Business Ethics Wages And Working Conditions Commerce Essay

Business Ethics Wages And Working Conditions Commerce Essay International business ethics is a particularly complex issue as ethical standards are different depending on where you are. Corporate governance, bribery, corruption, working conditions and targeted marketing are all issues that require organisations to establish an ethical standpoint from which they can work on. There is an increasing emphasis on the corporate responsibility of large organisations from developed nations and the way they operate in third world countries. Many nations now impose their ethical standards on developing countries even though they themselves have been guilty of arguably unethical practices in the past. For example, the poor working conditions suffered in the third world were commonplace during the industrialisation of many western economies. Some of the most common international ethical issues surround the environment, child labour, working standards and conditions, targeting marketing to vulnerable individuals and corruption. Unethical practices include not paying workers a fair wage, employing children under the legal working age and unsafe or unsanitary working conditions. Any practices that are not in compliance with fair labor standards and federal working guidelines fall into this category. 2.2Some of the Types of Unethical Practises Relating To Wages and Working Conditions 2.2.1Child labor   Even today, millions of children in developing countries such as India, Indonesia, and Pakistan are doing hard labor for miniscule payment. Nike and Reebok, as well as other major businesses, have been accused of buying goods from subcontractors which we are produced by child labor. Alongside of this, there have been strong allegations that China is using the free of price labors of prisoners to produce exportable materials. It seems that businesses are sacrificing human rights in order to cut costs. 2.2.2Exploitation of workers (by paying them low wages) Paying extremely low amounts an hour is not far from  slave labor, even if workers are happy with their pay. People should be paid a fair wage based on the benefit you gain from them, not what the fair wage is based on the standards in their economy. If people work for you at pennies on the dollar, and you reap massive profits because of that in other words, they do the work and you keep the money its simply  not fair. Why should one group do most of the work for enough money to survive, while another group becomes stinking rich? Reason behind International Businesses Acting Ethically or Unethically Advantages and disadvantages for a business to act ethically The advantages of ethical behaviour include: Higher revenues demand from positive consumer support Improved brand and business awareness and recognition Better employee motivation and recruitment New sources of finance e.g. from ethical investors The disadvantages claimed for ethical business include: Higher costs e.g. sourcing from Fair-trade suppliers rather than lowest price Higher overheads e.g. training communication of ethical policy A danger of building up false expectations 2.4Recommendations for Businesses to Act Ethically There are ways to curb unethical practices these include having pressure groups, aiming to motivate people to choose morality over greed. 2.4.1 Pressure Groups Businesses and industries increasingly find themselves facing  external pressure  to improve their ethical track record.   An interesting feature of the rise of consumer activism online has been increased scrutiny of business activities. Pressure groups are a good example of this. Pressure groups are external stakeholders they Tend to focus on activities ethical practice of multinationals or industries with ethical issues Combine direct and indirect action can damage the target business or industry Some examples of business-related pressure groups can be found from the following links: Direct consumer action  is another way in which business ethics can be challenged. Consumers may take action against: Businesses they consider to be unethical in some ways (e.g. animal furs) Business acting irresponsibly Businesses that use business practices they find unacceptable Consumer action can also be positive supporting businesses with a strong ethical stance record.   A good example of  this is Fair trade. 2.4.2 Choosing Morality versus Greed Even though $300 USD a month may not seem like much to someone living in a developed country, in Thailand, or Romania, the Philippines, or India, its above the average monthly wage. Sometimes as much as three times the average wage in that country, meaning this person is actually very well off when  compared to others in their country. That money affords the worker a quality lifestyle in their homeland. It may even provide enough money for them to support their family, which no one is going to argue, is a bad thing. Throw in a few bonuses, some extra incentives for good work, and you have a situation where you feel like you are empowering someone and saving them from a situation where they might otherwise be earning half that money doing something like washing dishes. Solution to many international ethic practices lies in the development of international agreements and code of ethics. 2.4.3 Standardized and Strict Laws against Unethical Behavior. Basic laws should be made to protect human rights. Although laws, traditions and beliefs may differ in different countries a basic set of laws should be followed in order to safeguard human rights. 3. Introdution to Apple Organization of Apple was established in 1976 as a computer company. However, in the last decade, Apple has expanded into a complex company that specializes in much more than just computers. In 2001, Apple broke the barrier with the iPod, eventually becoming the dominant market leader in music players. In following, Apple joined the phone industry in 2007 with the iPhone, which has also been widely successful. Apple is known as a consumer goods company; therefore evaluating its value requires understanding its products and consumers. This would be very challenging where Apple competes with many different companies throughout the different industries it takes part in. 4. Unethical Practices by Apple. Apple outsources the production of its goods to countries where labour is cheap. One of apples biggest plants is Foxconn which is located in Schengen, China. Thats why the prices of iPhones and iPads in America and Europe are so cheap. Despite the products being cheap Apple makes super-high profits. This is only possible because iPhones and iPads are made with labor practices that would be illegal in the United States. And its also disconcerting to realize that the folks who make our iPhones and iPads not only dont have iPhones and iPads (because they cant afford them), but, in some cases, have never even seen them. 4.1 Illegal and Poor working conditions Foxconn is a plant in Shenzhen China where apple products are made. Foxconn doesnt really check ages. There are on-site inspections, from time to time, but Foxconn always knows when theyre happening. And before the inspectors arrive, Foxconn just replaces the young-looking workers with older ones. Most of the factory floors are vast rooms filled with 20,000-30,000 workers apiece. The rooms are quiet: Theres no machinery, and theres no talking allowed. When labour costs so little, theres no reason to build anything other than by hand. The official work day in China is 8 hours long, but the standard shift is 12 hours. Generally, these shifts extend to 14-16 hours, especially when theres a hot new gadget to build. The workers stay in dormitories. In a 12-by-12 cement cube of a room, Daisey counts 15 beds, stacked like drawers up to the ceiling. Normal-sized Americans would not fit in them. Unions are illegal in China. Anyone found trying to unionize is sent to prison. One group talked about using hexane, an  iPhone  screen cleaner. Hexane evaporates faster than other screen cleaners, which allows the production line to go faster. Hexane is also a neuro-toxin. The hands of the workers who tell him about it shake uncontrollably. Some workers can no longer work because their hands have been destroyed by doing the same thing hundreds of thousands of times over many years (mega-carpal-tunnel). This could have been avoided if the workers had merely shifted jobs. Once the workers hands no longer work, obviously, theyre canned. One man got his hand crushed in a metal press at Foxconn. Foxconn did not give him medical attention. When the mans hand healed, it no longer worked. So they fired him.   4.2Reasons why Apple has plants in Shenzhen China According to some of the Apple executives, Shenzhens factories, as hellish as they are, have been a boon to the people of China. They say the grimness of the factories, is actually better than the grimness of the rice paddies. So, looked at that way, Apple is helping funnel money from rich American and European consumers to poor workers in China. Without Foxconn and other assembly plants, Chinese workers might still be working in rice paddies, making $50 a month instead of $250 a month   With this money, theyre doing considerably better than they once were. Especially, women had few other alternatives. If Apple decided to build iPhones and iPads for Americans using American labor rules, two things would likely happen: The prices of iPhones and iPads would go up Apples profit margins would go down Almost all of the major electronics manufacturers make their stuff in China and other countries that have labour practices that would be illegal here. One difference with Apple, though, is the magnitude of the companys profit margin and profits. Apple could afford to pay its manufacturers more or hold them to higher standards and still be extremely competitive and profitable. Therefore Apple can afford to pay their workers more or even improve the working conditions. 5. Recommendations for further improvements. Apple should started unprecedented probes into its factories all around the world; these probes will put pressure on the plants that make iPhones and iPads. Apple should increase the amount it pays its employees and therefore give them a larger share of profits. They should reduce the working hours of the employees and pay overtime. They should try to follow the labour laws of their country of origin (USA) and not the lax laws of China where workers are allowed to be overworked. They could increase loans offered to these workers at lower rates, improve the working conditions of these workers by investing in their factories rather than investing so much money in marketing and advertising. They could pressure its branch, converse to improve the working conditions in their factories. 6. Conclusion A small sacrifice in terms of profits from a big company like Apple can go a long way for poor workers in underdeveloped countries. But companies like Apple face the dilemma of voluntarily dropping their profits in order to help these workers or exploiting these workers for large profits. The motivation for a company like Apple to help these workers comes from the fear of bad publicity and the reward of goodwill for being an ethical company. It is therefore important to keep close checks on unethical companies and boycott goods from companies that are unethical towards their workers. The hard truth is that several companies need to be motivated or threatened so that they do not indulge in unethical practices, therefore the responsibility of pressuring these companies falls on the consumer. By buying products from these unethical companies we are indirectly supporting them in their activities.

Critical analysis on Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

[A]nd as we struck into town and up through the middle of it--it was as much as half-after eight, then--here comes a raging rush of people, with torches, and an awful whooping and yelling, and banging tin pans and blowing horns; and we jumped to one side to let them go by; and as they went by, I see they had the king and the dike astraddle of a rail--that is I knowed it was the king and the duke, thought was all over tar and Feathers, and didn’t look like nothing in the world that was human--just looking like a couple of monstrous big soldier-plumes. Well, it made me sick to see it; and I was sorry for them poor pitiful rascals, it seemed like I couldn’t never feel any hardness against them any more in the world. It was a dreadful thing to see. Human beings can be awful cruel to one another. In the above passage from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Tom and Huck walk through the middle of a town and see two con artists (the king and duke) who they had encountered earlier in their adventures. The king and duke have been captured and are being carried "astraddle of a rail" (369), which websters.com defines as being â€Å"on or above and extending onto both sides,† covered with tar and feathers through the town. The above passage displays why Huck disagrees with the public mistreatment and humiliation of others. According to the online encyclopedic website, www.wikipedia.org, tarring and feathering was a typical punishment used to enforce justice, with roots dating back to as early as 1191 with Richard I of England. The goal of tarring and feathering was to hurt and humiliate a person enough so that they would leave town and not cause any more mischief. Hot tar was poured onto a criminal while he was immobilized, then feathers were either thrown onto the criminal from buckets or the criminal was thrown into a pile of feathers and rolled around. The criminal was then taken to the edge of town and released in the hopes of him never returning. The feathers would stick to the tar for days making the person's sentence clear to the public. Tarring and feathering was eventually abandoned because it did nothing to rehabilitate the criminal. Huck tells his readers that after the king and duke are tarred and feathered that they look ".

Angels Demons Chapter 16-19

16 Hundreds of miles from CERN, a voice crackled through a walkie-talkie. â€Å"Okay, I'm in the hallway.† The technician monitoring the video screens pressed the button on his transmitter. â€Å"You're looking for camera #86. It's supposed to be at the far end.† There was a long silence on the radio. The waiting technician broke a light sweat. Finally his radio clicked. â€Å"The camera isn't here,† the voice said. â€Å"I can see where it was mounted, though. Somebody must have removed it.† The technician exhaled heavily. â€Å"Thanks. Hold on a second, will you?† Sighing, he redirected his attention to the bank of video screens in front of him. Huge portions of the complex were open to the public, and wireless cameras had gone missing before, usually stolen by visiting pranksters looking for souvenirs. But as soon as a camera left the facility and was out of range, the signal was lost, and the screen went blank. Perplexed, the technician gazed up at the monitor. A crystal clear image was still coming from camera #86. If the camera was stolen, he wondered, why are we still getting a signal? He knew, of course, there was only one explanation. The camera was still inside the complex, and someone had simply moved it. But who? And why? He studied the monitor a long moment. Finally he picked up his walkie-talkie. â€Å"Are there any closets in that stairwell? Any cupboards or dark alcoves?† The voice replying sounded confused. â€Å"No. Why?† The technician frowned. â€Å"Never mind. Thanks for your help.† He turned off his walkie-talkie and pursed his lips. Considering the small size of the video camera and the fact that it was wireless, the technician knew that camera #86 could be transmitting from just about anywhere within the heavily guarded compound – a densely packed collection of thirty-two separate buildings covering a half-mile radius. The only clue was that the camera seemed to have been placed somewhere dark. Of course, that wasn't much help. The complex contained endless dark locations – maintenance closets, heating ducts, gardening sheds, bedroom wardrobes, even a labyrinth of underground tunnels. Camera #86 could take weeks to locate. But that's the least of my problems, he thought. Despite the dilemma posed by the camera's relocation, there was another far more unsettling matter at hand. The technician gazed up at the image the lost camera was transmitting. It was a stationary object. A modern-looking device like nothing the technician had ever seen. He studied the blinking electronic display at its base. Although the guard had undergone rigorous training preparing him for tense situations, he still sensed his pulse rising. He told himself not to panic. There had to be an explanation. The object appeared too small to be of significant danger. Then again, its presence inside the complex was troubling. Very troubling, indeed. Today of all days, he thought. Security was always a top priority for his employer, but today, more than any other day in the past twelve years, security was of the utmost importance. The technician stared at the object for a long time and sensed the rumblings of a distant gathering storm. Then, sweating, he dialed his superior. 17 Not many children could say they remembered the day they met their father, but Vittoria Vetra could. She was eight years old, living where she always had, Orfanotrofio di Siena, a Catholic orphanage near Florence, deserted by parents she never knew. It was raining that day. The nuns had called for her twice to come to dinner, but as always she pretended not to hear. She lay outside in the courtyard, staring up at the raindrops†¦ feeling them hit her body†¦ trying to guess where one would land next. The nuns called again, threatening that pneumonia might make an insufferably headstrong child a lot less curious about nature. I can't hear you, Vittoria thought. She was soaked to the bone when the young priest came out to get her. She didn't know him. He was new there. Vittoria waited for him to grab her and drag her back inside. But he didn't. Instead, to her wonder, he lay down beside her, soaking his robes in a puddle. â€Å"They say you ask a lot of questions,† the young man said. Vittoria scowled. â€Å"Are questions bad?† He laughed. â€Å"Guess they were right.† â€Å"What are you doing out here?† â€Å"Same thing you're doing†¦ wondering why raindrops fall.† â€Å"I'm not wondering why they fall! I already know!† The priest gave her an astonished look. â€Å"You do?† â€Å"Sister Francisca says raindrops are angels' tears coming down to wash away our sins.† â€Å"Wow!† he said, sounding amazed. â€Å"So that explains it.† â€Å"No it doesn't!† the girl fired back. â€Å"Raindrops fall because everything falls! Everything falls! Not just rain!† The priest scratched his head, looking perplexed. â€Å"You know, young lady, you're right. Everything does fall. It must be gravity.† â€Å"It must be what?† He gave her an astonished look. â€Å"You haven't heard of gravity?† â€Å"No.† The priest shrugged sadly. â€Å"Too bad. Gravity answers a lot of questions.† Vittoria sat up. â€Å"What's gravity?† she demanded. â€Å"Tell me!† The priest gave her a wink. â€Å"What do you say I tell you over dinner.† The young priest was Leonardo Vetra. Although he had been an award-winning physics student while in university, he'd heard another call and gone into the seminary. Leonardo and Vittoria became unlikely best friends in the lonely world of nuns and regulations. Vittoria made Leonardo laugh, and he took her under his wing, teaching her that beautiful things like rainbows and the rivers had many explanations. He told her about light, planets, stars, and all of nature through the eyes of both God and science. Vittoria's innate intellect and curiosity made her a captivating student. Leonardo protected her like a daughter. Vittoria was happy too. She had never known the joy of having a father. When every other adult answered her questions with a slap on the wrist, Leonardo spent hours showing her books. He even asked what her ideas were. Vittoria prayed Leonardo would stay with her forever. Then one day, her worst nightmare came true. Father Leonardo told her he was leaving the orphanage. â€Å"I'm moving to Switzerland,† Leonardo said. â€Å"I have a grant to study physics at the University of Geneva.† â€Å"Physics?† Vittoria cried. â€Å"I thought you loved God!† â€Å"I do, very much. Which is why I want to study his divine rules. The laws of physics are the canvas God laid down on which to paint his masterpiece.† Vittoria was devastated. But Father Leonardo had some other news. He told Vittoria he had spoken to his superiors, and they said it was okay if Father Leonardo adopted her. â€Å"Would you like me to adopt you?† Leonardo asked. â€Å"What's adopt mean?† Vittoria said. Father Leonardo told her. Vittoria hugged him for five minutes, crying tears of joy. â€Å"Oh yes! Yes!† Leonardo told her he had to leave for a while and get their new home settled in Switzerland, but he promised to send for her in six months. It was the longest wait of Vittoria's life, but Leonardo kept his word. Five days before her ninth birthday, Vittoria moved to Geneva. She attended Geneva International School during the day and learned from her father at night. Three years later Leonardo Vetra was hired by CERN. Vittoria and Leonardo relocated to a wonderland the likes of which the young Vittoria had never imagined. Vittoria Vetra's body felt numb as she strode down the LHC tunnel. She saw her muted reflection in the LHC and sensed her father's absence. Normally she existed in a state of deep calm, in harmony with the world around her. But now, very suddenly, nothing made sense. The last three hours had been a blur. It had been 10 A.M. in the Balearic Islands when Kohler's call came through. Your father has been murdered. Come home immediately. Despite the sweltering heat on the deck of the dive boat, the words had chilled her to the bone, Kohler's emotionless tone hurting as much as the news. Now she had returned home. But home to what? CERN, her world since she was twelve, seemed suddenly foreign. Her father, the man who had made it magical, was gone. Deep breaths, she told herself, but she couldn't calm her mind. The questions circled faster and faster. Who killed her father? And why? Who was this American â€Å"specialist†? Why was Kohler insisting on seeing the lab? Kohler had said there was evidence that her father's murder was related to the current project. What evidence? Nobody knew what we were working on! And even if someone found out, why would they kill him? As she moved down the LHC tunnel toward her father's lab, Vittoria realized she was about to unveil her father's greatest achievement without him there. She had pictured this moment much differently. She had imagined her father calling CERN's top scientists to his lab, showing them his discovery, watching their awestruck faces. Then he would beam with fatherly pride as he explained to them how it had been one of Vittoria's ideas that had helped him make the project a reality†¦ that his daughter had been integral in his breakthrough. Vittoria felt a lump in her throat. My father and I were supposed to share this moment together. But here she was alone. No colleagues. No happy faces. Just an American stranger and Maximilian Kohler. Maximilian Kohler. Der Konig. Even as a child, Vittoria had disliked the man. Although she eventually came to respect his potent intellect, his icy demeanor always seemed inhuman, the exact antithesis of her father's warmth. Kohler pursued science for its immaculate logic†¦ her father for its spiritual wonder. And yet oddly there had always seemed to be an unspoken respect between the two men. Genius, someone had once explained to her, accepts genius unconditionally. Genius, she thought. My father†¦ Dad. Dead. The entry to Leonardo Vetra's lab was a long sterile hallway paved entirely in white tile. Langdon felt like he was entering some kind of underground insane asylum. Lining the corridor were dozens of framed, black-and-white images. Although Langdon had made a career of studying images, these were entirely alien to him. They looked like chaotic negatives of random streaks and spirals. Modern art? he mused. Jackson Pollock on amphetamines? â€Å"Scatter plots,† Vittoria said, apparently noting Langdon's interest. â€Å"Computer representations of particle collisions. That's the Z-particle,† she said, pointing to a faint track that was almost invisible in the confusion. â€Å"My father discovered it five years ago. Pure energy – no mass at all. It may well be the smallest building block in nature. Matter is nothing but trapped energy.† Matter is energy? Langdon cocked his head. Sounds pretty Zen. He gazed at the tiny streak in the photograph and wondered what his buddies in the Harvard physics department would say when he told them he'd spent the weekend hanging out in a Large Hadron Collider admiring Z-particles. â€Å"Vittoria,† Kohler said, as they approached the lab's imposing steel door, â€Å"I should mention that I came down here this morning looking for your father.† Vittoria flushed slightly. â€Å"You did?† â€Å"Yes. And imagine my surprise when I discovered he had replaced CERN's standard keypad security with something else.† Kohler motioned to an intricate electronic device mounted beside the door. â€Å"I apologize,† she said. â€Å"You know how he was about privacy. He didn't want anyone but the two of us to have access.† Kohler said, â€Å"Fine. Open the door.† Vittoria stood a long moment. Then, pulling a deep breath, she walked to the mechanism on the wall. Langdon was in no way prepared for what happened next. Vittoria stepped up to the device and carefully aligned her right eye with a protruding lens that looked like a telescope. Then she pressed a button. Inside the machine, something clicked. A shaft of light oscillated back and forth, scanning her eyeball like a copy machine. â€Å"It's a retina scan,† she said. â€Å"Infallible security. Authorized for two retina patterns only. Mine and my father's.† Robert Langdon stood in horrified revelation. The image of Leonardo Vetra came back in grisly detail – the bloody face, the solitary hazel eye staring back, and the empty eye socket. He tried to reject the obvious truth, but then he saw it†¦ beneath the scanner on the white tile floor†¦ faint droplets of crimson. Dried blood. Vittoria, thankfully, did not notice. The steel door slid open and she walked through. Kohler fixed Langdon with an adamant stare. His message was clear: As I told you†¦ the missing eye serves a higher purpose. 18 The woman's hands were tied, her wrists now purple and swollen from chafing. The mahogany-skinned Hassassin lay beside her, spent, admiring his naked prize. He wondered if her current slumber was just a deception, a pathetic attempt to avoid further service to him. He did not care. He had reaped sufficient reward. Sated, he sat up in bed. In his country women were possessions. Weak. Tools of pleasure. Chattel to be traded like livestock. And they understood their place. But here, in Europe, women feigned a strength and independence that both amused and excited him. Forcing them into physical submission was a gratification he always enjoyed. Now, despite the contentment in his loins, the Hassassin sensed another appetite growing within him. He had killed last night, killed and mutilated, and for him killing was like heroin†¦ each encounter satisfying only temporarily before increasing his longing for more. The exhilaration had worn off. The craving had returned. He studied the sleeping woman beside him. Running his palm across her neck, he felt aroused with the knowledge that he could end her life in an instant. What would it matter? She was subhuman, a vehicle only of pleasure and service. His strong fingers encircled her throat, savoring her delicate pulse. Then, fighting desire, he removed his hand. There was work to do. Service to a higher cause than his own desire. As he got out of bed, he reveled in the honor of the job before him. He still could not fathom the influence of this man named Janus and the ancient brotherhood he commanded. Wondrously, the brotherhood had chosen him. Somehow they had learned of his loathing†¦ and of his skills. How, he would never know. Their roots reach wide. Now they had bestowed on him the ultimate honor. He would be their hands and their voice. Their assassin and their messenger. The one his people knew as Malak al-haq – the Angel of Truth. 19 Vetra's lab was wildly futuristic. Stark white and bounded on all sides by computers and specialized electronic equipment, it looked like some sort of operating room. Langdon wondered what secrets this place could possibly hold to justify cutting out someone's eye to gain entrance. Kohler looked uneasy as they entered, his eyes seeming to dart about for signs of an intruder. But the lab was deserted. Vittoria moved slowly too†¦ as if the lab felt unknown without her father there. Langdon's gaze landed immediately in the center of the room, where a series of short pillars rose from the floor. Like a miniature Stonehenge, a dozen or so columns of polished steel stood in a circle in the middle of the room. The pillars were about three feet tall, reminding Langdon of museum displays for valuable gems. These pillars, however, were clearly not for precious stones. Each supported a thick, transparent canister about the size of a tennis ball can. They appeared empty. Kohler eyed the canisters, looking puzzled. He apparently decided to ignore them for the time being. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Has anything been stolen?† â€Å"Stolen? How?† she argued. â€Å"The retina scan only allows entry to us.† â€Å"Just look around.† Vittoria sighed and surveyed the room for a few moments. She shrugged. â€Å"Everything looks as my father always leaves it. Ordered chaos.† Langdon sensed Kohler weighing his options, as if wondering how far to push Vittoria†¦ how much to tell her. Apparently he decided to leave it for the moment. Moving his wheelchair toward the center of the room, he surveyed the mysterious cluster of seemingly empty canisters. â€Å"Secrets,† Kohler finally said, â€Å"are a luxury we can no longer afford.† Vittoria nodded in acquiescence, looking suddenly emotional, as if being here brought with it a torrent of memories. Give her a minute, Langdon thought. As though preparing for what she was about to reveal, Vittoria closed her eyes and breathed. Then she breathed again. And again. And again†¦ Langdon watched her, suddenly concerned. Is she okay? He glanced at Kohler, who appeared unfazed, apparently having seen this ritual before. Ten seconds passed before Vittoria opened her eyes. Langdon could not believe the metamorphosis. Vittoria Vetra had been transformed. Her full lips were lax, her shoulders down, and her eyes soft and assenting. It was as though she had realigned every muscle in her body to accept the situation. The resentful fire and personal anguish had been quelled somehow beneath a deeper, watery cool. â€Å"Where to begin†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said, her accent unruffled. â€Å"At the beginning,† Kohler said. â€Å"Tell us about your father's experiment.† â€Å"Rectifying science with religion has been my father's life dream,† Vittoria said. â€Å"He hoped to prove that science and religion are two totally compatible fields – two different approaches to finding the same truth.† She paused as if unable to believe what she was about to say. â€Å"And recently†¦ he conceived of a way to do that.† Kohler said nothing. â€Å"He devised an experiment, one he hoped would settle one of the most bitter conflicts in the history of science and religion.† Langdon wondered which conflict she could mean. There were so many. â€Å"Creationism,† Vittoria declared. â€Å"The battle over how the universe came to be.† Oh, Langdon thought. The debate. â€Å"The Bible, of course, states that God created the universe,† she explained. â€Å"God said, ‘Let there be light,' and everything we see appeared out of a vast emptiness. Unfortunately, one of the fundamental laws of physics states that matter cannot be created out of nothing.† Langdon had read about this stalemate. The idea that God allegedly created â€Å"something from nothing† was totally contrary to accepted laws of modern physics and therefore, scientists claimed, Genesis was scientifically absurd. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† Vittoria said, turning, â€Å"I assume you are familiar with the Big Bang Theory?† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"More or less.† The Big Bang, he knew, was the scientifically accepted model for the creation of the universe. He didn't really understand it, but according to the theory, a single point of intensely focused energy erupted in a cataclysmic explosion, expanding outward to form the universe. Or something like that. Vittoria continued. â€Å"When the Catholic Church first proposed the Big Bang Theory in 1927, the – â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry?† Langdon interrupted, before he could stop himself. â€Å"You say the Big Bang was a Catholic idea?† Vittoria looked surprised by his question â€Å"Of course. Proposed by a Catholic monk, Georges Lematre in 1927.† â€Å"But, I thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he hesitated. â€Å"Wasn't the Big Bang proposed by Harvard astronomer Edwin Hubble?† Kohler glowered. â€Å"Again, American scientific arrogance. Hubble published in 1929, two years after Lematre.† Langdon scowled. It's called the Hubble Telescope, sir – I've never heard of any Lematre Telescope! â€Å"Mr. Kohler is right,† Vittoria said, â€Å"the idea belonged to Lematre. Hubble only confirmed it by gathering the hard evidence that proved the Big Bang was scientifically probable.† â€Å"Oh,† Langdon said, wondering if the Hubble-fanatics in the Harvard Astronomy Department ever mentioned Lematre in their lectures. â€Å"When Lematre first proposed the Big Bang Theory,† Vittoria continued, â€Å"scientists claimed it was utterly ridiculous. Matter, science said, could not be created out of nothing. So, when Hubble shocked the world by scientifically proving the Big Bang was accurate, the church claimed victory, heralding this as proof that the Bible was scientifically accurate. The divine truth.† Langdon nodded, focusing intently now. â€Å"Of course scientists did not appreciate having their discoveries used by the church to promote religion, so they immediately mathematicized the Big Bang Theory, removed all religious overtones, and claimed it as their own. Unfortunately for science, however, their equations, even today, have one serious deficiency that the church likes to point out.† Kohler grunted. â€Å"The singularity.† He spoke the word as if it were the bane of his existence. â€Å"Yes, the singularity,† Vittoria said. â€Å"The exact moment of creation. Time zero.† She looked at Langdon. â€Å"Even today, science cannot grasp the initial moment of creation. Our equations explain the early universe quite effectively, but as we move back in time, approaching time zero, suddenly our mathematics disintegrates, and everything becomes meaningless.† â€Å"Correct,† Kohler said, his voice edgy, â€Å"and the church holds up this deficiency as proof of God's miraculous involvement. Come to your point.† Vittoria's expression became distant. â€Å"My point is that my father had always believed in God's involvement in the Big Bang. Even though science was unable to comprehend the divine moment of creation, he believed someday it would.† She motioned sadly to a laser-printed memo tacked over her father's work area. â€Å"My dad used to wave that in my face every time I had doubts.† Langdon read the message: Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand. â€Å"My dad wanted to bring science to a higher level,† Vittoria said, â€Å"where science supported the concept of God.† She ran a hand through her long hair, looking melancholy. â€Å"He set out to do something no scientist had ever thought to do. Something that no one has ever had the technology to do.† She paused, as though uncertain how to speak the next words. â€Å"He designed an experiment to prove Genesis was possible.† Prove Genesis? Langdon wondered. Let there be light? Matter from nothing? Kohler's dead gaze bore across the room. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"My father created a universe†¦ from nothing at all.† Kohler snapped his head around. â€Å"What!† â€Å"Better said, he recreated the Big Bang.† Kohler looked ready to jump to his feet. Langdon was officially lost. Creating a universe? Recreating the Big Bang? â€Å"It was done on a much smaller scale, of course,† Vittoria said, talking faster now. â€Å"The process was remarkably simple. He accelerated two ultrathin particle beams in opposite directions around the accelerator tube. The two beams collided head-on at enormous speeds, driving into one another and compressing all their energy into a single pinpoint. He achieved extreme energy densities.† She started rattling off a stream of units, and the director's eyes grew wider. Langdon tried to keep up. So Leonardo Vetra was simulating the compressed point of energy from which the universe supposedly sprang. â€Å"The result,† Vittoria said, â€Å"was nothing short of wondrous. When it is published, it will shake the very foundation of modern physics.† She spoke slowly now, as though savoring the immensity of her news. â€Å"Without warning, inside the accelerator tube, at this point of highly focused energy, particles of matter began appearing out of nowhere.† Kohler made no reaction. He simply stared. â€Å"Matter,† Vittoria repeated. â€Å"Blossoming out of nothing. An incredible display of subatomic fireworks. A miniature universe springing to life. He proved not only that matter can be created from nothing, but that the Big Bang and Genesis can be explained simply by accepting the presence of an enormous source of energy.† â€Å"You mean God?† Kohler demanded. â€Å"God, Buddha, The Force, Yahweh, the singularity, the unicity point – call it whatever you like – the result is the same. Science and religion support the same truth – pure energy is the father of creation.† When Kohler finally spoke, his voice was somber. â€Å"Vittoria, you have me at a loss. It sounds like you're telling me your father created matter†¦ out of nothing?† â€Å"Yes.† Vittoria motioned to the canisters. â€Å"And there is the proof. In those canisters are specimens of the matter he created.† Kohler coughed and moved toward the canisters like a wary animal circling something he instinctively sensed was wrong. â€Å"I've obviously missed something,† he said. â€Å"How do you expect anyone to believe these canisters contain particles of matter your father actually created? They could be particles from anywhere at all.† â€Å"Actually,† Vittoria said, sounding confident, â€Å"they couldn't. These particles are unique. They are a type of matter that does not exist anywhere on earth†¦ hence they had to be created.† Kohler's expression darkened. â€Å"Vittoria, what do you mean a certain type of matter? There is only one type of matter, and it – † Kohler stopped short. Vittoria's expression was triumphant. â€Å"You've lectured on it yourself, director. The universe contains two kinds of matter. Scientific fact.† Vittoria turned to Langdon. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, what does the Bible say about the Creation? What did God create?† Langdon felt awkward, not sure what this had to do with anything. â€Å"Um, God created†¦ light and dark, heaven and hell – â€Å" â€Å"Exactly,† Vittoria said. â€Å"He created everything in opposites. Symmetry. Perfect balance.† She turned back to Kohler. â€Å"Director, science claims the same thing as religion, that the Big Bang created everything in the universe with an opposite.† â€Å"Including matter itself,† Kohler whispered, as if to himself. Vittoria nodded. â€Å"And when my father ran his experiment, sure enough, two kinds of matter appeared.† Langdon wondered what this meant. Leonardo Vetra created matter's opposite? Kohler looked angry. â€Å"The substance you're referring to only exists elsewhere in the universe. Certainly not on earth. And possibly not even in our galaxy!† â€Å"Exactly,† Vittoria replied, â€Å"which is proof that the particles in these canisters had to be created.† Kohler's face hardened. â€Å"Vittoria, surely you can't be saying those canisters contain actual specimens?† â€Å"I am.† She gazed proudly at the canisters. â€Å"Director, you are looking at the world's first specimens of antimatter.†

Manchester United Finance

INTRODUCTION Today Manchester United is the most powerful football club in the world. They have been successful and renown mainly for their sporting success in the UK and in Europe where some of the best players went through such as George Best, Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. Manchester United is more than a simple football club, it’s a brand and they have been very successful in marketing. In less than 20 years they went from local to global and have more than 650 million fans through the world.They tried to deversify their activity during the years and the brand is also present in the business industry. STRATEGY Mission Statement. Manchester United wants to be the best football club on and off the pitch. Strategy a. Expand their portofolio of global and regional sponsors. b. Develop the retail, merchandising, apparel and product licensing business. c. Exploit new media and mobile opportunities. d. Enhance the reach and distribution of the broadcasting rights. e. Diversify revenue and improve margins MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE CEO : Michael Bolimbroke – Vice President of the Executive : Ed Woodward – Group Managing Director : Richard Arnold a. Director of Finance and IT : Steve Deaville b. Director of Venue : Karl Evans c. Director of Legal and Business Affair : Patrick Steward d. Director of Communications : Phil Townsend MARKETING MIX Positionning The product Manchester United is an upmarket product. It want to be different than any other football club, this is the reason why they have developed different range of product above football. Moreover they are always artnered with the best such as Nike, AIG, Vodofone all leaders in their sector. Product. First of all the product includes providing an excellent football team that plays and wins in an exciting way. Every season they want to be the best. However, there are other ingredients of the product including merchan dising such as the sale of shirts, and a range of memorabilia. The product also relates to television rights, and Manchester United's own television channel. Place. In one respect the place is Old Trafford where home games are played, but Manchester United also plays at a range of other venues.And, of course its products are sold across the globe, through the club's website and a range of other sales media. Manchester United markets itself as a global brand. The club also engages in a range of joint promotional activities, for example with the mobile phone company Vodafone. Manchester United books, shirts, programmes, keyrings and many other items are sold and promoted through its website. Price. The club has positioned itself at the upmarket premier end of the market and, as a result, it tends to charge premium prices as evidenced by the high cost of a season ticket to watch home league games. . Perform a general account analysis of Manchester United. Observe whether there is a bal ance between debt and working capital? Information There are three important parts of a company's ? nancial statements: the balance sheet, the income statement and the cash ? ow statement. The balance sheet gives a one-time snapshot of a company's assets and liabilities. And the income statement indicates the business's pro? tability during a certain period. MANCHESTER UNITED BALANCE SHEET. Consolidated Balance Sheet*

Choice of Software Essay

Below is a list of possible solutions to this assignment and with them there are the disadvantages and advantages. After thoroughly analysing these choices I will pick the best option. Database Advantages Using a database is a very simple option. Almost every employee without too much guidance could use the solution to enter data and carry out the basic operations. Using the database wizard, the data can be input into a table and the field types could be declared. Thus would make data entry effective and unsophisticated. The built-in features of a database will diminish the risk of errors during the input process. Adding a new record to a database would be simple as entering it underneath the previous record. Report can also be easily printed off from a database and are aesthetically pleasing in appearance already without the need of major modification. Data validation is also a key area of this project and a database already has the suitable data validation methods pre-set end embedded into the core of the database application. Disadvantages Functions such as the ability to carry out complex mathematical calculations are not necessarily included in a database application. To overcome this irregularity the database would have to be cross-linked to a spreadsheet application. This would of course multiply the workload and the size of the task, which would be pointless. Also, other features of a database are fairly limited. This would therefore mean that the database system could not be adequately adapted to tackle the problem. This solution could prove to be expensive. Commercial Software Advantages Commercial Software programs are generally simple and well suited to the problem at hand to some extent. They are easy to use and come with extensive help guides to modify the functions and utilities to suit the and help the end user and also include suitable training materials and tasks for IT illiterates Disadvantages The costs of these Commercial Software programs are quite high. The features of these are not suitable for a task of this build and even with major modification would not be completely suitable and would be prone to error. Such programs do not have validation methods built-in and do not allow for addition of such Add-ons. This would be a stumbling block to the whole program and the quality of the program would suffer as a result. This solution could prove to be expensive. Spreadsheet System Advantages A spreadsheet System would be a more obvious solution. Such a spreadsheet would be able to be implemented with alleviation. The outstanding feature of a spreadsheet over the other options is the ability to enter and manipulate complex mathematical formulae and the ability to process numerical values without too much effort. All of the task could be completed within this one package without the need for integration with other programs and partial embedding extra programs. This can be implemented by the fact that the sheets can be linked to each other. Reports can be easily printed out via the macro feature of the spreadsheet. Disadvantages To be able to use the spreadsheet, the unwritten rules of manipulating formula within a spreadsheet have to be mastered. Exact placement of cells and macros would have to be recorded. The spreadsheet system layout is fairly difficult to follow. This solution could prove to be expensive. Bespoke Program Advantages The advantages of creating a bespoke program using a high level/imperative programming language is that the styles, functions and forms of the screens can be manipulated to suit the end users. The program would come with extensive help guides and instruction for the end users. The screens would de designed specifically using extensive research techniques to gather information for the program and to meet the users requirements and create a user-friendly interface. Behind this user-friendly interface, all of the required formulae and utilities could be implemented. The cost of creating a bespoke program is virtually none after purchasing the software to create such a program with its official license, which is a great advantage over the previous examples. Disadvantages The only obvious disadvantage to such a solution would be the time taken to complete the task. After the initial research and design period, the whole design and implementation of the program and extensive testing could take 3-4 months to be fully implemented. Online Web-Based Solution Advantages The advantages of using on online system is that the system does not have to be limited to one machine or a local network of computers but this accessibility can be enlarged and accessed all over the world by the right personnel. Security can be maintained my strenuous password and security checks and Internet I.P. addresses can be recorded and monitored. Integration of spreadsheets needs to be implemented into such a Web-Based Solution. Disadvantages If this solution were to be implemented, it would be a very foolish decision. The fact that it can be accessed all over the world maybe appealing at first, but what if the security of the website is overcome and the marks of hundreds if not thousands of students could be modified by a lone teenager with a bit of effort. This would bring the whole organisation into disrepute and affect the future of many students. Apart from the security concerns of this solution, the fact that it needs to be linked to a spreadsheet so that calculations can be carried out successfully is an unpleasant feature to this exaggerated solution. Reports could be printed to an extent but the design would be very unprofessional if not amateurish as any user can do this. This solution could prove to be expensive. Paper-Based System Advantages There are no real advantages of a paper-based system apart from the fact that it is a method of recording the information Disadvantages The disadvantages include the inability to save information in a professional manner. Sheets could be misplaced. Only one user can use the system at once. Handwriting can be a problem to read and understand. Also mistakes can easily occur much to the despair of students. Chosen Solution One thing to realise is that no problem has a solution, which is 100% perfect. This is true for the problem at hand as well. As they all have some disadvantages it is the one, which has the most advantages and the least disadvantages. That seems obvious enough to me that is why I have chosen to create own program using the BESPOKE PROGRAM option. The reasons why have chosen this option is because it is a sensible option and it can be suitably implemented and designed to the users requirements as it can be manipulated and shaped to perfection. Also it is not that costly so it will keep the bank manager happy, which would not have been the case if I had gone with the other options! The layout of the forms could be suited to use the user and I would not have to add features, which are not required by the users. The feedback from the users can be used to design the type of inputs and outputs they require from the program and how they would like to enter the data and then output the information in the form of the reports. This also enables me to create a versatile and innovative solution to the problem. The reasons why I have not used some of the other possible solutions is some of them are not practical while others are surreal! The idea of incorporating two programs to work together with each other appears to be out of the question, as it would make life hard for the end user then the current methods they are using. Also some of the solutions suggest features, which could affect the integrity of the data within the organisation and allow it to be prone to hacking and malicious damage from external sources. Other solutions do not have the necessary features to carry out this task. This is why I have eliminated these solutions when considering which solution to use and the only one that seemed practical would be the BESPOKE PROGRAM option.

“Not My Best Side” U A Fanthorpe Essay

In â€Å"Not My Best Side† U A Fanthorpe challenges the traditional, stereotypical characters in the legend Of St George and the dragon only to replace them with another equally stereotypical set In the poem â€Å"Not my best side† U A Fanthorpe has challenged the orthodox images of the characters in Uccello’s painting of St George and the Dragon. She has successfully manipulated them into modern day caricatures. Through traditional stereotypical views and legends, Uccello has portrayed the fire-breathing dragon as grotesque and beastly. Yet this is the dragon whom a boy no older than a teenager, can tame. The poem contrasts any stereotypical view the reader may have taken and reveals that the dragon is no more innocent than the other characters. In the first sentence of the first stanza, the reader is confronted by a dress conscientious victim of fashion; this is hardly a fire-breathing monster. The dragon criticises all but himself, from the painter Uccello who, â€Å"didn’t give me a chance to pose properly† to the, â€Å"horse with a deformed neck†. Fanthorpe has given such a beast a pitiful personality the painter is described as a, â€Å"poor chap† however this is not an obvious reaction expected from such a beast. The phrases used by the dragon portray how the poem is the inverse of the painting itself. The fact that the angle of the picture was not in his favour has proven to disappoint the dragon deeply but he forgets the fact that he is about to be defeated and overcomes this with an answer; â€Å"I always rise again†. The character is quick to point out such supposed absurdities as, â€Å"what, after all are two feet to a monster?† and how his conqueror travels on a horse, â€Å"with a deformed neck†. His questions convey his unhappiness of being mocked, from his point of view his killers and victims appear to be blind, juvenile or ugly. Not taking things, as seriously as he should, the dragon tends to ask rhetorical questions: â€Å"should my conqueror be so ostentatiously beardless?† and, â€Å"Why should my victim be so unattractive as to be inedible?† The character does not think why they should take him anymore seriously than he is prepared to take them. Two diametrically opposed personalities, one from Uccello’s painting of St George and the Dragon, the other from U A Fanthorpe’s poem of â€Å"Not My Best Side† are never the less the same person. Painted unnaturally white and almost glowing, the young woman in the painting could be described as a symbol of virginity. She would be insulted to be given such a personality to the one in the poem where her casual sexual attitude is most noticeable in the double entendres: â€Å"wearing machinery† and, â€Å"see all his equipment† throughout the stanza. How these phrases are interpreted, is up to the reader. Half way through the second stanza the reader infers that she would have focused her attention on another issue but instead she is now talking of how she would â€Å"enjoy† being eaten by the dragon and assumes that all girls would like the same. Fanthorpe has prescribed to the girl a rather a modern woman’s personality rather than the image of a more biblical girl. Her language and her sentences are modern and appear slightly immature. One would usually associate phrases like, â€Å"And the way he looked at me† with a teenager. One would not assume a religious orthodox figure to be using phrases such as, â€Å"he might have acne, blackheads or even bad breath†. As well as being critical she also insults her hero’s manhood, â€Å"when this boy turns up†. Indeed her declaration† I didn’t much fancy him† shows her first thought that apparently ran through her mind when she was about to be rescued from death by the very same boy. Fanthorpe has created a similarity between the two characters of the dragon and the young woman. Both are far more concerned with their image and what others think of them than the reality of the situation. It could be said that her second stanza creates a less than glamorous image of today’s new woman. St George. The legendary character who is said to be the fearless slayer of the almighty dragon. However in this stanza, St George shatters our illusions as Fanthorpe allows St George to speak for himself. He is boastful about his, â€Å"machinery† and brags how he is educated to a degree in â€Å"Dragon management† and so-called â€Å"Virgin Reclamation†. Even his horse now sounds more like a car as he mentions it has, â€Å"Automatic transmission†. The first five lines of the stanza show how the traditional story has been put into a modern context. They also show how his own stupidity can make a mockery of him. His words, â€Å"Virgin Reclamation† are an example of his arrogance because he hopes to impress by using words longer than two syllables. Also he thinks that killing is a form of â€Å"management.† Such euphemisms and vocabulary choices not only make him look ignorant and boastful but also are not the words that should be coming out of the mouth of a true hero. His, â€Å"custom built spear† makes him sound like a modern day hero, a James Bond, type but as he is only a boy he has a good few years remaining before he takes on the role. By giving St George elaborate twentieth Century technical vocabulary Fanthorpe has escaped from the biblical sense of the picture to a stereotypical and has equalled him to a modern day Essex man. He attention seeking makes him appear snobbish, â€Å"You can’t do better than me†¦I’m qualified and equipped†. The reader would expect that it would be highly discomforting to be rescued by a hero with this bragging persona. Fanthorpe has created a complete inverse of the legendary character. St George’s more chauvinist qualities leak through when he intimidates the woman by asking her how or if she would like to be rescued. He is expecting her to take on the role of Sleeping Beauty waiting for the strong and handsome prince. St George’s expectations are worked when he tells her that she could be, â€Å"endangering job prospects† if she does not wish to cooperate. Here, he has taken on a very sexist attitude, and although it seems as if he would like to save the lives of others, once again he shows his ignorance by telling her, â€Å"What†¦does it matter what You want? You’re in my way†. He is only thinking of himself. Here in the third stanza is the third vision of a selfish personality. Fanthorpe’s modern day caricatures are not complementary! The three characters in this poem hold quite different opinions yet are extremely similar in the way that each character is as different as the other. They do not like being criticised but do not think how their insults to others are even more critical, â€Å"Unattractive as to be inedible.† In each of the stanzas the characters start off with good-natured comments but as they progress to the end of the stanza the points they have made appear ruder and their egotism reveals itself. The last lines all end with a sarcastic comment. All the characters are not too worried about anyone but them self. Over all they are looking after the image of number one, which seems to be the only thing that matters. Fanthorpe’s images of three types have little of the spiritual among them. As I read about thoughts, which are materialistic, vain or lustful, I learn that Fanthorpe seems concerned with showing us not our best sides.

Art Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art Project - Assignment Example The is still far from being settled despite the president’s new approach to enhance national production, exports and job creation for the millions of the unemployed youth. Regardless, the green color appearing on the letter symbolizes a number of positive steps which the Obama government has taken to address some of the most important economic issues such as his signing of a tax relief program in the last quarter of 2010, expanding welfare benefits, staying previous tax cuts, and capping the estate tax on figures under $10 million (Dunne, 2013). In addition, even though Obama’s signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 was positive in helping to secure more financial support for infrastructure development and job creation across the country, the thin red outline of letter â€Å"E† symbolizes the pitfalls that came with the seemingly positive policy. The stimulus package and the universal health care program have conspired to paint the president as a heavy spender on social development issues than the economy can sustain. The end result has been poor performance on budget deficits â€Å"BD† and with a careful integration of red and green colors coming up every time the economy is mentioned, reducing federal budget shortfalls so as to support poor citizens; education programs and the expansion of infrastructure have blurred the president’s image (Morris, 2012). Health Care is represented by â€Å"HC.† It appears very close to the economy in terms of the president’s priorities. Since 2009, the primary health care policy of President Obama is the enactment of the universal health care scheme funded by the national government. Similarly, the use of the green color symbolizes the wide reprieve that previously uninsured Americans have so far achieved under the new system. The Affordable Care Act intends to improve the health of the American citizens by enhancing the rate of enrolment in health care programs through various government subsidies