For and against reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Article

For and against reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) - Article Example The TSCA provisions do not apply the same to new and existing chemicals. According to TSCA, any new chemical substances are any chemical that is not part of the chemical substance list collected and published under TSCA section 8(b). This list is referred to as the â€Å"TSCA Inventory†. The TSCA act has had a great impact in ensuring protection of the American citizen and the environment. EPA has had successes compiling data on chemical toxicity, market use, and exposure under TSCA’s section 4 which allows EPA to do testing and information provisions. However, these results have been limited because very few test policies and rules have been enacted by the TSCA. Through the new chemicals program set by TSCA has proven to be a successful example of a precautionary review policy. These provisions apply at the pre-manufacture level of manufacturing before the product is let out to the public. This provision sets disciplinary reviews to assess risks associated with new chemicals. This ensures that there is protection against potentially harmful chemicals. Due to its high disciplinary measures, this has scared investors who are venturing into new and advance technology in chemical industry. The regulations have high legal threshold which is almost impossible to meet. The TSCA program for existing chemicals has ensured that the EPA is able to monitor its inventory and also analyze manufacturing and consumption by the public. On the other hand it has been viewed by many to be a failure. The existing chemicals have pose a challenge on EPA to prove that chemicals already approved will not present risk and that the benefits of regulation overpass the costs. Lack of assurance favors the keeping of these chemicals on the market. EPA limitation on power to regulate existing chemicals provides a hindrance to bringing safer chemicals to market. While chemical manufacturers invest important

Perinatal Factors and Schizophrenia Essay Example for Free

Perinatal Factors and Schizophrenia Essay In considering the various statistical tests, the studies have based their analysis on the total population and basically by looking at the factors that encourage the occurrence of Schizophrenia among the offspring following from the effect of these factors on the parents. That is, the factors that are likely to affect the genetic composition that is inherited by the offspring in causing schizophrenia. Various statistical tests were used that include logistic regression, Poisson regression and Mantel-Haenszel test. Systematic review was also used in the case where raw data was not used, and was done by the reviewing of the previous studies. The value of the calculated statistics The factors that were considered in the various studies are statistically significant in explaining the factors that cause schizophrenia depending on the varied populations that the studies used. The factors that are identifiable as being a cause for schizophrenia include; children who are born by the mothers who were exposed to some severe life experiences and more especially the death of a close relative during the first trimester ( Ali K, Kathryn, Roseanne, Marianne, Roger and Philip, 2008). This situation increases the possibility of the the offspring developing schizophrenia. The other factor that encourage the developing of schizophrenia among the offspring is the tendency for the parents to expose themselves to analgesics. The effect of the analgesics in encouraging the development of schizophrenia is independent of either male or female parent exposure to analgesics. The treatments offered to the mother during pregnancy also increase the possibility for schizophrenia to develop among the offspring. The other factor that is identifiable as a cause for schizophrenia among the offspring is when the mothers had a psychotic disorder during their adult life, more especially the mothers who had preeclampsia during their adult life. The place and time of birth also has an influence in causing schizophrenia among the children. The children who are born in urban areas and in some months of the years are at risk of developing schizophrenia compared to the ones born in the rural areas and in the months of the years other than March and early December. The obstetrical complications during pregnant and the infections by influenza virus are also among the factors that lead to the development of schizophrenia among the offspring. Significance to nursing practice The factors identifiable as the cause for schizophrenia are very important in the nursing practice. The nurses are able to provide advice to the mothers on the various practices that they are expected to adapt in protecting their offspring from developing of schizophrenia. Therefore, it will be a preventive measure other than curative. Following the nature of schizophrenia, it is better to prevent than providing a cure, hence significant to the nursing practice. Discussion Interpretation of the results. On analyzing all the articles, it is identifiable that all the studies had focused on the causes of schizophrenia among the offspring following the various factors that surrounded the parents, that is, both the male and the female parents. Therefore, schizophrenia is perceived as being a genetic complication that is transmitted from the parents to their offspring. Implications The main cause for schizophrenia is the genetic distortion that occurs within the parents following some factors, which is later evident in the offspring. Therefore, schizophrenia is an hereditary complication. Study Limitations The information used in some other studies was never complete, that is some information were missing for some objects used in the study. The strengths and the weaknesses of the Study. The studies provide a mixed reaction following the various factors that are considered as a cause for schizophrenia and they have not given the genetic mechanisms that are involved in occurrence schizophrenia, otherwise, they have used an inductive approach. Summary The cause for schizophrenia is attributed to the factors that affect parents of an offspring and more especially during pregnancy. The factors affect the genetic structure that is later reflected in the characteristics of the offspring.

Story :: essays research papers

Terrorist actions, what exactly are they? Well just imagine yourself in a place where bombs can turn up in the strangest of places like inside a watermelon on the seat of a bus or inside a drink bottle being hurled at a pub. Malls getting bombed everyday and having to keep your child inside at all times because it seems to be the safest places, but it can still be bombed as well. This may not be an everyday thing in the United States but lately they happen to the people of Israel and Palestine almost every day. Lets us travel back to September last year with what started out as a disagreement regarding land became violent. The countries' leaders, Ariel Sharon of Israel and Yasser Arafat of Palestine, have made attempts at armistice, but both sides were unable to agree on anything. My essay is going to cover three major points: one, where the United States stands in this war that is being waged. Two, how this whole thing started and why, and finally how I believe this dispute is goin g to end. First and foremost, I am going to speak about where the United States stands amidst all this. Both the United States and the European Union believe that they share a common vision of the two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security. President Bush spoke at a White House news conference with European Union (EU) Council President Jose Aznar and EU Commission President Romano Prodi, after three and a half hours of talks with them. The talks were part of the annual summit between the United States and the European Union. President Bush also said that the United States wants to work with the Palestinian people "to build a Palestinian state that both lives at peace with Israel and lives up to the best hopes of its people." He said it was important for Arafat to show the world "that he's capable of leading" his people toward peace and away from violence. Secondly, how did this all start? Well, on one side (Israel) of the issue we have those who believe that God has given Palestine to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, a gift made in perpetuity. For believing Jews and Christians, Israel's original occupation of Palestine was commanded by God, as was the destruction of the original population.

Greek Heros

Myths of the Greek Heroes Achilles and Ajax are both know as great heroes of the Trojan War. Behind the guts and glory of war, what were they, who were they? Achilles was the son of nymph Thetis and Peleus the king of the Myrmidons. Ajax was the son of Telamon, who was the son of Aeacus and grandson of Zeus. Achilles and Ajax are closely related and their relationship being so close knit makes being at war a dismal time for both of them. Achilles was a man of anger and with this anger he dishonored Agamemnon, the commander of the Achaean forces. This forced Achilles to withdraw from the battle.After Agamemnon took Chrysies the daughter of a priest of Apollo, Achilles saw a way of returning to his rein in the war. He followed Agamemnon instruction in protecting the prophet with the key to saving Greece from the plague that was forced upon them in order to free Chrysies. At the same time sweltering with wrath Achilles prayed to Thetis to convince Zeus to the Trojans gain ground in the war. He then would regain is honor in the Trojan War, the honor that he lost when dishonoring Agamemnon. After saving Greece from the plague Achilles refused to fght the war.He believed that they were fighting for the wrong purpose. According to books, gods are immortal; Achilles proved this to be false. Patroclus was a beloved friend of Achilles and he was also his brother-in-arms. Achilles needed help with regaining power in the war since he was no longer fighting. Patroclus took his place and succeeded in pushing the Trojans back from the beaches he was killed by Hector the leader of the Trojans. After hearing of the death f his cherished friend, Achilles grieved knowing that it would have been him if he had stayed in the war.After the death of his friend, Achilles decided to end his protest. With this built up anger he fought and killed many Trojans but, he was always seeking out Hector. After finding his prey, Achilles chased Hector around Troy three times before Hector was con vinced by Athena in the form of Hectors brother Deiphobus to fight Achilles face to face. After much more grieving over many loses of family and friends Achilles finally met his demise by bleeding out through the only ortal part of his body, his Achilles tendon hence the name Achilles. He was killed by Apollo and Paris.Ajax was a man of great Stature. He endured his training from Centaur Chiron, right alongside his cousin Achilles. Being described as vicious, fearless, strong and powerful Ajax was also known for a very high level of battle intellect. He himself fought Hector twice. The first encounter was in Ajax's control. He hit Hector over the head with a hefty boulder even though Hector fghts back, Zeus calls a draw on the fight and it ends without a winner. The second fght between Ajax and Hector happened when the fght breaks out in the Mycenaean camp among the ships.Hector is set on burning the ships of the Greeks. He feels that the Greeks would be defeated without their ships . The failure of defeating Hector made Zeus second guess who he wanted to favor. Agamemnon then sends Ajax to attempt to reconcile witn the great warrior Achilles and introduce him back to fghting in the war. He fails at convincing him to come back. After the death of his cousin Achilles, Ajax fights for the body of the hero and buried him next to his riend Patroclus.After Achilles's death Ajax was known as the most vulnerable warrior in Agamemnon's army. After arguing and portraying the story of why Ajax deserves the magical armor of Hephaestus, Ajax lost the argument and the armor was awarded to Odysseus who proved to be more persuasive and believable in times of battle. Even though Ajax was the one who fought Hector driving him away with a massive rock and then fought him again away from the ships saving most of the Greek army and killing much of the charging Trojan Army.After fighting for the armor nd losing Ajax falls to the ground and when he wakes he is under a spell put on h im by Athena. The spell leads him to a flock of sheep who believes to be the Achaean leaders, Odysseus and Agamemnon and slaughters them. Waking up the blood of sheep he realizes what he had done. He preferred to no longer live than live in shame. In the first battle between Ajax and Hector, Zeus ended the fght and they exchanged gifts. Ajax gave him a shield and Hector gave him a sword. This very swords is the one is said to of been the one Ajax committed suicide with.

Banquo and Macbeth Essay

Banquo’s Ghost appearing at the banquet is a graphic manifestation of the guilt that Macbeth feels. Since, Lady Macbeth needs to make excuses for Macbeth’s interaction with the ghost of Banquo means that the ghost is only visible in Macbeth’s eyes. During Macbeth’s coronation banquet, Lady Macbeth pulls Macbeth asides and asks him the reason behind his inappropriate behavior. Macbeth becomes angry because Lady Macbeth robustly accuses him of lying. When Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth a liar he replies, â€Å"If I stand here, I was him†(3.4.89). Trying to convince Lady Macbeth of what he saw, Macbeth has to prove to himself that he witnessed Banquo interrupt the feast. Baquo’s ghost is a figment of Macbeth’s guilt. Macbeth tries to convince himself that he sees a ghost and is not going mad. After realizing he is truly the only one seeing Banquo’s ghost Macbeth comes to the conclusion that â€Å"This [seeing Banquo’s ghost] is more strange / Than such a murder is†(3.4.98-99). Fear cuts deeper than a sword. Similar to his earlier epiphany, Macbeth accepts the fact that Banquo is dead on Macbeth’s account. When Macbeth returns to the table he proposes a toast that, â€Å"I drink to th’ general joy o’ th’ whole table / And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss†(3.4.108-109). Now, in a stage of acceptance, Macbeth is able to tame the million thoughts fighting in his head. Macbeth is in a state of denial. To insure himself that he is not going insane, Macbeth tells Banquo’s Ghost that â€Å"Thy bones are marrowless; thy blood is cold / Thou hast no speculation in those eyes / Which thou dost glare with†(3.4.114-116). Similar to when Macbeth tells his wife he saw a ghost, Macbeth tries to remain sane. We are not exposed to our real personality until something really awful happens. Once something bad happens all of the useless things fall away until we are left with who we really are. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. Folger ed. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 1992. Print.

Structure and Properties of Polymers Essay

Structure and Properties of Polymers Essay Structure and Properties of Polymers Essay C 10 Lecture Notes Freely jointed chain, a â€Å"phantom† chain n links of same length, ak Joints permit completely free rotation Mean squared end to end length = nkak2 Contour (stretched out) length Lc=nkak Persistence length aq=ak/2 What is the size of the blob? For an ideal Kuhn chain RG2 = RL2/6 (approx.) RG: Characteristic radius of blob 3. Non-crystalline Polymer (Physical States of Matter) 3.1 Glass transition temperature Specific volume a) Tg occur in all materials where crystallinity doesn’t get in the way b) Because it is not an equilibrium phase, glass transition is not a thermodynamic transition Melt/Rubber Glass Equilibrium line T 0 Specific volume Specific volume 1. Cool slowly 2. Heat quickly Tg depends on time scale of observation Slow cool Fast heat Anneal 0 T 0 T 3.2 Polymeric states Molecular weight Increase molecular weight to infinity (chemically linked) → All RUBBER in this region Tg Glass Rubber Viscous melt T 1 GPa Glass log E Rubber 1 MPa ~ 10 MPa Viscous creep Temperature Spring: purely elastic, ÏÆ' = EÃŽ µ Dashpot: purely viscous, ÏÆ' = ÃŽ ·ÃŽ µ stiff spring model elasticity of glass (Eg) dashpot controls short relaxation time processes (frees upon reaching Tg) Eg-Er Er ÃŽ ·1(T) ÃŽ ·2(T) weak spring model elasticity of glass (Er) dashpot for longest relaxation time processes (frees for rubber-melt transition) ÃŽ ·1 and ÃŽ ·2 solid → glass: Eg ÃŽ ·2 solid, ÃŽ ·1 free → rubber: Er viscosity, ÃŽ · = ÏÆ'/ÃŽ µ 4.1 Behavior of spring/dashpot models ÏÆ' ÃŽ µ Maxwell element Time tot = E + − CON. EQN ÏÆ' ÏÆ'0 at time t = Ï„, ÏÆ' = ÏÆ'0/e 0 t ÏÆ' ÃŽ µ = ÏÆ'0/E t Voigt element Add stresses, ÏÆ'tot = EÃŽ µ + ÃŽ ·ÃŽ µ − CON. EQN â‘ ¢ Constant ÃŽ µ, ÃŽ µ = 0 ÏÆ' = EÃŽ µ Constant ÏÆ', ÏÆ' = 0 4.2 How realistic? Assumptions: (i) Viscosity Newtonian ÃŽ · ≠  f (ÃŽ µ) Not very good assumption at high strain rate (ii) Only two relaxation processes Ï„1 Ï„2 LHS controls Tg Relaxation of molecular chain segments RHS longest Ï„ Unraveling of entangled chain N (Ï„) Relaxation Time Spectrum Ï„ Note: N (Ï„): number of elements with Ï„ between Ï„ and Ï„ + d Ï„, like ‘density of state† 5.1 Modulus of glass Eg ~ E of van der Waals solid (held together by VdW forces), approx. 1 GPa Einorganic glass ~ 65 GPa → combinations of ionic bonding and Si – Si Emetal : steel ~ 210 GPa Al ~ 70 GPa Epolymer chain pulled out ~ 250 GPa 5.2 Viscosity of ÃŽ ·1 dashpot In region of Tg, (a) Time-temperature superposition (Fig 5.1) (b) Superimposed curve, made by shifting data by log aT (Fig 5.2 b) (c) Plot of shift factor aT vs. temperature (Fig 5.2 c) Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) found empirical equation to describe (c) Ts ~ reference temperature, works well if Ts = Tg With C1 = 17.4 , C2 = 51.6 K Implication: log aT (i.e. ÃŽ ·1) turns to ∞ when T = Tg – C2 → (Tg – 51.6) K ∠´Creep of polymer glass turns to zero at temperature (Tg – 51.6) K or lower Justification of WLF in terms of free volume Specific volume Occupied volume 0 T Second Input: Doolittle Equation 5.3 Elasticity of Rubber Spring 5.4 Viscosity of dashpot Rubber ⇄ viscous melt? Viscous flow ~ relative motion of centers of masses of molecules A. Reptation Model Molecules effectively confined in tube by entangling neighbours Constraints physical cross-linked points Reptation - Molecule can only escape lengthwise Parameters: Need two other equations: B Above critical molecular weight for

A Checklist on Effective Team Working The WritePass Journal

A Checklist on Effective Team Working Abstract A Checklist on Effective Team Working ). Possession of this skill enables one to effectively present their ideas to other group members or express their displeasure in certain ideas without being threatening. Communication also involves listening, which is vital for internalizing the ideas presented by other team members. The present–day technological advancements like the internet and mobile phones have further eased the communication process, which is also advantageous for team work and has led to the ‘virtual team’ phenomenon (Duarte Snyder, 2011). Lack of communication skills often lead to conflicts within the team or groupthink, where some team members agree with ideas without any constructive debate. Commitment to Attainment of the Team Objective The level of team members’ commitment to collaborate and accomplish the team’s goals is a critical contributing factor towards the success of the team (Dunin-Keplicz Verbrugge, 2011). All teamwork projects involve the contribution of individual members towards the attainment of an overall objective. Therefore, commitment starts by their acknowledgement of the fact that what they are working to achieve cannot be solely done by one individual (Mohammed Harrison, 2013). Committed team members have a high regard for the roles that they have been allocated and work as hard as possible to ensure that they are well accomplished within the allocated time. Commitment however depends on how organizations motivate the team members (Sheng et al., 2010). Competence Allocation of roles and responsibilities in team work is done according to the specialty of each team member (Lencioni, 2012). For instance, it is expected that a marketing role will be delegated to an individual who has a rich background in marketing and not engineering. By exercising competence in the roles they are allocated, team members create a sense of confidence in team leaders and other members that they will deliver the required level of quality (Galbraith Webb, 2013). It is also necessary for team members to only accept roles in which they are sure of delivering paramount quality (Dunin-Keplicz Verbrugge, 2011). The lack of the required levels of competence results in poor delivery of individual roles, which adversely affects the overall results of the team. Creativity Creativity is defined as the ability to come up with ingenious solution for certain issues or problems (Mumford, 2012). In teamwork, it is a very important tool, especially when the problem at hand has no pre-defined approach of addressing it. When a team has creative members, one of the main advantages is that the project at hand will not be hindered by common challenges that may arise in the course of its progress. Whereas creativity can be considered as an individual quality, Foss et al. (2013) also argued that creativity can be nurtured within the team because team members provide different suggestions of approaches that can be used in solving problems. Effective Management and Organization In the course of a team project, there are short-term objectives to be met that contribute to the attainment of the larger goal (Mohammed Harrison, 2013). It is therefore vital for team members to effectively manage and organize time and resources that they have been allocated to accomplish their roles. The lack of management and organization skills is likely to result in delays or failure of some team members in accomplishing their roles within the allocated time schedule and resources (Galbraith Webb, 2013). Management and organization also determines the punctuality of team members in attending meetings or reporting the progress of their allocated duties. Respect and Support for other Team Members One of the pillars of teamwork is the acknowledgement of the roles played by each member of the group (Duarte Snyder, 2011). This eliminates the subscription to the ideology by other team members that their roles are more important than others. According to Sheng et al. (2010), support of other team members who may be experiencing difficulties exemplifies a sense of loyalty towards one another. Expressing respect and support rather than playing the blame game builds confidence in team members and contributes towards a constructive working relationship (Galbraith Webb, 2013). It also increases the possibility of successful collaboration in future projects. Accountability and Responsibility Accountability and responsibility play a major role in instilling self discipline among members when handling projects they have been assigned to (Graham Englund, 2013). Whilst not all team members can be allocated a leadership position in the team, they have to be responsible for the small roles they have been assigned and ensure that they deliver them on time (Sheng et al., 2010). Accountability in team work ensures that every action taken in contribution to the team project is justifiable. It is however argued that accountability limits creativity because of the fear of mistakes that can arise when trying out creative problem solving procedures (Mumford, 2012). Conclusion Teamwork is an inevitable phenomenon in any organization. It is therefore necessary for individuals to hone skills that enable them to be better team players. This paper has outlined some f the qualities that are considered as being vital for anyone who wants to be successful team player. Whereas I possess all of the discussed skills, I also intend to improve my level of perfection in them in order to be a better team player in future. References Duarte, D.L. Snyder, N.T., 2011. Mastering Virtual Teams: Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed. San Fransisco: Josey-Bass. Dunin-Keplicz, B. Verbrugge, ‎J., 2011. Teamwork in Multi-Agent Systems: A Formal Approach. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Foss, L., Woll, K. Moilanen, M., 2013. Creativity and implementations of new ideas: Do organisational structure, work environment and gender matter? International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 5(3), pp.298-322. Galbraith, D.D. Webb, F.L., 2013. Teams That Work: Preparing Student. American Journal Of Business Education Teams For The Workplace, 6(2), pp.223-33. Graham, R.J. Englund, R.L., 2013. Creating an environment for successful projects. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Hill, F. Parsons, L‎., 2014. Teamwork in the Management of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. New Jersey: Routledge. Lencioni, P., 2012. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Intact Teams Participant Workbook. San Francisco: Pfeiffer. Mohammed, S. Harrison, D.A., 2013. The clocks that time us are not the same: A theory of temporal diversity, task characteristics, and performance in teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 122(2), pp.244-56. Mumford, M.D., 2012. Handbook of Organizational Creativity. London: Elsevier. Sheng, C.W., Tian, Y.F. Chen, M.C., 2010. Relationships among teamwork behavior, trust, perceived team support, and team commitment. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 38(10), pp.1297-305.

If You Want Peace, Prepare for War

If You Want Peace, Prepare for War The original Latin of the expression if you want peace, prepare for war comes from the book Epitoma Rei Militaris,  by the Roman general Vegetius (whose full name was Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus). The Latin is, Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum. Before the fall of the Roman Empire, the quality of its army had begun to deteriorate, according to Vegetius, and the decay of the army came from within itself. His theory was that the army grew weak from being idle during a long time of peace and stopped wearing its protective armor. This made them vulnerable to enemy weapons and to the temptation to flee from battle. Vegetius quote has been interpreted to mean that the time to prepare for war is not when war is imminent but rather when times are peaceful. Likewise, a strong peacetime army could signal to would-be invaders or attackers that the battle may not be worth it.   Vegetius Role in Military Strategy Because it was written by a Roman military expert, Vegetius Epitoma Rei Militaris is considered by many  to be the foremost military treatise in Western civilization.  Despite having little military experience of his own, Vegetius writings were highly influential on European military tactics, particularly after the Middle Ages. Vegetius was what was known as a patrician in Roman society, meaning he was an aristocrat. Also known as the  Rei Militaris Instituta,  Vegetius book was written sometime between 384 and 389. He sought a return to the Roman military system of legion formation, which was highly organized and depended on a disciplined infantry. His writings had little influence on the military leaders of his own day, but there was a particular interest in Vegetius work later, in Europe. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, because he was the first Christian Roman to write about military affairs, Vegetius work was, for centuries, considered the military bible of Europe. Its said that George Washington had a copy of this treatise.   Peace Through Strength Many military thinkers have modified Vegetius ideas for a different time, such as to the shorter expression of peace through strength. Roman Emperor Hadrian (76–138) was probably the first to use that expression. He has been quoted as saying peace through strength or, failing that, peace through threat. In the United States, Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase Speak softly and carry a big stick. Later, Bernard Baruch, who advised Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, wrote a book titled Peace Through Strength about a defense plan. The phrase was publicized widely during the 1964 Republican presidential campaign and was used again during the 1970s to support the construction of the MX missile. The adage justified the Cold War buildup of nuclear missiles as a deterrent to war. Ronald Reagan brought peace through strength back into the limelight in 1980, accusing President Jimmy Carter of weakness on the international stage. Said Reagan: We know that peace is the condition under which mankind was meant to flourish. Yet peace does not exist of its own will. It depends on us, on our courage to build it and guard it and pass it on to future generations.

Strategy as Revolution by Gary Hamel Literature review

Strategy as Revolution by Gary Hamel - Literature review Example Hamel argues in his article that while change may not be welcomed so easily, it should take the courage and initiative of the rule breakers or those in favor of new approaches to present clearly their positions to the senior management for subsequent adoption as policies. Worth noticing is that while Hamel encourages revolutionary approach in policy formulation and demand for change, he nevertheless points out that organizational hierarchy should be respected and a good method which incorporates everyone should be adopted as the best way forward. Introduction For a longtime, many business enterprises have been concerned about the direction of the business, normally employing the tested methodologies that work, or at least the ones that have been approved or put into practice by old establishments. Management is normally concerned with where the business is making an effort to get to in the long run, which, I must say, is not bad only that every other business has the same dream: dire ction. By the same token of concern for business direction, so are they also concerned about which market a business should venture into and what competition strategies are anticipated to work in their best interest? Not only will you find these businesses also doing research on what resources in terms of assets, facilities, technical competence and even finance, but also on what to expect in the external environment. Well planned, that is the trend, unaltered as propounded by many old theories of economics. This is not to dispute the validity of these theories, because when they were formulated, they laid the foundation of the current market scenarios that we see today. To put it differently, suffice it to say that this is what management has for a long time accepted as strategy. So then, what is strategy? Johnson and Scholes define strategy as the direction and scope an organization takes to achieve long term market goals. Strategy exists under different levels such as corporate s trategy, business unit strategy and operational strategy. Article Critique Hamel (Hamel, 1996, p. 69) observes that in the recent past, business firms are all struggling to expand in what he terns as a fight for incrementalism. He also observes that in the current time and space, success is being achieved by how fast firms respond to customers' desires. In addition to this, Hamel also finds out that while this strategy is being adopted by firms, not all, business firms have earned themselves positions in the competitive market either as rule-makers or rule-breakers (Hamel, 1996, p.70; Choe Maker, 1995: 31). That either business firms set rules on how they want to operate in the market or as would be campaigned for, revolutionize the whole system of conformity to predetermined set of rules of the early economists. His view is both divergent and emergent in the sense that he deviates from the norms and presents emerging issues around strategizing in an organization. Anderson (1999, p. 217) and Beinhocker (1999, p. 98) agree with Hamel that organization change is fundamental for laying strategy. With this in mind, Hamel rightly argues that while rule-setters may survive now, rule-breakers, also known as revolutionaries, have a futuristic strategy that will propel them to be the market leaders in the future. He goes on to explore how organizations have conducted themselves towards success or stagnation and assesses this through what he classifies as the ten principles of liberating revolutionary spirit for the success of an organization (Hamel, 1996, p. 70). Like to

Managing Across Cultures--Progress Report Assignment

Managing Across Cultures--Progress Report - Assignment Example Another key value of Germans is perfectionism. This progress report provides an overview of the values, values and overall culture of the two countries; in order to compare and contrast them. In order to achieve this, two frameworks will be analyzed – Hofstede model and Trompennar’s model. The report will also highlight the organizational culture, negotiation styles and aspects of language. The culture of the two countries can be analyzed in terms of Hofstede’s 6-Dimensions. The six dimension of culture as suggested by Hofstede include power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, pragmatism and indulgence (The Hofstede Centre, 2014). These dimensions differ in different countries, leading to different values and beliefs of different countries. This differences cause challenges for expatriates working in different countries. This cultural dimension expresses cultural attitudes towards inequalities in the society. Russia has a high power distance of 93%, which means that power is very distant in the society (The Hofstede Centre, 2014). There is a large discrepancy between the less powerful and the more powerful. Expatriates therefore need to adapt to behaviours that reflect status roles in business areas – including negotiations, cooperation and visits. On the other hand, Germany has a low power distance score of 35%. Leadership is challenged to provide expertise and results, and control is avoided. Expatriates in Germany are therefore free to challenge the status quo. This refers to the level of interdependence among members of the society. Russia has a low score in terms of individualism. This is reflected in their friendship value. Friends, relatives and neighbours are always considered to be important in challenges facing people (The Hofstede Centre, 2014). On the other hand, Germany is a highly individualistic society with Hofstede’s individualism score of 67% (The Hofstede Centre, 2014). Germans believe in

Introduction to Mass Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Introduction to Mass Media - Essay Example Thus, Leo Bogart of the Newspaper Advertising Bureau observed that in the 1992 Winter Olympics, the CBS coverage was crammed with so many ads that the event itself has been relegated to a â€Å"mere sideshow.† Media is also a business concern and media organizations need advertising revenues to survive, but too much of ads smack of greed and present an irritating distraction to consumers. Regulating the volume of ad placement in media will not work, as demonstrated in the US when the National Association of Broadcasters required radio and TV stations to limit the quantity of their commercials in a given program as part of a code of ethics for the broadcast industry. The stations protested and the federal court subsequently ruled against the NAB-ordered limitation as arbitrary and monopolistic. Therefore, the best way to solve the problem of advertising clutter, I think, is to leave the matter alone to consumer welfare groups since it is the consumers themselves who feel slighted by this media practice. There are well-organized consumer groups everywhere who can mount a campaign to persuade newspapers and magazines, radio and TV networks to moderate their ad placements by appealing on their common sense and spirit of fair play. Among the possible arguments is that by serving up more ads than content, the newspapers or stations might alienate their readers or listeners who will feel that their interest is being subordinated to monetary considerations. Regulatory bodies like the Advertising Standards Canada have helped advance consumer interest in such areas as public health, child welfare and quality programming. For example, the ASC edict controlling or banning ads on alcoholic beverages in broadcast media, depending on the age and educational level of a program’s target audience, certainly promotes public health and well-being through responsible consumption of alcohol. The same benefit is derived from

Enviromantal engneering project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enviromantal engneering project - Essay Example rmore, instead of excavating and transferring the contaminated soil to another site, this process proved successful as it was done on site- saving time and energy. Bioremediation- According to Prof. Shaily Mohindra of UCLA, conventional technologies for cleaning ground water are not always effective. Moreover, these methods usually move pollutants from one point to another. For that reason, Mohindra endorses Bioremediation using Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans bacteria for the mitigation of next generation pollutants e.g. Perfluorinated compounds, nano materials, and dioxane. The progress of remediation will be monitored usin stable isotopes. Pump and treat- The application of pump and treat technology in Hanford has been successful in soil and ground water remediation. By 2011, 24.7 billion gallons of ground water had been treated, although the whole process of remediation will be completed in the next 25 years. At the end of the remediation process Contaminants such as plutonium and i ts derivatives e.g. Carbon tetrachloride will be successfully removed from the soil and ground water. In situ thermal remediation- pump and treat technology had been used for more than 17years to clean up chlorinated solvents from the subsoil in Stuttgart with minimal success rates. However, in January 2013 an in-situ thermal remediation pilot test offered a suitable alternative for remediation even under prevailing difficult geological conditions in Stuttgart. Monitored natural attenuation- The Company was justified as it relied on natural processes to clean up the site. An environmental disaster similar to the silent spring has also been observed in Oregon (Lower Columbia). Since 1985, conservation centered on removing the nearly extinct bald eagle from the federal extinction list resulted in significant overall increase in bald eagle numbers. Yet, in lower Columbia most of the eagle nests in the lower Columbia failed to hatch eaglets; and have been producing half the number of

Multicultural Mall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Multicultural Mall - Essay Example In relation to this, their attitude could also be an additional criterion to know how effective the proposal is. If the community gets actively involved, not only patronizing the business but sharing their skills and talents as well as investing in the venture, then it is a sign that the people agree with the project’s establishment. Moreover, the number of people participating will also tell how successful the business is. If there are only a few who are interested in the business, it means that the business could either stagnate or fall. However, when there are numerous people participating, it shows that there are many who are interested in the business. The reason why this is important is because in business, it is known that the people are the ones who will bring the money in. The more prospective customers entering the multicultural mall mean more profit for the businessmen. Moreover, when more tourists are attracted to the place, it implies the success of the enterprise . Lastly, with the convenience of online shopping nowadays, inquiries , requests and patronage tells how well the business is

Enviromantal engneering project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enviromantal engneering project - Essay Example rmore, instead of excavating and transferring the contaminated soil to another site, this process proved successful as it was done on site- saving time and energy. Bioremediation- According to Prof. Shaily Mohindra of UCLA, conventional technologies for cleaning ground water are not always effective. Moreover, these methods usually move pollutants from one point to another. For that reason, Mohindra endorses Bioremediation using Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans bacteria for the mitigation of next generation pollutants e.g. Perfluorinated compounds, nano materials, and dioxane. The progress of remediation will be monitored usin stable isotopes. Pump and treat- The application of pump and treat technology in Hanford has been successful in soil and ground water remediation. By 2011, 24.7 billion gallons of ground water had been treated, although the whole process of remediation will be completed in the next 25 years. At the end of the remediation process Contaminants such as plutonium and i ts derivatives e.g. Carbon tetrachloride will be successfully removed from the soil and ground water. In situ thermal remediation- pump and treat technology had been used for more than 17years to clean up chlorinated solvents from the subsoil in Stuttgart with minimal success rates. However, in January 2013 an in-situ thermal remediation pilot test offered a suitable alternative for remediation even under prevailing difficult geological conditions in Stuttgart. Monitored natural attenuation- The Company was justified as it relied on natural processes to clean up the site. An environmental disaster similar to the silent spring has also been observed in Oregon (Lower Columbia). Since 1985, conservation centered on removing the nearly extinct bald eagle from the federal extinction list resulted in significant overall increase in bald eagle numbers. Yet, in lower Columbia most of the eagle nests in the lower Columbia failed to hatch eaglets; and have been producing half the number of

The Regulatory State and the Mixed Economy in the Golden Age of 19th Research Paper

The Regulatory State and the Mixed Economy in the Golden Age of 19th Century American Legal History - Research Paper Example This paper is going to talk about the American legal history in terms of regulating commerce while referring to landmark decisions that reshaped it (Hale 56). In 1824, the United States Supreme Court came up with a decision that states could interfere with any power of the Congress in the regulation of interstate commerce. This was a legislative enactment put forward to hinder states from interfering with the government policies affecting all states. At around the same time, the state of New York had decided to authorize steamboat operation in its water run by them. This was an act of monopoly and was upheld by the state chancery court. It is then that the Supreme Court ruled out that competing steamboat operators had to be protected by the terms put forward by possessing federal license requiring them to engage in that trade along the coast region. That decision was a major lead by the government in controlling state commerce and removing monopoly control by individual states (Catte rall & Henry 12). Maryland in 1819 enacted a statute that imposed tax on all existing banks that operated in Maryland and not chartered by the state. The statute stated that all such existing banks were prohibited from issuing notes upon stamped paper which was issued by the state. Also, the statute set forth a given fee that was supposed to be paid for the paper plus it established penalties for violating it. Maryland came with these policies in order to govern commerce within its own state (Richard 23). The Second Bank of the United States became established in 1816 following an act of congress (Catterall & Henry 15). McCulloch, a cashier at the Bank of the United States in Baltimore branch decided one time to issue bank notes which did not comply to Maryland law. Hence, Maryland sued McCulloch for not paying taxes due according to Maryland statute and McCulloch contested for the constitutionality of that given act (Richard 23). From the case, it was found out that the Congress ha d the power under the formed constitution to incorporate a given bank pursuant according to Article 1 section 8. In addition, it was found out from the ruling that the State of Maryland did not have the necessary power to tax a given institution that was created by the Congress according to the formed constitution. The decision by the Supreme Court in favor of McCulloch after he appealed to them proved that the Commerce clause was powerful in making such decision (Hale 86). In as much as Maryland had some rights in imposing laws in its own state, it proved that the Congress also had some powers in influencing some major decisions in the Court system. Hence, the government in place though usually limited in its power, but got supreme authority when it comes to issues of implementing laws that had been made under the constitution. There is basically nothing in the constitution that excludes implied or incidental powers. The government at the end usually thrives to remain legitimate in the way it handles issues that are within the constitution scope. Therefore, the power of establishing a given corporation is not usually a distinct sovereign power of a given government, but indicates that the means for carrying into effects some other powers that are sovereign. The government is obliged to exercise its

Playing monopoly Essay Example for Free

Playing monopoly Essay Pretend to embrace a technology and become the major source for that technology like buy out the competitors. Declare it obsolete because your original way is better. Wait long enough for a technique or idea to be forgotten by the majority of people or just long enough that the majority of your followers are naive newbies. Bring out the old idea and present it as a new invention. For example, many things in Visual Studio . Net are presented as new ideas even though they have existed in RAD tools like Delphi for over a decade. Why this works? because the majority of new software geeks have no idea what Delphi is and didnt know that you could do everything exactly the way Microsoft claims you can in their â€Å"new† invention. It is very much clear about incidences that Microsoft has been unethical in its approaches. Rather that applying their own thoughts, most of the products they have released by copying ideas unethically from other competitor’s products. Rather than having the fair competition in the market Gates always tried to monopolize the market. Though all the monopoly has brought him profit but ethically Microsoft didn’t 2. Some of the characteristics of the market that created monopoly market that Microsoft’s operating system enjoyed are as follows: Incorporation of various Microsoft applications like Windows Digital Media Player and Internet Explorer in 1995 with its operating system gave an advantage to the company as this monopoly worked out for them. Users using Windows didn’t want themselves to get into trouble of purchasing a different browser and different Media Payer. Users were also not ready to pay extra money for buying other companies’ applications, as all those applications were readily available with Microsoft’s operating system. Every company was releasing their applications and operating systems in the market and every time Microsoft was able to know their programs. Using those programs Microsoft created monopoly in the market by releasing advanced version of competitors’ products. As when Navigator came in 1994, Microsoft launched Internet Explorer which was borrowed from Spyglass Inc. and made it similar to Navigator. It incorporated Internet Explorer with Windows. Media player was also incorporated in Windows. Sun Microsystems’s Java was also licensed to Microsoft first and then Microsoft built its own Microsoft java permitting Windows Users to be compatible with it. In the software industry users did not want to shift to new products or applications until proper training and workshops are organized. Microsoft’s used good PLAYING MONOPOLY: MICROSOFT Javier Ian Gonzalez Lopez 1449556 – 9zi strategies for training users. With the Installation disk, a proper tour of Windows is provided to facilitate user. Attorney General Janet Reno filed an antitrust suit against Microsoft in the court of Judge Thomas Jackson. Microsoft made the computer companies using Windows as their operating system not to license, distribute or promote competitive software products of other companies. It embedded Internet Explorer with Windows and thus demolished consumer freedom to go for any other Browser plus it also degraded windows performance. In the agreements with computer companies those using Windows, Microsoft wanted them to leave Internet Explorer as the default Web–Browser and didn’t allow installation of any other browser. The judge was having complete authority to take hard actions against Microsoft’s unethical business strategies. As per the case study it is evident that Microsoft has used various unethical business strategies to make their business profitable. Microsoft copied the copyright of Apple’s OS/2 and developed its own operating system on the same line. Moreover they forced users to use its Internet Explorer and digital media player. They suppressed the platform independent functionality of Sun’s Java by releasing Microsoft’s Java and making it cross platform language. In my view, government should not have sued Microsoft. Consumers were well satisfied by Windows which was evident from the market share of its use. So signing of agreement involves approval of computer companies and Microsoft and if computer companies have signed that agreement that means they weren’t having any problems and neither consumers upon implementing the agreement. So Microsoft just used a marketing strategy over here. Judge Jackson’s order was fair for the competitors as well as for the software industry because Microsoft has really invoked the monopoly situation in the market. It was essential to have fair competition in the market. As an operating system and applications are totally two different aspects and Microsoft should not club these two aspects. This order would have helped competitors and users to choose their favorite applications. From Microsoft’s point of view it was not the fair decision, as they never wish to separate their business into two domains. It was a marketing strategy adopted by Microsoft so that it can withstand with the PLAYING MONOPOLY: MICROSOFT Javier Ian Gonzalez Lopez 1449556 – 9zi competition. According to them it also facilitated consumers for not spending their money in buying other corresponding software and also playing a risk of installing and uninstalling. According to the settlement between Microsoft and DOJ, Microsoft was asked to share its application programming interface with other software rivals and to allow users to hide Internet Explorer icon from the screen. It was asked not to prevent other competitors programs to install on its operating system and not to retaliate against computer makers in releasing their products. This settlement was officially approved by Judge Kollar-Kotelly on November 1, 2003. The decision was really fair for the competitors as well as users. The decision has created free competitive market in the software industry. It allows users to use other available applications and allow them to hide icons which they do not want to use. From competitors point of view market became much more open to release more products with advanced technologies. This move also helped people to think out of Microsoft’s box and helped to showcase their technical skills. As a result various new operating systems with better performance than Windows like Linux, Suse, Monopoly of Microsoft’s operating system has harmed everyone from users to computer producers. Due to unavailability of fair market the users were bound to use Microsoft’s operating system and applications. They were unable to hide icons of the Microsoft’s applications from their operating system. From producer’s point of view, they were not free to launch Windows compatible applications due to unavailability of Windows application programming interface in the market. The competition became minimal in the market due to monopoly enjoyed by Microsoft. Due to monopoly in the market one single company Microsoft was holding maximum market share. It hampered the technical advancement and innovation in the market as well. Some of the following public policies could be used to deal with monopoly †¢Government should issue some standards for a given technology/system/product which should be followed by everyone in the industry. †¢Anti-monopoly law can be created to prevent monopoly to occur in the market. †¢Some policies can be incorporated in the system to motivate and encourage newly launched companies to increase the innovation in the market. PLAYING MONOPOLY: MICROSOFT Javier Ian Gonzalez Lopez 1449556 – 9zi †¢Some policies should be made to share information among the companies whose applications are inter dependant.

Strategic Objectives Of Grameenphone Telecom Ltd Marketing Essay

Strategic Objectives Of Grameenphone Telecom Ltd Marketing Essay This report is meant to focus primarily on strategic objectives of GRAMEENPHONE TELECOM LTD, BANGLADESH and also endeavours to evaluate the quality and standards of this chosen company. GRAMEENPHONE TELECOM LTD is one of the leading telecommunication companies in Bangladesh which occupies the top position among its competitors through providing impenetrable network coverage all over the country. The main goal of this report is to conduct a quality audit and identify the quality gaps and to take effective measures to fill those quality gaps of GRAMEENPHONE TELECOM LTD. background of company GrameenPhone is now one of the leading telecommunication service providers in Bangladesh with more than 23 million subscribers as of  December 2009. In November 28, 1996 GrameenPhone was offered a cellular license in Bangladesh by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications with a view to covering the whole country with a good quality network. And with a great surprise after almost 10 years of its operation, GrameenPhone has over 10 million subscribers. Presently, there are about 50 million telephone users in the country, of which, a little over one million are fixed-phone users and the rest mobile phone subscribers. Starting its operations on March 26, 1997, the Independence Day of Bangladesh, GrameenPhone has come a long way. It is a joint venture enterprise between Telenor (55.8%), the largest telecommunications service provider in Norway with mobile phone operations in 12 other countries, and Grameen Telecom Corporation (34.2% ), a non-profit sister concern of the internationally acclaimed micro-credit pioneer Grameen Bank. The other 10% shares belong to 10%to general retail and institutional investors. Over the years, GrameenPhone has always been a pioneer in introducing new products and services in the local market. GP was the first company to introduce GSM technology in Bangladesh when it launched its services in March 1997.The technological know-how and managerial expertise of Telenor has been instrumental in setting up such an international standard mobile phone operation in Bangladesh. Being one of the pioneers in developing the GSM service in Europe, Telenor has also helped to transfer this knowledge to the local employees over the years. Evaluating GrameenPhones strategic objectives Grameenphoness basic strategy is coverage of both urban and rural areas. In contrast to the island strategy followed by companies, which involves connecting isolated islands of urban coverage through transmission links, Grameenphone builds continuous coverage, cell after cell. While the intensity of coverage may vary from area to area depending on market conditions, the basic strategy of cell-to-cell coverage is applied throughout Grameenphones network. New manufacturing technologies are developing rapidly, resulting in new products/services, innovations and improvements in the manufacturing process, thus, requiring a proactive approach by organizations. To be proactive, organizations require innovative methods of performance measurement, to assess their progress towards achieving organizational mission, vision and strategic objectives. (Godwill Tapisi Mukonje, Performance measurement, pp. 72. MAM/, 2009.) 2.1 Maintaining quality network Over the years, the network division of Grameenphone has been ensuring the best-in-class GSM cellular mobile network for the customers in Bangladesh. Ensuring customer satisfaction through enhanced coverage, expanded capacity and improved quality and performance of the network continued to be the primary focus of the networks division. The GP network now covers over 98 percent of the population and over 87 percent of the land area with the remaining areas mostly falling under the Sundarbans and the Chittagong Hill Tract areas where mobile phone coverage is not allowed. The company invested more than BDT 35.8 billion in 2007 primarily to further expand the coverage and increase the capacity of its network. Radio Access Rollout: Base Stations 2.2 Corporate strategy: Grameenphone believes Development is a journey, not a destination, work is not just about ensuring connectivity; it is about connecting with people and building relationships, based on trust, with our subscribers, business partners, employees, shareholders, as well as the wider community. The company also believes that good development is a good business. While GP maintains business focus, taking the nation forward remains top priority. Thus relationship with Bangladesh is built on a partnership which strives to achieve common economic and social goals. Corporate social responsibility, as the company sees, it is a complementary combination of ethical and responsible corporate behavior, as well as a commitment towards generating greater good for the society by addressing the development needs of the country. The core strategy of GP in this area is to be Bangladeshs partner in developing the country, particularly in its promise, as a United Nations Millennium Declaration signatory, to meet the eight targets known as the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. GP has consolidated its social investment initiatives in four core areas related to the Millennium Development Goals: Poverty alleviation GP takes pride in developing the countrys infrastructure, in the urban areas. The company is of the view that eradication of poverty can be uprooted if illiteracy is removed from the country. GP regards Grameen Bank as a compatriot of its development work. Healthcare In healthcare sector GP has set a glowing example for others to follow providing immense healthcare facility even in the remote areas with the help of Tele Prescription and mobile clinic service to the people coastal areas. Empowerment GP has created more than 150,000 jobs in its premises and another 100,000 are related with GP as vendors, card retailers, marketing officers and so on. Education GP does come forward with initiatives to encourage the learners by holding various educational competitions such as drawing, essay writing, story composition and so on. It also gives scholarships to the meritorious students. 2.3 Vision and Mission Statement of GrameenPhone Vision: Vision is what an organization wants to do. The vision of Grameenphone Ltd is we are here to help. The company exists to help the customers get the full benefit of communications services in their daily lives. We want to make it easy for customers to get what they want, when they want it. To be a leading provider of telecommunication services all over Bangladesh with satisfied customers, shareholder, and enthusiastic employees Mission: Mission is end results of an organization where it wants to reach. Grameenphones mission is to bring digital revolution in Bangladesh by covering the whole country with network and to build up strong communication network even in the far remotest corner of the country. The quality audit The word Quality is comparative and it varies person to person. Quality is defined by a customer according to his demand. If someone is looking for some specifications in a certain items and the items conform to his expectation then the customer will be pleased to say the items maintain quality or good quality if he is very pleased. Quality dimensions Value Grameenphones manifesto is to add value to customers practical use making things simple and easy to understand. The company never forgets to try its customers lives easier. GP is focuses on creativity. So it brings energy and imagination to the work and wants to be partner in development and is passionate about its business, customers and country. The company understands what it should do and how to put things right. Over all GP acknowledges and respects local culture and comes forward with an open, helpful and friendly attitude. Fitness for use Grameenphone offers an increasing number of services for the customer varying from teenage group to aged people featuring according to their needs and very friendly staffs for the people of all classes. It takes pride because of the companys largest and smoothest network services to anywhere in the country and out of the country. So there should not be any mark of question for its fitness in comparison any other existing telecom companies in the region. Conformance to specification The company promises to provide the best services even in the remote corner of the country. Its slogan is to stay close how far the distance could be. GP works like a bridge to connect and facilitates to broaden the scope of communication. And the services GP provides conforms to the charges that customers pay for. Meeting or exceeding customers expectation GP is determined to meet the expectation of the customers and at times its lucrative offers exceedingly please the users. GP feels that to make the country more advanced there is no alternative to using internet. For this purpose GP has initiated some specialised Internet SIMs in market which enable the users to be connected through wireless network. Conformance to requirements GP services always conform to the requirements of the customers. Besides network services it comes forward with many initiatives to better the condition of society and it voluntarily serves the coastal inhabitants with free cautionary warning for coming dangers. GPs promise is to keep the whole country connected with very strong network web so that decentralisation can be done easily. Quality audit Conducting Quality Audit To conduct a quality audit certain methodologies have been adapted. In the first place data has been collected from different sources such as surveying 50 customers in terms of satisfaction on some factors and their answers have been analysed through minute observations. The results of the survey are given below: Appendix 1 Vertical axis shows 60 customers The survey was conducted among 60 users from city, suburban areas and urban areas. The above chart shows that out of 60 GP users 35 from city, 46 from suburban areas and 56 from urban areas having problem with call drops during calling. 2 from city, 5 from suburban areas and 6 from urban areas are complaining of overcharging instead of due call rate. And complicated tariff has created problemS among 12 in city, 17 in suburban areas and 28 in urban areas. 22 users from city, 27 from suburban areas and 38 from urban areas are dissatisfied with GPs poor network. But there is slight accusation for no network survey which says only o in city, 1 in suburban areas and 2 from urban areas. HAPPY, VERY HAPPY AND NOT HAPPY survey has also been conducted among 1000 users. The report is depicted below: HAPPY 20% VERY HAPPY 75% NOT HAPPY 15% Fishbone Diagram People Materials Management Marketing Hiring Network Tower standards Franchise Training Transports Vendor Devices Sponsorship Quality Improvement Maintenance Installation Introducing Design workloads freedom to work Specifications Capability secured Measurements Environment Equipment This fishbone diagram conspicuously illustrates the areas where to focus on to improve quality of this company. All the sectors need to be treated with equal importance. And in some case drastic measures have to take to further its improvement. An interview with the GP staffs has been very successful. The interview is carried through certain questions whether the staffs are happy or not happy giving answers YES/NO After completing the interview process it was analyzed and reviewed in 5 points covering the whole idea to identify the quality gaps. These gaps need to be filled up to ensure the standard quality of service/ product of GP Ltd. The outcomes of the staff interview have shown in the table given below: Sl Identified Issues Yes No 1 Good Wages and remunerations 85 15 2 Want more autocracy 87 13 3 Poor management 21 79 4 Poor internal communication facility 27 83 5 Environment in the work place needs improvement 65 35 The above table 1 to 5 is considered as to be the intensity of quality gaps in Grameenphone Ltd. The issues have to be taken seriously to improve the internal service quality of the company. The answer YES is showing things are ok and NO identifies immediate action plan to fill these gaps. Environmental (internal) analysis: Swot analysis of GrameenPhone Ltd Strength Reporting In comparison with other existing network companies in Bangladesh it can be agreed upon that GrameenPhone Bangladesh is in a good position to compete it business rivals if the company steadily maintain the strategy it has. But in near future BanglaLink Telecommunication may be hard competitor as the company is growing fast and trying to bridge the gaps that the GP has. So GP is supposed to lose its position within 5 years time. GPs business growth has reached a place from where rate of growth can be achieved between 15% 20% with 22 million customers. On the other hand BanglaLink telecom ltd goes on with 25%-30% having 15 million users. The result of quality audit/quality gaps Financial audit Balance sheet of year 2007 and 2006 in 000 BDT Assets: 2007 2006 Non-current assets: Property, plant and equipment, net Intangible assets Other non-current assets Current assets Total assets 80,318,190 1,275,733 16,064 81,609,987 6,815,054 88,461,041 55,413,498 888,407 12,560 56,314,465 10,442,193 66,756,658 Equity and liabilities: Shareholders equity Share capital Reserves Retained earnings 2,430,350 2,169,803 21,510,954 26,111,107 2,430,350 2,169,803 19,909,324 24,509,477 Non-current liabilities: Loans and borrowings, net of current portion Finance lease obligations, net of current portion Deferred tax liability Other non-current liabilities Current liabilities Total equity and liabilities 3,367,620 5,315,559 16,510,153 711,946 25,905,278 34,444,656 88,461,041 2,448,452 4,229,277 11,097,313 904,567 18,669,609 23,567,572 66,756,658 Key financial ratios: Net profit of turnover 6% 16% Return on total assets (ROTA) 18% 27% Earning per share (EPS) 54.14 132.41 Dividend per share (DPS) 26.66 25.80 Dividend payout ratio 49% 19% Slow progress in network setup GrameenPhone has been quite innovative but it made slow progress. 189 additional connections were made during this year, making a total of 221 village phones by the end of 1998. The deployment of Village Phones has also been lower than expected, mainly due to the poor coverage in rural areas. This was due to a reduction in projected investments. 1998 has, however, been a valuable year for testing out the Village Phone concept. The experiences gained during the year show in almost all respects that the Village Phone concept is a feasible business proposition. Several studies have been undertaken, and the general conclusion is that it is a viable and profitable business for the village phone operators, who on average earned a net daily profit of US$2, more than double the per capita income in Bangladesh. (GrameenPhone websites) Operational performance interconnection problem persists The drop call, overcharging, complicated tariff, poor network and no network in Appendix 1 are found in a survey that shows problems are still persistent in the services. Financial results for the year 1998 The Company has made a negative net result of BDT 641.511 million (US$13.092 million) during the year 1998 compared to BDT 354.239 million (US$ 7.229 million) for the nine months ended December 1997. The main reasons behind this unsatisfactory financial performance are due to the non achievement of the projected sales volume due to the stoppage of sales with PSTN connections after July 1998. Another reason was the competitive market. On the other hand, due to heavy congestion in the network and limited PSTN channels, GrameenPhone had to offer a number of concessions on all of the existing packages. All of the above reasons plus lost revenue in calls and airtime resulted in a loss. The variable costs were also unfavourable because BTTB did not accept the basic principle of Senders keep all in sharing the revenues. The fixed or periodic costs were more or less in line with the budget and were on the lower side. The interest costs, on the other hand, were higher compared to institutional financing. The cash flow situation became acute when GrameenPhone was unable to draw from the IFC/CDC/ADB credit line. Even the NORAD loan was at stake just before draw down and was solved by a guarantee from Telenor AS. However, we were not able to draw down Norwegian Kroner (NOK) 15.0 million in 1998 due to amendments required in the operating license. (GrameenPhone website) Recommendations Conducting quality audit on GrameenPhone Telecom, these following recommendations have been made to remain market leader in the days to come. Existing market and its products frequently compels an organization to develop new products and in doing so the company can hold it current position and make forward steps to remain dominant in the market. GrameenPhone is suggested to consolidate its position by protecting the market share it has and maintaining the quality of existing products sold within existing market sectors and can derive benefit in doing so. GP also can lower its tariff cutting the cost on advertisements which may create more customers. Thus, GP has to consolidate to protect and strengthen its present position. Market penetration is a vital tool to exploit the market and include more consumers for long. It can be achieved by penetrating the new market with new products. In static market opportunities are more for the small competitors like City Cell, Aktel, Tele Talk to succeed with small but effective packages. Consequently GP will lose large market share. Withdrawal of some products that are causing adverse effect on business will be a wise decision. GP needs to hold, harvest or build existing services withdrawing some complicated tariff. Making franchise for certain products or selling some of the shares to the locals can also be good strategy. Extending the existing product range to develop a completely new product range is a good strategy to adapt. As a developing country Bangladesh has got huge demand for internet. People are more aware of new technologies now and are willing to be connected with modern communication technology. So GP can initiate Wireless Broadband for the first time which is expected to stir the whole market. Expanding into new geographic market is a classic form of market development which can be quite handy for GP. To face the challenges of globalization and to operate in market across the world GrameenPhone can make a big stride towards progress and expansion. GP can also diversify its marketing policy and products ranging different services and products such as iPhones with free minutes and unlimited internet which is going to change customers taste into different one. GrameenPhone added 11,000 new subscriptions in 1998. This was less than its target. By the year-end, the total number of subscribers was close to 31,000, far ahead of the three other mobile operators. The problem of not having enough interconnection capacity to the PSTN led to congestion on the call route between the GrameenPhone and PSTN networks. Existing subscribers complained, which reduced sales to a minimum. In July, sales of new ubscriptions with access to the PSTN were stopped altogether. At the same time, GrameenPhone started selling subscriptions without access to the PSTN, but with access to all other mobile operators. Sales of these new subscriptions, however, made very slow progress. With some new interconnection channels to the PSTN in Dhaka, and opening of the network in Chittagong with PSTN access, sales started to pick up again.Much effort went into planning new marketing initiatives. The focus was shifted from big corporations to small and medium sized enterprises. More sales points were established, and a new distribution strategy was underway. These activities led to positive results, and by November, the sales started to pick up quickly. Towards the end of the year, the sales of mobile-to-mobile subscriptions, now named GP-GP, showed quite positive results. Implementation There was no scope for short-term solutions. Down time on base stations was very low and created almost no traffic disturbances. On-call duties were established for all critical areas and a demanding system for round the clock fault handling and repairs was introduced. Conclusion GP is proud of Good owner structure, availability of backbone network( optical fiber), financial soundness, present market leader, brand name/ GrameenPhone image, skilled human resource, largest geographical coverage, eligible human resource and infrastructure installation all over the country through Bangladesh railway and grameen bank, access to the widest rural distribution network through grameen bank, high ethical standard. An excuse not to solve problems because of mixture of different cultures, different departments not working together, poor interconnection with BTTB, not good enough public relation, sometimes a tendency to be arrogant, complicated high pricing structure, billing system cant handle sophisticated billing, net work problem, line disconnections without any information, no long term distribution/channel strategy. Economic growth of Bangladesh, new and better interconnection agreement, huge need for telecom services, increased intentional activities in Bangladesh, declining prices for the handsets and SIM cards, future privatisation of the fixed network, new international gateway, demand for the inter-city communication, growth in other operator will give more connection. More rigid government regulation, more influence of competitors on the fixed net work, change of government might lead to competitors, devaluation of currency, sabotage of installation, political instability, non-co-operation of government and fixed PSTN (public service telephone network), risk of fire in the GPs installations, price war, non availability of funds, BTTB has limited capacity for interconnection, high call charge. The results of the year have been given in terms of sales and income. However, the network operations have been expanded, although investments had to be reduced due to a lack of funds. The financial situation has been very tight. In spite of these difficulties, GrameenPhones number of subscribers has gradually grown to exceed 35,000, and its market position, as the leader of the cellular operators, has been consolidated. It is with renewed optimism that the company faces the next year. After the end of 1998, the license agreement was suitably amended and the license was issued in the name of GrameenPhone Ltd. The company now has the option of pledging its assets to secure loan finances. The report satisfied that by the end of March 1999, the company achieved the targeted number of 35,000 subscriptions. These two events remove the main barriers for securing the much needed institutional financing within May 1999. Other good news is the recommitment by NORAD to provide NOK 15.0 million for the 1999 budget of GrameenPhone.

The Inuit People :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Inuit People Inuit: A People Preserved By Ice Thousands of years ago, during the last ice age, mile-thick glaciers covered a vast portion of North America, and the Asian continent was joined to North America by a land bridge. The Arctic areas of Alaska, Beringia, and Siberia were free of ice. Vast herds of caribou, muskoxen, and bison migrated to these plains. Following them were the nomadic Asian ancestors of today's Inuit and Indians. The doorway to Asia closed about three or four thousand years later as the glaciers receded and melted. These people: the Inuit (meaning the people), adapted to their harsh tundra environment and developed a culture that remained untainted for a long time. The Inuit people relied solely on hunting for their existence. With summers barely lasting two months, agriculture was non-existent. Animals such as caribou and seal were vital. Groups of hunters would stalk and kill many caribou with fragile bows made of driftwood, and their bounty was split evenly amongst the tribe. Bone spears were fashioned to hunt seals which provided food, oil, clothes, and tents. The seal skins were also used to construct kayaks and other boats that the Inuit would use to travel and to hunt whales. One advantage of the sterile cold of the arctic was that it kept these people free of disease (until they met the white man.) Inuit tribes consisted of two to ten loosely joined families. There was no one central leader in the group: all decisions were made by the community as a whole. Nor was there any definite set of laws; the Inuit, though usually cheery and optimistic, were prone to uncontrolled bursts of rage. Murder was common amongst them and it went unpunished unless an individual's murders occured too often. At that point, that person was deemed unstable, and the community appointed a man to terminate him/her. In their society, the duties of men and women were strictly separated. The males would hunt, fish and construct the tools used by the family. Women, however, were responsible for cleaning the animal skins, cooking, sewing the clothes ( a woman's sewing ability was equally as attractive to a man as her beauty was), and raising the children. Male children were preferred because they could care for their parents in their old age; female children when often strangled soon after birth. Although today Christianity has breached some of the southernmost tribes, the vast majority practice a form of animism.

Characteristics of Business Leadership

Characteristics of Business Leadership BUS302-024016 October 30, 2011 Characteristics of Business Management The purpose of this paper is to show a comparison of two successful businesses. Borders Books and Amazon. com are two companies that both sold books but used different methods in operating their businesses. Even though they both were successful businesses, both companies had different leadership styles, visions and goals. Out of the two businesses, only one remain successful and present today. In this paper, I will show how both businesses started, how the leaders differ in leadership styles and techniques, and how Amazon continues to be a great success today. Description of the Businesses I will describe each business and how each business started. I will also describe three main challenges each company faced while establishing or running the business. Amazon. com was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos as an online bookstore. As CEO he has built it into the largest retailer on the web, selling everything from groceries to electronics and shoes. Jeff Bezos was working in a quantitive analysis group at an investment firm, when he saw an opportunity to sell books on the internet. In 1994 he went on a cross-country drive from New York to Seattle to start Amazon. He typed his business plan as he went. And he picked up $300,000 dollars from his parents in Fort Worth, Texas. He set up his business in his garage and began selling books via the internet. His business became worth $4. 4 billion according to Forbes' latest billionaire rankings in 2009. Since the start of Amazon. om, Jeff Bezos came very close to failure. The company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Jeff Bezos lost a total of $550 million in startup cost by November 1999. But inspite of that, Time magazine named Jeff Bezos † Person of the year† a month later. Borders Books was founded by Louis Borders, who was the leader of Borders Books and got his start in Ann Arbor Michigan in 1971. Louis Borders and his brother Tom Borders opened a used bookstore, accord ing to the book eBoys by Randall Stross. Louis Borders had a degree in math from the University of Michigan. In his store, he went to work designing artificial intelligence software for managing the inventory of a supersize bookstore, and by doing so made opening more bookstores possible. For fifteen years he and his brother operated Border Books in Ann Arbor and sold software to other stores. Borders started opening more stores. In 1988, Borders recruited Robert DiRomualdo to lead the company's expansion. Roberts DiRomualdo was later credited with leading the company's rise to national prominence in the 1990s. In 1992, Kmart Corp; which bought Waldenbooks in 1984, purchased the 21-store chain for an estimated $190 million , the New York Times reported at that time. Once sold, Border Books went through several changes including the name changing to Borders Group Inc. and changes in CEOs. Between January 1998 to January 1999 Borders expanded by adding 52 superstores. This was the biggest one-year expansion in its history. By January 1999, the company had 256 superstores averaging $256 in sales per square foot. In May 1998, Borders launched an online presence for the first time. Borders had several different CEOs until Mike Edwards became interim CEO in January of 2010. Leadership Styles This paragraph will explain the leaders' leadership styles and discuss how they have adapted to cultural differences and how they operates their businesses effectively in global markets. Mike Edwards became interim CEO of Borders in January 2010. This was a time when sales were already at a decline and the company had already been close to filing bankruptcy but avoided it by cutting costs and conserving cash. The company was already at an organizational decline. Prior to him becoming CEO, Borders had already lauched an online presence for the first time in May 1998. Since then, severing ties with Amazon, the company launched a new Borders. com. So after Mike Edwards was named CEO of subsidiary Borders Inc. in June 2010, Borders launched e-book store, started selling e-readers and set strategies to get 17 percent market share in e-books within a year. Doing this online business was with a hope to increase sales nationally and globally. But I believe a mistake was made by continuing to run the business somewhat the same, but just cutting cost. Mike Edwards didn't make the changes necessary o adapt to cultural differences and was not able to operate the business effectively in global markets. Previously Borders had business base in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore but had to sell off its business in those areas. Due to the condition Borders was in when Edwards came on as CEO, didn't allow for a great chance of bouncing back from their losse s. Mike Edwards' style was to hurry and cut cost and to do quickly what he could to save the company. Really, he had no choice but to do this quickly. Jeff Bezos has a style of having a customer-focused culture and he continues to use the leadership methods they have used for years. He makes it difficult for some publicly traded companies to have the right strategy. He makes sure that Amazon. com follows different strategies to acquire business but at the same time adapting to any cultural differences that take place. He operates the business by reaching out to different global areas through his web based business. Jeff Bezos make sure he keeps up with the competition by changing the company's strategies quickly to adapt to any changes in technology, customer needs and competition. He believes that experimenting different things will attract different cultures. Jeff Bezos believes that cultures are very stable. New people who come to the company may stay or leave. But he states that overtime, you build up this momentum around a culture that is self-perpetuating. This is a way to adjust to to different cultural differnces as well. Leadership, Management, and Motivation Management is getting work done through others efficiently and effectively. Leading involves inspiring and motivating workers to work hard to achieve organizational goals. Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon. com in 1994, states that his view is that every company requires a long-term view. He feels that if you're going to take a long-term orientation, you have to be willing to stay heads down and ignore a wide array of critics, even well-meaning critics. If you don't have a willingness to be misundertood for a long period of time, then you can't have a long-term orientation. He also states that you're also gonna have to have a willingness to repeatedly fail if you're gonna experiment. For some, this is a exciting and motivating culture. Also, he no longer makes all the plans. He has a group called the S Team that (Senior Team) which stays abreast of what the company is doing. This team meets for about four hours every Tuesday. And once or twice a year the S team gets together in a tw-day meeting to explore ideas. This is an example of group decision making. On the other hand, Mike Edwards' focus was to stick to the business plan that he said works. He stated that they were fighting to the end and hoping that a reorganization plan would be approved. By cutting back and closing some stores would help Borders to exit bankruptcy. He did state that Borders mistake was to open so many stores. He immediatley took action and began an aggressive cost-cutting plan to close stores and lay-off workers. Leader’s Impact Jeff Bezos made an impact on the world by allowing customers worldwide via the web to purchase books, and everything from groceries, electronics and shoes and more. This allowed customers to shop from the comfort of their own home. This was a great convenience for customers around the globe. Also, Louis Borders vision had an impact on the world as well. When Borders and his brother Tom started Borders Books, Louis Bothers took his knowledge and designed artificial intelligience that would later benefit other stores by selling them the software to use for their businesses as well. Boarder Books stores allowed customers to purchase all types of books and also to have an peaceful environment to enjoy reading their books. Borders Books later intergrated music and movies into some of their stores. Even though Mike Edwards didn't become CEO of subsidairy Borders Inc. until June 2010, he made an impact on the internal structure by taking drastic measures to save the company by closing alot of the stores and laying-off employees. This not only affected the employees but the consumers who shopped at Borders as well. All these drastic actions also affected the morale of the employees and stores that remained until Borders announced it's liquidation in July 2011. } References Bomey, Nathan (2011). Borders' rise and fall: a timeline of the bookstore chain's 40-year history. http://Ann Arbor. com/business-review/Borders-rise-and-fall-a-timeline-of-the-bookstore-chains-40-year-history Bomey, Nathan (2011). Exclusive interview with Borders

Dowry System Essay

In India, dowry (Hindi: à ¤ ¦Ã  ¤ ¹Ã  ¥â€¡Ã  ¤Å", DahÄ“ja) is the payment in cash or some kind of gifts given to a bridegroom’s family along with the bride. Generally, they include cash, jewellery, electrical appliances, furniture, bedding, crockery, utensils and other household items that help the newlywed set up her home. Wedding gifts of the son of the imam of Delhi India with soldiers and 2000 guests The dowry system is thought to put great financial burden on the bride’s family. It has been cited as one of the reasons for families andwomen in India resorting to sex selection in favor of sons. This has distorted the sex ratio of India (940 females per thousand males) and may have given rise to female foeticide. The payment of a dowry has been prohibited under The 1961 Dowry Prohibition Act in Indian civil law and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498a of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Contents 1 Prevalence 2 Laws 3 Social factors 4 Economic factors 5 Domestic violence 5.1 Physical abuse 5.2 Emotional abuse 5.3 Murder 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Prevalence The trends regarding dowry in India vary across the nation.[6] Over the last few decades, there has been an observed transition from the brideprice system, where wealth flows from the groom to the bride’s family, to the dowry system where wealth flows in the opposite direction. According to studies, areas in south India have traditionally practiced the brideprice system, even among  upper castes. In the north, societal differences in marriage led upper castes to practice a dowry system, while in lower classes brideprice was more common. Wedding Procession- Bride Under a Canopy with Gifts. Circa 1800 In the last 100 years, the dowry system has taken over the brideprice system, and the existing dowry system is becoming more entrenched in cultures that have practiced it traditionally. According to research, brideprice has been declining since the beginning of the 20th century, and today very little is still in practice. Rather, dowry has been growing both in families participating and in cost across India. Studies show there are also variations on dowry prevalence based on geography and class. States in the north are more likely to participate in the dowry system among all classes, and dowry is more likely to be in the form of material and movable goods.[5] In the south, the brideprice system is still more likely, and is more often in the form of land, or other inheritance goods. This system is tied to the social structure of marriage, which keeps marriage inside or close to family relations.[5] Dowry also varies by cl ass, or caste, in India. Upper-class families are more likely to engage in the dowry system than the lower class. This could be in part due to women’s economic exclusion from the labor market in upper classes. Laws See also: Dowry law in India Dowry became prohibited by law in 1961 with the purpose of prohibiting the demanding, giving and taking of dowry. Although providing dowry is illegal, it is still common in many parts of India for a husband to seek a dowry from the wife’s family, in some cases leading to extortion or violence against the wife. To stop offences of cruelty by the husband or his relatives against the wife, section 498A was added to the Indian Penal Code and section 198A to the Criminal Procedure Code in 1983. Section 498A has been criticised by many in India as being prone to misuse. The law was challenged in court, but upheld by the Supreme Court of India in 2005. Social factors Social changes across time have contributed to the modern dowry system in  India. Some of the social factors influencing dowry include tradition, increased women’s rights, and the â€Å"marriage squeeze†, which is the shortage of eligible men for marriage. Tradition is certainly one explanation given by scholars to address the prevailing dowry system. One aspect of this is the structure and kinship of marriage in parts of India. In the north, marriage usually follows a patrilocal (lives with husband’s family) system, where the groom is a non-related member of the family. This system encourages dowry perhaps due to the exclusion of the bride’s family after marriage as a form of premortem inheritance for the bride. In the south, marriage is more often conducted within the bride’s family, for example with close relatives or cross-cousins, and in a closer physical distance to her family. In addition, brides may have the ability to inherit land, which makes her more valuable in the marriage, decreasing the chance of dowry over the bride price system. In addition to marriage customs that may influence dowry, social customs or rituals, and parents expectations of dowry are important factors to consider. Several studies show that while attitudes of people are changing about dowry, the institution has changed very little, and even continues to prevail. In a study conducted by Rao (1980), 75% of students responded that dowry was not important to marriage, but 40% of their parents’ likely expected dowry. The social and traditional influence on dowry is not to be neglected. While India has been making progress for women’s rights, women continue to be subject of their family and husband. Women’s education, income, and health are some significant factors that play into the dowry system, and for how much control a woman has over her marriage. According to data, India still limits women’s social interactions, and restricts economic and social rights. In addition, the stress and financial burden of the dowry system may lead to son preference, which can lead to a skewed sex ratio (see also the economic factors and domestic violence sections). Lastly, there is a stro ng argument given for the â€Å"marriage squeeze† trend for dowry. This theory explains that increased fertility coupled with decreased mortality has caused a shortage of eligible men has declined, raising the dependence on and cost of dowry. This increases women’s competition in the marriage market, and decreases their value compared to other brides, unless dowry is competitive. According to Rao (1993), these  conditions will be less critical as marriage age increases for women, and pressure to find a mate declines. Indian weddings can be lavish events that can last multiple days Economic factors There are many economic factors that contribute towards the system of dowry. Some of these include inheritance systems and the bride’s economic status. Because female-based inheritance was not legal in India until law reforms in the 1950s, dowry may have begun as a form of legal inheritance for daughters. The system would give women economic and financial security in their marriage in the form of movable goods. This helped prevent family wealth break-up and provided security to the bride at the same time. This system can also be used as a premorteminheritance, as once a woman is presented with movable gifts, she may be cut off from the family estate. The act of bidding farewell to one’s own family members as the bride leaves her home and steps into that of her husband’s is often an emotional one However, as the system evolved, dowry has become a greater financial burden on the family, and can leave families destitute based on the demands from the groom. According to research done by Heyer (1992) and Srinivasan (2005), the amount of gold demanded as dowry has increased from around five pavun (1 Pavun= 8 grams) in 1930 to 100 or more pavun in 2000. The increase in dowry prices has immense implications on families and on women in Indian society including physical and emotional abuse, murder, and sex selective abortion and infanticide (see #Domestic violence section). Another factor affecting dowry is the bride’s economic status. When a bride’s family is from a upper class (or caste), the family is expected to pay more for her dowry, and provide a grand display of wealth. This can be detrimental to a bride ’s wedding prospects if the family cannot afford the dowry, and can lead to some women either being forced into an unfavorable marriage or not marrying at all.Women in higher castes are also sometimes not expected to contribute financially to the family she enters, besides household work, which may cause the prevalence of dowry over brideprice. Domestic violence Dowry is considered a major contributor towards observed violence against women in India. Some of these offences include physical violence, emotional abuses, and even murder of brides and girls. National Crime Records in India reported approximately 6,000–7,000 dowry-related deaths every year and about 43,000–50,000 cases of mental and physical torture over the years from 1999-2003, indicating that violence and dowry are a serious national concern. Physical abuse Physical violence against women has been a growing concern in India over the last few decades. Recently married women can be a target for dowry related violence, because she is tied economically and socially to her new husband. As discussed in previous sections on social and economic factors, dowry can undermine the importance of women in society, which might lead to further domestic violence, because dowry may contribute to women’s inferior status in her family and in her culture. In addition, there are studies indicating dowry as a threat, or hostage type situation, in order to attain greater funds from the bride’s family. This can be seen in young (and often pregnant) brides, who are most vulnerable in the situation.[16] This type of stuation can occur with the threat or occurrence of violence, so that the bride’s family is left with no choice but to give more dowry to protect their daughter. In these cases, the husband and his family hold immense power, while the bride is left powerless; this can lead to murder and suicide. The areas of the greatest observed dowry related violence is in the Indian statesof Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Emotional abuse The impact of dowry can leave a woman helpless and desperate, which can cumulate in emotional trauma and abuse. Brides are often considered owned by their husbands, and often have very little power in the marriage, which can lead to depression and suicide. Dowry reinforces these beliefs and is considered to escalate effects of emotional trauma in a marriage. Murder The system of dowry has also been linked to murder of young brides. Physical abuses described above can also result in murder. These murders can arise due to the financial demands from a husband, or dissatisfaction of the bride from the groom’s family. In addition, the concept of â€Å"Bride Burning† refers to the sacrificial murder of a bride who is unsatisfactory to her husband in the form of dowry. In these cases, the woman is considered a sacrifice to her husband due to her inadequacy, and is glorified as an honorable woman. These cases reinforce the structured violence against women, while glorified as being â€Å"purer or more sacred than a dowry death†. In addition to bride murder, the institution of dowry may also reinforce sex-selective abortion and female infanticide.[14] Due to the social and economic burdens of dowry, families may choose boys over girls, so that they avoid consequences of the system. This then may strengthen gendered violence and pref erential male treatment in society. There are laws like Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 that help to reduce domestic violence and to protect women’s rights. References 1. Jump up^ Godrej ‘Nupur Jagruti’- Dahej Ke Khilaf Ek Awaz 2. ^ Jump up to:a b c Anderson, Siwan (2007). â€Å"The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice†. The Journal of Economic Perspectives 21 (4): 151–174. doi:10.1257/jep.21.4.151. 3. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h Srinivasan, Sharada (2005). â€Å"Daughters or Dowries? The Changing Nature of Dowry Practices in South India†. World Development 33 (4): 593–615.doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2004.12.003. 4. Jump up^ Census of India – India at a Glance : Sex Ratio 5. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k l m Dalmia, Sonia; Pareena G. Lawrence (2005). â€Å"The Institution of Dowry in India: Why It Continues to Prevail†. The Journal of Developing Areas 38 (2): 71–93.doi:10.1353/jda.2005.0018. 6. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i Bhat, P. N. Mari; Shiva S. Halli (1999). â€Å"Demography of Brideprice and Dowry: Causes and Consequences of the Indian Marriage Squeeze.†. Population Studies 53 (2): 129–148.doi:10.1080/00324720308079. 7. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Rao, V. (1993). â€Å"Dowry ‘inflation’ in rural India: A statistical investigation†. Population Studies 47 (2): 283–293. doi:10.1080/0032472031000147016. 8. Jump up^ Hutton, J.H. (1963). Caste in India: Its Nature, Function and Origins. Bombay: Oxford University Press. 9. Jump up^ Srinivas, M.N. (1989). The Cohesive Role of Sanskritization and Other Essays. Delhi: Oxford University Press. 10. Jump up^ â€Å"Amend dowry law to stop its misuse, SC tells govt†. The Times Of India. 2010-08-17. 11. Jump up^ â€Å"Sushil Kumar Sharma vs Union Of India And Ors on 19 July, 2005†. Indiankanoon.org. Retrieved 2013-02-18. 12. ^ Jump up to:a b Krishnaswamy, Saroja (1995). â€Å"Dynamics of p ersonal and social factors influencing the attitude of married and unmarried working women towards dowry†. International Journal of Sociology of the Family 25 (1): 31–42. 13. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Rao, V.V. Prakasa; V. Nandini Rao (1980). â€Å"The Dowry System In Indian Marriages: Attitudes, Expectations And Practices†. International Journal of Sociology of the Family 10 (1): 99–113. 14. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f SRINIVASAN, SHARADA; ARJUN S. BEDI (2007). â€Å"Domestic Violence and Dowry: Evidence from a South Indian Village†. World Development 35 (5): 857–880.doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2006.08.005. 15. ^ Jump up to:a b c Seager, Joni (2009). The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. New York: Penguin Group. 16. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i Teays, Wanda (1991). â€Å"The Burning Bride: The Dowry Problem in India†. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 7 (2): 29–52. 17. ^ Jump up to:a b Srinivasan, Padma; Gary R. Lee (2004). â€Å"The Dowry System in Northern India: Women’s Attitudes and Social Change†. Journal of Marriage and Family 66 (5): 1108–1117.doi:10.1111/j.0022-2445.2004.00081.x. 18. ^ Jump up to:a b Bloch, Francis; Vijayendra Rao (2002). â€Å"Terror as a Bargaining Instrument: A Case Study of Dowry Violence in Rural India†. The American Economic Review 92 (4): 1029–1043.doi:10.1257/00028280260344588. 19. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g PRASAD, B. DEVI (1994). â€Å"Dowry-Related Violence: A Content Analysis of News in Selected Newspapers†. Journal of Comparative Family Studies 25 (1): 71–89. 20. ^ Jump up to:a b Hackett, Michelle T. (2011). â€Å"Domestic Violence against Women: Statistical Analysis of Crimes across India†. Journal of Comparative Family Studies 42 (2): 267–288. External links[edit]