Art of War Studies Essay

What is War? In order to describe what war is one has to define it. According to The Collins Dictionary war is 1. open armed conflict between two or more parties, nations or states†¦ 2. a particular armed conflict: the 1973 war in Middle East. 3. the techniques of armed conflict as a study, science, or profession. 4. and conflict or contest: the war against crime. 5. (modifier) of, resulting from a characteristic of war: war damage; war history. This is obviously straight to the point, but does not go into enough detail to fully describe what war is. Clausewitz chooses not to follow the definitions put forward by, what he calls, â€Å"publicists†, in ‘ Vom Kriege’. Instead he puts forward his own view that it â€Å"is nothing but a duel on an extensive scale.† To fully understand what war is you have to look at the four main factors in war; force, the agents involved, intensity and duration, and teleology. The use of force and the violent nature of it is arguably the most obvious feature of war. However, one has to consider what force actually is, the answer to this creating significant disagreement. When talking about the use of force as a feature of war one immediately considers this force to be of military form, whereby weapons are used to strike down their opponents. This is of course true to an extent, but is not the only force used in war. Force can also be political or ideological force, as seen in the beginnings of the Cold War. Here, the Soviet Union uses their ideological ties with other countries in Eastern Europe to force them to reject the Marshall Plan in their war against the United States of America (US) for dominance. Clausewitz’ ‘Total War’, whereby the nations uses all of their wealth and resources, putting them on the line, in order to destroy their enemy’s armies, property and even their citizens, ties in with this use of force. Here, force is everything that the attacking group can muster together in order to destroy the other group’s will to fight and bring a quick, decisive victory, and can involve killing soldiers as well as destroying important buildings. Wars are not always like this, and with the introduction of nuclear weapons, Van Creveld believes that ‘conventional war’ is effectively at its end. Also, if this ‘Total War’ was true then more groups would use nuclear weapons in order to win the war, but they do not. This is due to mutually assured destruction and the risk of a backlash from other nuclear powers. There has been plans to try and incorporate nuclear weapons into conventional war, but this was unsuccessful. When considering what is war, it is not simply a case of the use of force by the attacking party, but one has to take in account the opposed force. Without this opposed force it would not be war, it would simply be a massacre or perhaps genocide. The form of opposition force, like an attackers force, can vary, whether they respond in an offensive or defensive manner. If they are defending the war will be restricted to their own turf and their forces concentrated on preventing attack and protecting certain people or buildings. However, the offensive force of the attacking party can be met with similar offensive force. The war will ultimately begin on their turf as they are being attacked, but they will attempt to remove the threat and then attempt to destroy them as in Clausewitz’ ‘Total War’. If force is indeed the use of weapons, then one has to consider what sort of weapons are used in war. Weapons have changed through time, becoming increasingly high-tech to the point of nuclear weapons that could remove all humans off the face of the earth, but they have not been used to their full extent as of yet. The larger powers tend to use weapons such as aircrafts with bombing and firing capabilities, tanks and battleships, whilst the soldiers involved will carry such things as guns and grenades. Martin van Creveld puts forward his thesis that in future wars weapons will become less sophisticated due to the types of groups involved. With this, he believes the production of high-tech weapons will stop and cheaper, but still effective weapons, will be used. This is already happening in the war between Al-Qaeda and the West, where they are trying to bring down the US and the whole western system. They did not kill people with high-tech weapons in their most devastating strike against the US, which killed thousands of people, but took over two aeroplanes around New York and flew them into two buildings, which were among the most important in the West, showing it does not have to be all guns and bombs in wars. Another important part of war is the agents involved in it. In today’s world, since the Peace of Westphalia, one would find it very tempting to say that war is a game played out by states. However, it is increasingly emerging to be not just a game played by states, but other groups are emerging that take refuge in sympathetic states that wage war on other states or groups. One such group is Al-Qaeda, which took refuge in Afghanistan in their fight against the West. If it is states fighting wars then this will be very similar to Clausewitz’ ‘Trinitarian’ war, which is made up of a trinity of the government, the army and the people. In this situation, the government decides whether to go to war but they do not fight it. The army are strictly the players in the game and the ordinary civilians are not allowed to join in at all. If indeed this is true then all wars in the world would be an army versus an army. However, in today’s world we see wars break out between armies and a group of civilians, like the situation in Iraq at the moment and the ‘War against terror’. Wars can even break out between two non-army organisations, such as a gang warfare between Mafia groups, although obviously the scale will not be as big as van Creveld’s ‘conventional war’. These wars which do not occur between armies does not fit into Clausewitz’ ‘Trinitarian’ war, but is more an element of van Creveld’s ‘non-Trinitarian’ war. He sees a decline of the state and with this the liquidation of boundaries between the trinity. This means that it will not only be armies that fight wars, but also groups of civilians, as seen with groups like Al-Qaeda. This arises another important part of war, which is how intense or how long it has to go on for in order for it to be classed as a war and not a skirmish of any other act of violence that is not a war as such. A war cannot simply be a single gun fight between two gangs as this is just a one off event. It has to be a series of events or battles between two or more groups for a certain cause. The saying â€Å"you may have won the battle, but you have not won the war†, although is a very dramatic saying, is perhaps the most obvious quote that war cannot just simply be one battle, that would be a skirmish. War is number of these skirmishes and would ultimately be more than two. The intensity is another matter, and this varies from war to war depending on the strength, nature and will to destroy of the groups involved. Wars do not necessarily have to be high intensity, although Clausewitz’ ‘Total War’ would be, where as Van Creveld’s ‘Low Intensity Conflict’ would not. War would not happen if it was not fought for a certain reason, for that fact one has to understand what means war is fought for. This can be seen in Clausewitz’ definition that â€Å"war is the continuation of politics by other means†. War is not always going to be fought for political reasons and can in fact be due to such things as ideological and economic factors. In conclusion one can see that the definition of war in a dictionary is not explicit enough. Saying war is an â€Å"open armed conflict between two or more parties, nations or states† is much too thin an answer to discuss what war is in who is involved. Discussing fully the four factors in the introduction brings about a clear definition of war, which cannot really be put into a few sentences as it varies a great degree and is ever changing through time, whether it be who is involved, the weapons used or the means of which it is fought for. Bibliography Martin van Creveld – Transformation of War Carl von Clausewitz – On War Lawrence Freedman – War The Collins Dictionary

Science vs arts Essay

I consider that Science and Arts are strongly bonded as, though they are two totally opposite areas of knowing, they manage to create a balance that holds tightly the emotions and the reasoning of human mankind. Art is the expression of human creativity, of human skill and imagination. It is usually represented through paintings, music, sculpture etc. Art is created to be appreciated or criticized. The Art creates beauty, and it gives the audience the opportunity to choose whether the beauty is indeed gorgeous or hideous. I think that the beauty of a work of art is not measurable. For me, beauty represents the ability to convey strong emotions and powerful feelings through the actual displayed work of art. For me, an inspirational painting like an old American Apache that rides his horse into the sunset is much more beautiful than a portrait of a beautiful girl. But tastes cannot be discussed, as there is no standard of taste among human beings. This is why art is so controversial. Science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiments. Science is the area of knowing that explains every phenomenon so people would understand it. It needs precision and accuracy in data collecting as Science is all about exact measurements. Science helps the world develop thoroughly as it is the only way we can know the truth. A thorough evolution is an evolution that comes as closely as possible to reality. On one hand, I think one completes each other as Art is the perfection of emotion and Science is the art of numbers. Taking into consideration the fact that the world has evolved through science, it can be said that Art has changed because of Science. But art itself is a science that needs exact measurements and accurate calculus. Work is recognized as a work of art through reasoning the feelings and the emotions one gets while observing the piece of art. Observing, as said in the definition of Science, is an action done in order to get the closest answer to reality. Reality is given by  Science, which means that, basically, Art is Science. On the other hand, it can be said that Science is an Art too, as the biggest discoveries were made by passionate scientist that wanted to prove the world that the things known so far were wrong. This means that they were put into a situation in which they, through imagination, reasoning and emotion, realized they were given false or erroneous information. Probably, their frustration and their ambition showed the world that through creative thinking and imaginative reasoning things that are unknown to mankind could be explained. It is extremely difficult to have a concept of knowledge upon a thing that does not exist. This inquires imagination and creativity, two vital features that create art. In conclusion, Science and Arts share mutual importance to humankind, tough they study totally different subjects. Their huge discrepancy is the one that makes them complement each other, thus, forming a couple without which the world could not exist.

Management Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management Practices - Essay Example The general manager’s position was left under Gary’s son, Gary Jr. Currently; the management of the company is under four directors in charge of Operation Management, Sales and Marketing, IT and Procurement, and Human Resource Management. Although the personnel are qualified, there are a number of problems in their respective departments that needs to be addressed. Handling the customers have become quit a problem because some of them demand more services than can be offered e.g. Quick & Tasty Food Chain. This has made the company to use logistic companies to carry out distribution of the products. A logistic company by the name of FeshDist has become very problematic because it is not consistent in the collection of products. This leads to accumulation of product in the warehouse (Thomas, 2007). Tom has been away for quite some time due to sickness and, this has resulted to failure in his department. The staffs are conflicting over small issues with excuses of Tom†™s absences. They have led to complains in the warehouse where Bryan notices that different products are made in one shift. There is also a problem when a new brand is launched. It leads to confusions and complexity in the production schedules because the general manager gives it the first priority. This has led to narrowing of profit margins causing a great risk to the future of the company as noticed by the marketing director. The technology and the IT in the company are not modern and, these have resulted to wastage of electricity and also slow operations of the production process. Ivan in charge of the technology complains that the ovens are left on leading to wastage of energy. He also complains that, if the ovens are put off, they take a lot of time to heat again. Many of the departments in the company use manual methods of maintaining records and information. Bryan uses spreadsheet to record stocks while the sales and marketing department has to prepare records and then tak e them to other offices instead of using the modern information technology. INTRODUCTION Achiffa Organization is a company that manufactures potato based frozen food products. It was started by a man by the name Gary Achiffa Sr. who was growing potatoes in Idahi Falls. He later stopped growing potatoes after sensing the growth of fast food sector in US and stated processing the potatoes into French fries. Today, the company has grown and, it produces a variety of potato products which are then distributed in many cities. Although there is a significant growth in the organization, there are a number of things in terms of technology and operation management that needs to be changed in order to realize tremendous growth. The major products manufactured by the company are hash browns, wedges, waffles and French fries. If the company adapts the new technology, it will be in a position to make other products e.g. potato flakes, potato granules, potato powder among many more potato product s (Moffatt and Hanley, 2001). The founder of the company stopped farming immediately he realized that the sale of the products could do well. When Gary opened the company, he decided to delegate the management duties to his friend’s son, Tom Granham. The founder of the company retired in the late 1990s leaving the management to his descendants. The company is still under the management of his children. Gary Jr. who is the current managing director

Integrated Marketing Communication Plan For Prada Essay

Integrated Marketing Communication Plan For Prada - Essay Example Prada’s daughter took over the leadership of the company in 1978 and with the help of Patrizio Bertelli, they transformed the image of Prada. Prada began to design classic handbags and by the 1980’s, the Prada’s designed outstanding fabrics that revolutionised the runway. This enhanced the company’s image in the market and in the 1990s, Prada became a force in the fashion industry (Prada Group, 2012). Prada invested in innovations for her designs throughout the 1990s and experimented with different fabrics to reach more customers. Prada has been expanding the range of products and expanding to different countries across world. Prada runs many boutiques across the globe and has expanded its products to include perfumes and the LG Prada mobile phone. Prada’s shoes and handbags have gained much popularity across the globe. Prada holds regular runway shows as well. One of Prada’s expansion strategies has been taking over other companies such as H elmut Lang, Fendi, Church Shoes and Jil Sander (Prada Group, 2012). Target market An organisation’s target market determines the most appropriates medium of communicating its marketing messages. Segmenting this target market enables an organisation to identify the most profitable category of potential and existing consumers (Smith & Taylor, 2004, p. 37). Each segment of the target market has its own unique consumption patterns and needs. An effective marketing plan integrates these needs and consumptions. Segmenting the target market helps an organisation to allocate its resources efficiently and derive maximum benefits from each segment (Smith & Zook, 2011, p. 229). Prada designs high fashion clothes, handbags and accessories. The company’s designs are displayed in major fashion shows and runways across the globe. Thus, the target market for Prada’s designs includes professionals, business men and women, and celebrities. This target market can afford to buy Pra da’s products. Demographic segmentation Demographic segmentation involves categorising the target market based on the demographic characteristics of consumers such as their social status, age, family size, occupation, level of income, education, nationality, religion and gender among others (Botha, Strydom, & Brink, 2005, p.66). Prada can segment its target market on gender and develop different marketing messages for men and women. Most of its designs are for women and thus, most of Prada’s marketing resources should be geared towards women. Prada’s customers can also be categorised based on their social status. Marketing messages should target individuals with high social status because they can afford Prada’s fashion designs. The company’s marketing communication plan targets customers from all nationalities. This is because the company has stores in different cities and countries and part of the communication will be online. Prada will target i ndividuals between 20-50 years. Psychographic segmentation Psychographic segmentation involves dividing customers based on the lifestyles habits, interests, activities, opinions towards an organisation and its products and daily activities among others (Lamb, Hair, McDaniel, 2008, p. 242). Prada will focus its marketing messages to impulse buyers, celebrities, and successful individuals. These categories of consumers are likely to purchase Prada’s designs for their elegance and social status associated with the designs. Behavioural Segmentation Behavioural segmentation invo

Good Things by Groupism in Design Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Good Things by Groupism in Design - Case Study Example During this group, she was able to participate at the level she desired. Each member was assigned a different task. Jee Hye was to code the HTML and JavaScript for the project. It was a group of epic proportions. It was a group on par with excellence. Despite previous negative experiences, Jee Hye believes there are good things about designing by groupism when each person is assigned what they are best able to do, everyone feels a part of project, and the results of project are much better. One good thing about designing by groupism is each person is sometimes able to do what he does best. Some students are better with writing or other artistic work. Others are better with speaking or in leadership positions. Still, others are better with doing or applying what has been learned to create a new product. Jee Hye was better with doing so she did the coding part of the web design project. Mary was better with writing. She kept notes and wrote the paper for the project. Casey was best with speaking, and he presented the project to the class. They all did their part to make the project work. In other groups, Jee Hye noticed some people slack while others did all the work. In this group, it helped to have a good manager. It helped that he was able to direct people to their appropriate tasks. Instead of everyone doing whatever they wanted all hoi polloi, there was an organized method of tackling the design problems they encounter. The divisions of labor and job specialization were the cornerstone of the group's workflow. As the work progressed, it made other benefits of group design become apparent. Another good thing about designing by groupism is that each person feels part of project. In Jee Hye's group, each person made suggestions about the website project. Some of the suggestions were used. Others were not, but some of everyone's made ideas were applied to the project. I was truly a collaborative effort. Mary and Jee Hye constructed the layout together. Mary and Casey formulated the content as a team. All three students worked together to debug the coded portion of the project. In other groups, Jee Hye noticed that some people's voices were heard over others despite logic. Again, this pitfall was avoided by good management. Casey really helped it all go smoothly. His management ability was uncanny. He kept the group focused, and he mitigated disputes. Furthermore his selling ability made the marketing aspects of the design a breeze. Each person played a vital role, and everyone felt part of the group project. At the end of the project, they all felt happy about how everything happened. The website was great, and they were very proud of their work. Along with division of labor and job specialization, group morale is a major aspect of positive experience in working with a group. It is important that each member works to keep a positive attitude if they expect the group to work well. No one wants to attend a group where people are sour-faced. The best thing about designing by groupism is the results of a project are much better than individual projects if people work symbiotically. In other groups, Jee Hye noticed the final product was not as good as this one. Usually, one person takes too much work. Others do not participate, and still others participate too much. It makes the project not really a groupism project. It means some people do nothing. Some do everything. Others tell

Cyber Security Policy Initiatives Research Paper

Cyber Security Policy Initiatives - Research Paper Example Consumers feel safe and secure when knowing that their communication channel is private and in case there is even a slight possibility of it being penetrated, how easily and quickly can it be accessed by attackers. Furthermore, they can demand to know if their identities are kept confidential in records and reports, that is to say, whether any information that could reveal who they are has been omitted. This is a logical approach by any concerned entity and should be demanded without any hesitation. Additionally, they should also be aware whether it is possible for outsiders to find messages from persons or groups by using simple internet searches. If someone finds out that their information that was supposedly given to a certain organization under the pretense of it staying confidential ends up online somewhere, that will be a big blow and can tarnish that company’s confidentiality reputation for good. All information that is given out to the trusted sources must be handled w ith extreme care and utmost alertness at all times so that no person is left unsatisfied and can feel safe giving out his/her confidential information (Powner, 2010).Integrity demands that information provided by companies should be authentic and complete. Since the general public gets involved in dealings with them, companies cannot face the impacts of scandals or shame. Once reputations are blemished in the cyber world, companies have rarely been known to completely come back from them and stand on former grounds.

Comparison Paper between Don Quixote from Cervantes and Bouvard and Essay

Comparison Paper between Don Quixote from Cervantes and Bouvard and Pecucher by Flaubert - Essay Example The importance of failure in both books is used to show this human attribute and the beliefs which many have surrounding their own lives and with the failure that is achieved. With this approach by both authors, one is able to create a different understanding of what it means to succeed or fail at different tasks. Structure of the Book The first technique which is used in Don Quixote and Bouvard and Pecucher is the use of failure that is acquired through the structure of the book. Both of the books have a main focus of providing comedy in the book while creating a specific relationship to the book through the continuous quest in which the characters are on. In Don Quixote, the individual quests never amount to anything. Either the character leaves the area, loses the battle or decides not to complete the mission. This is combined with the structure leading to the understanding that the plot line does not exist. These different components show the idea of failure specifically from the viewpoint of the character and with the structure of the book, which continuously diverts from any type of success on the journey. A similar path is taken with Bouvard and Pecucher. The structure focuses on both of the characters not being able to achieve anything throughout the book. ... This creates the understanding of failure based on the actions which they take as well as the perceptions which they hold. The character of Don Quixote shows this with the viewpoints that he holds and the intellectual relationship which he holds to the adventures which he goes on. The failure of the character occurs first through the difficulties with the quests that are never achieved and which don’t reach the end goal. For instance, the knight’s ailments and mishaps continue to remain a theme after dealing with others, such as youth and peasants, during his travels. â€Å"Nor was Don Quixote less so, for what with blows and bruises he could not sit upright on the ass, and from time to time he sent up sighs to heaven, so that once more he drove the peasant to ask what ailed him. And it could have been only the devil himself that put his head tales to match his own adventures† (Cervantes, 53). This passage shows the reality of Don Quixote, specifically which shou ld have the character of a knight who is able to overcome the difficulties and problems with the missions which he has been given. However, he is instead approached with ailments and the inability to win different battles while recognizing that the adventures which he has taken are not realistic to what he has heard. The continuation of failure is one that is also noted in the characters of Bouvard and Pecucher, specifically through their decision to take an intellectual quest to determine their righteousness in different situations. The different situations which they become a part of do not lead to any answers. More important, they always fail at winning the arguments or conversations that are a part of the

Training and Development Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Training and Development Bachelor - Essay Example That was how it all started. The place did undergo some change towards the end of the second generation Hank's tenure. This was more out of necessity to survive, thrive and make it a source of living while facing intense competition from the mushroomed pizza corporate. They opened one more store in the town, introduced contemporary and extremely upbeat customer seating facilities; added washrooms modernized the kitchen with the state-of-art equipment, introduced computerization, and changed the lighting and created an ambience which is ideal for an excellent meal. The upgrade Hank's pizza store could give any pizza corporate outlet a run for its money. The third generation Hank joined the father after finishing an MBA. His first setout was a mission for the business. The mission is to be the first and the only eat out choice of the town and also expanded the number of outlets from two to six, business multiplied four times over a period of six years and there seemed no looking back for the Hank's pizza store. But still something bothered the junior most Hank and he constantly felt that there were losing out business to other pizza chains stores. Hank with his latest management knowledge did try and put an effort to figure out what was amiss with the business while managing the operations of the business. Good amount of time was spent balancing the cash books, ensuring there were no stock outs and creating innovative marketing plans to increase pitfalls and ensure return customers. But still there was something amiss. To identify the problem and find solution for it, Hank III hired a management consultant and gave a free rein to them to identify the problem. On studying Hank IIIs style of functioning, it became evident that Hank III was looking at the business from the operations perspective and not from the customers' perspective. The consultants deputed mystery customers to identify and rate customer experiences at various store locations. The consultants, after a four week study identified that the customers were comfortable going to a specific store and undertook focus group studies to identify the reasons thereof. (Keer ti) Focus Group Studies - What are they Focus group is a form of qualitative research. In this method of research a group of people are asked about a product of an idea from their individual perspective focusing on various attributes. (Wikipedia) A great deal of information can be achieved by conducting focus group studies. (Free Management Library) They came up with an astonishing fact which did not strike Hank III till then which was that the customer experiences were not uniform across the six stores and the expectations built at each store of the next possible experience was different and hence the strong customer location loyalty was being built which was good for an individual store but harmful overall to the business. To arrest this trend the consultants recommended that there be training department set up and train the different categories of staff so that the Hank's Pizza store delivered uniform customer experiences and WOW at all store locations and they identified the following training programs be conducted as a pre-cursive before embarking on a new marketing initiative. 1. The customer promise 2. Managing Customer experience 3. Customer orientation 4. Service orientation 5. Service with a

The paradox of a marketing planning capability Essay Example for Free

The paradox of a marketing planning capability Essay Question 1 What (if any) concepts, methods, approaches or ideas do you think are common between the set readings for this week? What is not common? â€Å"The paradox of a marketing planning capability† The marketing planning capability is a skill to anticipate the shape of an uncertain future. It also is a skill to generate alternatives for operating effectively in changing environments. It is a skill to implement new plans rapidly and efficiently as well. The marketing plan content, marketing planning capability, incidence of improvisation from marketing plan and firm performance relative to competitors consists of the conceptual model. To know how marketing planning capability relates to plan content and the effect of the marketing plan, there are two dimensions: comprehensiveness and budgeting approach. The more comprehensive the plan, the credibility and utilization and the inertia in the organization will be higher. A comprehensive marketing plan covers a broad range of topics, in a thorough and exhaustive manner. A rational budget directs resource allocation on sound economic principles. Post plan improvisation is improvisation after implementation of the plan has commenced and the performance is defined as profitability and brand equity, which over 5 years. The post plan improvisation relates to the extent to an organization acts and approved marketing plan. Unlearning is the most important factors in post plan improvisation, however, it is difficult. Planning, implementing, evaluating and evolving improvising is the steps of post plan improvisation. Method and analysis is quite important in this reading as well. There are three types of measures were used in methods: reflective multi-item measures, formative multi-item measures, and single-item measures. â€Å"Management process in marketing planning† Marketing planning decision making is used to pursue dynamic market opportunities and flexibility is quite important to the marketing planning. The author’s models examine the ability to improvise and the flexibility of decision making is the key factor that directly influence ability to improvise which is consist of proactive management, innovative management, organizational learning, market orientation, spare resources and competitive aggression. On the other hand, there are some moderate relationships between these factors. Question 2 What concepts, methods, approaches or ideas in the set reading(s) do you think might be useful in Business and Marketing Planning? In what circumstances? Why? Due to the fast development, the organization not only needs opportunities but also needs to pursue the new opportunities. The traditional model has three inadequacies: managerial behavior, gap between theory and practice and coordinating role marketing planning. These inadequacies are not in favor of pursuing new opportunities. However, the modeling management processes can solve these problems. For instance, during the development of an organization, if the senior manager made some mistakes, the organization has to face trouble which can be seen as a managerial behavior inadequacy. However, in new model, it will not happen. There are six factors which are proactive management, innovative management, organizational learning, market orientation, spare resources and competitive aggression can directly influence the flexibility of decision making.

Climate Change and Food Security

Climate Change and Food Security INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study Our activities are inimical to the environment, our daily work and behaviour domestically, industrially and even agriculturally threatens the stability of environment as well as balance of the ecosystem. We often burn bushes to farm, we practice agriculture without due regard to the environment (oil), we cut/fell trees down without knowing that we are altering the eco- system and nature. All these human activities are threatening the nature and at the end, we ourselves are to face the consequences and are to be blamed. (Professor David Ukali, chairman of NEST, Nov, 2010) David Ukali’s statement explains how human activities lead to the backlash we experience in our environment today. Man suffers various environmental changes as a result of inappropriate agricultural practices coupled with unscrupulous destructions of various important elements in the environment. Climate change is perhaps the most serious environmental threat to the fight against hunger, malnutrition, disease and poverty in Africa, mainly through its impact on agricultural productivity. Climate change is one of the most serious environmental threats facing mankind worldwide. Climate change may already be impacting Nigeria as manifested by increased flooding, delayed rains, enhanced desertification, increasing bush fires and food insecurity.It affects agriculture in several ways, including its direct impact on food production. Climate change which is attributable to the natural climate cycle and human activities, has adversely affected agricultural productivity in Africa (Zierv ogel et al. 2006). That there is a change in the global climatic system is no longer in doubt. For instance, the periods we used to have rain have changed its proportion in terms of sun rays and that is why it has been generally agreed that this climate change which is posing the greatest threat to man and life on planet earth is gaining acceptance and that in the coming decade the world will witness higher temperatures and changing in precipitation levels which would lead to low/ poor agricultural income. The issue of climate change has become more threatening not only to the sustainable development of socio-economic and agricultural activities of any nation but to the totality of human existence (Adejuwon, 2004). Rough estimates suggest that over the next 50years or so climatic change will likely have a serious threat to meeting global food needs than any other constraints on agricultural system. (IPCC; 2007, BNRCC, 2008). Available evidence shows that climate change is global; sea level rose about 17 centimetres (6.7 inches) in the last century and the rate has doubled in the last decade, there has been a rise in the global temperature even though the 2000s witnessed a solar output decline resulting in an unusually deep solar minimum in 2007-2009, surface temperatures continue to increase, glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa, likewise its impacts but the most adverse effects will be felt mainly by developing countries, especially those in Africa, due to their low level of coping capabilities (Nwafor 2007; Jagtap 2007). Nigeria is viewed as one of these developing countries (Odjugo, 2010). Nigeria is experiencing adverse climate conditions with adverse impacts on the welfare of millions of its population, as the planet warms, rainfall patterns shift, and extreme events such as droughts, floods, and forest fires become more frequent (Zoellick 2009). Many African countries, which have their economies largely based on weather- sensitive Agricultural production system like Nigeria, are particularly vulnerable to climate change (Dinar et al, 2008). This vulnerability has been demonstrated by the devastating effects of recent flooding in the Niger- Delta region of the country and the various prolonged drought that are currently witnessed in some part of Northern region. According to Olanrewaju (2003), climatic change is any form of long term climatic inconsistency. The recent changes in the climate have been linked with the increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) on the atmosphere in addition to anthropogenic activities and support emissions of other artificial chlorocarbons (Olanrewaju, 2003). Climate change is also believed to result from the effect of global warming on the environment. Global warming is regarded by many people to be the most serious environmental challenge of modern times (Giddens, 2006). Global warming refers to the gradual rise of the earth’s average temperature due to changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere; it is believed to be caused in parts by humans, because the gases that have built up and altered the earth’s atmosphere are the ones produced in large quantities by human activities. Global warming means that many dry areas are going to get drier and wet areas are going to get wetter. â€Å"Climate change in Nigeria is a ticking time bomb and it exists little or even nothing to mitigate its effects.†(Nnimmo Bassey, Nigeria.) Peer-reviewed research accepted by the Journal of Geography and Regional Planning concludes that Nigeria’s average temperature has risen by 1.7 degrees in the period 1901-2005. The inc rease has been higher in the semi-arid regions and lower in the coastal zone; the rate of change has increased since the 1970s. The consequence for the Nigerian people is a geographical pincer threat from desertification in the north and coastal erosion in the south. Through a combination of overgrazing, abuse of woodland for fuel and increasingly unreliable rainfall, the Sahara is advancing at an estimated rate of 600 meters per annum, rising sea levels threaten Nigeria’s coastal regions the Niger Delta may be the source of oil wealth but its low-lying terrain crisis-crossed with waterways makes it extremely vulnerable to flooding and salinization i.e. the build-up of salts in soil eventually to toxic level for plant. Food security is the outcome of food system processes all along the food chain; climate change will affect food security through its impacts on all components of global, national and local food system. The definition of food security as adopted at the World Food Summit (WFS) in November 1996 says that; â€Å"food security exists when all people at all times have physical or economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life† ( FAO, 1996). One of the biggest threats is growing climate unpredictability, which makes subsistence farming difficult, the impact of the change will be difficult to handle and it will be potentially very long lasting,Droughts are getting worse and climate uncertainty is growing, Climate change is thus an unprecedented threat to food security (Medugu, 2013). Arid and semi-arid areas in northern Nigeria are becoming drier, while the southern part of the country are getting wetter, as the weather gets warmer most of the aquatic life, the fish, tend to seek colder waters thereby emptying Nigeria’s vast waters of marine resources, and which by extension means Nigeria’s reliance on imported fish and other sea foods increases. Climate change often appears very esoteric but in Nigeria; it is real, Currently there is an increasing incidence of disease, declining agricultural productivity, and rising incidences of heat waves (Stringer et al., 2009). The threat that climate change poses to agricultural production does not only cover the area of crop husbandry but also includes livestock and in fact the total agricultural sector. The impacts of climate change on agriculture can be classified into biophysical and socioeconomic impact (Khanal, 2009). Climate can also affect the quantity and quality of feed stuffs such as pasture, forage, and grain and also the severity and distribution of livestock diseases and parasite (Niggol and Mendelsohn 2008). Climate change impacts the four key dimensions of food security, namely food availability, food stability, food accessibility, and food utilization. According to vision 2020 as declared by the government of late president Umar Musa Yar’dua in October 2009 stated that; â€Å"by 2020 Nigeria will have a large, strong, diversified, sustainable and competitive economy that effectively harness the talents and energies of its people and responsibly exploits its natural endowments to guarantee a high standard of living and quality of life to its citizens† the declared aims of Nigeria’s national agricultural policy are; firstly attain food security, secondly increase production and productivity, thirdly generate employment and income and fourthly expand exports and reduce food imports thereby freeing resources for critical infrastructure development and delivery of social services. To achieve this aims, the problem of climate change as to be curtailed so as to enhance future possibilities of economic development and growth which is the major goal of the country. 1.2 Statement of the Problem In Nigeria, agriculture has tended to be the main source of food, and a major source of industrial raw material, as well as the means of earning foreign exchange. It employs close to 70% of the Nigeria’s population. Agricultural practice in the country is predominantly rain-fed and therefore particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and a study report by ( Harvard Business School) HBS in 2010 predicted that under a business as-usual scenario, Nigeria’s agricultural productivity could decline by between 10-25% by 2080, in certain parts a decline in rain-fed agriculture could be as high as 50%, exposure to extreme events makes subsistence and small scale farmers most vulnerable to climate change because of their limited capacity to adapt. Therefore, Nigeria’s vulnerability will be in two ways: The resulting impacts of climate change The impact of response measures this is because Nigeria’s economy is highly dependent on income generated from the production, processing, export and consumption of fossil fuels and associated energy-intensive products. As a result of the global climatic change, Nigeria has been affected greatly as there has been variations in the weather condition and also the frequent flooding that have led to the destruction of properties and also death of many Nigerians especially in the riverine area of the country. 1.3 Research Questions The research questions for the study are as follows; 1) What is the relationship between climate change and food security? 2) What has been the effect of global climate change on food security in Nigeria? 3) What is the impact of climate change on food security in Ogun State? Objectives of the Study The primary objective is to examine global climate change and how it affects food security in Ogun State, Nigeria. It can be achieved through the following. 1) Explaining the relationship between climate change and food security 2) Identifying and analysing the effects of global climate change on food security in Ogun State. 3) Illustrating the impact of climate change on food security in Ogun state Research Hypotheses For the purpose of this research some hypotheses are intended to be formulated and tested. The hypotheses are drawn from the objective research questions of the study. The hypotheses are: Hypothesis one: H0: global climate change does not have a great impact on food security in Ogun State H1: global climate change has a great impact on food security in Ogun State Hypothesis two: H0: Adequate efforts have not been made to reduce the effects of global climate change on food security in Ogun State. H1: Adequate efforts have been made to refuse the effects of global climate change on food security in Ogun State. Significance of the Study Every research work is a contribution to already existing knowledge. Therefore, as the world is dynamic and problems are a continuous part of man’s existence and people will always continue to struggle for survival and as a result of this people will always be moved to investigate and factors responsible for such problems and then going beyond this to proffer solutions for this problems. In as much as global climate change remains prevalent in our country today and threatens the availability of food in the society, it is therefore pertinent to carry out this study so as to bring to the awareness and understanding of people the importance of a good agricultural system and environmental consciousness. Scope of the Study The scope of the study is primarily on global climate change and its impact on food security in Nigeria especially in Ogun state. It will examine the causes and consequence of the phenomenon of climate change and how it has generously affected the availability of food in Ogun state. 1.8 Limitation of the Study The limitation to this study has been inaccessibility to data, time involvement in unplanned activities such as school meetings, seminars and so on. Methodology of the Study Secondary sources of data shall be employed in this work and they include; relevant books concerning the topic, newspaper, journal articles, magazines, encyclopaedias and the internet shall be made use of. Primary sources of data would also be used as the topic of study is a recent phenomenon and is still in occurrence on daily basis and so the effects would be studied by visits to the rural areas of Ogun states where agricultural practices are happening and also, primary tools would be applied as interviews would be conducted and questionnaires would be distributed. Sources of Data Collection Secondary sources of data are employed in this work and they include; relevant books concerning the topic, newspaper, journal articles, magazines, encyclopaedias and the internet shall be made use of. Primary sources of data would also be used as the topic of study is a recent phenomenon and is still in occurrence on daily basis. Sources of Data Collection The effects of global climate change are studied by frequent visits to the rural areas of Ogun states where agricultural practices are happening and also, primary tools would are applied as interviews would be conducted and questionnaires would be distributed. Interviews are conducted with the commissioner of agriculture in Ogun State; Mrs Ronke Shokefun and the commissioner of environment; Dr Lanre Tejuoso. Techniques of Data Analysis Descriptive form of data analysis is employed in this project work as am going to be describing phenomenon that is in existence. Descriptive method of data analysis describes systematically the fact, qualities, characteristics of a given population, event or area of interest as factually and accurately as possible to proffer answers to questions asked by the problem of study. This study describes the events of global climate change and how it has taken a prominent position in affecting food security. Outline Of Study This research is made up of five chapters and each chapter analyses the following: Chapter one focuses on the introductory aspect of the research work which discusses the following: background of study, statement of problem, research questions, significance of study, scope and limitation of study, objectives of the study, research methodology and so on. Chapter two attempts a literature review and discusses the theoretical framework. In this chapter we will be analysing previous arguments that have been laid out by scholars in the field of this study and so be using a thematic structure to help further our understanding of the phenomenon of this study. The literature review aspect of this chapter helps the researcher to relate with the scholarly works and writings in the field of study while the theoretic framework helps the researcher base his research on a specific theory that is in line and helps to further explain his research. Chapter three is an overview of global climate change and its effect on food and food security that is the major changes that have been experienced since the inception of climate change in Nigeria especially in Ogun State. Also, how it has disrupted the production and distribution of food in the society focusing mainly on the effects of global climate change and food security in Ogun state, Chapter four focuses on the analyses of data gathered and thorough explanation of the results gotten from the statistical data. Chapter five attempts summary of the study and makes recommendation, it also concludes the work. REFERENCES Ansel, E. Taofeeq A. (2010).†Challenges of Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change in Nigeria† a Synthesis from the Literature  », Field Actions Science Reports [Online], Vol. 4, 2010, retrieved on 17 December 2012 from http://factsreports.revues.org/678/volume 4. Apata, T.G. (2011) â€Å"Effect of global climate change on Nigerian agriculture: An empirical analysis† CBN journal of applied statistics, volume 2 number1 pp.31-45. Ayinde, O. Muchie, M. Olatunji, G. (2011). â€Å"Effects of climate change on agricultural productivity in Nigeria: A Co- integration Model Approach† Journal of Human Ecology volume 35 number 3, pp.189- 194. Medugu, N. (2012) â€Å"Nigeria and Global Climate Change issues† as retrieved on the 28th of August 2013, from the website http://environmentalsynergy.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/nigeria-and-global-climate-change-issues/ Odjugo, A.O. (2011) â€Å"Climate change and global warming: the Nigerian perspective† journal of sustainable development and environmental protection, volume 1 number 1 pp.6- 17. Odjugo, A.O. (2010). â€Å"Regional Evidence Of climate change in Nigeria† journal of geography and regional planning volume 3 number 6, pp.142-150. Oyinbo, O, Rekwot, G.Z, Ugbagbe, O.O (2013). â€Å"Socio- Economic Implications Of Climate Change On Food Security And Livelihood in Nigeria : A Desk Review. Department of Agricultural and Economics and Rural Sociology Faculty Of Agriculture/ Institute For Agricultural Research. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. Yusuf, N. (2012) â€Å"Climate change, social transition and Nigeria’s economic development† journal of international NGO volume7, number 2, pp.35-38. Climate Change; Challenge For Nigeria’s Food Security retrieved form http://bivnze.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/climate-change-challenge-for-nigerias-food-security National Planning Commission, Nigeria’s vision 20: 2020, October 2009. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Global Climate Change; Vital signs of the planet, July 2013. 1

HuckleBerry Finn Character List :: essays papers

HuckleBerry Finn Character List He is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. Huck is a thirteen-year-old boy. Huck is dirty and frequently homeless. He was constantly forced to survive on his own wits. But Huck is thoughtful, â€Å"street smart† rather than â€Å"book smart†. In fact he was uneducated. He was always an outcast, he was willing to come to his own conclusions about important stuff, even if the conclusions frequently contradicted society's norms. Huck was easily influenced by others, particularly by his friend Tom. Jim He is one of Miss Watson’s household slaves. He is sometimes a little sentimental and very superstitious to the point where you might think he is stupid, but its because he knew the world around him. But he was also intelligent, practical, and I think, more of an adult than anyone else in the book. He became a replacement dad to Huck as well as a friend. Because he is a black man and a runaway slave, he was afraid of getting caught, so he became paranoid. Jim was at the mercy of almost all the other characters in the book. Tom Sawyer He was Huck's friend in this novel. He is everything that Huck is not. Tom's stubborn reliance on the "authorities" of romance novels leads him to acts of incredible stupidity and startling cruelty. His adherence to the uncivilized world gives him something in common with Huck. He learns to see through and alienate himself from the â€Å"forces† that try to civilize him. Pap Huck's father and the town drunk. When he appears at the beginning of the novel, he is a wreck, with pale white skin and decrepit old clothes. Illiterate himself, he disapproves of Huck’s education. Many surrogates are forced to care for his son. Pap represented â€Å"white trash†. Most of the black characters in the book were morally and physically better than he was. He was a dead-beat and abusive dad. Judge Thatcher Judge Thatcher shared responsibility for Huck with the Widow Douglas, and is in charge of safeguarding the money that Huck found. He takes responsibility for issues affecting the community as a whole. He cared for Huck. When Huck discovers that Pap had returned to town, he signed his fortune over to the Judge, instead of taking it, he promised to hold it for him. Judge Thatcher has a daughter, Becky, who was Tom's girlfriend in the earlier novel.

Walmart Competitive Analysis :: Business Case Study

Wal-mart case analysis Competitive advantage and competitive dynamics What might explain Wal-Mart’s performance over time in discount retailing? Is it the industry or company specific factors? Post Second World War, the style of style of retailing in the US evolved into discount merchandizing. At the time, Wal-Mart was quick enough to ride the tide and develop an overall cost leadership model that allowed it to emerge as a leader in the market in the discount retailing space. Wal-Mart’s performance driven by overall cost leadership Wal-Mart’s strategy over time helped it establish leadership position in discount retailing. It used rural underserved markets to announce its arrival. It also used innovation levers, customer centricity, positioning as a low cost player, and effective stakeholder management including employees, suppliers, and stockholders to achieve distinctive competitive advantage. It successfully outperformed other firms in the industry leveraging its strategy to achieve overall cost leadership. The experience curve concept and was successfully adopted by Wal-Mart. The various levers it used to achieve cost leadership included, |Achieving economies of scale |Rapidly expand geographical footprint as well as number of stores, variety of stores, and store sizes | |Vigorous pursuit of cost reductions |Aggressively deploy buyer’s negotiating power saving as estimated additional 3-4% |

Mutual Insurance Company of Iowa Essay

Mutual Insurance Company of Iowa (MICI) has a major insurance office facility in Des Moines, Iowa. The MICI office facility in Des Moines is the one responsible for processing all their insurance claims for the entire nation. With this, the company is experiencing rapid growth of sales which resulted in corresponding increase in customer’s claims. However, the claiming department was unable to cope with the increasing volume of claims, which leads to the disappointment of their customers. Sally Cook, the manager of Claims Processing, suggested using a new kind of system, the JIT system. This new kind of system requires for the training of the managers and employees for them to able to be multi-skilled. JIT system also required for the restructuring of the company. If this new system will be implemented well, it will help with the current problem faced by the company and will in turn enhance production efficiency and increase customer relationships. Discussion Questions 1. Identify the attributes you would expect the Claims Processing Department at MICI to have once the new JIT system is in place. Since the company proposed that the employees should have cross-training exercises to be able to help in a variety of insurance claims processing, it will manifest that workers are flexible and are capable of working with various claims thus will result to a more efficient output by the employees. The employees who have been trained are the key success factors to the improvement of MICI with the help of the JIT system. 2. What will the restructured cell layout for claim processing in Figure 16.10 look like? Draw it. 3. What assumptions are you making about personnel and equipment in the new group technology cell layout? a. Decrease cost of labor b. Increase in assets such as equipments c. Higher utility expense d. Personnel are flexible and can handle different claim processes e. There will be specialization for each process f. Production equipment will be located in one central area g. Increase in employee training budget h. Improvement in the equipment utilization 4. How will the new JIT oriented system benefit the MICI operation? Explain. The JIT system, if installed and implemented properly, will have the benefits of the following to the MICI operation: a. The new system will reduce setup time and schedule delays since the production will be continuous. The forms will arrive and will be processed at the same day. b. Improvement in the flow of goods and services. The claim forms will be processed and cleared as soon as they arrive. c. Higher customer satisfaction. The company can offer services that can go in accordance to the demands of the customers. d. The company staff and workers will be more productive and multi-skilled since they have been trained comprehensively. e. The new system will reduce errors and defects in services since there will be quality control in the production.

Mitosis and Meiosis Essay

Abstract: There are two types of nuclear division, mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is usually used for the growth and replacement of somotaic cells, while meiosis produces the gametes or spores used in an organism’s reproduction. Hypothesis: Mitosis occurs in whitefish blastula and onion root tip, and it is easily observable. Meiosis and crossing over occurs in the production of gametes and spores. Materials: This lab required prepared slides of whitefish blastula, onion root tips, ovary, and testis, a microscope, and chromosome kit. The prepared slides of whitefish blastula and onion root tips, ovary, and testis were observed under the 10x and 40x objectives. Mitosis is easily observed in cells that are growing at a rapid pace such as whitefish blastula or onion root tips, which was used in this lab experiment. The root tips contain and area called the apical meristem that has the highest percentage of cells undergoing mitosis. The whitefish blastula is formed directly after the egg is fertilized. This is a period of rapid growth and numerous cellular divisions where mitosis can be observed. In mitosis the cell is in interphase, and have a distinct nucleus and nucleoli where the thin threads of chromatin thicken into distinct chromosomes and the nuclear evvelope breaks open releasing them into the cytoplasm. The firs signs of the spindle begin to appear, next the cell begins metaphase, where the spindle attaches to the Centromere of each chromosome and moves them to the same level in the middle of the cell. This level position is called the metaphase plate. Anaphase begins when the chromatids are separated and pulled to opposite poles, th en the final stage is telophase. The nuclear envelope is reformed and the chromosomes gradually uncoil. Cytokinesis may occur, in which, a cleavage furrow will form and the two daughter cells will separate. Meiosis is more complex and involves two nuclear divisions. The two divisions are called Meiosis I and Meiosis II and they result in the production of four haploid gametes. This  process allows increased genetic variation due to crossing over where genes can be exchanged. This process allows increased genetic variation due to crossing over where genes can be exchanged. The process , like mitosis, depends on interphase to replicate the DNA. Meiosis begins with Prophase I. In this stage, homologous chromosomes move together to form a tetrad and and synapsis begins. This is where crossing over occurs resulting in the recombination of genes. Metaphase I moves the tetrads to the metaphase plate in the middle of the cell, and Anaphase I reduces the tetrads to their original two stranded form and moves them to opposite poles. Telophase I then prepares the cell for its econd division. Meiosis II generally resembles mitosis except that the daughter cells are haploid instead of diploid. DNA replication does not occur in Interphase II, and prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase occur as usual. The only change is the number of chromosomes. Reference: LabPaq, Englewood Co, 2008 Raven, Johnson, Mason, Losos, and Singer. Biology 10th Ed., McGraw-Hill., New York, NY., 2014 http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/michael.gregory/files/bio%20101/bio%

Benefits of Affirmative Action in Higher Education

For twenty-five years, positive efforts have been made to qualified women and color of people to equal educational opportunities. As a result, the participation of the underrepresented groups of our society has increased significantly. The past and the present history of discrimination against women and people of color in education have extremely limited the current generation's educational opportunities. Until we can eliminate these inequities, positive measures would remain critical for women and color of people. Affirmative action programs have made a significant difference to a number of qualified individuals whose talents would not have watched over without such programs. It has improved the heterogeneity and the quality of education in our schools. In education, affirmative action provides the following to make educational opportunities accessible to all Americans: – Review of other merit factors besides grades and test scores by admission committees – Recruit for undergraduate, graduate admissions, and special educational programs – Provide mentoring, counseling, and other support programs. Affirmative Action In Education Has Expanded Opportunities For Women And People Of Color But The Need Remains If we take a closer look, many of the nations finest educational institutions had the doors firmly closed to women and people of color. Although the Civil Right Act and the Education Amendments prohibited racial and ethnic discriminations, educational opportunities for women and people of color are still limited by discrimination and stereotyping. As a result, women and people of color continue to fell behind by many educational measures. For example: Eliminating Educational Barriers For Women And People Of Color Through Affirmative Action Has Produced Broader Benefits To Society As A Whole Affirmative action programs have helped to increase the number of women completing law and medical school. The presence of women in justice and health care systems has given consumers more choices. The greater availability of female doctors and lawyers are the direct results of affirmative action programs at medical and law schools. â€Å"Affirmative action programs in medical schools have increased the number of physicians of color. Data suggests these physicians fill an important role in caring for poor people and members of minority groups. Black and Hispanic physicians locate their practices in areas with higher proportions of residents from underserved minority groups. In addition, they care for higher proportions of patients of their own race or ethnic groups and patients who are uninsured or are covered by Medicaid†. Source: Komaromy et al., â€Å"The Role of Black and Hispanic Physicians in Providing Health Care for Undeserved Populations,† The New England Journal of Medicine, May 16, 1996, Vol. 332, No. 20, p. 1305. What Would Happen If Affirmative Action Were Eliminated? The elimination of affirmative action will have devastating effects and it has already being felt in two of the nation's largest public universities. In 1995, the University of California system's Board of Regents voted to drop affirmative action in admissions beginning with next year's entering class. In Texas, a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit barred public colleges in that state from considering the race of prospective students. The Washington Post (5-19-97) noted that 21 black students have been selected for next fall's class at UCLA's law school-an 80 percent drop from last year and the lowest number of African Americans offered admission since about 1970. In Texas, nearly 400 fewer black and Hispanic students have been offered admission as undergraduates-a 20 percent decline. The Fall '97 entering class at the University of Texas Law School will include no African American students. Based on this data each and every civic in the nation should be alarmed. Not only that but also everyone should oppose to the policies denying entire segments of our society the full range of opportunities that our country has to offer. Why Admissions Policies Consider More Than Grades and Test Scores Antagonist of affirmative action is in favor to rank all applicants on the basis of quantitative measures alone. College admissions counselors and committees do understands that merit consists of just more than grades and test scores. Family income and parental academic attainment can also correlate to a student's ability to succeed. So the college counselors and committees understands if they limit the qualifications selection by only grades and test scores that might lead to the exclusion of talented musicians, artists, athletes, and other able individuals. Schools have a legitimate reason to strive for a mixed learning environment for students that will enable them to live in a pluralistic nation and compete in a global marketplace. A practical education encourages students to interact and work with people of diverse backgrounds. What the Courts Have Said About Affirmative Action in the Education Context â€Å"In Hopwood V. University of Texas School of Law (1996), the U.S. COURT of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the University of Texas's Law School's affirmative action program violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. At issue was an admission's policy that compared ‘minority' and ‘non-minority' applicants separately. In its decision, the Fifth Circuit said the Supreme Court's ruling in Bakke (that race could be used as one of several factors in admission) was no longer valid. While the Supreme Court allowed the Hopwood ruling to stand, it did not affirm the decisive language of the ruling†. Education is a fundamental virtue in every aspect of social and economic opportunity in the United States of America. More than ever before, educational achievement is connected to the economic security and the advancement for individuals as well as the nation as a whole. Schools carry a strong responsibility of preparing the future leaders of our country to effectively live and lead in a diverse society. America's competitiveness lies in its ability to support the innovative talents of its people. In an era where educated nation is a stronger nation economically and otherwise. As we approach the 21st Century, our commitment as a moral citizen to these programs is more vital than ever.

Key Problems and Issues Facing Hong Kong

Contemporary Tourism Issues Topic: TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM – KEY PROBLEMS AND ISSUES FACING HONG KONG Introduction Unquestionably, Hong Kong is a blessed land where possesses prosperity and most of the elements of being a world class cosmopolitan which has successfully attracted visitors over years, especially from the mainland by emphasising our world-class shopping, dining and other urban attractions (Lam, H. , 2004).Despite the flourishing scene of the tourism industry, the volatile tourist markets and growing competition from Southeast Asian countries and neighbouring destinations have posed new challenges to Hong Kong’s tourism industry. In order to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a preferable Asian tourist destination, in recent years, Hong Kong government has started paying more attentions to sustainable tourism due to the rising environmental consciousness worldwide and tourists’ growing interests in the new forms of tourism, namely Eco-tour ism and Cultural Tourism.Projects and campaigns, such as the development of Hong Kong Wetland Park, the launch of â€Å"Cultural Kaleidoscope† and â€Å"Nature Kaleidoscope† experience programmes, and publishing tour guidebooks- â€Å"Discover Hong Kong Nature† and â€Å"Discover Hong Kong by Rail† were introduced to promote green tourism and cultural tourism (GovHK, 2009). These promotion schemes have been launched with the aim to sustain the tourism industry by diversifying the tourism products to cater to the changing and diverse needs of inbound tourist market.Despite the development is on track of continued growth which has aroused tourists’ interests to look at â€Å"the other sides† of Hong Kong, many issues are needed to take into consideration due to the complex nature of sustainable tourism and the large number of stakeholders involved in. There is criticism from public that throughout these schemes, little attention has been paid to develop the tourism as a whole and a truly sustainable one since the schemes are still carried out in a loose manner without a thorough policy. The most significant issues are environmental ustainability and cultural sustainability due to the most recent focus of government on these issues and their importance to the sustainable development. Environmental Sustainability Country parks and nature reserves make up 40 percent of Hong Kong's total land area of some 1,100 square kilometres (Ling, 2007). Regarding the relative ample resources and the initial success of Wetland Parks, Hong Kong government recognized the green potential in Hong Kong tourism and has aggressively proposed numbers of Green initiatives recently, such as the Lantau North Country Park and Marine Park, Geoparks as well as cycle tracks and mountain bike trails.However, regarding these proposed projects, inadequate concerns have been given to the carrying capacity of these natural resources as well as the cost of construction. It is found that the conservational practices are not carried out in a strict manner as a case in Kam Tin Wetland and Hoi Ha Wan marine reserve, which are two well-known ecological attractions in Hong Kong, were reported in suffering wastage problems (Cheung, 2006).Another typical example is a member of Advisory Council on the Environment opposed to the proposal of Lantau North Country Park concerning the development of transport linkage of Tung Chung Road would damage the ecology of the areas. It aroused conservationists’ concern that government’s overemphasis on bringing in the tourist dollars will keep tourist agencies and residents focused on generating large-scale projects but putting little concern on making low-impact sustainable tourism (Crets, 2006).From the projects being carried out or proposed, it shows government’s interests on large scale investment but not much effort and support given to the details, such as the carrying capacity of the ecological resources. It implies government emphasized on the profit making and lacked of a whole-heartedly attitudes towards sustainable tourism. There is no doubt that green tourism has a large potential to become one of the major tourism sectors in Hong Kong with its educational and sustainable meaning as well as the economic benefits resulted from the rising awareness of this market.However, sustainability should not put mainly on the economic side since sustainability of tourist attractions, i. e. , the ecological sites and the heritage, is the core value of sustainable tourism. Although the government claimed that it has been keen on â€Å"promoting green tourism in Northeast New Territories and outlying islands having regard to the principles of nature conservation and sustainable development. (GovHK, 2009), it is doubtful that, regarding its policy on green tourism, whether Hong Kong government has a clear and accurate vision for mass tourism that will incorporate the natural environment. Tourism should be regarded as a tool for ecological and heritage preservation but not the other way round, otherwise there is no true meaning of sustainable tourism. Apparently, there is still much room for improvement regarding the policy as more concern and control should be placed over the environmental sustainability so as not to override the economic sustainability on the environmental sustainability.The success of green tourism is largely dependent on effectiveness of government on planning and management to minimize the impact to environment and the effective distribution of ecological resources. One of the measures suggested to the government is to have strict control on the environmental conservations instead of focusing on constructing more attractions and promoting the markets. The carrying capacity of the green attractions should be carefully studied and controlled by imposing strict regulations on the visitor numbers and their behaviours.Besides, du e to the rising demand, eco-guides’ demand is stretching, thus setting legal standards for eco-guides as well as providing training for nurturing the expertise are in urgent needs to cope with the stretched demand as well as to educate the appropriate behaviours in the ecologist attractions (Chong, 2007). Cultural Sustainability Due to the diversification in Hong Kong’s culture which is positioned as East-meet-West, Hong Kong has been recently facing the demands of constructing an identity reflected in choices about what heritage to conserve and how to present it (Henderson, 2002).With the current trend of globalization and mass movement of people, issues of cultural identity and cultural preservation continue to be explored. Recently, Hong Kong has been keen on developing attractions to enhance Hong Kong’s cultural image, one of the fine examples is the proposed cultural venues, the West Kowloon Cultural District. Besides building new cultural venues, preservin g and promoting Hong Kong’s tangible and intangible heritage are accounted as other measures to showcase Hong Kong’s mixed culture.Examples like preservation and development of the former Marine Police Headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui into a tourism facility by the private sector, â€Å"1881 Heritage†, and HKTB’s promotion of traditional Chinese customs and festivals such as the Tin Hau Festival parade in Yuen Long and Cha Kwo Ling, Tam Kung Festival in Shaukeiwan, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival and the Birthday of Lord Buddha celebrations at Po Lin Monastery. Despite these efforts, several problems are found regarding Hong Kong’s culture and heritage sustainability policy.It is found that Hong Kong has been relatively slow in developing its potential heritage sites into tourist attractions, as seen in the controversy over the fate of Tiger Balm Garden and the Central Police Station. According to Chu and Uebegang (2002), the sluggish and passive respons e of government reflects the lack of political will due to a lack of understanding of the principles of heritage and its potential. The Government believes heritage conservation should be driven by tourism and economics and not treated in the same way as other social and education services.Even with the setting up of Heritage Tourism Task Force which is established in 1998, there have been very few recommendations proposed by the task force. Some critics have blamed on its lack of leadership and lack of influence in the government bureaucracy (Chu and Uebegang, 2002). Other problems implied in the policy of government are lack of a broad-based, long-term conservation policy, lack of a clear priorities and inadequate co-ordination of government departments involved in present heritage conservation practice.Besides, in most cultural heritage development, public involvement in decision-making is absent. Regarding these problem, it is essential for government to change its attitude and strike for a more holistic vision and policy towards the cultural heritage conservation. It is due to the challenge faced by Hong Kong that it has long promoted its culture as an exciting fusion of East-meet-West and traditional-meet-contemporary, which may cause it falling in a danger of overemphasizing on international style attractions and a loss of actual distinctiveness.Development may follow a common path to create uniform of tourism features which convey similar image to the tourists. Therefore, the cultural and heritage conservations are essential in the tourism development as it helps to maintain a unique sense of place and difference as intrinsic merit to secure its competitive advantages and reposition the image besides an international metropolitan with the colonial history. Apart from these problems of fragmented policy and vision, the management issue of the cultural heritage has been another concern by the conservationist and researchers.Since the cultural and heritag e tourism requires a cautious approach with sensitivity, research, and community involvement due to its core value is to convey the value to and engage present generations without betraying the spirit of the previous generations’ experiences. It is important and beneficial to involve the participation of those people and groups who are most closely related to the significance of the heritage area. Without this, it is difficult to achieve substantive conservation. In Hong Kong, there is lack of cooperation with and involvement of the locals or the significant cultural group.It is, therefore, suggested to involve the local community at the planning and operation level which can enhance the sustainability of the projects as well as prevent the problem of being too commercialized which affecting the authenticity and integrity of the heritage. Referring to the need of involvement of local community, certain level of empowerment is essential which can be regarded as community based tourism. It broadly described as â€Å"responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people. It requires tourism activities to be primarily developed and operated by members of the local community and that revenues from tourism remain within the local community. Respect for local culture, heritage and traditions is imperative. CBT teaches the visitor to behave responsibly and respectfully towards nature and native culture, and offers activities that give the visitor an understanding and appreciation of the area without degrading it. Most importantly of all, it can reserve the sustainable resources and reduce the impacts to the community daily life at the minimum level.Conclusion Tourism is most ideally suited to adopt sustainability as a guiding philosophy in sustainable developmemnt (McKercher, 2003). However, mismanaging sustainable tourism will turn it into a curse as it will damage the ecological and heritage attraction s in more direct ways. According to McKercher (2003), sustainable tourism is built around four pillars of tourism, namely economic sustainability, ecological sustainability, cultural sustainability and local sustainability, all these four elements must be addressed if we are to achieve sustainable tourism.It is found that recently Hong Kong government is striking for sustainable tourism, however, there is a lack of broad view and holistic policy to support the efforts. Unregulated short-term initiatives which serve the narrow interests of powerful forces in the industry may jeopardize the sustainability and longer-term tourism potential of many communities upon which majority interests are based (Brohman, 1996). It is therefore important for government to be aware of the future planning must be holistic, strategic and long-term.Laws, procedures and systems for planning, preservation, development and management should be adjusted or created to ensure that the development of the proje ct is undertaken in ways that are consistent with the principles of sustainability. Besides, all these should be applied to a culture of caring for the environment, therefore the concepts of preservation and sustainable development should be fostered and encouraged within the government and the community so as to ensure the true and holistic meaning of sustainable tourism.

A Great Controversy Among Historians About the Figure of Louis XIV Research Paper

A Great Controversy Among Historians About the Figure of Louis XIV - Research Paper Example Louis XIV thought that his entire life has to be the walk of a great king in a great country, the entire country being resumed in his divine-right, absolute monarch. It is possible that he never said the famous statement historians had always attributed to him, â€Å"L’à ¨tat, c’est Moi† (I am the state). But, as Jacques Bousset and Jean Domat1 were theorizing (Domat 1829), he considered himself to be God’s instrument on earth, and clearly felt that the state was his patrimony, as J. Nathan suggests (The Virginia Quarterly Review, J. Nathan). In his letters to his heirs, he explains his thought: â€Å"†¦A king works for himself when he has the state in mind, and the welfare of the one enhances the glory of the other†. Bearing this idea in mind, he devoted his life to the achievement of his glory and, therefore, of the glory of France. And he believed that war was the main mean to achieve his greatness. Through all the wars he sustained during his life, he tried to force all European nations to accept the French hegemony. He never really worked to establish a harmonic co-existence with other European nations (The Virginia Quarterly Review, J. Nathan). He did steer France through a series of wars in order to dictate Europe his idea of order: all nations united under the legitimate hegemony of France. Diplomacy was in his hands only a mean to keep enemies occupied while he prepared the army, and nobody was better than him in betraying his own words. As once he wrote to his ambassador: â€Å"†¦there are hardly any words in the world so clear..that do not have some exceptions and contrary reasons†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .

Tactical Leadership Versus Organizational leadership Essay

Tactical Leadership Versus Organizational leadership - Essay Example Tactical and organizational leadership styles are two of these which are undertaken and adopted for similar aims and objectives. Each of these modes of leadership has one thing in common- achieving the defined goals and objectives, the difference is in the path following, procedures adoption, tools and techniques employment. Before understanding the two forms of leadership styles, it is imperative to define each and better understand the background and concept under which each is implemented and is most effective. The two have considerable differences between them, as well as similarities in functions, nature and execution. This paper looks into the overall relationship and individual existence and performance domain and style of each leadership style. Backed by intensive thinking and brain storming (Person, 2010, 46) and solid execution, while organizational leadership is supported by smooth decisions enforced by organizational observation and participation. The basic genesis of the concept of tactical derives from the previous experiences and observations. Based on all the knowledge and expertise gained, the leadership duties and responsibilities are performed accordingly. These actions may be the experience gained in individual capacity or experience based on the collective actions taken by the team and the organization which allows for experience derivation for future course of action. Certain variables are associated with this kind of leadership style; these are the time frame and constraint, the extent of participation of the leader and the element of charisma (Porter, Angle, & Allen, 2003, 246). As a result of the prior knowledge the steps are undertaken to solve the problems and devise a strategy according to the requirements. Such form of leadership still is highly effective when there is direct contact with the sub ordinates such as military on the field interaction and war

Economic100 Article Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Economic100 Analysis - Article Example The article sheds light on the increasing costs of business, implying that not only the apparent rise in coffee beans but also utilities, rent etc attribute to the hike in the prices. Keeping this in mind, the climate of business is not a favorable one, and this may have short term to middle term implications for other segments in the market as well. The objective of this analysis is to apply relevant economic concepts to this article and understand the fundamentals at work here. Economic Concepts There are a few key economic concepts which can be applied to explain the whole of things. Some of them include demand pull inflation, increase in aggregate demand, porter’s five forces etc. Particular focus will be laid on the implications of the existing context, given it persists and how it will hamper longer terms sales etc. Analysis The first economic concept which the article lays emphasis on is the fact that there has been an overall increase in the demand for coffee around th e world. We’ve seen that over the course of the last 3 decades, a lot of globalization has taken place, and in the process, there has been a lot of transference of good and services across borders. Coffee is one of those items which has found a market for itself wherever it has gone. Growing economies such as China and India have shown great promise in terms of demand for the products and this has only fueled the prices in an upward direction. When aggregate demand increases, it has to be followed by an increase in the aggregate supply in an equal magnitude otherwise the result is inflationary pressures in the economy. In the case of coffee, the demand has increased, but the supply has not been able to cope with the demand. Hence the result is demand pull inflation. As is seen in the diagram, increases in the aggregate demand will cause a movement along the curve, but if there are other variables altering, then this can trigger a shift of the curve all together. The inflation we refer to over here doesn’t imply that the whole economy is heating up, but rather just the coffee segment. However, inflation is something that cannot be sustained in this segment. The reason can be explained by Porter’s Five Force model. One of the key pillars of that model is the threat of a substitute. In the case of coffee, there are many substitutes readily available in the market. They can include tea, lattes, cappuccinos etc. The point is that price fluctuations are not sustainable in an industry such as this one. Moreover, the price sensitivity of this product is extremely high. Therefore, even the slightest fluctuations in price could trigger a decrease in supply for this product. Now the real debate starts here. The problem in prices arose due to an uncoordinated demand. However, what’s the trade-off between increasing prices and increasing consumer base? The answer to this question lies in the fact that no production line would like to see a decli ne in the demand for that particular good, however, it must be able to sustain the demand without increasing prices. If prices are pulled up due to these pressures, it implies that the demand cannot be sustained and eventually, the higher prices will lead to a decline in the demand and equilibrium will once again be attained on the previous level. When that happens, this cycle will repeat

Drug Development Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Drug Development Process - Essay Example Each step should follow the guidelines provided by the Food and Drug Administration. Product for development which has been marketed or studied previously will undergo the same steps. According to the February 1993 report by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, one company costs $359 million in U.S. To be able to get one new medicine from the laboratory testing to the pharmacist's shelf, the process usually takes 12 years on the average and only 5 in 5,000 will make it to human testing. And only one of the 5 will be approved.(FDAreview.org).. The first step is to analyze the target to be developed. Before developing a drug, you must identify first the state of the disease and the symptoms to which the development of drug will be base to. It is important to identify the target. The key decision if whether the target for therapeutic intervention is one that will have a positive effect on managing the disease in question. There are some companies who want to further develop their product. For example, a drug for diabetes will be developed; the company should specify what would be the added pharmacological action on their drug. This will be the basis for the clinical testing that the new product should undergo. Metabolic pathway is a new approach in addressing and developing enhanced disease, understanding platforms with the potential to design significantly more effective drugs against many human diseases, including cancer. (Schimdt , 2004). There are several factors that controls the level of drug in the individual patients, including environment, patient compliance and genetic differences. . The metabolic pathway will give insight on the possible kinetic problems that may occur by providing which specific enzyme the drug is metabolized. In this step the drug manufacturer will be able to identify the isozymes responsible for the metabolism in humans. Nowadays, there is several computer aided system in testing the metabolic pathways of a drug. 3) Molecular Specificity In this step the molecules to be added in the drug should be specified for further analysis. Added molecules in a drug can alter the potency and efficacy of a drug. To be able to identify the molecules to be added, there are several new technology which can be of help to be able to shorten the period of this test. One molecule can affect the phamacological action of a drug, for example one molecule added to morphine can increase its painkilling effect. 4) Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) The Quantitative Structure - Activity Relationship or QSAR predict and analyze the drug activity. The QSAR represent an attempt to correlate structural or property descriptors of compound with activities. In QSAR the hydrophobicity, topology, electronic properties, and steric effects, are determined empirically, or more recently by computational methods. Activities used in QSAR include chemical measurements and

Discussion Week 1b Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Week 1b - Assignment Example The first written language of accounting systems constitutes the use of symbols in various memoranda such as goods and business ideals (Albu, 2013). In early Babylonia and ancient Egypt society, a number of stone transaction dated back to 3600 BC were recorded indicating the beginning of auditing in the past centuries (Stone, 2014). In Ancient Egypt and Babylon there are a lot of evidences indicating that the scribes were well educated and involved in finances systems, businesses, auditing, accounting and other inventory balances in the Pharaoh government. Scribes had the ability to do simple arithmetic’s, read and write various government revenues policies (Albu, 2013). In the early Persian civilization system, tax collection and finance auditing were done by the king empire agencies (Stone, 2014). Furthermore, in Hebrew civilization, the scribes involved in financial auditing for goods received by the king. A number of scholars also argued that the Ancient Greece society uses slaves in order to conduct and embrace accounting and auditing practices (Boyd, 2004). The Athens uses around ten accountants and checking clerks in tax collection as well as reporting income profits and government revenues to the general public (Stone, 2014). The Roman Empire also practiced a number of accounting procedures including the provision of checks, financial recordings as well as counter checks practices (Stone, 2014). In the Middle Ages accounting system decline but was later reestablished in many European countries. It is also clear from the articles that the private sectors also involved in auditing and accounting systems in early centuries. Accounting system was not properly recorded in the early civilizations but from the Middle Ages onwards most of the accounting systems were well recorded (Stone, 2014). Therefore, from these articles it is clear that accounting is one of

WSJ.com only Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

WSJ.com only - Essay Example What interests me is how analysts assume that by reducing interest rates, acquiring assets in huge portions, and funding the bank system can be an option in ending inflation. The market can be freed through employing mechanisms that can help the Yuan appreciate. It is interesting how the U.S. reacts at this move, calling it currency manipulation. For this reason, they have issued sanctions for China to review her motives. However, through such currency uncertainty, China is in a good position to attract investors. Economic problems are present in all countries. This makes it impossible o use similar mechanisms in reversing the problems. As seen, the European nation is yet to recover from the 2009 great economic depression. There have been a lot of suggestions on how to counter the menace. This includes reducing interest rates and funding the bank. China finds it nice to use currency uncertainty to improve her

Doctrine of the Trinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Doctrine of the Trinity - Essay Example Orthodox Church had believed in certain doctrines but a dialogue to establish proper ecumenical principles was necessary. Trinitarianism exists on the divinity of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, who are the Godheads, with rather unclear entities. One opinion said they are One, representing substance, power and eternity; but the controversy prevailed. The early Church Fathers had diverse views about the doctrine of Trinity. Some of them had difficulty in accepting that Jesus was not the only God. Some were reluctant to say that he was not the God, but only the Son of the God. "To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and for whom we live; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and through whom we live." (1 Cor. 8:6, KJV and NIV). "There is not a single controversy with regard to the Nature of the Trinity, as far as we know, which does not involve the doctrine that Christ is the Wisdom of God as its starting point, and the Old Testament definitions of that Wisdom as its proof-test," p.31, Harris. There were confusions with some saying that Jesus represented all the three, or Jesus himself is God and all the three represented Jesus himself. In the scripture the word trinity is not mentioned and its origin remains a bit mysterious In 382, Pope St. In 382, Pope St. Damascus called a local council in Rome to discuss the doctrine of trinity and a papal commentary is still available with strict terms while laying down rules and regulations of being a heretic. "Understanding the nature of orthodoxy and heresy during the fourth century is further complicated by the need to note not only shifts in the content of Christian belief concerning Trinitarian and Christological issues, but also considerable change in the structures and practices within which right belief is assessed," Ayres, p.79. From there, Trinity went through resistance and Fathers like SS. Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine shaped the doctrine in many stages by writing commentaries and defences based on the Council of Constantinople. Athanasius wrote before the council, but says that the Triad is the creator of all things and emphasises that Father and Son work as the principal force behind creation, protection, life, and they are more or less one. St Gregory wrote after the Council and was clearly influenced by the Council's proceedings. He sees the doctrine on the Blessed Trinity's ad extra as Johannine Theology and of biblical origin. In 390, he wrote Concerning We Should Think of Saying that There are not Three Gods to Ablabius where he upholds the Doctrine and says that Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one and insists that 'no activities of the Godhead are unique to any one'. Around 399 St. Augustine started his work De Trinitate where he cites Gospel of St. John many times and according to him the Doctrine of Trinity could be found in the Gospel of St. John. "Prior to the Cappadocians there scarcely was a concept of person in ancient philosophy. Moreover, the Cappadocians provided a rather complex concept of person" p.14. Turcescu, 2005. Within a period of 264 years from the Council of Nice in 325 AD, a clear definition emerged as the basis of doctrine of the Trinity. In the year 589 AD, the Third Synod at Toledo proclaimed

Corporate Finance Company Profile of PepsiCo Essay

Corporate Finance Company Profile of PepsiCo - Essay Example Pepsi is working on heightened regulatory and market scrutiny of corporate governance practices in order to communicate and represent the organization in a manner that pleases the shareholders, utilizing resources in a new and evolving compliance environment. Management should be eyeing the macro factors like Government’s policies, competition and tax rates where they operate a business because local, national or international jurisdictions and new or changing regulations might create hurdle in their way. Company’s strong point is that they have sharpened their focus on sales, service and customer orientation and are eagerly looking forward to improving its product and service quality. In order to retain its market share in every possible manner, the management is keen on maintaining the performance momentum and competitive advantage in the marketplace. There has been a positive increment in cash and cash equivalent in the year 2008 in comparison with the year 2007 and 2006. The sole reason behind this is the decrease in investment in the securities .Moreover, holding of the short-term borrowing makes an impression on cash and cash equivalents. Pepsi utilizes its reserve or liquid cash in a profitable manner because Pepsi makes an investment in securities, which in the end makes a profit for the company. The utilization of cash for investment purposes also shows in the current and quick ratio, and is a healthy sign for the company’s future prospect. In the year 2008 and 2007 no significant moment is observed in fixed assets of the Pepsi. Pepsi has applied proper inventory management techniques and policies. Due to the high demand of the company product, less percentage of inventories is in hand, and the inventory turnover is also evidence of proper inventory system adopted by the Pepsi throughout these three years (Myers, Bre aley and Marcus, 2001). Pepsi is primarily financing their activities through debt.