SBU Situational Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SBU Situational Analysis - Case Study Example It is important to note that RamenPlay was founded also by the Japanese company Sanpou Co. Ltd. Its founder Yukihiro Kaneko has set a clear vision and strategy towards development of the brand, placing customers on the first place, and striving to provide â€Å"best ramen to the beloved customers† (RamenPlay 2014). In order to implement its strategy of elevating and enhancing customer’s dining experience, the company employs Sanpou’s Japanese master chefs who have more than 40 years of culinary expertise. These McCoys are recognized to be the best in their field of expertise and it significantly helps the company to gain competitive advantage (RamenPlay 2014). Thus, collaboration with Japan’s Sanpou Co Ltd enabled the company to differentiate its brand among the competitors by offering authentic Japanese cuisine (Breadtalk Group Ltd - Annual Report, 2012). The company has generated profit of $4.97 on every $100 spent on asset. According to experts it is normal achievement comparing to the sector average (Macroaxis 2014). In order to achieve good financial results the company has ensured effective supplying and focused on providing best quality and customer service (RamenPlay 2014). Continuous improvement and innovativeness combined with guaranteed freshness and top quality of the ingredients makes the company successful and profitable. The company continues to open new RamenPlat outlets, but offers new design where the focus is made on rich heritage and culture associated with Sanpou brand. This emphasis on Japanese authenticity and identity is a pillar of company’s strategy. Thus, for example, in 2013, the company has modernized menu of RamenPlay and refreshed the interior dà ©cor. Also, the company’s management has introduced a new business cost model which is expected to improve firm’s productivity (Breadtalk Group Ltd - Annual Report, 2012). Political: There is a strong

The nature of the disciplinary code in UAE Law Research Proposal

The nature of the disciplinary code in UAE Law - Research Proposal Example Qualitative methods of investigation will be used to gather data from employees and employers of various companies. This method will apply questionnaires designed for 500 responded with both closed and open ended questionnaires to come up with relevant data. It’s finally concluded that the UAE is very effective in addressing labor laws since its enactment. Introduction The purpose of this study is to establish the nature of the disciplinary code as entrenched within the Labor Laws of the UAE. Labor laws in the United Arab Emirates are governed by the federal law number eight of 1980 and it regulates all aspects of labor relations between employees and the employers (Abudhabi, 2013). It’s an advanced law that clarifies the rights and duties of all concerned parties hence benefiting both the employers and employees resulting to fewer conflicts. The labor law developed in 1980 and has been amended several times to keep it touch with the demands and realities of the dynamic world. Among the issues outlined in the labor laws include working hours, holidays, leaves, compensation, employment contracts, and disciplinary rules among others. The disciplinary code addresses part of the Labor Laws that addresses issues related to warnings, fines, and suspension from work and termination of service among others. Since the disciplinary code is vital in shaping work relationships between the employer and the employee, it’s important to establish how effective it is in addressing work related issues. The study will establish the strengths and weaknesses embedded within the disciplinary code hence providing avenues for future amendments when deemed necessary. Literature review Labour law in UAE This is a federal legislation applicable to all emirate members regardless of whether they are UAE residents or emigrants, however, with a few exemptions (U.A.E Labor Law, 2011). Those discharged from the applicability of this law include the agricultural employees, domestic servants, members of the armed forces and the police, and the staff and workers of centralized government sectors of the emirates. In addition (Al Tamini, 2011), Labor Laws cover all aspects of regarding the employer and employee relations including contracts, restrictions on employment of juveniles and women, leave rules, working hours, medical and social care, just but to mention a few . The Labor Law demands that for any employment of the expatriate, an application must be made to the ministry of labor and the ministry has the mandate to approve such application or to disapprove it. Expatriates over the 18 years age can seek short term work permits valid for 60 days and can be renewed up to five times, as long as the renewal is done before the expiry date of the work permit (Barber & Harris, 2011). Such employment has a validity of three years subject to renewal for the same period by the same ministry with no subscription to minimum wage as such is agreed by the concern ed parties. Juveniles under the age of 15 are banned from employment under the UAE Law, but those between the ages of 15 to 18 are allowed to work as long as they receive teenage work permit from the ministry. The employment of women is restricted between 10pm and 7am and they should also not be employed to perform difficult task. The working hours for adult employee are 8 hours a day

History Shows There Is No Such Thing as Absolute Power Essay Example for Free

History Shows There Is No Such Thing as Absolute Power Essay ‘The undiminished ability to act in a particular way, or direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events’. Immediately one thinks of mighty Alexander, seizing every territory he set his eyes upon, or Joseph Stalin suppressing the entire population of the huge Soviet bloc with an iron fist. There are certainly individuals in history that would be regarded as absolutely powerful. Absolute power covers both being able to suppress and control opposition and support, and being able to achieve one’s aims, as both are interdependent. However, history as a study and analysis of the past through examining evidence, has shown that cultural relativism renders absolute power a much sought-after but unattainable possession; no person or organisation has been perfectly in control of their people since knowledge of other cultures has emerged, although some have attempted to claim to command it; even in the 21st Century, as seen by the North Korean rhetoric about the state’s absolute devotion to the Kim dynasty; for example, informing the population they should be willing to ‘become human bulwarks and human shields’ to defend their new leader Kim Jong-un. Since the Greeks first explored beyond their frontiers and came across cultures and religions which differed from their own, and since King Herodotus tried to pay the Greeks and Callatians to swap their respective burial practises (the Greeks burned their dead- the Callatians ate the corpse of their father) and was refused for any money, cultural relativism has existed as an obstacle to obtaining absolute power. Without cultural relativism, there are potential examples of absolute power being flouted. One that springs to mind is the ancient community who built Stonehenge. A supposedly ‘primitive’ people felt compelled to cut bluestones and transport them from south-west Wales either carrying them across hundreds of miles of mountainous and rugged terrain without technology, or by shipping them gradually over in handmade boats, before assembling them into the neat arrangement we can still see today. One prominent theory as to why this project was undertaken is that the stones are religious monuments designed to be worshipped or designed to intimidate worshippers into fearing their god. Either way, this points to a religious leader who had absolute power over his people, meaning he was able to persuade them to carry out this enormous logistical challenge. However, this essay will argue that cultural relativism has meant that apart from isolated communities such as that which built Stonehenge, no individual or organisation has possessed absolute power. On the other hand, some ancient historians would argue that the great Emperors of ancient times had absolute, autocratic power: the mighty King Darius and his vast Persian Empire, in which every provincial leader answered to him. Alexander the Great conquered almost the entire known world. Julius Caesar and his famous ‘veni, vidi, vici’ quotation, a demonstration of the ease with which he overpowered enemies. King Darius may have theoretically held absolute traditional authority over his Empire, being entitled by tradition to rule over every citizen, but it is clear that he didn’t hold absolute power. The wealthy Greek merchants in their colonies threw out Darius’s Persian provincial governors, and when Darius attempted to punish them by attacking their homeland, he was defeated. Even the fact that he had to resort to military force shows that he didn’t hold absolute power over the Greeks who were meant to answer to him as they were living in his Empire, but furthermore his military failed to preserve his power. This shows that he did not hold absolute power, and the Greek merchants rejected his leadership because they disliked it relative to the culture they were used to. Moreover, although Julius Caesar is and deserves to be recognised as an immensely powerful figure in world history, after emerging as the most successful of the Roman generals and doing the most to promote Roman interests in the further provinces, it is clear that he still didn’t hold absolute power. Absolute means universally valid and without dependence on anything else; Julius Caesar did not have the power to win over everyone, which would have prevented his murder. Evidently his power was dependent on the support of his Senate, which he failed to retain. There were over sixty conspirators involved in his murder, and he did not have the power to stop them- demonstrating that he didn’t hold absolute power over his people, as they found his leadership unacceptable relative to others. An anecdote which supports the claim that Alexander the Great did not hold absolute power is the story of his encounter with Diogenes. Alexander came across the philosopher sunbathing, and asked him if there was any favour which, as leader of the biggest Empire in the world, Alexander could fulfil for Diogenes. The philosopher simply requested that he stop obstructing the sun. After this experience, Alexander is said to have claimed that ‘if I were not Alexander, I should like to be Diogenes’, as he found the philosopher’s complete indifference to the offer of a favour from the world’s most powerful man to be such an incredible phenomenon. This shows that Alexander’s military and material wealth and power didn’t stop him from wishing he could instead be this anti-materialist philosopher. Diogenes had the power to make Alexander feel that he would prefer to be someone else, so that, even momentarily, he scored an emotional victory over him; if Alexander had had absolute power over his Empire, nobody should have been able to defeat him in any way. Throughout the Dark Ages, and the Middle Ages, it could be argued that the church had absolute power in parts of Europe, as the typical image of the ordinary European peasant is one of devout, God-fearing Christianity. However, an interesting and relevant point that Carr made in his book, What is History?, is that, with religious leaders and monks being the only literate people throughout this era, records of this time are written solely from their perspective, and therefore give the impression of a very devoutly religious period in Europe. However, this could be a falsified impression, as the enlightenment and other events such as the atheistic Communist revolution later on in Russia in 1917 demonstrate that the peasants and ordinary working classes of these countries were perhaps not as influenced and submitted to control by the church as first thought. Constantly through these times there were bitter disputes between the Pope and bishops, and the nobility and royalty that ruled over Europe, the most famous of which ended in Henry VIII abandoning the Vatican and establishing the Church of England. These power struggles display that neither the religious authorities nor the monarchies had anything that could be described as absolute power. Perhaps the monarchy were against the idea of Papal consultation, relative to the image they had of rulers before the Common Era who weren’t constrained by religious authorities- but obviously this would have been rejected by their religious subjects. This is another case of cultural relativism undermining absolute power. After the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, with the decline of religious authority and an autocratic hereditary hierarchy in Europe, the power balance alters. Although some areas are still governed by monarchy, for example Russia with the Tsars, other areas see the introduction of parliamentary systems and constitutional monarchy. One key theme of the enlightenment, debatably, was to eliminate even the idea of ‘absolute power’ and absolutist, arbitrary rule by promoting democracy and fair government. For example, in France, with the execution of Louis XVI, a Republic was established. However, the result was far from a fair society in which the government was held to account. Power in France moved between different dictatorial regimes until it was seized by Napoleon Bonaparte and the Consulate. Some would argue that Napoleon held absolute power; he conquered as he willed, and ruled over a large empire autocratically despite the fact that many in Europe now supported the idea of deliberative government. He even had the audacity to declare that he wouldn’t ‘give a fig for a million lives’ in the face of conquering new territories, something that surely only someone with absolute, unassailable power would be able to say without being removed from a position of responsibility. However, on the other hand, it is evident that he failed to retain absolute power. During his rule, there was unrest throughout his territory: from 1808, for example, the Spanish people began an ongoing and constant campaign of resistance against Napoleon’s men, which could not be suppressed despite his best efforts. Then, eventually, he was defeated, and then defeated again, and ended up alone in exile on the Island of St Helen. It is possible that if the people had not had knowledge from foreign sources of more benevolent and successful rulers, they would not have overthrown Napoleon; their ability to relate their experience to other cultures caused them to oppose Napoleon. This Napoleonic style, of attempting to seize absolute, autocratic power and ruling without the security of populism has been demonstrated in dozens of scenarios since Napoleon’s fall, with a myriad of totalitarian dictatorships in Europe and beyond which attempted to suppress and rule with absolute authority. However, each example can be knocked down. Hitler, it could be argued, took power on the merit of his charismatic personality and the appeal of his vision of a strong German people- whether by attracting enough popularity or simply making his thuggish SS a large and strong-willed enough organisation to secure his high position. From then on he suppressed opposition both at home and in German-occupied territory. The way in which he achieved this largely as an individual and then ruled so strongly whilst often ignoring suggestions from his advisors, could be described as holding absolute power over Germany and the territories conquered. Furthermore, some optimists might argue that the instigation of the Holocaust against the Jews and other ‘undesirables’ implies that he had absolute power over people, as ordinary human nature would produce repulsion at the very idea, and yet it was carried out. On the other hand, there is much evidence of resistance within Germany against Hitler’s regime- ranging from political opposition by Catholics and across general German society against the T4 programme (‘euthanasia’ mass murder of disabled people), to the ‘Red Orchestra’ Communists distributing propaganda leaflets, and of course the numerous assassination plots and attempts by Hitler’s own men. The ‘Red Orchestra’ example is very useful to my argument; they had not lived under a Communist system, but had read the teachings of Karl Marx and other Communist writers and therefore felt that relative to the Nazi system, Communism would be the best for Germany. While it is true that none of these were successful as such (except, to some extent, the opposition to T4), they certainly weren’t what Hitler desired and he had not the power to prevent them. Another major dictator of the 20th Century was Josef Stalin; although the Communist state was already in existence, he still needed his skill and slyness to seize power by using his role as party secretary to eliminate potential opponents, and especially by propelling himself ahead of Trotsky in terms of popularity through behaviour such as deceiving him into travelling to an eastern province so that he wasn’t present at Lenin’s funeral. He then purged Russia, the Communist Party and the army in order to ensure absolute control, and this made internal opposition to his regime virtually inexistent in terms of visible or united resistance. His Stalinist ideology also catapulted the USSR very quickly from a backward nation to a major world power, enabling them to withstand the German Operation Barbarossa (consequently, another failure of Hitler’s) and then even to push on until they formed a stand-off with the USA and Britain in Germany. With no opposition to him within his country (and so no possibility of assassination or being toppled), and these incredible achievements, some would infer that he must have had absolute power. Be that as it may, when we explore Stalin’s aims we can see that he was largely unsuccessful. His five-year-plans demanded unattainably high increases in output- such as 200% more iron produced and 335% more electricity. However, there is much evidence that factory owners and officials ‘cooked the books’ and exaggerated production when reporting back to the Party, in order to prevent being punished for failing to keep up. This would mean that Stalin could not achieve all that he wanted. Furthermore, one of his stated aims was to reverse Russia’s backwardness in order to avoid being ‘crushed’ by the developed capitalist powers. While he did generate huge industrialisation which propelled the USSR forwards so that in 1945 it emerged as one of two world superpowers, it was at the expense of over twenty million Russians dead in around two decades, due to famines caused by economic reforms or in the gulags and the purges; this huge cost is a death rate that resembles a backward nation far more than a developed one, and so some would argue that it shows that Stalin also failed in this aim. Finally, his struggle with the Western powers, for example through annexing eastern European countries into the Soviet bloc, although continued to some extent by his successors, was lost in the end. By 1990, the USSR had begun to unravel significantly as former members became independent countries and satellite states such as Ukraine and Estonia, and turned to democracy and the free market, after first breaking the propaganda limitations in order to learn of the other way of life, until Russia formally ended Communism in the year 1991. Stalin’s legacy failed to prevent cultural relativism from reaching into the population of the USSR. On the other hand, it could be argued that although he failed to prevent the future further expansion of the USSR his huge legacy in turning Russia around into the developed nation it is today shows his absolute power. Stalin and his ideology are still popular in modern Russia, as he is seen as a hero by many for seeing off the Nazi German invasion. This legacy, coupled with the extent to which he did manage to prevent notable opposition within his territory and beyond (for example, the assassination of Trotsky in Mexico), make him an individual who was close to achieving the coveted status of having absolute power in his ‘empire’, but still his failure to achieve what he wanted demonstrates that it would be untrue to describe him as such. And now approaching the present in terms of era, an example which was mentioned much earlier on in this essay, the Kim dynasty in North Korea; they make use of the personality cult, controls on education and media, and the secret police which were used to implement Stalin’s leadership in the USSR; however like him, they have been unable to carry out their aims. Kim Jong-Il aimed to make North Koreans the ‘most prosperous people on Earth’, but under his new economic reforms, millions died in a famine and all were affected by a famine which resulted in the army downgrading the height requirements for soldiers to sign up. They have also failed to prevent the black market from flourishing in North Korea and more importantly, they haven’t been able to stop Chinese smugglers from bringing in evidence of the prosperity experienced in South Korea and other countries. Therefore despite not being in particular danger of being overthrown by the people, due to their repressive regime, the Kim dynasty have not had the power to fulfil their plans. The same could be said of the solid Communist Party in China: although they are relatively secure in their position, with legal sovereignty guaranteed over the United Front as stated by the constitution, they have had to open up to imports and exports and allow free market economics, as their Communist planned economy failed. In modern times, nobody has succeeded in fully repressing their people, as defection and resistance has always been possible if not completely successful. Absolute power cannot be attributed to any modern day regimes, because knowledge of outside cultures always finds a way in, and the people learn of their relatively poor situation and rebel. One of the important phenomena to observe over the next few years is that of South Korean DVDs being smuggled into North Korea and allowing the people exposure to other cultures; this could potentially lead to an inability to further repress the people, to combine with the failure to achieve the Kim families’ aims. It is important to consider religion when looking at this question, as we have already conceded that religious authorities in some isolated communities could have held absolute power over their followers. One could argue that especially in the case of the Abrahamic religions, which are characterised by their belief in one single, omnipotent and omniscient God, absolute power is demonstrated by the infallibility of those who represent this one God- for example, the Pope, or the Iranian Ayatollah. In the most devout of communities and times, any religious disagreement could end in death- for example, the burning of Protestants or Catholics at the stake during the European battle between these two ideologies. This can be seen as religious authorities suppressing any opposition to the rule of God. Then, there are many examples of God’s representatives influencing people to act how he would will; for example, the Crusades saw hundreds of rich knights, under the influence of the Pope, leaving the luxury and relative safety of their castles and estates to recover Jerusalem, a city they had never visited. This can be seen as religion and its leaders having the absolute power to control the actions of others. However, for one thing the misuse of the aforementioned tradition of burning religious enemies, by which people would accuse those they disliked or coveted of belonging to the undesirable faith, shows that often people weren’t following the leadership of God but using this phenomenon to their selfish advantage. Another point against religious figures having absolute power is the decline in religious participation and the growth of atheism- this ongoing decline in terms of support of god as a leader demonstrates a decline in power. In times of strife, such as the suffering of the Russians under the Tsar, people lose their faith in religious hierarchies- and in this particular example the atheistic Soviet system was spawned. In addition to this decrease in willingness to submit to religious commands, there is a clear increase in actual opposition to religion- the growth of Humanism and the growing popularity of figures such as Richard Dawkins, who preaches anti-religion and anti-theism, show that God is being undermined as a leader and so can’t have absolute power over humanity as some religious leaders would intend. From exploring all these example of hugely powerful individuals and organisations, ranging from the autocratic emperors of Ancient civilisation, to the absolute monarchies of the middle ages, the Church and the modern totalitarian dictatorships and regimes such as Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, or even the Communist Party in the People’s Republic of China, we can see that although their achievements are often incredible, and required huge amounts of power and ability, none of them have been able to perfectly fit both criteria- full suppression of opposition and the full ability to achieve what they wished. Inability to fulfil their political aims can often be put down to a failure to crush opposition, and the failure to crush opposition was caused by knowledge of other cultures which the people enjoyed the idea of more than they enjoyed their own; cultural relativism. When people get the idea into their heads that there are other systems which would benefit them and make their lives better, it is impossible to fully and permanently extinguish this and continue reigning on without reforming policy (failing to do what you want) or falling from power (failing to protect against the opposition). Therefore, the only time when history can show us absolute power is in isolated communities in which the people had no understanding or conception of an alternative way of life, such as the Ancient Britons who built Stonehenge. Bibliography A Little History of the World- E.H. Gombrich What Is History? E.H. Carr Nazi Aggression- Planned or Improvised? (The Historian)- Hendrik K. Hogrefe Webography Who Built Stonehenge? Stuart Carter (First Science) http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar_t09.html http://www.e-classics.com/ALEXANDER.htm http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/reps.html (Stalin) http://www.chinacyber.com/china_glance/politics.htm Polak

Characteristics of Money to Function Effectively

Characteristics of Money to Function Effectively Explain the characteristics required by money if it is to carry out its functions effectively. What is money? Money is primarily a current medium exchange, for a person to buy goods and services from other person in the form of coins and banknotes (Freeman, 2012). It is critical to have a clear definition between money and wealth. In general, people may tend to use the term â€Å"money† as a synonym for â€Å"wealth†, such as Warren Buffet has a lot of money. However, economists clarify that these two terms are not in fact synonymous. In the side of economics, â€Å"money† is specifically used to refer to the currency, but not an individual’s wealth or assets. Yet, technically anything can be served as money as long as it possesses the following four main functions (Beggs, 2014). First of all, it must have the primarily function of serving as a medium of exchange. People need an item that is able to act as money to undergo the activities of buying and selling goods and services. In other words, an item that considered as money must be widely being accepted as payments for goods and services (Beggs, 2014). Money has made the transactions easier as everyone is willing to trade money for goods and goods for money. However without money, the transactions must be conducted through the barter system where exchange can only happen if there is double coincidence of wants. This system will cause inconvenience to the people as they cannot buy what they want or need or the seller may hard to sell his goods unless double coincidence of wants happens. Hence, we can conclude that money has eliminated the inconvenience which was faced in barter transactions by eliminating the double coincidence when purchasing or selling goods and services (UPADHYAYA, 2012). People can buy what they need from the seller and inversely seller can sell all the goods and services to people who need. Besides that, money is able to create efficiency as it eliminates uncertainty regarding what is going to be accepted as payment by various businesses. With a generally accepted medium of exchange, trades are easier, more efficient, and resources can spend more time doing production (Money Functions, 2000-2014). Besides that, an item must work as unit of value or standard value in order to consider as money. Money is being used as the common benchmark to designate the prices of goods throughout the economy (Money Functions, 2000-2014). Money provides and measures various goods and services with different value that produced in the economy, in the terms of monetary unit. Without this function, money is extremely hard to identify since there is no value in between, and also hard to make a decision on how much volume of goods and services should be given in exchange of a given quantity of a commodity in a barter economy (UPADHYAYA, 2012). However, money has solved this problem by letting people to know the exact value or price of a good. It enables both the suppliers and buyers to make wise decisions about how much to supply for the goods and how much to purchase in exchange (Function of Money, 2013). Moreover, money must be able to hold its purchasing power over time to a reasonable degree so that people can store surplus purchasing power and use it whenever they want and need. If money could not store even for some period of time and still remain valuable in exchange, double coincidence in barter system would not solve and therefore would not adopted as a medium exchange. People will face a problem in buying whatever they want or needed (Function of Money, 2013). So, this feature adds to efficiency as it gives producers and consumers flexibility in the timing of purchases and sales (Beggs, 2014). Money can also be accumulated to provide a source of wealth. It may not be the best store of value in economy since it depreciates with inflation, but money is more liquid than others as it is readily accepted everywhere. Furthermore, money is an easily transported store of value that is available in a number of convenient denominations (Function of Money, 2013). The last main function of money is acting as a standard of deferred payment in an economy. It simply means that money is used for specifying future payments for current purchases. People who purchase some high value goods can pay off the payments in their future. This function may seem confusing or obliterate, but it is a direct result of the store of value and unit of account. However, for money to be deferred payment standard, it must retain its value and also store its value by anticipating future money values based on future inflation (Money Functions, 2000-2014). If money failed to do so, there would be a big different between the current price and future price that both creditors and debtors would stand to lose in this situation. The characteristics of what item can be served as money always depend somewhat on the degree of complexity in the society. A relatively simple economy, with relatively few goods and services, few producers and consumers, and few transactions, may be able to function with a form of money that would not work in a more complex society. Nowadays, it is impossible for a shell or furs working particularly well as money in Canada. However at an earlier time, it could and it did in a simpler economy (The Characteristics of Money, 2000). There are some general characteristics that money should possess where it is usually important for whatever serves as money in a modern society. First, money must be durable that needs to withstand every day wear and tore (Rouse, 2011). Money must have the ability to survive repeated usage over time by retaining the same shape, form, and substance. Money also must not be easily decomposed, deteriorated, degraded, or otherwise change form so that it can store its value a period of time. Durability is fundamental for money to perform the related functions of medium of exchange and store value. People who are willing to accept an item which act as money for the payment of goods, are due to the confidence and trusty on that item where it can serve as a medium of exchange for something value and also able to trade in future time for other goods. If an apple is acting as money and pay for everything in apples, problem will arise since apples will be rotten in few days and can’t store value although able to work as a medium of exchange. So when an item is able to work as a medium of exchange, it usually able to store value fr om one transaction to the next too. Somehow, it is also related to the function of standard of deferred payment that durability ensures that money can be survived over an extended period of time. Therefore, people are able to pay off their payments in their future (Money Characteristics, 2000-2014). Second, money must be divisible where has ability to be broken down into smaller units or smaller denominations for transactional purposes of varying values goods. People will only need as much money as is necessary for their purchases. For example, 100 cents is equal to RM1. If the money is in bigger units, then people will hard to pay their low price goods as division is too big and will cause inconvenience. For an item to function as the medium exchange, it must be divisible so that people can purchase goods with wide range of different values. It must have increments that allow to be traded for both high value goods and also low value too with everything in between. Unit of account can also be performed in this characteristic by providing a common measure of the goods and services’ value being exchanged. Therefore, it is necessary for money to be easily broken down for different types of transactions (Money Characteristics, 2000-2014). Third, money must be portability or transportability where it can be easily moved from place to place for transportation. Money must be portable that give an advantage to all people for transporting or transferring their money from a place to another place or one to another. To perform the medium of exchange, money should be light and easy enough to bring everywhere for purchasing goods and even bring it for travelling. However, if money is as heavy as an elephant, it is hard to bring it everywhere and cause inconvenient to people. Hence, money must be portable for medium of exchange. Fourth, money must be difficult in counterfeiting and limited in supply so that money is able to store its value. It simply means that money cannot be duplicated easily by everyone other than the government. It must be relatively hard to produce and obtain by people. If everyone is able to â€Å"print up† or â€Å"whip up† a batch of money at any time when they needed, the store value of the money will drop since they can produced easily without limit. Moreover, if money can be reproduced by people, price will highly likely be very high since everyone can obtain it easily and couldn’t control the supply. Hence people need a lot of that item in order to exchange goods. It will affect the store of value and somehow the medium of exchange too (The Characteristics of Money, 2000). Fifth, in terms of a form of currency being accepted within society, money must be accepted by everyone in the economy (Normanton). It simply means that money should be widely accepted as a means of payment that every country must agree to accept it as a medium of exchange. Everyone in an economy must be able to exchange for goods and services, and hence this acceptance is for the purpose of exchanging. Acceptability is important for money to perform the relatively functions of medium of exchange and standard of deferred payments. If a type of money is only accepted in certain areas and not others, it will be inconvenience for people to exchange goods and services outside the country. Moreover, it also related to the standard of deferred payments. The currency must be accepted by everyone so that the current purchases can be paid in future. Last but not least, money should maintain a relatively stable value which is stability or uniformity. Money must be worth the same over time or simply means always maintain the same value for a long period (Rouse, 2011). Money within that specific currency must look the same by depending on the various types of currency that are available (Normanton). If the money value is not stable every time, it will consider as useless money since money is the standard for people to measure accurately for the value of commodities (Studypoints, 2011). Stability helps to perform all functions of money in an economy. As the money is stable, people can exchange their goods and services with reasonable prices from each other. Other than that, money can be counted and measure accurately as the money is stability. By relating to the function of store of value, stability can provide people a source of wealth. If the money is not stable, people will get back less money than the money they have invested. S tability of money can also help to perform the function of standard of deferred payments by enabling people to pay in future time. If the money is not stable, people will tend to confuse on how much they need to pay for that good. In conclusion, the functions of the money are interrelated with the characteristics of money. If one of the functions or characteristics failed to do so, it will seriously affect the currency of the value in an economy. Hence, the money needs to be durable, portable, and divisible, be stable, difficult in counterfeiting and limited in supply, and also acceptable to all countries and people. However, the most essential attribute of anything that serves as money is acceptability that it must be readily accepted by people in the economy. Bibliography The Characteristics of Money. (2000). (Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, 1994) Retrieved March 14, 2014, from Money: Its Functions and Characteristics: http://www.moneyandyouth.cfee.org/en/resources/pdf/moneyfunct.pdf Money Characteristics. (2000-2014). Retrieved March 14, 2014, from AmosWeb: http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=wpdc=dspk=money+characteristics Money Functions. (2000-2014). Retrieved February 23, 2014, from AmosWEB: http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=wpdc=dspk=money+functions Function of Money. (2013). Retrieved March 08, 2013, from CliffsNotes: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/more-subjects/economics/money-and-banking/functions-of-money Beggs, J. (2014). What is Money? Retrieved February 23, 2014, from About.com: http://economics.about.com/od/money/a/What-Is-Money.htm Freeman, A. (2012, January 12). Economics and Liberty : What is Money? Retrieved February 23, 2014, from WordPress.com: http://economicsandliberty.wordpress.com/what-is-money/ Normanton, R. (n.d.). What Are The 6 Characteristics Of Money? Retrieved March 15, 2014, from Blurtit: http://travel.blurtit.com/1119605/what-are-the-6-characteristics-of-money Rouse. (2011, March 26). Functions and characteristics of money. Retrieved February 24, 2014, from Mr Rouse Online Classroom: http://mrrouse.com/2011/03/26/money/ Rouse, M. (2011, March 26). Mr Rouses Online Classroom. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from Functions and Characteristics of Money: http://mrrouse.com/2011/03/26/money/ Studypoints. (2011, November 21). What are the good qualities of money materials. Retrieved February 24, 2014, from Studypoints: http://studypoints.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-are-qualities-of-good-money_7256.html UPADHYAYA, K. (2012). 4 essential functions of Money. Retrieved January 23, 2014, from http://www.preservearticles.com/201104115268/4-essential-functions-of-money.html

Mardi Gras Essays -- Holidays Holiday Mardi Gras New Orleans Essays

Mardi Gras This paper is about Mardi Gras, A festival or Carnival celebrated once a year. In this paper I will discuss how Mardi Gras originated, when it is celebrated, how it is celebrated, and what does it mean to all the different cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mardi Gras, in the French speaking parts of the world and in some US southern states is the last day of carnival festivities preceding Lent, the time of penitence observed by Christians in preparation for Easter. Mardi Gras (?Fat Tuesday?) is a French term for Shrove Tuesday, the day before the start of Lent. Before Lent festivities reach the climax on a day in February or March, depending on what date Easter is.(Americana pg. 308)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  French colonists brought Mardi Gras to America in the early 1700?s. It grew popular in New Orleans, Louisiana, and spread through the southern states. Mardi Gras is a legal holiday in Alabama and Florida and in eight counties of Louisiana. The New Orleans celebration is the most famous. But Biloxi, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama also have celebrations. (World Book pg. 197)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History of Mardi Gras in New Orleans during the 18th century. Many wealthy Louisiana families would leave their rural plantations to spend the winter months in New Orleans, where they held lavish parties and masked balls. The first written reference to Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans appears in a 1781 report of the Spanish government, which controlled Louisiana. The report addressed problems that might arise from allowing slaves to wear masks at the winter festivities. The United States took control of Louisiana in 1803, and the New Orleans? city council banned all masked entertainment three years later. Enforcement of the law appears to have been erratic. By the mid-1820s masks and costumes were again legal. The first documented Mardi Gras parade took place in 1837, and the parade soon became an annual tradition. However, outbursts of violence at the parades gave the festivities a bad name.(?Mardi Gras? Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shrove Tuesday immediately precedes Ash Wednesday and is the last day before Lent. Mardi Gras has been noted for the elaborate mumming parades and boisterous parties that characterize its celebration in New Orleans, Trinidad... ... blackface (black makeup traditionally used in minstrel shows) and wear grass skirts as they distribute gold-painted coconuts to crowds of observers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another important African American Carnival tradition is the annual appearance of the Mardi Gras Indians, groups of black men who dance through the streets in costumes inspired by the traditional clothing of Native Americans. Each member of a Mardi Gras Indians tribe creates his own costume, usually incorporating colorful feathers and intricate beadwork. Most scholars believe that the Mardi Gras Indians tradition began in the late 19th century. In the past, rivalries between tribes sometimes led to violent confrontations. Today, such conflicts have given way to a competition among the Mardi Gras Indian tribes for the most elaborate costume.(?Mardi Gras? Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mardi Gras continues to attract tourists to New Orleans from around the world. Today Mardi Gras draws more than 3 million people to parades and generates approximately $1 billion for the local economy. (?Mardi Gras? Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  

An Evaluation of the Article: Why Looks Are the Last Bastion of Discrim

In today’s job market, there are many reasons an individual could be turned down for employment. According to Deborah Rhodes, author of â€Å"Why looks are the last bastion of discrimination†, appearance should not be one of them. Rhodes is a law professor at Stanford and holder of numerous titles for her outstanding work in legal matters. She is also the author and co-author of over 250 articles (Directory). In this article, she addresses an issue with profound impact on today’s society. She proposes that appearance discrimination should be included in anti-discrimination laws in addition to what is already accepted and legalized in today’s workplace. While it is a seemingly â€Å"silly† concern, it is actually quite valid. There has been many a concern over discrimination. That is, discrimination based on race, color, gender, and others of a similar nature in the work environment. Mainly, the article focuses on the injustices people have encountered in a work environment. Rhodes appeals to her audience as everyday â€Å"average† people who identify with the plight of another. Although she makes a compelling argument referencing studies and personal stories of people this has happened to, there are flaws in her argument that could discredit the validity of her reasoning. The logic in her article highly finds favor with the general working public. It is both consistent and appropriate. However, it is not complete, nor fully believable. I will discuss the following in the next paragraphs. Her use of research and anecdotes are mostly one-sided and while it brings valid points for the workers, fail to portray opposing views on the issue, that of the employer. She also neglects to further explore and compare the validity of this claim against wel... ...al." Fox News. 05 Apr. 2012. FOX News Network. 31 Mar. 2014 . "Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices." Prohibited Practices. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 30 Mar. 2014 . Rhodes, Deborah L. "Why looks are the last bastion of discrimination." Washington Post. 23 May 2010. The Washington Post. 26 Mar. 2014 . Thompson, Krissah. "Michelle Obama invokes U.S. civil rights movement in China visit." Washington Post. 24 Mar. 2014. The Washington Post. 25 Mar. 2014 .

Parasympathetic vs Sympathetic

The Autonomic Nervous System regulates cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and urinary functions. The ANS studies have changed medicine practices. Before, the thought of a myocardial infarction patient living past five years was unheard of. Now doctors have learned to manipulate the ANS system with drugs that help to control blood pressure. The Autonomic Nervous System is composed of two divisions, Sympathetic and the parasympathetic divisions. They are involved in the unconscious regulations of visceral functions.These two divisions counter balance each other’s activity. The Sympathetic divisions mobilize the body during extreme or intense situations. The sympathetic or thoracolumbar division is also known as your fight or flight system. It involves the E activities exercise, emergency, embarrassment and excitement. It prepares the body for heightened levels of somatic activities. Sympathetic division of ANS increases a number of things such as mental alertness, metabolism , respiratory rate, heart rate, Blood pressure and sweat glands.It also decreases some things like digestive and urinary systems. The role of sympathetic division is to promote adjustments during exercise so that blood flow to organs is decreased and blood flows to muscles are increased. A good example would be a person driving down a dark country road. There heart rate would increase as well as the alertness and breathing. The eye pupils will dilate also. This would be their bodies’ immediate response. The parasympathetic division or the craniosacral performs maintenance activities.Its main focus is to conserve the body’s energy. Parasympathetic division involves the D activities such as digestion, defecation, diuresis. The parasympathetic division of the ANS increases the digestive gland, urination, defecation, salivary secretions and Blood pressure. . It also decreases metabolic rate and heart rate. A good example is when a person relaxes after a meal. Their blood p ressure, respirations and heart rate levels are lowered.Gastrointestinal activity is higher and skin becomes warm as the pupils are constricted. The Autonomic nerves system and its two divisions work off or are antagonistic towards each other. They are different in many ways. While sympathetic division increases your heart rate and respiratory rate. The parasympathetic is decreasing them. Sympathetic division comes into play as an intense environment appears but parasympathetic works while your body is in a relaxed or at rest levels.