Observation Letter

Gender inequality is an indispensable ingredient of our daily routine. While women suffer the lack of achievement and empowerment, men perceive themselves as the carriers of the dominant social vision, with which women are bound to comply. However, women and men are physically different does not mean that they are unequal. Most of what is known about gender inequality between men and women are socially constructed and has nothing to do with the physical differences between them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Observation Letter specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A few weeks ago I observed a situation, which surprised and confused me. The situation itself and my impressions from it led me to question the premises, on which the whole system of social relations currently rests. I saw a young, beautiful woman on the street. She was speaking on the phone to someone very dear to her. She had tears in her voice and did n ot seem to care that she was in the street, surrounded by dozens and hundreds of people. He voice was shaking. She could hardly control her emotions, and it was difficult not to notice her frustration. As far as I could understand, she was discussing her workplace and the barriers which she had encountered to her professional growth. Most probably, she was refused a promotion, based on her gender. Indeed, the woman could file a lawsuit against her employer but, at that moment, she could not understand why her gender was such a problem at work. She said â€Å"Mike won the project, although he never spent a single effort to create anything worthy of attention. The staff did not support him, because he never cooperated with anyone. His project would not be successful, but he won the game. I know why – because he is a man, and I am a woman†. Undoubtedly, gender has far-reaching implications for social stability. Emotions matter, but sociological theories could shed some li ght on what it means to be a woman in a gendered society. â€Å"The structural-functional approach is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability† (Macionis 14). Simply-stated, structural-functional theory is essentially about social stability and social behaviors that contribute to it (Macionis 14). Gender inequality in structural functionalism is inevitable and even desirable: it creates conditions for continuous social growth. Men leave home to provide for their families’ basic needs, whereas women stay at home and do their household work. This is the best way to preserve the stability and order in a gendered society, although the young woman in the street cannot accept this order of things. The structural-functional theory implies that, whenever a woman has a chance to go outside and find a job, her prospects for professional growth and career promotion should be meager. Otherwi se, she will compete with men for a better social position and pose a threat to the stability of family and professional bonds.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From the social-conflict perspective, society is a field of inequalities, which drive conflict and change (Macionis 15). It is due to the physical differences between men and women that gender inequality is relevant and justified. Managers and supervisors in firms hold the belief that women are not physiologically fit to cope with their workplace tasks. This is why women are denied an opportunity for career promotion in the workplace. This is why their projects and exemplary workplace performance rarely lead them to a higher career position. Women’s lives are entirely about fighting for a small place under the sun. They experience disappointment but can do nothing to reduce the conflict between them and their male colleagues. The social conflict emerges from a belief that women are not suited for career growth and, consequentially, cannot use their creative potential to the fullest. The gender-conflict approach shows the many ways in which men dominate women at home, in the workplace, and even in the mass media (Macionis 16). This approach to sociology raises severe concerns about the future of women in a gendered society but says nothing about possible ways to resolve the ongoing conflict of genders. The social-functional and social-conflict approaches create a full picture of gender inequality, but it is through symbolic interactionism that the roots and sources of gender discrimination in the workplace can be understood. The development of male attitudes toward women begins early in life. Men and women learn about their gender roles from their parents, peers, teachers, and significant others. At school or in the street, girls are taught to be submissive and are rarely praised for their â⠂¬Å"career desires.† They learn how to be good wives but do not always have an opportunity to pursue the goals of education and professional development. In their turn, boys quickly learn to treat girls as â€Å"weaker sex.† Boys view discrimination as an effective, nonverbal instrument of attaining power and dominance. As a result, in adult life, men have better chances to obtain a position of strength. These ongoing experiences create a symbolic meaning of gender inequality, which pervades all spheres of social life. Adult males do not want to recognize that women can be excellent workers and prominent professionals because society teaches them to dominate the social hierarchy. In their turn, women are lost and disappointed at being unable to break the relevance and stability of the gendered symbols. What has occurred in the street reflects the pervasive nature of gender inequality in society. I am convinced that gender inequality is impossible to eradicate. Affirmati ve action policies and gender equality strategies in the workplace are only partially effective. When male supervisors deny women promotion and growth opportunities, they send a message of gender inequality and imply that work and women are incompatible.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Observation Letter specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These discriminative acts and decisions serve a reliable element of the symbolic â€Å"male-female† game and re-establish gender inequality as a role model of social relations for thousands of people to follow. Works Cited Macionis, John J. Sociology. 13th edition. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2010. Print. 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Adaptation Proposal The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

Adaptation Proposal The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy The ‘death of Ivan Ilych’ is a novella that focuses on the impending death of Ivan Ilych. Ivan was a high court judge in Russia during the 19th century. Despite having a poor relationship with his wife, Ivan had a good life. Ivan fell and suffered minor injuries while he was decorating his new apartment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Adaptation Proposal: â€Å"The Death of Ivan Ilyich† by Leo Tolstoy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The injuries resulted in a terminal illness. The novella focuses on the imminent death of Ivan Illych. The adaptation of the novella would portray the life of Chan. Chan is a high school student in modern day China. Chan has a modest upbringing. His parents taught him the value of hard work. Consequently, Chan strives to excel in his studies. His hard work has paid off as he constantly has the highest grades in his class. One day, while Chan was playing basketball wi th his friends, he suffered minor injuries. Initially, he thought that the injuries were minor. However, the pains did not subside with time. This forced him to seek medical attention. In hospital, Chan was shocked when the doctor told him that he had a highly advanced cancer of the brain. The doctor told him that he had about 6 months to live. The devastating news threatened Chan’s dream of attaining a high school diploma. His final exams were five months after his initial diagnosis. However, Chan did not want to give up on his dream. He could not conceive the notion that three and half years of hard work would go to waste. Therefore, he immersed himself in his studies. This is despite the fact that he knew that he may die before sitting for his final exams. Chan died soon after finishing his exams. He attained a very good score. The teachers and students honored him post-humorously.  The adaptation will target people of all ages. The story in the adaption can relate to pe ople of all ages. It is the story of despair, hard work, and eventual triumph. People of all ages may face the problems that Chan faced. Among different people, the ‘cancer diagnosis’ may be bankruptcy, loss of a loved one, or loss of a job. The story shows that determination and hard work enables people to overcome their problems. This is despite the magnitude of the problems.  The adaptation will strive to show that people should not give up despite the problems that they may face. People should always chase their dreams at all costs. Chan was an academically gifted student. However, he did not lose hope due to the cancer diagnosis. He strived to attain his dream of graduating from high school.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Eventually, he triumphed. He attained a very good grade.  Adaptation of the movie will face several challenges. One of t he major challenges is the ability to determine the most appropriate length of a certain scene. The length of scenes portray the focus of a movie. In the novella, the author focuses on the death of Ivan Illych. Therefore, adaptation would focus on the imminent death of Chan. However, it would be difficult to determine the most appropriate length of various scenes. In addition, it is difficult to find characters who would be able relay the message in the movie effectively.  The characters of the movie would help in tackling the above problems. Therefore, it is vital to choose highly talented characters who would be able translate the aura of the book to the movie. The movie will show how determination and hard work lead to eventual triumph. This is the main idea in the novella. In both the novella and the adaptation, the characters triumph.  The movie will use a deep focus. Deep focus will enable the movie to provide a clear and sharp image of a wide area. This will enable the mo vie to capture Chan’s environment more effectively. In addition, it would help in portraying factors that affect people who are in Chan’s generation. To achieve this, the movie will use a large amount of light. The aperture of the camera will also help in achieving deep focus. The movie will use a camera with a small aperture. Chan’s death is the most important scene in the movie. The movie begins with Chan’s dying breaths. He will be in his bedroom surrounded by his grief-stricken family and friends. The scene shows the sense of relief in Chan’s eyes and the sorrow in his family’s eyes. The sense of relief in the face of imminent death helps in raising questions among the viewers. Viewers expect people who face imminent death to have horror in their eyes. The movie provides flashbacks that show how Chan got to his current predicament. The flashbacks also show Chan’s relationship with his family and friends. In addition, the flashback s help in explaining why Chan did not face death with horror in his eyes. Despite having a short life, he had attained his dream of graduating from high school. Therefore, this scene shows characters that are central to the movie.

Composing Descriptive Paragraphs and Essays

Composing Descriptive Paragraphs and Essays The purpose of descriptive writing is to make our readers see, feel, and hear what we have seen, felt, and heard. Whether were describing a person, a place, or a thing, our aim is to reveal a subject through vivid, carefully arranged details. Two common forms of description are the character sketch (or profile) and the place description. In describing a character, we look for details that not only show what an individual looks like but also provide clues to his or her personality. Eudora Weltys Sketch of Miss Duling (a precise physical description of a first-grade teacher) and Mark Singers Profile of Mr. Personality (a description of the only member of the Goodnicks of America) are just two of the paragraph-length character sketches linked below. With thoughtfully organized details, we can also suggest the personalityor moodof a place. Below youll find links to several place descriptions, including Wallace Stegners Town Dump and a students essay on her Home of Yesteryear. For ideas on how to compose your own descriptive paragraph or essay, spend some time studying the guidelines, topic suggestions, exercises, and readings offered here. Description: Writing Guidelines and Topic Suggestions How to Write a Descriptive ParagraphDiscovery Strategy: Probing Your TopicPractice in Supporting a Topic Sentence With Descriptive DetailsDraft a Descriptive ParagraphPractice in Revising a Place DescriptionEssay Assignment: Profile40 Topic Suggestions for Descriptive Paragraphs and Essays Description: Sentence Combining Exercises Nervous NormanRolling Along With Mr. BillThe KitchenMy Home of Yesteryear Descriptive Paragraphs: Place Description Model Descriptive ParagraphsEach of these four descriptive paragraphs (three student paragraphs along with a paragraph by Maxine Hong Kingston) responds in its own way to the guidelines in How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph.Model Place DescriptionsAs you read these four paragraphs, notice how place signals help to establish cohesion, guiding the reader clearly from one detail to the next.Descriptive Details in Stegners Town DumpIn these five paragraphs from his memoir Wolf Willow, Stegner employs precise descriptive details to convey the poetry of a town dump.David Sedariss Description of a Nudist Trailer ParkIn this excerpt from his essay Naked, an account of a week-long visit to a nudist colony, Sedaris describes his living quarters and the surrounding neighborhood.Joseph Mitchells Place Description: McSorleys SaloonMitchell describes New York Citys oldest Irish tavern in a series of clearly arranged sentences, many of them short and deceptively simple yet always precise and evoc ative. Lists in William Least Heat-Moons Place DescriptionIn this passage from Blue Highways, William Least Heat-Moon describes a cafe in Darlington, South Carolina. Note his reliance on detailed lists to convey a sense of place.Comparison in Sarah Vowells Place DescriptionSarah Vowell conveys distinct impressions of her father and herself by describingand comparingtheir different work spaces at home.Edgar Allan Poes New York in the 1840sNote Poes attention to details of place and the ways that his descriptions evoke a melancholic mood.Character Sketch by John McPheeJohn McPhee combines vivid descriptions with direct quotations in this sketch of a schoolteacher who works in a public market during summer vacations.Willie Morriss Descriptive NarrativeIn this passage from his memoir North Toward Home, Morris relies on concrete details that both record and interpret a shocking experience. Descriptive Paragraphs: Character Sketches and Profiles Eudora Weltys Sketch of Miss DulingWeltys precise physical description of her first-grade teacher, Miss Duling, also provides insights into the character of this lifelong subscriber to perfection.John Lahrs Profile of David MametThis paragraph has been drawn from the conclusion of Lahrs lengthy profile of David Mamet. Notice how the description of the cabin where the playwright works, the references to the books on his table, and the brief quotations from Mamets sister and from Mamet himself all serve to reveal aspects of character.Mark Singers Profile of Mr. PersonalityMark Singer describes the founder and at the moment the only member of an organization called the Goodnicks of America.Russell Bakers Sketch of Mr. FleagleIn this description of his high school English teacher, journalist Russell Baker relies on repetition to convey an overwhelming impression of dullness.Status Details in Tom Wolfes DescriptionsIn these two paragraphs from the novel A Man in Full, Wolfe conveys a sens e of character through physical descriptionor what he calls status details. Description: Classic Essays In Mammoth Cave, by John BurroughsSome of these pits are simply appalling.The Land of Little Rain, by Mary AustinMen are bewitched by it and tempted to try the impossible.The Watercress Girl, by Henry MayhewShe dont often beat me; but, when she do, she dont play with me.Rural Hours, by Susan Fenimore CooperSuch open hill-sides . . . bear a kind of heaving, billowy character.Two Ways of Seeing a River, by Mark TwainAll the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river!Street Haunting: A London Adventure, by Virginia WoolfInto each of these lives one could penetrate a little way.On a Rainy Morning, by Charles S. BrooksThere is so much life on wet and windy days.The Rise of Pancho Villa, by John ReedVilla was an outlaw for twenty-two years.The Story of a Garden, by Mabel Osgood WrightNature tangles things with a motive.The Libido for the Ugly, by H. L. MenckenOut of the melting pot emerges a race which hates beauty.

The Role of Islamic Law in the Management of Formal and Informal Research Paper

The Role of Islamic Law in the Management of Formal and Informal Organizations in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example As the paper declares Saudi Arabia is ran as an Islamic Theocracy and the Quran is the basis of the countrys constitution. The country is governed by stringent Islamic law which defines every aspect of the lives of people in the Kingdom. Since Saudi Arabia was meant to be Islamic from the onset, it has rules that strictly bind both the Muslims and non-Muslims of the country. Commentators like the Human Rights Watch have criticized Saudi Arabia for using Islamic Law in a compulsory manner that sometimes causes some degree of discrimination to non-Muslims in the Kingdom. This essay outlines that although proponents like Fouad argue that the universal application of Sharia in Saudi Arabia supports to bring benefits and stability to the country, there are some human rights issues that can be raised. First of all, the law focuses more on the Muslims since they are designed with the practicing Muslim in mind (Jones). Hence, there is a limitation on the individual rights of non-Muslims. The research will include an assessment of the different frameworks and concepts that regulate the conduct of business. The study will be conducted by the critical review of secondary sources. These sources will include books, journals and other relevant materials that define

Should liberalist states promote their policies abroad Is force a Essay

Should liberalist states promote their policies abroad Is force a legitimate instrument in securing these goals - Essay Example The questions asked are; is liberalism really a bad ideology that it has to be forced on other nations and how can the citizens of various nations benefit from liberalism? This paper supports the notion that liberalist states should promote their policies abroad but force should not be used as a legitimate instrument in securing these goals. Policy making was largely influenced by liberalists in the twentieth century. The liberalists influenced Public opinion and their liberal views were embraced as they gave the people hope for having free elections, religious freedom, free press, free markets, associational pluralism, free movement and many other associated benefits. However, with the First World War, liberal views subsided but after the Second World War, there was revival of liberal views marked by the establishment of United Nations. The cold war power politics extinguished liberalism again but in the 1990s; there was a beacon of hope as the Western countries announced the establ ishment of a new world order (Dunne 1). The leaders who came up with the new world order gave their justifications why the world should embrace liberalism over other ideologies but after the World Trade Centre was destroyed by a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, America seemed to abandon liberalism and embraced realism. The United States of America and its counterparts have attempted to solidify power around them and decided to seek vengeance among their perceived enemies and the nations that sympathize with them. The paper expounds on the matter, showing liberalism to be founded on temperateness, compromise, moderation, and peace while realists strive to introduce a common power in order to achieve progress, justice and law (Dunne 2). For a long period, liberalism has been utilized to depict abroad range of practices, ideas, movements, and parties in various societies. It was mainly used to oppose the systems of governance that were oppressive and denied the citizens some pri vileges. Liberalism was used as a force of liberation for the people to obtain free initiatives from existing governments. When used as a political philosophy, liberalism can either refer to individual rights shared by liberals or basic principles of constitutional authorities. Classical liberals advocated for liberty, the segmentation of political powers, economic freedom, rights to own property, freedom of speech and thoughts, independent civil societies and religious liberty. Egalitarian aspects have influenced modern democratic liberalism in addition to the other aspects that classical liberalists advocated for, thus social equality serving as the foundation of modern-day liberal politics (Starr 34). Liberalism can be defined in four dimensions, which look into its different aspects. Firstly, when relating to the law, all the citizens are equal, meaning that they are equally bound by the law and bear basic rights to religious toleration, education, and free press among other rig hts. Secondly, the legislative body of a nation can only exercise authority vested in it by the citizens and is not permitted to abuse their rights. Thirdly, an individual has the right to property ownership and productive forces. Fourthly, liberalism identifies the free, market driven economic exchange system as the most effective and disparages market systems that are controlled and regulated bureaucratically. When one considers these four

Influence Of Stakeholders To An Organization Economics Essay

Influence Of Stakeholders To An Organization Economics Essay Developing a vision, mission and values is the foundation for long term success, as demonstrated by Collins Porras in  Built to Last, the Disney organisation, and Dee Hock at Visa. If a vision and mission is recognised by all stakeholders and affects every hiring, strategic decision and communication; its effect can be magic. Vision: A vision helps unite people towards a purpose. Creating and living a vision is the role of leaders in organisations. They have to espouse it and help others to believe it. Visions are aesthetic and moral, they come from within as well as outside. According to Disney, a successful vision accomplishes six goals: gives a sense of the future guides decision making and strategy creates a shared purpose provides guidelines that determine behaviour inspires emotion connects to values Mission: A mission statement is a unifying statement of what an organisation is in business to do. It is a key reference point in the planning and implementation of change. A mission statement is a description of the organisations key purposes. Values: Values are the beliefs of an organisation, the expression of what it stands for and how it will conduct itself. Values are the core of an organisations being. They underpin policies, objectives, procedures and strategies because they provide an anchor and a reference point for all things that happen. P2 (04.1.02): Evaluate the extent to which an organisation achieves the objectives of three stakeholders Businesses, like people, are part of the world community and as such have responsibility for the activities carried out in their name. Businesses are also responsible to a range of stakeholders with often differing and conflicting aims. For example an electronics manufacturer might have the following stakeholders: Stakeholder group Objectives of stakeholders Shareholders to maximise profits of the business, dividends and the value of shares Employees to maximise salaries and job security Customers value for money, good quality products P3 (04.1.03): Explain the responsibilities of an organisation and strategies employed to meet them Simply put, strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more, how its going to get there and how itll know if it got there or not. The focus of a strategic plan is usually on the entire organization, while the focus of a business plan is usually on a particular product, service or program. There are a variety of perspectives, models and approaches used in strategic planning. The way that a strategic plan is developed depends on the nature of the organizations leadership, culture of the organization, complexity of the organizations environment, size of the organization, expertise of planners, etc. Quite often, an organizations strategic planners already know much of what will go into a strategic plan However, development of the strategic plan greatly helps to clarify the organizations plans and ensure that key leaders are all on the same script. Far more important than the strategic plan document, is the strategic planning process itself. P4 (04.2.01): Explain how economic systems attempt to allocate and make effective use of resources Economic systems   An economic system is one that a society attempts to meet peoples material needs and wants through the production of goods and services. From the countrys point of view, production of goods and services is influenced by the limited supply of such elements as labour, land and natural resources and capital. The scarcity of supply of resources means that the Government has to decide the allocation of these limited resources among competing claims, given the opportunity costs associated with the decision of producing a certain products and services within the economy systems instead of others. Effective use of resources   The extent to which the mix economies, for effective allocation of resources, between the government intervention and private enterprises varies from countries to countries. Government interventions are usually in the form provision or prohibition, subsidies or tax and regulation In the case of telecom business, Singapore Government has provided that telecom sector to be liberalized in 1998 in line with Singapores broad direction of economic development, that is, to withdraw from commercial activities which no longer need to be undertaken by the public sector. Privatization also allowed government to raise cash through sale of state enterprises, getting rid of poorly managed state enterprises. SingTel has evolved from a government agency since 1955 through the processes of corporatization in 1992 and privatization in 1993 freeing a state enterprise from political interference so that they can function as commercial entities. On the other hand, the Singapore government has created and maintained what is known as an enabling business environment providing the legal and infrastructures needed to support private sector activities to act as the engine of economic growth. By privatization, Singapore government avoided the competition with private sector, hence, creating a business environment that allowed competition among private telecommunication providers. P5 (04.2.02): Discuss the impact of social welfare and industrial policy initiatives on organisations and the wider community The  Industrial Policy  plan of a nation, sometimes shortened  IP, denotes a nations declared, official, total strategic effort to influence sectoral development and, thus, national industry portfolio.  A nations Industrial Policy plan is composed of a comprehensive set of sector-specific industrial policies. Most if not all countries in the world have chosen to intervene actively in their domestic economy through industrial policies. Some authors believe that what motivated the Canadian government to pursue an industrial policy during the 1970s was their concern of  deindustrialization, a problem that seems to justify the use of interventionist practices, since manufacture has been considered the  engine of growth  in economic theory. Even the  United States, a nation historically in favor of free-trade, has implemented strong  tax, tariff, and trade  laws to protect itself from dumping, the flooding of a market by a competing nation with goods or services below market prices in order to gain an advantage over domestic firms. European socialist commitment is for welfare programmes and universal suffrage to extend citizenship and equality of opportunity. Property must prepared to pay for its security and the infrastructures society provides law, stability, a productive, educated population, the right to trade in the market which has institutions and safeguards enabling commerce to occur the features of Adam Smiths marketplace. P6 (04.2.03): Evaluate the impact of macro economic policy measures and the influence of the global economy on UK-based organisations and stakeholders The outlook for the global economy has deteriorated rapidly. We are now faced with a synchronised downturn in most of the worlds major economies. These developments will have a profound impact on the UK economy and raise the prospects of an especially severe recession. As an economy enters a recession many macroeconomic forecasters typically expect growth to return to its trend or average rate reasonably quickly. As economic conditions continue to deteriorate the projections for a recovery are successively pushed further out into the future. The common assumption appears to be that the underlying forces putting downward pressure on economic activity, which we often have a poor understanding of, are likely to dissipate. But often these shocks to economic activity are more prolonged than anyone expects. With Bank Rate at a historic low of 1.5% we must consider the options available to monetary policy makers in case we approach the zero bound in the near future. In this speech I will argue that the Bank of England has a range of tools available to provide an effective monetary stimulus to the economy, even at the zero bound. Meaning of Competition and Competitive Markets: The concept of competition can be defined in many ways. In common parlance, competition refers to rivalry between firms in a market for objects like market share and profits. Market power is the ability to raise market prices above competitive levels and exclude competition. Competition in a market refers to actions of incumbents in an established market and those potential entrants who would like to sell the same product. The instruments of competition would be price or capacity (quantity competition) and other non-price instruments like advertising etc. This involves erecting entry barriers, product differentiation, vertical integration etc. Competition for a market is defined as a process of creating a new market based on innovative technologies and/or new standards (example new operating system for Windows). This involves challenging the sellers of existing products through the introduction of new products or creating potential competition by upfront investment in facilities to supply a new product. Here the instrument of competition is not the price or capacity. Measurement of competition for a market is much more difficult than the measurement of competition in a market. It is helpful to discuss certain standard models that economic analysis uses to understand competition and competitive behaviour. P8 (04.3.01): Use a range of examples to illustrate the relationship between market forces and organisational responses Market forces are economic factors that affect the price and availability of a product or a service in a free market. Major market forces that influence demand and supply New entrants and substitutes Competition among exiting rivalry Regulatory forces Example: SignTels responses: Response to loss of domestic market share- Embark on regionalization enlarging its customer based covering Singapore, Indonesia, India, Thailand and Australia. Build economies of scale through an enlarged market Response to threats from new entrants: building economies of scale through the enlarged regional market. Response to competitive rivalry- backward integration by selling content, i.e. MioTV instead of just merely a broadband supplier- exclusive distributorship for apples I-phone leading to a monopolistic position in the Asia region Response to Regulator:- Collaboration with competitors by allowing them to share telecom network. Market forces have impacted SignTel SignTel responded by its regional and channel strategies to strengthen its leading position in Asia including Singapore telecom market. P9 (04.3.02): Explain the behaviour and competitive strategies employed by an organisation and discuss the role of the Competition Commission and regulatory bodies The choice of competitive strategy is one of the most important decisions for small business success. Traditionally, external adaptation has been the focus of strategy process research. We know little, however, about the relationships between the firms internal resources and the strategic orientations. Current issues that call for action in strategy research include why small business managers make certain strategic choices rather than others, and how small business managers can develop competitive strategies based on available resources. In order to achieve high performance each strategy must be supported with appropriate resources and distinct competencies (Snow Hrebiniak, 1980). Before we address these questions we need, however, to understand the relations between strategies and resources, including the relationships between various resource configurations and the actual competitive strategies employed by small firms. The competitive strategy literature based on Porters seminal contributions and Miles and Snows (1978) typology focuses on the competitive positioning part of strategy. It has to a lesser extent highlighted the internal parts of the firm. Day and Wensley (1988) as well as Spender (1993) called for research addressing the conversion of an organizations skills and resources into positional advantages. We may find that the most critical elements in creating sustainable competitive advantage are found in the internal resource configuration of the firm (Amit Schoemaker, 1993; Barney, 1991; Black Boal, 1994). The interplay between the market oriented positioning aspects of strategy and the internal resource configuration and governance of the firm is still within business strategy research. P10 (04.3.03): Discuss the importance of international trade, economic integration and global markets to UK business organisations The Governments central economic objective is to achieve high and stable rates of economic growth and employment. Trade openness and globalisation have an important role to play in raising the long-run rate of growth in the economy. Evidence suggests more open economies tend to grow faster. Openness to trade strengthens the drivers of productivity by providing greater opportunities to exploit economies of scale; by exposing the domestic economy to greater competitive pressures; by rewarding innovation and providing access to new technologies; and by increasing incentives for investment. Alongside the benefits to economic growth, consumers are already benefiting from globalisation through both the increased choice of goods and services available and through lower prices of imports, for example, of consumer electronics. In addition to these effects, globalisation offers potential benefits to certain subsets of the economy. For example, the creation of global supply chains could increasingly enable specialised SMEs to compete more effectively by performing specific operations in the supply chain. Their flexibility, nimbleness and quality advantages may provide a competitive advantage over larger competitors. P11 (04.4.01): Analyse the impact of two policies of the European Union on UK business organisations Impacts Most participants considered that the benefits of participation exceeded the costs they had incurred. However, although a high proportion of projects were concerned with product or process development there has been little commercialisation of project outputs since completion. In total these represent over 25% of the sample but the size of the commercial returns are in most cases very small, typically amounting to a few thousand pounds per annum. Technical success rates in the project were high with over 80% of participants having achieved all, or most, of their objectives. The fact that participants were satisfied with their participation despite the low levels of commercialisation reflects the other benefits they derived. Over three-quarters of those interviewed cited enhanced scientific or technical knowledge as a key benefit of participation. P12 (04.4.02): Explain the economic implications for the UK of entry into EMU The UK has to decide whether to join the other members of the EU in a monetary union. This choice depends in part on the outturns for the economy inside and outside EMU. The UK has chosen to target inflation, and this can involve some price level drift, whilst the ECB emphasises Price Stability and would plan to reverse the drift in the price level that might be caused by external shocks such as an increase in the oil price. It compares these ideas with the more Anglo-Saxon approach embedded in inflation targets. These regimes are then compared over the future using a large macro model (NiGEM) which includes descriptions of all the European economies. It is repeatedly subject to historically representative shocks. The effects of these shocks on the UK and Europe are compared with the UK in and out of EMU. Membership of EMU helps stabilise inflation and the price level in the UK, but leaves output more volatile. The differences depend on the rules in place and on the set of shocks app lied to the model. It concludes a discussion of the options available to the UK.

The portrait of a real man in modern society

The portrait ofa real man in modern society Life has always made great demands on man and these demands change unrecognizably as years go by. For instance, all that was required of a primitive man was the ability to hunt well, whereas modern people have to combine different complicated roles. We live in a dynamically developing world where everything Is planned down to the minute. All the systems of todays society function together and men are just â€Å"cogs in the machine†. And yet these â€Å"cogs† must be flexible, intelligent and active. But on the other hand, our lifestyle offers some benefits as well.For example, meeting numerous challenges gives you the sense of achievement and raises your self-esteem. But If our world today Is so diverse, Is there a unified Image of the real man? This question troubles many people and a great number of them try to find an answer to it. To my mind, one of the most valuable qualities today is intelligence, which allows one to ful fil one's duties, get and analyse information and come up with effective solutions. But Intelligence alone Isn't enough to make a successful person. creativity and Imagination are quite Important qualltles ppreciated by todays employers.In such a highly-developed world as ours man should be capable of inventing new methods of doing routine things. That's why discovering your talents Is becoming more vital nowadays than ever before. Having an activity that you are good at can brighten up your life and, what's more, protect you from all the temptations which can attract idlers so much. Furthermore, they say, â€Å"A sound mind in sound body'. That's why all the qualities listed above are Inseparable from physical fitness. Many people nowadays attend gyms or work out by hemselves In order to stay fit and healthy.Another pastime which Is gaining popularity is extreme sports. Daring people go in for mountaineering, surfing, bungee jumping or other risky activities to see how far their l imits may go. However, this tendency isnt as admirable as It may seem, for many people put their lives at risk lust to fill the emptiness In their souls or minds with adrenaline. Speaking frankly, I'd rather they took up something useful for the society instead. Everybody knows that our world today is full of problems – global and local, major and minor, and people ith an active life position cant but think about the poor, the homeless and the disabled.The majority of us have understood the importance of charity, volunteer work and fighting against such social evils as alcoholism and drug addiction. To sum up, a real man should possess all the qualities which I have mentioned. In my opinion, one of the examples ofa real man of the 21 st century is Chulpan Khamatova, a gifted actress whose talent Is unique and lustrous. She Is also known for her unprecedented social activity which draws public attention to the problems of children with cancer.In the year 2006 Chulpan became a co-founder of a charity fund â€Å"Gift of life† which helps children suffering from oncological diseases. She manages to find time for charity work although the actress's profession Is extremely hard and , besides, she has three children of her own to take care of. Of course, not everyone can live up to todays expectations and it has always been a hard task to meet the demands of the society. No one is perfect, but we can try to develop all tnese good qualltles In ourselves, as ellow once put It, â€Å"All are arcnltects 0T Fate working in these walls of Time†¦ â€Å"