Answering Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Answering Questions - Research Paper Example According to Taylor, there are two ways to maintain the sense of intense solidarity. The first way deals with the â€Å"older modes of solidarity†. Republican secularism in France, according to Taylor’s example, is â€Å"erecting a dam against Muslim immigrants†. This is ineffective and represents the first way. The second way is to redefine identity â€Å"in dialogue with some elements that are external, and some that are internal†. In Taylor’s opinion this means to preserve traditions, start dialog with foreigners, and form the political ethic upon human rights. Thus, different groups of people must unite in the desire to preserve solidarity. It will happen if â€Å"Christians see it as central to their Christianity, if Muslims see it as central to their Islam, and if the various kinds of lay philosophies see it as central to their philosophies†. The ultimate goal is to create a powerful political ethic of solidarity based upon the presence and acceptance of very different views. Northop Frye, in his turn, also speaks of solidarity, but his opinion is a bit different. First of all, the author distinguishes between the national identity and national unity: â€Å"identity is local and regional, rooted in the imagination and in works of culture; unity is national in reference, international in perspective, and rooted in a political feeling†. The author condemns uniformity, when people â€Å"use the same cliches, thinks alike and behave alike†. The result of such uniformity will be a society â€Å"which seems comfortable at first but is totally lacking in human dignity†. What the author considers to be a â€Å"real unity† is tolerating dissent and rejoicing in variety of outlook and tradition, recognizing that it is man’s destiny to unite and not divide. It is possible to see that both authors support the idea of preserving the traditions of different cultures inside one

Financial problem in a country or organization of your choice Essay Example for Free

Financial problem in a country or organization of your choice Essay Discuss the causes of a financial problem in a country or organization of your choice and suggest some solutions. Specify the problem and the City/Country and relate to a particular study. Zimbabwe is an agricultural based economy previously known as the ‘bread-basket’ of Southern Africa. In the past decade, the country experienced a drastic economic disintegration due to wide range of factors including: unconstitutional land redistribution, health, decline in foreign investment and hyperinflation. The Zimbabwean economy is strongly intertwined with politics; therefore the political instability subsequently offset the economy. In 2000, the government embarked on ‘the land reform programme’ which removed white commercial farmers from arable lands so that it could be redistributed among black farmers. The experienced farmers were replaced by mostly black subsistence ones, with no farming knowledge, equipment and capital and therefore could not produce at a commercial scale. There was no agricultural export, meaning there was a loss of foreign currency being injected into the economy on a regular basis. This marked the beginning of economic downfall. Richardson (2004:307). The failure of the agricultural sector which is the backbone of the economy led to the economic crisis. This meant that the government could not generate enough revenue to sustain its infrastructures such as the health sector. Health conditions are directly related to the poor economy. Sick workers were not able to work as much or as productively as healthy ones. Labour markets were less efficient and the market was not able to produce as much. Consequently, the economy produced far less per-worker than a similar healthy economy. This was evident in Zimbabwe by the low participation rate that at just over 35 %, as opposed to 51.08 % in the U.S. or 51.97 % in Japan. Richardson (2004:289). Another contributing factor was that foreign investors also fled, due to insecurities and the government policies dictating that 51% ownership of their businesses should be locally owned. Foreign direct investment fell to zero by 2001, and the  World Bank’s risk premium on investment in Zimbabwe shot up from 4 % to 20 % that year as well. Hill (2003: 109). Furthermore, the Zimbabwean economy was brought down by the illegal sanctions (an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with it. Merriam-Webster dictionary 2012:198) imposed by the American and European superpowers. This meant that no trade was to be done with Zimbabwe. There was a sudden death of foreign currency and investment influx to the country. The U.S. and Britain have partially withheld financial support for Zimbabwe and there would be no access to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) because they could not pay their debt and the prevailing hyperinflationary conditions. Hill (2003: 102). The causes of Zimbabwe’s financial problem can be mitigated by first achieving a ‘political breakthrough’ that will depoliticize the economy. Then, land should be re-redistributed among experienced commercial farmers and train the less experienced ones to ensure a more sustainable output. There must also be a liberalisation of foreign investment regulations to attract the foreign investors. In conclusion, these suggested solutions will help to rebuild the economy and restore Zimbabwe as the bread basket of Southern Africa. References: Richardson, C,J. 2004. The Collapse of Zimbabwe in the Wake of the 2000–2003 Land Reforms. New York: Edwin Mellen Hill, G. 2003. The Battle for Zimbabwe. Cape Town: Zebra

Exxonmobil Markets Its Products

Exxonmobil Markets Its Products Every firm follows specific marketing strategy to promote the company products in domestic and international market. ExxonMobil markets its products under the brands of Exxon, Mobil and Esso. Esso is the largest patrol retailer in the UK with around 1630 stations. Esso produces 10% of UK oil and gas. It also takes ownership in other subsidiaries every year to increase its presence in other countries and market. These are few general strategies out of various marketing strategy that each firm follows in order to promote their products successfully in the international market. Seven Ps of marketing is most important strategy to create better opportunity for a product. Segmentation: The seven Ps of marketing strategy is used to estimate and revaluate carry on the business activities of a firm. The seven Ps are- Product, price, promotion, people, place, process and physical evidence. Customers demand changes rapidly, the firm must revise their seven Ps to make sure the firm is on track and accomplishing the competitive advantage in the current competitive market. http://business-fundas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/marketing-mix-7P.jpg Price: ExxonMobil has a various portfolio of businesses, it has different pricing strategy for different product. Though, the single most important factor of ExxonMobils pricing judgments is dynamics of oil prices on the international market. Fuel prices are determined by changes in the price of crude oil, supply and demand, fuel specifications, government rules, taxes and transportation cost (ExxonMobil, 2008, Factors in the fuel pricing). Products: Exxon Mobil Corporation is parent of Esso, Mobil and ExxonMobil companies, offers a variety of products and services. This firm boasts a full product cycle, from geological exploration and ending with oil related products to commercial and individual consumers. Places: The third P in the marketing mix is place, where the firm offers its products and services. ExxonMobil is a largest oil and gas company based in the US. ExxonMobil is largest company by revenue as per Time Fortune Global 500 list. ExxonMobil has around 37 oil refineries in 21 countries constituting a large combined daily refining capacity. It has 100,000 employees worldwide. Promotions: Promotion is most important strategy in this competitive market. Creating brands awareness among firm customers is the key to the companys success. Another focus for promotion is public relations. ExxonMobil runs programs targeted to worldwide health issues like malaria etc. ExxonMobil focuses in education is on math and science for success in todays high-tech world. ExxonMobil runs programs to create healthy and educated communities in which women have equal opportunity to play a valuable and productive role. They promote respect for human rights and to helping as a positive inspiration in the communities where they serve. They educate and train, purchase and invest in each community. They give contributions to non-profit organisations and social projects through wide range of joint venture and other agreements. They promote economic, environment and social growth worldwide. They promote wide range of charity and social activities. People: ExxonMobil always encourage and give attention towards the talented people who are strives hard for the success of the firm. They focus to retain talented employees by creating good working environments there by getting better outcome from the employees. The safety if their employees and contractors is the core commitment to operations integrity. They continue dedicated in their goal that nobody gets hurts. The safety drill of legacy ExxonMobil assets through year end 2011, did not meet their expectations. Due to this failure, they have increased emphasis on the avoidance of serious incidents. They arranged cross industry training efforts to study and implement new techniques. Process safety is framework for managing the integrity of operating systems by implementing good design principles, engineering and operating practices. Process: ExxonMobil is well positioned to take advantages of market changes and have unique experience in competitive markets. They focus on safe and effective process. They have particular team to manage safe process. Safety management stops the uncontrolled discharge of hydrocarbons and other harmful chemical substances to avoid major incidents with potential for serious injuries and fatalities and other impacts. They had 71 tier 1 process safety events during 2011. Their focus on process safety management across the firm remains constant, as they investigate, analyse and learn from these and implement. http://www.learnmarketing.net/extendedmarketingmix.jpg Physical evidences: Physical evidence is the component of the service mix which permits the consumer again to make judgement on the firm. Physical evidence is an essential ingredient of service mix. Consumers will make opinion based on their sight of the service provision which will have an influence on the firms perceptual plan of service. ExxonMobil delivers products and services using business to business model across three key segments- industrial and wholesale (1 million consumers), aviation (630 airports) and marine (180 ports). ExxonMobil is spending more than $100 million in a testing to develop a technology to make carbon capture and storage less costly. This firm follows a range of projects to increase energy efficiency. Targeting: ExxonMobil is always search for the new markets to improve its business volume. As a part of this ExxonMobil acquired Celtic Ltd in Oct 2012. ExxonMobil acquired 545,000 net acres in the Duvemay shale and additional acreage in the other areas of Alberta. This acquisition will add significant liquid- rich resources to their existing North American unconventional portfolio- said Andrew Barry, president of ExxonMobil Canada. ExxonMobil opened new services at the Hawkins Field in northeast Texas that will improve an additional 40 million barrels of oil equivalent, an amount equal to the annual energy requirements of more than 1 million Texas households. In Russia, ExxonMobil announced a $3.2 billion joint venture with Russian oil company Rosneft to develop two offshore oil fields- the east field in the Kara Sea and the Tuapse field in the black sea. ExxonMobil with Rosneft announced the range of Vostochniy Offshore structures construction yard to conduct a concept estimation and possibility study for a platform capable of safety exploring Kara Seas shallow waters. ExxonMobil has 70% ownership in Imperial oil. Positioning: SWOT analysis: ExxonMobil carry on to increase the portfolio and business mix through expanded revenue and strong research and development capability. Though, firms operation could seriously affected by instability in some oil producing regions. Strength: Capturing the premier quality exploration opportunities using its resources: ExxonMobil identify, evaluate and prioritize the highest quality assets opportunities using its geoscience ability and understanding of the global hydrocarbon potential. Strong research and development competency: ExxonMobil has great research and development capability. Diversified financial stream Weaknesses: Decreasing net liquids manufacturing and oil reserves Litigation and contingencies High obligation Opportunities: Demand of shale gas: Growing global energy demand: Strategic collaboration with Rosneft Threats: Threats about unpredictability in some oil producing regions Environmental regulations Economic conditions Recommendations:

The Forlorn Loves in James Joyces novel, Ulysses Essay -- Joyce Ulyss

The Forlorn Loves in Joyce's novel, Ulysses Greek has words for four kinds of love: agape, or spiritual love; storge, or familial love; the love between friends, or philia; and sexual love, the familiar eros. All four figure in Joyce's novel Ulysses, yet all eventually evade the two male protagonists, Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom: Ulysses proves ultimately to be a love-less work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Agape -- spiritual love, the charitable love among coreligionists or between Man and God -- seems sure to appear, given Ulysses' protagonists' backgrounds and the host of Christian symbols that flock about them. Yet Stephen Dedalus is torn with doubt in his Catholicism, and we find in the course of the novel that Bloom renounced his Judaism, first to convert to Protestantism with his father and then, conveniently, to convert to Catholicism to marry Molly: both have fallen from their original faith. Within two paragraphs of Ulysses' opening we see a mock Mass -- "Introibo ad altare Dei" (p. 3) -- and hear the lurking Stephen scornfully called a "fearful jesuit" by mocking Mulligan. Stephen is certainly no recipient of agape here! Interestingly, Simon Dedalus identifies Mulligan as Stephen's "fidus Achates" (p. 73), a glancing Virgil image to set Stephen up as "pius Aeneas", "pious Aeneas", Virgil's hero of proper behavior to gods and men. B ut, as we see, home-stealing, ever-jeering Mulligan is no more "fidus" than whoring, drunken Stephen is "pius".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Dedalus is a prolix speaker, an engaging theorist and theologian, well versed in ecclesiastical history, particularly in the Church's early heresies. Yet, for all his knowledge and cogent arguments, he shows little inclination for belief. His arguments on ... ...9), yet that is exactly what Bloom does -- kiss her buttocks, the most anonymous and androgynous part of her body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, Molly's final thoughts in Ulysses only underscore the lack of eros that has afflicted Bloom throughout the book. She begins to menstruate ("this bloody pest of a thing" (p. 642)) even as she considers trying to re-establish sexual relations, and moves in her thoughts to their tryst on Howth Hill -- the same rendezvous Bloom has recalled so fondly before. Yet, like all too many of the happy occasions in Ulysses, this one is in the past, dead and gone. Indeed, the book ends in Molly's "yes I said yes I will Yes." (p. 644), but the "Yes" is in the past, only another sad comment on Bloom's lack of love. Love is a thing of the past, dreams are sick counterfeits and cheats: agape, storge, philia, eros, the four loves, are forlorn.

Evaluate the Strategic Leadership of Michael O’leary

Is Michael O’Leary an asset or a liability to Ryanair? The case suggests that he is both. Students could debate the pros and cons of Michael O’Leary’s continued leadership of the company. The characteristics that have driven the company forward – his enthusiasm and energy, his strategic insight, his determination and mission orientation – can be carried too far. Is it all part of an integrated inseparable whole, so do you have to take the good with the bad? Is this where we may enter the realm of Sidney Finkelstein’s failure warning signs, when you have too much of a good thing? In fact, some schools of thought would value Michael O’Leary’s relentless energy and his thriving on adversity. It shows a lack of complacency – quite the opposite of what Finkelstein points out as a danger signal. The capacity to irritate may bring about conflict and change. Also, in Michael O’Leary’s favour, as Ryanair’s largest single shareholder, he literally ‘puts his money where his mouth is’. Another way of looking at Michael O’Leary’s leadership is whether he was the right person for the job during the change era, but does the company now require more of a ‘manager’ than a ‘leader’ during a consolidation era? In other words, this is a ‘horses for courses’ approach to the evaluation of O’Leary’s leadership. One may ask whether and/or for how much longer Michael O’Leary wants to stay in the job. Will he get bored and retire to his cattle farm, currently his hobby? There is a suggestion that he would not be happy to preside over a static comfortable situation. Or, would he be headhunted by another airline or by another business altogether? Students might consider whether they would headhunt Michael O’Leary, and why or why not. Chapter 10 discusses types of leaders, i. e. transformational versus transactional and types of leadership emphases and approaches. It is an interesting exercise to see how students would categorise Michael O’Leary. Perhaps what emerges is that he is difficult to categorise. What does this imply?

Americas Fallen PastimeHow Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution essays

Americas Fallen PastimeHow Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution essays How Baseball Players Have Damaged a National Institution Baseball fans are easy to please. Give them a warm summer day, a cold drink, and their favorite team in the thick of the pennant race and they feel like kings. Watch them second guess the manager as he pulls the teams ace pitcher in favor of the young fireballer. Listen to them cheer as he strikes out the opponents slugger with the bases loaded, securing the win. Watch them do it all over again the very next day. Who is the best player of all time? Ty Cobb? Babe Ruth? Ted Williams? Mickey Mantle? Ken Griffey Jr.? Should the designated hitter be abolished? Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame? Ask them for their favorite baseball moment of the past and prepare to have your ear talked off. Older fans might choose Bobby Thompsons Shot Heard Round the World, which captured the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants over the Brooklyn Dodgers, or Willie Mays over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-plate catch to rob Clevelands Vic Wertz of an extra-base hit in the 1954 World Series. Somewhat younger fans might take Carlton Fisks frantic waving as his game-winning homer in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series clanged off of Fenway Parks left field foul pole or the dominance of Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and the rest of the Big Red Machine during the mid-1970s. The youngest might call up Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken Jrs victory lap around Camden Yards after eclipsing Lou Gehrigs seemingly unbreakable consecutive games streak or the excitement of St. Louis Mark McGwire and the Chicago Cubs Sammy Sosa as they relentlessly pursued Roger Maris single season home run record. Take baseball at its simplest, its purist, and it can be almost religious. Baseball fans only ask for one thing in return. As Braves fan William Correa pleads, I know baseball ha...

The future of an illusion essays

The future of an illusion essays Written in 1927, Freud notes that The Future of an Illusion is a book written in regard to the present and future state of religion, with a particular focus on the progression of religion rather than one specific event. Also, the book centers less on religious practices and rituals, and more on a firm belief in God. The book appears to be based around one assumed fact: that human life exists in a natural world, which does not always treat us so friendly. Though it is our natural world that has created and nurtured us, it will constantly attempt to destroy our specie through diseases, natural disasters and other forms of defeat. The situation or relationship of humanity to nature is one of the children to the parents. In response to natures threats, we have created groups and communities in an attempt to gather and create a civilization of people, though it should be noted that this does not come without a price. Freud asserts that when one enters a community, they must sacrifice many of their personal desires and exercise a great deal of restraint. For example, one can not kill simply out of rage, and one can not have intercourse with a married other, these natural instincts must be restrained. Yet, despite all of this sacrifice and restraint exercised, we are forever helpless in the face of nature. In the perpetual battle between humans and nature, sickness and death will always win in the end. Moving on, Freud notes that this unhappy reality does not sit well with many people. In fact, it destroys what many hold closest to their heart: a sense of ultimate protection by a father figure, which was often felt during childhood. Even as mature adults, many people long for that sense of security, despite knowledge that it does not exist. Freud notes that this is where the voice of religion enters, providing a childhood sense of security that can not be found elsewhere. Religious beliefs projec ...