“Outsourcing of Hospital Services” Essay Example

â€Å"Outsourcing of Hospital Services† Essay Example â€Å"Outsourcing of Hospital Services† Paper â€Å"Outsourcing of Hospital Services† Paper 1. In some instances the outsourced service occurs in a different location, while in others it takes place inside the organization doing the outsourcing, ad the food service did in this case. What advantages were there in having the outsourced work performed within the hospital? Suppose a different hospital outsourced its food service but decided not to have the work performed in- house. What might its rationale be? The advantages in having the outsourced work performed within the hospital were mostly related with the satisfaction of the workers, when the hospital outsourced its cafeteria food services; the employees felt a sense of ownership of their jobs and felt connected to the hospital because of the family atmosphere in the kitchen and cafeteria. When a different hospital outsourced its food service but decided not to have the work performed in-house then they might have to face a problem of employee turnover because the employees might lose the feeling of being connected to the work. Their interest in job will reduce which in future might lead to the problem of employee turnover which won’t be beneficial for the hospital 2. In the housekeeping situation, why not just forget about outsourcing, especially since the hospital ended up rehiring its employees anyways? When the hospital tried the same thing with housekeeping, it didn’t work because employee turnover became a problem. After the investigation, they found out the reason for employee turnover which is, because of the housekeeping employees were more isolated in their work, they lost their feeling of being connected to the hospital they had. So, for the benefit of the hospital they ended up rehiring its employees using outsources company to manage housekeeping. These days financial pressures are not the only reason for the outsourcing, hospital executives are finding more reasons to consider outsourcing. The desire to focus on core competencies and the need to fill jobs are also the main reasons for the outsourcing. 3. For laundry service, what might have been the rationale for asking another hospital to join it? I think the rationale for asking another Rival hospital to join in outsource laundry service, might be because teaming up will be profitable for the  hospital because sharing outsource will help hospital to be safe from the competition and could offer a potential vendor more economy of scale. To provide the quality of healthcare service hospital need the specific expert professional and outsources will help to provide the expert professional. Insufficiency in work force will require the outsourcing for hospitals.

USS Ohio (BB-12) and the Great White Fleet

USS Ohio (BB-12) and the Great White Fleet USS Ohio (BB-12) was a Maine-class battleship that served with the US Navy from 1904 to 1922. The first warship named for the state since the ship-of-the-line USS Ohio that had been launched in 1820, the new battleship represented an improved version of the earlier Illinois-class. Built in San Francisco, Ohio joined the fleet and saw immediate service in the Far East. Transferring to the Atlantic in 1907, it joined the Great White Fleet for its cruise around the world. Ohio was modernized in 1909 and later supported American operations in Mexico. Though briefly decommissioned, it returned to active duty with the US entry into  World War I. Fulfilling a training role during the conflict, Ohio was placed in reserve in 1919 before being removed from the fleet three years later.   Design Approved on May 4, 1898, the Maine-class of battleship was meant to be an evolution of USS Iowa (BB-4) which entered service in June 1897 as well as the more recent Illinois-class. As such, the new battleships were to be of a sea-going design rather than the coastal configuration used in the Indiana- and Kearsarge-classes. Initially designed to mount four 13/35 cal. guns in two twin turrets, the design of the new class changed under the guidance of Rear Admiral George W. Melville and more powerful 12/40 cal. guns were selected instead. This main battery was supported by sixteen 6 guns, six 3 guns, eight 3-pdr guns, and six 1-pdr guns. While the first designs called for using Krupp Cemented armor, the US Navy later decided to utilize Harvey armor which had been employed on earlier battleships. Construction Designated USS Maine (BB-10), the lead ship of the class became the first to carry the name since the armored cruiser whose loss helped incite the Spanish-American War. This was followed by USS Ohio (BB-12) which was laid down on April 22, 1899 at Union Iron Works in San Francisco. Ohio was the only member of the Maine-class to be built on the West Coast. On May 18, 1901, Ohio slid down the ways with Helen Deschler, a relative of Ohio Governor George K. Nash, acting as sponsor. In addition, the ceremony was attended by President William McKinley. Over three years later, on October 4, 1904, the battleship entered commission with Captain Leavitt C. Logan in command. USS Ohio (BB-12) - Overview: Nation: United StatesType: BattleshipShipyard: Union Iron WorksLaid Down: April 22, 1899Launched: May 18, 1901Commissioned: October 4, 1904Fate: Sold for scrap, 1923 Specifications Displacement: 12,723 tonsLength: 393 ft., 10 in.Beam: 72 ft., 3 in.Draft: 23 ft., 10 in.Speed: 18 knotsComplement: 561 men Armament 4 Ãâ€" 12 in. guns16 Ãâ€" 6 in. guns6 Ãâ€" 3 in. guns8 Ãâ€" 3-pounder guns6 Ãâ€" 1-pounder guns2 Ãâ€" .30 in machine guns2 Ãâ€" 18 in. torpedo tubes Early Career As the United States newest battleship in the Pacific, Ohio received orders to steam west to serve as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet. Departing San Francisco on April 1, 1905, the battleship carried Secretary of War William H. Taft and Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, on an inspection tour of the Far East. Completing this duty, Ohio remained in the region and operated off Japan, China, and the Philippines. Among the ships crew at this time was Midshipman Chester W. Nimitz who would later lead the US Pacific Fleet to victory over Japan in World War II. With the end of its tour of duty in 1907, Ohio returned to the United States and transferred to the East Coast. Great White Fleet In 1906, Roosevelt became increasingly worried regarding the US Navys lack of strength in the Pacific due to the growing threat posed by the Japanese. To impress upon Japan that the United States could move its main battle fleet to the Pacific with ease, he began planning a world cruise of the nations battleships. Dubbed the Great White Fleet, Ohio, commanded by Captain Charles Bartlett, was assigned to the forces Third Division, Second Squadron. This group also contained its sister ships Maine and Missouri. Departing Hampton Roads on December 16, 1907, the fleet turned south making port calls in Brazil before passing through the Straits of Magellan. Moving north, the fleet, led by Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, reached San Diego on April 14, 1908. Briefly pausing in California, Ohio and the rest of the fleet then crossed the Pacific to Hawaii before reaching New Zealand and Australia in August. After taking part in elaborate and festive visits, the fleet cruised north to the Philippines, Japan, and China. Completing port calls in these nations, the American fleet transited the Indian Ocean before passing through the Suez Canal and entering the Mediterranean. Here the fleet parted to show the flag in several ports. Steaming west, Ohio made visits to ports in the Mediterranean before the fleet regrouped at Gibraltar. Crossing the Atlantic, the fleet arrived at Hampton Roads on February 22 where it was inspected by Roosevelt. With the conclusion of its world cruise, Ohio entered the yard at New York for a refit and received a new coat of gray paint as well as had a new cage mast installed. Later Career Remaining at New York, Ohio spent much of the next four years training members of the New York Naval Militia as well as conducting occasional operation with the Atlantic Fleet. During this period it received a second cage mast as well as other modern equipment. Though obsolete, Ohio continued to fulfill secondary functions and in 1914 helped support the US occupation of Veracruz. That summer the battleship embarked midshipmen from the US Naval Academy for a training cruise before being deactivated at Philadelphia Navy Yard that fall. Each of the next two summers Ohio reentered commission for training operations involving the Academy. With the US entry into World War I in April 1917, Ohio was re-commissioned. Ordered to Norfolk following its re-commissioning on April 24, the battleship spent the war training sailors in and around the Chesapeake Bay. With the conflicts conclusion, Ohio steamed north to Philadelphia where it was placed in reserve on January 7, 1919. Decommissioned on May 31, 1922, it was sold for scrap the following March in compliance with the Washington Naval Treaty.

Immunology in Biotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Immunology in Biotechnology - Essay Example have distinguished different kind of inflammation like: Granulomatous inflammation, Fibrinous inflammation, purulent inflammation, serous inflammation etc. and each of these are associated with particular kind of diseases or infection. These observations of type of inflammation related to particular disease or infection facilitated development of new diagnostic procedure for identification of disease and similarly by understanding mechanistic aspect of inflammation in particular disease opens new vista of new treatment. strategies. 2. Explain the structure of a virus. How does it differ from bacteria? Are antibiotics effective against viral infections? Why or why not? Answer the question posed on the cover of the December, 2004 issue of Scientific American â€Å"Are Viruses Alive?† Explain why this is an important question. Virus contains nucleic acid, surrounded by a protective layer of protein, which is called capsid. It also possesses a lipid layer that is derived from the membrane e of the host. They differ from bacteria in the presence of cell wall. Most bacteria have a rigid cell wall, followed by cell membrane and a cytosol. A bacterium possesses all the information needed for reproduction viz., the DNA. Whereas, in the case of the virus it may or may not have an outermost layer called envelope and it also posses a core genetic material which can be either DNA or RNA. Anti bacterial antibiotics are not effective against Viruses as the target molecules for anti bacterial antibiotics are different or absent in viruses, like cell wall (Penicillin ), Ribosome (tetracycline), Transcription (Rifampicin) etc. But there are several anti viral antibiotics are available in market which effectively kills the viruses. The viruses are consider to be a in between of living and non living world as it multiplie s but with the help of host. But now it is clearly demonstrated that viruses are living organism and its become model system to understand what is the minimum

Chinese Monetary and Exchange System Reform Dissertation

Chinese Monetary and Exchange System Reform - Dissertation Example There are many doubts over the government’s claims of effective capital controls and the proofs of â€Å"hot money† tell a very different story. The bigger openness of economy will certainly create an environment of tension with the China's closed capital account. The country must put in place a strong institutional framework and a solid financial infrastructure. These are very necessary measures for accommodating freedom of cross-border capital flows and can provide China chances of making meaningful progress in banking reform in the next three to five years. During the last two years, China’s currency current account surplus registered a rapid increase, showing an increase of 817 billion dollars (or 1.5 percent) of gross domestic product in 2001 to 46 billion (or 3.2 percent) of gross domestic product in 2003. Its currency remains depreciated by nearly all metrics. The country ran a trade surplus of 32 billion dollars in 2004 compared with a surplus of about 25.5 billion dollars in 2003. For two causes, however, the fundamental recent account surplus in the years 2003 and 2004 is merely about undoubtedly significantly higher than the calculated surplus. The first cause, the economy of the country has been growing fast, at a record-setting but clearly flawed pace. High growth has encouraged an unprecedented demand for imports, which showed a rise of 40 percent in 2003, making the country third largest importer of world. In 2004 imports registered an additional increase of 36 percent. cent. While China's economic growth ultimately slows to a more sustainable pace, it is quite likely that import growth will slow down relative to the growth of exports and in result trade surplus of the country will how wide gap. Amid 1990 that was the prototype in the final macroeconomic cycle when the trade accounts reinforced considerably. The second cause, mainly because of the peg of Chinese currency Yuan to the US dollar, the real trade-weighted value of the Chinese Yuan has

Agricultural pricing policies and distributional issues Essay Example for Free

Agricultural pricing policies and distributional issues Essay The actual cause of food insecurity across the globe has been a longstanding debate among the social, economic, political, and scientific fronts of the society. It is a common assertion that the cause of food insecurity revolves in ineffective agricultural pricing policies and distribution issues (Case, etl, 2008). On the contrary, some individuals have blamed the problem to natural causes such as drought which are beyond our control ability (Kracht Schulz, 1999). Nevertheless, given available scientific evidence that the world has enough resources to sustain its population, the problem of food insecurity is no doubt a question of poor agricultural policies. This paper seeks to refute the claim that â€Å"famines are acts of God resulting from bad weather or other natural disasters. Therefore, there is nothing we can do about them except to send food relief after they occur†. The actual causes of famines   Effective agricultural practices are instrumental in ensuring sustainable food security in the world. On the other hand, resources such as land, rains, and farming capital remain a major challenge to the realization of large scale agricultural production (Babu, etl, 2009). Famine is defined as a period of food scarcity for sustaining a given population. True to the letter, famines are cause by a combination of natural and mankind factors. Drought and crop disease outbreaks have been blamed for compromising the yielding capacity of crops (Babu, etl, 2009). This is because they negate the projected production provisions made by farmers. In addition, disasters like floods and strong winds potentially damages plants. Poor agricultural practices are one of the commonly asserted mankind contributions to famine in the global community. Just like other investments, the level of agricultural outputs is dependent on the farming techniques employed by the farmer. The problem of global warming has also been blamed for causing weather prediction uncertainties (Babu, etl, 2009). This has prompted the development of adaptive agricultural strategies to enhance production security under such situations. Nevertheless, most farmers, particularly in developing nation are still engaged in traditional farming practices which are no doubt a source of production risk in the event of weather failure. Moreover, failure by government to give farming incentives and subsidies (Babu, etl, 2009) serves to lower agricultural production. Another artificial cause of famine is lack of effective food preservation and weather prediction strategies. Food security should be a matter of priority in any sober government. This means that the government should have a reliable strategy for monitoring its food reserves (Kracht Schulz, 1999). Failure in food production due to natural causes does not always lead to famine as can be evident from the 1989-1992 droughts that were witnessed in southern Africa region. Though agriculture production was low during this time the strategic approach employed by Southern African Development Community (SADC) played a crucial role in evading a famine crisis in the region (Babu, etl, 2009). Therefore, poor food conservation and weather forecasting strategies are major cause of famine. The impact of agricultural pricing policies on famines Consideration of agricultural pricing policies is quite important in understanding the problem of famine in a given community. Agriculture as a business serves as a source of livelihood for many individuals in the community. This is particularly true in developing nations where their economy is heavily dependent on agriculture (Case, etl, 2008). On the other side, in a free market economy, the price of products is determined by the factors of demand and supply. This has the implication that overproduction of agricultural products calls for decreased prices in the market. However, the government as having the responsibility of protecting its economy has been engaged in regulating product prices. This is evident from government policies such as purchasing agricultural products from farmers into its food reserves at competitive prices (Kracht Schulz, 1999). Such are instrumental in ensuring farmers of competitive market availability for their products. Nevertheless, government agricultural pricing policies have been blamed for inhibiting production (Case, etl, 2008). According to available information, seasonal overproduction in the agricultural sector has witnessed low prices for such products as well as damage of products due to lack of markets and effective preservation practices. Through this, the community suffers the consequences of food insecurity, an element that might lead to famine if poor persistent poor weather conditions occur. In addition, motivation of farmers through effective pricing policies is found to promote innovative agricultural practices (Kracht Schulz, 1999). This is because it serves to guarantee farmers sustainable returns for their investments. Available literature has it that the globe is witnessing a gradual shift from agricultural economy to better paying jobs in the formal job market. This is in part a consequence of poor pricing policies in the agricultural sector which threatens sustainable economic independence of farmers (Case, etl, 2008). Indeed, lowered agricultural production in developing nations has been blamed on poor product prices. This trend is of major concern to the realization of food security in the world, a factor which contributes much to the problem of famine. On the other hand, most developed nations have limited commercial agricultural production to big farms whose production can be efficiently monitored by the government (Clapp, etl, 2009). This gives the government an added advantage of closely considering its moderation of product prices to protect this major source of food supply to the nation’s population. On the contrary, most developing nations engage in small scale, typically subsistence farming (Clapp, etl, 2009). Such compromises the development of effective government product pricing policies.

Literature :: essays research papers

In â€Å"Oxford Concise Dictionary Literary Terms† by Chris Baldick, characterization is defined as the representation of persons in narrative and dramatic works which include direct and indirect methods in inviting the readers to infer qualities from characters’ actions, speech, or appearance. However, modals in literature context serve as an eye opener to the personality and traits of the characters in short stories. It enables the readers to learn of the characters’ abilities, capabilities, prohibitions, obligations and so forth. The appearance of modals in literary texts serves its own specific purposes in accordance to the author’s wish. In David Leavitt’s â€Å"Territory† which describes the relationship between a mother (Mrs. Campbell) and her son (Neil) who is a homosexual, gives me an interest to explore and find out more about the characters. Through the use of modals found in the extract, it enables me to go in depth and examine t he characterization in the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Firstly, in paragraph 2, line 1 of the extract, the modal â€Å"must† is used by David Leavitt to show one of Neil’s traits indirectly – â€Å"The last item puzzles him: Pedro. Pedro must be the gardener.† Here, as Neil read through his mother’s daily list found on the kitchen table, he came across the name â€Å"Pedro† which he was unfamiliar with. Eventually, he expressed an assumption which he believed was true. However, instead of using â€Å"could† to indicate possibility, the writer chose to use the modal â€Å"must† to reveal Neil’s inner self which was lacking in confidence and even probably having a strong need of self assurance despite the fact that the modal is meant to express certainty. Thus, the readers are able to know more of Neil’s character as the modal is used to create a reverse effect on the readers as an irony. Secondly, in this extract, Neil the protagonist is presented by the writer as a son who was torn between his own desire to follow his heart or to live up to the society and his mother’s expectations of him. He tried to vision himself as the son that his mother expects of him through the use of modal â€Å"could† – â€Å"He could make a list of his own selves: the child, the adolescent, the promiscuous faggot son, and finally the good son, settled, relatively successful.† (Paragraph 2, line 3)By using the modal â€Å"could†, it gives the readers a feeling that he is capable of doing what he was expected to and it only depends on whether he is willing or not.

Online Study

Chapters 5 and 6 Study Guide 1. For the Romans, _________ Italy's __________ geography made Rome a natural crossroads and an area easy to defend. P114 2. Rome was established in the first millennium B. C. on the plain of __________ plain of Latium ___________. P114 3. All of the following about the Etruscans are correct expelled many of Rome's patrician class and established a republic in Rome in 509 B. C. p. 114-115 a. | settled north of Rome. | b. | adopted alphabetic language from the Greeks before 600 B. C. | c. | had begun to decline by 480 B. C. | . | â€Å"civilized† Rome by turning it into a true city. | 4. ______________ Rome ____________ set a precedent for treating its vanquished foes after forming the Roman Confederation by offering the most favored â€Å"allied† peoples full Roman citizenship, thus giving them a stake in successful Roman expansion. p. 120 5. _____________ Rome’s ______’s conquest of the Italian peninsula by 264 B. C. can be attributed in part to superb diplomacy. p. 121 6. In defeating the ___________ Greek ____________ city-states in southern Italy, Rome had to fight the soldiers of King Pyrrhus, sent against them by the Greeksp. 20 7. The Roman ____________ Dictator _____________ was a temporary executive during the period of the Republic and exercised unlimited power for a period of usually six months. p. 117 8. Executive authority or ___________ imperium ___________ during the Roman Republic was held by the consuls and praetors. p. 117 9. As Rome expanded, it became Roman policy to govern the provinces with officials known as ______________ proconsuls __________ and propraetors. p. 117 10. The ___________ paterfamilias ________ in Roman society was the male head of the household. p. 118 11.Originally the Roman ________ Senate __________ could only advise the magistrates in legal matters. p. 117 12. In their struggle with the patricians, Roman __________ plebeins ____________employed which of the following tactics: a physical withdrawal from the state undercutting its military manpower and the formation of popular assemblies to lobby for more political reforms. p. 118 13. The _______ twelve _______ Tables was/were the first formal codification of Roman law and customs. p. 118-119 14. The following statements about the Roman armies in the early Republic are correct. . 125 a. | All soldiers were citizens. | b. | Most soldiers were farmers. | c. | Soldiers were enrolled for only a year. | d. | In the fourth century BCE there were four legions, each consisting of 4,000 to 5,000 men. | 15. The _________ Carthaginians __________originated from Phoenician Tyre. p. 121 16. The immediate cause of the First Punic War was Rome sending an army to_______ Sicily ____________. p. 122 17. As a result of the First Punic War the Carthaginians were forced to withdraw from ___________ Sicily _____________ and pay an indemnity to Rome. . 122 18. During the Second Punic War, ____________ Scipio Africanus _______________ expelled the Carthaginians from Spain and later won the decisive Battle of Zama. p. 124 19. The Second Punic War saw Carthage carry a land war to Rome by crossing the _____ Alps ____. p. 123 20. The Roman senator who led the movement for the complete destruction of Carthage was ___ Cato ____. P. 124 21. The result of the _________ Third Punic War ____________ Punic War was the complete destruction and subjugation of Carthage. p. 124 22.It can best be said that __________ Roman _____________ imperial expansion was highly opportunistic, responding to unanticipated military threats and possibilities for glory. p. 124 23. The head of the Roman religious observances was______ the pontifex maximus _______. p. 127 24. In Roman __________ religion ______________, a right relationship with the gods was achieved by accurate performance of rituals and festivals. p. 127 25. Roman religious practices included: a. | a college of priests to carry out rituals correctly. | b. | the adoption of certain Greek gods like Apollo. | p. 27 26. With regards to Roman schooling, education stressed training in __________ Greek _______________ and mastery of rhetoric, or persuasive public speaking. p. 128 27. By the latter Republic, Roman slaves often worked on the Roman _______house hold workers___________. p. 129 28. Roman ________upper________-class women typically had some independent legal rights and property. p. 131 29. In Rome, the male family head, the paterfamilias, couldp. 129 a. | sell his children. | b. | put his children to death. | c. | arrange the marriages of all offspring. | d. | divorce his wife. | 30.The Romans' most noticeable innovations in art and culture were found in __________ architecture _____________ and ____________ engineering ___________. p. 13331. The reforms of Gaius and Tiberius ________________ Gracchus _______________resulted in further instability and violence as they polarized various social groups. p. 13632. The __________ equites ____________were a wealthy and ambitious class of Romans who appeared in the late Republic. p. 135 33. ______________ Sulla ___________'s legacy and importance was that he employed his personal army in political disputes, paving the way toward Roman civil war. . 13734. Among the dangerous military innovations of _______ Marius _______________threatening the Republic, one finds he recruited destitute volunteers who swore an oath of allegiance only to him. p. 13635. Cicero: a. | believed in a â€Å"concord of the orders. â€Å"| b. | was a â€Å"new man† of the equestrian order. | c. | was a great orator and capable lawyer. | d. | advocated a balanced government of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. | p. 13836. Julius ____________ Caesar ______________led military commands in Spain and especially Gaul that enhanced his popularity. p. 13837.The First Triumvirate included____ Caesar____, ___ Crassus____, and___ Pompey____. p. 138 Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey.38. By crossing the___________ Rubicon ____________, Caesar showed that he was willing to disobey the direct orders of the Senate. p. 13939. The Roman Senate under _____________ Augustus ______________was retained as the chief deliberative body of the Roman state. p. 14840. The absolute monarchical powers of Augustus as princeps led to a. | the usual victory of his candidates in official elections. | b. | the decline of popular participation in elections. | c. his great popularity, as he followed proper legal forms for his power. | p. 14941. Augustus held the titles of imperator, ____________imperium____________, tribune, and prineps. p. 148-14942 . The Roman ________ praetorian _______________ guards were elite troops given the task of protecting the emperor. p. 15043. Under the rule of______________ Augustus _____________, the Roman Empire turned towards an absolute monarchy, with the princeps overshadowing the Senate. p. 14844. The event that curtailed _____________ Augustus's ________________’s expansionist policies was the defeat by Varus in the Teutoburg Forest. . 15145. Romanization in Roman empire occurred quickly in the __________West________. P. 158 west46. Among Augustus' most important actions in the area of Roman religion was his creation of an imperial ___________Cult_______________. p. 15247. The city on the Tiber that was Rome's chief port was________ Ostia _______________. p. 15848. Livy was best known in the Augustan Age for his __________ History of Rome ___________ in 142 books. p. 15349. Ovid's ___________ The Art of Love _________________ caused great displeasure to Augustus and led to Ovid's even tual exile. p. 52-15350. The â€Å"golden age† historian ___________ Livy ______________is well known for his perceiving history in terms of sharp moral lessons. p. 15351. The successor to Augustus and first of the Julio-Claudian rulers was_________ Tiberius ____________. p. 15452. The Julio-Claudian emperors varied in ability and effectiveness. p. 15453. During the reigns of the _____________ Julio-Claudian ____________ emperors, Emperors took more and more actual ruling power away from the old Senate. p. 15454. The first of the Flavian emperors was___________ Vespasian _______________. . 15455. The correct order of the five â€Å"good emperors† is _______ Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pious, Marcus Aurelius _____. p. 15556. All of the following occurred during the reigns of the five â€Å"good emperors† a. | being a period of peace for 100 years. | b. | the establishment of educational programs for the poor. | c. | extensive building programs. | d. | being an era of prosperity. | p. 15557. Trade and commerce in the Early Empire stimulated manufacturing, concentrated some industries in certain areas, was secondary in importance to ____ agriculture ___. . 16058. The â€Å"good emperor† Marcus Aurelius was regarded as a philosopher king deeply influenced by the principles of _______ Stoicism _____________. p. 15559. The largest area of Roman innovation in architecture was the use of ___________ concrete ____________on a massive scale. p. 16260. Imperial Rome's _______ gladiatorial ________shows were government-backed spectacles used to content the masses. p. 16461. The two Roman cities that destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A. D. were Pompeii and _______ Herculaneum _________. p. 16662.Among the upper classes of the Early Empire ______ women _____ had considerable freedom and independence. p. 16763. The early values of___________ Christianity ____________, as exemplified in Jesus' â€Å"sermon on the mount,† emphasized devotion to the values of humility, charity, and true brotherly love. p. 17164. Early ___ Christianity ______ was molded into a broader religious movement by Paul of Tarsus. p. 17165. The emperor who said, â€Å"Live in harmony, make the soldiers rich, and don't give a damn for anything else† was____ Septimius Severus ________. p. 16966.The late third century emperor who reconquered and reestablished order in the east and along the Danube and who was known as the â€Å"restorer of the world† was_____ Aurelian ______. p. 16967. The two Roman emperors who notably persecuted the Christian minority were ____ Decius _______ and ____ Diocletian ______. p. 176 NOTE:The correct answers are provided for numbers 3, 14, 25, 29, 35, 40, 52, and 56.Chapters 7, 8 and 9 Study Guide1. The Edict of _________ Milan ________ was Constantine's document officially tolerating the existence of Christianity.P1822. The Council of ________ Nicaea ____________ in 325 defined Christ a s being â€Å"of the same substance† as God. P1833. The heresy of Arianism questioned the divinity of ______ Jesus _______. P1834. In the late fourth century, the Visigoths and other Germanic tribes, were pushed into the Balkans region of the Eastern Roman Empire because of pressure from the _______ Huns ______. P1845. ________ Theodoric ________, the Ostrogothic king who took control of Italy, was determined to maintain Roman customs and practices in Italy. P1886.After the death of _______ theodoric ________, the Ostrogothic kingdom was defeated by the Byzantines, reducing Rome as a center of Mediterranean culture. P1887. The Frankish palace official, Charles Martel, successfully defended the civilization of the new western European kingdoms in 732 by defeating Muslim armies in 732 and driving them back to Spain. P1898. Guilt under Germanic customary law was determined by compurgation and ordeal. P1909. Frankish marriage customs placed strong sanctions (sometimes death) on a dulterous _________ women _________. P19110. The pope who supposedly caused Attila and the Huns to turn away from Rome was ___Leo 1_______. P19411. The Petrine Doctrine was the belief that the bishops of Rome held a preeminent position in the church. P19312. Augustine did all of the following:P192-193 a. | write Confessions. | b. | use pagan culture in the service of Christianity. | c. | advocate marriage for the procreation of children as a good alternative for Christians incapable of upholding the ideal of celibacy as a means to holiness. | d. | author The City of God. |13. Augustine's Confessions was written as an account of his own miraculous personal conversion. P19214. Saint Jerome, is known for all of the following:P193 a. | his mastery of Latin prose. | b. | his skills as a linguist. | c. | his translations of the Old and New Testaments from Hebrew and Greek into Latin. | d. | becoming one of the Latin Fathers of the Church. |15. The father of hermit monasticism was ______ S t. Anthony ____________. P19516. The basic rule for western monastic living was developed by ___ benedict __________. P19517. Benedictine monasticism is characterized by:P196 a. | an ideal of moderation. | b. | the communal life. | c. isolated, self-sustaining communities. | d. | vows and rules. |18. The â€Å"Apostle to the Germans† and the most famous churchman in Europe in the eighth century was ______ Boniface __________. P19819. In 597, Pope Gregory the Great sent the monk, Augustine, to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons. P19720. Pope Gregory the Great was responsible for all of the following:P194 a. | creating the Papal States. | b. | recognizing the Byzantine emperor as the rightful ruler of Italy. | c. | supporting the work of Christian missionaries in England. | d. | becoming Bishop of Rome. |21.The primary instrument of Pope Gregory for converting the Germanic peoples of Europe was____ monastic movement ________. P19522. The greatest difference between Irish Chris tianity and Roman Christianity was in Irish church organization, giving Irish abbots more power than bishops. P19723. One of the greatest nuns of the seventh monastery, and founder of the Whitby monastery was ___ St. Hilda _________. P19824. The great Christian scholar of late antiquity, ________ Cassiodorus ______________, divided the seven liberal arts into the trivium and quadrivium. According to Cassiodorus, the trivium includes grammar, hetoric, and dialectic or logic. P20025. Justinian's military conquests under the general, Belisarius, were __ Vandal Kingdom in North Africa _and Italian peninsula occupying sicily________________________. P20126. Justinian's most important contribution to Western civilization was his_____ codification of the law ______. P20227. The Corpus Iuris Civilis (Body of Civil Law) compiled under Justinian was the last Byzantine contribution to the west to be written in Latin. P20228. The woman whose support put down the Nika Revolt against Justinian's rule in 532 was_________ Theodora _____. P20329.The following are great buildings in the city of Constantinople:P204 a. | Hagia Sophia| b. | Hippodrome| c. | Royal Palace| d. | b and d|30. During the period of the Roman Empire, the Arabian Peninsula was dominated by the ____ bedouin nomads ______. P20631. The cardinal principle of the Islamic faith is that there is only God and his prophet is ________ Muhammad ___________. P20732. Muhammad's flight from Mecca to Medina in 622 is known as the _______ Hegira ______. P20733. The following are similarities between Christianity and Islam:P207 a. | Each of the faiths had a holy book. | b. | Both religions were monotheistic. c. | Both religions had as part of their scriptures divine revelation. | d. | Both religions envisioned heaven or paradise for believers.34. The successors to Muhammad's leadership of the Muslims were known as______ caliphs ______. P20835. Muslim societies abide by a strict code of law, much of it derived from the holy book Qur'an, and regulating all aspects of Muslim life. This law code is called ______ Shari'a. ____. P207-20836. The Muslim dynasty that assumed power after the assassination of Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali, and moved the capital to Damascus was the ______ Umayyad __________.P 20937. In the Early Middle Ages, the cultivation of new land was hard because the forests of Europe were so thick and crude tools of the era made land clearing arduous. P21438. In the early Middle Ages, Germanic tribes newly converted to Christianity still held pagan beliefs such as trees were sacred beings and could not be cut down. P21439. The first Frankish king to be anointed in holy ceremony by an agent of the pope was _____ Pepin _______. P21440. Charlemagne's most disappointing military campaign came against the _______ Basques __________. P21541.The coronation of ___________ Charlemagne _____________ in 800 as emperor of the Romans symbolized the fusion of Roman, Germanic, and Christian cultures. P2184 2. Regarding sexuality, the Catholic Church in the Early Middle Ages could not enforce clerical celibacy. P22043. Socially and culturally, the church's advocacy of indissoluble marriage resulted in the development of the nuclear family at the expense of the extended family. P22044. Medicine in the Early Middle Ages and medicine in earlier pagan times used __medicines and natural practices with appeals for other-worldly help, magical rites and influences were used_______.P22345. Carolingian society was marked by all of the following:P222 a. | the use of bleeding to cure illness. | b. | different patterns of consumption of foodstuffs among rich and poor. | c. | the vices of gluttony and drunkenness. | d. | considerable violence. |46. What was the name of the treaty that divided the Carolingian Empire in 843? P224_______________ treaty of Verdun___________47. The division of Europe into three kingdoms after the death of Louis the Pious led to an incessant struggle between Louis the Ger man, Charles the Bald, and their heirs over disputed territories. P22448.The following statements are true of the Vikings:P226-227 a. | Their iron weapons and superior shipbuilding were largely responsible for their successful raids. | b. | Their raids and settlements aided the growth of fief-holding. | c. | Christianity assimilated them into European civilization. | d. | They came from Scandinavia. |49. One of the most famous Vikings, who discovered Greenland, was ___ Erik the Red. ____. P22850. In Western Europe, the chief political repercussion of frequent Viking raids was an increase in the power of local aristocrats to whom threatened populations turned for effective protection.P22851. Feudalism of medieval Europe was primarily a complex system of vassalage by which the weak sought protection and sustenance from powerful local nobles. P22852. The â€Å"hierarchical† fief-holding system in which vassals in turn had vassals owing them services was known as _____ subinfeuda tion ______. P22953. The major obligation of the lord to the _____ vassal ____ was economic support and protection either militarily or through grants of land. P22954. Under _____ feudalism _______of the Early Middle Ages the major obligation of a vassal to his lord was to provide military service. P22955. The ____ Slavs _________ were originally a single people in central Europe. P23656. The Swedish Vikings-the Varangians-became known or assimilated with which of the following groups: ________ Russians ___________. P23757. The ruthless Russian leader responsible for tying Russian political and religious ideals to the Byzantine Empire was _______ Vladimir 1 _______. P23758. The Islamic city in Spain that served as the Umayyad capital was _______ Cordoba ____. P23959. The capital city of the Umayyad Caliphate and center of an Islamic empire was ____ Damascus ______. P23760. The major socio-political change associated with the _______ Abbasid _____ Caliphate is promotion of judges, me rchants, and government officials over warriors as ideal citizens. P23861. The Abbasids broke down the distinctions between Arab and non-Arab Muslims. P23762. One consequence of the new agriculture of the Early Middle Ages was the destruction of the ______farmland__________. P24463. The â€Å"agricultural revolution† of the High Middle Ages was in part brought about by a change from the two-field to the three-field system. P24664. New technological developments in agriculture improving productivity of foodstuffs included all of the following: a. | iron hoes. | b. | the use of horse shoes. | c. | the heavy-wheeled, iron-tipped plow (carruca). | d. | watermills and windmills. P245-246|65. List sources of power by medieval farmers? ____ horses, water, windmills and oxen _____________________________________________________________. P245-24666. The peasant's life during the Middle Ages was largely determined by ________ the seasons. _______. P24667. The basic staple of the peasan t diet was ____ bread _________. P24668. The village church was led by local priests who were often barely literate. P24769. The high number of fights and accidents described in medieval court records may plausibly be attributed to the high consumption of ________Alcohol____________. P24770. Male ___ nobles _ of the High Middle Ages were almost solely preoccupied with warfare. P24771. In medieval thought, women were considered by nature subservient and lesser beings than __ men ___. P24972. The main part of the medieval castle was called the _____ moat ________. P24873.The knightly code of ethics known as chivalry included all of the following requirements:P250 a. | knights were to fight to defend the church. | b. | knights were to protect the weak and defenseless. | c. | winning glory should be the knight's highest aim and motivating force. | d. | knights should fight for their overlords. |74. Combative tournaments involving knights were considered excellent and necessary training for warfare. P25075. Marriages among the aristocracy of the High Middle Ages were expected to establish political alliances between families and increase their wealth. P25076.By the twelfth century, _______ divorce _________ among nobles was not possible except through official recognition that a marriage had never been valid. P25177. The term â€Å"burg† or â€Å"borough† referred to a ______fortress_________. P25478. To protect their interests against nobles, townspeople often formed _______Commune________. P25579. A major motive contributing to the revolutionary political behavior of European townspeople was their great need for unfettered mobility to conduct trade efficiently. P25580. On the whole, medieval cities tended to be relatively undemocratic; the wealthy usually ruled and voted in civic elections. P25581. Medieval cities had skylines dominated by the towers of churches, castles, and town halls. P255-25782. A major cause of pollution in medieval cities was the smell and waste of animals and humans. P257-25883. The guild system of medieval European cities did all of the following:P259 a. | enforce standards and methods of production for various articles. | b. | fix prices at which finished goods could be sold. | c. | set the numbers of people who could enter key trades and the procedures by which they could do so. | d. | maintain monopolies of production and sales. |84.Drinking water in the cities of the Middle Ages usually came from ____ wells ___. P25985. The first university to be founded in Europe appeared in ___ Bologna ________. P26086. The first university in northern Europe was ______ University of Paris_____________________. P26087. Due to its many cathedral schools, the intellectual center of Europe by the twelfth century was _ France __. P26088. Students in medieval universities often engaged in quarrels with one another and in confrontations with townspeople. P261-26289. Concerning the curriculum of the medieval university students studied the trivium and quadrivium. P260-26190. The renaissance of the twelfth century was primarily caused by circulation in the west in Latin translation of many ancient philosophical and scientific works previously saved by ____ Muslim ____ scholars. P262-26391. The renaissance of the twelfth century saw all of the following:P262-263 a. | Muslim scientific discoveries made available to the west. | b. | scholarly receptiveness to the works of Jewish thinkers. | c. | a great influx of Aristotle's writings previously available only to Arab scholars. | d. | Islamic Spain being a conduit of scholarly works from ancient Greece and from the Muslim world. |92. The primary preoccupation of ___ Scholasticism ______ was the reconciliation of faith with reason. P26393. The medieval theological debate between the scholastic realists and nominalists centered around the problem of universals and the nature of reality. P26394. The Summa Theologica of Thomas ___ Aquinas _______ raised qu estions concerning theology and solved them by the dialectical method. P264-26595. The Song of __Roland______ is one of the finest examples of the medieval chanson de geste. P26596. The dominant style of the church architecture in the eleventh and twelfth centuries was ___ romanesque ______. P26697. The following are characteristics of Romanesque architecture:P266-267 a. | churches in this style were built in rectangular shape| b. | massive pillars and walls were required for support| c. | heavy barrel vaults with rounded stone roofs replaced flat wooden roofs| d. | few windows. |98. Gothic cathedrals seem to soar upward as light and airy constructions due to all of the following innovations: a. | ribbed vaults. | b. | flying buttresses. | c. | thin walls pierced by huge stained glass windows. | d. | pointed arches. P267|99. The Gothic style of architecture emerged and was perfected in ___ France _____. P268

Radio Shack Report

Executive Summary RadioShack Corporation is a popular electronic store within the United States of America. Within this report an assessment of RadioShack Corporation performance in the years 2004 to 2006 will be provided. This assessment looks on: * Changes in Chief Executive Officer (CEO) * The results of the changes in the CEO * The financial performance of RadioShack in the specified period * Managerial problems facing RadioShack in the specified period. From this report we hope to give a concise representation of what happened in RadioShack in the years2004-2006.As a group of consultants we aim to identify problems facing the company. Along with this we will provide solutions and recommendations to these problems based on our assessment. Introduction: Radio Shack is a consumer electronics goods and services retailer that operates about 4400 stores across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, the company also operates about 800 non-branded kio sks (small booths) from which wireless handsets and accessories are sold. The firm’s headquarters is located in Fort Worth, Texas and as of 2006, there were approximately 40000 workers employed to the company.The case presented to the group highlights the problems faced by Radio Shack which started in the year 2004. The instability in the position of CEO and executive management of the firm, financial troubles, disgruntled employees and poor communication skills have been identified as the main problems which sought to wreak havoc throughout the firm. As consultants hired by the Radio Shack Company, our main objective would be to state, with clear reasoning, the core problems affecting the company, as well their appropriate solutions.In addition we would aim to devise suitable plans which would aid the company in moving forward. Along with this we will present recommendations which would foster better development and growth within the firm for the future. Background: Within t he years 2004-2006, RadioShack had undergone instability in upper management and poor financial performance. One reason for such instability is caused by the frequent changes in CEO’s. Over the period, three persons had the role as CEO. The first, Leonard Roberts left the position to join the board of members at RadioShack.The second, David Edmondson left due to his fake qualifications. The third was, Julian Day, who was employed by the Board of Members and the Executives to turn the company around (University of Nortedame, 2007). It is not beneficial to a company to have a critical position such as the CEO changed so frequently. Each person set different goals and have different ways of achieving them. Therefore, whenever there is a change in CEO the goals of the business change too. Hence, the company is affected as it has to stop and change its path whenever a new CEO takes over.This ultimately affects the immediate performance of the business. With the frequent change in CEO’s employees may become lazy in completing the task they were given. They may also become confused in regards to what to do. Others may even stop doing the task once they are informed that the CEO will be changed. Thus, this reduces the overall productivity of workers. Consumers too will be affected as their needs and wants are not being satisfied efficiently due to changes in the company. As a result, the company is now seen as inefficient as they fail to satisfy customer needs.The company is further affected as employees will have to be paid although the company is not earning. Poor communication skill is another issue which is a result from instability in upper management. Workers were unaware of the decisions to cut staff until after a press release. It was the managers at RadioShack that informed their team of the reduction and the medium that will be used (Joyce, 2006). As a result, employees questioned the company policies and began losing confidence in them.Also ma ny felt disrespected based on the medium used inform them of job cuts (Joyce, 2006). Discussion: Between the years 2004 – 2006, Radio Shack had a fully grown problem tree. This conclusion was made after carefully analyzing, deliberating and discussing the case at hand within the group. A number of issues were defined and can be characterized in the following groups: Leaves Inability to Motivate Employees Financial Instability Branches Poor Internal Control Poor Internal communication Bad Business Ethics Root Dysfunctional / Incompetent Top ManagementThese issues will be discussed in this section in the order in which they are defined. Leaves i. Financial Instability * RadioShack Corporation in comparison to its competitors is underperforming (University of Nortedame, 2007). Their net income is significantly low and lags behind competitors. * RadioShack saw stock prices closing at relatively low trading prices. ii. Inability to Motivate Employees Radio Shack lost the confidenc e of its workforce following a sudden press release made by Day. He announced the company’s action plan in moving forward to recovery.This action plan included firing hundreds of employees as a means to decrease expenses and improve its long-term competitive position in the market place (Poole, 2007). Branches iii. Poor Internal Control Radio Shack had undergone numerous executive changes. The most significant being the changes of CEO’s in a two year period. The one which stands out was that of David Edmonson who left the position after admitting he lied on his resume about two academic degrees which he did not have (University of Nortedame, 2007).This is a major issue as measures should have been in place to check all persons qualifications before hiring. 4. Poor Internal Communication Management had failed to inform employees that jobs were to be cut. Employees were informed internally after a sudden press release given by Julian Day in 2006. To not inform your emplo yees first of such job cut may lead to many feeling separate from the company (Poole, 2007). Also, this further affects the company performance as employees are caught up wondering if they will be fired rather than focusing on getting the job done. 5.Bad Business Ethics Most would agree that no matter the means of firing, the notion remains the same. It is best to fire someone face to face. Communication is a two way process and several instances RadioShack engaged in a one way communication process based on the approach to fire employees (Gaertner-Johnston, 2006) . Clearly Radio Shack ignored this and as a result they had disgruntled employees. The way in which the letter was written also shows poor business ethics. In Business School it is taught that when delivering bad news, the bad news should not be delivered first.RadioShack ignored this and gave the employees a concise email informing them that they were no longer needed. Root 6. Dysfunctional / Incompetent Top Management Th e core cause of all of Radio Shack’s problems was the inability of their top management team to effectively do their job. Had they been overseeing more efficiently by the Board of Members and executives these branches and leaves could have been avoided. Radio Shack had left the corporation solely in the hands of Julian Day. As a newly appointed executive, he was left totally in charge of the company’s turnaround plan.The board of directors and executives confidence may have been justified based on Julian day previous work. Nonetheless, they had failed to exercise their authority in incorporating the company values, claims and policies with Julian Day’s creative genius and business operating skills. Conclusion: In evaluating this case and highlighting the many issues, it is fair to say that RadioShack Corporation is not in a very secure financial position. This statement is made on the basis that they suffered from problems which include: †¢Inability to moti vate employees Financial instability †¢Poor internal control †¢Poor internal communication †¢Bad business ethics †¢Dysfunctional/ incompetent top management Improvements are therefore needed in these areas of the company if it is to survive and grow. In order to do this, RadioShack Corporation must first find solutions to their core problems. The core problems were identified to be poor internal communication, bad business ethics and dysfunctional/ incompetent top management. These problems are the root causes which all the other problems stemmed from.This case analysis basically provided justified issues that were evaluated and discussed as it relates to RadioShack Corporation. Recommendations: In order to alleviate some of these problems faced by RadioShack Corporation, the group of consultants generated some recommendations. Based on the findings in this case, it is recommended that: †¢In trying to rebuild a company that is in great financial depression, the manager should review all aspects of the business and work along with the current staff, rather than deciding to cut staff as the first objective.The management team at RadioShack Corporation should focus on their internal performance first in order to increase profitability and revive the finances of the business. †¢Another recommendation is that the board members should exercise their authority by ensuring that Julian Day ideas were ethical and stuck to the policies of the company when making major decisions. Bibliography: University of Nortedame. (2007). RadioShack Corporation: You’ve Got Mail. Mondoza College of Business. Joyce, A. (2007).Fired Via E-Mail And Other Tales Of Poor Exits. Retrieved November 8, 2012, from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/09/AR2006090900103. html Poole, L. (2007). RadioShack lays off employees via e-mail. Retrieved November 8, 2012, from http://usatoday30. usatoday. com/tech/news/2006-08-30-radioshack-ema il-layoffs_x. htm Gaertner-Johnston, L. (2006). Fired by Email. Retrieved November 9th, from http://www. businesswritingblog. com/business_writing/2006/09/fired_by_email. ht

Free Essays on Max Weber

MAX WEBER Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a study of the relationship between the ethics of ascetic Protestantism and the emergence of the spirit of modern capitalism. Weber argues that the religious ideas of groups such as the Calvinists played a role in creating the capitalistic spirit. Weber first observes a correlation between being Protestant and being involved in business, and declares his intent to explore religion as a potential cause of the modern economic conditions. He argues that the modern spirit of capitalism sees profit as an end in itself, and pursuing profit as virtuous. Weber's goal is to understand the source of this spirit. He turns to Protestantism for a potential explanation. Protestantism offers a concept of the worldly "calling," and gives worldly activity a religious character. While important, this alone cannot explain the need to pursue profit. One branch of Protestantism, Calvinism, does provide this explanation. Calvinists be! lieve in predestinationthat God has already determined who is saved and damned. As Calvinism developed, a deep psychological need for clues about whether one was actually saved arose, and Calvinists looked to their success in worldly activity for those clues. Thus, they came to value profit and material success as signs of God's favor. Other religious groups, such as the Pietists, Methodists, and the Baptist sects had similar attitudes to a lesser degree. Weber argues that this new attitude broke down the traditional economic system, paving the way for modern capitalism. However, once capitalism emerged, the Protestant values were no longer necessary, and their ethic took on a life of its own. We are now locked into the spirit of capitalism because it is so useful for modern economic activity. Throughout his book, Weber emphasizes that his account is incomplete. He is not arguing that Protestantism caused the capitalistic spirit, but rather that i... Free Essays on Max Weber Free Essays on Max Weber MAX WEBER Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a study of the relationship between the ethics of ascetic Protestantism and the emergence of the spirit of modern capitalism. Weber argues that the religious ideas of groups such as the Calvinists played a role in creating the capitalistic spirit. Weber first observes a correlation between being Protestant and being involved in business, and declares his intent to explore religion as a potential cause of the modern economic conditions. He argues that the modern spirit of capitalism sees profit as an end in itself, and pursuing profit as virtuous. Weber's goal is to understand the source of this spirit. He turns to Protestantism for a potential explanation. Protestantism offers a concept of the worldly "calling," and gives worldly activity a religious character. While important, this alone cannot explain the need to pursue profit. One branch of Protestantism, Calvinism, does provide this explanation. Calvinists be! lieve in predestinationthat God has already determined who is saved and damned. As Calvinism developed, a deep psychological need for clues about whether one was actually saved arose, and Calvinists looked to their success in worldly activity for those clues. Thus, they came to value profit and material success as signs of God's favor. Other religious groups, such as the Pietists, Methodists, and the Baptist sects had similar attitudes to a lesser degree. Weber argues that this new attitude broke down the traditional economic system, paving the way for modern capitalism. However, once capitalism emerged, the Protestant values were no longer necessary, and their ethic took on a life of its own. We are now locked into the spirit of capitalism because it is so useful for modern economic activity. Throughout his book, Weber emphasizes that his account is incomplete. He is not arguing that Protestantism caused the capitalistic spirit, but rather that i... Free Essays on Max Weber â€Å"Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings† (Proverbs 22:29). This verse from the Bible describes Max Weber’s argument of the relationship between business and religion. He basically describes the way Calvinism, a doctrine of the Protestant religion, had effects on capitalism. The ethics of the Protestant religion were the main factors that affected capitalism. One of these characteristics was how the religion â€Å"acted powerfully against the spontaneous enjoyment of possessions† (Seeing Ourselves p. 348). This statement basically described the way materialistic things and earthly possessions were not to be pleasured too much. The second characteristic was described by Weber saying the religion â€Å"restricted consumption, especially of the luxuries† (Seeing Ourselves p. 348). This characteristic shows how Weber thought the Protestant religion prohibited a build-up of possessions. One last characteristic is how the religion had the â€Å"psychological effect of freeing the acquisition of good from the inhibitions of traditionalistic ethics† (Seeing Ourselves p. 348). Acquisition, or ownership, being freed from inhibitions, or embarrassment, of traditionalistic ethics meant that this ownership was viewed as being willed by God. These characteristics of Protestantism were believed to help shape the foundation of capitalism in Weber’s opinion. Because all of these factors proved the followers of this religion saved money, spent it wisely, and accumulated only the things of necessity, this â€Å"work-and-save† attitude aided capitalism in several ways. One way was working hard and to the best of their ability. This promoted the development of capitalism because strong workers resulted in strong companies which lead to a strong economy. After the people would work, they would earn money. However, instead of spending this money on fancy things, they would instead save it and be very frugal with what they... Free Essays on Max Weber Max Weber was the first to observe and write on bureaucracies which developed in Germany during the 19th century. He considered them to be efficient, rational and honest, a big improvement over the haphazard administration that they replaced. The German government was better developed than that in the United States and Britain and was nearly equal to that of France. Weber saw that modern officialdom functioned according to six principles: (1) Fixed and official jurisdictional areas which are ordered by rules, that is laws and administrative regulations. (2) Hierarchy and levels of graded authority where the lower offices are supervised by the higher ones. (3) Management is based on official documents (the files). (4) The officials have thorough and expert training. (5) It requires the full time work of the official. (6) Management follows rules. While these principles seem obvious today, German government agencies were pioneering modern administration to replace practices dating back to the Middle Ages owing loyalty to the king, dukes and the church. From the perspective of the official, Weber observed that office holding is a "vocation," that is it is a calling requiring a prescribed course of training for a long period of time and having examinations which are a prerequisite for employment. He is to be loyal to the office he holds, not to a patron. By virtue of his position, the official enjoys high social esteem. (Weber notes that this is especially weak in the United States.) The official is appointed by a superior official; he is not elected. Normally he works for the agency for life; he does not fear being fired for failing to please a patron. He receives a salary and an pension when he retires. The official pursues a career within the bureaucracy, moving up to more responsible positions according to his experience and ability. Weber is also known for his theory of charismatic leadership. Charisma is the gift from above wher...

The Ultimate Guide to Good Posture [Infographic]

The Ultimate Guide to Good Posture [Infographic] Good posture might not seem like something that is terribly important, but recent studies suggest otherwise. Take a look at this infographic developed by  Voltierdigital  for information on good posture and why it is important.

Why We Root For Some Antagonist Portrayed in Film, Literature and Article

Why We Root For Some Antagonist Portrayed in Film, Literature and Television - Article Example Why we root for villains and antagonists is a manifestation of morbid curiosity. Most people want to know something they rarely knew about or just heard about in whispers such that the more you deny these villains and antagonists, the more people are attracted to them. It certainly defies logic why this is so but then again the human mind is really hard to fathom. The enduring attraction of Count Dracula attests to this unusual curiosity. Villains become the fodder of speculations and conjectures but more than that, there is the abiding yearning effort to know more just for the sake of knowing; it seems knowledge is its own reward. People go to great lengths to visit his old castle in Transylvania and spend plenty of dollars there. Psychologists and sociologists attribute this unhealthy and unwholesome fascination as sort of an unexpressed death wish. Yes, people can sometimes really have this unusual and inexplicable wish which they are not even aware of. This is why black films or film noire has made a comeback in Hollywood. This death wish is the exact opposite of the survival instinct but as to why people can have this trait, nobody knows exactly. Some posit the idea this is the form of sexual inversion, a pseudo-sexual attraction of an opposite (Ellis 288). There are many plausible reasons why we root for antagonists and villains despite how much we know about their bad or undesirable side. This can be due to their being authentic. Antagonists, whether in literature, film, television, and even in real life (such as Hitler) are the kinds of people who are true to themselves, no matter what the odds are against them. Society is against them and yet they still pursue their dreams, do what they want, or persist whatever it is that drives them even if public opinion is definitely against them. Perhaps there is a hidden sense of communal grief when people prefer the macabre over what is

Cigarette Taxes and Smoking Bans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cigarette Taxes and Smoking Bans - Essay Example Before the provision of this report, taxes fixed on cigarettes were intended just to raise the revenue on the sale of cigarettes. However, after the provision of the Surgeon General's report, the taxes fixed on cigarettes had an additional purpose of discouraging cigarette smoking (Meier & Licari, 1997). The idea of cigarette tax is obtained from "economic theory". An increase in cigarette tax is a direct cause of increase in the selling cost of per cigarette, and hence, as the law of supply and demand states, a comparatively less amount of cigarettes will be sold. (Meier & Licari, 1997). A long-stated supposition of the 'economic theory' declared above was that a rise in cigarette tax would reduce its sales and thus hurt the financial system. On the other hand, Jha, Beyer and Heller (1999) reports that the rise in cigarette tax in reality increased the cigarette tax revenue and hence doesn't harm the economy at all. Tax revenue is actually a source of government income. For this reason, an increase in cigarette taxes is an increase in government income. Cigarette taxes have been increased in thirty one states since 2000 (Capehart, 2004). Further research has shown that these thirty one states have also imposed bans against smoking (Smoke Free World, 2005). Many studies have clearly showed the decrease in the amount of cigarette consumed by the individuals (Brown, 1995; Meier & Licari, 1997; and Showalter, 1998). On the other hand Tax revenues have increased on every sale (Capehart, 2004). Most literature analysis has examined cigarette taxes and cigarette tax revenues without taking the states with smoking bans into consideration. If we consider both sides of the story, the finalized decision of our research both agrees and disagrees with that of the literature. We agree with Meier & Licari (1997) and Gallet (2004) that smoking has been reduced in those states where cigarette bans and higher cigarette taxes have been imposed and differ with Showalter (1998) that higher cigarette taxes reduces higher tax revenue. The limit to which the literature has bounded itself is still clearly observed if the relation between the effects of the bans on smoking and the tax revenue is analyzed. It clearly shows that both these are not related to each other particularly. The revenue generated by the tax imposed on cigarettes was compared and contrasted with the amount of taxes that were imposed on cigarettes. But the laws passed for smoking were never compared or contrasted with these factors. The feature of our research expands its influence by analyzing the affect of the taxes imposed by governments in different states. We developed a new way of thought. One may carry out the fact that states, which imposed smoking bans, obtain a decreased amount of sales and hence have a decreased amount of tax revenue. This fact clearly shows that economy is adversely affected in those states. We proved the theory of demand and supply in relationship to state smoking bans and cigarette tax revenues. We determined if the smoking bans affect cigarette tax