Arnolfini Wedding Portrai

In 1434, Flemish artist Jan van Eyck painted, signed, and dated his piece, the â€Å"Arnolfini Wedding Portrait. † This painting is believed to be of Giovanni di Arrigo Arnolflnl, an Italian merchant, and his wife Giovanna Cenaml and Is thought to stand as documentation of their marriage. While It may seem Ilke a simple dual-portrait, there are many subtle symbols Incorporated In the scene that enhance the portrayal of this couple. use of symbolism within the painting explains Its purpose, shows what this Renaissance couple values, displays social norms of the era, and relates to universal ymbols and basic human nature.The artwork hints towards its purpose through intricate symbolic meaning to be found within the details of the scene. A quite plausible interpretation of the painting is that it is an image of a wedding ceremony and it serves as verification of said marriage. In fifteenth century Flanders, marriages could easily have taken place in private locations, instead of in a church with an elaborate ceremony, and van Eycks signature on the painting is more than his name, it reads â€Å"Jan van Eyck was present† with the date of the painting, which indicates he ook the extra step to ensure that his presence was known.The eloquent handwriting of the signature, usually seen on formal documents, In addltlon to the fact that there Is an unnamed man accompanying van Eyck In the mirror's reflection whom Is likely the other, more official witness to this marriage which further proves this interpretation. Secondly, in the bottom left corner is a pair of shoes that have been slipped off, probably out of respect for being in a holy place or in the presence of a holy event, such as a wedding ceremony.Furthermore, the companion dog was not n there by accident, but instead represents faithfulness, fidelity, and love which are 3 immensely important qualities of a successful marriage. Lastly, on the intricate chandelier there burns only one solitary candle. A single flame burning in bright daylight symbolizes a bridal or possibly a devotional candle, a part of marriage ceremonies. The artist used symbols in the painting to subtly explain the purpose of the portrait, Just as other parts of this piece of artwork reflect the general era of the Renaissance.The style of the art and the way this painting was created embodies arts of the artlstlc Renaissance In Europe. Renaissance usually refers to the renewed interest in the classical arts and culture that sprouted from Italy. However, the Northern Renaissance (which van Eyck was a part of) was characterized by people's interest in observing the nature of our world and humans fit within that world. Northern artists had more focus on detail and this is very evident in van Eyck's painting. There is intense detail in this picture, from the scruff of the dog's fur to the flame of the candle.Another characteristic of the Northern Renaissance art was that there was emphasis on religious intensity . Within this painting, there are several religious symbols such as; the removed shoes (representing sanctity), the crystal prayer beads on the wall, and the Image of Saint Margaret (protector of women In childbirth) carved Into a high back chair near the bedside. These things skillfully represent the piety of the couple and Incorporate religious undertones Into a simple portrait. This portrait also contains details that allude to the fifteenth century ideas concerning marriage.Just the placement of the two figures within the room says sometnlng aoout tne value 0T gender roles aurlng tnls era. I ne woman, positioned slightly further into the room, towards the bed, symbolizes her role as a caretaker of the household. Ideas of women's rights during the this time were that the wives should support their husbands, while still living domestic, demure, stay-at- home lives. With the placement of Giovanni near an open window, the painting represents how a man's duties are outside the home, working and living with more freedom than women were allowed.Even their hand position gives information on their relationship. His hand being raised vertically represents a commanding position f authority, whilst she has her hand in a lower, horizontal pose which shows her as more submissive. However, the wife looks directly towards her husband, rather than down at the floor as lower class women would have. In the court life system that they are a part of, she is his equal, not his subordinate, and she displays it with her confident gaze. The man looks directly out at the viewer, stoic and calm, displaying his control.As a wealthy merchant, Arnolflni had the ability to have symbols of his wealth placed within the portrait; this allows people to understand the attitude of the ealthy and the part of the economic state during the Renaissance. Placed under the window is an orange which, without context, could mean nothing at all. However, fruit was expensive at this time and oranges wer e especially uncommon in the Netherlands, the setting of this portrait. The orange was likely placed there to be a symbol of this couple's wealth.Furthermore, the small dog, while also representing loyalty and faithfulness, is also an extremely rare breed of dog. It must have cost a fair amount for them to purchase that dog and placing it in their painting is practically showing it off. In addition, both people are dressed lavishly, even though the painting was done during the summer time, as indicated by cherry fruit on the tree outside. Despite the season both of their outer garments, Giovanni's thick tabard and his wife's a long flowing dress, are trimmed and fully lined with expensive furs.Having commissioned art in general displays a great amount of wealth. Here, they have taken things a step further by donning their most regal outfits and placing other symbols of their wealth and status within their portrait to enhance it further. The attitude of this merchant is really to dis play as much of his money as he possibly ould because your economic security at this time affected your social standing. The idea that money is a sense of power, and that displaying your wealth is important to your social standing is still present in modern society.The size of your house, what car you drive, what clothes you wear, what devices you own are the things people will base your social status upon. A celebrity with millions of dollars and a beautiful mansion can be Just as idolized as a strong political leader or national hero and people with spend their money however they need to in order to gain social standing. Another ideology is the social norm of growing up, getting married, and starting a family.Symbols within the painting representing loyalty, faithfulness, and most of all hope for fertility, show the couple's intent on staying together and having children. Most children grow up to believe that the socially acceptable thing to do is find someone you love and start a family. Even though it is perfectly accepted in todays society for a woman to remained unmarried, it is almost expected for people to want to have a family. One could argue that it is human nature for people to want to be married.Instinctively, humans' main goal is to survive and thrive, and in order for tnat to nappen It Is Key tnat people reproduce. It Is commonly Dellevea you snou10 D married before you have children so, logically; it is a part of human nature to want to have a successful marriage and for the woman to be fertile. The â€Å"Arnolflni Wedding Portrait† is a complicated and insightful piece of artwork that allows for people to observe details of the Renaissance era as well as discover parallels between that time and ours. Jan van Eyck effectively uses symbolism to tell a story about the couple without a single word.

Interview Outline

In life everyone has different think and behaviors usually do to how a person is raised during childhood, what they have seen during childhood, or it is inherited through genes that are passed on to them. I chose two people for my final paper, they happen to be a husband and wife, their names are Lela and Jerry Hyles, they have been married for ten years they have no children together but they have many step children, Lela is 40 and Jerry is 58, the wife is about eighteen years younger than her husband, They are both currently unemployed they are disabled to work. These people are my parents Lela is my mother and jerry is my step father but if I have to choose one I would rather speak to the wife instead of the husband because I have more contact with her than him the wife is not only my mother but she is my best friend. I made the decision of choosing both a male and female for my interview because men and women think a little differently in some situations, which I thought, might shed a little light on the difference between the two genders and their thinking. Interview Questions; 1. ) Does the interviewee prefer studying in a library, or at home where there are background noises and some distractions? 2. ) Has the person you are interviewing taken the Myers Briggs test? Report the results. 3. ) Does the interviewee think these results are accurate? Why or Why not? 4. ) Which experience does this person think contributed most in the development of his or her personality? 5. Does this person feel that he or she is self-monitoring in regards to his or her attitudes? How or how not? 6. ) What does the interviewee feel was the strongest influence on his or her attitude? 7. ) What role does your interviewee think a person’s race, gender, or ethnicity play when forming that person’s personality and attitudes? 8. ) Does this person feel he or she is better at tasks when intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated? . ) The learning and memory process? 10. ) Does the interviewee remember information more accurately if he/she ob serves the behavior being performed? Yes I do have permission to speak to them on this paper. Also Instructor Michelle Hill I hope I done this assignment correctly. My reference: I got them from the questions from Appendix A that I will be asking to the interviewers. – Final Project Overview.

African philosophy

Among Southern African communities ubuntu is associated with the maxim umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, which, loosely translated into English, may be construed to mean that to be a human being is to affirm one? s humanity by recognising the humanity of others and, on that basis, establish humane relations with them (Ramose, 2002; Ramphele, 2001): a point which Sindane (1994:8-9) underscores, saying that â€Å"ubuntu inspires us to expose ourselves to others, to encounter the difference of their humanness so as to inform and enrich our own†. Letseka (2000), one of the philosophers who have written on ubuntu argues that this concept illuminates the communal embeddedness and connectedness of a person to other persons and also highlights the importance attached to people and to human relationships (Letseka, 2000:183). It is essential to understand that ubuntu does not wholly reject material wealth acquired through individual effort, as is evidenced by this saying among the Sotho communities: „U tla phela ka mofufutso oa phatla ea hau? which loosely translated means „you will live by the sweat of your brow? (Letseka, 2000:183). Ubuntu rejects competition and arrogance arising from being rich, as these can be detrimental to cooperative living within the community. Individual effort is good as long as it generates resources for the maintenance and sustenance of human life. The main concern of ubuntu is the welfare of others. This is why when two Africans meet in the street, it is likely they will enquire about the health and welfare of family members rather than the weather as most Westerners would do (Letseka, 2000:183-184). For Venter (2004:159), ubuntu/botho/menslikheid/humaneness is a philosophy that promotes the common good of society. It contains the potential to enable South Africans to succeed in their quest for reconciliation and nation building

Zara Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Zara - Case Study Example Zara’s success has also been attributed to the production of new designs and strong marketing strategies that encourage customers to visit their stores again (Pahl & Mohring, 2009). The use of these strategies has played a huge role in acquiring a larger market; hence, the bigger profit margins. Zara has also acquired some approaches that enhance growth in sales. Unlike most firms in the fashion industry, Zara has been applying the strategy of outsourcing by contracting external manufacturing firms. The outsourcing strategy is an advantage because it avoids the manufacturing costs such as labor. Other firms in the fashion industry include H&M and GAP. The disruptive business The disruptive business model has been used Zara to determine how different the business operates from other businesses in the same industry such as GAP. This determines whether the business achieves its long term efforts to increase their revenue and existence in a competitive market. The disruptive busin ess model mostly involves producing, redesigning and renovating products of services that are provided by the business so as to have unique products and services from firms in the same industry.6). ... Most of the company management teams avoid embracing change because they fear that the new approach may never work, or they may affect the overall performance of the company (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010). This factor causes most of the companies not to implement the disruptive approach of management whereas; disruptive approach of management has become the cause of the success of various companies. Modern companies that need to thrive in the market should focus on renovating their products and investing in newer innovative brands as well as their services. Unlike GAP Zara has been able to produce the latest fashion designs because of their consideration to customer specifications while producing new designs and renovating the existing ones. Failure to invest in new and renovated brands leads the company to risk management efforts. Some of the factors to consider while incorporating the disruptive business models include; when new products were last produced, last changes made in the company operations, the last time to enter a new market and whether the company renovated their products among other factors. For a company to grow in revenue and profit margin, it should invest in change and renovations (Jones, 2006). Over the recent past, the apparel industry has been affected by economic pressures due to low costs of manufacturing. This has caused most companies in western countries to seek for new strategies to develop new products and renovate the existing brands. These companies seek for new plans of operation for survival in the highly competitive market and grow in terms of sales and profit margins. This method however, is challenging because the

Fashion and technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fashion and technology - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and technology" analyzes the examples of design that integrate fashion and technology. This essay also talks about the ideas about the body-machine, the cyborg body etc. Since the evolution of the fabric design, cloth fashions have evolved remarkably in accordance with the changing human behaviours and needs. During the ancient times, clothing was not a prime concern for human beings, and materials such as animal skin were used to cover the human body. The advent of the fabric revolution saw the introduction of well designed suits and fabrics. These suits and fabrics were made from exotic materials in order to offer protection from the adverse environmental conditions. Today, man has shown his ingenious capability by engineering clothing designs and fashions that no one could have ever thought of during the fabric evolution. The modern technology has become the principal driving force for all the advancements in the fashion industry. Science is playing a key role i n the fashion industry, and it has brought about the introduction of novel materials that have changed the quality and adaptability of fabrics in the fashion industry. These materials that have so far assumed the name of smart materials allow fashion designers to come up with the so-called bright fabrics within the fashion industry. High-end technology such as atomic force microscopy and polymeric nanofibres are currently applied in designing, manufacturing and quality assessment of emerging fabrics.

Microsoft Analysis Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Microsoft Analysis - Term Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to analyze the operations of Microsoft using a variety of business analytic tools Mission, Vision, Stakeholders The mission statement of Microsoft Corporation is â€Å"Our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential† (Microsoft, 2011). As a public company the firm’s actions must comply with the best interest of a variety of stakeholder groups. Some of the stakeholders that Microsoft must respond too are the shareholders, employees, board of directors, executive management team, suppliers, lenders, community, and the government. The company has tremendous aspirations and visions for the future. â€Å"At Microsoft, we believe the most engaging digital experiences will grow out of the combination of four things: smart devices, cloud-based services, natural forms of interaction between people and technology, and finally, people’s imaginations† (Microsoft, 2011). Five forces of Competition The threat of new entrants in the software industry is high. There are thousands of software companies in the marketplace. It is possible that one of these companies might be able to develop a new operating system to compete directly with Microsoft. In the gaming segment it seems as if the industry operates as an oligopoly with Sony and Nintendo being the only competitors. It takes billions of dollars and years of research to develop a new gaming console. The bargaining power of suppliers is low. Microsoft can take advantage of economies of scale to get better prices from suppliers. The bargaining power of buyers is medium low. Buyers are willing to pay the market price for software despite its relative high prices. The buyer power increases during certain seasons such as Christmas. The threat of substitute is medium. In terms of operating system I would classify the buyer power as low due to the lack of real substitute despite the existence of Linux and Mac computer s. In the gaming industry substitute are medium since there are only two competitors. The rivalry among firms competing in the industry is high. Due to the intense competition companies have to spend a lot of money on marketing. SWOT One of the strengths of Microsoft is its strong economic position and history of outstanding financial performance. The company’s equity is considered a blue chip stock. The company generated in 2011 sales of $69.94 billion. During the past five years the sales of the company have increased by 36.81%. The net income of the firm in 2011 was $23,150 billion. In comparison of the previous year the net income of the company increased by an outstanding margin of 23.40%. The market capitalization of Microsoft is $216.19 billion. The net margin of the firm in 2011 was 33%. The average net margin in the software industry is a mere 1.9% (Dun & Bradstreet, 2011). The net margin of Microsoft was 17.36 times higher than the industry average in 2010. The divi dend yield of the company was 3.10%. A second strength of Microsoft is the brand value of the company. Microsoft has the leader software industry largely due to the superior design of its operating systems programs. The current version of the Operating system Microsoft is selling is Windows 7. The customers of computers visualize Microsoft as the top brand in the industry. Due to the preference of customers for Windows product the majority of new computers come equipped with Microsoft operating systems. Another strength

Leadership styles (research paper) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership styles (research paper) - Essay Example The styles we evaluated were: Transformational leadership Transactional leadership Charismatic leadership Democratic/Participative leadership Lazier-fare leadership Bureaucratic leadership Autocratic leadership Task-oriented leadership The primary research consisted of me scouring for good resources and studies that would allow you guys to be able to make a good decision on what type of company you want to foster. Leadership styles affect so much more than just how we lead but also how our employees are developed and where we choose management from. When we look at it this way we can see that leadership style is one of the most important parts of management. I would be glad to discuss this report at your leisure. I appreciate the opportunity to be able to provide you with such a service and hope that it was as helpful as I wanted it to be. Respect, Research IAA:mef Contents Momo of Transmittal i Contents 0 Introduction/Problem 2 Findings/Leadership styles 2 Transformational leadershi p 3 Transactional leadership 3 Charismatic leadership 4 Democratic/participative leadership 4 Lazier-fare/Delegative leadership 4 Autocratic leadership 5 Bureaucratic leadership 5 Task-oriented leadership 6 Conclusion 6 Recommendation 6 Index 8 Introduction/Problem The performance and decisions made by staff in an organization are partially determined by the characteristics of leadership or those who participate in administration. Numerous studies have shown that the leadership style adopted in an organization affects group work processes, the social climate and the desired end result within the organization. From this perspective, the style of leadership adopted in an organization affects the climate and the climate affects productivity and creativity (Mills, 2007). In some cases, leadership affects productivity directly. This explains the fact that leadership style is critical to all organizations given that it affects their performance and effectiveness. This report briefly evalu ates various kinds of leadership styles described by different scholars. The report recommends that transformational form of leadership is the most effective while working with a diverse population. Findings/Leadership styles Different scholars have identified various forms of leadership that are common in organizations. This paper examines the following leadership styles: Transformational leadership Transactional leadership Charismatic leadership Democratic/Participative leadership Lazier-fare leadership Bureaucratic leadership Autocratic leadership Task-oriented leadership Fig 1: Leadership Styles (Source: Johannsen, 2012) Transformational leadership Transformational leadership is a leadership process in which leaders broaden and elevate the interests of their subordinates, they stimulate the subordinates to look beyond their own self-interest for the good of an organization and generate awareness and acceptance of the mission and purpose of an organization (Mills, 2007). This kin d of leadership helps to minimize employees’ turnover rate and hence, this save costs related to high turnover rate in an organization. Second, it empowers employees in an organization to realize their full potential and to show higher commitments to organizational goals; it can be classified under participative and delagative leadership as shown in fig 1. Third, this style is helpful in fostering organizational

Standardisation of management consulting service Essay - 1

Standardisation of management consulting service - Essay Example Some of the challenges include organizational culture, organizational change, workforce diversity, discrimination, work stress etc. The study aims at explaining the various challenges. The various management styles are discussed and their advantages and disadvantages will be analyzed. Some challenges that will be addressed in the research include: When one wants to change an aspect of the culture of an organization one has to keep in consideration that this is a long term project. Corporate culture is something that is very hard to change and employees need time to get used to the new way of organizing. For companies with a very strong and specific culture it will be even harder to change. This is a huge challenge for management. Change has become a way of life for most organizations. Pressure from increasing competition, globalization, technological developments, and other forces has created an environment that rewards an organization that are capable of identifying trends and issues and responding quickly to them. Change is the only permanent thing in this world and when organizations change there are many forces of resistance against the change and culture is one of the important forces of resistance. HRM Techniques play a major role in changing the organizational culture. The major Interventions used in bringing a change include Human Processual, Techno structural, Socio technical systems and organization transformation. The various HRM Techniques include Action research, Organizational development, Sensitivity Training, Survey Feedback, Process Consultation, Team Building, Inter group development, Appreciative enquiry. The worlds increasing globalization requires more interaction among people from diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than ever before. People no longer live and work in an insular marketplace; they are now part of a worldwide economy with competition coming from nearly every continent. For this

BP touts itself as green article, about the BP oil spill in 2010 Article

BP touts itself as green , about the BP oil spill in 2010 - Article Example While BP appears to be the sole responsible entity to the accident, involved negligence in activities that led to the spill identify liabilities to many parties. The contractor company that was responsible for operations at the time of the blast was for example an independent contractor. Similarly, federal supervisors who ought to have detected any form of negligence towards liability approved the operations that preceded the blast. BP however exercised significant control over its contractor. Four parties therefore played a role into the blast that culminated into the oil spill. BP played a role as the owner of the site, â€Å"Transocean and Halliburton† who were the managers of the sight and the federal regulators who had the authority to supervise the operations at the sight (BBC, P. 1). Negligence on all the parties was therefore a major set of events towards the accident. This is because the design that was used at the well’s base for sealing was inappropriate for the applied type of cement. Similarly, preliminary tests were done on the structure and flaws detected, but were misjudged for success. There were also signs of explosion but the workers failed to identify the signs that could have been used to establish preventive measures (BBC, P. 1). The events after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico were widely reported by the media together with investigation based documentary and reports from inquiries.

Saving Private Ryan Critique Essay Example for Free

Saving Private Ryan Critique Essay The visual and the realistic arts in Spielberg’s best ever The critics all over the world with their holistic approach endeavor to find the pros and cons of a 3 hour classic masterpiece directed and created by the gods of the theatrical arts. The modern world tends to be sufficed by the major events and their results in History but no one understands that texts are just one form of expression. As actions speak louder than words, Steven Spielberg in his 1998 realistic and heart-pounding â€Å"Saving Private Ryan† portrayed the most deadly and the biggest invasion campaign in American history- Normandy and D Day campaign. The realistic and graphic effects of this campaign made this the best movie scene from all of the Spielberg’s classics. Spielberg’s will to create a movie which soon became the voice and representation of the millions of gladiators who lost their lives in this tragic war for peace and democracy as coined by Roosevelt showed his wish to show the veracity of the war and the literal sensitivity of the soldiers. The setting of the war scenes is so popular as the famous PC game Medal of Honor took their exact battle setting to give their gamers a chance to feel the war setting. These visual effects of the movie are enough to quell the rising viewpoints of the discrete historians on the issue of World War two and Spielberg’s realistic approach corroborates the fact that US had to undergo through copious hindrances in order to be victorious. The one fact that makes this classical war movie as his best ever is that his previous thriller and fictional masterpieces like Jurassic park had the ability to amaze and enthrall the audiences but in this case the story and the plot is set in perfectly, to appeal to their inner emotions and is enough to give rise to a patriotic feeling similar to the 85’s majestic Rocky IV which was set in the stage of cold war. The first ten minutes of the movie is built up emotionally as first a war veteran brings his family to the American cemetery which is like a prologue to an emotionally eye-catching story. Spielberg’s realism acts here as an evidence to the genuine war situation as history cannot be trusted through words but can only be trusted and felt through visuals. The plot of the movie is first set in a boat as forty men reach a shore and are exterminated in a matter of seconds which shows the intent to create a psychological effect on the minds of their audiences. Other monumental scenes are when Private Caparzo takes charge of a German girl from a German family in order to protect her. Scenes like these are illustrated to depict the intervensionalist side of US for a paternalistic cause similar to their control of Philippines. Spielberg’s idea of risking lives of eight men for one man has overturned the idea of social Darwinism. As social Darwinism promotes the idea of â€Å"survival of the fittest† that same idea is applied here as, Private Ryan’s survival in the war should be dependent on his fitness but instead the fitness of eight men are put on the line for his survival. However, putting our superficial analytical approach beside and using our holistic approach, its quite evident that Spielberg tries to make this war look like all American as he ignored the contributions of other nations in the D Day landing on the Omaha beach specifically. On the other hand, Spielberg’s best ever can also be criticized on the basis of violence as we get to see handless and legless soldiers which are enough to call this an adult movie. Spielberg’s classic realistic masterpiece can be juxtaposed with other war epics like â€Å"Inglorious Basterds†, â€Å"Valkyrie† and â€Å"Enemy Behind the lines† but â€Å"Saving Private Ryan† is one step ahead of them because of its realistic, graphic and non-fictional approach.

Treating Cystic Fibrosis with Gene Therapy

Treating Cystic Fibrosis with Gene Therapy In this dissertation we shall consider the field of gene therapy in specific relation to cystic fibrosis.   We examine the different delivery vector mechanisms that have already been explored and concentrate primarily on the adeno-associated vectors. We examine the current state of research and consider the advantages and drawbacks of the various methods considered. We conclude with a discussion and analysis of our findings and   make anumber of assumptions relating to the future direction of the researchin the field.   The rate of progress in the field of gene therapy has been enormous. We must remind ourselves that the first clinical gene transfer experiment took place in 1989 when a patient with malignant melanoma received genetically modified auto logous T cells. (Rosenberg SA et al1990) Gene therapy encompasses two major areas. The in vivo field, where genes are incorporated into the target cells of the living body and the ex-vivo field where the target cells themselves are genetically modified outside the body and then re-implanted. Medical science has been using the basic techniques of gene transfer for a long time. The technique has been exploited when viral genes are introduced to human cells when a viral vaccine is administered. The key technologies that allowed the transition from vaccination to gene therapy were the evolution of methods that allowed the genes to be isolated and replicated (cloned) and manipulated (engineered) prior to transfer into human cells (Freeman SM et al 1996) The key principle in this process is the efficient transfer of the manipulated therapeutic genes into the nuclei of target cells usually be means of various vectors. This dissertation will be considering the utilisation of these vectors in some detail. In broad terms, the new or modified genetic material is able to produce new proteins which can restore deficient or abnormal functions of genetically diseased tissues, to generate tissues that have entirely new properties or to create transplantable tissues for the controlled release of therapeutic proteins. (Russell SJ  1997) In terms of viral vectors, prior to 1996 science was dependent on the use of modified retroviral vectors (eg.MMLV) to effect gene transfer into the chromosomes of a target cell and the adenovirus vectors when such integration was not needed. Neither vector was particularly successful as the intact nuclear membrane (in then on-dividing state) was a major barrier for chromosomal gene integration. (Sikorski R et al 1998). A breakthrough came with the realisation that lentiviruses (e.g. HIV) have the same ability to transfer genetic coding into the cellular genome but could do this in the non-dividing or dormant phase cells. (Amado R G et al 1999) In vitro, lentiviruses have been shown to change the target cell’s expression of proteins for up to six months. importantly, they can be used for terminally differentiated cells such as respiratory epithelium. The only cells that the lentivirus cannot penetrate the nucleus are those in the quiescent (G0) state as this blocks the reverse transcription stages of protein synthesis. (Amado R G et al1999) Cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis is the most commonly lethal inherited recessive inthe caucasian population. It affects about 1 per 2,500 livebirths. Thetreatment of cystic fibrosis has improved enormously in the last fiftyyears with the life expectancy increasing from an average 10 years to30-40 years now. The prime cause of death in affected individuals is the repeatedcycle of infection, inflammation and fibrosis of the respiratory tractwhich eventually culminates in respiratory failure and death. The disease itself is caused   by mutations in the single gene forthe cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) whichproduces a protein found in sweat and pancreatic ducts, gut,seminiferous tubules, lungs and many other tissues. The mutationsresult in an abnormal protein which, when expressed in the lungs,produces thick viscous and dehydrated secretions. This does not allow for the efficient expulsion of bacterial pathogensfrom the lungs and a number of highly resistant forms of bacteria arecommonly found in cystic fibrosis (viz pseudomonas aeruginosa)(Porteous DJ et al 1997). An individual must receive a defective copy of the cystic fibrosisgene from each parent in order to develop the clinical picture ofcystic fibrosis. Following normal genetic principles, if two carriersconceive a child, there is a 25% chance that it will have cysticfibrosis, a 50% chance that it will be a carrier and a 25% chance thatit will have two normal cystic fibrosis genes. Viral and non viral vectors Viruses have an ability to enter a host cell and combine their owngenetic material with that of the host cell. This is the basicrationale behind the science of gene transfer therapy.   As we shalldiscuss in some detail in this dissertation, there are a number ofpotential viral vectors that have been explored, evaluated andexploited in the search for an efficient and safe form of therapy.Viruses are not the only vector that can be utilised . Simply placingDNA in the nasal mucosa will produce some incorporation into theepithelial cells (Knowles MR et al 1998). This â€Å"absorption† can bedemonstrably enhanced further by the combination of the DNA withvarious plasmid or lipid complexes(Zabner et al 1997) The advantages of lipid or plasmid assisted transfer mechanisms arethat they do not appear to generate the immunological responses thatare seen with the viral vectors. They can also be used to facilitatethe transport of much larger pieces of DNA which would otherwise belimited by the packaging consideration incumbent on the viral vectors.(Felgner P 1997). The use of retroviral vectors is far from straightforward. The heavilypublicised case in April 2000 brought some of the problems to theattention of the media. A retroviral manipulation of   a case of X-SCID(X linked severe combined immunodeficiency) was treated by gene therapywith an apparent degree of success (BBC 2002). This particular diseaseprocess is caused by a mutation on the gene which codes for the C chainof the cytokine receptors which is situated on the X chromosome andvital for the functional development of T Killer lymphocytes which aretherefore completely absent in the condition A multinational team used a retroviral vector to insert a functionalcopy of the gene into bone marrow stem cells which were thenre-transfused back into the patient. (Cavazzana-Calvo M et al 2000).This particular case resulted in a return to normal levels of T cellsin a comparatively short period of time. This was hailed in both thepopular media and the peer reviewed journals as a major success and itcan indeed be considered a landmark as it pioneered the successful useof an ex-vivo procedure that avoided direct in vivo transfer of thevector. The reason for specifically highlighting this particular case isthat following the initial optimism of the clinical team, two of thefirst ten patients with this condition who were treated in the same waysubsequently developed a leukaemia-like illness. Genetic analysis ofthe malignant cells suggested that the retroviral vector used in thetransfer had also activated an oncogene LIM-only2 (LMO2) which is knownto be associated with some forms of leukaemia. The clinicians reviewingthe situation felt that, although it was not the only cause of themalignancy it was one of the events that triggered it. Similar concernshave been raised in respect of other clinical trials. (Lehrman S 1999) The prime reason for presenting these events is to demonstrate thefact that there is both a theoretical and practical risk of insertionalmutagenesis. Reduction of the risk requires greater specificity of thetargeting of the genetic deficit   perhaps by directing the expressionof the therapeutic genes to various specific tissues utilising bothtransductional and transcriptional targeting. Relph K et al 2004), In terms of specific considerations of the arguments in favour of theuse of retroviral   vectors, one can cite the fact that they have ahighly efficient mechanism of gene transfer together with lowimmunogenicity. It is a well researched and well studied system and isknown to selectively infect actively dividing cells. The conversearguments reflect their disadvantages including their ability todisturb or activate oncogenes, the fact that they are difficulty tospecifically target and it is difficult to obtain high titres in theclinical situation (after Olsen, J. C. 1998). In broad terms, the principles behind the use of retroviral vectorsare that they must be modified in order not to be able to transmit anyovertly pathological coding. This involves the deletion of viral helpergenes such as gag, pol and env   to render the replication processinvalid. This is done by utilisation of a producer or packaging cellline. (Nichols, E. K 1998). An example of a commonly utilised and extensively researched vector isthe MoMuLV. It is an engineered vector which can store 8 kb of RNAwithout compromising packaging efficiency. It is a hybrid cell lineeasily grown in mouse fibroblast cells There is a subdivision of the retroviral vectors known as thelentivirus, which is the only retroviral vector capable of integratinginto the chromosomes of non-dividing cells. This has been effectivelydemonstrated in vitro (Naldini L et al 1996).    The biggest problem with the lentivirus vectors is that theyappeared to only produce very low titres. Some recent researchsuggested that a modification to a amphotropic envelope protien wascapable of allowing higher titre levels. (Rolls M et al 1999) At about the same time that the scientific press was learning aboutthe problems with retroviral transfer (see above) other investigatorswere working with adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). A similar processwas invoked using adeno-associated viruses to correct a genetic defectinvolving coagulation factor IX. The adeno-associated viruses were usedas they were considered to be amongst the safest candidates for genetransfer. They do not naturally cause disease processes in humans andhave only rarely been found to incorporate in a random fashion into thehuman genome. Although it is noted that adenoviruses do cause oncogeneactivation in rodents although it has not been found in humans(Blacklow NR 1988).   The trial had a very positive outcome. (Kay MA et al 2000), but thetrial author (in later research work) published a study which suggestedthat, in study mice, the vector used in the trials actually integrateditself into gene containing regions of DNA more frequently that it didinto non-coding regions (Kay MA et al 2003). The findings were reportedas the fact that new genetic material was randomly distributed amongstall of the chromosomes particularly at sites of gene activity. On thisbasis, there appears to be at least a theoretical basis for thepossibility of similar cellular defects such as occurred in the X-SCIDpatients. Adenoviruses are comparatively simple structures. They arecategorised as double stranded DNA viruses. They have icosahedralcapsids with twelve vertices and seven surface proteins. The virionitself is spherical and non-enveloped and in the region of 70-90 nm insize. Their natural history is that they are spread easily in the naturalstate by the faeco-oral route and also by respiratory inhalation whichclearly has great implications for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. A theoretical analysis would immediately suggest that the adenovirus should be a suitable candidate for gene therapy as they can codefor specific proteins and they do not produce infection pathogenicviral offspring.    The early trials into this particular area were reviewed by Griesenbach(Griesenbach U et al 2002) who pointed out that the cystic fibrosisgene was first cloned in 1989 and in the subsequent   years, 18different trials were carried out, all with rather low degrees ofsuccess. They collectively trialed three different vectors, namelyadenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses 2 and cationic liposomes, andalmost universally found that each vector had a very low rate ofclinically significant gene transfer and none was sufficient to achieveclinical benefit    Plasmid Complexes At its most basic level, a plasmid is a small accessory collection ofDNA which is found in the cytoplasm outside of the nucleus. They arecapable of independent replication and can be manipulated with rathermore ease than nuclear DNA. Early investigations into the field of gene transfer explored thepossibility of plasmid vectors   and demonstrated the feasibility of themethod to effect CFTR gene transfer in vitro (Alton EW 1993). Otherteams had demonstrated the fact that, in clinical use theplasmid-liposome is both nontoxic and non-immunogenic (Hyde,SC et al1993).   This appeared to raise the possibility that many of theimmunological problems encountered by teams working with viral mediatedgene transfer mechanisms might be circumvented. In vivo work (Yoshimura,K et al. 1992) had demonstrated that genescould be transferred into the cytoplasm by this method and Stribling, R(et al 1992) demonstrated that, once there, they would then replicatenormally. Alton experimented with a CFTR-plasmid preparation in miceand demonstrated that it was capable of correcting the chloride levelsin cystic fibrosis mice back to normal levels (Alton EW 1993) Although the initial results were encouraging, clinical trials weredisappointing as the plasmid complex could not easily penetrate thethick mucous residues in the diseased lungs of patients with cysticfibrosis. (Erickson,R 1993) The plasmids typically have a positively charged head-group which isable to bind to the DNA strand and a hydrophobic tail group whichfacilitates the transfer of the complex across the cellular membranes.Initial studies suggest that   between 100-1000 times more DNA isrequired to effect successful gene transfer when this method iscompared to viral vectors. (Santis,G et al 1994). One alternative adaptation has been reported by Stern M (et al 2003)who points out that one of the solution of delivery is to ensure thatthe respiratory epithelium is exposed to the DNA over a long period.Their solution was to encapsulate the CFTR-plasmid in a slow releasebiocompatible polymer. Clinical trials are underway but not yetreported. The adeno-associated vectors appear to have (at least on atheoretical basis) a number of advantages over the vectors that we havealready discussed. They are based on a virus vector that is alreadynon-pathogenic (Berns, KI et al 1995) and has a mechanism that allowsit to be a long-term persistent entity in human cells (Blacklow, NR etal 1989). The adeno-associated vectors are particularly useful indealing with disease process that involve single gene mutations. This,therefore   makes it particularly suitable for single gene disorderssuch as cystic fibrosis and alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency. (Flotte, TRet al 1998). In addition, some workers have also developed vectors which are capableof   producing either inducible or constitutive expression of thecytokine, interlukin-10   (IL-10) which is an importantanti-inflammatory protein which, on a theoretical basis, could beuseful not only in cystic fibrosis   but in other disease process whichhave chronic inflammation as their prime manifestation (viz Type Idiabetes mellitus or inflammatory bowel disease) (Egan, M et al 1992).These manifestations have been studied and have now reached the stageof early clinical trials (Wagner J et al 2002). With specific reference to the implications of cystic fibrosis, wecan point to trials which have resulted in the expression of cysticfibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) from rAAV(recombinant adeno-associated vectors) in cell cultures (Flotte, TR etal 1993), in animal models (primates) (Afione, SA et al 1996), andagain in early phase I clinical trials (Wagner, J et al 1998) The rAAV-IL-10 model has been studied in bronchial cell culturesfrom cystic fibrosis patients, to determine the functional consequencesof CFTR complementation. This has not yet been demonstrated in vivowith humans but in both mice (Song, S et al 1998), and monkeys (Conrad,CK et al 1996) The overall results of these (and other) studies have shown that   itis possible to achieve long term gene transfer and functionalexpression of the replaced gene (some studies for as long as 18 months)without any overt pathological findings. The histological findings are something of a surprise however, as,at least in both primate and mouse studies, the vector-introduced DNAin this form does not appear to be assimilated into the geneticmaterial of the chromosome, but persists in log strings or concatemersthat are episomal, which is in complete contrast to what happens whenthe naturally occurring agent infects the cell. There is some evidenceto suggest that host cell intrinsic factors such as DNA-dependentprotein kinase play some role in this process (Song, S 2001). The significance of this finding could be that the exclusion of thefunctional, newly introduced DNA from the rest of the nuclear gene poolmay be less likely to produce effects that could be either potentiallydisruptive to the host cell and less likely to activate oncogenes.Phase I trials have demonstrated significant rises of CFTR levels inboth sinus and lung tissue with no evidence of vector-related toxicity.(Wagner, JA et al 1999)   The adeno-associated vectors are constructed from proviraladeno-associated vectors plasmids, which have the Rep and Cap proteinsdeleted and substituting the appropriate gene (CFTR or equivalent)between the rAAV2 inverted terminal repeats together with other signalsequences such as promoter and polyadenylation sequences (Flotte, TR etal 1994) The packaging processes allows for about 5 kb of rAAV genomes to becarried   in the vectors which are prepared using a cotransfectiontechnique utilising human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293) where thevector plasmid is cotransfected into the cells with helper agents(plasmid pDG) being used to encode the rAAV2-rep and -cap genestogether with the adenovirus helper functions (Grimm, D et al 1998).These are incubated for between 48 and 72 hrs. The cells are then lysedand the resultant agents are then separated by ultracentrifugationagainst a density gradient and affinity chromatography (Zolotukhin, Set al 1999).   The vectors are thereby amenable to being separated by both theirphysical characteristics and also their biological characteristics(infectious units). They are carefully screened to ensure the absenceof any possible contamination from non-modified (replication competentAAVs) prior to clinical usage. (Muzyczka N 1994) The comparatively small â€Å"payload† of the adeno-associated vectorsis proving to be a significant problem. The vector itself is small whencompared to the comparatively large size of the CFTR gene. (Flotte TRet al 1993) It does not leave any room to manoeuvre to manipulate thevector-specific sequences in the way that we have described with theretroviral and adenoviral groups. (Flotte TR et al 2001). A number of authors have characterised the problem with theobservation that the rAAV is typically about 20 nm across which allowspackaging of about 4.7 kb (kilobases) of transferable modified gene(exogenous DNA). (Dong JY et al 1996), If   it is combined with otherenhancers such as the promoter, the polyadenylation signal, thisclearly reduces the capacity for the DNA component. (Duan D et al2000). The Yan paper (Yan Z et al 2000) has outlined a novelexploitation of the unique ability of the rAAV genomes to link togetherin strings which appears to have the ability to bypass this particularlimitation.( Flotte TR 2000). The mechanism itself is the capacity of two distinct rAAV genomes thathappen to simultaneously infect the same target cell to undergo anintermolecular recombination insider the transduced nucleus of thetarget cell. This was a chance finding which arose from work involvingrAAV-derived episomes (Kearns WG et al 1996) in primate airways. It wasfound that some of these episomes were configured as circular head totail concatemers (Duan D et al 1999). This could have been either froma â€Å"rolling circle† replication from a single vector or alternatively,from an intermolecular recombination of material from multiple cellularpenetrations which combined within the palindromic inverted terminalrepeat sequences that are an intrinsic part of the AAV genomestructure. The authors were of the opinion that it was likely to be thelatter eventuality (Duan D et al 1998) It was a logical progression to try to exploit this phenomenon andthereby bypass the limitations imposed by the relatively smallpackaging capacity of rAAV. The adeno-associated vectors capsid onlyhas a capacity of about 5 kb. If we consider that the 145 nucleotidestretch of the AAV-ITR (inverted terminal repeat) sequence has to be inplace at both ends of the single-strand DNA for the vector DNA to beboth replicated and packaged, this only leaves in the region of 4.7 kbof genetically active material in each rAAV particle. As we have cited earlier in relation to the Dong paper (Dong JY et al1996) the CFTR gene accounts for about 4.5 kb which leaves very littlespace for other enhancing material. Because of this, the actual CFTRvector that has been used in the clinical trials to date uses only theminimal promoter activity of the AAVs-ITR itself to actually activateand drive the CFTR expression (Flotte TR et al. 1993). To look at this potentially important development in a little moredetail we can consider Duan’s original paper (et al 2000) and theauthors describe what they call a â€Å"superenhancer†. They describe acombination of a potent simian virus (SV40) and CMV immediate earlyenhancer elements as being packaged in one rAAV vector and a luciferasegene assisted by a small minima;l promoter in another rAAV vector. Invitro experiments suggested that either the SV40 or the intrinsicpromoter activity of the AAV-ITR was sufficient for this purpose. Theintermolecular recombination described above, was found to occur inboth vitro and in vivo experiments and was found to be sufficient tohave a greater than additive effect. Initial results from these varying methods are encouraging insofaras they are producing results of transgene expression which are 100-600times greater than with the unenhanced vector alone. (Yan, Z et al2000) Although not directly referable to our considerations of cysticfibrosis, we should note that Yan’s group and other workers have doneexperimental work which has culminated in the long term expression offunctional levels of erythropoetin with this two vector method in micein vivo. (Naffakh N et al 1995), This basic principle has been further enhanced by Sun (Sun L et al2000) with an ingenious manipulation of the system. They triedinserting the promoter and the first half of the coding sequence in onerAAV vector, immediately followed by a splice donor and then theupstream half of an intron. In the other rAAV vector was the downstreamhalf of the intron, the splice acceptor, the second half of the geneand the polyadenylation signal. To quote the author verbatim: This strategy is efficient enough to mediate high-level expressionand the intermolecular junctions are apparently stable enough tomediate expression for several months in vivo. Although this is clearly an ingenious augmentation of the sameprinciple , we should note that there are both advantages anddisadvantages to both pathways. The strategy that adopts the superenhancer takes its strengths fromthe fact that the recombination mechanisms optimise theposition-independent and orientation-independent functions of theenhancers.   Consideration of the options would suggest that there arefour potential recombination outcomes from the process described.Either of the two vectors could be on the 5’ end of the heterodimericmolecule and clearly either molecule could be in either orientation. With the superenhancer option, all four of these possibleintermolecular recombination outcomes should be functional fortransgene expression whereas if compared to the split intron strategy,by using the same reasoning, it is clear that only one out of the fourcould work. On the other side of the argument, the superenhancer option has thedisadvantage that the actual coding sequence of the gene to betransferred must still fall within the packaging capacity of the vectoritself whereas the split intron allows for a greater functionalexpansion of the packaging capacity. (after Flotte TR et al 2000)   In either event it can be seen that these ingenious modificationseffectively eliminate the main size limitation of the rAAV deliverysystem. Although initial pre-clinical work is encouraging it appearsthat there is still some potential for a degree of immune responseparticularly if the host organism has not experienced the newlyproduced protein before. A number of studies have been done on animal (vertebrate andprimate) with only minimal success. Different administration methodshave been studied including direct administration into the lung (WagnerJ et al 1999), IM injection (Song, S et al 2001 B) and hepatic portalvein infusion (Song, S et al 2001 A)       Human clinical trials have taken place with these vectors (Flotte T etal 1996)(Wagner J et al 1998) (Virella-Lowell, I et al 2000). Thestudies were done on adult male and female patients (18-47 yrs) whowere pseudomonas free and had recently been hospitalised for IVantibiotic infusions The disappointing results were probably a reflection of the factthat the CFTR defect is also interconnected in some way with   aproinflammatory phenotype which appears to be triggered by the abnormalprotein via an unfolded protein response. The authors were able to showevidence that the rAAV-CFTR mechanism was able to   correct the proteinproduction defect, they found it clinically difficult to transduce asufficient number of cells in the airway to reverse the inflammatoryresponse. It is proposed to run further experimental work which combines the  CFTR expression with an anti inflammatory   gene such as the IL-10.There is some in vitro work to suggest that this may be a possibleworkable approach (Teramoto, S et al 1998). Other work on ways ofenhancing the phenotypic expression of the modified genotype hassuggested that the use of various promoters and the rAAV-CMV/beta-actinhybrid promoter (CB-AAT) was found to be tone of the most efficient, atleast when it was compared to the other tested options such as the CMV,E1, U1a and U1b promoter constructs (Teramoto, S et al 1998) Overall, the initial results appear to be encouraging. A singleinjection of an rAAV-CB-AAT vector in animal studies has resulted inhigh level, stable transgene expression which has persisted over thelife span of the experimental animals and that there was no detectableinflammatory response in the animals who had received this form oftreatment (Flotte TR 2002) Flotte (et al 2002) reports that four human clinical trials at bothPhase I and Phase II level are currently underway examining the effectsof the rAAV-CFTR vector. They had an entry cohort of seven patientswith the vector being applied to the nasal lining, the maxillary sinusand the bronchus. The authors report no adverse effects being found andthat they have observed transgene expression at doses of 6 x 108 drp inthe sinus or 1 x 1013 drp in the lung. There are no reported interimfindings from the Phase II trials as yet.    There is clearly a potential for clinical benefit on the basis of theresults found to date if one can extrapolate from in vitro and animalexperiments. The authors comment that, in contrast to the adenovirusvectors there is a marked lack of inflammatory toxicity with the rAAVvectors. Despite these positive comments, we should not, however, overlook thepotential limitations of this particular delivery system. These havebeen identified by various authors as:    The inhibitory effect of preexisting airway inflammation on rAAV transduction in the lungs (Virella-Lowell, I et al 2000) A relative paucity of receptors on the apical surface of airway epithelial cells (Summerford, C et al 1998), The relatively weak nature of the minimal promoters used in the first-generation rAAV-CFTR vectors(Flotte, TR et al 1993), The potential for adverse long-term effects from rAAV vector DNA persistence. (Wu, P et al 2000) The Flotte group are currently investigating this problem by examiningthe hypothesis that the barriers in the airways of the cystic fibrosissufferer are primarily   due to the neutrophil-derived -defensins (HNP1and HNP2) and are actually reversible by the mechanism of AAT proteindelivery (Virella-Lowell, I 2000) Wu and his co-workers have been looking at ways of manipulating thegenetic make up of the rAAV2 capsid and thereby trying to enhance thetargeting ability so that the vector specifically targets the serpinenzyme complex receptor on IB3–1 cells – which is virtually specificfor the Cystic fibrosis bronchial cells Zabner, J (et al 2000), have considered alternative rAAV serotypesin the hope of finding one that will bind more specifically to thebronchial cells Other peripheral adjuncts have also been explored includingpromoters to enhance the effects of complementation and superenhancerswhich have been shown to improve the ability of the rAAV toconcatermerise with the help of smaller amounts of promoter agents  (Duan, D et al 2000). Perhaps it is appropriate to conclude this section on considerationof adeno-associated vectors with a critical analysis of a very recentmulticentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Moss RB et al2004) This was a well constructed, fully statistically significant anddouble blinded trial which considered   both the safety and thetolerability of repeated doses of adeno-associated serotype 2 vectorrepeatedly given by aerosol inhalation. The vector contained â€Å"cysticfibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) complementary DNA(cDNA) [tgAAVCF], an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector encoding thecomplete human CFTR cDNA.† The entry cohort was comparatively small with 42 patients, of whom20 received the active agent. A number of indices of airway functionwere measured. Of particular interest to our considerations in thisdissertation was the fact that   vector shedding was found in alltreated subjects up to 90 days after inoculation. And that all subjectswho received the active agent exhibited at least a fourfold increase inthe serum AAV2 neutralising antibody levels. Of the 20 treated patients, six subsequently underwent bronchoscopy.Of those six, gene transfer but not gene expression was demonstrated inall of them. On this basis, it would appear that the actual transfermechanism is effective, but there are other factors present whichappear to interfere with the subsequent expression of the gene in termsof protein production. The study did not comment on the possiblereasons for this. The authors were able to conclude that the delivery system workedwell with no evidence of adverse effects and that treated patientsdemonstrated an â€Å"encouraging trend in improvement in pulmonary functionin patients with CF and mild lung disease.† Lipid 67 We have discussed the various shortcomings of the virus-associatedvectors and this has prompted researchers to explore and consider otheroptimising options for facilitating gene transfer. Zabner (J et al1997) considered the use of cationic lipids in this process and foundone   GL-67:DOPE (colloquially known as lipid 67) which appeared to beparticularly helpful in the process. Cationic lipids appear to show a degree of promise as possible vectorsfor CFTR cDNA transfer into respiratory epithelial cells

Coke :: essays research papers

History of Coca Cola Coca Cola a company founded in 1885 by John Pemberton and his partner Frank Robinson has had a historic era in it's growth till 1970 passing through two owners and a number of people, managing it at the top which made Coca Cola what it is today. The company in the early 70's was at its critical stages of loosing its pre eminent position as the No.1 cola drink in U.S.A. to it's erst while competitor Pepsi Cola. The company was owned by Ernst Woodruff since 1919 and was run by his son Robert Woodruff. Robert's leadership and financial skills had steered the company through number of battles with the Government and the bottlers by the fifties. "Coca Cola ruled the soft drink world and its name, was universally known as that of any other product in commercial history." Thomas Oliver, The Real Coke, The Real Story. " All told, to the Coca Cola executives of the sixties, the future looked bright. Everyone connected with Coca-Cola was making money. The policies of the past decades that would rock had not revealed themselves." Thomas Oliver, The Real Coke, The Real Story. To the world that watched up beat Coke advertisements, packed coke for every picnic, had stocked Coke for every party, the Coca-Cola Company appeared huge and healthy throughout the seventies. But behind the scenes the executives were snared, in a very different drama, bickering among themselves, distracted by tangible issues and loosing sight of the heart of the matter - Coke itself. The top executives of the Coca-Cola Company of the late seventies actually paid less attention to the marketing and sale of their central product. They were so caught up were they in dodging government allegation, fighting with bottlers over the price of the syrup and squabbling over wether or not to control who owned the company franchises. Gone were the days of the inspired entrepreneur and the spritely intellect, gone the days of answering leadership. The FTC Government charged Coca-Cola in 71 for granting territorial exclusivity restricted competition. If Government laws prevail a bigger, richer bottler could invade a bottler's territory and take a substantial if not fatal bite out of the market. There was another conflict inside Coca-Cola, within the walls of the Atlanta head quarters.

Cemetery Prototype Database :: Database

This prototype database was designed to meet the general needs of users from a range of different backgrounds in relation to cemeteries and graveyards. The scenario is described as follows: A consortium of international archaeological and historical societies has collaborated in funding a multidisciplinary database of international historical graveyards whose history goes back at least 100 years. As the database will be used for research as well as town-planning by a wide variety of people, including historians, local councils, genealogists, sociologists and epidemiologists, it is anticipated that it will include not only information about the graveyards themselves, but also the buildings, individual gravestones and the records of people buried there. [Emphasis added] Key words and phrases (highlighted) were used to determine the appropriate entities and their attributes, and to help determine the kinds of queries that might be useful for key stakeholders. This database will serve a diverse range users, each with different needs. Prior to constructing this database, I created a list of questions that I suspected may have been of interest to a given stakeholder, and then ensured that my database could answer them. I have listed a sample of these questions in Appendix I and have provided relevant queries to demonstrate the usefulness of the database. Entities From the scenario described above, I have determined that the following main entities are the most appropriate for a relational database: cemeteries, burial plots, burial records, monuments, buildings, and inscriptions. Each main entity and its significant attributes will be described below; however, a full list of attributes can be found in the appendix. Cemeteries and graveyards Each cemetery or graveyard will exist in the database as a distinct entity, and all other entities can be traced back to their relevant cemetery. Curl (1999) defines a cemetery as: 'a burial ground, especially a large landscaped park or ground laid out expressly for the deposition or interment of the dead, not being a churchyard attached to a place of worship.' Accordingly, a cemetery is not simply a place containing a dead body or bodies, but a defined location specifically intended to be used for burying the dead. While Curl attempts to distinguish a cemetery from a churchyard, my database takes a broader approach and includes all formal burial places (graveyards in general), including those associated with churchyards, burial mounds, and war memorials. As noted by Rugg (2000), cemeteries also 'provide the ability of users to locate a specific grave .

Naipaul Does Not Deserve his Nobel Prize Essay -- essays research pape

What makes an individual worthy of a Nobel Prize in a category as broad as literature? Is it an immense knowledge of writing procedures that other authors have not begun to attempt to use? Or is an appropriate representation of the author's subject that is solely objective, and lacks all personal opinions? If that was the case, several Prizes should be taken away from some authors and handed to other more deserving writers. V. S. Naipaul, who received a Nobel Prize in Literature for Miguel Street, falls into the former category. Naipaul may have filled the technical requirements for a Nobel Prize for his mastery of several difficult techniques, yet his writing neglects to explain the merits of Trinidad while highlighting the negatives found in every culture. Among the five prizes provided for in Alfred Nobel's will (1895), one was intended for the person who, in the literary field, had produced "the most outstanding work in an ideal direction". These statutes defined literature as "not only belles-lettres, but also other writings which, by virtue of their form and style, possess literary value". At the same time, the restriction to works presented "during the preceding year" was softened: "older works" could be considered "if their significance has not become apparent until recently". The statutes also provided for a Nobel Committee "to give their opinion in matter of the award of the prizes" and for a Nobel Institute with a library which was to contain a substantial collection of mainly modern literature.As guidelines for the distribution of the Literature Prize the Swedish Academy had the general requirement for all the prizes ? the candidate should have bestowed "the greatest benefit on mankind" ? and the special condition for... ...rite about problems of Western societies. Although World War II begins, continues and ends in the course of Mr. Naipaul's book, it seldom dominates the scene. The arrival of American armed forces to implement the bases-for-destroyers exchange between Britain and the United States brings measures of disquiet and measures of prosperity. But Miguel Street takes all that in its stride. Trinidad has known many invaders, friendly and unfriendly, in its history. What winter cruise addicts may miss here is the comparative absence of tourists. Those invaders were not often in season during these years. Or perhaps Miguel Street couldn't be bothered with them, particularly. Naipaul presents Trinidad as this cultural wasteland where not even tourists want to go. For his biased and unfeeling representation of a land that gave him life, Naipaul?s Nobel Prize should be taken away.

Elizabethan Women Essay

The social standards for most women of high nobility were to wear large corseted dresses and apply pallid makeup (History of Elizabethan Women). These women were not allowed a say in anything. They had to follow what the male said; however, if they did not, they would have received a harsh punishment (Elizabethan Women). Therefore the majority of these women would learn to obey quickly. In the Elizabethan Era the upper class women are not permitted to work because they were considered not as strong, or as deft as men(Elizabethan Women). For example, in the movie Shakespeare In Love, women were not permitted to be actresses because it was illegal and extremely inappropriate for a woman to be seen on stage. Viola de Lesseps loved poetry; therefore, she auditioned for Shakespeare’s play dressed as a boy. She went against the advice of her maid and later got caught by the stage master. In the film, she defied the queen’s law but the queen overruled her mistake because of the bet the queen had with Lord Wessex. During the Elizabethan Era there were a plethora of family alliances formed by arranged marriages. In the film, Shakespeare In Love, Viola de Lesseps was coerced into a marriage with Lord Wessex at a very inopportune time. She was in love with Will Shakespeare, but the majority of women in this era were not allowed a say in these affairs (History of Elizabethan Women). These women suppressed their emotions for the man they loved. She was obliged to marry Lord Wessex and follow her father and mother’s orders although she was in love with another man. While women of today prefer have very dark, tan skin, most women from the Elizabethan Era preferred pale white skin. In fact the whiter you were the wealthier you looked because most of the lower class women worked outside which was why they were so tan (Elizabethan Women). Their dark skin tones showed they worked for their money while the upper class women stay indoors most of the day. For example, in Shakespeare In Love, Viola de Lesseps always had a pale face with a big flouncy dress on. She never looked rampant like the street children or their mothers, but always stately and noble. John Madden fairly and accurately demonstrates how women were treated in the Elizabethan Era in his film, Shakespeare In Love. He shows the intricate clothing and colorless make up of these noble women. Also he explains the unfair and loveless arranged marriages that often occurred in the Elizabethan Era.

Andrew Jackson: Tyrant

â€Å"When the 1828 election rolled around, a lot of people were terrified when they heard Andrew â€Å"Old Hickory† Jackson was running. If you're wondering how a guy we're calling a bad ass got such a lame nickname, it's because he used to carry a hickory cane around and beat people senseless with it, and if you're wondering why he did that, it's because he was a f#$%*in g lunatic. † (Daniel O’Brien February 15, 2008) This quote from cracked.com illustrates the depth of the ruthlessness within Andrew Jackson, and it is this callousness that made him a tyrant of a President.His decisions were calculated. Andrew Jackson was known to be the type of person who would put his friends into government as a reward instead of the people who would actually be good for the job. This was called the Spoil System. The main purpose for the Spoil System was to ensure that when the party control changed, so did the administrators.Andrew Jackson was also known for taking advantag e of his power in the executive branch, while ignoring the Judicial and Legislative branches. He abused his power to veto to try to make himself more powerful than congress, and he ended up using the veto about sixteen times. Andrew Jackson was who started the act that moved thousands of Indian families to Oklahoma. This displacement was what became known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears. † The Natives were forced to walk across the country during the winter with nothing but clothes, where nearly 2000 Native Americans died.Jackson must have thought it was okay for him to evict them because of his thought to designate their own land to live on, even though the Native had so many advances in becoming civilized so they could be accepted by him and other citizens. Andrew Jackson was one of the biggest slave owners in the south and he was a big believer in Manifest Destiny, which he supported the right of whites to conquer North America. Jackson was also known for breaking campaign pol icies.He had stated that he supported state government, but ended up expanding federal government and that caused a lot of controversy. A good president would not jeopardize the lives of innocent people or try to steal power to make himself the center of the government. A good president wouldn’t put himself before his own people. For these reasons I believe that even though Jackson may have done some things to help our country, overall he was a horrible president.

Mcgregors Theories X and Y

Compare McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y style of leadership and consider the types of organizations in which each style of leadership might be most appropriate. Douglas McGregor devised his concept of Theory X and Theory Y in the USA in the 1950’s using a survey of managers, which he then proposed in his book, ‘The Human Side of Enterprise’ in the 1960’s. Theory X states that a manager distrusts his subordinates, believes they don’t enjoy work and therefore must be controlled.Theory Y, on the other hand, speculates that a manager believes their employees enjoy work and wish to contribute, the manager is therefore more likely to include them in the decision making process and employ a more democratic style of leadership (Marcousse 2003). The two theories are not opposite ends of one spectrum, but rather two separate lines of continuum that describes the attitude and perception a manager has of their employees. The type of motivation that the e mployees receive from their manager is down to their management style.These Theories match up with Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’. McGregor makes the point that the way in which a manager runs and controls his team has massive impacts on the happiness in employees, relating to esteem and self actualisation. These are two factors of motivation mentioned by Maslow in his theory. In comparing these two theories, X and Y, we must take into account different factors that may affect the two ideas and how they may do so in different scenarios or places of work.The general idea is that Theory Y is the path of the â€Å"enlightened manager† (Chapman 1995) who runs a democratic form of leadership, and that it receives better results than theory X, whose manager employs more of an autocratic dictatorship. However this cannot always be believed. In different cases a manager may do better in his work to tell employees the best and most effective way to complete a task, knowing through experience. FW Taylor (1856-1917) believed in efficiency and complete control of a task provided to the manager.This idea related to such methods as the assembly line, a process broken down into simple tasks and completed individually by a group of workers along a line. Employed by such companies as Ford in the early 1900’s, in producing cars, this method gave great results, however keeping workers motivated was difficult, part of Taylor’s method was to â€Å"devise a pay scheme to reward those who complete or beat tough output targets, but penalize those who cannot, or will not, achieve the productivity Taylor believed was possible. (pg 218) For the manager, Theory X is a self – fulfilling method, the workers are likely to develop a lack in interest in their work and do it solely for the wage (Marcousse 2003). There are two scenarios in which Theory X can escape a degree of criticism for producing a lack of motivation from its workers(Marcousse 2003). The part time worker has partially already given in to the idea that they will not be receiving much independence and delegation of responsibility.This is due to the amount of time they have committed to their work. For example, a part time security guard might be asked to stand guard on a gate for an hour every morning to let personnel through, however once they have completed this task they are unlikely to achieve much more than changing the channel on their TV. The job simply requires a pair of eyes at one point in the morning, and the rest of the time they are simply on call.There is no enjoyment or form of learning with this job; the part time worker is simply there to take home some money at the end of the month, satisfying his basic needs for financial security, a mutual understanding between employer and employee. A large majority of the time there is little for the security guard to watch over. When something does arise that requires more attention, someone of highe r authority is only a phone call away.In this, theory X is the logical management style, as to use theory Y would mean a greater chance of mistakes being made by someone who doesn’t have the same experience and qualifications as the elected official. The other scenario is in a moment of chaos (Marcousse 2003). At this point, due to the limited time scale in such moments, someone needs to take full control and make quick decisive decisions. Such a case is easily understood when put into the confines of an army unit under fire.Someone must give direct orders to keep the enemy under pressure and move their men to safety, or face either death or capture. Theory Y would consume too much time to listen to all possible ideas and make a decision, with young men who have been trained to take orders rather than come up with them. Efficiency is the key in this scenario, Taylor would be completely right in giving total control to a senior soldier to try and ensure the safety of his soldi ers. Encouraging an employee to work for a great amount of time during the week or without the threat of danger

Causes of Parallel Economy in India Essay

There are several factors responsible for the emergence – of parallel economy. It would be relevant to discuss those factors so that a correct understanding about the genesis, growth and expansion of black money can be made. The principal factors are: 1.Rigid and Complicated tax & high tax rates implemented by the government- High tax rates and defective tax structure have also been responsible for the existence of black money to a large extent. Take for instance direct taxation. Till recently the tax on income and on wealth was very high to invite evasion. The marginal rate of income tax was as high as 75 per cent. And when it was combined with the tax on wealth, it was still higher. The corporate tax rate too was very high. In these circumstances the temptation / gain from tax evasion was substantial. 2.Quantitative and qualitative Controls and licensing system- The system of controls, permits, quotas and licenses which are associated with misdistributions of the commodities in short supply results in the generation of black money. Since considerable discretionary powers lay in the hands of those who administered controls. This provided them with a scope for corruption – ‘speed money’ for turning a blind eye to the violation of controls. All this gave rise to trading in permits, quotas and licenses, malpractices in distribution and in the process; it generated sizeable sums of black money. 3.Price and distribution controls- Price and distribution controls have in the past led to the generation of black money on a significant scale. Any price control without any adequate machinery of distribution and speedy arrangement for increasing supplies is potentially a source of black money generation. 4.Hawala market as the main cause of black money generation- It is very well known that the international smugglers or the traders in other illicit trade cannot complete their monetary transactions through any nationalized or other private legal banks in India. Also, the amount of money in which the drugs and other weapons are imported or exported is quite large, usually in billions. 5.Transactions is real estate property- Since the sale of property on lease hold is permitted by the government only at a payment of certain amount of premium to it, the lessee generally completes this transaction through the power of attorney so that they escape from paying the premium which is fixed on the basis of the difference between the current market price and the price fixed by the government. 6.Inflation – Both a Cause and Consequence of Black Money- During inflation there is a general rise in the consumer price index or simply the cost of living of the people. As such, the workers and the various labors in the production process demand a rise in their wages to meet the rise in expenditure. This lead to increase in the cost of production of the products. They try to meet this increased cost of production by increasing the profits margin through sales price. 7.Deterioration of the Quality and Morality of the General Masses- The objective of the business is generally profit maximization and that of government is social justice and quality that goes against each other. But it seems that both have joined hands to maximize their own profits at the stake of the common people. Bribing the government officials and letting them earn some commissions on the foreign export and import by urging them to reduce the customs duties and simplify the procedure of documentation are some of the common phenomenon in our daily life. 8.Donation to Political Parties- Ever since the Government decided to ban donations to political parties in 1968; it prompted businessmen to fund political parties, especially the ruling party, with the help of black money. Ostensibly, this decision was taken to reduce the influence of big business on the electoral process, but in practice what happened was precisely the opposite. Businessmen everywhere have by now learnt that they should pay a certain charge out of the black money to the coffers of political parties, resulting, relaxation of various controls, permitting business houses to enter areas reserved for the public sector, putting a large number of banned items on the Open General License list etc. 9.The Political Instability Witnessed in the Country- In various states widespread horse-trading of the MLAs at the state levels and MPs at the Central level. In this process of buying political support, black money plays a crucial role. Consequently the determination of the ruling political party to curb black money has become very weak. As a consequence, businessmen feel they have an unfettered license to spin black money, pay a small part to the political parties as donations and then enjoy the rest the way they like. Unless the link between black money and political power is broken, there is no hope of controlling the generation of black money or its link with crime. 10.Ineffective Enforcement of Tax Laws- Whereas the Government has an armory of tax laws pertaining to income tax, sales tax, stamp duties, excise duty etc., their enforcement is very weak due to widespread corruption in these departments. . The high rates of these taxes induce businessmen to avoid recording of these transactions. This evasion largely goes unchecked and thus sets in a chain reaction for the generation of black money at the wholesale, retail as well as production levels. 11.Generation of Black Money in the Public Sector- Every successive five-year plan is planned for a larger size of investment in the public sector. The projects undertaken by the public sector have to be monitored by the bureaucrats in Government departments and public sector undertakings. Tenders are invited for the various works and these tenders are awarded by the bureaucracy in consultation with the political bosses. 12.A Symbiotic Relationship Develops between the Contractors, Bureaucracy and the Politicians- A symbiotic relationship develops between the contractors, bureaucracy and the politicians and by a large number of devices costs ‘are artificially escalated and black money is generated by underhand deals. Instability of the political system has given a further momentum to this process. Since the ministers are not sure of their tenure and in a majority of cases, the tenure is very short, the principle ‘Make hey while the sun shines’ is adopted by most of them. The larger numbers of scandals that are unearthed by the Opposition only support the contention that huge investment in the public sector is a big potential source for black money generation. In this process, bureaucrats act as brokers for political leaders and thus the nexus between business, bureaucracy and politicians promotes the generation of black money. 13.Ceiling on Depreciation and Other Business Expenses- Government has imposed restriction. It has also circumscribed expenses on advertisement, entertainment, guest houses, and payment of perquisites to directors. The purpose of these restrictions is to protect the shareholders and consumers from the unscrupulous action of businessmen. But businessmen feel that these restrictions are unjustified. They take the maximum advantage of these provisions but do not like to part with the remaining part of by various clandestine devices; they convert it into black money and use it either for conspicuous production to satisfy the wants of the rich and elite sections of society. 14.Capitation Fees- Capitation fees are a very common term used in the context of admissions in big educational institutes and universities. Capitation fees if another term used for the donations given to these universities for the purpose of seeking admissions when the students fails to secure the minimum cut off percentage required. Generally, the money rose by these colleges and institutes through these methods are not revealed to the income tax departments. They are also called the hidden income of these educational temples. Moreover, the amount of capitation fees for big in Small Scale institutes ranges in lakh and not just in thousands. 15.Unawareness of the Consumers’ Rights and Duties- Unawareness of the consumer’s rights and duties is also another cause for the generation of black money. For example, the consumers fail to take a proper invoice from the shopkeepers so as to evade the tax to be paid on the purchase of those goods. There are more of such instances where the shopkeeper too fools the consumers. Sometimes, they charge more that mentioned as MRP on the packet. They even paste false stickers on the packets to hide the real value of the good. The extra money charged above the MRP is kept by them as black money. They do not pay taxes in such income. 16.Donations to Charitable and Temple’s Trusts- Donations to charitable and temples trusts are another source of black income. There are various issues related to the income of these trusts. It is generally the ignorance of devotees that prompt such a large amount of donations to these temples. 17.Paying Bribes- Paying bribes to the government officials for various purposes has become very common in modern times. Paying bribes for obtaining legal sanctions for the illegal immovable property, paying bribes to the traffic constables and others on the violation of the rules and norms etc. are some of the examples of our malicious acts. It is we that prompt and encourage these public servants to accept bribes from the public and exploit them.

WorldCom and Reliant Should be Charged With Felonies Essay

WorldCom and Reliant Should be Charged With Felonies - Essay Example With respect to the USDOJ's definition of corporate crime, in the case of Reliant Energy and WorldCom, the companies were liable for the actions of its officers due to a failure to prevent their actions and allowing a culture that promoted the illegal activity. In the case of Bernie Ebbers, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which he was not aware of the dealings of his subordinates. In addition , he did nothing to affect the methods that WorldCom did business. He had no system in place for oversight or compliance and this placed the corporation as guilty as its officers. As the DOJ has indicated, "management is responsible for a corporate culture in which criminal conduct is either discouraged or tacitly encouraged' (USDOJ, 22003). This was further exacerbated by the WorldCom CEO's insistence on his innocence and refusal to be totally forthcoming in the matter. If there was not a willingness to cooperate, the corporation should be charged as if it was an individual for securities fraud, and filing false reports. Throughout the trial, the defense, "contended that Mr. Ebbers was in the dark about the fraud" and "Ebbers denied discussing any element of the fraud with Mr. Sullivan" (Belsen, 2005).

The Role of Food in Understanding Chinese Culture Assignment

The Role of Food in Understanding Chinese Culture - Assignment Example Hierarchically, culture is a significant factor that divides food variability. Individuals’ with the same culture share same eating habits. As a result, they share the same food variables assemblage. Individuals belonging to distinct cultures share different food variables assemblage (Chang 1). This is a clear proof that food choices vary from culture to culture. Within similar cultures, food homogeneity is not mandatory. As a matter of fact, there exist a small range of food variable manifestations in various social situations. Individuals belonging to distinct occupations or social classes eat differently. People in mourning, on festive occasions or on routine occasions consume differently. Different eating codes are upheld by different religious sect. In various life stages, women and men eat differently. The eating differences might be as a result of taste preferences, but some are determined by an individual culture. Explaining these differences, identifying and relating them to other social life facets are of great significance. The availability of natural resources determines the food style of a culture. That is the main reason why the Chinese food is characterized by the animals and plants assemblages that have existed in their land for a long period of time. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to elucidate the role of food in understanding Chinese culture. Role of food in understanding Chinese culture Chinese cooking involves the combination of food stuffs. For example spices, meats, fruits, vegetables, legumes and starch staples. In the category of spices we have the ginger, red pepper, cinnamon and spring onion, for meats we have dog, pork, mutton, beef, chicken, goose, venison, fishes and pheasant, with fruits we have the apricot, peach, plum, apple, pear, jujube date, mountain haw, orange, litchi and longan, under vegetables we have Chinese cabbage, amaranth, malva, turnip, mushroom, radish and mustard green, legumes consists of broad bean, s oybean, mung bean and peanut and lastly starch staples comprises of rice, millet, maize, wheat, sweet potato and kao-liang. Given the fact that ingredients varies from culture to culture, Chinese foods have a local attribute due to the used ingredients. It is not efficient and effective to use ingredients for purposes of characterization; however, they can be used as a good start. With regards to food, Chinese are not that nationalistic as they do not resist imports. This is evidenced by the presence of foreign foodstuffs adoption since the beginning of history. Goats, sheep and wheat were perhaps brought into China in the prehistoric time from Western Asia, whilst many vegetables and fruits came into the country from Central Asia. Furthermore, sweet potatoes and peanuts originated from the coastal traders (Jacques 135). As a result, all these ingredients became part and parcel of Chinese food. Up to date, dairy products and milk have not occupied a place that is prominent in the Ch inese cuisine. In comparison to other food traditions, the Chinese culture of preparing food from ingredients that are raw to morsels that can be eaten involves the combination of interrelated and complex variables. Shopping for fresh fruits on daily basis is significant for all the cooking in China. Unlike the United States fast food society, live sea food, vegetables and seasonal fruits are often selected to ensure freshness. In that case, snappy crabs,

Wage systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wage systems - Essay Example Many factors can be identified as wage determinants. They can be selected in the following groups: economic, social, phycological and institutional. In this essay I will stick to the economic determinants: Measuring two-tier system and concession system using the first etalon, a company's ability to pay, I must say that these two systems have different assignation. The concession bargaining system was widely used in 1980s and trade unions often agreed with wage cuts because companies were not able to pay full wage and at the same time wanted to keep their employees, as it is written in the review of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (1997): "The concession bargaining which has occured in several years is an illustration of the recognition by both firms and unions of the link between costs, and thus prices, and output and employment" (http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/60/2080431.pdf) . The concession system lost its popularity and influence in 90s when unions understood that company's were again able to pay then they did. The two-tier wage system appeared to reconcile management and employees in a struggle for higher salary, it sacrificed new employees in order to make happy experienced employees. That was done to keep anticipated productivity. "The two-tier structure permits hiring of new workers at significantly lower wages and benefits, compared to those of the regular work force. It will be worth countless millions of dollars to employers in coming years." (http://www.laboreducator.org/twotierpay.pdf) Thus companies' management benefited as wage increase was offset by rising level of productivity and at the same time newcomers didn't receive equal payments. So the concession system and the two-tier system are assigned for different situations. The concession system can help to rise general company's ability to pay", while the two-tier system is primarily designed to meet expectations of experienced employees.The willingness to pay is also an important factor for comparison of the two-tier and concession systems. "Except in the most extraordinary circumstances, there is no acceptable reason for a union to bargain concessions. In t he case of a business that is profitable, there is absolutely no reason for concession bargaining. The results of concession bargaining over the last two decades should stand as proof that concessions do not benefit workers." (http://www.ufcw.net/articles/Toolkit/concession_bargaining-01.html) The concession system doesn't enforce the willingness of a company management to pay as it put restrictions on level of wages.The two-tier system stimulates management to attract experienced employees on the company's side in the bargaining process with new employees, thus this system increases a company's the willingness to pay. Though the willingness is largely a measure of equal distribution and fair competing process in the marketplace. The concession system grants to a company a chance to determine a level of wage that will be considered fair, thus decreasing level of employees' participation in distribution of a company's income. The two-tier system controls fair distribution only for experienced workers while newcomers are treated unfairly.) Although employers have to track wage market in terms

Organizational bahavior Business (MBA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational bahavior Business (MBA) - Essay Example 45). The key to managing a diverse workforce is increasing individual awareness of and sensitivity to differences of race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, physical ability, and age. The locus of change is the individual and change itself is both intra- and inter-personal. This approach is consistent with the preponderance of diversity initiatives undertaken in organizations, which primarily comprise training and development efforts such as diversity awareness training, leadership training, mentoring, and personal support group (Cope 2000, p. 76). A strict code of ethics and social corporate responsibility will ensure that the company value all stakeholders and ensures fair treatment of all groups. Ethics and SCR will ensure high high-standards of performance and ethical norms followed by all employees. The system of inquiry will help to incorporate specific references to such topics as new legal and ethical dimensions, and SCR (Frederick 2000, p. 5). It should be framed so that it is easy to derive from it policies on these and other aspects of conduct at work. It also will provide a basis on which to build training on such problem themes in a way which is convincing even to people who might otherwise consider them to be matters only for campaigning special interest groups (Frederick 2000, p. 23). It is the role of management to act as important activity and to co-ordinate, direct and guide the efforts of members toward the achievement of goals and objectives (Dubbink 2003, pp. 3, 7). Within this process ethics and ethical c ode has a great influence on organization and decision making process as a part of management. the company can donate some money to local church or healthcare organization, finance non-for-profit organization or support R&D activities. The company should consider social issues and environmental influences in making investment decisions (Dubbink 2003, p. 42). Employees, their work safety and health are the main priority. It is important to improve working conditions and introduced health related programs for employee. Also, it is vital for the company to take actions and decrease GHG emissions and negative impact of production on the environment. Question 2 In general, the level of successful performance of a team is influenced by successful or unsuccessful decision-making process, because it involves full discussion and participation. This appears to work best where a high level of interaction is required among all members of the group in order to solve complex problems. The main factors which imperative to effectively measuring the successful performance team performance are team dynamics and cohesion, common language and shared understanding (DeMarco and Lister 1999, p. 45, 52). Also, it is possible to single out the level of professionalism and leadership qualities of a leader (DeMarco and Lister 1999, p. 155). "A team leader should bear in mind that low dynamics prevent teams to produce a higher level of output"