our mission. Our global restructuring programme is a vital catalyst of our strategy. We believe it will radically change our business model giving us the capability to support a more diverse, growing business that is also expected to be more profitable in the long-term. PLANS Evolve the commercial model Re-shape manufacturing Streamline processes Reduce working capital For GSK brand pull is already present in the market as it is the #1 pharmaceutical company in the world. It is a most preferred company in terms of prescription by doctors and more than 1,100 prescriptions are written for GSK products every minute.GSK is preferred by doctors only because of their quality standards. GSK has a good quality management system. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY: GSK is considered as one of the most active player in the corporate social responsibility. Some of the societal activities conducted by GSK are as follows Partnering with the National Commission for Human Development for Primary Healthcare Extension: GSK Pakistan has provided a grant of  £144,000 sterling (Rs.12.96 million) to the NCHD Primary Healthcare Extension Program making GSK the largest corporate donor to this cause. The purpose of this grant is to contribute at the grass root level towards healthcare improvement of the Pakistani people. The great thing about the primary healthcare extension program is that it will be implemented in the areas generally recognized as difficult to access, hence often neglected due to harsh terrain, high levels of illiteracy and confined social setups. Concern For Children Trust (CFC) The Concern For Children Trust (CFC) is a non profit, non government trust established in 1997. Their mission is to promote the health and welfare of the Children of Pakistan, paying special attention to preventive and primary healthcare, education, infrastructure, maintenance and support and to create general awareness about various child healthcare issues. The Trust is partially self-sustainable in that, its operational costs are covered by a Trust Fund. SmithKlineFrench to SmithKline and French of Pakistan Limited donated the initial seed money and now GSK Pakistan continues to be the major donor. International Programme for HIV Education Positive Action Programme It is estimated that more than 36 million adults and children are living with HIV/AIDS with approximately 15,000 more people being infected each day. Globally, more than 21 million people have died from AIDS, resulting in 13.2 million orphaned children. Positive Action is GSKs international programme of HIV education, care and community support. In this, GSK works in partnership with individuals, community groups, healthcare providers, international agencies and others to encourage HIV prevention as well as education, care and treatment of people living with, or affected by HIV/AIDS. Since its inception in 1992, positive action supported and implemented a wide variety of projects at both national and international levels throughout the world. EARTHQUAKE RELIEF: In this time of need and despair, GSK Pakistan was very quick to respond to the calamity affected areas with Rs. 20 million worth of antibiotics, analgesics and topical anti-bacterial supplies, delivered within 24 hours of the disaster having struck. Carefully selected emergency treatment packages were developed by the Crisis Management Team established, and a donation of up to 350,000 doses of Hepatitis A vaccine was given to health authorities to cope with the arising health concerns in the wake of the earthquake. This was all delivered within 24 hours of the disaster due to the urgent medical need. PROGRAMMES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE ACTIVE EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT: GSK encourages employees to become involved with deserving causes in their local communities around the globe.   GSK support their time and dedication with various internal programmes and opportunities to encourage active employee involvement. The PULSE Volunteer Partnership Programme is the newest corporate responsibility initiative. Starting in 2009, PULSE will empower GSKs high-performing employees to volunteer using their professional expertise, lasting for a period of three to six months. A PULSE volunteer will work full-time with one of our partner non-governmental organizations (NGO) to make a significant impact in impoverished communities around the world. With their skills and knowledge, PULSE volunteers will work to build positive, sustainable change within the NGOs programming and service delivery in developed and developing countries ORANGE Day, introduced globally in January 2009, has enabled thousands of employees to make a significant difference through engaging with their local community. Give as You Earn (GAYE), is a payroll giving scheme where an employee or pensioner can donate to any charitable organization in the UK, straight from their pay. APPROACH TOWARD SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: PROACTIVE APPROACH: GSK has a proactive approach towards social responsibility. Managers at GSK actively participate and engage themselves in different social activities which include awareness regarding diseases, PULSE campaign, malaria, AIDS etc. ABOUT GSKs CORPORATE ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE PROGRAMME GSKs Corporate Ethics and Compliance Programme were established by the Board of Directors to support GSKs commitment to high standards of ethical conduct. The programme is under the direction of the Corporate Ethics and Compliance Officer, who reports to the Chief Executive Officer. Through the programme the Corporate Ethics and Compliance staff provides oversight and guidance to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies, and to foster a positive, ethical work environment for all employees. GSKs Code of Conduct is the foundation for all the company policies. It sets out the fundamental principles that the company values and that employees should apply in their daily work. Supporting the Code of Conduct policy is a range of corporate policies providing specific guidance in areas such as competition law, marketing practices, non-discrimination, share dealing, and conflicts of interest. GSKs employee guide to business conduct highlights the Code of Conduct, core compliance policies and provides guidance to employees. It is the responsibility of each employee to implement the code and follow the employee guide to sustain the trust and confidence of all GSK stakeholders. The six pages of code of conduct document clearly define the Purpose, scope, responsibilities, policies and communication of issues to all GSK employees. The policy covers the following function in GSK. Audit, Compliance, Quality Communications Govt. External Affairs Finance Global Procurement HR IT Legal Manufacturing Supply Marketing, Sales Support Medical Research / Development Supervisors Management Purpose The purpose of this document is to state GSKs Policy on the fundamental standards to be followed by GSK Staff in their everyday actions on behalf of the Company and to promote honest, legal and ethical conduct. Details relating to specific actions will be provided in the GSK Standards of Conduct. Scope This policy applies to all GSK Staff (includes employees, complementary workers, students and interns) world-wide, within all sectors, regions, areas and functions. GSK Staff must ensure this policy is followed by any contractors or other third-parties whom they engage. FORCES FROM SPECIFIC GENERAL ENVIRONMENT: SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT COMPETITORS: GSK faces huge competition in Pakistan. It has many competitors that are affecting the sales if GSK. Competitors include Pfizer Johnson Johnson Bayer Abbott Novartis Competition from generic products generally occurs as patents in major markets expire. We believe that remaining competitive is dependent upon the discovery and development of new products, together with effective marketing of existing products. Within the pharmaceutical industry, the introduction of new products and processes by our competitors may affect pricing or result in changing patterns of product use. There is no assurance that products will not become outmoded, notwithstanding patent or trademark protection. In addition, increased government and other pressures for physicians and patients to use generic pharmaceuticals, rather than brand-name medicines, may increase competition for products that are no longer protected by patent. CUSTOMERS: The main customers of any pharmaceutical are the doctors. The brand name of GSK is so reliable that most of the doctors prefer only the GSKs product. GSK continuously spent money on RD so to satisfy the customers need. SUPPLIERS DISTRIBUTORS: Worldwide GSK buy goods and services from around 90,000 suppliers. Our supply chain is complex: it ranges from strategic relationships with suppliers that manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates, raw materials and packaging for GSK medicines to contracts for goods and services such as office equipment, cleaning and security. The Primary supply sites supply high quality, competitively priced bulk actives and focus on improvements in primary technologies and processes. GSK does not own any of the suppliers or distributors. New product and global supply sites work closely with RDs development teams to ensure that the right technical competencies are in place to support rapid and successful new product GOVERNMENT: As such GSK dont face any issues with the government because they have their code of ethics which GSK strictly follows. GSK also play part in the welfare of society and avoid any of the illegal acts that can affect the GSKs reputation. GENERAL ENVIRONMENT: In general environment technological forces affect the GSK in the sense that new technologies are coming which are resulting in the new methods of producing the products. But GSK due to its huge business easily replace old technology with the new one for making the product in the much better way than the previous methods. FUNCTIONS AND DEPARMENTS AT GSK: The main functions and departments at GSK are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Production à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Engineering à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Environmental health and safety (EHS) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Operational excellence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supply chain à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Finance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Human resource à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Procurement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quality assurance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supply chain CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS CUSTOMER VALUE FASTER LOWER COST BETTER LEAN SIGMA INPUTSCULTURE AT GSK: CULTURE AND VALUES GSKs  mission  is to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. GSK place great emphasis not only on what we achieve, but also on how we deliver our achievements. Integrity and transparency are critical in our decision making and underpin everything that we do. GSKs  culture is summed up in the  Spirit of GSK  that defines the  values  we expect all our employees to embrace: Respect for People Patient Focused Transparency Integrity GSKs  values  are pivotal to the way they operate and employees are people with high integrity who make good, honest decisions with patients in mind. GSKs  mission  and  spirit  help employees deal with new challenges and maintain a clear focus. CORE COMPETENCY OF GSK: The core competency of GSK is their consumer health care, consumer health standard their quality standard. These factors give the core The sources of GSK are due to their huge efforts in R D to bring continuous innovations in the products. Our scientists are working hard to discover new ways of treating and preventing diseases. Our success depends on a vibrant and productive RD function. To this end, we have established an innovative RD structure that encourages creativity and facilitates the accelerated discovery and development of new medicines and hence gaining the competitive advantage. We also build collaborations and links with other research groups, biotechnology companies and academic institutions to help develop transformative scientific concepts. SOURCES OF CORE COMPETENCY: Sources of core c