3m Innovation Case Study

1-What are the roots of 3M’s culture of entrepreneurship and innovation? What were the key tenets of this culture as they emerged over time? 3M goes back to 1902 when five Minnesota businessmen established the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. to mine a mineral that they thought was corundum, which is ideal for making sandpaper. The mineral, however, turned out to be low-grade anorthosite, nowhere near as suitable for making sandpaper, and the company nearly failed. To try and salvage the business, 3M turned to making the sandpaper itself using materials purchased from another source.In 1907, 3M hired a twenty-year-old business student, William McKnight, as assistant bookkeeper. This turned out to be a pivotal move in the history of the company. The key to institutionalizing innovation at 3M has been the principle of â€Å"patient money. † The basic idea is that producing revolutionary new products requires substantial long-term investments, and often repeated fail ure, before a major payoff occurs. Another key component of 3M’s innovative culture has been an emphasis on duel career tracks.Right from its early days, many of the key players in 3M’s history, people like Richard Drew, chose to staying research, turning down opportunities to go into the management side of the business. Although 3M’s innovative culture emphasizes the role of technical employees in producing innovations, the company also has a strong tradition of emphasizing that new product ideas often come from watching customers at work. 2. What were the strengths of the organization and culture of 3M during the McKnight to DeSi-mone era? What were the potential weaknesses?Leadership, CEO George Buckley is highly respected, and 3M is repeatedly recognized as a top company for developing leaders. Innovation gets a load of these stats patents awarded researchers worldwide. In many ways, 3M was ahead of its time in management philosophy and human resource practi ces. Geographically diverse Sixty-three percent of sales are outside of the United States; the company has operations in more than 65 countries. Diverse in terms of revenue streams, too. 3M has six key business units, none of which account for more than 33% of sales. Financially, there was strong paid a dividend every quarter since 1916. – The expansion of 3M into international markets was highly successful. What explains this? What was the drawback with 3M’s international expansion strategy? The first steps abroad occurred in the 1920s. There were some limited sales of wet and dry sandpaper in Europe during the early 1920s. These increased after1929 when 3M joined the Durex Corp. , a joint venture for international abrasive product sales in which 3M was involved along with eight other U. S. companies. The international businesses were grouped into an International Division that Sampair headed.From the get go, the company insisted that foreign ventures pay their own wa y. The company would start by exporting to a country and working through sales subsidiaries. The philosophy can be reduced to several key and simple commitments: Get in early, Hire talented and motivated local people, Become a good corporate citizen of the country, Grow with the local economy, American products are not one-size-fits-all around the world, Enforce patents in local countries. Program to encourage new product and new business initiatives born outside the United States.By 1983, products developed under the initiative were generating sales of over $150 million a year. 3M Brazil invented a low-cost, hot-melt adhesive from local raw materials, 3M Germany teamed up with Sumitomo 3M of Japan to develop electronic connectors with new features for the world wide electronics industry. By the 1990s 3M started to shift away from a country-by-country management structure to more regional management. Drivers behind this development included the fall of trade barriers, the rise of tr ading blocks such as the European Union and NAFTA, and the need to drive down costs in the face of intense global competition.

Designing an Office Space Essay

Designing a new office space for a law firm requires careful consideration and planning. Not only must the space be esthetically pleasing, but must function well for those who work within it. In addition, there are many other considerations that must be addressed. Among them are what type of space to choose, budgetary constraints, room for expansion, and technology. CHOOSING A SPACE The old adage in real estate goes â€Å"location, location, location.† This also holds true when considering a space for your firm. In our fact pattern the supervising attorney has two choices. The first is a shared space with five other solo practitioners. The second is a suite of offices that are located adjacent to a mid-sized firm. I would recommend to the supervising attorney that we choose the suite of offices. We would be given the opportunity and space to expand as our firm grows. Also, by locating ourselves adjacent to a mid-sized firm, we position ourselves to appear as a larger firm than what we are. This can help to create a positive first impression the first time clients visit the office. If we were to position ourselves within an office with five other practitioners, it would be less apparent to clients that we were running our own firm. BUDGETARY CONCERNS Although leasing as individual office space is often more expensive than sharing space with other attorney’s, I believe the firm would benefit from having its own space for several reasons. Image, along with reputation, is a key factor when a client chooses a firm. We want to convey to clients that we are a successful firm and having our own space will help to convey that. Also, sharing an office space with attorneys who practice other areas of law could lead to an uncomfortable environment or situation for our clients. A woman coming to see her divorce attorney may feel uncomfortable sharing a waiting room with a man, possibly charged with a violent crime, waiting to see his criminal defense attorney. EXPANSION PLANS By selecting to lease a suite of offices to use rather than a shared space, we afford ourselves the opportunity and space to expand. As the firm grows and takes on additional partners, we will need to increase our office space to accommodate both the attorney as well as support staff. Below is a sample layout for a sole practitioner law firm that I have designed with expansion in mind. When the time comes to expand, we can take over the adjacent office to create a space that closely mirrors the original space. By utilizing a single hallway between offices we increase efficiency and when we expand we can create a horseshoe shaped walk way within the office. AMENITIES The space will have many features and amenities that will enhance the client experience while increasing productivity. The reception area will have multiple seating areas. Large, oversized sofas will provide a comfortable place for clients to wait until they are seen. Small coffee tables will be available for clients to use to work from. A small buffet with coffee, tea, and pastries will be available for clients to enjoy. Each of these things will provide a positive first impression for the client as well as a comfortable experience. Both the attorney as well as the legal assistant will have private offices which will be adjacent to each other. This provides a way for them to communicate effectively as well as collaborate on cases as needed. The attorney’s office shall be sufficiently large enough to house reference materials and books in large custom bookshelves. The legal assistant’s office will also have bookshelves as well as file cabinets for storage. Attorneys will have a small room designated strictly for meeting with clients. This allows the attorney to meet with a client outside of their personal workspace. The client meeting room will feature a table that seats six people comfortably. Since one of our areas of practice is family law, the room will have a small armoire in which children’s toys can be stored for times when the client brings small children with them. A large conference room will be created for depositions and general meetings. It will have a large table capable of seating at least ten people. There will also be additional room available for a court reporter to record depositions. The conference room will be located across the hall for convenience to both the attorney and legal assistant. Additionally, the office will have several rooms dedicated to specific functions. There will be a copy room with an adjacent supply room. The copy room will house a copier as well as a fax and scanner. Locating the supply room adjacent to the copy room will create easy access for copy room supplies. A large break room with kitchen will allow the firm to have an area for caterers to set up in if we are having a large function. It will also serve as a lunch area or break room for staff. An I.T. room will house all of our computer servers as well as central phone equipment. The office will also have a large room dedicated to file storage. Inside the file storage room we will utilize fire resistant file cabinets to protect records. TECHNOLOGY Part of conveying a positive and successful image to clients will be the use of the latest available technologies within the office. The firm will adopt software that allows for cloud computing. This will allow both the attorney and the legal assistant to access information from both inside the office as well as outside. Wi-Fi will be provided in the office to facilitate the use of iPads and laptops. This will allow staff to take their laptop or iPad room to room during the course of their workday as they move from case to case. CONCLUSION Every decision that is made in the planning stages of designing a firm’s office layout can have both good and bad consequences. It is extremely important to give careful thought to how the space is laid out and how those who work in the space will utilize it. It is my belief that the plans laid out above would provide a way to achieve the firms goals of putting forth a positive and successful image, provide a path to expansion, as well as provide a space that will maximize efficiency and productivity. REFERENCES Roper, B.D. (2006). Practical Law Office Management. New York, NY: Thompson Delmar Learning.

Save Our Planet

Are we aware that we are slowly destroying our planet? We should think about our earth’s condition day by day because our planet is in great danger. We are very lucky that we can enjoy everything on earth like water, air, natural resource and others to be enjoyed. Nowadays we all know and realize how important it is to protect our planet, but we are mostly too busy or too lazy to make a big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment.Many simple ways we can do to take part to conserve our planet such as recycle, reuse and reduce all the things that we have. For example, if we have tons of clothes or things we want to get rid of but they are still usable, give them to someone who needs them so you will protect the environment. Many people do not know we can save energy when we turn off the household devices. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return. It is an easy habit to take up which will save a lot of moneyNo matter how busy w e are, we also can be one of the environment activists or volunteers in an association to increase the public and media awareness to protect our lovely planet such as running a zoo, overseeing conservation projects and caring for pets. We also need to change our lifestyle and practice a simple life like eating wisely and healthily, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly. Quit smoking and do not ever start if you are a non-smoker. In addition, driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution.Walk or use a bike if the journey is a short one because if we drive every day, it will contribute to air pollution. At least with this action, it would minimize the traffic jams, so use public transport like buses or train. In a nutshell, generally all of us know that earth’s ozone layer is decreasing. There is nothing new here but if we follow at least some of these tips, we can be proud of ourselves by participating in the protection of the environment. Save the ear th for our next future generation because our planet gives back to us what we have put in it! FARIZAIn addition, driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution. Walk or use bike if the journey is a short one because if we drive every day, it will contributed to air pollution. At least with this action would be minimized the traffic jammed so started from now go to anywhere by walking, cycling or use public transport like buses or train. In a nutshell, generally all of us know that earth ozone layer getting decrease. There is nothing new here but if we follow at least some of these tips, we can be proud of ourselves participating in the protection of the environment.Save the earth for our next future generation because our planet gives back to us what we have put in it! Many simple ways we can do to take part to conserve our planet such as recycle, reuse and reduce all the things that we have. We could donate our goods. For example, if we have tons of clothes or things we want to get rid of but they are still usable, give them to someone who needs them. We may also choose to give them to associations and they may sell them and collect a little money. Not only will you protect the environment, but you will also contribute to a good cause.Many people do not know we can save energy when we do not use a house device, turn it off. If we do not watch television, turn it off. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return. It is an easy habit to take up which will save a lot of money. No matter how busy we are, we also can be one of the volunteer in an association to increase the public and media awareness to protect our lovely planet. We also need to change our lifestyle and practice a simple life like eat wisely and healthy, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly.Quit smoking and do not ever start if you are a non- smoker. Do we aware that we are slowly destroying our planet? We should think about our earth condition day by day because our planet is in great danger. We are very lucky can enjoy everything on earth likes water, air, natural resource and others to be enjoyed. Nowadays we all know and realize how importance to protect our planet, but we are mostly too busy or too lazy to put up big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment. LET’S SAVE OUR LOVELY PLANET!! Save Our Planet Numerous environmental concerns impact our planet on a global level. Our mother earth is the only planet in the solar system known to sustain life forms of all kinds and we the intellectual sophisticated beings with opposing thumbs were chosen to rule over her. It is evident today that we have managed to begin to deplete the vast natural resources she has provided to us. Gross misuse, greed, and carelessness have all contributed to this situation. Ensuring the survival of our species and our planet requires that we realize globally our moral and ethical obligations to protect our planet. The first issue that we must look at is the fact that we are overpopulating our planet and this has serious repercussions. Repercussions such as limited resources like food and water due to overuse and overpopulation. For instance, in the days of Lewis and Clark one was able to dispose of waste in the waters and good old mother earth would filter the waste naturally. Now however, due to overpopulation the earth is no longer able to naturally filter the waste we are asking her to filter. The rational person realizes that if there are not enough resources to support the current population we must curtail and change this behavior. We live on a planet with a limited amount of space and resources. Thus one would naturally conclude, eventually you will run out of both. We cannot ethically put restrictions on pro-creating and there are no easy answers in this arena. However, in light of today’s technology explosion some considerations that come to mind are providing global education in population management and removing the option of children born to people who are drug addicts, alcoholics, and who have psychological disorders like insanity. Removing the right of such people to procreate and education will not be the ultimate solution but will undoubtedly produce a more responsible society. Since this is not an option currently, we are left to ponder how can this most essential matter be addressed seriously without judgment to sustain our natural order for survival? We must look at what we are doing to our planet and take responsible action as a species to at least reduce the overuse of land and pollution we are causing. A variety of pollutants are affecting our planet. We see pollutants everywhere. To name just a few, there is garbage on the streets, in rivers and oceans. The less obvious pollutants to the human eye are burning coal and fuel. It is said that burning coal and fuel can increase the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. We the intellectual human species have done this massive but reversible damage to our planet that threatens to endanger the possibility of survival for every species in the world. To begin with, our oceans and rivers have been polluted with toxic waste, garbage, medical waste, plastics, and even large oil spills. Toxic waste, garbage, medical waste, and oil spills cause destruction to marine and wildlife by infecting them with PCB’s, mercury, and diseases from medical and toxic waste. Toxic waste gets into our oceans and rivers from leaking landfills, dumps, mines and farms. It is then digested by the organisms in the ocean and rivers which are then eaten by other larger animals in the food chain. This affects the human population by infecting and contaminating the food source within the waters and possibly eventually ending up on dinner tables around the world. Consuming contaminated food can cause diseases that can spread throughout the world. Some of the diseases that can be spread by a polluted ocean and polluted sea life to humans are hepatitis, HIV, aids, and viruses such as pneumonia. If seals and dolphins are washing up dead on beaches, what then could happen to the human population? According to the website www. library. thinkquest. org Ocean Pollution, lead and other toxic waste can cause birth defects, low IQ, slow growth and hearing problems for small children (School, 2002). Isn’t it then the human species responsibility to restrict this kind of pollution? Plastics on the other hand do not contaminate our food sources, plastics simply kill them. For instance in Australia a veterinarian tried to save a baby whale that was sick. The baby whale did not survive. The veterinarian performed an autopsy on the baby whale and found a plastic bag of corn, a plastic bait bag, and some heavy pieces of plastic sheeting that were blocking the bowels of the baby whale (Brower, 1989). Killing animals is not the only problem with plastics; there are numerous others that require mention as well. For one thing plastic is considered a non-degradable substance. To be more precise, it can take centuries to decompose. So where does all of the plastic waste go? In landfills, the ocean, and to some extent it is recycled and reused. Recycling and reusing are good measures for managing the plastic waste that is filling our planet. However, it requires the human species as a whole to be involved and committed to the general idea of recycling and reusing. Some measures that have been taken are using biodegradable bags instead of plastic bags, melting down the plastics and using them in different applications. For example, they can make things like combs, fencing, and trash cans out of the number 2 plastics. Continuing to find ways to moderate the abuse of products such as plastics is an important endeavor we must strive to perfect. Using new technologies and working globally as a species is one way in which we will be able to bring about positive change and aid in the recuperation of our environment. Another issue of concern is air pollution. Air pollution damages the ozone and causes acid rain. Acid rain is caused by smoke and gases that come from factories and cars that run on fossil fuels (Acid Rain, 2000). According to the U. S. nvironmental agency acid rain causes stunted growth in forests and the leaves to turn yellow and even fall off of trees completely in some cases. In some cases trees have died out completely with no apparent cause other than acid rain (Effects of acid rain, 2007). Acid rain also erodes the paint on our vehicles. Erosion of the paint on our vehicles is an obvio us form of tangible evidence that acid rain is harmful to our environment and our species. Worse, imagine what damage it causes to our soil, plants, and water. If it erodes the paint on our cars, what erosion then is happening in our bodies that consume the food grown in the soil? Damage to the ozone can contribute to global warming and can bring about change in what is known as the greenhouse gas effect (Global Warming). The greenhouse gas effect is a natural process that regulates the earth’s temperature. â€Å"The sun heats the earth and some of this heat is trapped in the atmosphere by clouds and greenhouse gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide† (Global Warming). The disappearance of greenhouse gases would cause our planet to be 60 degrees cooler than it is and would no longer be able to sustain life (Global Warming). As the suns energy passes through the earth’s atmosphere it is reflected or sent back to space with the help of clouds and other atmospheric particles. Clouds, gases (ozone), and atmospheric particles absorb some energy. The remaining energy is then reflected back to space. â€Å"On average 51% of the suns radiation reaches the surface of the earth† (Pidwirny, 2009). This energy is used to heat the ground, melt ice, and snow, and to evaporate water and in photosynthesis of plants. The heated debate about global warming continues to carry on. For instance, I was in Mt. Rushmore with my family on vacation and we took a trip up to the monument. We were surprised to see a person on top of President Lincoln’s head. We asked the Park ranger if that was normal she indicated that at that moment we were in the most secure monument in the nation. They were on high alert because a group of green peace protestors had decided to hang a global warming sign right next to President Lincolns head. We asked what the penalties for such an act was and she indicated that it was a federal offense and the activists would definitely receive a huge monetary fine and serve some prison time. I wondered if in the end that type of protest was worth the penalties the green peace group will pay. Ethically and morally speaking the green peace group broke the law. The point the green peace group was trying to make could have been made just as easily if the group would have held the sign up at the main entrance. On the other side of the debate of global warming it is said that our planet undergoes cyclical changes and there is scientific evidence indicating as such dating back 3. 3 to 3 million years ago in what was known as the mid-pliocene period (Anonymous, 2008). Fossils that were examined by scientists indicated that the planet was 4. 5 F degrees warmer than today. That begs an answer to the question is pollution really the only culprit for global warming? That being said, the human species has the responsibility to make every attempt to try and preserve our planet. Addressing these issues is of utmost importance. The consequences of leaving them unaddressed could be severe for generations to come. We must come to the collective conclusion that as a collective whole we are the dominant species and it is up to us to preserve and protect our planet. This is where moral and ethical considerations must be made in order to understand what we are doing to destroy our planet. By understanding how we are destroying our planet we can make ethical and moral considerations to help preserve our planet. In doing so, we can help to ensure our existence and the survival of our species as well as all other species on the planet. The basic view throughout history has been anthropocentric or human centeredness (Environmental Ethics, 2008). This position in its simplest form deems all things revolve around the use of the human species. Therefore, we are encouraged to take care of our environment for our continued survival and use. In order to continue to survive and thrive in the manner we are accustomed to, we require many of the things that are said to be polluting the environment. For example, technology used in our day to day lives such as cell phones, computers, household appliances, and televisions have components such as plastics and batteries that are not biodegradable, recyclable, or environmentally friendly. Though many environmentalists do not like to admit it, we require many of these things to survive in today’s day and age. Thus different ideas need to be shared in order for our species to evolve in a less destructive manner. Can we do things differently to clean up our planet? The answer is yes. It is not the job of large corporations or the government to clean up our collective mess. It is the human species job as a whole to do what is right in order to ensure our species survival. Starting small individually will help promote a consciousness regarding our current situation. If we as a people decide to clean up our act on a small level then corporations and big business will follow suit. Change cannot happen overnight. Many of the problems we face relate to the economics of our society. Change has to happen slowly in order to ensure the survival of our species. For example, we are accustomed to driving our cars whenever we need to. Cars use gas, and gas pollutes the environment so we need cleaner cars. Producing clean cars costs an enormous amount of money to the current manufacturers because they are not tooled to do such a thing. Therefore, there is a death required within the old manufacturers and old ideas in order for a rebirth to commence and bring about positive responsible change. Our ethical obligation is to ourselves, the human race. By ensuring our survival as a species we ensure the survival of the rest of the planet. As Aristotle maintained â€Å"nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man† (Environmental Ethics, 2007). With this quote in mind it is imperative that we act upon the things we can change and move in a direction that ensures the survival of our planet. After all we were given the intellect and a strong sense to survive. In conclusion, it is not too late to address these issues ethically. New ways of thinking need to be established regarding our ethical and moral obligations to our planet. As professor Alasdair states â€Å"ethicists need not only respond to those they criticize for failure but to issue alternative means to figuring out the problems we face. † New ideas and solutions to old problems will bring about change. We the human species have the capacity to learn from our mistakes and correct them. In the end it is about survival of the fittest and I believe the human race is all about survival. Save Our Planet Are we aware that we are slowly destroying our planet? We should think about our earth’s condition day by day because our planet is in great danger. We are very lucky that we can enjoy everything on earth like water, air, natural resource and others to be enjoyed. Nowadays we all know and realize how important it is to protect our planet, but we are mostly too busy or too lazy to make a big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment.Many simple ways we can do to take part to conserve our planet such as recycle, reuse and reduce all the things that we have. For example, if we have tons of clothes or things we want to get rid of but they are still usable, give them to someone who needs them so you will protect the environment. Many people do not know we can save energy when we turn off the household devices. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return. It is an easy habit to take up which will save a lot of moneyNo matter how busy w e are, we also can be one of the environment activists or volunteers in an association to increase the public and media awareness to protect our lovely planet such as running a zoo, overseeing conservation projects and caring for pets. We also need to change our lifestyle and practice a simple life like eating wisely and healthily, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly. Quit smoking and do not ever start if you are a non-smoker. In addition, driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution.Walk or use a bike if the journey is a short one because if we drive every day, it will contribute to air pollution. At least with this action, it would minimize the traffic jams, so use public transport like buses or train. In a nutshell, generally all of us know that earth’s ozone layer is decreasing. There is nothing new here but if we follow at least some of these tips, we can be proud of ourselves by participating in the protection of the environment. Save the ear th for our next future generation because our planet gives back to us what we have put in it! FARIZAIn addition, driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution. Walk or use bike if the journey is a short one because if we drive every day, it will contributed to air pollution. At least with this action would be minimized the traffic jammed so started from now go to anywhere by walking, cycling or use public transport like buses or train. In a nutshell, generally all of us know that earth ozone layer getting decrease. There is nothing new here but if we follow at least some of these tips, we can be proud of ourselves participating in the protection of the environment.Save the earth for our next future generation because our planet gives back to us what we have put in it! Many simple ways we can do to take part to conserve our planet such as recycle, reuse and reduce all the things that we have. We could donate our goods. For example, if we have tons of clothes or things we want to get rid of but they are still usable, give them to someone who needs them. We may also choose to give them to associations and they may sell them and collect a little money. Not only will you protect the environment, but you will also contribute to a good cause.Many people do not know we can save energy when we do not use a house device, turn it off. If we do not watch television, turn it off. Turn off the light when we leave a room, even if we intend to return. It is an easy habit to take up which will save a lot of money. No matter how busy we are, we also can be one of the volunteer in an association to increase the public and media awareness to protect our lovely planet. We also need to change our lifestyle and practice a simple life like eat wisely and healthy, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly.Quit smoking and do not ever start if you are a non- smoker. Do we aware that we are slowly destroying our planet? We should think about our earth condition day by day because our planet is in great danger. We are very lucky can enjoy everything on earth likes water, air, natural resource and others to be enjoyed. Nowadays we all know and realize how importance to protect our planet, but we are mostly too busy or too lazy to put up big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment. LET’S SAVE OUR LOVELY PLANET!!

Financial pros and cons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Financial pros and cons - Essay Example Operating margin: The Company has a better operating margin in 2003 of 19.60% over the previous years. This indicates the company is very efficient in managing its operating expenses to generate revenue. Return on Capital Employed: The Company have earned handsomely for its investors as return so far on its capital employed stands at approximately 25% which is far more than the cost of capital, assuming it to be at 10%. Debt Equity ratio: This ratio identifies the solvency of the firm by measuring the leverage position of a company. Higher the ratio the more leverage a company is and vice versa and hence higher financial risk. Superior Living Inc. has a very low debt equity ratio i.e. 0.025 for 2003, which indicates the company has a very low financial risk as a result it will be very easy for the company to raise debt in the market and banks would be willing to provide loans to the company without much hassle. Raising money by going public indicates accepting money from investors in exchange of ownership and control of the company without the obligation of paying back the money. The company as per its convenience benefits the investors by paying dividend from time to time. This sounds like easy money for the company but the flip side is that the ownership and control over the company would be foregone for the amount invested via equity financing. In the case of Superior Inc. the company is comfortably placed in terms of book debts. The debt equity ratio very low which means the company has not used debt to the extent it should have used. Generally the ideal debt equity ratio should be 1:2 but for Superior it’s around 1:40. Therefore, the prudent course of action for Superior Inc. is too raise capital by debt financing route which also brings in tax advantage as interest paid on debts is deductible from profits and dividend paid on equity cannot be deducted from profits. Debt

Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Term Paper Example This paper examines these challenges and how they have impacted on the organization. One of the most challenging facets of organizations today is the need to remain responsible and ethical in their business activities. The past few years have seen many multinationals, big companies, and global association grapple with the issues of unethical behavior. Unethical behavior refers to activities that deviate from the accepted norms, laws, and standards that guide business processes (Blowfield, and Murray, 2014). Essentially, businesses are expected to behave responsibly by acting in a manner that promotes the interests of various stakeholders such as employees, owners, government, and the wider society. However, some organizations find it hard to remain ethical and responsible due to the inability to manage all their huge resources in an efficient way (Crane & Matten, 2010). As such, an irresponsible business on the other hands is one that is involved in dishonest business practices, for instance through concealing or deliberately ignoring issues to do with the environme nt, employees, customers, and the wider society (Blowfield, and Murray, 2014). The most common form of unethical problem that most big companies and associations face is corruption. The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) provides a good example of a large organization that has had a rough time dealing with the unethical problem of corruption. FIFA is the body charged with managing football or soccer globally, which is the most popular sport in the world (Skinner & Edwards, 2006). The organization is an amalgamation of various football associations and confederations representing different countries. As such, it is one of the biggest organizations in the world today. FIFA has vast amounts of resources, hence generating a lot of global interest from different parties

Thematic critical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thematic critical analysis - Essay Example The novel takes place in a seventeenth century Puritan community, when it is discovered that Hester has been unfaithful to her long gone husband. As punishment she is forced to wear the letter "A" on her forever. Wearing the letter "A", symbolizing for adultery, was the real punishment in the Puritan community; however even in history there is never any mention of the letter being of red color. The main focus of the story is how Hester is forced to wear the scarlet colored letter on her all the time. Hawthorn specifically made sure that the letter was of the color red. He chose the color red purposely, his inspiration with British History had a hand in this as well. "In Northumberland's lament appears a reference to the day of judgment as an occasion when a person's sins are exposed and judged-the record described as a type of list, or bead-rolUXmt 116)^ and as a "black booke" to be "vnclaspt" at that time (118). This reference to a book of judgment and damnation presents nothing less than a source for the imagistic link in The Scarlet Letter between the embroidered letter worn by Hester-as well as the transgression which brought her such punishment-and the book of the "Black Man," in which the letters of the sinner's name would be inscribed in the scarlet hue of their own blood (Canadas 45). It is explained here by Canadas that the color red was chosen due to its association with blood and the severity of the crime. In the "Black Man" the names of the sinners will be written in their own blood. Sinners have committed unforgivable offenses for which it must be shown to the world, through their own blood, that harshness of their offence. In this same manner Hawthorn shows that Hester must wear the letter in the color red. It is a symbol of her offence against her marriage, her husband and most of all the pureness and innocence of the community. Which brings us to the next point, the social standards of this community are very narrow. This shows the influence of the environment in which Hester resided. If adultery had been committed in the twenty-first century, no one could have even though about physically punishing Hester. It still would have been looked down upon, but it would be her private life. Lets take a closer look at time frame and setting of this novel. It is mid-seventeenth century, Boston, Massachusetts. When Hawthorn this novel it was 1840 in Salem, his story takes place only two hundred years prior to the actual time. Let us also keep in mind that Hawthorn himself was from the Puritan descendants and therefore his literary flair was limited. "According to Nathaniel Hawthorne's biographer, Henry James, Jr. Hawthorne's heritage as a descendant of the "clearest Puritan strain" served to restrict his literary talent to the exploration of one theme: the "consciousness of sin""(Taylor 135). The main focus of the Pur itans was the sin and how to erase it. Obviously this kind of breeding led to Hawthorne only being able to write about this subject. The conscious sin refers to the sin that is committed even after obtaining the knowledge that this behavior is forbidden and will be condemned. However even after having this knowledge and understanding the consequences when one still commits a sin, it is referred to as

The U.S. Constitution Promotes Intercultural Communication Essay

The U.S. Constitution Promotes Intercultural Communication - Essay Example The constitution ‘encourages the American people to become one people. The legislators have been developing policies that seek to bring about intercultural communication. The policies should serve to institute a healthy form of communication that appreciates cultural diversity. However, despite the efforts, an analysis of the current situation indicates that more needs to be done. For the American community to thrive peacefully and in unity, intercultural communication is essential (Castillo-Ayometzi 1). Intercultural communication refers to a form of conveying messages in an ethno-relative manner. In the past years defined by the worst forms of racism, each race has had an ethno-centric communication. The whites communicate in ways that make blacks feel intimidated. Christians pass messages that imply that their religion overrides Islam. This perspective of communication centers on creating an overemphasis of one’s culture. It involves defending it unnecessarily too muc h while rejecting to appreciate the culture of other people. Inter- cultural communication is necessary in the society. An intercultural communication is the type of communication will foster an understanding between the people and the existing differences will reduce. Intercultural communication is necessary not only for internal unity but also affects the relationship with others countries whose beliefs, policies and religion differ (Jandt 99). The multiracial population in America makes it more tasking for intercultural communication to exist (Castillo-Ayometzi 1). The country has a dark history of slavery against the blacks and continued racism and white superiority. Slavery and racism has brought about a divide in the American society. Racism has caused the blacks and minority races in America in the past. To bridge the gap racism has caused, an intercultural communication is a step towards bringing unity to the nation. Some institution offer intercultural communication as a co urse for the young generation to learn to appreciate the existence of variety. In the past, an ethnocentric perspective has existed in the minds of the whites. All races differ in various aspects in behavior, religion, values, and norms. Since these people live in the same country, it is worthwhile for an ethno-relative form of communication. Communication is an aspect whose importance society should not underestimate (Jandt 91). It determines the value of our interactions with others. Although English is the official American language, it is not the only language in use by the different cultures. The constitution in this case seeks to establish a universal language that people should use regarding official matters. This was a step towards building intercultural communication. This requires all people to use as a means of communication in official business (jandt 91). This policy served to foster a communication that is beyond ethnicity and culture. Having an official language preve nts situations in which people in offices use a language that other people do not understand. However, the minority groups that cannot speak fluent English faced negative effects. They could not express themselves clearly and this created a barrier for them. They received services without satisfaction. In other cases, they failed to access essential basic services. This shows that legislators should do more to foster the development of a lasting effective intercultural com

Foundations of Business Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foundations of Business Knowledge - Essay Example In any working environment, the implementation of management as well as the establishment of communication and relationships becomes more effective if there is a complete understanding of each individual’s traits and capabilities so every working person can be further managed, motivated and developed. Understanding one’s personality and becoming familiar with his or her learning style is an effective means of determining ambivalent qualities that are hard to pin down (Spender & Scherer, 2007). Through the use of self-assessment tests, learning styles indicators and personality tests, individuals are helped in developing self-awareness that is extremely essential when working with any organization (Atherton, 2003). Consequently, companies will be able to support others in achieving self-awareness and working further towards development. They will also be able to improve their level of knowledge of how they can understand and motivate their employees, which will eventuall y aid them to function better in the workplace and even within their personal lives. In turn, these organizations may attain benefits from the improved performance and effectiveness of their employees; desirable outcomes for the organization include increased productivity, enhanced sense of collaboration, and sustained efforts towards self-development. To understand various personality types has been proven valuable for any company as they are able to appreciate their value, strengths and qualities in relation to their contribution to the organization’s goals (Malone, Crowstone & Herman, 2003). Organizational members develop an understanding that their differences are primarily based on their personalities and thus have to find ways of leveraging on such differences rather than allowing these to deter them from reaching organizational goals. Furthermore, aside from managing

Counsel Retainment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Counsel Retainment - Essay Example The following is the criteria that a firm should have for the fulfillment of the needs of the company for a general counsel. Such a firm should have significant experience in high dollar manufacturing and product liability. Due to the many laws and regulations in the aviation industry, the firm should have experience and expertise in cases and litigation involving aviation and be thoroughly familiar with FAA regulations. Additionally, international experience in the same areas is critical. These criteria have been chosen due to the high sensitivity of the contract. The company has been awarded a $50,000,000.00 subcontract to produce landing gear components for the next generation of commercial aircraft. This contract is very important to the company and, therefore, must get the best law firm to review the contract. It is also because the company has neither had an in-house counsel, nor been involved in litigation and, thus, has never retained outside counsel. It is important the best counsel be retained for the review of the contract. Following the research and recommendation of outside law firms, the fol lowing was documented as the recommendation: The firm seems to have all our requirements. The firm has an extensive list of awards and recognition including high honors for superior client service among law firms serving Fortune 1000 companies by BTI Client Service 30, 2015; and ranking in U.S News Media Group and Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms’ 2015. Additionally, 164 of the firm’s lawyers were recognized in the oldest lawyer-rating publications â€Å"Best Lawyers in America 2015†. A large majority of the firm’s aviation experience has been in product liability representation and counseling. They have provided product liability counseling to companies such as Boeing, Quest Aircraft, McDonnel Douglas Corporation and Garmin, and have represented clients manufacturing clients in cases involving airline

Race and Nation in the Twentieth Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Race and Nation in the Twentieth Century - Essay Example Civic nationalism can be said to bet that particular type of nationalism that define a country as a room where individuals associate with same levels of political rights that are evenly distributed to each other (Gerstle, 2001). In this association, the members are assured to allegiance to the same political methodologies and guidelines. This particular type of nationalism has the underlining principle that the nation is not guided by individuals with same ethnic ancestry, rather a political entity without the core of ethnicity. Civic nationalism is therefore the form of nationalism whereby the government draws legitimacy of political grounds from its citizen’s active participation, hence representing the will of its population. Racial Nationalism refers to global approach and view, which makes a combination of the love and passion of an individual’s race together with the love and passion an individual nation. By combining the two elements of love and passion for both one’s race and nation, this particular view advocates for a self-determination perspective for all the world races. In the American context, this view became very practical when it comes to matters pertaining to the uniqueness characteristics of each race and their preservation as well. In America, this view emerged advantageous by eliminating the opportunities for one group to exploit the other (Gerstle, 2001). Soft Multiculturalism refers to a condition that had already existed before in the United States and Europe, among other nations, due to the real availability of a number of cultural and religious associations. They also include other individuals who have migrated into these countries. In the United States of America, Soft Multiculturalism got related to the development some futures that were close distant. Those individuals initiating these developments must prepare

Nordstrom's Success Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nordstrom's Success - Term Paper Example They have knowledgeable sales clerks and sales people who pay more attention to customers (Lamb, et. al, 2011). Nordstrom’s level of service is known to be high full service. Sales people are taught to always try to understand their customers. They should try to make their customers have the best shopping experience at any time they visit the store. Nordstrom is therefore at the full service continuum level since its employees would do whatever is possible to make their customers happy. Nordstrom aims at giving the best experience to its customers, whether they are shopping on- line, in their stores or through a mail order catalogue. A good example of a business that is on the other end of the continuum is Target. Although they have good customer service, it cannot be compared to that at Nordstrom. Customers will just be greeted at the door when going into the store and not much assistance will be given to them. Their sales people with focus on making sales rather than assisting customers fully. Target does not depend on high quality customer service. The store will just ensure that products are well displayed on the shelves and that the store processes are running smoothly. The self-service model is more important at target store since customers will just walk around the store and look for whatever they wish to buy by themselves. Nordstrom has knowledgeable sales people who provide quality services to their customers because they know that each customer would love to get a unique shopping experience. The highly trained employees will create personal interactions with each customer and this will ensure that their needs and wants are satisfied. Nordstrom also uses selective distribution as a method of retailing. The departments now manage inventories at its stores and website as one big entity. When a customer is shopping online and the product is

The Unredeemed Captive Essay Example for Free

The Unredeemed Captive Essay Some are born literary genius, some achieve literary genius, and some have literary success thrust upon them. As for John Demos in his book, ‘The Unredeemed Captive’ seems to be the blend of the last two categories. Through this book,   Demos takes you to the 18th Century, to explain the tension-ridden and violence-prone confrontation   between three communities (segments of a society).They are the puritan settlers of New England, the Roman-Catholic French of New France (currently parts of Canada) and the Native Americans.   It was a peculiar type of confrontation fought for several types’ self-interests. The conflicts, where religion, culture, race and territorial interests are involved. The story takes savage turns and the reading seriously affects the emotions of the readers! The contents of writing are a mixture of fact and fiction. The book has great historical significance. The mentioned communities then did not believe in peaceful negotiations to settle the ‘border disputes.’ They fought for territorial gains and the borders continued to shift and relocate. The mini-Hitlers were out to establish their moral and racial superiority. The animal tendencies in them surfaced forth and they did not hesitate to capture (kidnap) young girls belonging to the enemy camp, as war trophies, eventually for their sexual gratification.   John Demos is a Yale History Professor. His primary intentions and efforts in this book are to provide an objective analysis of the encounters between the mentioned ‘groups’. He has drawn upon the experiences of one family to achieve the objective in view. It is the John Williams family. Williams is a puritan minister. The family was captured in 1704 in their Massachusetts home by a group of Frenchmen and Native Americans. They were marched off to Canada. Of the seven members of the family his wife died en-route, Williams and four children were released later, his daughter Eunice became a convert (forced conversion?) to Catholicism to marry a Native American. Desperate attempts were made by the family for the return of Eunice to Massachusetts, but she came for short visits only to return back, till her death at the age of 95.   The stunning and heart-rending part of the story is that of Eunice. Remember, she was only 7 when she was captured—what values did her captors defend by torturing the mind of an innocent girl child? Religious principles? Cultural traditions? Racial superiority? Human values? Such persons deserve to be the offspring of the Satan. She was converted to Catholicism and married off at the age of 16, for which the perpetrators of such a crime can face severe punishment in the present times. Probably that was the age when male/female married as per the social customs prevailing then. Well, she spent the rest of her life, but what might be the thought-currents circling and torturing her mind within? Her 88 years of silent suffering is difficult for the printed pages to capture, the most sensitive and imaginative writer will not be able to probe the inner layers of her mind. If someone is able to do proper research on this mind, it can as well reveal the history of the century to which she belonged in the correct perspective.   Her life is a great example of the bitter fruits of cross-cultural bloody encounters. It is the saga of the perpetrators of the torture and those who were tortured. That God and destiny were often quoted to justify the cruel happenings shows the macabre and sadistic mind-set of the groups involved in those conflicts. It was an open exhibition of animal tendencies, by the two-legged devils   The Unredeemed Captive is a systematically researched history by John Demos. To sieve through the 300 year old data (the later 1600s) and make out a factual, historically relevant story is a skilled job. Demos has done justice to his job as the Professor of History. He knows the essentials of the history, the requirements of a research student of history. The research pages do make a slow reading, and that is no fault of the author. The narratives sections are quite fascinating. Basically, this book is written by a history man for the history people   In the present times also, people live dangerously in the border areas of a country, especially when the neighbors are unfriendly. This is the situation when civilization has made advancement and there are international laws for protection. Guess, what would have been the conditions 300 years ago, when might was right and jungle laws prevailed? John Demos describes well, with authority and proof, the dangers of living on the American frontiers in the early days of settling America, when the borders shifted constantly.   A tough subject has been chosen for the book and the area covered is vast.   One can not expect the book to make a good reading from page 1 to page 336. The first five chapters are very exciting; the flying start is the highlight of the book. The story and the incidents related to the family of John Williams are interesting and touching. The rest of the book is about facts, customs and traditions. One needs to make efforts to sustain the interest as for this portion of the book. But overall, the book is no drag.   Finally, the important points of the book: The clash of cultures of the diverse communities is well depicted. Through the personal tragedy of a family, the political story of an era has been told. The doomed role of the religion is described well. Eunice’s rejection of her own family is a mysterious psychological drama. But Demos shows the balanced approach in writing this part of the story, and does not blame exclusively any party involved in the conflicts.    References Cited: Demos, John, Book: The Unredeemed Captive. Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (March 28, 1995) ISBN-10: 0679759611 ISBN-13: 978-0679759614

The Admired Character Traits Of Ancient Greece English Literature Essay

The Admired Character Traits Of Ancient Greece English Literature Essay In the epic poem The Odyssey, a courageous hero, Odysseus, displayed many admirable traits, even though at times his actions brought pain and suffering to others he loved. These faults may have inflicted a substantial amount of desolation and agony to particular individuals, but these transgressions were inadvertent and failed to mutilate the true image of the protagonist during his many journeys. Odysseus is depicted as a dedicated warrior because his prominence and allure resulted in his depiction as a god-like figure among men and a worthy king amongst his people. Odysseus physical dominance earned himself respect and his intelligence and exceptional nature was admired by all of his followers. His dictating role in the Trojan War placed a large emphasis his strength as a fighter and as a human being. Odysseus demonstrated his intellectual abilities when devising strategic plans of attack, such as the penetration of Troy with the infamous Trojan horse. Nestor, Menelaus, Achilles, a nd Agamemnon, spoke highly of their comrade in response to his service. For all of the Achaeans who strove at Troy it was Odysseus who strove the hardest and achieved the most. Odysseus actions were known throughout the land, no more so than in his own country, Ithaca. Even though Odysseus was absent for more than a decade, many citizens were still loyal and hopeful of his return. A vital characteristic trait that was admirable in ancient Greece was physical strength due to their environment and dedication to succeeding in war situations. While accounting what happened after three of his men ate the flower of the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus recalls, I drove them, all three wailing, to the ships, ties them down under their rowing benches, and called the rest: All hands aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home' (985). To drag three grown men, who were also very strong and equally fit, onto a ship against their will and tie them up creates the image of a great physical challenge for Odysseus for the reader. The story states, All three wailing, translates that they were fighting against Odysseus, which extends his challenge to a more demanding stage. Next, Odysseus exemplifies his brute physical strength during his plan to disable a Cyclops by ramming a monstrous spear into the eye of the Cyclops. Now by the gods, I drove a big hand spike deep in the embers, charring it again, and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up: no quitting now. The pike of olive, green though it had been, reddened and glowed as if about to catch. I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye, and leaned on it turning it as a shipwright turns a drill in planking, having men below to swing the two-handled strap that spins it in the groove (992). An event in which Odysseus easily exemplifies his physical strength occurred in the claiming of Penelope because and arrow would have to pass through a series of targets using the bow that Odysseus had left behind when he went to war. Shockingly, none of the suitors could string the bow, but the Odysseus could string the bow with a negligible amount of effort. When the suitors failed to pull the bow to shoot the arrow through the targets, Odysseus genuinely pulled the bow to its fullest length then drove the arrow perfectly through the targets. In conclusion, Odysseus defies the limits of strength which boosts his probability in completing challenges quickly and more precisely than other heroes. Mental quickness and the abilities to fight through mental challenges is a major characteristic trait that places a fine line between Odysseus and other heroes of ancient Greece. When Odysseus and his crew were trapped in the cave of the Cyclops, Odysseus tricked the Cyclops into becoming drunk so the Cyclops would go into a state of dizziness to increase the probability of defeating the Cyclops. Odysseus purposely offered the Cyclops some of the sweet wine of maron in which was stronger than other wines because it was not diluted with water. When the Cyclops was drunk, he asked Odysseus his name, but he lied and said his name was Nohbdy which was a high intelligence decision on his part. He didnt know how to escape at first after this, but he and his men ended up heaving up a pointed stick and plunged it into its eye, which is where the name Nohbdy came into play because other Cyclops were ready to spring into action when they heard the cries, but the Cyclops yelled out that Nohbdy was attacking me. The Cyclops was blinded and opened the cave door, and Odysseus and his crew returned to the ship. On the way away from the island, Odysseus called back that if anyone ever asked who blinded him, he should reply, Tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes son, whose homes on Ithaca. Secondly, the sirens were evil spirits that were half woman and half bird that led sailors to their death with their song. To prevent this, he blocked up the ears of his men with beeswax, but he had himself tied to the mast of the ship so that he could hear their song. He forewarned his men that if he used sign language to be released, they should bind him tighter. After that, during the crews encounters with Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus is wise in not informing them of the future events that is yet to come because he deserved full participation and effort from his crew instead of panic. When Scylla made her strike, Odysseus positioned the boat to where only six of his crew would be whisked by the arms of the sea monster instead of endangering all of his crew. Then Scylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship. I happened to glance aft at ship and oarsmen and caught sight of their arms and legs, dangling high overhead. Voices came down to e in anguish, calling my name for the last time (1010). A final explication of Odysseys mental abilities was when Odysseus returned home, he found that his wife had many suitors who wished to marry his wife and claim his possessions because they believed that he was dead. She tricked them to keep them at bay because she did not want to marry any of the suitors. She threw a tournament, and Odysseus took part in it, but under disguise so as not to be noticed by the suitors. The contest was to see if they could wield Odysseus bow, and to shoot an arrow through the holes of 7 axes that had been lit on fire, and Odysseus won easily winning back the hand of Penelope. The Odyssey is a perfect portrayal of how Odysseus can succeed in using Brains over Braun. A vital characteristic trait that all of ancient Greeces heroes and gods possessed were bravery and perseverance and to conduct themselves accordingly no matter the intensity of the situation. Eurylochos considers Odysseuss perseverance to be exceptional because he still had the fortitude to tell his crew to sail on past a potentially safe island retreat for the night after enduring the horrors of Scylla and Charybdis. You are a hard man, Odysseus. Your force is greater; your limbs never wear out. You must be made all of iron, when you will not let your companions, worn with hard work and wanting sleep, set foot on this land, where if we did, on the sea girt island we could once more make ready a greedy dinner; but you force us to blunder along just as we are through the running night, driven from the island over the misty face of the water (12.279-285). At this time Charybdis sucked down the seas salt water, but I reached high in the air above me, to where the tall fig tree grew, an d caught hold of it and clung like a bat; there was no place where I could firmly brace my feet, or climb up it, for the roots of it were far from me, and the branches hung out far, big and long branches that overshadowed Charybdis. Inexorably I hung on, waiting for her to vomit the keel and mast back up again. I longed for them, and they came late; at the time when a man leaves the law court, for dinner, after judging the many disputes brought him by litigious young men; that was the time it took the timbers to appear from Charybdis (12.431-441). This quote proves that Odysseus has mental and physical perseverance and without his willpower, his physical perseverance would go to ruins. This next quote portrays Odysseuss determination and believing and hoping for the best. Of all creatures that breathe and walk on the earth there is nothing more helpless than a man is, of all that the earth fosters; for he thinks that he will never suffer misfortune in future days, while the gods gra nt him courage, and his knees have spring in them. But when the blessed gods bring sad days upon him, against his will he must suffer it with enduring spirit. For the mind in men upon earth goes according to the fortunes the Father of Gods and Men, day by day, bestows upon them (18.130-137). No matter what back luck got thrown towards Odysseus and his crew, there was nothing simpler than enduring the challenge and hoping for the best because they mastered the skill in perseverance, which ultimately results in surviving the pain of the challenge. Perseverance was the key to surviving in ancient Greece during the times of war and self-defense. In ancient Greece, a necessity to be able to live your live as you wish with overall satisfaction and peacefulness, is to simply treat the gods with respect which will save their life in near death situations. Since the gods acquire such super powers, immortality, and control over their followers with human weakness, it is this combination that causes so much torment and suffering. Examples of such human weakness in the story are when Athena takes pride in Odysseus, Calypso lusts after Odysseus, and Helios wants revenge on Odysseuss crew. When Odysseus was caught in a storm after leaving Calypsos Island, he is on the verge of death when Odysseus yells, What do you want me to learn? Poseidon responds, That without the gods, man is nothing. This summarizes the necessity of having respect for the gods in the Odyssey. Odysseus also offered any sacrifices to ask forgiveness for their mistakes and for good will. Then I addressed the blurred and breathless dead, vowing to slaughter my best heifer for them before she calved, at home in Ithaca, and burn the choice bits on the altar fire; as for Tiresias, I swore to sacrifice a black lamb, handsomest of all our flock. Thus to assuage the nations of the dead, I pledged these rites, then slashed the lamb and ewe, letting their blood stream into the well pit (1000.) Finally, Odysseus portrays respect for the gods by praying to them in times of struggle and hardships, such as when he prayed to Apollo to see his wife and son back home. These examples prove the dear respect ancient Greeks gave to the gods because they knew it aid them one day in the future. The next admirable trait in ancient Greece was self-control in which Odysseus exemplifies perfectly in many occasions during his journey. When Odysseuss crew devour the rich taste of the Lotus, he remains sober because the drug muddles ones memory so that he forgets about home, but Odysseus remains faithful to his goal of traveling home as soon as possible. But those who ate this honeyed, the Lotus, never cared to report, nor to return: they longed to stay forever, browsing on the native bloom, forgetful of their homeland. I drove them all, all three wailing, to the ships, tied them down under their rowing benches, and called the rest: All hands aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home (985). Secondly, Odysseus resisted the songs of the Sirens, but even though he was tied up, Odysseus could have used his superhuman strength to unleash himself to the trap of the pleasuring sounds. Near the end of the Odyssey, Odysseus resists the temptati on to fight back against Melanthios and Antinoos because he had learned from his mistakes and decides to bear the unjust blows of the suitors because he knows his revenge has to be plotted in a careful manner. Finally, Odysseus turns down the offer to see Penelope because the suitors may attack him and he wants Penelope alone to test her loyalty. Although Odysseus did not resist every temptation, the one he did resist resulted in his overall enlightenment. In conclusion, those urn to be a leader must first convey specific qualities if they are to excel in the world. First, when each second counts, the ability to quick, but assessed decisions is vital. Next, a true leader will set goals for his followers and push them to their max to achieve their goals, but also conveying his own abilities to his followers to portray a true example of determination. After that, knowledge and intelligence of how to use your abilities are vital in accomplishing the set goals. The final and most important trait of a leader is self-discipline and sacrifice. A leader must not only act appropriately in all situations, but also remain humble even if his followers act exactly opposite in regards of their goals. According to the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies all major traits of a leader that are most admired by ancient Greeks.

Indias Current Relations And Foreign Policy Politics Essay

Indias Current Relations And Foreign Policy Politics Essay Modern Indias foreign policy came in to being with the independence in 1947. Till then, the nation, as a satellite of the British Empire, was bound by the identity and postulates of foreign policy dictated by the erstwhile Empire. Thereafter, India charted a course of its own independent foreign policy. The same being a subject of vast scope and not particularly relevant to this thesis is not discussed here. It would be worthwhile in scheme of things to discuss the basic determinants which steer Indias policy in case of Middle East which is based on following five primary factors  [7]  :- (a) Reliance on Middle East gas and oil, which makes it binding on India to maintain cordial relations with most of the major suppliers, including Iran, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. However, India does not want to face any temporary cut-off in its supplies or an increased price hike. Also, it does not want to be dependent on Pakistan in this regard. (b) While being a secular democracy, India is also a major Muslim state, and relations with Iran, in particular, resonate in the northern Indian heartland, notably Uttar Pradesh. Also, India has a large group of Shia support groups. Thus, India has to balance between its foreign and economic policies on one hand, and domestic politics on the other. Indias preferred strategy is to avoid, at all costs, any stark choice between the loss of domestic political support and achieving some foreign policy goal. (c) India is hyper sensitive to criticism of its policies in Kashmir, and wants to keep the major Muslim nations from either intervening in Kashmir or supporting Pakistan. Thus, India conducts balance of power diplomacy, aimed at countering Pakistani influence in Middle East and to keep Kashmir away from any discussions. (d) India has initiated relations with Israel in field of technology, military benefits intelligence leading to increase in its influence in Washington. However, India has to carefully balance its equations with Israel and other Middle East nations. (e) India also does not want to run afoul of USs non-proliferation policies in the Middle East, even though strategically speaking India has reservations about us non-proliferation goals and tactics. Conventionally India was instrumental in building a theoretical case against NPT. The same arguments are now been used by Iran and North Korea for advancing their cases. 14. The major players in Middle East region presently are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Israel. The other smaller Gulf States like Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Yemen and few other states constitute the rest of Middle East region. Out of the said nations Iraq presently has ceased to be an important power in the region after the occupation by the UN forces backed mainly by US and NATO states. 15. India has traditionally pursued a pro-Arab policy towards Middle East nations and remained aligned against Israel until 1990s. This was basically aimed at countering Pakistans influence in the region and to secure access to Middle East petroleum resources. In the late 1960s and 1970s, India successfully developed mutually beneficial economic exchanges with a number of Middle East countries particularly Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other Persian states, thereby, improving bilateral relations with them. This strong relationship particularly with Iran and Iraq helped India weather the displeasure of Islamic nations during 1971 Indo-Pak war.  [8]  The relationship was further cemented by Indias anti Israeli stance during 1967 and 1973 Arab Israel conflict. The situation continued until 1978 and 1979 when the establishing of Islamic regime under Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan supporting the Marxist regime in Kabul complicated Indias relations wi th Middle East. This resulted in weakening of Iran as regional power and emergence of Pakistan as important player in balance of power in the region. The major powers like US, China and Arab world aligned themselves towards Pakistan to counter the rising Soviet influence in the region. For about a decade India did the act of fine balancing its stand and role in the region. However, in the 1990s India took a deviation from its staunch anti Israel stand and initiated relations with the Zionist state. This was dictated by practical economic and security considerations in the post Cold war era and the influence of Hindu nationalist sentiments. Thus, following the example of Soviet Union and China, India also established relations with Israel. Once again during the Persian Gulf War (1990-91) Indias Middle East policy had to face a new test. It had to decide between adhering to its traditional Non Alignment policy sympathetic to Iraq or favour the coalition of Arab and Western countries w hich would have been beneficial to Indias economic and security interests. After initial ambivalent approach India joined ranks with the later and supported the UN resolution authorising the use of force to expel Iraq from the Kuwaiti territory. The improvement of relations with most Middle East nations was pursued with renewed vigour by the Indian government in mid 1990s. The present relations of India with Middle East nations are discussed in subsequent paragraphs. 16. Saudi Arabia. Historically Indo- Saudi ties have been based on trade. In the old times it involved spices and in modern times it has become based on petroleum. Besides, the two nations also share cultural ties due to the large number of Muslim population in India and 1.6 million Indian work force in Saudi.  [9]  India and Saudi Arabia initially established diplomatic relations in 1952 and their relationship progressed smoothly in the 1950s but suffered during the Cold war era due to Indias inclination towards the Soviet block and Saudis traditionally close relations with Pakistan. Thereafter, Indias relations improved with Saudi Arabia in beginning of 1980s and increased cooperation was seen in economic, trade, science, technical and cultural fields. However, once again the relations felt the heat on account of different stands taken by both the nations during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The Saudi Arabia initially supported the mujahideens followed by the Taliban, w hereas, the India supported the cause of the Northern Alliance. The relations between the two once again saw improvement in 1990s leading to increased visits, exchanges and economic and scientific cooperation. This was followed by the signing of Delhi Declaration in 2006, a wide ranging agreement which includes in its ambit mutual agreement to strengthen and broaden economic ties, cooperating in combating international crime and ensuring the stability of the oil trade.  [10]  The relations between both the nations are grounded on the following defining factors:- (a) Economic. Although, based on energy exports the bilateral trade relationship between the two has grown significantly since mid 1990s. In FY 2007 India imported $ 12.4 billion of petroleum from Saudi Arabia (26% of Indias overall petro import). The non-oil bilateral trade also increased from $ 1.3 billion in FY-2002 to $ 3.5 billion in FY-2007. In addition India also received remittances worth $3 billion from the workers in Saudi Arabia. The predicted bilateral non-oil trade between the two nations is likely to cross $7 billion in FY-2010.  [11]   (b) Defence, Labour Relations and Education. India and Saudi Arabia are working towards an increased cooperation on defence and related technology. The sizable Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia is also an important contributor to the required workforce so vital to its economy. Another focus area between the two nations is education and efforts are being made to enable increased number of Saudi Arabia students to pursue Post Graduate and Doctoral studies, especially in technical institutions of India. 17. Iran. The relations between Iran and India trace back to 3500 years ago, however, in much of the twentieth century they have shared a unstable relationship. Diplomatic ties between the two commenced in 1950 but immediately faced the first roadblock when Iran joined the Baghdad Pact. Thereafter, the relations improved in 1960s but again received a setback when Iran aided Pakistan in 1965 conflict against India. Subsequent to 1971s decisive victory over Pakistan the relation between the two slates improved considerably and led to number of agreements including that on nuclear cooperation in 1974.  [12]  However, the establishment of theocratic Iran in 1979, subsequent to the Islamic Revolution once again upset the apple cart. The relationship between the two remained cold during the entire 1980s as Iran didnt show any inclination to improve the relationship and India remained wary that Iran will import Shiate terrorism to India. The relationship between the two improved in 1990 due to Indias desire to secure energy supplies and economic opportunities in Central Asia and the opposition of both the countries to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The rise of Sunni Islamist forces in Afghan theatre, especially Pakistan based Taliban proved a great unifying force leading to deterioration of Iran- Pakistan relations. The Indo-Iran relations picked up further momentum as India opened towards it due to its energy requirements subsequent to loss of Iraqi sources after 1991 Gulf war. The main foundations of relations between India and Iran are discussed below:- (a) Economics and Energy. India is worlds sixth largest consumer of energy and Iran is the fourth largest supplier, obviously, energy is the most important pillar between them.  [13]  Both the nations have held regular bilateral meetings focusing primarily on the energy supply issues including the proposal for a Liquefied Gas Pipeline from Iran to India through Pakistan and alternatively, through tanker. However, the said scheme has not been fructified due to US pressure on India and Pakistan against the deal and the Indian fear that it will provide Pakistan too much leverage over Indian energy supplies. However, the plan has proved resilient and not yet died down. Meanwhile certain other bottlenecks to the scheme have emerged inform of increased pricing by Iran. On its part India is keen to commence procurement of LNG by sea, which will require establishing LNG terminals at Iran to allow exports. This is not possible because it will require certain US components which will end u p violating the US sanctions against Iran. The present state of the said scheme is in limbo. (b) Defence Cooperation. Defense cooperation has been another important part of the Indo-Iranian relationship. In the 1990s, India assisted Iran with upgrading its Russian-built military equipment, including adapting batteries for its Kilo-class die ­sel submarines avionics upgrades for its MiG-29 fighters. Since 2000, India has conducted joint patrols or exer ­cises with the majority of the navies of the Indian Ocean littoral. The 2003 meeting between Khatami and Vajpayee on Indias Republic Day produced the Road Map to Strategic Cooperation, which presents goals for fulfill ­ing the cooperation envisioned in the New Delhi Declaration. A number of reports have mentioned more direct Indo-Iranian coopera ­tion in the realm of defense, such as Tehrans acquiescence to Iran-based Indian intelligence operations and even potential Indian military bases in Iran. Indias assistance in upgrading the Iranian port of Chahbahar has led many to infer that Indian warships would be based ther e in order to outflank Pakistans China-assisted Gwadar port, seemingly pitting rising power against rising power. 18. Israel. Indo-Israeli ties remained at a low level throughout the cold war for both ideological and practical reasons. Indias large Muslim population was, of course, a factor. Furthermore, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indias prime minister until 1964 was a close friend of Egypts Nasser, who was an implacable foe of Israel. While India and Israel periodically cooperated on mutual interests, such as Israeli aid to India during the 1962 war with China or proposed plans to destroy the Pakistani reactor at Kahuta in the 1980s,  [14]  their public relationship often was acrimonious, especially after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, which put Indias allies in direct conflict with Israel. In fact, in 1975 India publicly supported and funded the Palestine Liberation Organization and voted for the UN resolution to equate Zionism with racism. The decline of the Soviet Union forced India to re-evaluate its foreign policy resulting in opening of the Indian economy and a desire to trade with high-tech state s, including Israel. The new approach to foreign policy, combined with the new initiatives to end the Arab-Israeli conflict in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War and the push by the opposition led to India initiating close ties with Israel and the two countries established full diplomatic relations in 1992. For nearly a decade afterward, commercial trade in arms and other goods thrived and ties were quietly strengthened. Indo-Israeli military exer ­cises and agreements in the fields of the environment, health, illicit traffic in drugs, visa waivers for diplomatic service personnel, and an educational cultural exchange program. In the same year, India and Israel issued the Delhi Statement on Friendship and Cooperation, in which they agreed to cooperate closely on counterterrorism and called on the international com ­munity to take decisive action against cross-border terrorism and money-laundering operations to finance terrorism. 19. Defense collaboration and arms sales with Israel picked up in January 1999 when the United States withdrew the sanctions that it had imposed on India in the wake of New Delhis 1998 nuclear test. In the late 1990s India purchased unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery, and radar systems from Israel. The emerging Indo-Israeli relationship was codified in 2001 with the creation of the Joint Defense Cooperation Group, which meets annually to solidify defense deals and military ties and coordi ­nate the security relationship. India has become Israels largest arms market, overtaking Russia in 2009. India has purchased a wide range of technically advanced equipment and weapons from Israel, including antimissile radar and electronic warfare components for the Indian navy and air force, for a total of more than $5 billion since 2002. 20. Indias Relations with The Small Gulf States. Indias ties with the geographically small but economically important Gulf states of Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait have been historically good due to trade and migration and their current economic relationship is booming. Indias trade with the six Gulf Coopera ­tion Council states (excluding oil) totaled $86.9 billion in FY 2008-09, sur ­passing Indias trade with the European Union ($80.6 billion), the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries ($44.6 billion), and the United States ($40.6 billion).  [15]  Looking to the future, Indian leaders have expressed a desire to continue the rapid expansion of trade, attract Gulf investment for major infrastructure projects, and broaden their Gulf state relationships beyond economics. In a May 2008 speech in Abu Dhabi, Indias external affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee, called for a transformation of Indias relations with the Gulf states beyond that of a buyer-s eller relation ­ship to a more substantial and enduring partnership. With Indias thriv ­ing economic relationship with the Gulf, continuing demographic ties and nascent defense cooperation, such an evolution may already be under way.

Phoolan Devi: Perceptions Of Power :: essays research papers

Phoolan Devi: Perceptions of Power The purpose of this paper is to analyze and index gender and power as they factor into the life of one Dalit woman, Phoolan Devi. Particularly, I have chosen to examine the idea of whether or not she wielded real power. In an attempt to make it more useful to speak of this slippery thing called power, I would like to make some declarations and pose some questions about its' nature. Cynthia Emerson has suggested that power is ultimately based on dependency relationships (Emerson 1962). It is important to remember that almost all manifestations of power require a power holder and at least one other party that believes that the first holds power. I would like to stress the word "believes" in the previous sentence because I think it is one of the key ingredients in understanding relationships of power. I realize that in many instances the power of the first party may not be undone merely by the second party ceasing to accept it, and that the power of one individual over another may sometimes be physically or otherwise inescapable. Often, the belief follows the direct experience of power, but regardless of the order in which it is conceptualized, I feel the nature of power is inextricably founded in belief and perception. One of the most striking characteristics of Phoolan Devi is her refusal to accept her power-deficient positions in her relationships. From the time that she was a child, she seems to have refused to conform to her society's hierarchical indexing. She resisted attempts to categorize and fix her into typical gender, class, and matrimonial positions. This is not to say that her resistance was always successful, but I am trying to show a lack of willingness to conform and accept her positions in her power relations. Her belief that the status that had been prescribed to her was unjust and her reluctance to accept it are key factors that led to her gaining power and breaking from her power deficient relationships. Her belief in her upward mobility made it possible. This belief in her self and resistance towards accepting the power forced on her helped undermine that same power. This is the one factor that makes Phoolan so different from so many of her Indian sisters that are still living under the thumb of Manu's Code. Does Phoolan Devi possess real power? So far we have considered theoretical power in relationships, but what about physical manifestations of power? The first example that comes to mind is the fact that over two hundred

The Importance Of The Press Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Importance of the Press   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The newspaper is a powerful medium. It is powerful because it has the ability to influence the way that people view the world, as well as their opinion of what they see. In peaceful times (or in times of oppression, for sometimes they can appear to be happening at the same moment) the press is usually one of the instruments used by the state in order to maintain the status quo. However, during times of political unrest it is often the press who becomes the major antagonist in the fight against the government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why is this so? Why does the press get so deeply involved in, not just the reporting of, but the instigating and propagating of political change? In order to properly answer this question there are several other key ideas and questions which must first be examined. To understand the nature of the press' involvement in political change, one must initially understand the nature of political change in its own right. In this vein, the first section of the paper is dedicated to this investigation. An examination of the motives behind revolution will be given in order to provide a framework for the second part of the paper, which will look at the involvement of the press during revolutionary times in more specific terms. The French revolution of 1789 will be used as a backdrop for this inquiry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different types of political movements, and accordingly there are many different reasons for these movements to occur. Value-oriented and norm-oriented movements deal with matters of social and political concern, but do so in the setting of the already existing political and social structures. Revolutionary movements seek to make fundamental changes to society in order to establish a completely new political and social order.1 The distinction being that the first aims to make subtle changes to society from within, while the latter's aim is to make drastic changes to society by getting rid of the principles that society was based on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Usually this will involve a change in political beliefs and values, or political ideology. In today's world there are numerous forms of political ideologies, but in essence they are all derived from two basic root ideologies; socialism and liberalism. Socialism is an ideology w... ... Prelude to Power, The Parisian radical Press: 1789-1791, Maryland: the Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976 The Influence of the Enlightenment on the French revolution, edited by William F. Church, Canada: D.C. Heath and Company, 1974 Darton, Robert and Daniel Roche, Revolution in Print: The Press in France 1775- 1800, USA: New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox & Tilden Foundations, 1989 Guy, James John, People, Politics & Government, Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan Canada Inc., 1990. Osler, Andrew. News, The Evolution of Journalism in Canada. Missisauga: Copp Clark Pitman Ltd., 1993. Popkin, Jeremy D. Revolutionary News, The Press in France 1789-1799. USA: Duke University Press, 1990. Footnotes 1James John Guy, People, Politics and Government, (Toronto, 1990), p. 103. 2 Ibid., p. 81 3 Gustave Le Bon, The Psychology of revolution, (USA, 1968), pp. 162-3 4Ibid., p. 28. 5Andrew M. Osler, News, The Evolution of Journalism in Canada, (Canada, 1993), p. 54. 6Jeremy D. Popkin, Revolutionary News The Press in France, 1789-1799, (USA, 1990), pp. 19-20. 7Ibid., p. 22-3. 8Ibid., p.25. 9Ibid., p. 26. 10Ibid., p.28. 11Ibid., p. 2. 12Ibid., p. 3. 13Ibid., p. 3. 14Osler, p. 54. t

Protecting American Jobs

Protecting American Jobs For the past two decades Americans have been getting laid off because their jobs are being transferred offshore. â€Å"Advances in technology and low-cost telecommunications now mean that a computer programmer, data entry specialist, or help-desk operator answering calls for a U. S. company can work as easily from India or the Philippines as from Iowa–and save parent companies some 30 percent to 70 percent in costs† (Otterman, 2004). This poses the question should the government protect American jobs by imposing stiff penalties on companies that transfer jobs offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing.No, stiffer taxes are not going to significantly effect the number of jobs that are being transferred off shore due to outsourcing. Instead the United States government needs to lower the average tax rate on multinational corporations and fix the loopholes that are currently being used to avoid paying these corporate taxes. For years American compani es have been scrutinized for outsourcing their jobs by off shoring. Even though this has been going on for the past twenty or more years it is being brought to light even more now since our country is in a recession.There are many reasons companies choose to outsource off shore. One of the main reasons is cost savings, many developing countries are more affordable for American companies to operate in because an employee that may cost $50 and hour in America might only cost about $5 an hour in a developing country. Companies are not just off shoring for cost benefits but also for the fact that many other countries have many educated and highly skilled workers who can perform jobs that are needed overseas. Business can also operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week by taking advantage of the offshore workers.When it is 6 p. m. in New York it is 6 a. m. in Singapore. Americans want that 24 hours a day 7 days a week customer service when they are having problems with things like their comput er. Outsourcing offshore also makes it a lot easier for companies to sell goods and services in a global market when they are producing them there and can reach their customers more quickly and effectively. Technological possibilities are another reason companies are choosing to offshore American jobs. Since many service jobs do not require face-to-face interaction they are able to erform these jobs from wherever is needed (Popwell, 2010). Many argue that the government should protect American jobs by imposing stiff penalties on companies that transfer jobs offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing. They claim off shoring has laid off thousands of American workers who will not be able to find other work unless they learn new skills. They also claim that off shoring is a major contributor to the United States 9 percent unemployment rate (United States Department of Labor, 2011).But they are only supporting their claims by the fact that they think companies are only off shoring for cos t incentives. Where as stated before there are many other reasons companies outsource offshore and many ways to make up for the job losses. Those who oppse the government protecting American jobs with stiff penalties for off shoring recognise that yes, cost savings is a big incentive for a company to outsource off shore, but there are also many more reasons that comapanies should opperate on a global scale that out weigh the loss of jobs in America. Thea Lee, policy director for the AFL-CIO, says much of the economic data supporting the link between overseas investment and domestic job growth fails to distinguish between foreign investment used to serve market demand for U. S. goods and services and foreign investment used to buy cheaper labor abroad† (Wolverson, 2011). So when looking at the total number of American jobs that have been outsourced off shore we also have to stop and think about how many of them were for market demand to better serve us and how many of them real ly were outsourced because it was cheaper.People also have to remember that companies have to try and find ways to make the both the consumer and the investors happy. Consumers want the best quality at the lowest price and the investors want to see a high profit, so to do that companies have to find the middle ground. Which means they have to find the best solution for everyone even if it means outsourcing jobs offshore because it more cost effective for the company. According to Jagdish N. Bhagwati, â€Å"employing workers at lower cost allows U.S. companies to be more efficient and productive, permitting them to create the same amount of goods with fewer resources. In turn, this lowers the price of the goods in the United States, strengthening U. S. companies and freeing workers for other tasks. The savings allows U. S. companies to stay afloat and expand in a highly competitive global market† (Otterman, 2004). Outsourcing is not always a bad, it is a change, and change is what pushes both our economy and our nation forward.Another good point that has been made is, the average global tax rate on multinational corporations is about 27 percent, compared to 39 percent in the United States (Wolverson, 2011). Given this information it would seem that instead of penalizing our multinational corporations for increasing international trade, maybe the United States government should focus more on bring in multinational corporations from other countries. This would not only create more jobs in the untied states to compensate for the ones that are being lost overseas but also stimulate more international trade. A 2008 OECD study found that foreign direct investment increases by 3. 7 percent for every one percentage point decrease in the corporate tax rate, and that, as cross-border capital flows increase, foreign direct investment is increasingly swayed by countries' tax rules† (Wolverson, 2011). We should be focusing on how to get more multinational corpo rations into the United States instead of focusing on how to hold back our multinational corporations. Along with lowering the average tax rate on multinational corporations the government should also fix the loopholes that exist.This way all multinational corporations will be taxed the same instead of some getting taxed the full 39 percent, while the others are using loopholes and hardly pay any taxes. Even in president Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address he called congress to simplify the system by getting rid of corporate loopholes so they can level the playing field and aid in the country’s competiveness and growth potential. To further support this, in an article from NationalJournal. com â€Å"many economists say that the corporate tax code is a mess and overdue for a clean-up.The code riddled with inefficiencies, creating perverse incentives for companies to invest overseas and waste money on elaborate tax-reduction strategies. Business supporters say a ove rhaul could eliminate the misguided incentives, lower tax rates, and attract more capital to the U. S. Some liberal critics also support reform, saying the current system is so tangled that it doesn't even do a good job of raising revenue† (Fernholz, 2011). Corporate tax breaks cost the federal government about $1. 1 trillion annually (Wolverson, 2011).If the government decided to really follow through with this corporate tax reform it could really help stimulate the economy and help to create new jobs help not only the 9 percent national unemployment rate go down but could also help create jobs for the people who lost their jobs due to off shoring. Overall the government should not be focusing on protecting American jobs that are being transferred offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing. Instead they should be working to close loopholes to even out the amount of taxes companies are paying.While also working to lower the average tax rate on multinational corporations to make outsourcing to the United States more desirable to multinational corporations in other countries. Word Count: 1419 Works Cited Fernholz, T. (2011, January 24). NationalJournal. com. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Obama Team Wants Business Buy-In on Corporate Tax Reform. Otterman, S. (2004, February 20). TRADE: Outsourcing Jobs. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Council on Foreign Relations: http://www. cfr. org/pakistan/trade-outsourcing-jobs/p7749 Popwell, N. (2010, October 27).Offshore Outsourcing: The Controversy Over Moving Jobs Overseas. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles. com/? Offshore-Outsourcing:-The-Controversy-Over-Moving-Jobs-Overseas&id=5253123 United States Department of Labor. (2011, February 4). Economic News Release. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Bureau of Labor Statustics: http://www. bls. gov/news. release/empsit. nr0. htm Wolverson, R. (2011, February 11). Outsourcing Jobs and Taxes. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Cou ncil on Foreign Relations: http://www. cfr. org/united-states/outsourcing-jobs-taxes/p21777