Disorder Analysis

â€Å"Me Myself and Irene† is a movie about a Rhode Island State Police trooper named Charlie Baileygates who has a mental disorder. The disorder that can be evidently seen in the movie almost creates the whole essence of the story. Charley Baileygates' (Jim Carrey) is found to have a Dissociative Identity Disorder or more commonly known as multiple personality. In the movie, Jim Carrey's character changes from Charley to Hank, who is the other personality, that somehow is the complete opposite of Charlie.During the course of the movie, this Dissociative Identity Disorder of Charley terrorizes his condition and his interaction with other people, especially with Irene (Renà © Zellweger). As the movie assessed Charlie's condition, it showed that this disorder was caused by the anger that has been kept inside for years due to other people who took advantage of him. Raising three African-American kids that are sons of his wife and a black dwarf limo driver, who eventually stole h is bride, Charlie accepted it but has kept this unconscious anger deep inside him.This eventually led to Hank, who is the other personality inside his brain. Hank is the rude, violent and cocky persona that is completely the opposite of Charlie.DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDERAs defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), â€Å"Dissociative Identity Disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a condition in which a single person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment.†(American Psychiatric Association, 2000).The requirements of the diagnosis suggests at least two personalities consequently gaining control with regards to a person's demeanor and actions. With regards to its possible causes, epidemiology, appearance across cultures, and existence, this disorder is controversial. Interaction of several factors are c auses that lead to Dissociative Identity Disorder. Possible symptoms that suggests a demonstration of Dissociative Identity Disorder ranges with wide variations during the course of time.Symptoms that can be included are distortion or loss of subjective time, depersonalization, depression, amnesia, headaches and other body pains. People with this condition may even suffer auditory hallucinations with regards to the two personalities' discussions and might even result to misdiagnoses that may falsely conclude a psychotic issue. People with DID often display an array of indications that can match those of other mental health disorders and many physical disorders as well. Chronic and potentially disabling or fatal, patients with Dissociative Identity Disorder are prone to harming themselves.There are various treatment methods to cure this disorder such as Psychotherapy, medications and behavioral treatments. A psychiatrist or psychologist may use specially designed interviews such as t he SCID-D and personality assessment methods to evaluate an individual with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Integrating the personalities into a single personality is the main goal of treatments. Drug therapy can alleviate some particular symptoms but does not heal the disorder itself. Psychotherapy on the other hand is emotionally painful and difficult.In general , two or more psychotherapy meetings a week for at least 3 to 6 years are essential. Helpful also may be Hypnosis.CONCLUSIONAs seen in the movie, this condition is not actually a psychotic disorder. But despite this, there is danger among people with this condition, as seen in Charlie and Frank's battles, if not properly treated. Integrating the personalities might be hard, but keeping them in tune and coexisting might help. Psychotherapy is the best option for treatment of DID.

Z Score

MN 215 A & B October 02, 2012 Z Scores, Z Tests and t Tests Overview and Review At the beginning of the course we learned that there are two branches of statistics, namely, parametric and non-parametric. Further we learned that parametric statistical processes are broken down into two other categories, namely descriptive statistical processes and inferential. We learned also that descriptive statistics (mean, mode, median, standard deviation, and frequencies) are only to be used to describe the characteristics of the data rather than draw conclusions of make inferences from the measurement data collected.However, the importance of descriptive statistics cannot be undermined as they form the basis for the workings of inferential statistical processes – especially the mean. In data analysis one of the most important concepts to remember is that regardless of the topic or issue being investigated all is based on the mean of a data set. Although we cannot draw conclusion or make p redictions from descriptive statistics their usefulness in inferential statistics is significant.As stated inferential statistics is a branch of statistics that is used in making inferences about traits or characteristics of a greater population on the basis of sample measurement data. The primary goal of inferential statistics is to leap beyond the measurement data at hand and make inferences about a greater population. Take for example a psychologist who is interested in knowing whether a new behavior modification product will likely be a seller in a certain market area.Knowing that the entire consumer population cannot be queried as to market acceptance, the psychologist would select a representative sample for the area, administer whatever measurement instrument is necessary to garner the data and, on the basis, of the sample data results, determine whether or not the new product will be profitable. The statistic used to determine whether or not the sample is representative of t he entire market population would be an inferential statistics.When using inferential statistical processes to generate information in order to make predictions about a larger population the chosen sample must always be on the basis of random selection or random assignment. Without random sampling or random assignment the mathematical values received by way of the statistical analysis are in err. Or, another way of putting is to say that the results would be â€Å"Lies, damn lies† about the data analyzed. For convenience purposes throughout the remainder of this course the following symbols will be used most extensively.Statisticians, regardless of area, use English letters to denote sample statistics and Greek letters to symbolize population parameters. NameSample StatisticPopulation Parameter _ MeanX  µ (mu) VarianceSD? ? 2 (sigma squared) Standard DeviationSD ? (sigma) Correlationr ? (rho) Proportionp ? (pi) Regression Coefficient b ? ( beta)? ? When trying to arrive at conclusions that extend from the measurement data alone, inferential statistics are the data analysis tools of choice.For example, inferential statistics are used to infer from the sample data to the larger population data or when there is an need to make judgments of the probability that an â€Å"observed† difference between groups is an accurate and dependable one and not those that happened by chance alone. In order too accomplish that which inferential statistics were designed two models are available: estimation testing and hypothesis testing. In the estimation model the sample measurement data is used to estimate a parameter (population) and a confidence interval about the estimate is created.The confidence interval is basically the range of values that has a high likelihood of containing the parameter. The parameter is a numerical value that measures some part or the population measurement scores or values. The second use of inferential statistical processes is in hypo thesis testing. The most common manner in which a hypothesis is tested is by developing what is commonly called a â€Å"straw man† which is what a null hypothesis is call when looking at a situation where in the research investigator wants to determine if the data collected and analyzed is strong enough to reject the null or â€Å"straw man† hypothesis.Always remember that a null hypothesis is stated that no differences, effects or relationships will occur between and or amongst the events, occurrences, phenomenon, items, or situations being evaluated and measured as a result of some variable. A simple example of a business null hypothesis would be something like the following: There exists no statistically significant difference between widgets made of alloy A and those made of Alloy B in terms of tinsel strength acceptability. Data Requirements When Using Inferential Statistics.Thinking back to the first part of the course we learned that statistical processes must u se certain forms of numeric measurement data and this data is expressed as nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio. For descriptive statistics (frequencies and measures of central tendency) it is nominal data that is used. For inferential statistics the measurement data types to be used are either interval or ratio. However, in the social sciences and business arenas ordinal data is often times treated like interval. This is particularly true when studies attempt to assess situations by way of a Lickert scale.For convenience and review the scale presented below will help to clarify the differences between the four scales of measurement discussed earlier in the course. Indications Indicated Direction ofIndicates Amount of Absolute Difference Difference Difference Zero NominalX OrdinalX X IntervalX X X RatioX X X On the basis of the information contained in the table above the following two conditions apply when using inferential statistical processes: * Participants selected for partici pation in a study should be selected randomly. If sampling is not random, then biases occur and contaminate the accuracy of the findings. The most commonly used inferential statistics that behavioral research uses are those statistical processes that provide for the determination of relationships (correlations), differences and effects between and amongst that which is being measured or evaluated. The specific tests used are the Pearson Correlation Coefficient, Chi Square, Student â€Å"t† Test, ANOVA (Analysis of Variance), and regression. All of these techniques not only require the use of a null hypothesis but independent and dependent variables as well. Z ScoresCalculating the Z Score for Research Purposes. One of the most often used statistical processes in the behavioral sciences is the Z Score. What a Z Score accomplishes is in taking a raw measurement value or score and transforms it into a standard form which then provides a more meaningful description of the individ ual scores within the distribution. This transformation is based on knowledge about the population's mean and standard deviation. Take for example an educational psychologist who is interested in determining how individual students are comparing to the overall group of students with respect to grades.As we have learned before raw scores alone cannot provide insightful information to the psychologist how well an individual student is performing. However, what the psychologist can easily do is calculate a Z Score for each student and determine whether or not an individual student is functioning above or below the mean grade of all students together. When determining the placement of each individual, the Z Score permits the psychologist to calculate how many standard deviations, or the distance, each student is above or below the mean grade of all students together.If there is an academic standard the psychologist is using as a comparative base a different statistical formula is used c ompared to the formula needed when comparing individual performance to a local sample of student. The formulas for each are presented below. Comparing Individual to Population Standard Comparing Individual to Sample Standard The construction of the two formulas is the same with the exception that one uses the mean and standard deviation of a population and the other of a sample.What is very important to remember, especially for the psychologist, is that comparing an individual to a local academic setting may have entirely different results when the same student is compared to the industry standard. Although this might appear to be a dilemma, it is actually a possible â€Å"blessing in disguise†. Take for example the same psychologist compares all his students’ rate of academic success in a local facility and determines they are all functioning well above average, or above the mean, in their grades.What happens if the same students are compared to an academic standard a nd the results show their grade is well below the industry standard or population mean? The conclusion drawn is, therefore, that the students, although having grades are not in line with other educational facilities and corrective programming to increase the performance rate must ensue. For ease of understanding let us look at a business situation. Example. Suppose an employee is producing 3. 5 widgets per hour and the sample average number of widgets per hour is 2. 3 with a standard deviation of 0. 33. The Z Score would be calculated as follows: X = raw score X bar = mean s = standard deviation From this we can conclude that the employee’s widget production rate per hour of 3. 5 lays 1. 73 standard deviations above the mean. We can conclude further that this employee is function above the mean all others together on the production line in terms of widget production and that the employee is doing better than 95% of the other employees and only 5% of the total employees are pr oducing more widgets.NOTE: The percentages are easily found on the back of the very last page of your text book. As stated earlier caution must be exercised when drawing conclusions about a single business sample as the statistical information garnered might not be representative of industry standards. Looking at the same employee on an industry standard basis the information might possibly be different. Taking the same employee with an average widget production rate of 3. 5 widgets per hour with a hypothetical population or industry standard mean of 4. 9 and a population standard deviation of 1. 15 the results would be as follows using the formula stated above: X = Employee raw production score  µ = Population standard mean ? = Population standard deviation Z = (3. 5 – 4. 79) / 1. 15 = -1. 12 What can be readily seen by way of the negative value Z Score is that the employee falls below the standard industry mean with respect to the number of widgets produced in one hour. C oncluding further we can say that this employee standing is surpassed by 64% of the entire population workforce for he company. Needless to say, the manager needs to take a serious look at the quality of workers in his/her plant. Interpreting the Z Score for Research Purposes. When using Standard Z Scores one must always remember that comparisons are made between individual measurement values and sample or population mean values. At no time can a one use Z Score values to make predictions or drawn inferences about any given situation. To accomplish this, inferential statistical processes must be used.The value of the Z Score lies in the idea that individual tracking is necessary and trends can be plotted. Also, one must always keep in mind that X values do not have to be simple individual raw scores but can also reflect any investigative variable the researcher chooses to investigate. â€Å"Z† Test When to use the Z Test over the â€Å"t† Test in Research. Although bot h the Z test and the â€Å"t† test are used in research decision hypothesis testing each is used under a different set of circumstances than the other. The primary distinction between the two lies in the sample size requirement.Where â€Å"t† tests can be used for small samples the Z Test cannot and is, therefore, reserved for sample situations that are larger. Both, however, perform the same function, namely to determine whether or not there are differences between the samples being evaluated or comparisons between sample and population measurements. In addition both the Z and â€Å"t† tests make use of the mean scores for raw measurement data when calculating differences. Presented below are some examples of using both the Z test and â€Å"t† test in business today. Z Test: A product safety engineer wants to investigate the average number of possible defective products in worldwide production. A sample is drawn sample (in excess of 30) and mean of the s ample is compared to the population mean for evaluation. * Z Test: A psychologist wants to investigate whether or not a 10 hour shift will record more safety accidents in product production compared to the company wide population standard of eight hour shifts. * Z Test: A human resource manager wants to investigate whether or not a new employee training program will increase production numbers company wide. â€Å"t† Test: A psychologist wants to investigate whether or not the sample of 20 line employees of plant A are producing a significantly greater number of products than the sample of 20 employees of plant A. * â€Å"t† Test: A consumer product safety manager wants to investigate whether or not his small firm is producing an equal number of safe products compared to the industry standard. * â€Å"t† Test: A human resource manager is interested in knowing if customer service skills of employees in department A are the same as in department B.What is most impo rtant to remember is that both the t and Z tests are formulated to arrive at the same conclusion but under different sampling conditions. Keep in mind as well that the Z test is used when the population mean is known. In addition when using a â€Å"t† test with a small sample base it is assumed the distribution of the data is normal; however, in larger samples the distribution does not have to be normal and a Z test can be used for comparative purposes. Further, in both situations the samples drawn must be on a random basis.The unfortunate limitation of both tests is in the fact that neither permit any conclusions to be drawn if not differences are found between the sample means or sample and population mean. However, one must always keep in mind that Z and â€Å"t† tests are basically the same as they compare two means to determine whether or not both samples come from the same population. Calculating the Z Test. The example presented below not only provides you with a formula for both population mean testing but sample mean testing as well.What must be closely watched is the effect on sample size with respect to any resulting Z value: Remember that the Z test requires a large sample and should a small sample be used the resulting Z value is contaminated. Formula: Sample vs. PopulationSample vs. Sample __ __ __ Z = / Z = X1 – X2 N 2(1/N + 1/N) Example Sample vs. Population:Suppose a product manager is interested in knowing if the number of faulty washing machines being produced in his/her plant in August is indicative of the over-all number of washing machines produced in all plants during the month of August. The product manager draws two samples from his/her assembly line: a sample of 10 and a sample of 100. The example being created is to show how the size of the sample bears directly on the resulting Z Test value. Formula: __ _ Z = / N Data.Sample Test Mean = 30 Population Mean = 25 (Industry Requirement) Population = 15 N = 10 __ Z = / N = 30-25 / 15 / 3. 16 = 15 / 4. 75 Z = 1. 58 Sample Test Mean = 30 Population Mean = 25 (Industry Requirement) Population = 15 N = 100 _ Z = / N = 30-25 / 15 / 10 = 5 / 1. 5 Z = 3. 33 Conclusion: The conclusion the production manager can draw from the above measurement example (N=10 and N=100) is relative to the size of the sample used to determine whether or not the sample is representative of the overall faulty washing machine production in August.Had the production manager set the level of confidence at 0. 01 (99%) the Z test score needed in order to reject the null hypothesis that no differences exist in washing machine production is +1. 96. A Z test value for the 10 sample situation of +1. 58 does not meet or exceed the required value of +1. 96. Therefore, the production manager concludes there is not statistically significant difference in the August faulty washing machine production rate for his/her plant and the overall faulty washing machine production rate of all plan ts.However, when the sample size is increased the resulting Z test value is extremely different. The 100 sample case, using the same values as in the 10 sample case, provides an entirely different scenario. By increasing the sample size tenfold the resulting Z test value is +3. 33. Obviously this numeric value far exceeds the required +1. 96 value and the production manager can safely conclude that statistically significant differences exist between the faulty washing machine productions in the production manager’s plant compared to the average faulty washing machine production rate of all plants.The reason for the difference in Z test values in knowing that as sample size increases so does the Z test value. Although not shown in this example, but also extremely important, is in knowing that when the variance of the sample differs from the population variance there will exist a lower Z test value. In the 100 sample test, should the resulting Z test value not met the required 1. 96 value the production manager could have concluded that the faulty washing machine production rate of his/her plant meets the production rate of all other plants together for the month of August.As scientific research and applied statistics application are not equipped to lend explanation as to why no differences are determined the only conclusion to be drawn is that the lack of differences is a direct result of sample size and variance. Example Sample vs. Sample vs. Sample Formula: __ __ Z = X1 – X2 2(1/N + 1/N) Example: Suppose the same product manager is interested in knowing if the number of faulty washing machines being produced in his/her plant in August is indicative of the number of faulty washing machines produced in a neighboring plant during the month of August.The product manager draws two samples: one from his/her assembly line and one from the neighboring plant: a sample of 100 is drawn from both plants. _ Data: : Sample 1: N=100 X=30 _ Sample 2: N=100 X=25 = 15 (known or assumed) _ _ Z = X1 – X2 2(1/N + 1/N) = 30 – 25 / (15)? (1/100 + 1/100) = 5 / v (225) (. 01 + . 01) = 5 / 4. 5 = 5 / 2. 12 = 2. 35 Conclusion: On the basis of the Z test value above the production manager would have to conclude that there exists a statistically significant difference in the production rate of the two plants at the . 1 confidence level (99%) as the required critical value of 1. 96 was matched and exceeded. As such it can be stated that the two washing machine samples are not representative of each other and differences occur. Should the product manager replicate the study and use only 10 washing machines per sample the resulting Z test value would be 1. 11 and the conclusion drawn would be that no statistically significant differences are present between the two groups and the population.Again this is an example of how sensitive the Z test is to sample size. One must always keep in mind that re-testing a product or service with artificia l conveyances (smaller sample size) in order to show that differences are not present is scientifically and professionally unacceptable. Research results must be allowed to fall wherein the statistical analysis places them. Doing otherwise is using the statistical process for reasons other than that which they were intended Drawing Conclusions from the Z Test.Business situations are not unlike any other professional situation, including the behavioral sciences, wherein the researcher or investigator is seeking information as to possible differences between samples or sample and the general population. When business managers or psychologists at any level are interested in making comparisons between products and or services the best-fit statistical tool for large sample situations is the Z test. However, the statistical value is only as good as the controls placed on it and at no time will the actual values give a reason as to why something has happened or why something has not.With r egard to the utilization of the Z test in business decision-making the following rules are always to be remembered: * Z Tests can be used to compare a sample to a population or sample to a sample for general population inference. * Z Tests are extremely susceptible to size of sample and variance and not useful when population variance is unknown. * Z Tests work best with very large samples but not with small samples as the correction factor cannot accommodate for the error associated with small samples. Z Tests are natural introductions to t Tests. * Z Tests work with only one (1) dependent variable. * Z Tests cannot work with correlated data. * Z Tests do not permit the making of strong inferences about differences or effects of the testing instrument or situation. * Z Tests have a non-parametric counterpart wherein small samples can be used. â€Å"t† Test 1a. Introduction to Difference Testing. Difference testing is used primarily to identify if there is a detectable differ ence between products, services, people, or situations.These tests are often conducted in business situations to: * Ensure a change in formulation or production introduces no significant change in the end product or service. * Substantiate a claim of a new or improved product or service * Confirm that a new ingredient/supplier does not affect the perceived attributes of the product or service. * Track changes during shelf-life of a product or the length of time of a service. Differences Between Two Independent Sample Means: Coke vs. Pepsi. Let us again look at a business example wherein the independent sample t-tests are sed to compare the means of two independently sampled groups. Example: do those drinking Coke differ on a performance variable (i. e. numbers of cans consumed in one week) compared to those drinking Pepsi. The individuals are randomly assigned to the Coke and Pepsi groups. With a confidence interval or ?. 05 (corresponding probability level of 95 %) the researcher c oncludes the two groups are significantly different in their means (average consumption rate of Coke and Pepsi over a one week period of time) if the t test value meets or exceeds the required value.If the t value does not meet the critical t value required then the research investigator simply concludes that no differences exist. Further explanation is not required. Presented below is a more useable situation. Example: As a manager of production let us suppose you are wanting to determine whether or not work performance is significantly (statistically) different in a noise related production line vs. a non-noise related production line. Individual Noise Production Non-Noise Production difference: 1-2 38 32 6 2 10 16 -6 3 84 57 27 4 36 28 8 5 50 55 -5 6 35 12 23 7 73 61 12 8 48 29 19 Mean 46. 8 36. 2 10. 5 Standard dev 23 19 12 Variance 529 361 N = 16 Using the raw data and formula above to calculate the t test value the actual t test value, when calculated properly, is 2. 43 . Always remember that S = Standard deviation and that the mean is often times shown by the capital letter M rather than a bar mark over a capital X.By going to the appropriate t tables in your text book find the critical value for t at the . 05 confidence interval. The value you should find is 1. 761 Differences Between Two Means of Correlated Samples: Red Bull vs. Power Drink. Again using a business example correlated t test statistical processes are used to determine whether or not there is a relationship of a particular measurement variable on a pre and post test basis. Often times when there exists a statistically significant relationship on a pre and post test basis the business manager can use the first measurement values to predict the second in future situations without having to present a post test situation.Example: Using the same data presented above let us assume that there are not two independent groups but the same group under two different conditions – noise p roduction environment and non-noise production environment. Individual Noise Production Non-Noise Production difference: 1-2 1 38 32 6 2 10 16 -6 3 84 57 27 4 36 28 8 5 50 55 -5 6 35 2 23 7 73 61 12 8 48 29 19 N = 8 The first step is to compute the mean of the differences: _ D = ? D N The second step is to square the differences: (6)? + (-6)? + (27)? + (8)? + (5)? + (23)? + (12)? + (19)? The third step is to calculate the standard error of the difference: SED = _ ?D – D? / n -1 n The last step is to compute the t test value: _ t = D / SED Using the raw data and formula above to calculate the t test value the actual t test value, when calculated properly, is 3. 087. By going to the appropriate t tables in your text book you can find the critical value to be, at the ? .05 confidence interval is 1. 895.The conclusion drawn is that the differences are statistically significantly different. When to Use Independent Mean or Correlated Sample Difference Testing. In research inv estigation situations the choice of using an independent sample t test of a correlated sample test is dependent upon whether or not the investigator is seeking to determine differences or relationships. In some situations the need to know whether or not a difference exists between two products or services is more important than knowing if there is a relationship between the two. For example: take the consulting psychologist wants to know if training program A has better success in training managers than training method B.The psychologist would select a sample of each training situations (generally ;30) and test the success of each sample and compare the success of program A with program B. The results would confirm if one training programs was better that the other. If, however, the psychologist was interested in determining how each program compared to the industry standard the programs would be compared, independently, to the population program mean. On the other hand should the c onsulting psychologist wants to determine whether or not a relationship exists, or predictability can be determine, from one program in two different situations or under two different situations a correlated t test is used.However, knowing the relationship in pre and post test situations are generally reserved for improvement situations. Drawing Conclusions for the t Test. Any conclusion drawn for the t test statistical is only as good as the research question asked and the null hypothesis formulated. â€Å"t† tests are only used for two sample groups, either on a pre post-test basis or between two samples (independent or dependent). The t test is optimized to deal with small sample numbers which is often the case with behavioral scientists in any venue. When samples are excessively large the t test becomes difficult to manage due to the mathematical calculations involved.

Impact of power and politics in organisations Essay

More than 40 years ago, Harold Lasswell (1936) defined politics as â€Å"the study of who gets what, when and how†. Certainly who gets what, when, and how are issues of fundamental importance in understanding formal organizations. Nevertheless, organizational politics and power are both topics which are made conspicuous by their absence in management and organization literature. Therefore, power and politics in an organization can now be defined as the management of influence to obtain ends not sanctioned ends through non-sanctioned influence means. The issue of whether or not organizational politics negatively impacts performance requires a specification of the dimensions that are to be used in evaluating organizational performance. For our purposes, performance in an organization refers to any of the standard indicators of organizational well-being, including profit in the case of a business firms and the ability to get projects completed and within budget with respect to non-profit organizations. Making organizations more innovative, responsive and responsible requires focusing on a number of leadership, power and influence issues. These issues are critical in coping with the strategic environmental with all its characteristics and strategic leader performance in that environment. The issues influence developing teams at the strategic level as well as managing organizational processes linked to values and ethnics, organizational culture, visioning and the management of change, such issues include; †¢ Implementing strategic or adaptive change in the face of formidable resistance. †¢ Fostering entrepreneurial and creative behaviour despite strong opposition. †¢ Gaining resources and support from bosses whose personal agenda might include organizational harmful political games. †¢ Avoiding destructive adversarial relationships with others whose help and cooperation are paramount to your success, but who are outside your chain of command and your direct control. †¢ Building and developing an effective teams in an internal environment where the natural tendency is to conflict with each other. †¢ Fostering organizational excellence, innovation and creativity, and not getting mired in bureaucratic politics or dysfunctional power conflicts. For most leaders in an organization, the key to successful implementing organizational change and improving long term performance rests with the leader’s skill in knowing how to make power dynamics work for the organizational, instead of against it. In John Gardner’s power in organization’s he wrote about leadership and power in organizations, notes, â€Å"of course leaders are preoccupied with power! The significant questions are: what means do they use to gain it? How much do they exercise it? † To what ends do they exercise it? He further states, â€Å"Power is the basic energy needed to intimate and sustain action or, to put it another way, the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it†. Power is the opportunity to build, to create, to nudge history in a different direction. The concept of organizational politic can be linked to Harold Lasswell’s (1936) where politics involves the exercise of power to get something done, as well as to enhance and protect the vested interests of individuals or groups. Thus, the use of organizational politics suggests that political activity is used to overcome resistance and implies a conscious effort to organize activity to challenge opposition in a priority decision situation. Because of scarce resources and enduring differences, conflict is central to organizational dynamics and power is the most important resource. Conflict is more likely in under bounded systems (less regulation and control) in an over bounded system with power concentrated to the top. Jeffories makes the point that organizations play the political game within the broader governmental context, but these individuals also play politics within organizations. And power is key in both cases, because it confers the ability both to allocate resources- in itself a way to increase power and to consolidate power by bringing others with similar goals and objectives into the inner decision making core. Drummond, Helga asserted that organization diversity, interdependence, resource scarcity, and power dynamics will inevitably generate political forces regardless of the players. Organizational politics cannot be eliminated or fantasized away. Leaders with s healthy power motive can learn to understand and manage political processes in the organization. Power in an organization is attractive because it confers the ability to influence decisions, about who gets want resources, what goals are pursued, what philosophy the organization adopts, and power also gives a sense of control over outcomes and may in fact convey such enhance control. In conclusion, the impact of politics and power cannot be over emphasized because it is the only means through which an organization can achieve it goals and objectives without being too personal. SOURCES 1. Drummond, Helga (2000): introduction to Organizational Business. 2.Allen, R. W, & Porter, L. W. : Organizational politics and its effects on members. 3. Harold Lasswell: Organizational politics and its effects on members. Organizational behaviour 4. David K. Banner: Designing effective organisations 5. Stephen Robbins: The Truth about Managing People and Nothing but the Truth. 6. Willie E. Hopkins: Aligning organizational subcultures for competitive advantage 7. Mishane and Von Glinow: Organisational behaviour 8. Kreitner and Kinicki: Organizational behaviour 9. Stephen J. Zaccaro: The Nature of Organizational Leadership.

Anything Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anything - Research Paper Example Microeconomics on the other hand would focus mostly on how for instance a company would boost and reorganize its production capacity so as to reduce output and at the same time maximize output. As a matter of fact and retrospect, this paper will focus in details in relative terms the Microeconomics and Macroeconomic issues relating to the United States of America and China. To begin with the United States of America by fact and reason happens to be one of the richest countries in the world today if the number of industries and billionaires is anything to go by. This is the reason as to why the current Gross Domestic Product which is informed by per capita income stands at the $16.8 trillion. China on the hand has a Gross Domestic product of $9.24 trillion, which is relatively lower than that of the United States of America (White, Jude and Xiaoyuan, 12). One of the reasons that has been given as the possible justification and reasons for the growth of the US economy comparative to the Chinese includes the economic policies. From the outright and face value, the United States of America happens to be a free society and thus a free economy by extension. This is to say that the amount of fiscal and monetary interventions that the United States government invokes are on the minimum. Thus, the free markets forces would interact and meet at their optimum or equilibrium. China on the hand, employs a stringent mode of rules and policies which includes the inclusion of monetary and fiscal policies in any event that they are needed or necessary. It goes without mentioning that once the interventional rules and policies are involved then some side effects would be incurred. For instance, if the policies are enforced by a government, then the tax rate would increase which implies that the level of investment would reduce. This stems

How Australia Helps Refugees Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How Australia Helps Refugees - Research Paper Example According to the DIAC’s official map dealing with the organization of detention centers, Australia uses two systems of welcoming refugees. Offshore clients involve eligible people who get guaranteed the chance to apply for protected status in the country. If approved, the Australian state further awards permanent protection to the individuals, which include the provision of visa. If the individuals play within the laws of Australia, they get accorded full citizenship a factor, which transforms refugees into citizens of Australia. The maritime system, on the other hand, is for refugees who apply for protection from the Australian government after stepping on their soil. It involves irregular maritime apprehensions in the last several years as shown in detention centers such as Sydney, Perth, Christmas Island and Melbourne not forgetting Darwin. Australia refugee policy got stipulated on 24 may 1977 by Mr. Mackler who outlined various principles guiding the humanitarian act.   For instance, under the principles, the country recognizes refugees as people who need help and support, but at the same time hold the decision to help them within the government. Furthermore, one of the principles stipulates that assistance gets provided to refugees once they are designated plans for resettlement. Consequently, the country contributes to the United Nation Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is indispensable to remember that the proponent policy got formulated at a time when Australia was facing a surge of refugees from the war of Vietnam. Considering the sensitivity and the amount of information the project holds, a sensible time is needed to conduct research. The first week of the intensive two-week research involves gathering data from books and other publications. The second week involves carrying out interviews in the relevant departments. This is to ascertain data from books as well as acquire new information helpful in the research. It is also in the week that the research paper gets compiled for submission.

Plan 9 from outer space(1959) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plan 9 from outer space(1959) - Essay Example s a powerful seer, whose predictions are beastly and terrible about reading his cue cards, he amazes viewers with his strange and incomprehensible predictions and monologues. Bela Lugosi died of a heart attack just a few days into the films shooting, but still appears in various scenes having assumed different shapes and forms. Gregory Walcott can be described as a pilot, hero, and Paulas husband, who courageously battles aliens and survives between his duties as a pilot. He is one person who never takes any lip from an alien, and will always punch first and later asks questions. Mona McKinnon, Gregory’s wife, is always quick to serve coffee and fast on her feet. Moreover, she possesses a brevity character. As she races through the cemetery land, Paula never surrenders the fight against the living people. Duke Moore is perfect when it comes to handling a firearm. However, he is also an intelligent investigator, as he helps uncover whoever is responsible for Inspector Clay†™s death. Maila Nurmi took her role in this film after her television series was cancelled, but on one condition: she would not be required to speak as the mission was already accomplished. Dudley Manlove, a solarbonite expert, will be more than happy to explain to the viewers how it works (The Monster Shack). Tor Johnson, who is described as super Swedish angel, rises from the dead, having a minor challenge in climbing out of his grave. Many people remember and also describe him as a gentle giant with a golden heart despite his intimidating appearance. Joanne Lee is also in the quest to conquering the Earth, while being beneficial for only advancing her race. Tom Keene is the head of "Saucer Field Activity"; Tom takes the fight against the aliens after they have destroyed a small town. John Breckinridge plays the role of the leader, which he does with a lot of vigor and skill (Angry Candy). An old man (Bela Lugosi), a resident of California, mourns the death of his wife (Vampire) and,

World Trade Organization - The Problem of Dumping in World Trade Essay

World Trade Organization - The Problem of Dumping in World Trade - Essay Example This essay states that classic economic literature defines dumping from various perspectives. One such aspect relates to the distinction of dumping according to its various types. This follows that dumping can be distinguished by the nature and intent behind it. As a consequence, predatory and non-predatory dumping done by companies comes into perspective. There can be various motivations behind dumping of goods and services. From a business point of view, dumping is a type of predatory pricing or price discrimination. Price discrimination refers to the act of selling the same good or service at different prices. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that anti-dumping is the most used â€Å"contingency protection† of the WTO agreements today, and is used not only in transatlantic trade, but also by the United States and the EU. Dumping is defined as lowering of the prices of the imports in the foreign market. There are various classifications of dumping, i.e. predatory and no n-predatory as well as reverse dumping, sporadic dumping and persistent dumping. There is a lot of debate regarding dumping and attitudes towards it differ greatly. Dumping offers short-term benefits to the customers but on the global scale, it can be deleterious to the country where the prices of the imports have been lowered. However, the researcher states that despite the weaknesses of the current anti-dumping system, the WTO is the most effective institutional instrument for regulating international trade.

The Honor of Fuente Ovenjuna Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Honor of Fuente Ovenjuna - Essay Example Content analysis of responses revealed systematic differences in the cultural prototypes of pride and shame; these differences can be seen as reflecting the influence of individualistic versus honor-based values on the way in which self-conscious emotions are conceptualized. (Fischer) The focus on the traditional values of respect to royalty and honor of women has been a part of the Spanish tradition and much of traditional Spanish literature uses honor-related themes as a conspicuous backdrop, even if in a diluted form in modern Spanish Drama. Lope de Vega’s play Fuente Ovenjuna, written sometime between 1612 and 1614 portrays the conflict of these values as interpreted by the various strata of the social structure. This play not only structures itself around the play of ‘pride, anger and shame’ between the hoi-polloi and the riff-raff, but allows the reader to take a macro view of the use of these emotions by the characters to project their sense of ethics and morality; and thus, safeguard their own honor. According to Alix Inger in ‘What is an honor play?’, an honor play essentially deals with the theme of conjugal honor; that is, the respect of a man threatened by the behavior of his wife. However, in the Golden Age, the preoccupation with conjugal honor came to acquire newer dimensions and the subject acquired larger proportions. Now, conflict of the type lay not only in gender but also in class, age, allegiance and a collective psyche. While one may largely agree with Inger’s inference of such development; it is pertinent to remark that in ‘Fuenteovejuna’, no matter where the conflict lay; the perpetration and the resolution of honor-conflicts lay mostly with the female protagonist of the play. As ascribed in the paper ‘Courtesy, Altruism and Honor’, there is a direct correlation between the interpretation of honor and the issues of courtesy, opinion, authority and respect. Whether it is the Comendador’s use of the age-advantage

Working with and Leading the People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Working with and Leading the People - Essay Example This can be done through posting advertisements on job and career websites. I can also look out for candidates in the automobile industry who have proven themselves experts in designing vehicles. In order to retain skilled engineers, Renault can offer satisfactory pay, perquisites and job security. Currently, there is a dearth of skills of international caliber in Japan and it has been seen that Japanese employers are slowing down their recruitment process. One way to recruit and retain top talented international level automotive engineers is to make English a more common language in the workplace and giving them more responsibilities (Tanikawa, 2012). The seven steps of recruitment process can work effectively in this case. Firstly, it is important to understand the nature of job and which group would fit what kind of job or portfolio. The main problem was the designing of well advanced products and hence the company required either skill upgradation or new engineers. After identification of the purposes of different jobs and goal set, second step would be to prepare the job and profile of the person. It is important to have people with innovative mindsets and modern degrees and certificates. It is important to figure out a set of skill and personal attributes which the human resource manager would be looking forward to. The third step would comprise of finding the appropriate candidates through referrals from staffs and collecting resume databanks by consulting agencies or advertising. The hiring committee should be formed and the databank of CVs should be arranged according to requirements. The members of the hiring committee o r interview board should be chosen with care as per their ability and knowledge regarding the job profile and requirements. The fifth step is very important as it is about selection process. This comprise of general interviews, competency based interviews, role play and finally

Reactivity Series Investigation Essay Example for Free

Reactivity Series Investigation Essay Experiment on Metals Aim-To find out which of these metals will be most reactive with hydrochloric acid,and plan an investigation to test it out. The Metals given:Calcium,Aluminium,Iron,Magnesium and Zinc. Prediction-I predict that the metal will be the most reactive with hydrocholoric acid is calcium because calcium is in Group 2 which is the alkaline earth metals in the periodic table and because calcium is at the extreme left side of the periodic table and as you go across a period,the element change from reactive metals on the left to non reactive metals on the right. On the extreme right of the periodic table is the noble gases. Also calcium is Group 2 which is the alkaline earth metals and they are part of the reactive metals which is Group 1 and 2. Also out of all of the metals given calcium reacts more faster with air and creates a sparkling sight and can damage your eyes creating calcium oxide in word equation it is Calcium+Oxygen equals calcium oxide. In chemical equation it is 4Ca +O2 equals 2 Ca2o. Calcium also reacts more than zinc,aluminum,iron and magnesium with water and much more violent and quicker creating vapour and moves much faster than the other metal and creates a vigrous sizzling sound and fizzing in water and dissloves much faster than the other metals. The alkaline metals get more reactive as you go down the group and calcium is further down than magnesium so therefore it must be more reactive than magnesium. Calcium is in group 2 in the periodic table which is more reactive than iron and zinc in the transistion metals section of the periodic table which is not very reactive because transisiton metals are the metals they use to build structures or making things since they have high melting points and high densities. Calcium is in group 2 and is the more reactive out of all the metals is because group 2 metals in the periodic table have low melting points than the transition metals which iron and zinc belong to and The poor metals which aluminium belong to and they also have low low densities than the other metals. The next most reactive metal I think will be Magnesium because magnesium is higher in the group 2 than calcium and therefore less reactive than calcium and much more reactive than iron,zinc and aluminium because when magnesium react with oxygen it is more reactive than Iron or zinc or aluminium as we test it out when burning it. The magnesium sparkled producing a white light and turned into another substance which can damage your eyes if you look at it directly without any protective glass whereas the iron and zinc and aluminium didnt react as violent as this because they didnt turn into another sunstance but they did change colour. The end result of the magnesium reacting with oxygen is magnesium oxide that is in word equation magnesium+oxygen equals magnesium oxide. The chemical equation is 4Mg+O2 equals to 2Mg2O. The other reason I think magnesium is more reactive than the other metals apart from calcium is because magnesium reacts more violent than iron, zinc and aluminium in water much faster than them. The word equation for this reaction is Magensium+water equals Magnesium hydroxide+hydrogen gas and the chemical equation is 2Mg+2h2O equals 2MgOH+H2. So if calcium and magnesium acts violently with water and oxygen it will act more violently with dilute hydrocholoric acid. Equipement: -1 Gas syringe -1 Stop clock -5 Conical flask -Delivery tube -Powders 0. 5g -1 Bunsen Burner -1 heat proof mat -1 gauze mat -1 tri-pod -Top pan balance -Hydrocholoric acid -1 Spatula -5 petri-dishes -1 Clamp stand -A box of Matches -A Splint -1 measuring cylinder -Sticky labels -1 thermometer -1 bung Plan-First of all collect all the equipment on the equipement list. Then get all the different powders which aluminium powder,magnesium powder,calcium powder,iron fillings and zinc powder. After getting all the powders get a spatula and the top pan balance. Then plug in the top pan balance and weigh the mass of each powder to 0. 5g using the spatula and the petri dish to put the powder in other wise it will be everywhere. The reason we are using the plastic petri-dish is because they have less mass than beakers which we have to do calculations. The petri-dishs mass is not only 0. 1g whicle beakers will be a lot heavier and therefore we have to take away beakers mass from the powder and beakerss mass. After weighing all the different powders put them in the pertri-dish and put sticky labels on them writing what each metal are so we dont get mixed up with the metals e. g. Suppose to test aluminium but got zinc powder. After putting the labels on the powders we are going get the measuring cylinder and measure hydrocholic acid which is 15cm3 and after we measured it we are going to put it into a conical flask. Repeat the measuring of the hydrocholic acid and putting it into the conical flask till all the 5 conical flasks have 15cm3 of hydrocholic acid. Then get the clamp stand and put the gas syringe in or set up the gas syringe make sure it doesnt fall off. Then bung the delivery tube to one of the conical flask so we can fit the delivery tube onto the top of the syringe where the gas enters the syringe. Then we reset the stop clock if we have to and put the calcium powder in the conical flask and when it is in the conical flask we quickly start the stop clock. Then after 10 seconds we are going to take our reading and record so we will do a reading every 10 seconds. For very powder we are going to test for 2 minutes and so every powder will have 12 readings because there is 12 10 seconds in 2 minutes. So we are going to do calcium poder first and then magnesium.

The Golden Age Of Athens

The Golden Age Of Athens The Golden Age of Athens, the Age of Pericles, and Pentekontaetia are all names for the time period when Athens reached its height of power and prosperity. It began in 478 B.C. and lasted for approximately fifty years until 431 B.C. In the beginning of its so-called Golden Age, Athens was just coming out of the Persian Wars as leader of the Delian League, and they were beginning their rise to power. At the end of this prosperous era, Athens had made huge advancements in their government, architecture, art, literature, science, and philosophy. Their accomplishments in these areas influence essentially every aspect of society today. Before the Golden Age, Athens was like other city-states in Greece. They were not the superpower of the country; in fact, they were not very significant at all during this time. Athens was located on the peninsula of Attica, and it was the only part of mainland Greece that remained Ionian and did not submit to the Dorian invasion. After the Dorian invasion, Athens did not have a Democracy; they had an oligarchy like many of the other city-states in Greece. In Athens, the Acropolis which was the highest part of the city, was the first site of settlement because it was easily defendable with its steep slopes. Eventually, a central fortress was built, and it encompassed the city. The first law code of Athens was created in 621 B.C. by Athenian nobleman Draco. However, this law code was harsh and only favored the oligarchs, and there were rules such as: a creditor could enslave a debtor if they didnt repay the debt, and the death penalty was given for the smallest crimes. Eventually, in 594 B.C., Solon changes Athens laws. He abolished all of Dracos harsh rules, and he gave citizens a larger voice. Solon created the first Assembly; however, poor citizens were not allowed to hold government jobs. He also helped establish the idea of Democracy, although Athens would not become a full Democracy until 5th Century B.C. The Greeks fell under Persian rule, but although they were not enslaved, they had to pay taxes and annual tributes to the Persians. In 499 B.C, the Ionian Greeks, led by Aristagoras, revolted against Persian rule. There were several battles between the Greeks and the Persians before they were independent once again. The first major battle was the Battle of Marathon fought in 490 B.C, and it was essentially between Athens and Persia. At this time, Athens did not have the strong fleet that it had during its Golden Age. The Athenians needed help, so they sent Phidippides, a professional runner, to ask Sparta for help. Yet, the Spartans did not send soldiers until well into the war, and the battles outcome looked bleak for the Greeks. However, hope was not lost for the Athenians; they received help from Plataea, who sent 9,000 men to join the Athenians at Marathon. The Greeks used the hoplite formation to defeat the Persians. At the end of the battle, 6,400 Persians died, whereas the Athenians only lost 192 men. Phidippides was then sent from Marathon to Athens to alert the Athenians of their victory. The run was a little over twenty-six miles long, and he died immediately after giving the good news. Today, the marathon races run today represent Phidippides journey and they are held in honor of him. It was David versus Goliath, with little David winning. Furthermore, for the first time, a battle was fought on which our whole modern way of life seemed to dependà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If the Athenians had lost at Marathon, Athens would have been destroyed, and then (many people think) Greece might never have gone on to develop the peak of its civilization, a peak whose fruits we moderns have inherited [Isaac Asimov, pg. 104 ]. Another important battle of the Persian Wars was the Battle of Thermopylae, which was fought in 480 B.C. 7,000 men were led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and his 300 Spartans were the backbone of the army. This battle was mostly between the Greeks (led by Sparta) and Xerxes, the Persian leader. The Greeks lost the battle because of a Phocian traitor that told Xerxes a way around the mountain pass they were stuck in. Although every soldier died fighting, their valiant battle inspired the Greek lovers of freedom, who continued fighting against the Persians. There were other battles like Salamis, Himera, Mycale, and Plataea, and all of these were victories for the Greeks. Finally, in 478 B.C, the Persian War ended, and the Greeks were free from Persian rule. After the Persian War, Sparta and Athens emerged as the two most powerful city-states in Ancient Greece. However, Sparta became extremely jealous of Athens because the Athenians had received most of the credit for the victory against the Persians. The Confederacy of Delos, or the Delian League, was an alliance of Greek city-states formed during the Persian War that was headed by Athens. Yet, although many of the city-states were involved in the alliance, most of the money from the Delian League was used to glorify Athens. The Spartans were upset that Athens was using all of the money, and also because of the fact that they were not the head of the League, so they formed their own alliance called the Peloponnesian League. In time, Spartas jealousy and growing dislike of Athens became so great that a civil war broke out, which led to the downfall of Athens Golden Age. Athens great Golden Age began in 478 B.C. and lasted for Fifty Years. This period of peace, prosperity, and progress in every aspect of culture and science flourished under the leadership of Pericles. Pericles was an aristocrat from a pro-democratic family, so it was natural that he believed in and supported democracy. He was a good speaker and planner of Athens policies. He commanded the military and carried out foreign policies of the people; he was not only respected by the people, but also by his colleagues. Pericles encouraged the arts and built great public buildings, such as the Parthenon. The Greeks, specifically the Athenians, were happy with what Pericles was doing with Athens. By making Athens seem more beautiful to other countries, Greece seemed to be more respected by the world. Pericles seemed like somebody who would be comfortable around others, especially because he was such a charismatic figure. However, he avoided social activities and had very few friends. His one passion in life was for politics; he never mentioned gods or any sort of piety. Pericles was a well-educated and honest man that did not accept bribes or abuse his power. This led the Athenians to like him even more, and he had more power than a king or a tyrant would have had. It was this power that allowed him to bring Athens to its height and turn it into the foundation of Western Civilization. Pericles favored equality for all in Athens, excluding women of course. He passed a bill that gave a salary to jurors, which allowed the poor to serve. He also eliminated laws that allowed only the rich to hold a high office and paid officials, which permitted all citizens of all social classes to participate in the government. Pericles strengthened Athens by building walls from the city to Piraeus in order to safely move food and supplies. These walls became known as the Long Walls, and it was completed in 458 B.C. He was the very basis of Athens Golden Age and after his passing, life in Greece would never be the same. Their most glorious age had reached a sudden end, and their most terrible ordeal was about to begin [Don Nardo, pg.]. While leading Athens during its Golden Age, architecture was very important to the Greeks. Pericles believed the citys greatness should be seen by the world, so he supported major construction of great structures. He had the Acropolis built, and its buildings contained Doric and Ionic columns. These were made of marble, and they represented the strength and grace of the Athenians. On top of the Acropolis was the Propylaea, or entrance way. The Propylaea incorporated traditional, Doric, and Ionic styles. It was designed by architect Mensicles circa 437 B.C. Another structure on top of the Acropolis is the Erechthium, which is the Temple of wingless victory. Perhaps the most famous building from the Golden Age was the Parthenon. This structure was built in 447 B.C., and was the spiritual center of Athens. It was designed and built by architect Ictinus, Callicrates, and sculptor Phidias. The Parthenon was a temple dedicated to Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, and it was Doric in style. The building was a symbol of Athens power, and demonstrated the blessing the city received from the Gods. It is 237 feet long, 110 feet wide and 60 feet tall. It denotes harmony and symmetry in the way that the building is completely symmetrical. According to Greek Scholar John Miliadis, the Parthenon is more the work of inspiration than of calculation. It is a new vision of life, the vision of classical Athenians. Phidias was a friend of Pericles, and died in prison because of the aristocrats of Greece that disliked him. He was believed to be the greatest sculptor during Pericless Age. He carved a 525 foot frieze, which is a band of sculptured figures, around the perimeter of the Parthenon. He also sculpted a statue of Athena Parthenos, which stood 40 feet tall, and was composed of wood, ivory, and over 2,500 pounds of gold. The appearance of Athens was extremely important to its people, and this was clearly displayed through its architectural projects. The Parthenon, the Erechthium, and the Propylaea were all clear examples of Athens power and greatness. Pericles believed that Athens was the leader of the Greek World, and therefore, they had the responsibility of showing the world how cultured they were. Much of the money from the Delian League went into the building projects of Athens. Most members of the League were not upset about this however; on the contrary, they were somewhat glad that Athens was representing Greece well. Art was also a significant part of Athens Golden Age. The purpose of their art was to preserve something visible, such as an idea or a feeling, by revealing its most prominent component. Greek sculpture was intended to be displayed in public places, which meant that it had to be worthy of the gods. The style of art shifted from Archaic to Classical. The most important change in the art style may have been in the poses of the sculptures. Before, the sculptures were a bit in stiff, unrealistic poses, and the faces of the people always seemed very calm. However, in Classical art, the poses of the sculptures were much more natural, and their faces depicted various kinds of emotion. This style of art focused on balance, completeness, proportions, and realism. Sculptors would try to create the perfect person that would be almost god-like. The ancient Greeks believed that the closest thing to perfection was the young athletic human body of a male. There were fewer structures of women than men, and their bodies would always be clothed. The mindset of the average Greek from this time period was: women are not equal to men; therefore, women cannot be anywhere near perfection. This kind of attitude was the reason why there were fewer works of art of women. Like architecture, Greek art during the Golden Age was very important in representing their country to the world. The phenomenal artwork heightened the worlds respect for the Greeks, which was what any country wanted. The Greeks, particularly the Athenians, believed that is they showed the world how cultured and sophisticated they were, their country would be seen as superior and more powerful. The sculptures of Athens Golden Age also captured the beliefs and ideas that people had at the time. They believed in beauty, balance, and harmony, which were clearly depicted in their art. Drama and literature was another area that flourished during the Golden Age. During this time, tragedies and comedies emerged, along with poems and epics. Poetry was regarded as almost a second religion, in the way that many people respected this type of literature. Poets would write about anything that they believed was appropriate to write about. The epics usually featured a hero, and its plot was both exciting and tragic. Famous epics include The Iliad and The Odyssey which were written by the blind poet, Homer. Two of the most prominent types of ancient Greek plays were tragedies and comedies. Tragedies were very serious and intense, and they often showed man as uncertain, fragile, and dangerous. The relationship between God and mans relationship was often seen in tragedies. These tragic plays were based on serious themes which came from history and mythology, such as Aeschyluss The Persians. The greatest writers of tragedies were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Aeschylus lived around 525 B.C., and he fought at the Battle of Marathon, Salamis, and Plataea during the Persian War. He was the first person to use dialogue in plays, and he was also the first to use costumes, high shoes, and masks. Aeschylus wrote well over 90 plays, however only seven of them have survived. It was through his experience in the Persian Wars that he was able to write The Persians. Sophocles lived around 495 B.C., and his most famous play was called Oedipus Rex. He wrote over 100 plays, but like Aeschylus, only seven of them exist today. Euripides lived circa 484 B.C., and he was interested in human psychology. He had his characters talk in everyday language unlike Aeschylus and Sophocles. Although he wrote over 92 plays, only 18 of them have survived. Tragedies usually had very dreadful endings, with the main characters punished for any action they choose. These plays were performed in an amphitheater, where the acoustics amplified the actors voices. They used masks not only to portray their expressions, but because the mouthpiece of the mask was shaped like a megaphone, which further magnified their voices. More tragedies have survived than comedies, and they all contain universal themes such as love, hatred, revenge, duty, and morality. On the other hand, comedies were optimistic plays that usually focused on human flaws and allowed the audience to laugh at their own mistakes. They were full of slapstick gags, and they lacked cultivation by todays standards [Don Nardo, pg. 75]. Comedies usually involved music and dancing, and they would often include current events. Comedies were also performed in amphitheaters, and they would also be performed at festivals celebrating Dionysus, God of Wine, along with several tragedies. Aristophanes lived in roughly 448 B.C., and he wrote most of the surviving Greek comedies. His weapon was biting wit and sharp satire against the weaknesses of the time and against individuals of whom he disapprovedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [Isaac Asimov, pg. 135]. These individuals included everybody from rich people to poor people, and even extended to politicians as well. He wrote approximately 40 to 50 comedies, but unfortunately, like all of the other Greek dramatists works, only a number of them have not perished; 11 to be exact. Greek drama was the main form of entertainment for the ancient Greeks. They had no televisions or movie theaters to go to, so they watched plays instead. Not only were these dramas entertaining, they were both informative and a way for people to express themselves. Greek drama taught valuable lessons such as what the most important things in life really are, and they also taught people about human flaws. Ancient Greeks also learned to have a voice because of drama, which correlates to the type of government they had. The Golden Age of Greece also brought the first known historian in the world, besides its other accomplishments. This man is also referred to as the father of history, and his name is Herodotus. Herodotus began the system of writing down history texts, and if it were not for this historian, much of ancient Greeces history may not be known. Herodotus goal was to preserve the memory of the past by putting on record the astonishing achievements both of our own and of other peoples; and more particularly, to show how they came into conflict [Don Nardo, pg. 76]. Science made great advances during the Athens Golden Age. The progressions in science provided a hypothetical basis for all happenings. Science was necessary for many things such as architecture; matter, space, and motion; math-specifically geometry; and even music. Scientists and mathematicians were the first Greeks to not rely on Mythology to explain the happenings of the world, and they used information from ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians to help them. However, the Greeks did not use experiments to find out how things work. Rather, they investigated the world around them and observed, guessed, and discussed their ideas with each other in order to reach a conclusion. One of the most famous scientists was Hippocrates of Cos. He lived in 460 B.C. and introduced medicine into 5th Century B.C. Hippocrates collected data and made inferences. He also experimented on animals to learn physiology, which helped the Greeks deal with fractures and head wounds that resulted from wars. Hippocrates founded the first rational theory of medicine, one that did not depend on gods and demons. It is for this reason that he is often called the father of medicine. [Isaac Asimov, pg. 136]. He believed that illnesses were not caused by gods, but that these were excuses doctors used when they were too embarrassed to admit that they didnt know the cause of a disorder such as epilepsy. There were also many other scientists and mathematicians of ancient Greece that accomplished many things. One of them, Leucippus, believed that matter was composed of tiny particles, and not substances that could be divided infinitely. He was the first person to ever suggest this, and his views were carried on by his student, Democritus. Democritus then began to call these tiny particles atoms, and his views on atoms were very similar to modern views on them. However, other Greek scientists were not yet ready to accept his ideas, so naturally, they shot them down. There was also Eudoxus, who established that a year was not exactly 365 days long, but was six hours longer. Heraclides, a Greek astronomer, was a student of Plato that was the first person to believe in the rotation of the Earth. Aristarchus was also another astronomer, and he suggested that Earth and all other planets revolved around the Sun, but this too, like Leucippus and Democritus views, was unaccepted by other astronomers. Pythagoras was a mathematician that lived in the 6th Century B.C. He introduced the Pythagorean Theorem, which is used to find the length of a side of a right triangle if two lengths are given. He also believed that what separated humans from animals was reason. Science changed Athens and the Greek world by allowing people, for the first time, to realize that not everything depended on the gods and goddesses of their myths. People began to question everything around them, instead of leaving everything up to the will of the gods; and this would eventually reach out to other parts of the world. As a result, of science becoming more prominent in Athens, people were more educated about themselves and the world that they lived in. One of the most important achievements Athens made during its Golden Age was in its government. Athens created the first democratic government the world had ever seen. Meanwhile, other Greek city-states such as Sparta had an oligarchy. Their oligarchy consisted of a small group of aristocrats that made important decisions for Sparta, and the rest of the citizens were equal. The main difference between these two types of government was that in Athens democracy, all citizens had the right to vote, and each vote counted as much as anybody elses vote. Athens democracy was a direct democracy, meaning that its citizens spoke for themselves and not through representatives. Their type of government valued law, order, and freedom. Every citizen, from the poorest man to the richest one, was allowed to hold office. All decisions were made by the Assembly, which consisted of any Athenian citizen that wished to participate. This group met 40 times a year, and they made decisions like fees for public service, which allowed the poor to hold office. There was also the Boule, which was a 500 man council that met daily to discuss issues that were urgent, and they also prepared the Agenda for the Assembly. As a result of Athens change in government to democracy, more Athenians gained equal rights-besides women and slaves, though, they were not considered citizens of Athens. The differences in rights between the social classes in Athens grew very small, which naturally angered those in the upper class. The important matters of the city were decided by its people; however, some people doubted the judgment of those who were less educated. Nonetheless, Athens democracy continued to expand and strengthen as the Golden Age went on. The Greeks idea of liberty was the freedom to do or realize his full potential, speak freely, and make decisions without interference [C.M. Bowra, pg. 12]. However, the beginning of the Peloponnesian War brought an abrupt end to the Golden Age. It began with Sparta declaring war on Athens in 431 B.C. and ended with Athens surrender in 404 B.C. Spartas hatred towards Athens increased over time, until finally; they could not contain their animosity anymore. Greek city-states did not get along very well; they were separated by their mountainous geography, which resulted in different governments, cultures, and customs. The difference was particularly great between Athens and Sparta in everything from their government to what they valued the most. What angered Sparta the most was that Athens received all the credit for defeating the Persians during the Persian War; and this further increased tensions between the two city-states. The war began when Athens imposed a trade embargo on Megara, an ally of Sparta. They refused to let any Spartan ally trade in any ports belonging to the Delian League. Most of the ports were controlled by the Delian League, which meant that Spartan allies essentially had nobody to trade with. The Megarians began to starve as a result of this embargo. Pericles goal when imposing the trade embargo was to discourage the Spartans from war. However, his plan was disastrous, and resulted in Sparta declaring war on Athens. Sparta was in control of the greatest army in Greece, and they decided to use this to their advantage. The Spartans did not want a long and drawn-out war because that would result in many casualties and put a great strain on their city-state. They marched an army of 35,000 hoplites into Attica, and destroyed the entire countryside, leaving people in fear and chaos. Sparta cut off Athens grain supply, hoping to force them to surrender, but the Athenians were well supplied behind the Long Walls. The Spartans wanted to keep the war on land because of their strong military, and they continued to attack Attica relentlessly every year. Athens, meanwhile, had a better navy and treasury than Sparta. While Pericles was in charge during the Peloponnesian War, he ordered all people to retreat behind the Long Walls. He was aware that trying to defeat Sparta on land was near impossible, so he planned to fight on the water. By having all of the Athenians behind the Long Walls, they would be able to receive supplies from cargo ships and hopefully tire out the Spartan army. Pericles plan worked throughout the first summer of the war, and when the Spartans left in the winter, the Athenians went back to their homes. The enemy attacked in the spring of 430 B.C., and the Athenians were forced to retreat behind the Long Walls once again. However, this time, there was something far more dangerous than the Spartan army that was attacking Attica; and this was disease. A fast-spreading plague struck the Athenians and killed approximately 20% of the population. The plague lasted for four years, and after many people had died, the Athenians decided to leave the protection of the Long Walls and fight the Spartans. Unfortunately, Pericles was a victim of the plague as well, and his death in 429 B.C. left Athens weak and divided. Pericles death left several people vying for power over Athens. Among these people were Cleon and Nicias. Cleon wanted to fight Sparta until the Athenians reached a total victory. Nicias, on the other hand, favored peace. Cleon won power over Athens, but soon died in battle. Nicias saw this opportunity to influence Athens to make peace, but Sparta and its allies refused peace and they continued to fight Athens without mercy. Eventually, Athens surrendered to Sparta in 404 B.C. after its fleet was destroyed at Thrace. The Spartan fleet cut off Athens remaining lifeline, which forced the Athenians to put an end to the war. The Spartans were not happy with just winning the war, though. They forced Athens to give up its fleet and foreign possession, take down the Long Walls, and change their cherished democracy into an oligarchy. After a while, the Athenians were allowed to restore their democracy, but the damage was done-their Golden Age came to an end. The Peloponnesian War left Athens devastated; the land was completely destroyed, the food supply was scarce; and the physical resources were nearly completely gone. The war is best known through Thucydides, an Athenian general. He wrote about the war in great detail, and was not biased; he wrote only about the facts of the war. No one could have guessed that the conflict would bring about Pericles downfall, the end of the Fifty Years, and the exhaustion and cultural decline of all the city-states, [Don Nardo, pg. 80]. The Peloponnesian War stripped Athens of its power and greatness, and left Greece vulnerable to any foreign invasions. With the end of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians were faced with the grueling task of rebuilding their city-state. People began to look for a principle that explained why things are the way they are, which began the rise of philosophy. The ancient Greeks believed that philosophy and science came from the same branch of study; which is why scientists proved things using logic and reason. Philosophers were travelling teachers that wanted to learn the truth and sought wisdom through different methods. The three most famous philosophers of ancient Greece were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates was the earliest of the Greek philosophers, and participated in the Peloponnesian War. He was born in 469 B.C. and he lived as a very plain and poor man. During the Peloponnesian War, he came to the conclusion that Man-not the universe-was the enemy of man. He believed that everybody knew more than they thought they knew, and he also believed that mans conscience was a better guide to right conduct than what society said. His method of teaching was by asking questions, and has come to be known as the Socratic Method. Socrates was proclaimed the wisest man in Greece by the Oracle of Delphi after stating, All I know is that I know nothing. Despite being the wisest man, he was unpopular among the Athenians. He was arrested on three charges at the age of 70. The first charge was for corrupting the youth; the second charge was for not believing in the citys gods; and the third was for introducing new deities to society. He was brought before a 501-man jury in 399 B.C., convicted of corrupting the youth, and then sentenced to death. He was convicted by the slim majority of 281 to 220 Athenians. Socrates had several opportunities to break out of jail, and yet, he refused to do so. He did not want to break the law by breaking out of jail, so he stayed in his cell, drank the poison hemlock, and died. Many people today believe that the unjust death of this wise philosopher, which was the result of a vote of the people, is an example of the dangers of a direct democracy. Plato was another famous philosopher of Greece. He was Socrates student, and wrote down all of his teachings, for Socrates did not record anything. Plato believed that all souls were immortal and knew all truths, but as they grew up, they forgot everything. He believed that it was his job to help students remember these truths through the power of logic and reason. In 387 B.C., he founded the Academy, the first school for higher education in Athens, and he also wrote a book called The Republic. The Republic describes his Utopia which was a state ruled by philosophers. In this ideal state there were three classes: the Guardians who governed the state, the Auxiliaries who were the military, and everybody else. In his book, he expressed his strong dislike for democracy, which he believed was the reason why his teacher, Socrates, had died. Plato also wrote The Dialogues, which displayed Socrates ideas along with his own. The Dialogues were composed of discussions that Socrates would have with other students while he was alive. In Platos eyes, Socrates was the wisest and most just and best man [C.M. Bowra, pg. 138]. So naturally, his death was an extreme loss to Plato. One of his philosophies, Platonism, stated that physical beings were imperfect, and that the spirit, soul, and body of a person were separated. These ideas passed into Christianity later on, where they influenced certain beliefs. Platos philosophical system and marvelous language make him one of the most gifted men who ever lived, [C.M. Bowra, pg. 140]. Over time, his ideas spread over Europe, and they eventually reached across the Atlantic Ocean, where it helped form the basis of Western Philosophy. Aristotle was the last, and perhaps the most influential, philosopher from the ancient Greek world. He attended Platos Academy at the age of 17, and he studied there for 20 years. He was born in 384 B.C., and he travelled to Athens to attend the Academy. There, he studied science, ethics, politics, and mathematics. Aristotle, unlike his teacher Plato, believed that research was the method people should use to investigate the world. His philosophy consisted of the power of direct observation to draw conclusions. He relied on the five senses, while Plato believed that they were not reliable. Evidently, these two philosophers did not agree with each other, yet they respected each others ideas. Aristotle was particularly interested in natural philosophy which was the study of natural phenomena in the world, which includes many fields of science. Here, he made great advances, and was the most successful in his studies of biology. He classified animal species, and also concluded that dolphins were not fish, which proved that he was a full 2000 years ahead of his time. Aristotle also ways of observation to find a solution influenced Francis Bacon, who founded the scientific method. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were all famed philosophers that changed their times. Their philosophies helped the Greek population to become more educated, and their ideas provided some guidance in rebuilding Athens after the Peloponnesian War. However, despite their great efforts to revive Athens former state of glory, the Peloponnesian War had indeed brought the end of the Golden Age of Athens. Their ideas and philosophies, although taught in vain, have become a great addition to Western Philosophy. The achievements that occurred during the Golden Age of Athens continue to affect the modern world. Although most people do not realize it, more than half of what is taken for granted, can be attributed to the Athenians. Pierre Leveque stated, One need only to look closely at our own language, our political institutions, and our culture, to discover to what extent the Greek experience lives on. Despite the fact that Athens Golden Age was over 2000 years ago, all of its accomplishments have not been forgotten, and they are being lived through Western Civilizat

The Nature of Man, the Renaissance, and the Protestant Reformation Essa

Europe was a tumultuous region in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In particular, the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation both introduced radical intellectual and religious ideas that challenged centuries of established doctrine. This period corresponded with a great surge in philosophical, political, and religious writing. Among the most influential thinkers of the time were the Italian humanist Leon Battista Alberti, the Florentine politician Niccolà ² Machiavelli, and the German monk Martin Luther. Alberti wrote in a time of humanist thought and economic prosperity, Machiavelli in a time of growing political instability and economic uncertainty in Italy, and Luther in a time dominated by an increasingly corrupt Catholic church. While Alberti’s good fortune is reflected in On the Family’s optimism, Machiavelli’s The Prince and Luther’s On Christian Liberty are direct reactions to the perceived crises the authors were witnessing, and both works were written with an obvious sense of urgency. These writers all put forward strongly worded and drastically different views of the fundamental nature of man. Alberti saw man as an active being seeking a classical education and a good family in which to raise children, Machiavelli perceived man as craving power and impossible to satisfy, and for Luther man was eternally sinful searching only for faith in God. More significant than their visions of human nature is the physical focus of that nature—body or soul—and how the origin of such a attitude was related to the period in which they were living. While Alberti’s vision of human nature focused on a man’s outward actions shaping his inner soul, Luther saw just the opposite, a man’s soul struggling to achieve what... ...lberti saw a great potential for man and wanted to outline his vision for others. Machiavelli saw man’s flaws and what it caused, and sought only a cold, practical solution without the nuisance of morals. Luther, devastated by the corruption of the ruling religious authority, wished to save Europe’s Christians from a way of life that would seal their fate as sinners. Works Cited Alberti. On the Family. Readings in Western Civilization 5: The Renaissance. Ed. Eric Cochrane and Julius Kirshner. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1986. The Making of the West, Volume B: 1320-1830. Ed. Lynn Hunt, et al. Bedford/St. Martin's: New York, 2001. Luther, Martin. On Christian Liberty. Trans. W. A. Lambert. Fortress Press: Minneapolis, 2003. Machiavelli, Niccolà ². The Prince. Trans. Harvey C. Mansfield. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1998.

Book: Gung Ho Essay examples -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gung Ho, by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles was a wonderful book that discussed many important factors involved in making a company truly successful. It had a good storyline to help to tell the story of Gung Ho. When I first picked up the book to read it I really had no idea what to expect to learn from the book. The points that were made in this book were very simple and common sense principles. I say that these principles are simple, but many companies do not think of these little things when running a large business. They try to go â€Å"by the book† and get too caught up in sticking to their rules and regulations. Sometimes you just have to use a little common sense when running a business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gung Ho is a great idea to help a business become as successful as possible by looking at the internal workings of the company. The idea of Gung Ho starts with the most basic part of a company, the employees. If your employees are happy and excited about working at your company, then productivity will increase. Everyone will work harder for something they think is worthwhile. Take my classes and myself for example. I will be tempted to work harder and study more in a class that I think is worth my time and a class that I enjoy. Professors at Methodist College could learn a lot from this book. If they would try to make classes more enjoyable, instead of standing up and lecturing and reading straight from the book, then perhaps students would be more interested. Some of my favorite classes are with Mr. Hogge. Not because they are easy classes, because its not, but because he makes class fun with the stories and the way he teaches the material.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the three main principles of the book Gung Ho is the principal of â€Å"The Spirit of the Squirrel†. Two words that are very important in a business are â€Å"worthwhile work†. People will work harder at something that they think is worthwhile. The last two summers that I was in High School I was a manager in a Bar and Grille at a local golf course. I enjoyed my job and worked closely with my employees to help the Bar and Grille is successful. I attribute this very method of Gung Ho. We all worked very hard at what we did because we had a worthwhile goal. The Grille had gone through some very rough spots and had changed owners many times in the pa... ... The workers were taking great pride in their work. Something else that set them apart was their mission. They had a five-point constitution. The very first point was to protect the health, safety, and well being of every person in the department. Every other department in the factory was putting profit first in their missions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any business can highly benefit from the Gung Ho approach. If a business utilizes all of the methods used in the Gung Ho approach they greatly increase their chances for success. Busy golf facilities can also benefit greatly from the Gung Ho approach. This approach can help maximize productivity in what can be a hectic business. It also helps bring the different departments of a golf facility closer towards their goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gung Ho was an excellent book with excellent theories on how to make a business more productive. Many of the points are already know by many businesses, however they are not know in great detail as this book describes them. This book has taught me many things in the business world and I know that I will continue to read this book and have my employees in the future read this book.

To His Coy Mistress - by Andrew Marvel Essay -- English Literature:

To his coy mistress by Andrew Marvel - review. 'To his coy mistress' was written by Andrew Marvel, his exceeding love for his lover, but with closer analysis it is more intimate and is more persuasive. The poem is persuading his mistress to have sex with him, and have children however; it sounds more like he wants the pleasure, not the children. It was written in the 1600s. The poem can be split into 3 stanzas; the first stanza is romantic and flattering, but also persuasive. The implication of the first stanza she is playing hard to get or shy, and the shyness wouldn't matter if they had more time. He is saying he would love her forever and is trying to be romantic, but persuasive. He mentions 'my vegetable love should grow' which could have many implications, because it could refer to a sexual undertone, his love for her is natural or there is slow growing, so the metaphor is quite effective. In some stanzas of the poem he exaggerates because for example, a person would not just sit and admire another person for 'an hundred years' yet the poem says 'an hundre...

Soil Sample

Discussion: D10 = 0. 078mm D30 = 0. 125mm D60 = 0. 55mm Cc = (D30)2 / [D10 x D60] = 0. 1252 / [0. 55 x 0. 078] = 0. 36422 < 1 Cu = D60 / D10 = 0. 55 / 0. 078 =7. 0513 > 6 If a soil is well-graded, it should satisfy 1 < Cc < 3 Cu > 4 (for gravels) Cu > 6 (for sand) Note that, from our result, Cc is much smaller than one. So by the constraints 1 < Cc < 3, we can conclude that the testing soil is not well-graded, but poorly graded. And the Cu obtained is 7. 0513 > 6, which implies that the sample should be sand but not gravels. Furthermore, we may classify the sample following the table below accurately:As we see our sample contains 17. 16% of gravel which satisfy the constraints of gravelly sand. So we may further conclude that the sample is poorly-graded gravelly sand. (3) For the engineering application of results, we may see that as sieve analysis test (dry sieve) results in gradation of sample in well-graded or poorly graded on the basis of their particle sizes and its size distribution, so the result can be an indicator of other engineering properties such as compressibility, shear strength, and hydraulic conductivity which is important in construction engineering and geotechnical engineering.In an engineering design, the gradation of soil often controls the design and ground water drainage of the site. For example a poorly graded soil will have better drainage than a well graded soil because there are more void spaces in a poorly graded soil. And other example is a well graded soil is able to be compacted more than a poorly graded soil. Most types of projects may have gradation requirements that must be met before the soil to be used is accepted.Conclusion: From the above result, the sample is classified as poorly-graded gravelly sand. The result is useful for the type of use of the site in further development. These poorly graded stone is good for drainage but not as a kind of foundation support. The importance of the gradation o f soil is understood so that soil can be based in different use and will not induce unwanted accident in construction engineering or geotechnical engineering.

Import & Export Financing

IMPORT FINANCING Background Like other developing countries, Pakistan’s import bill exceeds exports. Therefore, it faces scarcity of foreign exchange to meet its import requirements. According to daily â€Å"DAWN† dated 18th November 2012, Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves were USD 13. 84 Billion at the week ended as on 9th November 2012. Gap between the import and export bills is partially covered by regulations, controls and measures exercised by State Bank of Pakistan and partially by the international credit, aid, loan agencies like International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB).State Bank of Pakistan keeps control at a time, over this imbalance by imposing cash margin restrictions on import of general items from time to time. This is done in order to restrict imports and to allow import of only necessary items to fulfill genuine requirements and to discourage import of non-commercial and luxury items. CASE STUDY: On 1st Februa ry 2012, restriction on import of CNG cylinders and kits was imposed by Government of Pakistan in view of government policy to discourage use of CNG as a fuel due to its short supply and ever rising demand.No importer is allowed to import CNG cylinders & kits up till now which is being restricted by SBP & custom authority. Foreign trade involves many risks because of different locations /countries of importer and exporter. Both the parties are doing their businesses in different countries where different laws & regulations apply and it is difficult to settle any dispute regarding goods quality and payment settlement between importer and exporter. For safeguarding interest of both importer and exporter, banks involve in these transactions for smooth settlement between the parties. IMPORTERSAny body who imports the required goods into the country is called an importer. The importer has to pay the exporter for the value of goods in foreign exchange. Importers are classified into three categories: i) Commercial sector importer i-e. a firm, institution, organization, person or group of persons registered as an importer is called commercial importer. ii) Industrial sector importer i-e. any industrial unit which is registered as importer comes under this category. iii) Public sector importers i-e. the organizations owned by the government which import capital / consumer commodities as per their requirement.Usually, these organizations are not registered as regular importer and their requests for opening letter of credit is routed through SBP. Letter of Credit (L/C) Letter of Credit is a written undertaking by a bank given to the seller/exporter (beneficiary) at the request and instructions of the buyer/importer (applicant) to pay at sight or at a determinable future date a stated sum of money against the required documents. The documents include commercial invoice, certificate of origin, transport document relating to the mode of transport used (Airway Bill, Bill of Lading, Railway Receipt, Truck Receipt, etc. and other documents required as per terms of letter of credit. Parties to Letter of Credit In documentary credit operations, maximum number of parties involved are as under: i) Applicant (Opener of L/C): The applicant of a credit is an importer or buyer who requests his bank to issue documentary credit in favor of the seller /exporter. ii) Issuing Bank (Opening Bank): The issuing bank is also called importer’s bank. At the request of the applicant, this bank issues the credit in accordance with the instructions of the applicant in favor of the exporter. The letter of credit is sent to the bank in the exporter/seller’s country. ii) Advising Bank: Advising bank is also known as transmitting or correspondent bank in the seller’s country. Issuing bank forwards the advice of the credit by mail or by any means of tele-transmission (i-e. cable, telex, SWIFT, etc. ) to a correspondent bank where the beneficiary business exist s. Normally, all L/Cs are sent via SWIFT i-e. Society for Worldwide International Financial Transactions. iv) Beneficiary (Seller or Exporter): The person or body receiving the letter of credit from the importer and/or in whose favor letter of credit is issued is called beneficiary. v) Confirming Bank:Confirming bank is the bank which at the specific request of the issuing bank adds its confirmation to a letter of credit. Adding confirmation constitutes a definite undertaking of the confirming bank, in addition to that of the issuing bank. vi) Negotiating Bank: Negotiating Bank is the bank which receives the documents against letter of credit as authorized bank. This bank has to give value for drafts and/or documents under L/C conditions. Negotiating Bank may or may not be the Advising Bank. This bank examines the documents against L/C, and if found in order, negotiates the documents and makes payment to the seller.The negotiating bank dispatches the documents to the Issuing Bank cl aiming reimbursement from the bank as mentioned in the L/C and as agreed between the two banks. The Negotiating Bank should ensure before lodgment of reimbursement claim that all terms of letter of credit have been complied with. vii) Reimbursing Bank: Reimbursing bank is the bank which, on behalf of the opening bank, honors the reimbursement claim lodged by the Negotiating Bank. MODES OF PAYMENT OF L/Cs There are four modes of payments of letters of credit as detailed under: (i) L/C available by Negotiation:If L/C provides for negotiation to pay without recourse to drawers and/or bonafide holders in terms of credit. Negotiation means the payment of value for draft(s) and/or documents by the bank authorized to negotiate complying with the terms of L/C. (ii) L/C available by Acceptance: In case the credit calls for a usance draft and is available by acceptance on the issuing bank, and the seller submits all the documents including usance bill of exchange to a nominated or another ban k complying all the terms and conditions of the credit, the seller receives acceptance of the payment at maturity date.However, under a separate arrangement, he may get his usance draft discounted by the bank in order to meet his cash flow requirements. In such case, seller has to bear discount charges. (iii) L/C available by Sight Payment: If the beneficiary of letter of credit is to obtain payment immediately on presentation of stipulated documents, it is the sight letter of credit. In this case the exporter draws a sight or demand draft payable at the counters of the advising bank or the bank specified in the letter of credit.The draft is paid on presentation provided that all the other terms of L/C have been complied with. (iv) L/C available by Deferred Payment: In this case, L/C opening bank has to effect payment after a period specified in the L/C, calculated as to the number of days after the date of presentation of documents or after the date of shipment. Such L/C does not r equire drafts to be drawn or presented alongwith other documents. RETIREMENT OF DOCUMENTS When the documents are received from foreign bank, L/C opening bank affixes â€Å"Dak Received† stamp and enters the same in â€Å"Dak Received Register†.The duplicate set of documents, received by the bank, is kept with original set of documents and duplicate should be separate from the original. The bank verifies that all the documents are received as specified in the forwarding schedule of the negotiating/exporter’s bank. While scrutinizing the documents, it is also ensured that all the documents have been received as per terms of L/C. The retirement of documents can be made by the following means: †¢ Through debit to the customer’s account †¢ Through Trust Receipt Facility (FTR) offered by the bank. †¢ Through Finance against Imported Merchandise (FIM)THROUGH DEBIT TO CUSTOMER’S ACCOUNT In case customer/importer has sufficient funds to settl e the bill, Cost Memo is prepared and amount in foreign currency is converted into Pak Rupees at Selling TT & OD rate of exchange. Any foreign correspondent charges and service charges are added to it. Customer issues cheque / authority letter to debit his account for bill amount plus mark-up and other charges. After receiving the amount, title documents are endorsed by two authorized signatories and the same are delivered to customer against proper acknowledgement.In case, importer has not sufficient funds to settle the bill, he can avail finance from bank to settle the claim. Credit facilities available to the importer are explained hereunder: A. FUND BASED FACILITIES 1. FINANCE AGAINST TRUST RECEIPT (FATR) If customer desires to retire the documents through Trust Receipt facility, a request letter to this effect is obtained from him. In this case, bank releases documents of the goods to importer so that he may clear the goods from custom authorities. Payment is settled by the ban k and reimbursement is made to foreign bank.The bank has lien on receivables in this case and importer repays the bank finance after sale of the goods. Trust Receipt should not be allowed against Usance L/C unless specific approval from the authority is held. Following documents are obtained before releasing the documents on Finance Against Trust Receipt: ? Letter of Request from the customer / importer ? Bill of Exchange duly accepted by the party ? Demand Promissory Note ? Trust Receipt ? Collateral (if any) as per limit approval ? Invoice ? Agreement of Mark-up The Trust Receipt facility can only be extended upto 45/60 days or as per terms of sanction. . FINANCE AGAINST IMPORTED MERCHANDISE (FIM) This is a sale transaction at a price mutually agreed upon between the bank and the importer. The sale price consists of value of goods or documents of title to goods and margin of profit. The sale price is payable by the buyer on deferred payment basis either in part or in lump sum. Thi s facility is granted for a period of 60 days or as per sanction advice. Following documents are obtained from the party: ? Letter of Request from the customer / importer ? Demand Promissory Note ? Letter of Indemnity for clearance of consignment ?Letter of Pledge ? Agreement of Mark-up This type of facility is against pledge of imported stocks and its process / transaction flow is similar to that of Self-Liquidating Inventory Finance. TRANSACTION FLOW: Goods imported through L/C, when reach the port in importer’s country, there is a process of releasing the goods from custom authorities. For this purpose Clearing Agents on the panel of bank. The clearing agent after clearing the goods, transports the same via Goods Transport Companies to the destination of the importer. At importer’s business premises / factory, etc.Bank Muccadam is available to take over the custody of the goods as soon as these are received at the site. These goods are kept under pledge arrangement and bank takes effective control & possession of the imported goods. B. NON-FUND BASED FACILITIES 3. USANCE LETTER OF CREDIT This type of letter of credit is issued with a condition that payment will be made after some specified period of time i-e. 180 days, 365 days, etc. The bank undertakes to pay the exporter for the value of goods at some later date in order to facilitate the importer to arrange funds for settlement of the transaction.Usance letter of credit is very useful facility in which importer not only avails the opportunity of time available to pay his liabilities but also he saves borrowing costs due to difference of LIBOR and KIBOR. At present KIBOR is upto 10% whereas LIBOR is ranging from 0. 5% to 1% for the last two to three years. In case of Usance L/C, the importer will have to pay the value of goods alongwith some additional profit/surcharge levied by the exporter (which is included in the Invoice Value) for allowing repayment period to importer.Exporter will calc ulate this additional profit on transaction on the basis of LIBOR (0. 70%) instead of KIBOR (10%). In case importer avails the credit lines to settle the import bill from his local bank, he will bear the borrowing/financing cost on the basis of KIBOR which is far above than LIBOR. 4. SHIPPING GUARANTEE The shipping guarantee is issued in favor of the local shipping agents for obtaining delivery order to clear goods from port / customer authorities in the absence of original shipping documents of L/Cs. This guarantee is issued on prescribed from provided by the shipping company.This guarantee is signed by the importer and counter-signed by the bank. Following documents are required from the customer at the time of issuance of shipping guarantee: ? Letter of Request from the customer / importer ? Copy of Invoice ? Copy of Bill of Lading / transport document ? Format of the shipping guarantee to be issued ? Counter guarantee in favor of the bank duly signed by the customer ? Letter of undertaking regarding exchange rate fluctuation ? Undertaking to accept the draft in case of usance L/C ? Undertaking to accept all discrepancies in the documentsLiability under the shipping guarantee shall be reversed only after the surrender of the original bill of lading against which guarantee has been issued and the receipt of original guarantee from the shipping company. On receipt of original bill of lading, this is forwarded to the shipping company alongwith request to return the original guarantee. This facility is very short term nature normally 30 days. B. EXPORT FINANCE In order to strengthen its position in the international markets, Pakistan has to strive for improving its balance of trade by increasing its exports.As such exports have been the top priority of the government’s agenda to improve the position of foreign exchange earning of the country. Banks have a very important role to play in trade activities of the country. Banks act as agents for both the imp orters and exporters and play important role in the development of country’s trade. While handling export transactions, Credit Manager and/or Export staff of the bank must always keep into consideration the following: ? Export Policy Order of the government for the financial year ?Guidelines/instructions of Export Promotion Bureau ? State Bank of Pakistan Foreign Exchange Circulars ? Bank’s Foreign Exchange Regulations and FEX circulars ADVISING OF EXPORT LETTERS OF CREDIT Letters of credit received from foreign banks are advised to the beneficiaries in Pakistan through L/Cs advising departments of the bank. All L/Cs received are carefully scrutinized for their authenticity adhering to the terms & conditions and complying with our Foreign Exchange Regulations and International laws & publications (UCP 500). FORM â€Å"E†No person can export any goods from Pakistan unless he is duly registered as an exporter with Export Promotion Bureau under the registration â⠂¬Å"Importer & Exporter Order 1952†. Blank â€Å"E† Forms are issued to exporters, against written request, free of any charges. In order to export, the exporter will provide details on â€Å"E† form in respect of goods, quantity, invoice value of goods, terms of sale, destination and name & address of the importer. This â€Å"E† form is the main document to calculate value of goods exported and is used to control the export of any item from Pakistan.CASE STUDY: During October 2012, Government of Pakistan allowed export of 200,000 tons of sugar from Pakistan with a condition that one sugar mill can export maximum upto 10,000 tons of sugar. This maximum quantity of sugar (10,000 tons) exported by any single sugar mill to be controlled by the â€Å"E† Form submitted by the exporting sugar mill. In case of any effort of sugar mill to exceed export from 10,000 tons, SBP can very easily trace this from the record of â€Å"E† form available in its record. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss the types of financing available to exporter. . FOREIGN DOCUMENTARY BILLS PURCHASED AGAINST L/Cs This type of financing is referred to as Foreign Bills Purchased (FBP). Only those documents are purchased which are negotiable and which conform to the terms of letters of credit. The documents are forwarded to the L/C opening bank and payment is received through bank’s foreign correspondents maintaining NOSTRO account in various currencies. Following documents are submitted by the exporter for negotiation: ? Original Letter of Credit (L/C) ? Documents of title to goods (Bill of lading, Airway bill, etc. ? Bill of Exchange (B/E) ? Commercial Invoice ? Certificate of Origin ? Packing List ? Insurance Policy ? Any other document as per terms of L/C FBP is practical example of â€Å"Factoring† in which bank purchases the receivable of the client/exporter after making payment and takes the responsibility of collection of the receivable at its own end. The exporter transfers all rights of ownership of the documents to the bank and authorization to claim reimbursement from the L/C opening bank. This transaction is to be handled with extreme care, vigilance and diligence.All the financial and commercial documents are scrutinized as per terms & conditions of L/C. Documents after careful scrutiny are forwarded to the L/C opening bank and claim of reimbursement is made as well. On realization of the bill, FBP is settled /adjusted. 2. FOREIGN DOCUMENTARY BILLS FOR COLLECTION Financing against foreign bills is made on export bills which are drawn under Letter of credit and are sent for payment under documentary collection. This is a sale transaction at a price mutually agreed upon between the buyer (bank) and seller (exporter).The documents are sold to the bank and sale proceeds will be credited in the account of seller (exporter). This type of export finance is termed as â€Å"Finance against Foreign Billsâ €  (FAFB). All other procedures of FAFB are similar to FBP except that under FAFB in the event of non-payment of the bill by L/C opening bank or importer, the exporter undertakes to repurchase the same documents at bank’s marked up price. FAFB is the practical example of â€Å"Lien on Receivables†. 3. FINANCE AGAINST PACKING CREDIT (FAPC)Packing Credit is a sort of pre-shipment or pre-export finance, extended to prime & valued customers (exporters) against valid letter of credit / firm contract order. The finance is provided to the exporter for the following: ? Purchase of goods ? Freight charges ? Clearing forwarding charges ? Export duty, etc. ? Packing requirements Finance against packing credit is granted for 180 days or upto the period the shipment of goods is affected whichever is earlier. Lien is marked on the Letter of Credit / Firm Contract in order to prevent negotiation of documents.