The Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace

Most people would think that wars are launched because a country needs more territory, or because a country's borders are threatened, or because of appeasement. The real reason for war is that countries begin to feel that their honor is threatened; they feel that other nations are not giving them the worth and dignity they deserve, and so they take to the battlefield. On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace, Dr. Kagan is a classical scholar who hopes to get politicians and statesmen to understand history so as not to repeat it. He reminds that this was the intention of Thucydides of ancient Greece who wrote a history of the Peloponnesian Wars for â€Å"those who wish to have a clear understanding both of events in the past and of those in the future which will, in all human likelihood, happen again in the same or a similar way. † His book starts with the Peloponnesian War of the fifth century B. C. – -the subject of a four-volume history Kagan finished in 1987–and ends with the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. He also analyzes the Second Punic War of 218 to 201 B. C. World War I, and World War II. War usually arrives over long distances and long stretches of time. For instance, in 226 B. C. Rome was by far the most powerful state in the Western world, but it concluded a treaty with Carthage which was expanding its influence in what is now Spain. The treaty sought to preserve the peace. Eight years later, after many twisting and turnings and concessions by Rome, it led to war. Rome limited the expansion of Carthage to the area south of the Ebro River, and it looked like an order delivered by Rome, not a concession. Actually, Kagan writes, â€Å"†¦ it was an attempt at appeasement in a moment of weakness and fear, the effect of which was to neither soothe nor deter but to inflame and encourage the Carthaginians. † The aftermath included events, which almost destroyed Rome's fortunes: Hannibal's arrival at the head of a powerful army in Italy itself and the beginning of the 18-year Second Punic War. Two wars, the First Opium War 1839-42 and the Second Opium War 1856- 60, waged by Britain against China to enforce the opening of Chinese ports to trade in opium. Opium from British India paid for Britain' s imports from China, such as porcelain, silk, and, above all, tea. The First Opium War, between Britain and China, resulted in the cession of Hong Kong to Britain and the opening of five treaty ports. Other European states were also subsequently given concessions. The Second Opium War followed between Britain and France in alliance against China, when there was further Chinese resistance to the opium trade. China was forced to give the European states greater trading privileges, at the expense of its people. 839-42 and 1856-60, two wars between China and Western countries. The first was between Great Britain and China. Early in the 19th cent British merchants began smuggling opium into China in order to balance their purchases of tea for export to Britain. In 1839, China enforced its prohibitions on the importation of opium by destroying at Guangzhou (Canton) a large quantity of opium confiscated from British merchants. Great Britain, which had been looking to end China's restrictions on foreign trade, responded by sending gunboats to attack several Chinese coastal cities. China, unable to withstand modern arms, was defeated and forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing (1842) and the British Supplementary Treaty of the Bogue (1843). These provided that the ports of Guangzhou, Jinmen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai should be open to British trade and residence; in addition Hong Kong was ceded to the British. Within a few years other Western powers signed similar treaties with China and received commercial and residential privileges, and the Western domination of China's treaty ports began. In 1856 a second war broke out following an allegedly illegal Chinese search of a British-registered ship, the Arrow, in Guangzhou. British and French troops took Guangzhou and Tianjin and compelled the Chinese to accept the treaties of Tianjin (1858), to which France, Russia, and the United States were also party. China agreed to open 11 more ports, permit foreign legations in Beijing, sanction Christian missionary activity, and legalize the import of opium. China's subsequent attempt to block the entry of diplomats into Beijing as well as Britain's determination to enforce the new treaty terms led to a renewal of the war in 1859. This time the British and French occupied Beijing and burned the imperial summer palace (Yuan ming yuan). The Beijing conventions of 1860, by which China was forced to reaffirm the terms of the Treaty of Tianjin and make additional concessions, concluded the hostilities. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a dangerous and volatile situation that has attracted American attention for some decades. The conflict is a sensitive subject that produces strong emotions in people. This conflict deals with Jewish nationalism, distribution of resources, and politics. About a hundred years ago, Jews underwent a drastic change in their view of themselves. At first a few, and then more, began to call themselves Zionists. Zionism is a term that in its broadest and early sense meant simply the â€Å"return† of Jews to their ancestral homeland. That homeland was called Zion (or Israel) and its heart was Jerusalem, known as the â€Å"City of Zion. Early Zionists were simply pious, nonpolitical, religious Jews who thought they could best practice their faith in the Land of Zion. Some went primarily to pray, to study their religious books, and to await the arrival of the Messiah. Politics played an influential role in their thinking. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, Zionism came to have a political meaning: that Jews were not just a religious or ethnic group but were a nation of people who should have their own state. Today Zionism is the term for Jewish nationalism. Not all Jews agree upon what Zionism is, but to a point there is agreement, it is upon three things: there should be a Jewish state; it should be permanent, independent, and secure; and Jews who are threatened anywhere in the world should be able to go there to be safe. All other issues-the boundaries of the state, the nature of government, relations with the Palestinians, relations with American Jews, religious law-are in dispute. It is important to understand the Palestinian views . Keep in mind two points. First, people respond to the circumstances in which they live. If one is rich, one sees problems one way; if one is unemployed, one sees it a second way; if one owns a small shop, one sees it a third way. One must understand the circumstances in which Palestinians live if we are to understand their positions and actions. Second, there are about five million Palestinians. Like Americans, they disagree on political issues. They also change their minds as new circumstances develop. It is wrong to think Palestinians have a common view that remains unchanged. Their view changed considerably over the years. They view that the Israelis are taking the land rightfully theirs, and are being â€Å"bullied† by Israelis. They are the ones who had their land taken away from them and are left with no where to live. In 1948, there were approximately 860,000 Palestinians inside today's Israel. About 700,000 were driven out or fled during the fighting that followed the declaration of Israeli statehood. The Palestinian population of Jerusalem went from 75,000 to 3,500; of Jaffa from 70,000 to 3,600; of Haifa from 71,000 to 2,900; of Lydda-Ramle from 35,000 to 2,000; of Tiberias from 5,300 to zero. All refugees lost their property (about 800,000 acres were taken for Israeli use. ). The 160,000 Palestinians still in Israel in 1949 when the fighting stopped lost another 250,000 acres. The Palestinians in Israel were left without resources or strong leaders. When the Likud Party took power in 1977, it intensified colonization, pouring some $1 billion into settlement building over the next seven years. Today, land taken from the Palestinians and earmarked for military purposes or Jewish settlements amounts to more than 52% of the most fertile areas of the West Bank and 40% of the Gaza Strip. Only a very small percentage of this land was sold willingly by Palestinians. Most of it was confiscated, and is held to be for Jews only-not-just Jews from Israel, but Jews from anywhere in the world. Many newly arrived immigrants from the United States and Russia are given heavily financed housing in the settlements built on seized Palestinian land. 1990, according to Israeli estimates, will divert 83% of the water from the West Bank to Jewish settlements and Israel. The indigenous Palestinians will get only 17% of their own water. This taking of natural resources from the Palestinians, are the reasons for the rise in conflict. To a large extent Jews and Palestinians are geographically concentrated. Most Jews live in Israel and most Palestinians live in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. There are exceptions of course. Many Jews live in the new ring of suburbs around East Jerusalem and in the new settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. And many Arabs live inside of Israel, particularly in Galilee, including Nazareth, and in the Negev Desert in the South. The first comprehensive peace talks between Israel and delegations representing the Palestinians and neighboring Arab states began in October 1991. After Likud lost the parliamentary election of June 1992, Labor party leader Yitzhak Rabin formed a new government. Rabin took a more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians and imposed strict limits on new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. In 1993, after decades of violent conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, leaders from each side agreed to the signing of an historic peace treaty. Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin met in the United States on September 13 to witness the signing of the treaty, which paved the way for limited Palestinian self-rule in Israeli-occupied territories. The Gaza-Jericho Agreement was signed in Cairo on May 4, 1994, and applies to the Gaza Strip and to a defined area of about 65 square kilometers including Jericho and its environs. The Gaza-Jericho agreement addresses four main issues-security arrangements, civil affairs, legal matters, and economic relations. The document includes agreement to a withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza and Jericho, a transfer of authority from the Israeli Civil Administration to a Palestinian Authority, the structure and composition of the Palestinian Authority is a Palestinian police force, and relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. After intensive diplomatic efforts by the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Yasser Arafat agreed on September 29, 1996 to go to Washington the following week to seek ways out of a war that has put the entire Israeli-Palestinian peace in jeopardy. Despite the historical tensions of the Middle East, recent issues have arisen to intensify the conflict. Angry Palestinians protested Israel's decision to open an archeological site, the issue becoming one more in a growing number of Middle East tensions. The Muslim crowd feared the excavation of an ancient tunnel, right beside the foundations of Jerusalem's al Aqsa Mosque compound, would undermine what is the third-holiest shrine in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The tunnel excavation dispute is only the latest indication of rising tension between Arabs and Israelis. And the latest death count is 76 (as of October 1, 1996). In conclusion, this is an issue that deals with politics, uneven distribution of resources, and nationalism, and will take a great effort to come to an agreement. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a â€Å"battle† that has a long history that will continue till a mutual understanding and agreement is settled. Until the Israelis and the Palestinians can settle their differences and cooperate with each other, the â€Å"battle† will continue on. â€Å"No new taxes. This is a quote that most all of us remember from the1992 presidential election. Along with it we remember that there were new taxes during that presidents term in office. There are a myriad of promises made and things done in a presidential election year that have questionable motives as to whether they are done in the best interest of the people or in the interests of the presidential candidate. These hidden interests are one of the biggest problems w ith the political aspects of government in modern society. One of the prime examples of this is the Vietnam War. Although South Vietnam asked for our help, which we had previously promised, the entire conflict was managed in order to meet personal political agendas and to remain politically correct in the world's eyes rather than to bring a quick and decisive end to the conflict. This can be seen in the selective bombing of Hanoi throughout the course of the Vietnam War. Politically this strategy looked very good. However, militarily it was ludicrous. War is the one arena in which politicians have no place. War is the military's sole purpose. Therefore, the U. S. Military should be allowed to conduct any war, conflict, or police action that it has been committed to without political interference or control because of the problems and hidden interests which are always present when dealing with polite United States involvement in the Vietnam War actually began in 1950 when the U. S. began to subsidize the French Army in South Vietnam. This involvement continued to escalate throughout the 1950's and into the early 1960's. On August 4, 1964 the Gulf of Tonkin incident occurred in which American Naval Vessels in South Vietnamese waters were fired upon by North Vietnam. On August 5, 1964 President Johnson requested a resolution expressing the determination of the United Sates in supporting freedom and in protecting peace in southeast Asia (Johnson). On August 7, 1964, in response to the presidential request, Congress authorized President Johnson to take all necessary measures to repel any attack and to prevent aggression against the U. S. n southeast Asia (United States). The selective bombing of North Vietnam began immediately in response to this resolution. In March of the following year U. S. troops began to arrive. Although the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution specifically stated that we had no military, political, or territorial ambitions in southeast Asia, the interests back home were quite a different story (Johnson). The political involvement in Vietnam was about much more than just promised aid to a weak country in order to prevent the spread of communism. It was about money. After all, wars require equipment, guns, tools and machinery. Most of which was produced in the United States. It was about proving America's commitment to stop communism. Or rather to confine communism in its present boundaries But most of all it was about politics. The presidential political involvement in Vietnam had little to do with Vietnam at all. It was about China for Eisenhower, about Russia for Kennedy, about Washington D. C. for Johnson, and about himself for Nixon (Post). The last two of which were the major players in America's involvement in regards to U. S. Troops being used (Wittman). The military involvement in Vietnam is directly related to the political management of the military throughout the war. The military controlled by the politicians. The micro management of the military by the White House for political gain is the primary reason for both the length and cost, both monetary and human, of the Vietnam War (Pelland). One of the largest problems was the lack of a clear objective in the war and the support to accomplish it. The predominant military opinion of the military's role in Vietnam in respect to the political involvement is seen in the following quote by General Colin Powell, â€Å"If you're going to put into something then you owe the armed forces, you owe the American People, you owe just you're own desire to succeed, a clear statement of what political objective you're trying to achieve and then you put the sufficient force to that objective so that you know when you've accomplished it. The politicians dictated the war in Vietnam, it was a limited war, the military was never allowed to fight the war in the manner that they thought that they needed to, in order to win it (Baker). To conclude on the Vietnam War, the political management of the war made it unwinnable. The military was at the mercy of politicians who knew very little about what needed to be done militarily in order to win the war. There is an enormous difference between political judgment and military judgment. This difference is the primary reason for the outcome of the Vietnam War (Schwarzkopf). The United States policy of Vietnamization was a good idea, but the time was not ripe for it to best be used. Nearly all experts in South Vietnam as incapable of handling a combined threat rated Saigon's military strength. True, Vietnamization was not what led to the total withdrawl of troops from Vietnam, but the opinions pressed by Laird had somewhat of an affect on our agreeing to sign a cease-fire agreement. Also, if we had used Vietnamization's program of building up South Vietnam's armed forces more extensively, South Vietnam might still be in existence today. The Gulf War in the Middle East was almost the exact opposite in respect to the political influence on the war. In respect to the military objective of the war the two are relatively similar. The objective was to liberate a weaker country from their aggressor. The United Nation's resolution was explicit in its wording regarding military force in the Persian Gulf. The resolution specifically stated â€Å"by all means necessary. â€Å"(Schwarzkopf). The President was very aware of the problems with political management of warfare throughout the war. He was very determined to let the military call the shots about how the war was conducted. He made a specific effort to prevent the suggestion that civilians were going to try to run the war (Baker). Painful lessons had been learned in the Vietnam War, which was still fresh on the minds of many of those involved in this war (Baker). The military was given full control to use force as they saw fit. Many of the top military leaders had also been involved in the Vietnam War. These men exhibited a very strong never again attitude throughout the planning stages of this war. General Schwarzkopf made the following statement about the proposed bombing of Iraq in regards to the limited bombing in Vietnam, â€Å"I had no doubt we would bomb Iraq if I was going to be the Military Commander. † He went on to say that it would be absolutely stupid to go into a military campaign against his, Iraq's, forces who had a tremendous advantage on us on the ground, numbers wise. It would be ludicrous not to fight the war in the air as much, if not more, than on the ground (Schwarzkopf). The result of the Gulf War in which the military was given control, as we know, was a quick, decisive victory. There were many other factors involved in this than just the military being given control, particularly in contrast to Vietnam, but the military having control played a major part in this victory. In conclusion, although there are some major differences between the two conflicts one fact can be seen very clearly. That is the fact that the military is best suited for conducting wars. Politicians are not. It is not the place of a politicians to be involved in the decision making process in regards to war or military strategy. The White House has significant control in military matters. That control should be used to help the military in achieving its goals, as it was in the Gulf War where George Bush said specifically to let the military do its job. The only alternative to this is to use political influence in the same way that it was used in Vietnam. If we do not learn from these lessons that are so obvious in the differences between these two conflicts then we are condemned to repeat the same mistakes. Lets just pray that it does not take the death of another 58,000 of America's men to learn that the politician's place is not in war but in peace (Roush).

Differences Between People Will Always Lead to Conflict Essay

H. Norman Wright once stated â€Å"Every person is different. Yet often, those differences are not understood or valued by others. † Conflict is an inevitable part of human relationships. Depending on how it is approached and managed, conflict can be either constructive or destructive. Conflict arises when people disagree over something perceived as important. We live in communities and families with people who may not see things as we do. Conflicts occur on a daily basis, sometimes as small disputes, sometimes as violent battles and each person will respond to conflicts based on their own particular personality and cultural background. People have different motivations, beliefs, values and goals hence why there will always be conflict between people. Contrasts between people can lead to either small disputes or even war. In the years 1861-1865 there was a fierce civil in USA between United States (the â€Å"Union† or the â€Å"North†) and several Southern slave states that had declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America. People in America had different political beliefs. November 6, 1860 – Abraham Lincoln, who had declared â€Å"Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free†¦ † is elected president. Abraham Lincoln wanted the country to be united and abolish slavery in all of America but several states of America had a different opinion. The war had its origin in the restless issue of slavery and after four years of bloody combat, the Confederacy was defeated, slavery was abolished, and the difficult rebuilding process of restoring unity and guaranteeing rights to the freed slaves began. People having different political beliefs led to disputes within the country. History has shown us that differences amongst people can cause disunity between people, groups and in some cases nations or countries. During WW2 Japan invaded Singapore, Japan launched an airstrike on Singapore unexpectedly, which lead to the fall of Singapore in a few days. Women in Singapore were taken as prisoners and put in a war camp. In the camp women were treated relentlessly and lived under harsh conditions. The rules of the Geneva Convention were not adhered to and this too caused friction between countries The women in the POW camps responded to conflict in different ways, some sacrificed their selves, some calmly and some with hope. The women had different backgrounds which caused opposition within the group. Having discord in the group led to rivalries between the women, also led to divergence in the group and lack of trust within each other. Though it might seem to be a small dispute, it had a big influence on how the women were going to survive. Afghanistan has been a victim of many military campaigns. Many countries wanted to take over Afghanistan which led to conflict between countries. In 1996 an Islamic fundamentalist political movement called the Taliban meaning â€Å"The Seekers† took over Afghanistan. Their aims were to end the political chaos that had been ongoing in Afghanistan since the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and to impose a strict interpretation of Islam. Taliban came in as a cleansing force to establish law and order which they did. Their efforts were initially embraced by the war-ravaged Afghans but their means of ending the chaos resulted in the imposition of a strict interpretation of Islamic law. They imposed severe restrictions on women, and banned television, considered a symbol of Western decadence. The Taliban instituted a code of laws that oppressed and brutalized women, under Taliban rule; women were restricted to the home, denied education and could be executed for not wearing the right dress. Afghanistan is a multiethnic society, each ethnic group attempting to stake out their own territory and the Taliban’s Islamic laws opposed the beliefs and values of other cultures in Afghanistan, this discrepancy instigated the ongoing civil war in Afghanistan Three decades of war made Afghanistan the world’s most dangerous country, including the largest producer of refugees and asylum seekers. Decades of fighting have created millions of refugees; families have been torn apart and thousands of villages have been demolished in the fighting leaving Afghanis with little alternative but to flee. Over the past decades Australia has accepted thousands of refugees from Afghanistan that take a treacherous journey by boat to flee the war in search of a new and peaceful life. When refugees came to Australia they are put into detention centres for a period of time while their refugee statuses are being processed. Refugees from Afghanistan respond to conflict in different ways some through having a positive mind, some with hope, fear, denial and most of all with self-sacrifice. People having opposing religious beliefs in Afghanistan transformed it into warfare, affecting millions of innocent people in Afghanistan. We live in a world full of people with different values, motives and goals. There will always be distinctions between people through culture, values, beliefs, motivations and goals which to some extend will lead to conflict. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. it is nearly impossible to understand those who are beyond our sight, who are not explained to us by ties of birth or contact of the flesh†.

Hildreth vs Tidewater Equipment Co

John Hildreth was the sole shareholder, director, and officer HCE, Inc, a corporation in New Jersey. HCE-NJ began to do business in Maryland in early 1997. According to the Maryland code, it is required for foreign corporations to register with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation before doing intrastate business in Maryland, and it is required to have a resident agent in Maryland. In February 1998, HCE-NJ rented equipment from Tidewater Equipment Company, Inc. and again in September 1998. Tidewater and HCE-NJ signed a series of contracts, none of which were signed by Hildreth. When payments ceased after February 1999 repossessed the equipment and sued Hildreth holding him personally liable for the debts by HCE-NJ. Issue Is there a basis for piercing the veil of HCE-NJ and imposing personal liability for the corporate obligation on Hildreth? Rule In order for a court to pierce the corporate veil, two requirements must exist: (1) domination of a corporation by its shareholders; and (2) use of that domination for an improper purpose (defrauding creditors, circumventing a statute, or evading an existing obligation. Application In order for us to prove that Hildreth be held personally liable for the corporation’s obligation, we must consider various factors that can show if Hildreth practiced domination on the corporation and if that domination was used for an improper purpose. Hildreth was the sole shareholder and was personally involved in the management of the business. He was a â€Å"sole shareholder, director and officer† to this New Jersey corporation. Although HCE-NJ contracted with Tidewater, Hildreth, as a shareholder, was personally involved in the business transactions between HCE-NJ and Tidewater in agreement for renting construction equipment. Hildreth also failed to follow Maryland law by registering HCE-NJ with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation before doing intrastate business in Maryland. Although Hildreth held no obligation to reveal that HCE was an unregistered foreign corporation to Tidewater, the situation can be used in court under Maryland law to pierce the corporate veil to promote justice and to prevent inequity. In this case, HCE owed Tidewater for the renting of construction equipment in the amount of $47,246. Another consideration is the fact that Hildreth may be using his position as a shareholder to avoid the corporation’s obligation towards Tidewater. The courts used Herbert Brune’s work as a reference to the case. According to Brune, the corporate veil may be pierced to prevent the evasion of legal obligations. It states that â€Å"the courts may consider a corporation as unencumbered by the fiction of corporate entity and deal with substance rather than form as though the corporation did not exist, in order to prevent evasion of legal obligation. HCE-NJ neglected to pay the payments due to Tidewater, which led the repossessing of construction equipment. The balance owed towards Tidewater was $47,246. The plaintiff has shown that there was an unfairness and inequitable result from this occurrence. Tidewater provided the equipment in return for payment, where HCE-NJ became unable to satisfy its obligation under contract resulting into unfair practices. For Hildreth to say that he is not personally liable for corporation debt, it can be seen as protection for himself from legal obligations. In defense, Hildreth cannot be held liable on the corporation’s obligation due to the fact that there was a lack of domination. There is no proof that Hildreth, as a shareholder, caused the corporation to act on his detriment or personal benefit. The only mention of Hildreth with Tidewater is when he informed, Kolbe, a Tidewater representative, of the office locations. Transactions and contracts were dealt and signed between Tidewater and an employee of HCE-NJ, not Hildreth. There is also no evidence that the shareholder caused the corporation to fail to follow corporate formalities. In addition, there is no allegation of fraud on either Hildreth or HCE-NJ. As for Brune’s work, the idea that â€Å"if a shareholder uses a corporation form in order to prevent evasion of legal operation† can only be used when the corporation demonstrates the â€Å"alter ego† doctrine. According to the â€Å"alter ego† doctrine, which allows personal liability of a corporate officer if the stockholders or the business itself fails to treat the entity as a corporation. There is no evidence that Hildreth exercised such complete domination over HCE-NJ to conclude that the corporation had no â€Å"separate mind, will or existence of its own. † Conclusion Although the courts reversed their judgment in favor of Hildreth, I find that Hildreth did not act only as a shareholder, but also as a director and officer of the New Jersey corporation. It shows that there is a possibility for the alter ego doctrine to take place since Hildreth wasn’t only a shareholder, but also participated in the business transactions between HCE-NJ and Tidewater. With the legal obligation of the corporation to pay Tidewater, and this not being met, I find that it results in injustice and inequity between the parties. It would be unjust for Hildreth to be able to shield himself from the corporate obligations by using the corporate entity as a defense. Therefore, I affirm judgment from the earlier decision of the court, in favor of Tidewater.

Sole proprietorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sole proprietorship - Essay Example John and Christine are looking forward to carry on their practice as tax agents.They have the sufficient capital required to carry on the business as tax agents.The business structures available to carry on business as tax agents are sole proprietorship, partnership, company and trust. However, before selecting any structure for this business, the relative advantages and disadvantages of each are needed to be considered. FINDINGS: SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP: An entity where the person opening the business constitutes without any contract with others or incorporation of the entity. The person is solely responsible for all the debts and liabilities of the business. Advantages: It is the cheapest and easiest business structure. Sole proprietorship is under complete control of the person organizing it. Sole proprietor may retain and reinvest all the incomes of the business on its own motion. The payment of tax is easy and may flow directly to the tax return of the sole proprietor. The business may be dissolved easily. Disadvantages: The liability of sole proprietors is unlimited. So, the businesses as well as the personal assets of the sole proprietor are at risk. There are very limited sources available for the raising of funds as opposed to companies where fund raising is very high. PARTNERSHIP: An association/relationship of two or more persons to carry on a business for the purpose of earning profits is known as partnership. (Revised UPA, Section 101) Advantages: Partnerships are easier to establish as compared to companies. The two or more partners may increase funds more easily as compared to sole proprietorship. They may also have increased borrowing capacity. The pool of skills, knowledge and expertise is made wider due to the combination of more than one person. Partnerships also allow brainstorming which is more creative than the brainstorming carried out by sole proprietor. Disadvantages: Partners are liable for the actions of other partners as they act as agen ts for one another. The decisions between all partners are shared and this may cause disagreements which is the most drastic situation for a partnership. The liability of all the partners is unlimited.. However, this limitation may be overcome by constituting limited partnership. In limited partnership, the investments of the partners are liable for the debts of the firm and the partners’ personal assets are not liable. COMPANY: A company is a separate legal entity from its owners. So, the shareholders and members of the company are liable for the debts of the company only to the extent of their share/ interest in the company. The company which offers its shares to the general public for subscription is known as public company. The company which does not offer its shares to general public is known as private company. Advantages: The liability of the shareholders and/or members of the company are restricted to the value of shares purchased by him. The company is a separate leg al entity i.e. separate from its members. Therefore, any suit against the company does not involve the members personally as opposed to partnerships where the partners are personally got involved in the suits. In private limited companies, the shareholders and directors of the company are usually same person keeping the ownership and management of the company in same hands. Disadvantages: The formation of company is costly as compared to partnerships and may require large amount of capital initially. Whereas, partnership and sole proprietorship does not require any such large amounts. The accounts of companies are complex in nature. Moreover, the statutory regulations and the company law of the country require the companies to follow the regulations regarding bookkeeping and certain types of accounts. The raising of funds and capital by the companies is also restricted to the authorized capital of the company. Moreover, in case of a private company, the increasing of capital is also usually restricted by the provisions of the company law of

Twitter in Diet Pepsi's Commercial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Twitter in Diet Pepsi's Commercial - Essay Example It is then that she witnesses a lady drinking diet pepsi to refresh herself. The ad is meant specifically for both ladies and men but the emphasis is more on the ladies. This can be seen from the ad when ladies run away from the stall to see David Beckham. However on the other hand men are also targeted through this ad as in the very beginning the huge line at the diet pepsi stall consists of men too. Men and women of younger generation who tend to get tired and exhausted of the heat are targeted through this ad. Methods of reaching the audience The advertisement made by the brand is reaching out to the audience through different means. The use of celebrities is one way through which the brand is reaching out to the consumers. It is creating a value and character amongst the consumers by showing the characters of David Beckham and Sofia Vergara. Both of these celebrities are well known amongst the masses and hence the brand is showing value to the consumers. The consumers may choose the product because of the well known celebrities in some instances. The value created by the brand would be most useful when settling in for the audience as many people try products because of these celebrities. People who are interested in sports would definitely try the drink because of David Beckham. Women have been specifically targeted by the brand by using logic as women are diet conscious (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991). The ad shows Sofia Vergara and other women with a nice body which helps to promote the product. The ad is basically targeting women who want to be fit and are diet conscious. The ad also has some humour in it which attracts the audience through emotions. The audience may get attracted to the humour and urge shown in the ad to get Pepsi. Sofia Vergara uses her techniques to split the line so that she can go and buy Pepsi. In other words the ad urges the audience to drink diet pepsi so that they can check the taste for themselves. Effectiveness of the Ad The ad can be quite effective in reaching out to the audience because of the different methods that it has incorporated into it. Women and people who are exhausted are targeted by the brand and the advertisement quite successfully does that. The advertisement shows that the drink is quite refreshing and one might use different skills to reach out the product. The celebrity uses logic so that she can buy the drink and hence the ad effectively produces a need amongst the audience which needs to be refreshed (Dehlin et al., 2010). Improvements   The ad incorporates several ideas of marketing but it does lack out to reach a larger audience. The ad could be used in a different way so that a broader audience was targeted. Children have not been specifically targeted by the brand and this idea could have been incorporated into the ad. A celebrity which is loved by the younger generation could be used in the ad so that the children ran over to the celebrity. Exhausted children could also be include d in the ad so that children were also made an audience in the ad. Men are shown in the ad but they are not specifically targeted upon and the brand could use methods to include them in the ad. Men could have been shown running for a female celebrity which was supposedly on the pier along with David Beckham. Conclusion The ad done by the brand is endorsed by celebrities and this can help to target a specific audience. Diet Pepsi is not only meant for women but is also meant to be for men so

Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Christianity - Essay Example There are numerous differences and similarities between the Catholics and Pentecostals. Some are complicated and others are simple. In this paper, we are going to try to simplify those that are complicated for the sake of the understanding of those who have no Christian background. To begin with, we will look at the differences between the two Christian denominations (Peterson, para1). The first difference is that the Catholic Church (the Roman Catholic), the most popular catholic church in the world, apply the infallibility and the leadership of the Pope as their link with God. The Pope is the voice of God to the congregation. However, in the case of Pentecostals they do not have a specific person they look upon as their voice from God. Instead each group has a pastor as a spiritual leader and every member of the small group can be used as a voice of God to the rest of the members (Edwards, para4-6). The Catholics teach salvation through works and faith and they occasionally have to make confession to the priest who advices them on what to do to obtain mercy and forgiveness from God. None of Pentecostal groups requires its members to make any sort of confession, though some require confession of some kinds of sins before the congregation. In addition, Pentecostals do not believe that works are part of salvation but to them, salvation is through grace (Emberson, para1). Furthermore, Catholic worship style is very formal and highly structured. Nevertheless, for Pentecostals, worshipping is usually informal with a lot of dancing in the spirit, shouting, clapping of hands and various forms of enthusiastic displays. Another difference lies in the partaking of the Holy Communion. Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation, whereby the elements of the unleavened bread and the wine miraculously become the body and blood of Jesus Christ and only the priest takes the cup. In the case of Pentecostals, they believe that bread and vine tree juice

Ancient Chamorros on the Island of Guam Term Paper

Ancient Chamorros on the Island of Guam - Term Paper Example Accordingly, the Chamorro resistance became increasingly strong with relation to the Spanish colonizers. Many Chamorro leaders, most notably Agualin, was able to effectively organize resistance due in no small part to his ability to orate and present rousing speeches to his supporters (Cunningham 12). The following is an interpretation for a similar such speech to rally Chamorro resistance to the Spanish colonizers on the island. â€Å"For too long we have sat idly by as our way of life, our religion, our women, our territory, and our culture have been under constant assault from this foreign occupier. As was the custom of our people, we originally welcomed this occupier with the open arms of friendship (Flood 8). As was the custom of our people, we were not quick to anger when the occupier insulted our women, insulted, our culture, took our lands, and worked to subvert our culture. However, in this, we have been wrong. I will be the first among you to tell you that I believe our cu lture is superior to that of the occupier; however, these overly friendly and welcoming aspects of our culture have only worked to subvert us. Rather than using our own best judgment as to where we should draw the line of humility and friendship, we have allowed ourselves to be overwhelmed by the occupier and his repression that is forced upon us at seemingly every turn. There are not enough words my people to tell you of all the harmful things that the occupier has done to our way of life. However, I want to draw your attention to some of the most important. The first of these harmful things is the way in which the occupier has pushed his religion upon us. For generations we have respected the teachings of our elders and sought to live by the rules that our religion has laid out for us. However, rather than choosing to leave us alone or even to proselytize to us regarding their beliefs, the occupier has forced many of us to convert to their own gods. Worse still, our children are b eing taken from the arms of their own parents and placed into schools that force them to adopt the beliefs of the occupier – all the while forgetting the beliefs that their ancestors have held for so many years. Of all of the things that the occupier has done to us, of all the ways they have wronged us, the ideological theft of our own flesh and blood is the worst (DeFronzo 17). These young children are our only hope for continued survival into the future. The occupier knows this that is why they are actively working to convert them to their own twisted and warped way of thinking. Their goal is to drive us into extinction. By taking our children, they are taking our culture; by taking our culture, they are ensuring that we will never pose a threat to their conquest ever again. In keeping with the willful disregard that the conqueror has placed on our culture, he is actively disrespecting the sanctify of family and the decision of elder tribe members as he randomly selects fro m our own women those which he will make his wife and/or concubine. What has become of us! What will become of us? Will we stand for this? Will we let the occupier continue to defile our very own women? My people, this must end – we must make it end or we must die in the process. If the theft of our children and our women mean nothing to you, then consider our culture. If the theft of our culture means nothing to you – then consider the theft of our land. Every day the occupier

A Bottled Water Company Called Quench Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Bottled Water Company Called Quench - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that Quench is a target of bad media attention with regards to its environmental issues linked to packaging, sustainable resources and ecological logistics. The global economic downturn has not helped improve its situation, resulting in declining sales. As business’ social responsibility become increasingly important in the eyes of stakeholders, Quench’s position as a social responsible organisation is tarnished. According to the paper the company’s steady growth over the past decade has been attributed to its competitive pricing strategies, strong advertising campaigns and a good reputation. Thus, having its reputation ruined by a series of bad publicity could further hurt its performance as a market leader in sports drink products. Moreover, Quench’s management appears to be taking its time to rectify the situation. With this, worldwide customers will become alarmed about its seemingly lack of concern for the environment. The fact that its brand is connected with trust and reliability, the issue on hand has made these hard to believe. The crisis management of Quench must come together to analyse the problem and discuss corrective actions to take. A press statement addressing the issue should be released quickly to show that the company is aware of the public’s concern and is taking steps to deal and rectify the situation. The company’s quick reaction to the matter will place it in a better light because it is giving out positive image of how it is handling the problem. On the other hand, delayed response to the public will further harm Quench’s reputation, as the media will continuously publish damaging reports on the issue.

Childhood trauma and Resiliency Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Childhood trauma and Resiliency - Research Paper Example During the aftermath of these events, it is possible that the children cannot sustain psychological well-being. Situations that do not result in a child’s capacity to successfully deal with a traumatic experience could be due to the risk factors that lead to a more difficult recovery (Applied Research and Consulting, LLC et al., 2002). Among the major factors that influence a child’s success in dealing with the trauma are: (1) being a direct witness to the traumatic event, (2) involvement or exposure of a family member to the event, (3) having members of the family dying during such an event, (4) already having a previous mental or psychological problem and (5) having no support network. After traumatic events, some children may require the help of professionals in order to deal with the adverse effects. Children who have faced adverse and traumatic events could go the probabilistic path towards failure and disruption in performance of developmental tasks that increase psychopathology and maladaptation (Cicchetti, 2002). However, not all children who faced trauma, as in the case of abused and neglected children, develop maladaptation. Some children are able to effectively cope and successfully perform the developmental tasks that are required for their age. With time, acute distress could disappear; children cope and grow into competent adults. Many children have risen out of adversity to become highly successful and well-adjusted, leading responsible and fulfilling lives. These children have made the best out of adversity. Some face their trauma head-on, make the most of their lives, and positively influence other people’s lives. Success in the face of adversity has been attributed the development and prevalence of resilience. Resilience is a form of human adaptation arising from mechanisms that result in improving children’s capacity to adapt and cope with traumatic stress and adversity. Resilience has been

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 1 Case Assignment Essay

MGT506 - Strategic Leadership, Mod 1 Case Assignment - Essay Example Davis (2013) explained that business analytics is instrument to achieve objectives which transformed information as data to leverage in business competition. Admittedly, they have spent tremendous amount of obtaining invaluable assets and in developing storage or database to save essential uncovered insights as knowledge-base that can be useful, for instance, in social network analysis and in behavioural studies at multiple levels (Davis, 2013). This may include concerns on retail pricing, portfolio analysis, risks positions, banking or finance management, and the empirical demand of the market based on considered demography and customer needs (Davis, 2013). This expertise on business analytics is also provided as consultancy service to pharmaceuticals, industries, companies and institutions seeking expert consultancy on organizational capacity management (Davis, 2013). In a cursory look into the organization’s performance, it is driven to empower clients using advanced analyt ics for organizations to make use of its internal database to improve its competence, performance, financials, and its quest for meaningful innovative information (Davis, 2013). Through this, clients are inspired to make fact-based decision-making to generate great impact (SAS Inc., 2012). The company also partner with clients in all development process to ensure that they are able to generate maximum satisfaction of relevant services (SAS Inc., 2012). Such commitment target at getting shared outcome. The organization used creative capital for high performance analytics and client empowerment. This process is undertaken by optimizing technology in resolving problems on financial services, pharmaceutical market development, nurturing retail business opportunities, valuing customer relations, business risk management, optimizing information technology networks with cross-functional solutions via information management, analytics and business intelligence (SAS Inc., 2012). SAS services are rendered to 60,000 sites over 135 countries which include 90 of top companies of on the 2011 Fortune Global 500Â ® list (SAS Inc., 2012). The company has been an avid service provider on customer intelligence, improving governance, IT performance management, retail and supply chain in the manufacturing industry, product marketing, pricing and packaging, banking, insurance, risk management, Saas, business analytics, business intelligence, performance management, communications, health and life sciences, data integration, information management, alliances and channels, and relations (SAS.com. 2013). As of these days, it has developed 903 companies in partnerships and alliances based on its online directory (SAS.com, 2013). The success of this organization is obviously attained because they have clear vision, mission, goals, and sustained good relationship with its clienteles. They see tangible results of the SAS’s software and services (SAS.com, 2013). Their systems are m atched with mixture of transformational and transactional leadership that are applied in managing in its operation, in relating to customers, and in managing its human resources. CNNMoney (2012)

The Law of Redundancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Law of Redundancy - Essay Example Redundancy on the basis of gender, age, and the other elements are classifiable as unfair dismissal. Employers use a number of fair and objective ways to select employees for redundancy, which include last in, first out basis, use of disciplinary records, and self-selection by asking for volunteers and markings of staff appraisal, for instance, experience, qualifications, and skills. In addition, employees are allowed to select employees for redundancy if the employees’ jobs no longer exist. In such an instance, the employer can make employees redundant without necessarily following the selection process (Curtis & McMullen 1997, p. 154). When an employee is dismissed from work by reason of redundancy, the employee is legally entitled to a statutory payment for redundancy from the employer. If the employer (Wolsey Engineering Ltd) fails to pay, the employee can claim the statutory redundancy payment through an Employment Tribunal (Duggan 2012, p. 67). The entire redundancy proc ess should be impartial, consisting of, among others, consultation, redundancy payment and notice periods.   Notice periods are crucial to ensure dismissal legality. Notice periods are given prior to the termination of employment. Employment laws require employers to give a notice period of at least one week for those employed between one month and two years, one week’s notice for each year if the employee worked between two and 12 years and 12 weeks’ notice for those employed for 12 years or more (Income Data Service (IDS) 2008, p. 57). In addition to statutory payment for redundancy, employers should pay a notice payment by either paying the redundant employees through their notice periods or pay in lieu of notice. In the latter instance, notice payments must be equal to the to the employees’ basic pay plus whatever amount they would have earned during the notice period (Marsh & Soulsby 2002, p. 74). Employees made redundant are entitled to appropriate periods of consultation with the employer. Such consultation includes speaking to employees regarding the reasons for their redundancy and available alternatives to redundancy (McMullen 2011, p. 91). Employees are permissible to claim to an employment tribunal if the employer fails to consult effectively, for instance, if the employers start late or fail to consult altogether. Collective redundancies of at least 20 employees require consultation between the employer and an employee representative. There is no definite limit to the length of consultation although minimum lengths are in place for more than 20 redundancies (Mellahi & Wilkinson 2004, p. 251). In essence, in order to ascertain legality, the employer should consider plausible alternative employment for all employees prior to declaring the redundant.

Preserve Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Preserve Knowledge Essay Dear Sir, Have you ever noticed how people live all their lives in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom? As a society, we put so much emphasis upon enriching our lives through education and it never seems to dawn upon us that upon our demise, all of this knowledge we thirsted to have in life becomes a forgotten part of our existence. It bothers me when I hear about people committing suicide or killing an innocent person because all of the knowledge they gained in life goes with them to the grave and is then lost forever. This is why I have decided that the time has come for me to write a book that will help people come to terms with their personalities and perhaps learn to appreciate their reason for being in this world in the process. If I can touch a life and prevent even one homicide of suicide case in the world, then my book Preserve Knowledge: The Healing of the Nation will have accomplished its objective to save lives and preserve knowledge. Nobody really understands why people commit crimes against lives and how it affects the perpetrator spiritually. I would like to help in understanding their situation by helping them in their healing process and introducing them to other spiritual leaders who were once lost and without direction in their lives and have now become leaders of society. Only by understanding these people and their situations will it be possible for us to communicate with our inner self and soul and eventually understand how wisdom of the mind and soul becomes a reality. Through my book, I wish to help people come to the realization that when a person dies or is killed, everything he has learned in life becomes useless. There was no transference of knowledge to the living that are capable of propagating the knowledge shared with them by the deceased. By helping people to survive, we preserve knowledge and in the end the shared knowledge helps in empowering a nation. An intellectual nation is a rich nation. My book will concentrate on developing the 2 most important areas of development in a human being. These are the mind and soul. It is imperative that the mind of a person be developed because the mind can be likened to an absorbent sponge that will absorb all information that comes its way. It is like a blank slate waiting to be written upon using permanent ink. Although the mind filters information, it also helps the soul develop through logical connections and thinking. The soul on the other hand helps that knowledge we collect to become part of a persons personality and memory database. During the times when the soul feels so tired that if seems to make more sense to end your life, a person feels hopeless. But this is not the way God intended for us to live our lives. God created man to be the highest and most intelligent form of animals because only man was tasked with the duty of taking care of our planet and recording its history. This is the main reason why all knowledge and information that each man has in his mind and soul must be shared with others. Sharing information with the right people always helps to enrich lives. When a person feels good about himself and he has the right kind of support to help him overcome his shortcomings, the nation benefits. That person will always turn out to be a valuable asset to society and whose contribution would be solely missed if he were to take his knowledge to the grave with him. This is why it is imperative that my book Preserve Knowledge: The Healing of the Nation must be published. So many lives are lost these days to suicide or homicide. Imagine all the knowledge that is snatched away from us. We should not allow the draining of this knowledge to proceed any further. Needless to say, only my book can show us how to do this. This is why I am imploring your help in order to see my book published. If you believe in the same causes that I do, this book will be a valuable asset to your personal library.

Can Psychological Theories Be Compatible With One Another?

Can Psychological Theories Be Compatible With One Another? Drawing on material from the lectures, and using the conceptual framework of ontology, explanation and methodology: Critically discuss the extent to which psychological theories and methodologies are compatible, conflicting or co-existing. Matthew Belmonte lecture topic (social cognition) Prof David Crundall lecture topic (risk taking/road traffic behaviour) Dr Florentia Hadjiefthyvoulou lecture topic (behavioural/drug addiction) Dr David Wilde lecture topic (introduction to a qualitative approach to psychology, critical health psychology, out of body experience) Conceptual framework: ontology, explanation and methodology. 9TH MAY. Psychologists may be interested in similar questions, what makes psychology unique? What makes this a psychological question? What are we learning about ourselves – social psychology, different components of who we are (bystander effect). Developmental psychology, following certain methodologies (a blank state/innate/genetics/nature vs nurture) Personality/individuality – construct generalisations in similar contexts – what makes us the same? (nomothetic approach) The normative functioning state of behaviour (able to recognise abnormal behaviour) How do psychologists go about studying what they study? Interested in the human being – who you are? Social/society/environment the relationship between them all, how do they fit together between the mind, behaviour and body (the mental state of mind, consciousness and physical aspect/body/brain as control centre?) Ontology – what is the nature/essential essence of the subject matter (what is the thing ‘in itself’?) What is it that needs explaining? Explanation (theory) – how do we explain the psychological phenomena? Language needs to coincide with ontology. How well does the explanation match ontology? What counts as appropriate evidence to support the explanation? Methodology – what methods do we employ to test (support/refute) psychological explanation (theory)? Evidence to support explanation to confirm ontology. Is this the best method of gathering the evidence to support the explanation? What is psychology? Is psychology†¦the scientific study of the human mind (thoughts and mental consciousness)? The study of the brain (helps to perceive reality (function) essence – neurological physical thing – made up of neurons)? The study of behaviour (intention and action fit in)? A QUESTION OF ONTOLOGY – WHAT IS THE MIND? WHAT IS THE BRAIN? WHAT IS BEHAVIOUR? Is te mind the same as the brain, or are they different? Is behaviour the same as movement? What about intention and action: how do they relate to behaviour? A QUESTION OF EXPLANATION – HOW DO WE EXPLAIN the relationship between mind, brain and behaviour. How is the mind related to the brain? How is the mind/brain related to behaviour? Is it that†¦ mind, brain, mind and brain CAUSE behaviour? A QUESTION OF METHODOLOGY – HOW DO WE STUDY the mind, the brain and behaviour. Take into account of historical context? If psychology is the (scientific) study of mind/brain/behaviour then where, in all of this, is the person? ONTOLOGY: Is the person their mind, their brain, their behaviour or all of these? EXPLANATION: How are these related to each other in the construction of a person? METHODOLOGY: How do we study a person? Placing psychological research in HISTORICAL CONTEXT: to understand the current state of psychology, why psychology is as it is. The origins of some of the issues and questions that relate to psychology and psychology as a science. To better understand why these issues and questions have arisen and also learn from those who preceded us. FH: Conceptual framework with addiction: Ontology – what causes addiction? Explanation – theories of addiction. Methodology – how do we study these theories? What causes addiction – many theories try to answer this complicated question. Sociocultural perspective (people form addictions under stressful living conditions), psychodynamic perspective, cognitive-behavioural perspective (operant conditioning is a key role in addiction), biological perspective (addiction is a disease that the individual has no control over) Is addiction nature (a disease = biological) or nurture (social learning phenomenon) Disease model of addiction: the individual has no control over drinking habits – treatments such as Alcohol Anonymous is based on theory as addiction is a disease because of genetic make-up. ‘The disease concept of alcoholism’ (Jellinek 1960) The inability to control drinking. ‘Addiction is a disease that originates from the biological, neurological and genetic makeup of an individual’. Disease model of addiction: where does the evidence come from? Genetic predisposition factors: Animal breeding studies, whereby animals showed a preference to alcohol, their offspring also (genetic makeup) (Carroll and Meisch 2011, Weiss, 2011) Human twins studies (inherit genetic predisposition) (Legrand et al., 2005, Tsuang et al., 2001) Kaij 1960. Adoption studies (gives support to disease model of addiction) (Walters 2002, Goldstein 1994) Genetic linkage strategies and molecular biology techniques. Abnormal dopamine-2 (D2) receptor gene in participants with substance use disorder (Cosgrove 2010; Blum et al., 1996) Disease model of addiction: where does this evidence come from? Psychological factors: the reward system or ‘pleasure pathway’: ‘a brain circuit that is involved in mediating the effects of reinforcement and is fundamental in initiating and maintaining behaviours important for survival’. Evidence from animal studies – Behaviours such as consuming food and alcohol that we enjoy doing kick start the brain reward system Particular neuron circuits light up during pleasure – neuron transmitter is dopamine (feel good hormones that give a pleasurable feeling – from MRI studies) that produces euphoria and reinforces the behaviour to be repeated (how addictive behaviours are maintained and reinforced). Is the disease model the only explanation for our question? The most important causes of addictive behaviour are psychological in nature and not biological. Robins (1979) importance of social setting on drug taking. Social learning theory ‘addiction is a learned behaviour and is the result of observation and modelling (social and family interaction)’ The individual: personality traits (Sher et al 1991; Terracciano et al, 2007; Wilson et al., 2010) low self-esteem, sensation-seeking, impulsivity, vulnerability, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Is there an addictive personality? Other high risk factors: permissive family attitudes to addictive behaviours. Addictive behaviours by parents or family members. Low commitment to school. Early peer rejection (alienation), attitudes favourable to addictive behaviours. Early onset of the behaviour – underlying depression, anxiety. The environment: the cultural context and customs underpinning the addictive behaviour. Extreme economic deprivation (mainly for drug addiction) ‘heroin is the ideal drug for the unemployed’. Substance cost and availability – the most significant predictor of use and peer associations. Family interaction model (Baer et al 1987) higher risk through: deficits in parenting, family tension, rejection, emotional distancing and parental alienation. The behaviour: once learned, addiction is maintained through cognitive factors, expectancies and cues. Operant Conditioning (Skinner), Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) Examples of factors reinforcing an addictive behaviour: positive reinforcement associated with: the psychopharamacology of the drug (relevant to substance addiction), crucial importance of the role of the dopaminergic system (reward), the social aspect of the behaviour – peer recognition, group identity, cultural norms etc. Negative reinforcement associated with: avoidance of withdrawal symptoms, some drugs/behaviours alleviate psychological distress/trauma, relief of boredom, coping with poor living conditions etc. Protective factors: a supportive family environment, a caring relationship with at least one adult, positive temperament, a social support system that encourages effort. So what causes addiction? Is addiction a disease? Is addiction a social learning phenomenon? Can both biological and psychological theories explain addiction? How well does the explanation (theories of addiction) match the ontology? Do methods of gathering evidence support the explanation? Are methods compatible, conflicting or co-existing? What does this say about the nature of psychology? Stress, Family Environment, and Multiple Substance Use Among Seventh Graders P. E. Baer, R. J. McLaughlin, M. A. Burnside, A. D. Pokorny, and L. B. Garmezy  Baylor College of Medicine. Psychology of Addictive Behaviours. 1987, Vol. 1, No 2. 92-103 Seventh graders reported using more alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis, singly or in combination, if they also reported having more stressful events occurring in their lives. This was the case whether the stressful events were of major proportion; Major life stressors had consistently a more reliable relationship to substance use than the minor irritants when the number of events that had occurred was considered. From a qualitative point  of view, the troublesomeness of daily irritants retains an independent relationship with usage apart from the frequency of stressors and does so apart from the correlation of usage and anxiety. Family support and stressors independently relate to substance usage.

Murder of Chandra Levy

Murder of Chandra Levy During the summer of 2001, the scandalous murder of twenty-four year old D.C intern, Chandra Levy, had been plastered all over the media. Levys 2001 disappearance formed into a national sensation, after the California native was romantically connected with former congressional representative Gary Condit. The Levy murder, after sixteen years, still remains as Washingtons most famous unsolved crime. There were very few people involved in the proposed scandal. One of the main individuals involved was congressman Gary Condit, a conservative Democrat. He was inconclusively linked to the disappearance of a federal intern, Chandra Levy. It is rumored the two were romantically involved, but Condit stuck heavily with his decision to not verify if this is true. Chandra Levy, native of Modesto, California was an intelligent being, who had a dream to save the world. She was known as a thrill seeker and wanted to become a modern version of Mata Hari, a WWI spy who infiltrated high levels of military commands. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters degree in Public Administration. After interning for a few government members, she learned about the private world of high level politicians who had secret sex lives, Gary Condit for example. She was intrigued by this information, and could easily use her information to her advantage. The scandal between the notable congressman and the intern, was getting a lot of heat, tensions were on the rise. Rumors of Condits tenacious sexual appetite, and how Levy had been done away with, whether it was directly addressed or not by Condit, it is still a mystery. Their relationship could ruin his career and family. However, there are many different theories and versions of what actually happened between the two, although the facts tell the truth. Levy, was secretively an agent of an Israeli spy team called the MOSSAD that sees great importance of their relationships with the U.S, and would be unable to exist, without large amounts of help. The agency is dependent on critical intelligence information that is obtained through cooperation and or secretly. Levy was in the perfect position to gather top secret information, through her position of work and by using her female power of persuasion. Condit, being the senior member of the intelligence committee made him a prime target for such an operation. The seduction of such powerful government officials, provides foreign powers the added advantage of being able to bribe and control the unsuspecting targeted victims to acquire wanted information. After more than 14 months of investigation, Chandra Levys skull had mysteriously been found in Washingtons Rock Creek Park. on May 22st 2002 Although most of the incriminating evidence had been long gone due to the effects of time, it was clear that this was not an accident and had been declared a homicide. Ingmar Guandique, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was pinned as the murderer of Levy, all evidence pointed in his direction. Federal prosecutors could no longer prove a case against Guandique. The U.S. attorneys office of Washington concluded that it can no longer prove the murder case against Mr. Guandique beyond a reasonable doubt. (Hounding Gary Condit). The beginning and end of Condit and Levys scandal, took place from May of 2000 up until her disappearance on May 1st of 2001. All of the focus and attention this scandal received, had soon came crashing down along with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In March of 2002, Condit lost his bid for re-election, mostly because of his ties to the scandal, making this his first time ever losing an election. While the country was focusing on the scandal, the U.S and British forces had started war with Afghanistan. Lasting over thirteen years. There were enough surrounding events during the time of this case that could become more important to the public. Although Condit was never considered a suspect, rumors had circulated and had never been proven. There was no significant proof that he was involved in the disappearance and murder of Levy, which raised more than a few major red flags. Condit had been subject to a poly graph test at the request of Levys parents Robert and Susan Levy, after sources revealed that Condit admitted to having an affair with the intern. Although he failed to answer key questions it didnt effect the results. There was speculation that his results were tampered with. Andrew Schapiro, New York criminal defense lawyer mentioned that such friendly tests, only requiring three questions, arent considered reliable. Condits refusal to play by the new behavioral rules for public officials. Public officials must go through human ethics training it is an instrument for building integrity in state institutions and making sure there is a noble worth of governance. (What REALLY Happened To Chandra Levy). An online magazine writer, Mikey Kaus suggested that if Condit was normal, smart and aware of the rules of engagement (created in response to the Lewinsky-Clinton scandal) then he would have held a press conference the first week Levy was missing, admitted to having an affair with her, and would say that he was terribly sorry and didnt do anything to harm her. Since this is not what happened, he had been put in the impossible position of trying to establish his own innocence without the media being his ally. The government was not directly affected by this scandal, although small pieces within it were. The complicated and mysterious situation had affected the justice and equity and a sort of closure within Levy and Condits relationship. The laxity of the law enforcement system had been compromised. Since Condit had lost the chance of re-election, all of his campaign money was wasted, but the government did not suffer as much as it could have. Surprisingly, many people were effected by the events, and chilling facts of this case. Chandras parents and family were the most affected, losing a beloved daughter who had such a successful and happy life ahead of her. Soon after Levy had disappeared, her home town of Modesto, California and the Levy family had arranged a memorial for their daughter. A turn-out of twelve-hundred people had shown up to pay their respects to the young intern. Condits career and family life had suffered a large blow, but he was a protected person that could eventually rebuild his life unlike the Levy family, they will never be able to do. There is no perfect outcome from this tragic scandal, there is little justice for Chandra and her family. The conviction of Chandras supposed killer, was clearly made by weak assumptions and deceptive evidence. Ingmar Guandigue had not been convicted for the murder of Levy but had been sentenced for other criminal attacks on women. Condit had preserved his innocence and has been protected from ever being seen as the real villain. The defense attorney who worked on the case, had stated that Condit acted like a guilty man and received special treatment after authorities had ruled him out of being a suspect. Fifteen years following her murder, Condit had published a book called Actual Malice describing the unfortunate events that had occurred during his time knowing and being involved with Levy but also his side of the story. Gary had issued a statement through his lawyer saying that he was disappointed in the dismissal of his involvement in the case. The failure of authorities to bring formal closure to this tragedy after fifteen years is very disappointing but in no way alters the fact that Mr. Condit was long ago exonerated by authorities.Although he has had plenty enough media time to prove his innocence, millions of people whole-heartedly believe that Condit is completely guilty. The national sensation, although unfortunate, had gained millions of questions, and more than enough attention. Government scandals always seem to be covered up somehow, the truth is twisted to preserve ones innocence. Chandra Ann Levy, was someone who could change our world and create a safer place for our future children, her untimely death has made a numerous amount of people open their eyes to much more than what is put in front of them. Levys story, and even her murder has proven that no matter how intelligent, beautiful, and protected people can be manipulated in ways that can end their life.

Canterbury Tales :: Essays Papers

Canterbury Tales With the presidential election at its boiling point, many try to provide their own joke every now and then. Late night comedians such as David Letterman and Jay Leno try to spit out a new joke during their ten-minute spiel, and sometimes one can assume that they are getting even with the election process. Throughout the one-hour show, the comedians do their best to trick both the viewers and all those involved with the election process by having people act out scenes, or imitate one of the presidents. Also, as just about every other comedian tries to achieve, he or she throws in a dirty joke about the president or his family to tie it all up right at the end of their spiel. These three aspects of comedy—revenge, trickery, and infidelity—can all be found in The Miller’s Tale. The Miller’s Tale encompasses a dark and infernal level of comedy, similar to that of comedy today. In The Miller’s Tale, Nicholas, a clerk, is a student of astronomy and of young women, who represents the dark and infernal level of comedy where â€Å"love cannot dwell in such society; everyone is fundamentally along, though hypocrisy and self-serving may give the appearance of friendship† (Cowan, 11). Nicholas lives with a wealthy carpenter named John, who’s an old man who protects his beautiful wife, Alison, as if it were flies on scat. In the infernal state â€Å"the pretty girl†¦ is either absent or, if she does enter the boundaries of this dark region, victimized† (11). Alison is caught between three disrespectful men. Her husband, John, won’t let his eye off his young and zealous wife; Nicholas always becomes as sly as a snake, wanting to make love to her, and trying to outwit his friend, John; the carpenters wife, fancied by Absalom, a parish clerk who has none of Nicholas’ attractiveness, but an eye for the ladies of the to wn. Although marriage is very rare in the infernal state, â€Å"old husbands tyrannize young wives, spouses are unfaithful, maidens are linked by opportunism to unsuitable mates†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (12). The old husband, John, tyrannizes his wife day after day with his over-protective personality,while she is unfaithful to him by making love and flirting with other men. Trickery is a key part in The Miller’s Tale, and found in the infernal state: â€Å"deception and disguise, characterizing marks of comedy, are used in infernal society for the purpose of gaining advantage, usually to the harm of others† (12).

Was He Just a Man? Essay -- American History, Jefferson Davis

â€Å"I worked night and day for twelve years to prevent the war, but I could not. The North was mad and blind, would not let us govern ourselves, and so the war came† (Thinkexist 6). These words were spoken by Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America. Although he was president of the confederacy, he was opposed to secession and spoke for peace between north and south before the beginning of the war. The effects of Jefferson Davis’s accomplishments can still be felt today. Jefferson Davis was born in June 3rd, 1808 (McGill 2). At age seven he was sent to a Dominican boy’s school in Kentucky (Jefferson Davis 3). When he was thirteen, he went to Transylvania College in Kentucky (McGill 3). He accepted a nomination to West Point in 1824 (McGill 3). He graduated twenty-third in his class of thirty-nine; he also had a total of 327 demerits on his record (McGill 3). If Jefferson Davis had never gone to school as a young child, he would have never received a nomination to West Point. Without his West Point schooling, he wouldn’t have gone into the military, which would have changed everything in his life. He never would have met his two wives. If he didn’t meet them, he wouldn’t have gotten into politics which, would have rewritten history. After his school he went into the army as a lieutenant. He served in the Black Hawk War (McGill 4). The Black Hawk War was a war between the U.S. and Sac and Fox Indians (Lewis 1). The war began when these Indian tribes left their reservation in Iowa to return to their homes in Illinois (Lewis 1). Upon hearing that the Indians had left their reservation, citizens broke into widespread panic (Lewis 1). There was only one major battle during the Black Hawk War; it was the battle... ...d never have been appointed to Secretary of War. What if Jefferson Davis wasn’t chosen for the Confederate presidency? Davis’s role in the success that the Confederacy achieved against a nation much more superior in numbers and resources was enormous. First of all, even though he was too noisy in military affairs, he often helped. Lastly, he held the south together until the end of the war, which allowed the south to fight for much longer and continue with a fighting chance. Even though Jefferson Davis was a strong supporter of the south, he tried to keep the south from seceding, as stated in his quote, â€Å"I worked night and day for twelve years to prevent the war, but I could not. The North was mad and blind, would not let us govern ourselves, and so the war came† This quote shows how hard Jefferson Davis tried to keep the union together (Thinkexist 6).

Relationship between Science and Religion Essay

The article â€Å"Relationship between Science and Religion† outlined the different relationships that the said two domains have had over the years. Historically, religion and science were viewed as strictly separate fields that could not be unified. This view is more popularly known as the conflict thesis . On the other hand, Stephen Jay Gould (1999, quoted in Wikipedia 2007) stated that the two fields could â€Å"co-exist peacefully† if they do not intervene with each other’s business. The article also enumerated different kinds of interactions between the two as presented by Polkinghorne (1998, quoted in Wikipedia 2007). Aside from the constant opposing views regarding the natural world or reality, Polkinghorne illustrated that religion and science may reach a common ground or may even be united with regard to a particular occurrence. After this, the article then went on discussing the early efforts of some religious groups to complement their doctrines with scientific facts. But of course, there were groups, particularly Islam that resisted the proliferation of science in what they believe as sectarian-dominated world. Inevitably, with the advancement of science and fast modernization of societies, there were new groups formed embodying beliefs apart from the fundamentalist view of religion. These groups range from the liberal Enlightenment advocates to non-fundamentalist sects such as Protestant Christian. There were even organizations formed that are not religiously affiliated but perform functions congruent to what religion usually does. Though there were new groups organized, some religion, which date back to ancient times claim that their dogma is capable in adjusting with scientific advancement and this has been actually used by them to explain their own theories toward the strengthening of their own beliefs. The last parts of the article list the varied point of views of scientists toward religion. Some view that religion and science are distinct from each other while others believe that the two could be unified. Others simply believe that the two fields share the same objectives in trying to provide explanation of the happenings in the environment they live in. And also, since religious beliefs are part of cosmos, they can be scientifically tested. Lastly, the article presented studies and findings on relevant issues being tackled. Since the article is not argumentative in nature, it is difficult to determine fallacious statements. The article did not clearly propose or suggest anything nor did it draw any conclusion. It was presented in a seemingly objective manner. I used the words â€Å"seemingly objective† because if one read the paper, it would be observed that the relationship between religion and science were clearly outlined without favoring any of the items. However, as one analyzed the pattern on how the article was written, the biases would be realized. The article enumerated four kinds of interaction between religion and science. However, as the article progresses, only the CONFLICT and INDEPENDENCE kinds of interaction were substantiated. The paper presented early efforts and manifestations of well-established, if not ancient, religious denominations to reconcile the two fields but it failed to elaborate on this matter. The article could have cited instances, findings or any on-going research wherein the two subject matters were integrated. Instead, the article highlighted some points in history when scientific advancements were sanctioned by religious authorities. Moreover, as if strengthening the idea that religion and science are irreconcilable, the article pointed out the formation of non-religious organizations. Though the article presented the â€Å"non-fundamentalist relationship views†, it fell short in showing that the sectarian side is attempting to make a world where they are both accommodated. For example, aside from mentioning the non-sectarian groups, it could have also stated some religious institutions that support scientific and technological development. The second bias that allude to the favoring of the separation of the two domains are the surveys showing that a higher percentage of scientists do not believe in any religious systems. How about presenting data on spiritual leaders who also uphold basic principles of science? Lastly, towards the end of the article, it showed findings on the â€Å"correlation between religiosity and intelligence†. Though this study didn’t categorically stated that those who observe holy practices and those who are strict believers of religious doctrines have low serotonin levels, it seems to create the stigma. If this line of thinking were continuously propagated, many would be discouraged to associate themselves with any religious beliefs. All the biases lean towards the implication that efforts to settle the differences between religion and science should be abandoned. This is what makes the article problematic. At first, the writing tried to present the relationship between the two in an objective way. But it failed because biases were evident. If the author had really wanted his output to be presented objectively, he should have shown the two sides of the coin. For example, he asserted the aggressive progression of science but mentioned only historic accounts on the side of religion. Also, he cited a list of studies disputing the validity of religious co-existence with science, but he again failed to mention the side of religion. Is religion also trying to draw a clear line against science or is it accepting the recent wonders of the latter? Since the author failed to be impartial in writing the article, he should have instead taken a clear-cut position on the issue so readers would be guided in the direction he’s driving at. Bibliography Greene, Perry (1997) Logical Fallacies [Internet], Available from: [Accessed 24 March 2007]. Johnson, George (1998) Science and Religion: Bridging the Great Divide. The New York Times Archives, [Internet], June 30, 1998 Available from: [Accessed 24 March 2007]. Raymo, Chet (1998) Skeptics and True Believers: The Exhilarating Connection Between Science and Religion. New York, Walker and Company. Relationship Between Religion and Science (2007) [Internet]. Available from: < http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Relationship_between_religion_and_science#_note-3> [Accessed 24 March 2007]. Shelp, Earl Edward ed. (1985) Theology & Bioethics Exploring the Foundations & Frontiers II Series. Holland, D. Reidel Publishing Company.

Blue Nile Case Study

Blue Nile Case Study Cristeen McPherson Student Number 326914 BUSA 506 Dr Terry Power November 11, 2012 1) The competitive forces confronting Blue Nile and other online retail jewellers are medium or weak in strength, with the exception of the strong rivalry between sellers. The potential for new entrants to the jewellery market is relatively low due to the high costs of inventory, the lack of differentiation of product and the brand recognition held by the industry leaders. Good substitute products for a quality diamonds are not readily available.There are synthetic gemstones, cubic zirconium and other jewellery options, but the general consumer does not see these as a true substitute for real diamonds. Supplier bargaining power is a mixture of strong and weak factors leaving this force with a medium impact on the industry. The diamond supply industry is more concentrated than the retailers but is having new entrants emerging. Like the Canadian diamond producers Ekati in 1998, Diavi k in 2003, Jericho in 2006 and Snap Lake-4 in 2007 making Canada now the third largest diamond producer in the world. 1] Two factors contributing to a stronger supplier power are that products are critical to the retailers’ success and there is a lack of good substitute products. In contrast, the commodity trading or buying process for diamonds contributes to a weaker supplier power as retailers have easy ability and low costs to switch suppliers. Industry members are also now integrating backwards into the supply of the product, Diavik mine is a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Harry Winston Diamond Corporation and the De Beers Group owns the Snap Lake-4 mine. [2] Buyer bargaining power is moderately strong due to: Low costs of switching between retailers ? Lack of differentiation of product between retailers – differentiation is more on quality provided than the style or presentation of the product ? Large and diverse consumer base ? Buyers ability to be well info rmed on product; information on quality, prices and costs is growing due to internet accessibility ? Buyers are price sensitive The strongest force is the rivalry between the competing retail sellers. Factors affecting competing rivalry: ? Buyer demand is growing slowly – jewellery market is mature, with a broad range of consumers ?Buyer demand had fallen off in recent years due to recession – many sellers found themselves with slow moving inventory ? Buyer costs to switch brands is low – the buyer has no costs to switch to another online retailer, it’s just a mouse click ? Products are weakly differentiated – diamonds and jewellery are similar offerings between the sellers ? High fixed or storage costs – the bricks and mortar (b&m) retailers and many of the online retailers have high inventory costs, which when not turning incur carrying costs (interest etc) negatively impacting cash flow and earnings ?High exit costs – the high inve ntory costs make it difficult to liquidate quickly ? Competitors are numerous – and diverse in their value proposition, with low value, high volume retailers like Walmart as well as high end prestigious retailers like Tiffany & Co. 2) Some key success factors that will affect the online jewellery retailers in the near future: Fine jewellery buyers are looking for a retailer that offers quality product at a competitive price. Retailers must rely on their brand recognition with consumers; they need to build awareness of their product offerings as well as their customer service.Retailers must prove they are reputable, reliable and trustworthy. Online retailers have to express this through capturing their online audience with an easy to navigate website, appealing to their emotional response and showing other consumers satisfaction and confidence with past purchases. Jewellery retailers must be able to provide exceptional customer service and support. Major purchases of jewellery items, especially a diamond engagement ring, are very emotional to the purchaser. Customer service that acknowledges the significance of the purchase and guides the purchaser hrough the transaction will be a necessity for success and gaining consumer loyalty. With the high costs of inventory, retailers need to manage costs of inventory and operations, keeping costs in line with sales and managing cash flow is a key capability for success. A successful retailer is able to match inventory purchases with their consumer sales at a similar rate, maintaining inventory turnover and cash flow through the business. Not updating and maintaining their awareness and a high level of market knowledge will put a retailer at a significant competitive disadvantage.If they are not recognizing the market trends, striving to achieve some product differentiation and preparing to meet customer needs and wants, they will fall behind and lose customer loyalty, sales and market share. 3) Blue Nile is emplo ying a best-cost provider strategy as their competitive approach in the online jewellery business. Their aim is to create competitive advantage by offering a quality product at a competitive price. Blue Nile is able to do this through their supplier agreements where the diamonds and other gems are not actually purchased by Blue Nile until they have a consumer order for that particular product.This limits Blue Nile’s exposure on inventory costs and the risk of non-selling product. Blue Nile also relies on strict control of their operating costs; expenses for employees, facilities and technology are continuously reviewed to ensure their efficiency and that low costs are maintained. These two components combine to allow Blue Nile to offer comparable quality jewellery at substantially lower prices than their competitors. 4) Blue Nile has a very deep and keen knowledge of their customer and market.This enables them to tailor their website to their customers’ needs, offer su perior service and educational aspects for the consumer, effectively establishing trust with their consumers. This knowledge also gave them the ability to strike very good supply agreements with multiple providers for the quality product they sell online. Many of the diamonds and other jewellery are only available via Blue Nile because of their exclusive supply contracts. In order to remain competitive, Blue Nile must be diligent in maintaining and updating their market knowledge.The ability to accurately predict market trends and proactively alter business strategy is vital to ongoing success. For instance, many of the online retailers are currently relying on their educational information to garner the customers trust and loyalty. With every retailer working to increase the knowledge of the consumer, this strategy will lose effectiveness over time as the consumer becomes more knowledgeable. The ease of switching retailers is very high and Blue Nile must be ready to offer another c ompelling reason to remain loyal.Blue Nile must also be aware of any changes in their suppliers and the diamond market, if new diamond suppliers reach similar supply agreements with any of Blue Nile’s competitors, they may lose their supply chain advantage and risk significant increases in inventory costs. 5) SWOT Analysis – Blue Nile – Table 1 [pic] Although Blue Nile has many company strengths that propel their current success, the many competitors in the online and b&m jewellery industry have many of the same strengths.Blue Nile needs to improve and expand their marketing campaign and strengthen their brand recognition. They also need to develop a program to offer more product differentiation. One suggestion to incorporate both these needs might be to develop a strategic alliance with a well-known jewellery designer and offer custom design service online using the designer name and reputation. 6) Blue Nile posted exceptional double-digit sales growth over the six years 2002-2007, the recession of 2008 interrupted their growth trend actualizing a 7. % loss on sales year over year. They have since achieved moderate sales increases ranging from 2. 3% to 10. 18%. Blue Nile shows a steady gross margin averaging about 21. 7% over the last ten years. They also show very steady levels of selling, general and administrative expenses that have a slight increase each year most likely due to inflation of salaries and input costs. Consequently, their EBT margin is also very healthy, averaging 7. 0% earnings return on sales. Blue Nile has large cash reserves and very little long-term iabilities, their liquidity ratios are very healthy. Their current ratio averages 1. 5:1 over the last ten years. With their cost control and supply chain management, Blue Nile has very positive results for the performance/efficiency ratios. Their cash conversion is excellent due to the payables terms of supplier agreements; they have a positive cash float of about 40 da ys from the collection of sales revenue to the payment for goods. 7) Weighted Competitive Strength Assessment – Table 2 Blue Nile does have enough strength to remain competitive against its rivals.Their main rival based on pricing, quality and market knowledge is JamesAllen. com. Blue Nile is the strongest in terms of cost control and inventory control/supply chain management. Currently Blue Nile does have a sustainable competitive advantage over its rivals. Their product offerings are very similar, as are their websites and customer service policies, but Blue Nile’s cost control is far superior giving the advantage of greater efficiency and lower costs as compared to the other online retailers. ) In order to develop a more sustainable competitive advantage; Blue Nile will need to use their market knowledge to develop a stronger marketing plan to drive their brand recognition, product differentiation and develop greater customer loyalty. Blue Nile also needs to address the future erosion of market share due to the growing strength of competitors, and the potential of the loss on exclusivity from their product suppliers. 9) Recommendations: [pic] The components of the marketing plan and the strategic alliance with a jewellery designer fit together very well and should be quite easy and quick for Blue Nile to develop and execute.The value that would be seen via the increased brand recognition, customer loyalty and product differentiation would increase their competitive strength and be sustainable for the near future. Blue Nile’s current geographic expansion has shown success, continued expansion will need to be founded on research into the jewellery customs of target locations, to use the website’s appeal to the emotional purchase of jewellery. Low costs of online expansion are advantageous, while care must be taken to ensure language and culture are respected.Selective expansion will help to retain competitive advantage for the medi um range future and grow market share internationally. With their keen market knowledge, Blue Nile is positioned to take advantage of the weaker competitors in their market and secure market share growth for the mid range future via acquisitions. The potential to acquire a competitor would take longer to evaluate completely but is still a viable option to gain large portions of market share and increased sales.Blue Nile does have positive cash flow, good cash reserves and available credit facility to use to accomplish the acquisition. While the strategic alliance with a diamond producer/mine would secure long-term guarantees of the supply of quality, exclusive product at very competitive costs, the timeline to complete such a project is lengthy. The cost could also be prohibitive to Blue Nile at this point in time. The potential for long-term sustainable competitive advantage is most beneficial with this strategy and Blue Nile should not rule this option out as a future long-term go al.Bibliography: CBC News, ‘Canada’s Diamond Rush’, http://www. cbc. ca/news/background/diamonds/, Last Updated September 20, 2007, accessed November 9, 2012 Case 9, ‘Blue Nile Inc. in 2010†¦. ’ Thompson, Arthur A. , Strickland, A. J. & Gamble, John E. (2012). Crafting & Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases(18th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin Power, Terrance P. (2008). Power’s Case Study Analysis and Writers’ Handbook. Toronto: Nelson. Appendices: Current Strategic Group Map High | | | |Price/Quality | | | |Low |Few Locations |Geographic Coverage |Many Locations | Market Share Chart for Top 20 Jewellery Retailers [pic] Financial Information Growth Profitability and Financial Ratios for Blue Nile, Inc. | | | | | | | | |Financials | | | | Ratios downloaded November 9, 2012 | | | | | | | | | | | ———————– [1] CBC News, ‘Canadaâ₠¬â„¢s Diamond Rush’, http://www. cbc. ca/news/background/diamonds/, Last Updated September 20, 2007, accessed November 9, 2012 [2] Ibid ———————– WalmartSterling Jewelers Zale Corporation Costco, Target Blue Nile QVC, Sears, JC Penney, Fred Meyer Jewelry TV, HSN Macy’s East & West, Neiman Marcus Cartier Tiffany & Co. Walmart, 4. 83% Sterling, 4. 17% Zales, 2. 83% Tiffany & Co, 2. 50% QVC, 2. 33% Sears, 1. 50% JCPenney, 1. 50% Finlay Fine Jewelry, 1. 50% Macy's East, 1. 00% Neiman Marcus, 1. 00% Costco, 0. 83% Target, 0. 83% Fred Meyer Jewelers, 0. 67% Helzberg Diamond, 0. 67% Jewelry Television, 0. 67% Macy's West, 0. 67% Tourneau, 0. 67% Cartier, 0. 50% Blue Nile, 0. 50% HSN, 0. 50%