Alcoholic Anonymous Essay

Recently, I attended an A.A. meeting, which stands for, alcoholic anonymous. The meeting I went to was located in Penfield, NY at 1601 Jackson Road, area code 14526. It was called the Yellow House. When I walked in, everyone was very welcoming and nice. Many people stared at me intensely as I entered the Yellow House. I think they thought I was a recovering alcoholic, until I explained to them later that I was there to listen and observe for a school project for my drugs and behavior class. The place was very cozy inside, had a number of chairs lined up for everyone to sit down and coffee ready to drink. I sat down in one of the chairs. A lady came up to me and handed me a coin that said â€Å"24 hours recovery†; this was before I had the chance to tell her that I was there to observe for a school project. I guess when you go to an alcoholic anonymous meeting for the first time you get awarded a 24 hour recovery coin to make you feel good and know you’re doing something good to help you recover from your alcoholic addiction. The meeting started promptly at 5:30 P.M. like it said it would. The leaders read out announcements and let everybody know if someone new has showed up. If you’re new joining alcoholics anonymous, you introduce yourself by saying your name and stating you are an alcoholic, and then everyone else in the room say â€Å"hi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  whatever your name is to make you feel welcome. Then the person can either talk more about why they came or stop talking and then another person will randomly say their name and why they are attending and so on. There was a vast majority of adults and older people in their 50s or 60s. There were a couple grandfathers, grandmothers and one or two kids my age. I sat next to a kid who was around the same age as me and I felt shocked that he would be attending this type of meeting at such a young age. As the stories from the crowd of people kept going on, I recognized everyone clapping very deliberately and diligent at everyone’s accomplishments for the most little to no importance scenarios, for instance, a man got up and said he had been sober for 90 days and everyone clapped for a really long time. I also realized everyone laughed at everything that was the least bit funny to make it feel like a warm, comfortable, atmosphere. There are meetings every night at this place in Penfield at 5:30 P.M. Each meeting has a different name every night. The meeting I went to was called a â€Å"First Step† meeting. It was for people attending the yellow house or an alcoholic anonymous meeting somewhere for the first time and admitting they are an alcoholic and that they want to get sober. When you start the program, you commit yourself to following a â€Å"12 step program† and attending 90 days of alcoholics anonymous. The first step states â€Å"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable.† And when you finish the program, you end with the last step, step number twelve, which states: â€Å"Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.† Attending the alcoholics anonymous groups around the world has changed many recovering alcoholics lives and brought stability to their mind body and soul.

Characteristics of the Romantic Music Period

It is arguable that some Romantic music made greater demands upon its listeners than did music of previous historical periods. What were those demands? Why did these changes come about? And what strategies can you formulate for listening to this music today? In consideration of the musical changes present in the Romantic era, this essay will contend that these changes are very much related to the wider social and technological changes in society around that time. Thus, it is important to identify the broad time period encompassed by this era. The definition of Romanticism in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is: â€Å"A movement or, more commonly, period of cultural history. When understood as a period, Romanticism is usually identified with either the first half or the whole of the 19th century. The term is used with reference primarily to the arts, but it can also embrace philosophy, socio-political history and, more widely, the ‘spirit’ of the era. † [i] Consequently, this essay views that Romantic music encompasses the whole of the nineteenth century and will consider some of the key changes which occurred around that time period. It has been argued that these changes have resulted in music which makes greater demands upon its listeners and this essay will highlight these demands and how they were influenced by those social and technological changes of that time, concluding with strategies for listening to this music today. Some of the music which can be used to illustrate these changes are specific works by Beethoven, a composer, who is viewed as a major influence on the music of the nineteenth century. This can be evidenced by the Grove article on Romanticism, which deems it to be widely accepted that Beethoven â€Å"inaugurated a ‘Romantic era’†[ii]. The demands of Romantic music are characterised by several key changes. These changes can be summarised as follows: an increased intensity, both technical and musical; a greater use of radical contrasts in the music and a significant increase in the length of musical compositions. The increased intensity of Romantic music can be demonstrated by an analysis of the Diploma syllabus of the ABRSM[iii]. This syllabus provides an â€Å"authoritative assessment framework† [iv] for technical and musical ability and one can see that the vast preponderance of its pieces fall into the Romantic category. Furthermore, as one progresses through the levels of syllabus, the â€Å"repertoire becomes more demanding† [v] and the volume of Romantic pieces increases steadily. A major factor in this change is the related technological advancements of that time period which resulted in the upgrading of a number of musical instruments to more advanced forms. This can be illustrated with reference to the specific example of the piano, an instrument refined considerably during the Romantic period. Key changes incorporate the introduction of modern style pedals, greater string diameters and tensions, an extended number of octaves, the double escapement action and the cast iron frame[vi] [vii]. Thus, the instrument of the nineteenth century is far superior to its eighteenth century counterpart. The resultant musical changes include a greater quantity of octaves available and a greater range of power and dynamics made available to the composer. This had the obvious corollary of composers producing pieces with greater use of radical dynamic contrasts. According to Winter[viii], Romantic composers used their new piano to great effect: The single most important development in the sound of the Romantic piano was doubtless the new emphasis on the sustaining (or damper) pedal. † These key changes of distinctive contrasts and increased intensity were aided by the accompanying social change in music around the Romantic period, which can be characterised by the rise of the virtuoso. Franz Liszt, the legendary pianist, dazzled audiences across Europe, garnering rave reviews wherever he travelled, considered by The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians to be â€Å"the greatest piano virtuoso of his time† [ix]. The improved piano was critical to his displays of technical prowess. Without it he would not have been able to play pieces as demanding on the instrument. The â€Å"hitherto unimagined difficulty† [x] of his Vingt-quatres grandes etudes pour le piano[xi], was considered too much by the composer, he revised the Etudes and later published his Etudes d'execution transcendante[xii], – the latter still ferociously difficult but surpassed in that respect by the former. Given that a key feature of Liszt’s playing style and compositions was technical skill, one could argue Liszt could not have been the performer, or composer, he was, in the preceding century. Nicolo Paganini was another virtuoso of the highest calibre – a violinist[xiii]. He, too, gave fantastic performances to rapturous crowds in numerous countries. William Ayrton, editor of The Harmonicon, remarked that: â€Å"[H]is powers of execution are little less than marvelous, and such as we could only have believed on the evidence of our own senses; they imply a strong natural propensity for music, with an industry, a perseverance, a devotedness and also a skill in inventing means, without any parallel in the history of his instrument. † [xiv] Paganini, similar to Liszt, composed works for his instrument, which were considered some of the hardest in its repertoire[xv] – pushing the boundaries of the Romantic violin to previously unseen heights. An excellent way for a virtuoso to show off their talents is a concerto. The concerto provided a perfect vehicle to showcase the new technically advanced instruments and the music that could be performed on them[xvi]. One characteristic of Romantic concertos is their length. Indeed, this increased length is another key aspect of Romantic music as a whole. To take one concrete example of this, Vladimir Askenazy’s interpretations of Beethoven’s piano concertos[xvii] are significantly greater in length than his interpretations of Mozart’s concertos[xviii]. Further illustration of this is the opening movements of Beethoven’s piano concertos numbers 4 and 5, which both last longer than a number of Mozart’s concertos in their entirety and are longer, by far, than any of Mozart’s first movements. Similarly, other forms of musical composition demonstrated increasing length during the Romantic era. Beethoven’s Piano Sonata number 29 ,‘Hammerklavier’, being a case in point, according to Marston[xix], the extremely long solo piece was â€Å"most likely the longest ever written at that time†. The Hammerklavier sonata is also a perfect example of the other previously stated Romantic characteristics. The use of pianississimo and fortissimo a bar apart in the final section of the first movement is but one example of the radical contrasts present in the piece as a whole[xx]. Another hallmark of Romantic music is present in this piece: extreme technical difficulty – Andras Schiff declared Hammerklavier â€Å"virtually unplayable† [xxi]. This increase in length was also evident in the Romantic symphony. One striking example being Beethoven’s Symphony number three, ‘Eroica’, first published in 1804 [xxii], at the very dawn of musical Romanticism – its opening movement â€Å"dwarf[s] any comparable previous movement† [xxiii]. According to Bonds[xxiv], Eroica is the start, for Beethoven at least, of music displaying profound Romantic characteristics: â€Å"Particularly from the ‘Eroica’ onwards, Beethoven was seen to have explored a variety of ways in which instrumental music could evoke images and ideas transcending the world of sound. Overall, these properties of Romanticism were influenced by the social changes of the nineteenth century. These changes meant that composers of the Romantic era had greater freedom than ever before. Unlike their counterparts in previous historical periods, they no longer had to be almost entirely dependent on the church or the state or weal thy, upper-class patrons[xxv] [xxvi]. As highlighted previously, musicians could support themselves by giving public concerts, â€Å"Paganini earned so much money in one year that he could have bought 300 kilos of gold. [xxvii] [xxviii] As we can see in this example from Grove, the orchestra of the Romantic age was distinctly different from its predecessors in that it was not for the personal amusement of royalty or a symbol of status: â€Å"During most of the 18th century orchestras had been an accompaniment to and an expression of aristocratic court culture; in the 19th century the orchestra became a central institution of public musical life. † [xxix] Given the demands illustrated through these changes, several strategies are suggested. One possible strategy would be to learn a piece. As reading music is a necessary precursor to this, it would be a required and fruitful use of one’s time to learn to do so if the skill has not already been learnt. Learning to play a piece of music would be the ideal realisation of this strategy. However, this is not always possible and would be impractical for a piece with a large number of parts – a symphony, for example. Nevertheless, one can study and appreciate the technical or musical difficulty involved in a piece without being able to master it. Once able, listening to a piece of music whilst consulting the score is also a useful tool for following a piece and picking out specific parts. This is especially true of any orchestral piece. Another related strategy would be to try and put oneself in the shoes of a listener of the Romantic era. Listening to recordings performed on period instruments would be an ideal method of doing this. Also, learning more about the people of the period and what it would have been like for a nineteenth century person to listen to a certain work for the first time would be a further way to pursue this strategy. To learn, and appreciate, any other art forms linked with a piece of music is another strategy for listening to Romantic music – for example, Beethoven’s Symphony number 9. Beethoven based the final movement on the poem ‘Ode to Joy’ by Friedrich Schiller[xxx] – the movement is scored for orchestra, four vocal soloists and a choir – who sing the words of the poem. The case can be made that, to fully appreciate this work, one must appreciate the poem on which it is based. Additionally, understanding of the language the words are in – German – would take this strategy even urther. Separating a piece of music into parts is another strategy for listening to Romantic music. For example, a symphony or sonata can be listened to as individual movements, easier to absorb than, perhaps, thirty minutes or an hour’s worth of music. Exploring huge compositions or collections at one time is not the correct strategy, the sheer volume of n otes can be daunting and there is a danger that listening to too much music dulls one to the finer points of that music, it simply becomes noise. The distinct movements many composers put in their music should be utilised when first discovering a work, only once more understanding is cultivated should one attempt to listen to an entire concerto, sonata or symphony. Conclusively, it has been shown that Romantic music made greater demands upon its listeners than did music of previous historical periods. These demands were: increased technical and musical intensity; the use of bold, vivid contrasts and a considerably augmented duration of musical compositions. These changes came about due to technological advancements of the period, less reliance on patronage and the ‘musician’ became a respected and viable profession in the nineteenth century. There are many strategies which can be devised for listening to Romantic music, in the present day. These are: learning how to read and play music; to put oneself in the shoes of a listener of the time period; to study any art forms which are linked to a piece of Romantic music and dividing a composition into more easily manageable sections. These strategies will further aid the listener in appreciating and understanding Romantic music. ———————- [i] Jim Samson, â€Å"Romanticism†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [ii] Jim Samson, â€Å"Romanticism†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (1. History of usage) [iii] ABRSM, â€Å"Music Performance Diploma Syllabu s from 2005†, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [iv] Ibid. [v] Ibid. [vi] Philip R. Belt, Maribel Meisel/Gert Hecher, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (5. The Viennese piano from 1800. ) [vii] Michael Cole, â€Å"Pianoforte†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (6. England and France, 1800–60. ) [viii] Robert Winter, â€Å"Pianoforte†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (2. Romantic period) [ix] Alan Walker, et al. , â€Å"Liszt, Franz†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, , [Accessed 2 December 2009] [x] Howard Ferguson and Kenneth L. Hamilton, â€Å"Study†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xi] Franz Liszt, Vingt-quatres grandes etudes pour le piano, 1839, Vienna: Haslinger [xii] Franz Liszt, Etudes d’execution transcendante, 1852, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel xiii] Edward Neill, â€Å"Paganini, Nicolo†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xiv] Edward Neill, â€Å"Paganini, Nicolo†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (7. France and Great Britain, 1831–4, and last years, 1835–40. ) [xv] Ibid. [xvi] Arnold, Denis and Timothy Rhys Jones, â€Å"con certo†, The Oxford Companion to Music Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xvii] Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven: The Piano Concertos, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, cond. by Georg Solti, (Decca, 1995) xviii] Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart: The Piano Concertos, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. by Vladimir Ashkenazy, (Decca, 1995) [xix] Nicholas Marston, â€Å"Approaching the Sketches for Beethoven's ‘Hammerklavier’ Sonata†, Journal of the American Musicological Society, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Autumn, 1991), p. 404-450, University of California Press on behalf of the American Musicological Society, p. 404 [xx] Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 29 ‘Hammerklavier’, 1891, Stuttgart: J. G. Cotta Final three bars of first movement – â€Å"Allegro† [pic] [xxi] Andras Schiff, Lecture on Piano Sonata no. 9 ‘Hammerklavier’ by Ludwig van Beethoven, Wigmore Hall, May 2006, Published by The Guardian, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xxii] â€Å"‘Eroica’ Symphony†, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 2nd ed. rev. Ed. Michael Kennedy. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] [xxiii] Mark Evan Bonds, â€Å"Symphony†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (II. 19th century, 2. Beethoven) [xxiv] Ibid. [xxv] Joseph Dyer, â€Å"Roman Catholic church music†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (V. The 19th century, 1. Catholic church music and the Romantic aesthetic. [xxvi] Joseph Dyer, â€Å"Roman Catholic church music†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (IV. The 18th century) [xxvii] John Spitzer and Neal Zaslaw, â€Å"Orchestra†, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (7. The Romantic orchestra (1815–1900). ) [xxviii] Edward Neill, â€Å"Paganini, Nicolo†,Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, [Accessed 2 December 2009] (8. Playing style. ) [xxix] John Spitzer and Neal Zaslaw, loc. cit. [xxx] Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony no. 9, ca. 1925, Leipzig: Ernst Eulenburg

India Gate Essay

SETTING While the narrative begins in London, the theme of the novel is such that the settings change continuously. Mr. Phileas Fogg attempts to go around the world in eighty days and so he covers the major points across the globe Paris ¸ Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong-Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York, Liverpool and then back to London. Apart from these major places Fogg also meets adventures in route. As the train from Bombay to Calcutta stops a little beyond Lothal, Fogg and his companions travel to Allahabad on elephants. Later, when the travelers are in America and are attacked by the Sioux, they disembark at Fort Kearney station. Fogg even goes deep into American land in order to rescue Passepartout. Thus the characters in the novel go across the whole globe and see many other places. The setting of the novel is nearly the whole world! CHARACTER LIST Major Characters Phileas Fogg The hero and chief protagonist in the novel. He is introduced to us as a prudent Englishman whose wealth is a source of mystery to all. He is challenged by a fellow gambler to go around the world in eighty days and he takes up the challenge. His rationality, calmness, generosity and self-control impress the readers. Passepartout He appears in the initial stage of the novel itself, as the newly employed French valet of Mr. Fogg. He is an honest as well as a comic French man, who is loyal to his master and yet gets into situations that hinder his master’s plans to travel around the world. Passepartout endears himself to the reader with his warmth, his sense of humor and his ability to act bravely as well as comically. Detective Fix There is a major bank robbery in England around the same time that Fogg leaves for his journey round the world. Detective Fix is one of the many other detectives who seek to find the culprit so they can get a percentage of the stolen money as an award. He comes to the wrong conclusion that Fogg is the bank robber and is merely pretending to go around the world when his real purpose is to flee the law. Aouda Aouda is a Parsee Indian princess who is orphaned at an early age. She is made to marry an old Rajah and when he dies, fanatical Hindus try & force her to commit the sacrifice of her life. She is rescued by Fogg’s group. She goes back with them to England, as she is unable to find her relative in Hong Kong. Minor Characters James Foster We get only one mention of him in the first chapter. He had been a servant of Fogg’s, but Fogg had dismissed him because he had committed the minor offence of bringing the shaving water at the wrong temperature. Phileas Fogg’s Partners at Whist The engineer Andrew Stuart, the bankers John Sullinan & Samuel Fallentin, the brewer Thomas Flanagan and Gauthier Ralph and one of the governors Bank of England are Fogg’s partners at the Reform club. It is one of them that challenges Fogg to go around the world in eighty days. Lord Albemarle The whole of England gets involved in the speculation as to whether Fogg will be able to complete his journey in 80 days while most feel that he will be unsuccessful, one single supporter remains faithful to Fogg, an old paralytic Lord Albermarle. British Consul at Suez He waits along with detective Fix for the boat Mongolia to arrive at Suez. Daily, he would see English ships pass through the canal. The detective tells the consul that they must try and detain Fogg here, but the consul cannot do that lawfully and so doesn’t. Whist Partners on the Mongolia While Fogg is on board the Mongolia ship to Bombay he finds whist players as enthusiastic as himself. These are-a clergyman the Reverend Decimus Smith, a collector of taxes and a brigadier general of the English Army. Later the brigadier general Sir Francis Cromarty also accompanies Fogg from Bombay to Calcutta. Chief of Bombay Police Fix tries to induce the chief of the Bombay police to give him a warrant for Fogg’s arrest. This the chief of police would not do as the case concerned the London police, which alone was empowered by law to issue a warrant. The Guard on the train to Calcutta When Fogg, Cromarty & Fix are travelling from Bombay to Calcutta by train it suddenly stops in the wilderness. They question the guard on this and it is he, who tells them that the rail has not been laid from this Kholby hamlet to Allahabad and so the passengers will have to arrange for their own means of transport. The Indian Owner of an elephant Fogg approaches an Indian to hire an elephant so that they can ride on it to Allahabad. The Indian refuses to hire out the elephant, so it is eventually bought at a very exorbitant price. Parsee Guide A bright looking young Parsee, offers to be the guide on the elephant which will take the travelers to Allahabad. He is a brave and intelligent man and does his job well in conveying the passengers swiftly to Allahabad. Procession Of priests & fanatics While Fogg and his companions are traveling on a elephant to Allahabad they pass by a procession of priests and fanatics. These Hindus are forcibly taking a young princess along with them so that she may commit ‘suttee’ (sacrifice on her husband’s pyre). Later Fogg is able to make a fool of this procession by escaping with Aouda. Judge Obadiah As soon as Fogg is leaves the Calcutta station, a policeman takes him away to court. Judge Obadiah, a rotund looking man presides over this court and over the case of Passeparrtout, who is charged with committing sacrilege by entering a holy place in Bombay with his shoes on. Cousin Jeizeh He is a cousin of Sir James Jejeebhoy and is also related to Aouda. She hopes to get help from this cousin who is based in Hong Kong. But on reaching Hong Kong, Fogg and Aouda find out that he has shifted to another country after making a lot of money. The pilot on the Rangoon He is a sailor on the ship and he is the one who steers the ship into Hong Kong harbor. It is this pilot who informs Fogg that since the Carnatic has postponed its departure for Yokohama Fogg can board it. John Bunsby He is the master of the boat Tankadere, on which Fogg, Fix and Aouda travel. John is a skilled sailor who takes the trio from Hong Kong to Shanghai so that Fogg is able to board the San Francisco boat. William Batulcar He is the manager of a troupe of buffoons, jugglers, clowns, acrobats and gymnasts who were going to give their last performance at Yokohama before leaving for America. Passepartout takes up employment with this troupe in order to be able to leave for America with them. Colonel Stamp Proctor At San Francisco Fogg, Fix and Aouda find themselves in Montgomery Street, which is crowded, by the members of two opposing political parties. The opposing members become violent and Fogg’s group is caught in between. A huge fellow with a red goatee, a ruddy complexion and broad shoulders, raises his fist over Mr. Fogg. Fogg is very angry and later these two men even resort to dueling. Elder William Hitch Mormon missionary A priest boards the train from San Francisco to New York at Elko Station. He is a Mormon missionary, who gives a lecture on Mormonism in Car no. 117 of the train. Forster He is the engine driver of the train bound for New York. When the train stops before Medicine Bow Bridge, which is shaky, it is Forster who suggests a way of getting over. His idea is to take the train over the bridge at a very high speed, which will enable it to pass over. The Guard Fogg and Colonel Proctor decide to perform a duel on one of the platforms where the train to New York stops. But they are stopped by the guard as the train isn’t stopping there. It is this guard who suggests that they fight aboard the train itself. The Sioux These are bold Indians who often attack the trains running across the American continent. A band of Sioux attacks the New York bound train. They are armed with guns and a fierce battle ensues between the passengers and the Sioux. Fort Kearney Captain The Captain in command of Fort Kearney meets Fogg. Fogg insists that the Captain allow some of his soldiers to come with him in order to rescue three passengers who are captured by the Sioux. The captain agrees eventually as he is impressed by Fogg’s gallantry. Driver & Stoker of the train These two are injured by the Sioux, who attack the New York bound train. As the engine is separated from the train they travel in it in an insensible condition till they recover consciousness. Eventually they both turn the engine back to Kearney station. Mudge An American at Fort Kearney station, offers to transport Fogg and group on a sledge to Omaha station. This skipper of a land craft manages to transfer the group safely to Omaha station in a few hours. Andrew Speedy He is the captain of the trading vessel Henrietta, a man of fifty, a sort of sea dog with a growl. He agrees to take Fogg and his companions to Bordeaux but Fogg hijacks the boat and decides to take it to Liverpool instead. The boat finally reaches Queenstown, an Irish port. Clergyman (Reverend Samuel Wilson) When Aouda and Fogg decide to get married Passepartout is sent to the clergyman. After meeting the parson he realizes that the next day is not Monday but Sunday. Both Fogg and Passepartout had not realized that they had reached England a full day earlier. The clergyman then is a source of luck. SHORT SUMMARY (Synopsis) The story begins at England. We are introduced to Fogg, a very precise man who regularly goes to the Reform Club every evening. At one such visit to the club to play cards, he gets into a conversation with his fellow card players as to whether it is possible to go around the world in eighty days.  He believes that it is and is challenged to complete the adventure. This is the beginning of the entire plot and from then on we see how Fogg goes around the world and we witness the amazing adventures that he has with his companions. The main plot is based on Fogg’s travels, while other such plots merely support the central theme Fix, the detective follows Fogg all over. He believes that Fogg is the bank robber who has robbed a great sum from the bank of England. He puts obstacles in Fogg’s path just so that he can arrest him whenever he gets the warrant from England. The suspicion that Fogg might be a clever gentleman robber is the sub-theme of the book and the author makes the reader also suspicious. Passepartout too wonders whether his master might be a robber though in his heart he has ample trust in Fogg’s integrity. The plot moves ahead with Fogg striving through various obstacles to reach London in time. He goes through Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York and finally Liverpool. Fix arrests Fogg at Liverpool and this delays our hero. He thinks that he has missed the deadline and hasn’t reached London in time when in reality he reached a full day earlier. Thus Fogg wins the wager and in the course of his travels, finds himself a worthy charming, beautiful wife too.

Renaissance and Reformation. King Henry VIII Research Paper

Renaissance and Reformation. King Henry VIII - Research Paper Example The Tudors were elements of the house of Lancaster which had clashed with the House of York, another noble group, in the epoch of the national war in England called the War of the Roses. A Lancastrian insurgence had grown against Yorkist King Richard III. Henry Tudor overcame King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field and took the throne of England. The marriage contracted by King Henry the seventh was thus very significant as it united the York and Lancaster sections and in fact caused the War of the Roses to cease . Henry VIII was the second boy born to his parents, the first being Arthur and his sisters were Margaret and Mary Tudor. He adored his mother the Queen who was a loyal and obedient woman, an exemplary female who closely portrayed the virtues that the society of that period expected its womenfolk to espouse. In childhood, Henry VIII was greatly pampered and spoiled. Kings in his time were believed to be anointed entities that rarely could make a mistake and even if they did, their mistakes would be used by the Deity to cause an advantage to the nation in some manner. His mother and grandmother apparently believed this notion to the fullest. His father was another matter. King Henry VII favored Prince Arthur, Henry’s older brother. He was the one to inherit the throne and so he was given more consideration. Prince Arthur was bestowed with royal responsibilities while Henry was left to develop his own preferences. Both brothers were strictly monitored and their friends were carefully chosen. His relationship with his father strained both Henry VIII and the King, though more so the younger man. Henry VII seemed aware of the reality of his son’s disposition and especially after the death of his first son, feared the popularity of his second son2. It even seems that he sensed in Henry VIII a drive for power and a festering ruthlessness in hiding. The Six Wives At the age of two, Arthur had been affianced to Katharine of Aragon. This was a common practice at that time and especially as concerns princes and princesses who were used repeatedly by ambitious parents to foster alliances and pacts with foreign countries that would see their powers increase. Henry’s position as the irrelevant child lasted until a few months after his tenth birthday. Arthur, his elder brother, died at his castle in Ludlow. Within a year, his mother had also passed away along with her newborn because of an infection that she had contracted as she recovered from her confinement. The loss of his mother, brother, and baby sister affected his father more than it did Henry VIII. Another tragedy that took place was Arthur’s death. The older Prince had been married to the Spanish Catalina de Aragon on 14th November, 1501. A bond of matrimony between the House of Tudor and the Spanish throne would ensure more respect for both rulers and strengthen their positions. Prince Henry had guided his sister in law and future spouse up the steps of the St. Paul’s Cathedral to say her vows and would later introduce her

Modern day digital literacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Modern day digital literacy - Research Paper Example Over the past decade, the global community has embraced its use making it a necessity as success is becoming more dependent on an individual’s ability to use digital literacy. This research aims at tackling the impacts of digital literacy on productivity. This research, hence uses several literature reviews to identify the changes involved in productivity based on digital literacy identifying the major pros and cons. Secondary data are preferred in analyzing the trend the global economy is undertaken because of digital literacy. The aim of this research is to identify the relationship of digital literacy and productivity by discussing the impacts of digital literacy on productivity. The growth of digital literacy has been rampant over the past decades. This increment is global and is witnessed in all types jobs, thus meaning that digital literacy is a key component in increasing productivity. By analyzing the statistics of changes in productivity as digital literacy increases, it will be clear to identify the impacts and relationship of the two. Several researches over the last two decades on the impacts of digital literacy on productivity shows that as people continue to increase their knowledge of digital technology, they learn how to ease their workload thus increases productivity. The continued use of digital technology proves that the youth are no longer participating in technical skills as the availability of information helps them become more innovative unlike in the past where most of the work was technical. A research in New Zealand indicates that more than 94% of the people use computers and all organizations and businesses have embraced the use of the internet and computers amongst other digital devices. This illustrates that there is a growing trend in the need of digital literacy to fit in today’s business world (World Economic Forum.

Marketing Brief about Charles Sturt University's Faculty of Business Essay

Marketing Brief about Charles Sturt University's Faculty of Business - Essay Example The market brief report has discussed all the necessary materials that were required to assist Head of Business Faculty at CSU in promotional tasks. Charles Sturt University or CSU’s Faculty of Business is widely acknowledged for professional business causes. The faculty has earned an outstanding reputation with labour market for producing individuals who not only survive the predicaments of current's business world, but do extremely well in the opportunities which they generate. The promotion concentrates on Bachelor’s Business programme, majoring in Business. The promotional materials that are designed and developed for advertisement of CSU’s bachelor's business programme included a full page newspaper ad, non-traditional support media OR design a specialty media item, a billboard, a 90-second television commercial, a direct mail advertisement and a 20 second radio advert. The Faculty of business intends to promote the courses offered at the institution. The pr omotion concentrates on Bachelor’s Business programme, majoring in Business. The courses that are being currently advertised are as included (1) Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (2) Bachelor of Business (Finance) (3)Â  Bachelor of Business (Human Resource) (4) Bachelor of Business (Insurance)(5)Bachelor of Business category of management (6) Bachelor of Business Studies and (7)Diploma of Business Studies [exit point only] (Charles Sturt University, 2013).

Strategy,Strategic planning and the tradtional steps to build an Essay

Strategy,Strategic planning and the tradtional steps to build an organizational strategic plan,Strategic management and Competititve Strategy - Essay Example On the other hand, strategic planning is the process through which an organization defines the strategy to achieve major, as well as minor goals. In other words, strategic planning is the directing and the making of crucial decisions that concern the allocation of the available resource as per the institutions strategy. The strategic plan also involves the control process of management as a way of implementing the decisions that encompass the strategic plan. The traditional planning method of building an organizations strategy comprises several steps. However, the tradition style of strategy planning omits the step of innovative thinking which to some works of research is the most important aspect of strategic planning is innovative thinking. It is significant also to state that the approach to strategic planning varies given the unique features of every organization. The unique features may include the purpose of every institution, the culture of each organization, the environment and immediate surroundings and the history of other plans; whether they were successful or not. The first step in strategic planning is the identification of the purpose of the planning process. The procedure makes up the mission statement. The step tends to put forward the reason behind the existence of the firm. The needs of the client makeup the basic purpose of the organization and thus are an outline in the first step. The second step enumerates the vision of the organization. The step’s main focus is the description of the future state of the business entity and the state of the clients of the organization in the future. The third step is the establishment of mandatory goals that the institution must reach in an attempt to achieve the set down goals as per the organization’s mission and vision. The step also tries to give answers for the prevailing challenges that the organization is undergoing through in its operations. The

Concepts and Operations management principles in Mcdonalds Essay

Concepts and Operations management principles in Mcdonalds - Essay Example For instance, as noted Preliminary results statement, 2006, it offers a range of quality menu choices along with our convenience and brand affordability. Its performance reflects its continued commitment to leverage its operations and process engineering through adoption of the current technology in its systems and procedures. For instance, there is a close monitoring of its chain of operations through advanced techniques to ensure that there is timely delivery of products to customers’ complaints, queries. As the CEO , Jim Skinner noted in the Financial highlights of the year 2011, ‘During 2011, McDonalds continued momentum drove higher profitability and market share gains as we fortified our leadership position around the world. The ongoing strength of McDonalds results is rooted in our Plan to Win with a relentless focus on what matters most to our customers. We are enhancing the customer experience – from our menu and service to our value and convenience – while giving more people more reasons to visit McDonalds more often’. Said McDonalds Chief Executive Officer,. This implies that the chain store constantly pursue customer excellence strategy. The Financial highlights 2011, notes that its success is a result of a diversification to ensure that customers have a variety of food variety to satisfy their needs are satisfied. The recent growing competition from its rivals has necessitated the need to differentiate its products, offer excellent quality customer services, have wider, and more distributed chain stores with uniformity of services across the globe. A wide coverage and presence of several chain stores in region reaches out to more customers than its main rivals do. An examination of some of product offering includes cheers, salads and other breakfast options. Through continued efforts to innovate, it has created a

Capital Punishment in America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital Punishment in America - Research Paper Example Deterrence is regarded as a means of discouraging individuals from engagement in criminal activities. This involves illustrating to offenders that harsh consequences would result for their criminal actions. Such consequences include one being imprisoned. As such, deterrence illustrates that punishment should be provided as a consequence of crime. Since human beings are rational, contemplation of the severity and consequences of punishment would deter people from temptations of engaging in criminal activities. This validates the use of deterrence as the means of punishment for criminal activities in society. On the other hand, retribution indicates an action of repairing or repaying something as price of criminal activities of an individual. Such a punishment makes an individual develop individual responsibility towards social structures and â€Å"keep off† criminal activities. As such, the most effective means of deterring crime is retribution. This is because an individual is subject to payment of the criminal acts. This acts as an effective means of making an individual not to engage in criminal activities. This type of punishment is more significant in cases where the individual commits a crime for the first time than in cases of subsequent crimes. The American society believes in punishment as a consequence of criminal activities. This depicts that people are aware of what kind of punishment they may receive in case they engage in criminal activities. Moreover, retribution provides a means of punishment, which depends on the degree of the crime committed by an individual. Therefore, the punishment administered to the criminal is equivalent to the crime committed and the criminal does not receive excessive or less punishment in comparison to the magnitude of the crime committed. However, in situations where an individual is engaged in multiple crimes and retribution does not prove effective. Such an individual should be subjected to rehabilitation for m of punishment. This is because this form of punishment allows effective cross-examination of the psychological needs and reactions of an individual, which could be the factors, which makes such an individual to engage in criminal activities. After such a cross-examination, an individual is guided under a controlled environment, which allows consistent monitoring of behavior of an individual. This leads to a change in the conduct of an individual in society. Furthermore, rehabilitation provides an opportunity of offering moral education to an individual who is engaged in criminal activities. This may also include provision of vocation training, which equips an individual with skills, which would keep such an individual from engagement in criminal activities, in society. Deterrence is not an effective means of punishment since it leads to the development of fear among individuals, which impacts the decision-making process of individuals in society (Lund, 2002). As such, using deterr ence as a form of punishment would create an American society, which is composed of an element of fear.

Homoeostasis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Homoeostasis - Case Study Example Any fluctuation in the blood glucose concentration is detected by the pancreas, which in turn responds by secreting insulin. The secreted insulin increases the conversion of glucose to glycogen. As a result, Mary’s blood glucose concentration reduces (IHW 2006). Trekking causes excess loss of water from the body in the form of sweat. As a result, the osmolality of the blood plasma rises. The increasing osmolality (stimulus) of the plasma is detected by the hypothalamus (receptor/coordinating center), triggering the secretion of ADH. ADH (effector) causes the opening of aquaporin channels in the collecting ducts of the kidney. In the process, more water is reabsorbed from the urine into the bloodstream. The reabsorption of more water (response) reduces the osmolality of the plasma. However, if alcohol is ingested, it inhibits the secretion of ADH, making the aquaporin channels to close. As a result, the body loses more water in the form of dilute urine (MMHE n.d., p. 1192). Since Jason had put on a short sleeve shirt, the peripheral nerve receptors in his skin detected the surrounding temperature and relayed an appropriate message to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus in turn stimulated his skeletal muscles, causing him to shiver. Although the shivering generated heat by friction, it was not sufficient to normalize Jason’s body temperature. However, when Jason decided to run, the activity in his muscles intensified and generated sufficient heat to keep him warm. As a result, the shivering stopped because his body had gained the necessary heat (Docherty & Foudy 2006, p. 20). Dampney, RAL, et al. (2006). Central mechanisms underlying short-term and long-term regulation of the cardiovascular system. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11985533 [Accessed 11 December

Evaluate the arguments for and against collective bargaining in the UK Essay

Evaluate the arguments for and against collective bargaining in the UK - Essay Example Informational differences provide an appealing explanation for bargaining inefficiencies. Even the development of noncooperative bargaining theory, which provided the tools and served for the collective bargaining, did not work out so well as it was expected. However a general aim of this theoretical development is followed i.e., to inform policy makers of the efficiency and equity effects associated with different labour laws and institutions that govern and shape the collective bargaining process1. While these laws and policies are still in developing phase, they can already offer many insights into the interplay between policy and the bargaining process. (Bargaining, 2005a) Collective bargaining is specifically an industrial relations mechanism or tool, which is applicable to the employment relationship in order to avoid unpredicted disputes. In collective bargaining the union always have a collective interest since the negotiations are for the benefit of several employees as well as for the organization. Where collective bargaining is not for one employer but for several, collective interests become a feature for both the parties to the bargaining process. In labor relations, negotiations involve the public interest such as where negotiations are on wages, which can impact on prices. This is implicitly recognized when a party or the parties seek the support of the public, especially where negotiations have failed and work disruptions follow. Governments intervene when necessary in collective bargaining because the negotiations are of interest to those beyond the parties themselves. In collective bargaining certain essential conditions need to be satisfied, such as the existence of the freedom of association, a labor law system etc. Further, since the beneficiaries of collective bargaining are in daily contact with each other,

Famous Creative Thinkers Essay Example for Free

Famous Creative Thinkers Essay Column A: Steve Wozniak (computer engineer, Apple) (University of Phoenix, 2012) Steve Wozniak was born in San Jose, California in 1950 the son of an engineer. Wozniak developed a love for electronics in his early years. His grades never showed his intelligence, he was just good at building electronics from scratch. While attending the University of California at Berkeley he worked for Hewlett-Packard, and then he met Steve Jobs. Wozniak and Jobs together started Apple in 1976. Wozniak quit his job with Hewlett-Packard to work on the Apple project full time. Wozniak worked on the computer while Jobs did the marketing. Wozniak built from scratch the Apple I and Apple II computers; by 1983 Apple stock was around $985 million. Due to personal reasons he ended his position with Apple in 1987. The reason behind the resignation was an injury in 1981. While piloting his private plane crashed near Santa Cruz City Park. The crash created several injuries including amnesia. Even though his injuries were vast he was responsible for the first programmable remote control. He has written several books on technology, assisted in establishing the Electronic Frontier Foundation in 1990. He also was the founder of WoZ, â€Å"Wheels of Zeus† to attempt wireless GPS technology. Wozniak works as a chief scientist for the Fusion Company since 2008. Column B Grace Hopper (computer scientist (University of Phoenix, 2012) Grace Hopper was born in New York City in 1908. She studied math and physics at Vassar College. She received a master’s degree in math from Yale in 1930. After marriage she continued her education at Yale receiving a PHD in math in 1934. She is the first women to achieve this degree from Yale. In 1943 Hopper joined the Navy Reserve. Due to her mathematical degree she was assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance Communication Project at Harvard. Harvard is where she learned the programming of the Mach I computer. Hopper also worked on the Mach II and Mach III. Hopper helped to make the term â€Å"computer  bug† popular when a moth shorted out the Mach II. In 1949 she began working with Remington Rand after a short time with Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation. While working at Remington Rand she was over the programming of the UNIVAC. In 1952 COBOL was born, a brain child of the Hopper team. COBOL is a program to where one computer can talk to another. Even though Hopper did not invent it she pushed it to be used by all computer companies. COBOL stands for â€Å"Common Business Oriented Language.† Hopper returned to the Navy for 19 years to assist in programming and standardizing communication with other computer languages. Hopper retired as a rear admiral in 1986 at the age of 79. She was the oldest serving officer in the Navy. After retiring from the Navy she became bored and coming back to the computer industry. In 1991 she received the National Medal of Technology. Hopper was the first women to receive such honor. The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in a Computing Conference is a technical conference to bring women together to learn programming. Hopper also encourages young people to learn the technique of programming.

Instrumental And Integrative Motivation

Instrumental And Integrative Motivation Robert Gardner established a model of motivation in second language acquisition in 1985. The field of language teaching has been influenced for many years by the model which came from the studies of language immersion in Canada (Ehrman, 1996, p.139). The model describes two forms of motivation, instrumental and integrative. Instrumental motivation refers to learning to accomplish a task, such as passing a course, getting better pay, and so on (Ehrman, 1996, p.139). Integrative motivation refers to a favorable attitude toward the target language community, possibly a wish to integrate and adapt to a new target culture through use of the language (Gardner, 1985, p. 54). One of the Gardners main ideas is that the integrative motivation plays an important role in second language acquisition. It is directly and positively related to second language achievement. However, the Gardeners model has received lots of criticisms since it was published. The criticisms will be discussed in the foll owing. The model is criticized for overstating the importance of the integrative motive. Gardner simply used the candidates selection of integrative reasons over instrumental ones as evidence that integrative reasons have a higher level of motivational intensity (Gardner, 1985, p.53). Gardner found that the integrative motivation has an extremely high significance in his studies. Nevertheless, the instrumental orientation such as getting a job and passing an examination is also an important factor in second language learning. If learners with integrative motivation can achieve success since they are active in their learning, the same theory might be applicable to the learners with instrumental motivation. Instrumentally motivated learners may be successful since they are eager to learn to achieve their instrumental purposes. Integrative motivation is the central concept in the Gardners model. However, the support of the importance of the integrative motivation is not consistent. Some early studies did agree that integrative motivation was significant in second language learning (Gardner and Lambert, 1959) but some recent researches has shown that the instrumental motivation has an equal or better impact than the integrative motivation. In some cases, the integrative motivation is even considered as having a negative correlation with proficiency which in turn affecting the success of second language learning (Belmechri and Hummel, 1998; DÃ ¶rnyei, 1990). DÃ ¶rnyei (1990) suggested that instrumental motivation could be more important than integrative motivation for foreign language learners since foreign language learners are not likely to have sufficient knowledge and experience to take part in the culture of the people who speak the target language in their early stage of language learning. Integrative motivation may not play a significant role in the early stage of foreign language learners. The importance of different kinds of motivation can be different between second language learners and foreign language learners. Gardners emphasis on integrative motivation for language learning may not fit in all language learning situations (Schmidt, Boraie, and Kassabgy, 1999). The Gardners model have limited applicability for the learners who do not have frequent contact with the target language speakers since they have few opportunities to integrate with the speakers. There are many other factors contributing to the motivation of the learners who are far away from the target language speakers, such as instrumental motivation and knowledge orientation. Gardner should not overstate the importance of integrative motivation in all language learning situations. The significance of different types of motivation may vary from one to another language learning situations. Actually, integrative and instrumental motivations are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Brown (2000) stated that learners rarely select only one type of motivation when learning a second language. The motivation of learning a second language is usually a combination of different forms of orientations. He has cited an example of international students who are residents in the United States. The international students learn English for academic purposes while wishing to be integrated with the people and culture of the country at the same time. This example has clearly shown that integrative and instrumental motivations can mutually exist. In some cases, it is difficult to divide instrumental and integrative motivations. To conclude, the importance of instrumental motivation is being concerned more in the later studies while the significance of integrative motivation has continued to be emphasized. However, it is important to note that the instrumental motivation has only been regarded as an important factor in second language learning while integrative motivation is continually linked to the success of second language learning. Motivation is a significant contribution to second language learning achievement. Therefore, identifying the types and combinations of motivations is one of the keys to successful second language learning. At the same time, learners should be reminded that there are always other variables which can be unique to each language learner affecting the success of second language learning. References Belmechri, F., Hymmel, K. (1998). Orientations and motivation in the acquisition of English as a second language among high school students in Quebec City, Language Learning Brown, H.D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching (4th ed.). Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall. DÃ ¶rnyei, Z. (1990). Conceptualizing motivation in foreign language learning. Language Learning Ehrman, E. (1996) Understanding Second Language Learning Difficulties. London: Sage Publications Gardner, R. C., Lambert, W. E. (1959). Motivational variables in second language acquisition. Canadian Journal of Psychology Gardner, R.C. (1985). Social psychology and language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. London, Ontario: Edward Arnold. Schmidt, R., Boraie, D., Kassabgy, O. (1999). Foreign language motivation: Internal structure and external connections. In R. L. Oxford (Ed.), Language learning motivation: Pathways to the new century. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press.

Importance Of Manpower Planning In Holiday Inn Hotel Commerce Essay

Importance Of Manpower Planning In Holiday Inn Hotel Commerce Essay Planning not only includes obtaining right person at right place but it also comprises of motivational programmes such as incentive plans for active participation of employees and certain other schemes and facilities which are integral part of a staffing function. The training and development of workforce that leads to co-operation and better human relations with which the Human Relation can be developed and stabilize through effective control, clear communication and effective supervision. Where there is a maximum utilization of resources there is increase in productivity level and the higher productivity leads result to minimum wastage of time, money and efforts and this is possible through activities such as training and development, remuneration and performance appraisal. It is an important element in the present industrialization where large scale industries requires management of large scale manpower and this could be effectively done with the help of staffing function. Staffin g is the key to all managerial functions and Human resources help in implementation of all major four functions which are known as planning, organizing, directing and controlling. It is considered to be a two phase process because it not only analyses the current human resources but it also makes a future forecast and helps to draw employment opportunity. Manpower is advantageous to this hotel in different aspects such as Helps in growth and diversification Shortages and surpluses can be identified so that quick action can be taken Avoids overstaffing and reduces labour costs as excess staff can be eliminated Based on manpower planning recruitments and selection process would take place Helps in stabilizing the organization with the help of manpower management Helps in identifying the skills of the employees and provide appropriate training to develop and utilize those skills and talent. Labour Market Strategy in Holiday Inn Holiday Inn addresses the challenges with respect to what to deliver to stakeholders over a time frame of 5-10 years and lead the thinking of providing information and direction regarding overall labour market dynamics. It has pathways to develop and create sustainable growth and prosperity. For development it requires retention, provincial economic sustainability, attraction of highly skilled and educated labour force. A strong system of communication that brings people together to ensure that public and private institutions spend time and money wisely and the goal of the labour market strategy are like High level participation in high quality and diversified employment Highly skilled workforce High quality and productive workplaces Incremental change on existing knowledge and skills Ref: http://www.managementstudyguide.com B. External factors The macro-environmental or external factors of a Holiday Inn Hotel can be identified by using PEST analysis which is Political, Economic, Social and Technology. Political factors: This factor mainly deals with the government policies and procedures which is worked out through legislation and consists of all legal factors such as How stable is the political environment? Government position on market ethics Government view on culture and religion Government policy on Economy Taxation policy on tax rates and incentives These are some of the political factors that include legal issues, government implementations and define both the formal and informal rules under which the organization must be operated. Economic factor: Each and every organization is affected with national and global economic factors such as Cost of labour Interest and Inflation rates Economic growth rates Business cycle stage (e.g. recession, recovery) Unemployment rates Socio-cultural factor: It includes the cultural and demographic aspects of the external macro environment. The potential of the employees who come from different back grounds and work together in the hotel and customer trends and aspect which the hotel has to consider as per their needs and wants such as Change in lifestyles Level of education Value in society Demographics (age, sex, race etc.,) Change in consumer needs and wants Technological factor: This factor is the major driver of globalization which reduces the minimum efficient of production levels and some of the technological factors are Recent technological developments Rate of technology changes Alternative way of providing services New discoveries Communication technology The technology has now become the most important aspect in any hotel as when the customers are mostly delighted and satisfied with service including latest technology that is available in the hotel. 1. Manpower Demand Factors There are several factors that are considered which created a requirement of manpower in Holiday Inn and are related to economic cycle such as like adaption of new Technology, a new demand either by increasing the productivity or by creating new goods especially in hotel industry. By adopting machines like coffee machines which are used to prepare quick coffee to the customers and ovens, refrigerators, coolers air conditioners which are used in kitchen for the quality production of food and wifi a free use of internet mobility for the customer and heaters which make the customers warm and comfortable. This adoption has made new kind of requirement of employees who could operate it correctly, quickly and maintain. The other factor is changing in Skill requirements where staff needs to perform different task by provided training and make them indulge with their job which is necessary to focus or they would lose the interest of doing the same activity and would probably look after the other job by changing the organization which results in labour turnover. By changing in skill requirements it has made the change in manpower planning by recruiting people from different backgrounds and training them in different departments and fields where they can have the overall control in different situations and skills to perform the service effectively and can have job satisfaction. The Productivity improvements is another factor which has created a demand for manpower in Holiday Inn which measures the productivity based on the number of task performed or the service that is provided to the customers in any given time of period. This measure includes a comparison of the service provided to established company or the customer quality standards. To measure the productivity improvements the time sheet has been maintained to indicate the time taken to complete particular task and look at the minimal customization of the quantity of work, for example the number of calls received per day, the number of queries handled, the number of customer served and many more which will be used as a measure. The hotel has also considered Expansion plans as the factor of demand for the manpower which needs skilled and efficient labour to give good start by providing effective and quality service. The diversity of hotel management is greater which involves combination of variety skills such as food and beverage, management, housekeeping services, accounting, sales and marketing, front office operation. While expansion the main aim of the organization is to maintain their position, service and quality standards in order to compete in the current market and the utmost importance is given to the employees, the skills and efficiency to achieve the organizational goals. Ref: http://www.scribd.com 2. Labour turn over As per Holiday Inn, the labour turnover determines the rate of recruitment. In the year 2008 the total number of leavers during the year is 120, the total number of employed at the beginning of year is 400 and at the end number of employed is 430. This can be measured as Number of Leavers / Average number of employers ÃÆ'- 100 i.e., 120 / 415 ÃÆ'- 100 = 29%, during the period there was a major change in employment level as the percentage does not measure the essential relationship between recruitment and labour turnover. There are several categories that cause attrition like death, retirement, migration, occupation mobility. Though there are many ways to find out the labour turnover but stability can be measured by indicating effects of policy change in the external labour market. The percentage of labour turnover can hide areas of stability within the target population. The 100% labour turnover may be produced by 400% labour turnover of a quarter of the target population. The labo ur turnover is considered based on the different market conditions. 3.Supply and Demand The supply and demand of the labour can be ensured with the help of the manpower planning that matches the overall business strategy and plan. Demand which is a process of analyzing, reviewing and attempting to achieve the organizational objectives and supply is necessary action taken to ensure that labour is available when ever required. These two factors are similar and go hand to hand when increase both increases and when decrease both decreases. The manager should have to consider both the factors demand and supply where to meet the demand like seasonal times during Christmas and summer holidays where the demand will be too high there should also be sufficient supply of staff. The main source could be the internal employees where the demand can be fulfilled by the human resource by promoting the internal employees in different departments apart some external labour should also be considered like fresh graduates from schools and colleges and when there is decrease in demand during non seasonal periods the internal labour will be too high, so the managers will be reducing the supply measures by retirement, resignations and voluntary scheme of retirements and if again demand increases then same procedure of hiring new employees and promoting internal staff. The manager keeps balance both the demand and supply. Ref: Human Resource management: Theory Practice by John Bratton, Jeffrey Gold 4.Work Arrangements: Once the employee is been recruited in an organization then it is the responsibility of the employer to look after the working conditions and provide proper basic and safety facilities to the employees. To provide such arrangements there are certain things that needs to be focused like Work Environment: The employer should consider the proper work environment to the employees where they will be able to work efficiently like Lights, Heaters, Elevators, Proper floor maintenance and emergency exits in case of emergency and proper equipment to work with. Safety arrangements: The employees should also be taken care with health and safety were they should be provided with insurance facilities and keeping danger equipments away and in restricted areas and see that no employee would get harm while working and also provide first aid facility on every floor. Rewards and Recognition: In Holiday Inn every year there will be best employee and best organizer will be rewarded apart from that the hotel should also come up with certain different ideas of nominating people which will inspire them to work harder and smarter. Leave compensation : The Hotel has also provided proper compensation to the employees not only paying overtime allowance but also by approving leaves of employees at constant period which helps in increasing efficiency and motivates employees to work for long term. Ref: Human resource management in the hospitality Tourism Industry. TASK 2 Recruitment and employment: : Legislation Implication Application Race Relation 1976 act Sex Discrimination 1986 act Disability Discrimination 1995 act Equal pay 1970 act Directly or indirectly it makes unlawful to discriminate against a person on grounds of ethnic, nationality, origin or colour. It covers all non contractual areas where it is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of marital status or sex The act makes it unlawful if a disabled person is treated as less favorably because of his / her disability. The right states all the men and women, part time and full timers will be paid equal for doing the similar work. In organization once the employee is being recruited he / she cannot be distinguished or categorized in different departments based on their nationality, ethnic or colour In any organization men or women all are equal in the eyes of law and will be violated if the people are categorized in different segments based on their sex or marital status In organization based on skills and required department any person will not be discriminated based on his/ her disability. In Holiday Inn this rule is applicable to all the people who work probably same however it does not include basic wages and salaries to the contract employees, overtime, vouchers, sick pay schemes are not being indulged. Ref: www.city.ac.uk Statutory Provisions: The Holiday Inn has implemented health and safety act for the protection of the employees like Legislation Implication Application Health and safety act 1974 Management of health and safety at work regulation act 1999 Work Place regulation 1992 act ( Health, safety and welfare) RIDDOR act 1995 This act secures health, safety and welfare of the employees at work premises It implies for employers to assess and manage risk to employees and others arising from work activities It is applicable to the workplace environment and ensures it is safe and suitable to carry the task and doesnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t present risk to employee and others. It is reporting of injuries, disease and dangerous occurrences regulation It is applicable to all the people who work in the hotel and provides safe access and maintenance with proper storage and safe handling of dangerous substances and also providing training to staff to ensure the health and safety. There are proper arrangements being made to ensure the health and safety of the employees at work place by making proper arrangements for emergencies, training to employees and providing adequate information for health surveillance where appropriate It is to ensure the work place is safe to carry on the task like ventilation, lightning, sanitary conveniences, escalators and moving walkways, work station and seating, temperature in indoor workplaces, drinking water, room dimensions and work space, drinking water and facilities to change clothes, rest and eat meals. The employers and people in control premises need to report major injuries, dangerous occurrence or any work related deaths to incident contact centre or via online. Ref: www.healthyworkinglives.com Code of Practice: Legislation Application Implication Employment act 1996 Employment relation 1999 act Disciplinary policy and practice. Handling Record Keeping This law states that an employer cannot dismiss an employee on certain basis. This law ensures the Disciplinary and grievance, leave for family and domestic reasons, trade unions and other rights of an individual. This process is instructed on two main areas conduct due to lack in performance and capability which is failure to follow the hotel instruction and procedures. It is where all the employers have to support and train to carry out disciplinary meetings with their team. If any employee refuse to prevent the risk of health and safety at work or refuse to return to workplace which is believed to be dangerous workplace for an employee to work then the employer cannot dismiss the employee. It is a right of an employee to get accompanied and can complaint to employment tribunal which also includes interpretation. This law is also applicable to entitle of leaves during domestic incidents, maternity or parental leave and consequent amendments. The other rights would be like part time work discrimination, code of practice, unfair dismissal, and training to employees. In certain cases the employer may encounter difficulties with the performance of the employees due to illness or mental stress. At such instances the manager has to show more support and deal it properly if no alternative is left then have to approach formal capability procedure. If the employee is not following the procedures like being late to hotel all the time or fail to follow the management instruction the employer should have to follow ACAS code i.e. first sending warning letter and conducting meeting and appealing. It is unlawful if any of the employees do leak the confidential data of the customers in the hotel. The employees should have to consider the confidentiality of the data and may be dismissed if violated the rule. Ref: www.personneltoday.com Organisation: Legislation Application Implication National Minimum wage act 1999 Paid Leaves entitled to the employees This law is applicable to all the people who work in United Kingdom It is where the employees will The legal way of paying the minimum wage to an employee is what called as NMW which an employer should pay at least on hourly basis and then it is calculated on arrears.

Growth in the U.K. Economy :: Economics Britain Essays

Growth in the U.K. Economy After the Second World War, Britain enjoyed the longest boom in its history until the 1973-74 oil crisis. There are many, though, who do not view this as a successful period of Britain's history. Although Britain experienced unprecedented growth, its rate of growth was slower than that for many other countries. It is therefore debatable as to whether this was a successful period of Britain's history or not. This essay will examine the statistics of Britain's growth after the Second World War and compare this to statistics for other countries as well as statistics from Britain's past. This will provide evidence to accurately assess Britain's growth performance during this period. The essay will also examine possible reasons for Britain's relative decline such as demand management Government policies, balance of payments problems, an over reliance on traditional manufacturing industries, low investment in capital stock, Trade Union power, poor management, poor business structure and a poor education system. The 25 years from 1948 to 1973 produced growth faster than had been seen in any previous period of equivalent length. During this period, real gross domestic product doubled. The increase in the average growth rate from 2% to 2.8% shows that UK productivity increased considerably. During the 1950s, there were no concerns about the UK growth rate. The standard of living was still higher than that of any other EEC country except Belgium and higher than it had ever been in Britain's history. It was twice as high as Italy and 50% higher than West Germany. When compared to the performance of other countries, though, UK growth rates are less impressive. Other EEC countries had growth rates roughly double that of the UK, between 5% and 6%. This caused great concern amongst many politicians and economists at the time. Most economists look back on the period as a failure. Elbaum and Lazonick, two North American economists say: "If there is much to be learned from the Japanese success, it is our conviction that the United States may have even more to learn from the decline of Britain The significance of a difference of 3% in the growth rate is that, if two countries have a level start, the faster growing country will have twice the output of the slower country in 25 years. This showed that Britain was in relative decline and justified some of the fears of

Computer Repair :: Essays Papers

Computer Repair At Ford Motor Company, we have a passion for Better Ideas. Whether pushing the limits of technology and design, or bringing people together within a community, we work to approach every challenge with ingenuity and caring. Explore opportunities for doing business with us, visit the Investor Center, or learn more about us. Environmental Initiatives Learn what we're doing to build vehicles that are better for the environment as well as promote conservation in communities, schools, and our very own facilities. Corporate Citizenship Explore what corporate citizenship means at Ford Motor Company and how we are striving to make the world a better place. Safety & Security The safety of our vehicles and the families who rely on them is essential to Ford Motor Company. Read about our latest safety enhancements and how we're educating motorists to buckle up and drive smart. Design & Technology We're researching in Asia, partnering with NASA, and innovating in our plants and offices around the world every day. Get a preview of what's new and what's next at Ford Motor Company. Partnerships & Alliances We want you to know about the partners we work with and the programs we support. Our professional network includes some of the most exciting companies and collaborations in the marketplace today. Suppliers Ford Motor Company relies on strong relationships with suppliers and we welcome new suppliers with great products and ideas. Investor Information Access investor news, stock updates, and company reports. Heritage Trace the history of Ford Motor Company—learn more about Henry Ford and 100 years of innovation. Newsroom Get news, read press releases, and review our company policies on topics such as air quality and the Firestone recall. Global Sites Check out the websites, vehicles, and services that are available in over 120 countries. Careers Our success has been achieved through the concerted efforts and collective vision of a diverse workforce in the US and abroad. Find out about career opportunities with us. Site Map Privacy FAQs Contact Us Note: leads to an external site  ©Copyright 2001 Ford Motor Company. All rights reserved. Computer Repair :: Essays Papers Computer Repair At Ford Motor Company, we have a passion for Better Ideas. Whether pushing the limits of technology and design, or bringing people together within a community, we work to approach every challenge with ingenuity and caring. Explore opportunities for doing business with us, visit the Investor Center, or learn more about us. Environmental Initiatives Learn what we're doing to build vehicles that are better for the environment as well as promote conservation in communities, schools, and our very own facilities. Corporate Citizenship Explore what corporate citizenship means at Ford Motor Company and how we are striving to make the world a better place. Safety & Security The safety of our vehicles and the families who rely on them is essential to Ford Motor Company. Read about our latest safety enhancements and how we're educating motorists to buckle up and drive smart. Design & Technology We're researching in Asia, partnering with NASA, and innovating in our plants and offices around the world every day. Get a preview of what's new and what's next at Ford Motor Company. Partnerships & Alliances We want you to know about the partners we work with and the programs we support. Our professional network includes some of the most exciting companies and collaborations in the marketplace today. Suppliers Ford Motor Company relies on strong relationships with suppliers and we welcome new suppliers with great products and ideas. Investor Information Access investor news, stock updates, and company reports. Heritage Trace the history of Ford Motor Company—learn more about Henry Ford and 100 years of innovation. Newsroom Get news, read press releases, and review our company policies on topics such as air quality and the Firestone recall. Global Sites Check out the websites, vehicles, and services that are available in over 120 countries. Careers Our success has been achieved through the concerted efforts and collective vision of a diverse workforce in the US and abroad. Find out about career opportunities with us. Site Map Privacy FAQs Contact Us Note: leads to an external site  ©Copyright 2001 Ford Motor Company. All rights reserved.

Beowulf: A Comparison between Hrothgar and Beowulf Essay

Throughout history, kings have been the primary figure in kingdoms and territories. People looked to these authoritative figures for many different things ranging from religion to leadership and guidance. The heroic epic Beowulf takes the concept of kingship and elaborates on it through the roles of two very different characters: King Hrothgar and Beowulf. In doing so, it reveals the differing values instilled within each man. Very early on in Beowulf, it is evident that the German and Scandinavian world that exists at this time is both hostile and unpredictable. The constant upheaval between the differing cultures force the people of these villages to look to a higher power for a sense of well-being. King Hrothgar of Heorot embodies the necessary characteristics of a leader at the beginning of the tale: strength, bravery, and leadership. The introduction of Grendel, however, eliminates any sense of stability in the King of the Danes. Instead of standing up to fight Grendel, Hrothgar cowardly retreats and allows the monster to terrorize and pillage his kingdom for many years. As a result of this, the people lose their sense of trust and security. It is at this point that they place their belief in pagan rituals, turning their backs on God. Beowulf, the hero of this epic, demonstrates what a hero truly represents. He first and foremost places his trust in God rather than in other humans or pagan rituals. His strength, bravery, and self-sacrifice shine through his underlying persistent optimism. This drive stems from Beowulf’s ultimate goal of being remembered after he is long gone and time has passed. As he tells Hrothgar, â€Å"We must all expect and end to life in this world; let him who can win fame before death, because that is a dead man’s best memorial.† When Beowulf hears of the turmoil Grendel is causing in Heorot, he immediately responds to the call, against his father’s wishes. He determines that he will fight the creature without any weapon or armor. This confidence only demonstrates his faith in God and fate. He believes that if something happens, it will happen, and there is no way of preventing the inevitable.  Beowulf’s fight with Grendel represents the beginning of his journey as a hero. Grendel is the most evil foe for Beowulf, because he is a direct descendant of Cain. Beowulf’s character through this difficult first task establishes a foundation for him to build on with each increasingly arduous task. After having defeated Grendel, Heorot once again returns to a peaceful and serene place. The halls within the Danish kingdom grow joyous and jovial. All of this jollity quickly dissipates, however, when Grendel’s mother begins murdering and ravaging the town in a fit of rage over her son’s death. This is the second struggle that Beowulf is faced with. In this particular situation, he is forced to travel into a hostile environment down into the mother’s lair. This second act of heroism shows how Beowulf goes one step further in securing his place as a genuine hero. When he defeats the mother with a sword that he did not come equipped with, it becomes very clear that divine intervention makes up a large part of his success. Once Grendel’s mother is defeated, peace is once again restored in the Danish kingdom. Fifty long years pass before any other major act of heroism occurs in Beowulf’s life. During this time, he becomes King of the Geats, and establishes himself as a great ruler. When a dragon interrupts the tranquility of the kingdom, Beowulf truly secures his place as a legend. Unlike King Hrothgar, Beowulf does not shy away from danger, and aggressively pursues the dragon. This is by far the most difficult task Beowulf faces and he soon realizes it. Not only is the beast more powerful and dangerous than its predecessors, Beowulf is now an old man and does not possess the strength and energy that so freely flowed through him as a younger man. The twelve â€Å"companions† that accompany Beowulf on this quest desert him in the face of danger, except for Wiglaf, the only true and loyal servant. These cowards can be looked at in much the same light as King Hrothgar. They act brave and mighty, but when confronted with real danger and risk, coward away. All of these factors combine to ultimately defeat Beowulf. He defeats the dragon, but dies in doing so. Even as he dies, Beowulf exudes his humbleness and faithfulness to God and the people he watched over. â€Å"I speak with words of thankfulness to God the king of glory, our eternal Lord, for all the wealth that I see here, and because I was permitted to win it for my people before my death.† Countless times in history, people are faced with tough decisions that unknowingly affect an entire society. It is how these people respond to these situations that truly reveal their character. Attempting to hide or run away does not solve the problem, much to the dismay of people like King Hrothgar. If anything can be learned from this, I think it is that when we are faced with these decisions in life, we must trust in what we firmly believe in and fully put our reputation or life on the line. In doing so, we too have the ability to become heroes in our own right, whether it be a controversial choice or just something very simple. By focusing on the same principles as Beowulf did, we can affect the society around us as well.

The Evolution of Total Quality Management

Until the industrial revolution in the mid 18th century, most goods were custom made. Industrialisation brought about a fundamental shift from cottage industry production to large scale manufacturing. Simultaneously, industrial activity underwent extensive mechanisation. As explained by Ho, ‘craftsmen were diminishing and being replaced by mass production and repetitive work practices.’ The aim with the new industrial era was to produce large numbers of the same product which required processes to be put in place to control quality as it could not be left up to individuals. Cali explains that the shift away from the production of goods by individual craftsmen bought about the introduction of the assembly line between 1900 and1940 in America where products passed consecutively through various operations. Cali describes how ‘Standardisation became the trend’ adding that the prevailing management thinking at this time centred around keeping jobs simple and under close supervision. The expectation was that workers would meet standards only if closely supervised. The 2nd world war played a key role in the evolution of TQM. Factories geared up for mass production and were split into functional departments. At the end of the war, America undertook the rebuilding of Japan’s shattered economy. Amongst the many Americans that were sent to Japan to support this effort was Dr W Edwards Deming. He was instrumental in convincing the Japanese to adopt the principles of industrial efficiency and thus the development of the TQM theory was born. He advocated a climate of ‘continuous improvement’. â€Å"Listen to me† Deming told the Japanese â€Å"†¦and in 5 yrs you will be competing with the West. Keep listening and soon the West will be demanding protection from you†. Using his TQM principles, firstly with manufacturing and then to sales and other areas, the Japanese gradually developed their own version of TQM so that by the 1970s, they had begun to dominate some of the manufacturing markets. Deming believed they had done this because they had learned a fundamental principle of TQM that was summed up by Deming: â€Å"Nobody except the Japanese understand that as you improve quality, you also improve productivity.† During the 1970s, American’s position as the world’s foremost industrial power had begun to decline. For example, the U.S. share of the manufacturing market in 1970 was down to 17% from a high in the 1950s of 35% (Cali pg16). Brown believes that the reason for this decline can be partly explained by the way American companies practised the art of inspections in manufacturing products whilst their Japanese counterparts embraced the TQM consumer needs messages promoted by quality gurus including Feigenbaum who promoted the principle that â€Å"The total composite product and service characteristics †¦ through which the product or service in use will meet the expectation of the customer† (Feigenbaum in Brown et al, 2000, pg 194). The reaction by American firms to the success of Japanese was to adopt more of the principles taught by the American TQM gurus. Cali describes how ‘Many American companies achieved success by refocusing their attention on quality and by making satisfied customers their top priority.’ During the early days of manufacturing, inspections were seen as the best way to insure quality within a business. Ho explains that this is a process by which an operative’s work was inspected on a frequent bases and a decision was made on whether or not the individuals work was at a high enough standard. At the time this was seen as an acceptable way of insuring quality in a business, it become larger as the business grew and it created many inspection jobs. However, often as a business progresses, problems can be more advanced and therefore require more technical skill which quite often inspectors did not have due to a lack of training. This resulted in inspectors ignoring problems with products in order to increase output, which obviously led to poor products giving the business a bad image. So gradually, during the post-war years (as Cali explains) â€Å"†¦ a sea change began taking place in American management philosophy.† as managers began to understand that work of employees needed to be acknowledged and that workers needed to be consulted if quality was to be improved. In Deming’s book ‘Out of the Crisis’ he explains in his fourteen principles that inspection is not the way forward if a businesses is to ensure quality. He says â€Å"Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for massive inspection by building quality into the product in the first place† It is around the time that we begin to see the emergence of quality assurance with more emphasis focused on the training and development of staff, recording of data and the accuracy in which things were measured. Brown et all describes how â€Å"In the 1980s, leading-edge corporations sparked a revolution as they implemented Total Quality programmes across entire organisations. In such a programme the responsibility for quality is with the whole workforce. Each employee is responsible for the quality of their own job, their own actions. It could be said that responsibility for quality lies with 100% of the workforce. Another TQM guru, Joseph Juran also influenced the thinking at this time by promoting the need for education and training in the workforce so there is no need for inspection. He added that quality should be about â€Å"Fitness for purpose or use†. By the 1990s, TQM was becoming the buzz word in the global business world. Cali says in his introduction to TQM that â€Å"TQM is destined to become one of the most frequently used acronyms of the 1990s.† He went on to say that growing numbers of CEOs in the USA and abroad believed that TQM was the â€Å"†¦wave of the future.† Part of the evolution of TQM practice was the use of statistical quality control. This was quality control by using statistical methods. It was first introduced by an American physicist and statistician called Walter A. Stewart, famously known as the ‘father of statistical control’. His work was later progressed by Deming who applied statistical control methods in America during World War 2; he applied his methods to many strategically important products thus improving the quality and output of manufacturing. The term Statistical Quality Control (SQC) is used to describe the set of statistical tools used by quality professionals in modern quality management practice. An example of this method is Six Sigma. According to Motorola: â€Å"Six Sigma has evolved over the last two decades and so has its definition.† The UK Department for Trade & Industry explains that â€Å"Six sigma is a data driven method for achieving near perfect quality†. According to Berger, Six Sigma which began in 1986 as a statistically based method to reduce variation in electronic manufacturing processes in Motorola Inc is now considered to be the most popular TQM method in the history of TQM. Six sigma is an enormous brand in the world of corporate development. Today, more than 20 years on, Six Sigma is used as an all encompassing business performance methodology, all over the world, in organisations as diverse as local government departments, hospitals, banks and multi national co operations. The establishment of modern day TQM tools and technologies such as Six Sigma brings the evolution of TQM full circle. We’ve seen that quality evolution has become the quality revolution. In a relatively short time many companies have chosen quality as a strategic goal. As noted in Tom Peters’ and Nancy Austin’s seminal work, A Passion for Excellence, explains that ‘†¦. winners compete by delivering a product that supplies superior value, rather than one that costs less’ We’ve seen from the Japanese that a focus on quality can bring success in terms of market share and profits. Companies in the West such as M & S and Mercedes Benz have shown that improved market share comes from doing the right things, all the time. Crosby very interestingly emphasizes the principle of â€Å"doing it right the first time† which means instead of having an inspection on quality, just make sure it is already up to scratch. Cali believes that the ‘process of continued improvement’ was a key stage in the evolution of TQM. He suggests that the Japanese consider quality an integral part of product and process design. Cali adds â€Å"In the United States 20-25% of production cost goes to the quality assurance personnel who find and correct mistakes. In Japan, only 3 per cent of production cost is spent this way.† Cali explains that the Japanese use TQM methods by assigning the in-process inspection to individual production workers who complete elementary statistical analyses and are authorised to take basic corrective action. â€Å"The result is greater individual pride in workmanship and higher employee motivation† says Cali. . Surely this is the essence of TQM and brings the evolution of TQM full circle? In conclusion, this discussion has attempted to explain how the evolution of TQM can be traced back to the early days of the industrial revolution with its principles of inspection and focus on measuring the product to the sophisticated systems for improving and managing quality which we have come to know today. The key point to conclude with is that the change in quality management culture from ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ to ‘if it ain’t perfect, continue to improve it’ was not sequential nor was it down to an individual guru or country but as this discussion has outlined it evolved more through a combination of developments in inspections, quality control, quality assurance and ultimately in the way these processes were managed and delivered.

One share one vote Essay

In 30% of Europe’s major companies, inadequate capitalist equality has strengthened middle power-holding groups and limited alternative shareholders’ kingdom of action. That is the close of a study by research firm Deminor, equipped on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The study condemn the reality that 35% of all companies in the choose FTSE Eurofirst 300 index have some kind of method in position for defensive themselves next to the standard of ‘one share, one vote. Business reformers who want to put off corporate scandals have not embark upon this dilemma, in spite of the fact that parity is the most basic principle in politics. In Europe, this breakdown is a particularly solemn problem since the majority governments have opted to take out the proposals of the European Union, by means of the method of ‘obey or give details. ’ This classification has allowed them to keep away from writing set of laws that wrap all the ins-and-outs of good quality governance. As a substitute, companies that fall short to obey with a corporate principle have to clarify why they are doing so, and depiction themselves to likely penalty by their shareholders. If the ballot vote rights of minorities are limited, a comparatively useless reprimand is functional. â€Å"The formula of ‘obey or explain’ is merely feasible if all shareholders can work out their rights,† warns Mary Francis, general manager of the ABI, in the opening to the study. In her view, if authority holders in a high proportion of companies carry on to accumulate more power than they deserve, they could countenance lawful penalties from Brussels. Though, Vicente Salas, professor of economics and business organization at the University of Zaragoza, doesn’t consider it will be likely to inflict such penalties. Whilst empirical data is missing, Salas argues that this kind of behavior â€Å"will not be regulated until we arrive at the point where the standard (‘one share, one vote’) is severely imposed on every openly traded company in each country of the European Union. † (Guido 16-18) When voting rights are concerted in the groups that sprint the company, it distorts the actuality of the soak. Along with the 300 major companies in Europe, 35% of every voting right is given to those who possess 22% of the total shareholdings. There are more than a few ways this is gifted, and it depends on the country. Though, the preferred means to attain this attentiveness is to generate shares that have manifold voting rights. That occurs in 20% of Europe’s most important companies. Fairly a small number of companies (10% of the total) choose to border voting rights, and 5% of all companies favor to impose confines on share ownership. With that kind of loom, shareholders need to own a least amount number of shares [previous to they can vote. ] In contrast, â€Å"Golden Shares† [a golden share gives its shareholder refusal authority over changes to the company’s charter] have been trailing fame because they have frequently been fated by Brussels. In spite of the resistance of European regulators, a few companies uphold this method. Examples comprise BAE Systems and Rolls Royce, in which the British decision-making has a Golden Share. Similarly, the Portuguese chief executive has a Golden Share in Portugal Telecom. In Spain, the government does not have its own â€Å"Golden Shares. † though; it has maintained the authority to veto definite activities in Endesa, Repsol-YPF, and Telefonica, in spite of the reality that the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg affirmed such vetoes against the law in May 2003. Study demonstrates that there is still an extended road in front before there is a self-governing system for all shareholders in European markets, director of investments at ABI. In his view, if companies make growth beside this road, they will shun the jeopardy of being subjected to stricter set of laws, such as those in result in the U. S. The solution to achieving this objective is to admiration the rights of shareholders, and build up just one market for [all] European shares,. Jean-Nicolas Caprase, a partner of Deminor, is not sure that companies will respond fast. There are a lot of exceptions to the standard of ‘one share, one vote,’ and the circumstances are altering too slowly. That marginal shareholders’ aptitude to take act is the principal bludgeon for avoiding the mistreatment of authority by groups that are in control. â€Å"The basic thing is to get better the performance of shareholder groups since that is one of the lone places where corporate directors are feeble. Bebchuk and Hart 11) Justifications and Exceptions Salas defends the idea of impending this from the point of view of self-regulation. Though, he recommends â€Å"prescribing standards that, as maintaining the liberty of companies, as well defend the interests of minority shareholders. When companies issue shares, they should be compelled to notify shareholders, in a completely translucent way, about the relationship between control over corporate incomes (where the parity principle applies) and have power over decision-making (where there may be a short of fulfillment because voting is biased. This association derives from the constitutional norms that each company establishes when it issues its shares. Formerly a company has gone public; any changes in pertinent statutes have to be approved by the general meeting of shareholders. Just then, if a transform is approved by preponderance, the company should offer to purchase out its dissenter shareholders, contribution them a fair price. † Companies protect their rights to carry on intent additional voting rights in just a few hands. They say this practice gives stability to their company’s shares, and prevents conjecture [in their shares]. Though, if we should inquire ourselves if insiders are more truthfully owners than alternative shareholders are, from a business point of view. After all, in many cases, minority shareholders invest today and put up for sale tomorrow. We should even ask ourselves if they are owners in terms of their obligation. (Edwards 7) Gratitude to a 1959 law, the German state of Lower Saxony controls 20% of the voting rights in Volkswagen, in spite of the truth it owns just 14% of the automaker’s shares. To promise shareholder constancy in the company, 80% of all votes were necessitate for adopting significant decisions. Additionally, the law set a 20% boundary on the voting rights of any single shareholder. Effectively, this guaranteed that no shareholder has a larger voice than lesser Saxony. Although this rule might have made sense 47 years previously, it has been fated by Brussels, which suppose that the state is using the innovative justification to assurance its control over the company. Companies offer another good reason for deploying mechanisms that set confines on corporate democracy. They say these requirements make investors more faithful to the company. For instance, in France, where 69% of all companies have some type of restraint, quite a few companies offer double voting rights to those investors who have held their shares for more than two years. The objective is to formulate these investors more faithful. Nevertheless, the Deminor study is decisive of this practice, at variance that it is being used to strengthen the position of groups that hold authority. Still if they want to alter, there are almost certainly some factions surrounded by the companies who fall short to fulfill with the principle, and protect the status quo, â€Å"One great example of disobedience with this principle is the survival of shares that have no voting rights. No one questions this put into practice, and no one qualm they can survive. † Shares with no voting rights are common between companies that are family owned; where the founders carry on to manage the majority of the shares, or a large portion. In such a case, the main goal of issuing shares is to gain right of entry to capital, with no altering managerial power of the company. Though, there are a number of economic reimbursements from owning shares that have no voting rights, together with special access to extra payments. (Berglof and M. Burkart, 172) Countries economic analysis All over Europe scholars have been discussing and researching on pros and cons of economic benefits, many have explained the positive side of it. In the economic side the public and private values are very important of any company. We can take an explain of it, as if a company has share ratio of 50 half of that relates to private value and half goes to public value, but public value becomes 40 if there is less competent team deficient. When Even though the in general landscape is fairly negative, there are important differences from country to country. Belgium provides the best instance of corporate democracy. No company in that country compel restrictions on minority voting rights, in spite of the fact that Belgian law recognizes some customs that such a objective could be achieved. Neighboring Holland is one of Europe’s most translucent countries, and a title holder of good governance. Though, Holland is the country that imposes the most limits on minority shareholders; 86% of every Dutch company has a number of systems for preventing minorities from imposing their views. They do this, very frequently, by issuing shares with manifold voting rights. Sweden, wherever 75% of all companies are â€Å"equipped† next to minority shareholders, is between the slightest democratic countries when it comes to corporate governance. In adding up, every Swedish company that sets restrictions on voting rights also has shares that have manifold voting rights. Germany is an individual case. German companies have two councils. One is composed of executives of the company. In the next council, partially of the members represent the workers. This set-up explains, in part, why no German company apart from Volkswagen sets limitations on voting rights. In most cases, this is because employees are also shareholders in the company. The United Kingdom, measured the example of good governance in Europe, is also one of the countries with the majority corporate democracy. This is true in spite of the information that 12% of all companies have some sort of restraint, largely from side to side limitations on ownership. We consider that if you make a market based on business governance, as caring the interests of minority shareholders, it is a superior thing for each entity market; for the European financial system, and for the millions of entity savers whose money we use yet, wouldn’t it be promising to validate limitations on voting rights beneath a few circumstances? (Gilson 29) Pros and cons The primary suppositions in the law and economics literature concerning shareholder voting and the one-share/one-vote rule are faulty in many ways. The typical outlook is that share possession is essential and enough to make voting rights and those rights should be straight relative to share possession. We display that this supposition is groundless, both for shares that are economically burdened (supposed by investor who are not pure left over applicant; e. g. , a investor who owns one share and is as well tiny one or more shares) in addition to shares that are lawfully laden (alleged or connected with more than one investor; e. . , shares that are loaned to a little, who put up for sale that share to a new buyer). The one-share/one-vote rule is not merely economically sub-optimal, but grades in considerable harmful cost. Quorum and dogmatic needs are distorted; mergers and acquisitions are also effortlessly accepted; securities class performance are undervalued and at the same time under- and over-recompense; insolvency distributions are over- and under-broad; and fixed-ratio stock offers are favoured over economically greater alternatives. These consequences all get from a groundless dependence ahead the one-share/one-vote standard and the faith that yet economically or lawfully laden shares are allowed to vote. On the other side the public value side has been flawed by the system in its depth, which has already been mentioned above. Conclusion Since the enactment of the federal securities laws, the number of public investors who directly own equity securities in this country has grown to over 47,000,000, and the additional number of individuals who own stock indirectly through pension plans, life insurance policies, and other accounts exceeds 133,000, 000. These public investors have relied on a congressional policy that links fair corporate suffrage to the trading markets for equity securities. An increasing number of publicly-held corporations have determined to break this link to foreclose takeover threats. Differing sets of listing standards have permitted companies to engage in regulatory arbitrage, moving from one exchange to another in a search for the least regulatory environment. The resulting competitive pressures felt by the exchanges and the NASD have caused a deregulatory crisis over stockholder voting rights, a crisis that ultimately may extend to other qualitative standards imposed on listed companies) Although the SEC believes it has the authority to act, EU has provided no clear guidelines for the implementation of its fair corporate suffrage policy. The resulting lack of certainty could be harmful to corporate enterprises, the investing public, and the markets EU has sought to protect. Substantial damage already has occurred, but that harm is inconsequential when future prospects are considered. Presently, only 200 of the 6500 publicly- held corporations have undertaken to break the link between voting and trading. One exchange official has predicted that â€Å"the floodgates will open. † Another commentator has warned that â€Å"eventually all companies will be controlled by some small, inside group; public stockholders will not have any role or significant voting rights† if the one share, one vote rule is taken away. In the words of a former SEC Commissioner, we should â€Å"question the legitimacy of vesting so much of our nation’s wealth in the hands of what would be self-perpetuating managements. † (Kraakman 95) The idea of a federal corporation law has been suggested since the beginning of the Republic. James Madison recommended the idea during the Constitutional Convention. ’ Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft promoted the idea in the early part of this century as a way to combat monopolistic practices. In the 1970s, Ralph Nader and others urged federal chartering as a means to effect social reforms)