Sauses of religious crises in nigeria Essay

This essay is an attempt at identifying the remote and immediate causes of the incessant religious crises in northern towns and cities, if you’d rather the so-called middle belt political zone of the north. In expressing this view, there is no intention on my part to mock the bones of those who died so long ago and who tried, however ineffectually, to lead their people. The thrust of this piece is that the nuisance of religious crises in the North is essentially a result of the manipulation of religion to score political goals: using religion to confuse or destabilize; which set the stage for what we experienced time and again: series of violent provocations, reactions and counter reactions; all in the name of religion. This manipulation of religion is orchestrated and masterminded by selfish elements within the so-called elite class of both the Islamic and Christian religions, herein referred to simply as the manipulators. The motive for the manipulation of religion is a self centred one, a means through which selfish politicians seek to attain undue political leverage in an otherwise politically competitive level playing field. The reason for this is, in the words of the late Dr. Yusufu Bala Usman â€Å"to enable this class (the manipulators) to cover themselves with religious and ethnic disguises in order to further entrench division among our people (and) slow down their awakening at any cost.† This is because any single one of them (the manipulators) â€Å"cannot appear as what he really is in the political economy of Nigeria. He has to find a cover. He cannot claim political leadership openly on the grounds that he is, or wants to be, an exporter-importer, a contractor (etcetera)†¦ he has to take cover as a Muslim or Christian †¦ the manipulation of religion in Nigeria today is essentially a means of creating the context for this fancy-dress ball, for this charade of disguises.† (See Dr. Y. B. Usman’s The Manipulation of Religion in Nigeria 1977-1987). Ever wonder why religious crises in Nigeria are essentially a northern affair? Kafanchan, Zangon-Kataf, Tafawa-Balewa, Yelwan-Shendam, Jos, Kaduna, Bauchi etcetera; in most places it happened more than once. Between 1804 and 1812, an Islamic state, what we now referred to as the Sokoto Caliphate was established as a bye-product of the Islamic reform movement started by Shehu Usmanu Danfodio in Hausaland at about 1774. The Sokoto Caliphate comprised of a large chunk of pre-colonial Hausaland: Kano, Katsina, Gobir and Zazzau; Western flank of the pre-colonial Borno before the Shehus of Kukawa: Hadejia, Gumel, Kazaure, Katagum, Misau and Gombe; Benue valley and the Bauchi Plateau, including the present Jos Plateau; Nupe and Ilorin emirates. The Sokoto Caliphate was regarded as a bye-product of the Islamic reform movement because Shehu Danfodio did not set out to conquer lands and territories, but rather to call, as Sheikh Abdullahi Fodio wrote in Tazyin al-Waraqat â€Å"to the revival of Faith, and Islam, and good works, and to abandon customs contrary to them.† Following the establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate, the successors of the Shehu and the flag bearers failed to sustain the spirit of the Islamic reform movement; rather they were so much after the luxury of life and the delights of power. As Sheikh Abdullahi Fodio lamented in Tazyin al-Waraqat â€Å" I am left in the midst of liars and hypocrites who say one thing and do entirely another, people who do not value knowledge and its pursuit†¦ people whose preoccupation is attainment of political power for the procurement of sensual comfort through concubines, flutist, gorgeous clothing and brisk horses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Having derailed from the path concretely mapped out by Shehu Danfodio, the successors of Shehu and the flag-bearers found it more convenient to subjugate and exploit both the non Muslim Hausas (Maguzawa) and the several hundred animist minority tribes and ethnic groups within their domain than to call them to the Islamic faith. For one hundred years, these non Muslim communities were fit only to serve the Caliphate as major suppliers of slaves, concubines, food and raw materials. In 1903 the Caliphate was overthrown by the British. When the Whiteman came with the Christian religion to this doomed people, a marriage of convenience was inevitable: he offered them hope; they accepted his religion. The rest is history. In my article titled Nigeria: Washing Our Dirty Linen in Public published by Gamji in 2007, I described the features of northern Nigerian Christianity when I wrote: The Northern Nigeria brand of Christianity is, probably, the most politicised version of Christianity on the surface of today’s earth. Christianity in the North has a distinct meaning and flavour from anywhere else. In the North, Christianity is, more or less, a political banner, movement or platform upon which all non-Muslim ethnic Northerners flock in opposition to what they perceived as Hausa and Fulani led oppression, both real and imagine. This northern Christian mindset is clear if one look at what the average northern Christian consider the political (read: Christian) Middle belt as distinct from the geographical Middle belt. The average southern Christian, until very recently, views issues with the Hausa and Fulani led north essentially in regional and tribal terms. The Northern Christian reduces all issues, social, political and even economic, within the North simply to Islam v. Christianity. Islam is viewed as the symbol of Hausa and Fulani corrupt power and materialism which must be fought at all cost. Some church leaders indicate to their followers that the secret of their wretchedness can be explained in the prosperity of the other side. This set the background for the fear of the other side. How easily fear leads to distrust, to hatred, to dehumanisation and, to death. Which way out of this quagmire? Manipulation is the root cause of all these crises. â€Å"Manipulation† wrote Dr. Y. B. Usman â€Å"means essentially controlling the action of a person or group without that person or group knowing the goals, purpose and method of that control and without even being aware that a form of control is being exercised on them at all†. From the foregoing it is clear that the manipulators succeeded in manipulating the people because the people are not aware of being manipulated. The corollary to this premise is that the people will not accept to be manipulated if they are conscious and aware enough to see through the manipulators’ lies. The one million dollars question then is: How do we equip the people with the tools necessary for them to be not only conscious and aware of the manipulators tricks, but also to be able to effectively resist them? Dear concerned Reader, let us brainstorm to come-up with an answer to this question. This I believe, will be a right step in the right direction towards finding a lasting solution to this nuisance of incessant religious crises in our dear country.

Supply and Demand and Barr S Product

Analysis the advantages and disadvantages to Barr’s of its product mix. (10’) A. G. Barr is a traditional company mainly operated soft drinks. Product mix of A. G. Barr can be categories into two parts: one is Barr’s Own Brands and one is Barr’s Franchise Brands. Advantages of Barr’s Product Mix: Through the case study, A. G. Barr Company has suffered fierce competition and finally becomes a historied company. It has sophisticated distribution channel which can help company save the cost and easier to gain economics of scale. b) the demand for barr’s product is probably price elastic. Explain how this may influence the way in which barr’s markets it product. (5’) Definition of â€Å"the price elasticity of demand†: price elasticity is a kind of measurement which used to measure sensitivity of changes in quantity demanded in response to the changes of price. And for A. G. Barr, the main product, Irn-Bru, is a kind of produ ct which its price elastic to demand, in other word means coefficient elastic > 1. We find that few companies are involved in soft drinks industry. So A. G. Barr is in oligopoly market.Due to the special character of oligopoly market, Irn-Bru is a convenient product, easily influenced by price factors and sensitive to the changes of price, either competitor’s price or itself. Market activities: Pricing activities: price policy: due to the character of Irn-Bru, price elastic to demand, using lower price strategy to enhance the sale could help company to increase turnover. Through the case study, during 2001 and 2002, the rate of exchange between Euro and Pound has changed. The Euro has depreciated which made import becoming cheaper than buy local products. The A. G. Barr Company reduced 30% of price for the wholesalers.Though the appendix six, the turnover of 2002 is higher than turnover of 2001. This action has efficient increase the turnover and makes the market share ste ady. Promotion: A. G. Barr Company has large investment focus on promotion. Through the case study: Robin Barr said: â€Å"we remain convinced, however, that the continuing investment in our brands will produce for A. G. Barr the optimum long term growth. † This shows that company pays more attention on building brand awareness and loyalty, try to make product different from others, known as differentiation. It would decrease the elasticity of demand. Benefits of reducing elasticity: Company could reduce uncertainty of Irn-Bru demand and risk, such as influence caused by external factors especially price factors. * Maintain the market share and freedom in setting price. Chance of using high pricing policy For instance: Irn-Bru sponsors the Xmas and New Year Carnival at the SECC in Glasgow. In 2002, this attracted over 140,000 people. This action could enlarge the brand influence and build its own brand awareness, more than that, with the development of promotion, company decr eases the elasticity of demand potentially. it will help company to void the uncertainly risk and when elasticity

Hum week vocabulary quiz

Dogma A system of doctrines offered by some religions. It is proclaimed and accepted as true specific answers to the religion it is being offered for. 9. Monotheistic Is not a believer in unseen reality but can be spiritual without labeling themselves a certain religion. 10. Transcendent The belief that a greater power exists outside the material universe. 11. Incarnations The living embodying the divine or spirit. 12. Soul The spiritual part of the body that exist separately form the physical body. 13. AtheismThe belief that there Is no god because no proof exist. 14. Agnosticism The belief that humans cannot be able to know the existence of a higher power. 15. Rituals The repeated actions by people or groups. Some religion rituals are dancing, singing, reciting prayers and sharing food to symbolize spirituality. 16. Symbols A borrowed image that represents some form of a spiritual experience. 17. Myths Symbolic stories that used for explanations for with in the universe. 18. Orthod ox Abiding to a particular form of religion by practicing established traditions. 19. Rotationally of charismaThe Institutionalizing of religion that can damage the Inspiration of religion. 20. Absolutists Believe In traditional forms of religions as being true and unchangeable. 21 . Charisma 22. Fundamentalism Emphasizes on what form one perceives as historical in religion. 23. Phenomenology Analyzing religion practices to better understand their purpose. 24. Liberal Take a flexible and unpredicted approach to interpreting religion traditions. 25. Mysticism To believe the truth despite human belief because it was perceived directly by experience. 26. Sacred The realm of extraordinary which lies the source of the universe and its value.

TD 2 HRM - 402 CONDUCTING NEED ASSESSMENTS Essay

TD 2 HRM - 402 CONDUCTING NEED ASSESSMENTS - Essay Example Therefore, there are high chances that after a training session, employees can perform better because training is a good way through which morale can be developed in employees. Literally, employees are able to turn around their attitudes during a training session; from negative to positive. In addition, training is a good avenue through which employees acquire new and essential skills. This transforms into improved work performance since they will be in a position to apply them effectively. The primary and quick way to assess the impact of training among employees is through observing behavior change. Learning has the ability to shape behavior (Hollenbeck et. Al., 2007). This gives an indication that the training has had an impact on employees and thus there is a high chance that the same will be reflected in performance. For effective measuring of behavior, it is good to observe behavior before and after training. Another important way of assessing the impact of training is through feedback and reactions. It is good to provide employees with a platform through which they can channel their feedbacks after training. Watch out for the reactions in the feedback. If they give negative comments about the training, it is likely that they cannot transfer any information to improve performance. Proficiency can be measured in various ways. Ability of employees to lead in making changes, leading teams, capability to produce results, and the effectiveness in building coalitions. All these proficiencies have five levels each. At level five, an employee is said to be an expert through the ability to apply the competency in very tough situations by creatively coming up with new and improved methods and aligning them to the vision and mission of the organization. Even though training is an important tool in every organization, it actually does not make sense if

Bankruptcy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bankruptcy - Essay Example If Quick ratio, Current ratio and Times Interest Earned ratio are negative then this is an indication that the company faces liquidity problems and the creditors are not satisfied with the company's financial performance and also the creditors will not issue more debt in future (Tenk). If the company's cash outflows are higher than the cash inflows then this is an alarming situation for the company. It gives also the indication that there is any mismanagement exists in the company's operating, investing and financing activities (Tenk). 1. Implication on Current Asset: Current assets are reviewed critically after the announcement of bankruptcy. All the necessary payments to the creditors are made through sales of those assets. (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). 2. Implication on Future Assets: After bankruptcy, the company loses its money with respect to the payments made to the creditors and the money left is insufficient in order to acquire back the assets, to start running the business again in future. Moreover, time value of money and the factor of inflation also make a significant impression on the future assets. (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). 3. ... All the necessary payments to the creditors are made through sales of those assets. (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). 2. Implication on Future Assets: After bankruptcy, the company loses its money with respect to the payments made to the creditors and the money left is insufficient in order to acquire back the assets, to start running the business again in future. Moreover, time value of money and the factor of inflation also make a significant impression on the future assets. (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). 3. Implication on Future Credit: The element of bankruptcy also brings about a curse for the company as it then faces difficulty in acquiring additional debt for its future business operations. Because of bankruptcy the company's goodwill and credit ratings are also negatively impacted (Main Effects of Petitioning for Bankruptcy). PROS AND CONS OF BANKRUPTCY The advantages of bankruptcy are stated below: After filing the bankruptcy, the creditors are legally bound to stop all activities of debt collection. Filing for Bankruptcy give sthe company a fresh financial start In most of the bankruptcy cases certain categories of propertys like home, life insurance and car, are exempted in order to repayment of debt to creditor. The disadvantages of bankruptcy are stated below: Declaration of bankruptcy distorts the image and goodwill of the company. In near future the company faces difficulty financing their expenses by acquiring more debt. Due to the bankruptcy, the company's stock prices fall and there is an implication on ceasing the future business operations. Due to the effect to bankruptcy, the company loses control over its property (Bankruptcy Pros and Cons). In order to sue

Louis Vuitton (LV) in Japan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Louis Vuitton (LV) in Japan - Case Study Example All that is required is for Louis Vuitton is to market its products and the customers will naturally come. 2) There are many challenges that Louis Vuitton face in trying to capture a significant portion of the Japanese luxury goods market. Other brands such as Bulgari, Baccarat, Burberry, the Gucci Group, and Salvatore Ferragamo are all trying to get a foothold in the Japanese luxury goods market. In addition to these already established brands, there are always new brands entering the market all the time. One such new entrant was the Swedish brand H&M, which entered the Japanese market in 2008. On the other hand though, Louis Vuitton is well-placed to thrive in the Japanese market because quality is a key factor that the Japanese consumers place emphasis on. Quality is something that Louis Vuitton has much experience in. This is one marketing strategy that may prove to be successful in the Japanese market. 3) Originally, Louis Vuitton was the first foreign luxury brand to enter the Japanese market, and it did so with the need for a Japanese partner. Louis Vuitton decided to open its own subsidiary in Japan, which was something that was unheard of before Louis Vuitton pioneered the concept. The company delegated authority to each individual Japanese store, and gave its Japanese managers control of marketing strategies because they knew the local culture best. However, in 2003, Louis Vuitton decided to change its marketing strategy in order to stay ahead of its competitors. To do this, Louis Vuitton collaborated with a Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami. He designed that year’s spring and summer collection and, as a result, Louis Vuitton’s profits increased by 10 percent. 4) At the beginning of the global financial crisis, it seemed that Louis Vuitton’s sales in Japanese may decrease because of limited spending on the part of consumers. In addition to this, Louis Vuitton’s products are

Cautic oda Solutions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cautic oda Solutions - Case Study Example Cau'tic 'oda 'olution i' cla''ified by the U.'. Department of Tran'portation (DOT) and Tran'port Canada a' a Cla'' 8 (corro'ive material). The United Nation' Tran'portation of Dangerou' Good' (TPG) number i' 1824. 'ince mo't 'hipment' are tran'ported in tank truck' and tank car', only unloading guideline' for tank truck' and tank car' are di'cu''ed in thi' 'ection. For additional information on unloading barge', review Pamphlet 080 "Recommended Practice' for Handling 'odium Hydroxide 'olution and Pota''ium Hydroxide 'olution (Cau'tic) Barge'." Thi' pamphlet and additional re'ource material' can be purcha'ed through the Chlorine In'titute web 'ite or 'end your reque't via fax to (703) 741-6068. 'afety 'hower' and eyewa'h fountain' 'hould be conveniently located, clearly marked and readily acce''ible to per'onnel in area' where normal operation' or maintenance could expo'e per'onnel to cau'tic 'oda 'olution. 'afety 'hower' 'hould be located directly above the eyewa'h fountain'. 'elf-draining and heated 'afety 'hower' and eyewa'h 'tation' may be required in freezing condition'. 'afety 'hower' and eyewa'h fountain' 'hould be te'ted frequently for proper operation and e'pecially before work begin' in the vicinity. It i' recommended that a horn or other 'uch alarm device be in'talled at the 'afety 'hower 'o that it can be activated to 'ummon help if u'e of the 'afety 'hower and/or eyewa'h fountain become' nece''ary. Only unloading per'onnel who have been properly trained in the required 'afe handling and fir't aid procedure' for cau'tic 'oda 'olution 'hould be a''igned to cau'tic 'oda 'olution 'ervice. The unloading track (tank car) or roadway (tank truck) 'hould be level to a''ure all product i' removed. Once a tank car or tank truck i' 'potted, but prior to connecting, 'et the handbrake and chock the wheel'. Follow all appropriate federal or provincial regulation' for 'potting and unloading tank car' or tank truck'. 'uitable warning 'ign' 'hould be po'ted in the 'urrounding unloading area. Partly unloaded tank car' or tank truck' 'hould be moved with extreme caution. The high den'ity of 50% cau'tic 'oda 'olution, approximately 1.5 time' that of water, may cau'e ve''el in'tability during movement. The unloader 'hould confirm proper unloading line' which are dedicated to a cau'tic 'oda 'olution 'torage tank. Tank car' and tank truck' 'hould be connected, unloaded, and di'connected in daylight, if po''ible. Adequate lighting 'hould be provided if the'e operation' mu't be done at night. Before unloading, per'onnel 'hould confirm the 'torage tank i' properly vented, the vent line i' clear and open, and that the 'torage tank(') will hold the entire content' to be unloaded. Tank car' and tank truck' 'hould be unloaded over an appropriately de'igned 'pill containment area. Wa'h off all 'pillage from the tank car or tank truck thoroughly with water before return to Dow. Wa'h water 'hould be collected and properly di'po'ed. Billing Formula The total co't for 'hipped material (e.g., $/ton, 76% Na2O ba'i') i' then computed by multiplying the net ton' (or net kilo') of TA (76% Na2O ba'i') by the current price/ton. Note: The "76% Na2O ba'i'" include' all titratable 'odium, not ju't NaOH. In North America, 'tandard indu'try practice i' to price and bill cau'tic 'oda on a 'odium oxide {Na2O} ba'i'. Thi'

Area of Learning Free Writing Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Area of Learning Free Writing Exercise - Essay Example The sense of duty and courage that is needed for such a job was made aware later on but the interest kindled in me did not go away. Among my childhood memories, I remember playing cops and robbers quite often and on most occasions, I used to play the cop. Though I cannot say that this was responsible for my choice of study later on, nonetheless the philosophy with which I grew up instilled in me a confidence and a moral resoluteness to pursue this field. My first experience of what it takes to react swiftly in an emergency was when I had gone to watch a movie with my friends when I was barely a teenager. As the movie progressed, there was an alarm in the Mall in which the theater was located and this led to an evacuation of the place. Though it turned out to be a false alarm, the quickness with which the security staff of the Mall reacted and the way in which they were professional and competent in evacuating the place impressed me a lot. I realized that to be a good security officer means that one has to keep oneself calm under pressure and not let the people panic. An aspect of that incident was the way in which the security staff were precise in their instructions to us and the way in which they ensured the evacuation in a rapid and orderly manner. As I mentioned in the introduction to my portfolio, the events of 911 were a turning point not only in the history of the United States but for me as well. Having seen how the NYPD and the Firefighters risked their lives trying to save people made me proud of them and inculcated a desire to be like them if not emulate them in their sense of duty and patriotism. This theme or meme has stayed with me ever since those years when I was in my teens and this is one of the major motivations for me to take up the field of security management as a career. My experiences in Best Buy as well as my internship with the Bergen County Prosecutors office have made me aware of other areas of security management which include solvi ng fraud cases in a methodical and professional manner. I have learnt that in most cases of fraud and theft as well as crimes, the unthinkable is the most plausible scenario especially when all the other possibilities have been discounted. Conversely, I have also learnt that sometimes the most obvious clues to the crime are ignored and hence one must keep one’s eyes and ears open to all possibilities, however obvious or unthinkable they are. This has given me a sense of confidence on my abilities to crack crime cases and detect frauds as well as preempting crime and fraud. My ultimate goal is to major in criminal justice and towards this end, I have enrolled in this program so that I gain valuable experience and given the fact that my father was a fire fighter, my early influences were to do with preventing loss of goods and people and hence security management is an area that I have been especially interested in. I hope that I become a security officer at a retail store chai n or join the government (federal or state) where I am of use to the security apparatus. Having written down my thoughts in a free writing manner, I would like to quote one of my favorite slogans which goes like this, Low Crime Does Not Mean No Crime and this is something that has spurred me to be on my toes when dealing with people in the store as well as in the county prosecutor’

A character study of Sarty in the Burning Barn Research Paper - 1

A character study of Sarty in the Burning Barn - Research Paper Example The first time we come across Sarty, it is easy to tell that it might not have been his first time to appear in the court rooms. Nevertheless this has not been communicated before by Sarty. The lessons learnt from the courts and the knowledge about justice makes Sarty to feel that barn burning is not a good act and that it is not good to be forced by his own father to get involved in that and pretend not to have participated in the barn burning. Sarty is well aware that by a mere fact that he is only helping his father and acting under a instruction from him to burn barns is a crime punishable under the law. There is no excuse after participating in such an act. The feeling of guilt arises after knowing that it is wrong to barn burns. Sarty do not see things in the perspective of being incorrect according to the law or religion but in the perspective of a duty to the community or civic responsibility. In the scenario where Lennie is told to hold Sarty, for instance, he orders her mother to leave him alone or else he could hit her back. According to Sarty it is wrong to hit your mother but engaging in barn burning is even worse. Similarly, betraying his own father is also a challenge and would result into her mother being heartbroken, but this cannot prevent him from making a decision that is best according to his senses. His age is only ten and this is certainly not the right position he was to be involved in. the writer, William Faulkne, has simply made Sarty to be in a complex situation. In the de-Spain-Mansion, we come to meet the thoughts of the character Sarty. This is a very important moment after Sarty comes to see it. The mansion arouses the little boy’s thoughts; it makes him to remember the courthouse. By remembering the court house is a clear indication that Sarty has at one moment come across a courthouse. It also gives some clue that Sarty could possibly

Constitutional Amendments in United States Essay

Constitutional Amendments in United States - Essay Example Analysts have observed that Thirteenth Amended influenced the political structure of the United States because it gave the Congress the authority to institute legislation, which would prohibit slave trade. The historical ruling of the Supreme Court in 1857 had indicated that Congress had no power to regulate slavery (Bardes, et.al. 2011). The Thirteenth Amendment allowed the Congress to take additional measures against ten states that had rebelled against abolition of slavery. Evidently, President Lincoln declaration had instigated uproar from these ten states that did not accept the move to abolish slave trade. Historians have argued that Thirteenth Amendment provided an opportunity for fifteenth and Fourteenth amendments, which influenced the freedom of freed slaves. The amendment influenced the social structure because it gave the slaves the rights to be citizens, and share equal rights as the blacks. However, history indicates that segregation in the American society at that time was rampant; whites had more rights than the blacks (Bardes, et.al. 2011). It is arguable that public opinion and the law might not in alignment in every situation. This indicated that social structures were a long distance to achieve. Economic structures of United States automatically changed because slaves could no longer work in agricultural farms. Farm owners registered low profits; Africans had the opportunity to set their own enterprises. Sixteenth Amendment of the US constitution in 1913 gave the federal government authority to influence taxes levied (Milakovich & Gordon, 2008). This amendment was in response to Supreme Court ruling, which adduced that federal government had no powers to in a specific area to withhold taxes. Taking a political angle towards this amendment, it is evident that the government gained more power. Department charged with taxes in the US has a growing number of staffs following this amendment. The amendment influenced the social structure because many people tried to look for ways to avoid paying taxes. Many people changed their spending attitudes and sought ways to shelter the income. The public became aggressive to know how the government spent their money. Evidently, the government channeled federal taxes to support education, social programs that include healthcare, security, and public projects among others (Milakovich & Gordon, 2008). The taxes levied from citizens contributed towards social growth of the nation. In the economic sector, the amendment led to changes in banking laws. In addition, people got the legal opportunity to keep their earnings in government bonds, retirement benefits, and saving account for Medicare (Wilson, 2011). Corporations got the opportunity to bank their money in foreign banks and lobby for tax holidays by citing various

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Business - Essay Example In addition, he terminated a central IT steering committee and replaced it with another new structure that pushed IT investment decisions to the line organizations. However, these operations were coordinated by the centralized IT organization. A web based service system (Cisco.com) was the primary style in use at the network level so as to spread company’s operations all across the globe. At the data level, the company employed a client-funded-project (CFP) system. This system mainly strengthened each function to control its own IT budgets. The company’s IT department enabled easy integration with acquired business organizations. To conclude, Cisco spent whatever needed on IT aiming at the operational efficiency of the organization. 2. Cisco faced many difficulties with its internal IT by 2001. The September 11 terrorist attacks and resultant internet bubble burst greatly added to the technology failure in Cisco. Lack of common order-status tool was the man issue that c aused severe issues with Cisco’s internal IT. Although, the company had nine different order-status tools at the end of 2001, none of them were providing the desired outcomes. Therefore, the company pumped more and more money toward the development of such customized tools. However, it was necessary to have some efficient customized tools so as to instantaneously check the order-status while interacting with the customers. Therefore, each company business leader separately paid to get some efficient tools that looked up data about customer orders. â€Å"As a result, each of the tools pulled data from different sources that used different definitions for key terms† (Mac Fee et al, 4). This situation caused some confusion in the organization since the multiple databases created conflicts in order-status reports. It was also observed that IT decisions were made without practicing centralized group checking for conflicts and redundancies. Similarly, lack of centralized pla nning was another major problem that had intensified Cisco’s internal IT difficulties. In the case of ERP system also, many groups had built specialized tools. Hence, the Cisco faced many difficulties to upgrade a newer version of the ERP system as it necessitated the disablement of a number of custom interfaces. As a result, the ERP system did not help more in this situation. 3. The Business Process Operating Committee (BPOC) was a cross functional decision making group established by Cisco in late 2002. This committee included major persons at the helm of affairs of the Cisco. The major objective of this group was to set and drive corporate priorities for the company. The BPOC management team mainly focused on its enterprise-wide productivity. As stated in the given case (7), so as to facilitate this function, the BPOC’s leadership dealt with formulation of key operational policy decisions, alignment of similar initiatives across the company, development of Ciscoâ₠¬â„¢s corporate business process framework, and enforcement of decisions with attention to execution and accountability. It must be noted that the BPOC was not established for funding the economic operations of Cisco. On the other hand, its main intention was to provide effective recommendations for the Cisco’s management regarding the company’s IT spending. The BPOC had a precise authority over the company operations since it dealt with projects that were

the Collection The Worlds Wife Essay Example for Free

the Collection The Worlds Wife Essay Anne Hathaway is written in a very similar style to all the other poems in The Worlds Wife. My lovers words were shooting starts that fell to earth as kisses is a metaphor emphasising the brilliance of his words and implying that they originated in heaven, thus making them perfect. Duffy frequently uses imagery thus. The bed a page beneath his writers hands is an example of figurative language in the semantic field of writing, which is associated with Shakespeare. Similarly, Mrs Aesop is filled with morals such as the pot that called the kettle [black], as fables are what Aesop is remembered for, and Frau Freud is centred around euphemisms for penis, as penis envy was Freuds legacy. This use of subject-specific lexemes is frequently used by Duffy to invoke thoughts of the famous figures concerned. Just as I had wept for a night and a day / over my loss in Mrs Lazarus contains enjambement, very few lines in Anne Hathaway are endstopped, resulting in a flowing syntax emphasising the fluidity of their love. Duffy does, however, use caesura on the line a page beneath his writers hands. Romance and drama , dividing the ensuing romance and drama from Anne dreaming, perhaps implying that she would still have experienced romance and drama without dreaming. Gone home. Gutted the place from Mrs Lazarus is another example of caesura separating actions, this time to express a sense of finality and determination. The descriptive feel of Anne Hathaway is enhanced by Duffys use of declarative sentences. Alliteration in living laughing love expresses happiness, just as feared, famous, friends of the stars is alliterative to show how the Kray Sisters were happy because of their fame. This contented fluidity is further enhanced by assonance other bed, the best, our guests; sibilance by scent, by taste; and fricatives softer rhyme. These makes their love seem continuous, just as the birth in Pope Joan seems unstoppable because of the fricatives and repetition of lifting me, flinging me down All these literary features are used in every poem in The Worlds Wife, making Anne Hathaway feel a natural part of the collection. However, The Worlds Wife is all about feminism; the genitive in the title suggesting that women are possessions and that this is evident across the entire planet. The poems satirise this attitude using hyperbole, for instance making Aesop obsessed with morals, or by twisting history (making the Kray Brothers women). Every poem is a famous story told from the point of view of a woman, often turning the plot of the story around as with Little Red-Cap, or giving the pivotal point of the story to the woman, as with Mrs Darwin. Anne Hathaway is not satirical. Although, as most of Duffys poems are, it is a dramatic monologue, it is not a rant. It is a love poem. Throughout Anne Hathaway there are two separate lexical chains: words such as kisses, lips, hands and body in the semantic field of love and nouns such as words, page, noun and verb in the semantic field of writing. Just as these two chains are clearly separated, so Shakespeares writing was separate from his love. This is emphasised in the title: unlike the other poems in the collection, Anne Hathaway is not entitled Mrs. Shakespeare. The name Shakespeare is associated with Shakespeares works. The different surname separates Anne Hathaways love from Shakespeares works, which were fictional: Shakespeares love for Anne was not fictional. The two lexical chains do touch in places, for instance the bed a page beneath his writers hands. Each time the two themes combine it is to describe more vividly a sensual action, such as the innuendo a verb dancing in the centre of a noun. This is to emphasise how Shakespeare put his whole being and essence into loving Anne Hathaway. There is only one other true love poem in The Worlds Wife: Delilah. The love Delilah feels for Samson is emphasised by the use of polysyndeton, sibilance and alliterative fricatives in slip and slide and sprawl, handsome and huge. Samsons physical strength is represented semantically by the nouns tiger, fire and Minotaur which carry connotations of power and fear. The simple rhyming couplets bear/dare, fear/here bring a feeling of truth and simplicity to Samsons claims. This strength contrasts with the emotional weakness he then demonstrates, justifying Delilahs desire to help him. She is portrayed as very possessive of Samson, my warrior and his head on my lap suggesting that she felt empowered and within her right to act. The simple, isolated sentence I was there implies that she loves the power, as do the adjectives deliberate, passionate. Although in this poem Duffy doesnt represent the woman as being in the right, Duffy at least makes both characters seem more human, lowering Samson from his position of strength and raising Delilah from her baseness.

Dilmas Impeachment: the Brazilian Last Political Crush

Dilmas Impeachment: the Brazilian Last Political Crush Introduction After a year of investigations, on 31 August 2016, Dilma Rousseff, the 36th President of Brazil and the first woman to occupy this position in the countrys history, was removed from Presidency of Brazil by the Senate for breaking fiscal laws and alleged illegally manipulation of government account. Thus, Rousseff was replaced by her vice president and alliance partner Michel Temer, in the hope that he would be able to manage Brazils economic situation. However, Ms Rousseff alleged that the impeachment proceedings were commensurate to a coup dà ©tat against her government. Since Ms Rousseff allegedly believed to be the victim of a coup fomented by her politics opponents, the Brazil local media defined the impeachment as a lawful act, hardly questioning if the hypothetical coup happened or not. Above all, Michel Temer is currently one of those less popular politicians in Brazil. Methodology This research was conducted by a succinct search for newspaper articles (available on the web) that have been written about Dilmas impeachment, especially those published on 31st August and 1st September of 2016. Three articles were used from three different newspapers. They are: The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Guardian. To help with the facts, this report is also based on one opinion article written by a Brazilian Historian and Journalist Juremir Machado in the same year. Main Points / Discussion This report has the main topic to explain briefly what happened during Ms Rousseff impeachment process from the point of view of the sources selected on the day that she was ousted as Brazils President. The political crush Despite Rousseff has used all legal means to defend herself she was taken from power on 31st August 2016. The Senate said that the impeachment was provided by the Brazilian Constitution and has all the guise of legitimacy (Machado, 2016). As reported by The New York Times, when the Senate impeachment Ms Rousseff, it also ended to 13 years of governing by the leftist Workers Party. Which was coming from an era that Brazils economy had surged, expanding the countrys profile on the world stage (Romero, 2016).   The Guardian News said that not only during Rousseff administration Brazilian economy was about to stand trial, but also for decades. Equally, large number of the members of Brazilian political class have been implicated in corruption investigation (Machado, 2016). For example, the man who initiated the impeachment process, Eduardo Cunha, former president of the Chamber of Deputies, is being accused of money laundering and tax evasion. Even Michel Temer, the man who assume d Dilmas place is being investigated for money laundering (Lopes Phillips, 2016). Brazils democracy The Guardian remembers that only two of the last eight directly-elected presidents had completed their terms. As a matter of fact, two presidents had been impeached, one removed in a military coup, one killed himself, one died before taking power and another had resigned (Watts, 2016). Hence, its possible affirm that Brazils democracy is very sensitive to any crushing. Its only past 30 years since the end of Brazils military dictatorship and because of that, Brazilian democracy still raw and probably too young to deal properly with the corruption scandals. The new man in charge The New York Times alleged that her impeachment might not restore public confidence in Brazils leaders, or diminish the corruption that pervades the politics and said that it only will transfer the power from one corrupted party to another. Michel Temer situation at government seems to be just as unhinged. Per, The Washington Post Michel Temer belongs to the more conservative Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, and is trying to introduce austerity measures to right the economy (Lopes Phillips, 2016). The Washington Post says: Temer is as unpopular as Rousseff, and whether he can muster the political support for such changes was unclear (Lopes Phillips, 2016). What is happening next In accordance with The New York times, being Ms Rousseff deposed, there is a possibility of the conservative speeches grow even more powerful in the country. Therefore, the party would be damaged as well possibly turning impossible a new re-election. Now, is waiting for the next direct election which is happening next year, in 2018. According to The Guardian, big protests anti-impeachment were seen in many cities in Brazil during the week of Ms Rousseffs judgment, demonstrating that the population did not totally accept the impeachment results. Conclusion Based on the research, it is unanimous between the articles that Dilmas administration wasnt the best for Brazil. However, the articles also investigated the fact that Michel Temer is part of the opposition party, letting understand that maybe the problem can be deeply in Brazils democracy. Michel Temer and his party are in the same way that Ms Rousseff a not better option for Brazil political condition. The sources also believed that the fact of Ms Rousseff was a former revolutionary against the military dictatorship could influence her to be ousted from the government. Nevertheless, we are talking about recent facts, in other words, Brazils crisis is part of history of the present time, running now without soon ending. References Lopes, M. Phillips, D. (2016, August 31). Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff ousted in impeachment vote. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/brazilian-president-dilma-rousseff-faces-final-impeachment-vote/2016/08/30/c85173d4-6ee7-11e6-993f-73c693a89820_story.html?utm_term=.77cd305a0e35 Romero, S. (2016, August 31). Dilma Rousseff Is Ousted as Brazils President in Impeachment Vote. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/01/world/americas/brazil-dilma-rousseff-impeached-removed-president.html?_r=0 Watts, J. (2016, September 1) Brazils Dilma Rousseff impeached by senate in crushing defeat. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/31/dilma-rousseff-impeached-president-brazilian-senate-michel-temer Machado, J. (2016, August 27). Opinià £o: Queda de Dilma ou à © golpe de Estado ou à © farsa. Correio do Povo. Retrieved from http://www.correiodopovo.com.br/blogs/juremirmachado/2016/08/8983/le-monde-desmascara-o-golpe/

Luke Presents Jesus As The Divine Saviour Religion Essay

Luke Presents Jesus As The Divine Saviour Religion Essay The purpose of this essay is to look into the work and life of Jesus Christ while on earth as portrayed by each of the Gospels. Though each of the gospels presents a full picture of the person of Christ however, there is a distinction between the four. Each of the writers presents Jesus in his own way, in terms of audience, theme, and focus. The Gospel of Matthew was  [1]  written around 50-60AD in Palestine, before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD (Matt 4:5, 27:53). Although the specific date for the book of Mark is uncertain, scholars date it to be written around 49s 60s AD, and believed to be the first Gospel written. The Gospel of Luke was written between 60 65AD while the Gospel of John was dated about 90s. Theme Matthew presents  [2]  Jesus as Messiah. Mark presents Jesus as Servant of God, Luke presents Jesus as the Divine Saviour, and John presents Jesus as the Son of God. Audience Matthew writes his gospel to the Jews. He sought to convince the Jews that Jesus is the promised messiah and king, which was fulfilled through repeated prophecy in the Old Testament. Mark writes to the Roman audience, who were not  [3]  religious, neither philosopher like the Greek. Luke writes to a Greek audience, who were very religious, philosophical, and great thinkers. His two literal classical books, book of Acts and Luke were written to Theophilus a high ranking Greek noble man and other Gentile Christians (LK 1:3, Acts 1:1). The gospel of John was written to all Christians. Background to the Gospel The book of Matthew was placed first as an introduction to the New Testament because it bridge gap between the Old and New Testament. Written in Greek for Jewish believers but the style of writing was Hebrew or Aramaic due to the way Jesus life and ministry was narrated. Although the author of the gospel was not identified by name in biblical text, but testimony by early  [4]  church fathers, Eusebius and Papias shows that Apostle Matthew wrote the book as an eye witness to major events during the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth. The gospel of Mark was action parked fast moving narration written by John Mark an associate of Peter, companion of Paul and Barnabas.  [5]  According to Papias, Mark derived his content from his association with Peter, he was Peter interpreter and wrote as many things he can remembered as Peter relate to him. He tailored his gospel for his Romans listeners who are not religious, who have respect for authority but love action. He portrayed Jesus as a miracle worker; one who could control wind and storm, whom demons trembled at his sight and heal all manner of sicknesses and diseases, but despite this power he humbled himself and gave his life as a ransom, teaching that people who are truly great are servant, that anyone that wants to be great must be a servant first. The author of the gospel of  [6]  Luke was a physician, astute writer, theologian and historian whose book was directed to the Greek believer. The book of Luke is the first of its two books addressed to a man called Theophilus a gentile believer (LK 1:3, Act 1:1). He was a Gentile convert, the only non Jewish author of a bible book. Besides his medical knowledge which he shows frequently when he used medical terms to describe sicknesses for example a man suffering from dropsy (LK 14:2). The author of the fourth gospel was  [7]  John the son of Zebedee one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus, he writes as the disciples whom Jesus loved (Jn. 13: 23-24, 20: 2-9, 21:2-24), hence claims to be an eye witness of Jesus ministry, and recorded much of Jesus ministry in Judea and Jerusalem. Purpose of the Canonical Gospels Matthew wrote to convinced Jewish Christians that Jesus roots is from the lineage of Abraham and descendants of David (Matt 1:1-17). Also too assured the Jews that Jesus was the son of God, awaited messiah has foretold by the Old Testament prophet (Ish. 7:14).  [8]  Matthew also shows to the Jews that Christ came to establish a spiritual kingdom not a political one, which will be followed by a physical kingdom at the end of the age. The book of Matthew is not complete without his explanation on great commission (Matt 28:19). Marks writes to persecuted  [9]  Romans Christian presenting Jesus as the Son of God (Mk 1:1), a suffering servant of God, also too encouraged Romans believers to suffered faithfully for the gospel as he placed before them the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ their Lord and saviour. Luke wrote to the  [10]  Greek Christian and the most comprehensive of the synoptic gospel, he provide full details of all that Jesus the human saviour had done, teach until the day he was taken up to heaven (LK 1:3-4). He traced Jesus human genealogy back to Adam (LK 3:23-38), not just to Abraham as did Matthew (Matt 1:1-17). In Luke we see Jesus as divine saviour (Lk. 1:47, 2:11) who provides salvation for all men irrespective of their nationality. Johns purpose was to reveal the  [11]  deity of Jesus Christ that he is indeed the Son of God who in obedience to the father took on the nature of man (Jn. 1:1), and those who believed in him receive eternal life (John 20:31). He wrote to refute false teachings of the  [12]  Gnostics who goes about denying the humanity: (the word became flesh, Jn. 1:14) and death of Jesus Christ: (Jesus death and resurrection, Jn. 19, 20:1-28). Focus of the Gospels Matthew  [13]  focus on Jesus, the King of Israel who fulfilled Old Testament laws and messianic prophecy (Ish. 7:13), from conception (Matt 1:22-23), to his residence in Nazareth (Matt 2:23), his Galilean ministry (Matt 4:14-chs 18), teachings about the end time (eschatology), triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He arranged Jesus teachings about the kingdom into; ethics-sermon on the mount (Matt 5:1-7:29); missionary (Matt 9:35-11:1); parables about the kingdom (Matt 13:1-52); discipleship (Matt 18:1-35) and lastly on Olivet discourse about the end of the age (Matt 23:1-25:46). He portrayed Jesus as the promised King, who came to inaugurate kingdom of heaven which is not political but spiritual. In a fast  [14]  catchy action, Mark focuses primarily on Jesus mighty miracles, his authority over sicknesses and demons as signs that the kingdom of Gods is at hand. He also portrayed Jesus as Gods servant. It was at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus identity was fully disclosed to his disciples as the Christ, and his prediction about his death and resurrection (Mk 8:31) which shows his divine foreknowledge; making references to cost of discipleship (Mk 8:34-38, 9:1-10) and lastly on Passion Week in (Mk 11-16). Luke is the most comprehensive of the synoptic gospel, focusing on Jesus lineage from pre birth to ascension, his  [15]  Galilean ministry in LK 4:14-9:50, final journey to Jerusalem in LK 9:51-19:27 and his last week called passion week in LK 19:28-24:53. The main focus of Luke is on Jesus teachings and parables during his ministry, expressing universal hope that Jesus came for both Jews and gentiles, his emphasis on prayer, on the move and work of the Holy Spirit, starting from the filling of John the Baptist from his mother womb; to the miraculously birth of the son of God (LK 1:35), to Jesus spirit baptism in (LK 4:14); and clothing of disciples with power from on high (LK 24:49). John focuses much more on the discourses of Christ as Gods incarnate Son. The  [16]  book of John have two divisions the first division (Jn. 1-12), he explain with evidences Jesus incarnation with: seven signs (miracles), seven teachings (Jesus used to disclose his identity), and seven à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I amà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  statements (by which Jesus revealed figuratively what he is to human race) with his bodily resurrection as proof of his claim as Christ, the Son of God. The second division John focuses on Jesus relationship with his disciples (Jn. 13-21), the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14-16), the last supper (Jn. 13), Jesus final prayer for believers (Jn. 17), finally his death and resurrection (Jn. 20-21). Relation of the Gospels The four gospel writers write to people of different background and needs. Each under the influence and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit write about the life and teaching of Jesus Christ according to audiences whom they were writing to. Other teaching was omitted purposely, for example Mark mentions women not divorcing their husbands to his Romans audience (Mk 10; 12), Matthew did not mention this since Jewish law did not permit a woman to divorce her husband. Matthew and Luke  [17]  write from Mark while John copied from no one. Altogether Matthew, Mark and Luke record eighty-three events of the same account only twenty four of this are  [18]  found in all the four gospels, with forty- one accounts unique to Johns Gospel, fifty-two to Luke, Matthew with twenty à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬seven unique accounts, while Mark has two. John has no record of Jesus parables. Matthew recorded eighteen parables of Jesus, Luke nineteen while Mark has four. Conclusion Each of the Gospels writers presents the same gospel under the leading of the Holy Spirit too meet specific need in the body of Christ. I believe the focus of each of the writer matured the church of Christ over time, keep the church focus in the right perspective.

Genesis and Paradise Lost Essay -- Religion, God, Satan, Milton

The words God speaks at the Creation are the ultimate and original speech act; as narrated in Genesis and Paradise Lost, God only has to speak and the words come into effect: And God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light... (Genesis, 1:3) Let there be light, said God, and forthwith light Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure Sprung from the deep... (VII.243) Milton inverts the arrangement of the identification of the voice and the spoken words themselves, thus absorbing God's voice entirely into the poetic lines.s Satan is an inveterate liar who abuses language for his own evil purposes. Satan's language is 'Ambiguous and with double sense deluding' (Paradise Regained, I.435), whereas the Son's language (and by extension God's) enforces a kind of linguistic harmony where 'Thy actions to thy words accord' (Paradise Regained, III.9). In Paradise Lost, Satan's 'ambiguous words' (V.703, VI.568) act as 'persuasive' traps, 'replete with guile' (IX.737, 733). He utters 'high words, that bore | Semblance of worth not substance' (I.528), and it is worth bearing this in mind should you be tempted to succumb to his enticing rhetoric, as Eve or, more recently the poets Shelley and Blake have been known to do! God's words are necessarily congruent with their meaning (God is unable to lie). But while Satan lacks the power of speech acts, he has the sophistical ability to dissemble. In the beginning of Book I of Paradise Lost, true to epic convention, John Milton invokes the muse, but his muse is no less than the Holy Spirit: And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer†¨Before all Temples th’ upright heart and pure,†¨Instruct me, for Thou know’st; Thou from the first†¨Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread†¨Dove-l... ...a child whose only reply from parental authority was an unsatisfying â€Å"Because I said so!† But then such children grow up and search for their own answers. Blake’s point begins to make sense if Paradise Lost is evaluated on its poetic success and its theological failure. Milton â€Å"was a true Poet, and of the Devil’s party without knowing it† in that his poetry unwittingly brought Satan to life while trying to destroy him. Satan, warts and all, is probably the most memorable presence in the poem and likely all readers retain of it. Similarly Milton’s theology is so weak and flawed that it opens the door to a devastating philosophical counterattack. In trying to justify God, Milton actually accomplishes the opposite as demonstrated by the failure of Book III. For Blake, Milton the Epic Poet ultimately trumps Milton the Christian Apologist who surely desired otherwise.

Hate Crime Laws :: essays research papers

Hate Crime Laws   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the United States of America and long with the whole world is filled with diversity there will always be conflicts about believes and feelings towards each other. Many people have their believes and keep them to themselves. Then there are the type of people that feel they have to put their believes into actions and hurt others or destroy things to get their point across. These believes that hurt and destroy others things and lives are called hate crimes. Hate crimes are becoming more and more common everyday. FBI statistics show that the frequency hate crimes in America are increasing as the frequency regular crimes in America have been decreasing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the increase in hate crimes in America, minority groups are starting to become the prey of the beasts who commit these awful crimes. So the minority groups (Asians, African Americans, Jewish people, Homosexuals, and others) have been pushing to have hate crime laws passed to protect them from violence and ridicule. The laws that are in affect now are only slightly protective of the minorities in hate crimes. The laws that are in state right now say that a hate crime offender can only be prosocuted for their crimes if they are prohibiting the minority or victum of the hate crime from a â€Å"federally protected right†. Such as attending school, voting and etc. The victums of hate crimes do not think that these laws are very strict. The victoms are demanding newer stricter laws. The victoms or minorities want these newer stricter laws because basically they have no protection from violence. The old laws basically just state that if you are prohibiting th e person from doing something you are at fault. Well the minorities want these stiffened and they want them to be harsher. An example of what the minorities want is any act done against anyone with intent to cause bodily harm or death because the person was part of a minority group will carry the fine of being federally prosecuted and with that there is the chance of the death penalty. With making the laws more strict the victums of hate crimes will be gaining more security and more protection from having violence and abuse taken out on them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There really is no opposition to making the laws stricter because it seems that most of the hate crimes that are happening are mostly random acts and just young kids creating stupid acts.

Economic Impact of Natural Disasters Essay

Natural disasters are catastrophes hauled by the nature on man. They may bring about large scale destruction depending on the type of natural disaster. Natural disasters include a range of hazards which may cause widespread devastation and human and animal casualties. They range from floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, tsunamis, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, famine, heat wave and droughts etc. Natural disasters in the past were mostly unpredictable however, with the advancement of science and technology numerous authentic ways of previously detecting the possibility of natural disasters have developed. Nevertheless, even with the invention of modern scientific ways and pre-disaster preparations, human societies are not completely safe from the terrible outcomes of the disasters. The calamities bring with them huge destructions to land, property, human lives and the economy of region concerned. Natural Disasters are not only destructive for the land, people and buildings; they are also at times economically crippling. â€Å"Natural disasters affect people and their livelihoods or their ability to earn a living and support their families. Ultimately, then, severe natural disasters not only destroy people and property, they also affect the economy of the affected region. † (Stoltman, Lidstone and Dichano p. 297) Disasters heavy burden on the economy of the government since it has to make huge monetary expenditures on the recovery of the catastrophe-stricken area and rehabilitation of the victimized population. â€Å"These actions may lead to the postponement of or abandonment of planned investments, reductions in the provisions of public services and deferment of wage and salary increases and of staff appointments. † (Benson and Clay p. 29) This may mean huge losses will be incurred to the economy from this aspect as well in the long run. It is also believed that since in modern times the possible occurrence of a disaster can be predicted, the government has to take safety steps which also incur huge costs; though these safety measures may not even be able to fully protect the area from destruction, which is true in most cases. Hence the cost spent of safety measures is also nearly lost. In the United States natural disasters have been quite frequent and the governments during different times have been able to cope with the economic stress brought about by the calamities. However, sometimes exceptions did exist especially in the past when the technology was not as developed as it is today and the pace with which the rehabilitation should occur was not as fast as in today’s advanced society. America has faced all kinds of disasters from floods, hurricanes, cyclones, volcanic eruptions to heat waves, blizzards and tsunami. Hurricanes and cyclones have been more frequent in some areas prone to such type of disasters. North America especially the United States has generally been successful in holding down the death tolls even in very destructive incidents. (Stoltman, Lidstone and Dechano p. 323) Some natural disasters which occurred in the United States are being discussed from the point of view of the economic destruction they brought. Super Outbreak The largest and the worst known and recorded outbreak of a series of tornadoes over a period of 24 hour in nearly thirteen states of USA took place on 3rd and 4th of April, 1974 and are known as the super outbreak. It is believed by some to the â€Å"worst out break of the 20th century†. (Super Outbreak NOAA) 148 confirmed tornadoes caused widespread damage and destruction in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and New York. It extensively damaged approximately 900 square miles (1,440 square kilometers) along a total combined path length of 2,600 miles (4,160 km). (Super Outbreak Wikipedia). Reported to have begun around the afternoon and continued for a huge duration of 18 hours, the super outbreak lead to large number of casualties, injured and great loss to the buildings and revenue. According to the statistics caused 315 to 330 people’s deaths altogether in all the affected states, 5,484 victims were injured and 27, 590 families suffered the losses of the disaster. Overall estimated damage ranges from $3. 5 billion to $6. 0 billion according to varying sources. (Statistics taken from â€Å"Super Outbreak† Wikipedia and NOAA). Most of the losses incurred were due to the property damage, damage to basic facilities of life like roads, rail tracks which form the means of communication to other areas were severely affected. Tornadoes incurred maximum damage in areas where their intensity was at their peak. â€Å"Hanover was 90% damaged and destroyed. † (Super Outbreak Wikipedia)The task of rehabilitating the areas was not a small one; in fact it spread over 13 US states and a heavy burden was on the government. The estimated cost of the damage to the Hanover College alone was about $10 million. (Super Outbreak Wikipedia) Estimated damage to about 11 schools amounted to $7, 705, 000 in total with some schools not being included in the list. (Super Outbreak NOAA) Rebuilding huge structures is a humungous task. The recovery of all the basic facilities of life like availability of food, water and shelter and means of communication along with the availability of electricity; all had to be provided efficiently and effectively to all the victims of the disaster. In addition the medical costs of those injured had to be met by the government. Measures had to be taken to prevent disease epidemics from erupting in areas facing sanitation problems. These costs were those which had to be used in investments and on other progressive developmental projects, however, due to the disaster a huge amount was now spent on rehabilitation and recovery of victims of the super outbreak. This did not put a temporary burden on the government’s economy but actually affected all those possible ways of economic progress which were being sought through future investment plans. Louisiana Flood 8th May, 1995 â€Å"The United States has a long history of attempting to deal with hazards beginning with floods and focus has been on mitigation. † After experimenting with dams, levees also became discredited after the expenditure of $200 million in 1927. â€Å"That year a massive flood left 250 dead and 700,000 temporarily homeless. † (Stoltman, Lidstone and Dechano p. 326) This proved that no matter what preventive measures may be taken, the losses incurred by the natural disasters (may they be losses of life or economic losses) cannot be fully prevented. Another huge disaster experienced in the history of natural disasters in the USA was the Louisiana flood of 1995. The flooding was actually on set by excessive continued raining from 7th till 8th of May, 1995. Cities like Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, including the cities of New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, River Ridge, Harahan, Slidell, and Covington etc. All these areas were severely affected and experienced huge losses due to the flood. Six people died as a result of the flooding. The city of New Orleans suffered $360 million in damages, and the damage of the surrounding areas put that total above $1 billion. Some 56,000 homes were damaged in 12 Parishes. Thousands of cars were flooded. 14,600 homes and apartments were flooded in Jefferson Parish. The cause of the massive rain fall totals was a stalled out frontal system from the northwest. It produced a train effect, in which rain and/or thunderstorms continued to form over the same area. Pumping stations were overwhelmed and could not pump out the water into Lake Pontchartrain. The pumping stations are only rated to pump one inch per hour maximum. (May 8th 1995 Louisiana Flood Wikipedia) In addition to meeting the huge costs of restoration of normal living standards, the government was also concerned to take steps to prevent such disastrous conditions as much as possible in the future. The countries economy was once again weighed down by the responsibility of taking prospective and effective safety measures. Such catastrophic rainfall floods were planned to be prevented by building high costing much more effective pumps to remove the rain water before build up develops. 1994 Northridge Earthquake The Northridge earthquake occurring on the January 17th 1994 caused large scale devastation and a lot of economic damage as compared to its relatively low intensity of 6. 7 on the Richter scale and low duration. â€Å"Yet in terms of financial losses Northridge is one of the worst disasters in US history. 57 people were killed and 72 deaths were attributed to the earthquake. 11,800 people received hospital treatment for injuries and 22,000 people were left homeless. † (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) Direct losses, like damages to residential and commercial buildings, roads and bridges, means of telecommunication, agriculture and lifelines (like water supply and sewerage lines were damaged) etc altogether amounted to $41. 8 billion. Infrastructural losses like water, gas and power demanded immediate action just as the rescue and recovery of those trapped. Basic necessities of life had to be provided without delay just as immediate medical treatment was essential for the injured. â€Å"Life line damage was estimated $ 2 billion but later was found to have exceeded. † (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) Damage to schools was also costly and the cost was approximately $100 million. (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) It was a sorry state of affairs that the hospitals were also damaged nearly 31 in number and 9 were forced to evacuate. (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) This caused serious problems since the injured had to be dealt with in the hospitals and the transportation systems were damaged to take them to nearby safer areas for the purpose of treatment. However the airports were relatively less damaged or almost not damaged at all. The earthquake wreaked havoc on numerous massive buildings including centers of trade and commerce and shopping plazas, bridges and roads. The destruction of roads and bridges lead to serious complications and further economic loss. Lack of transportation caused various business dealings to be delayed, the damage to office buildings also acted as an aggravating factor in this situation and incurring indirect financial loss. â€Å"The area’s largest shopping center, the Northridge Fashion Center was virtually destroyed and did not open for more than a year and a half. † (Petak and Elahi Northridge earthquake USA) Business loss literally affected the country’s economy which was already dealing with the blow the earthquake had given to it. The overall business losses were estimated to be $15. 2 billion. However, the situations were quickly dealt with which meant that supply was meeting the demand. The area took some time before it was fully restored despite the fact that the recovery process and the aid being provided were both quick and effective. Hurricane Katrina In terms of material as well as economic destruction, Hurricane Katrina, occurring on the 23rd of August, 2005, was one of the worst natural disasters to have affected the US in most recent times. Failure of levee system in New Orleans and Louisiana lead to great loss of life and property. This was greatly criticized since modern day technology demands much more effective measures to be taken by the government in preventing huge catastrophes like hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina has managed to shatter the economy for good. It has caused huge damages to the oil and gas production causing major damage to many oil platforms and leading to the shut down of refineries. â€Å"The total shut-in oil production from the Gulf of Mexico in the six-month period following Katrina was approximately 24% of the annual production and the shut-in gas production for the same period was about 18%. † (Hurricane Katrina Wikipedia)This is a sorry state of affairs since the damage to done to other business market, business dealings and buildings, is apart from this damage to the oil and gas industry. Along with the destruction of various job opportunities the forest industry was also affected. People were not only left homeless but also unemployed and the country’s constant gain through income tax from these previously employed also halted because of the loss of their jobs. Families were left without a means of livelihood and problems of poverty were becoming increasingly significant. â€Å"It is estimated that the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion† (Hurricane Katrina Wikipedia) It is a natural phenomenon that loss of employment opportunities and unavailability of basic needs of the people causes them to move places in search of better opportunities in all fields of life. This has a negative effect not only on the areas which are left, because their chances of future progress become dim, but also of those areas which are over burdened by the influx of people. These areas come under economic pressure because now they have to provide jobs, residential areas and food for more people on the same available resources. This holds very true especially in the case of victims and survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The economic lows in their region forced them to migrate to other regions or states which also suffered a set back when burdened by an extra population to be supported. Conclusion Analysis of the US attitude towards natural disasters has shown that US governments have been active and keen on preventing as well as providing immediate remedies to the disaster stricken people. However, the preventive measures like levee system have not been cost effective. They have not proved to be good in preventing huge damages. Amount spent on these preventive measures is wasted once the disaster strikes. On the other hand, effective and efficient help is provided for the recovery of the victims and the destructed area but the economic blow is very strong. In many areas the fast rehabilitation system is not enough though and migration of people to other states causes burden on those states. The economic damage due post-disaster era is caused due to direct and indirect causes. The direct causes include destruction of buildings especially corporate and residential ones and providence of basic facilities of life to the victims and injured and indirect damage is incurred by mainly destructed transportations, repair, rehabilitation and rechecking of newly built structures for safety. â€Å"Disasters can cause government revenues to fall since lower levels of economic activity including possible net declines in imports and exports imply reduced direct and indirect tax revenues. † (Benson and Clay p. 29) Hence, modern day technology demands our government to take better and more reliable preventive measures to avoid huge damages from disasters which can prove to be long term economic set backs. Works Cited Benson, Charlotte and Clay, Edward J. Understanding the Economic and Financial Impacts of Natural Disasters. 2004. World Bank Publications â€Å"Hurricane Katrina. † Wikipedia. 26 April 2008. Petak, William J and Elahi, Shirin. â€Å"The Northridge Earthquake USA and its Economic and Social Impacts. † 26 April 2008 Stoltman, Joseph P. Lidstone, John and Dechano Lisa M. International Perspectives on Natural Disasters. 2005. Springer Publishers. â€Å"Super Outbreak†. NOAA’S National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office. Northern Indiana. 26 April 2008. â€Å"Super Outbreak† Wikipedia. 26 April 2008.

When Growth Stalls – 1 Page Review

Introduction It's offering advice for avoiding growth stalls, drawing from practices currently in use at large, high-growth companies to foresee possible stalls and head them off. Article gives four categories which regarded as main reason for growth stalls. A premium position backfires, innovation management breaks down, core business is abandoned prematurely and company lacks a strong talent bench. The key point is that all of the most common causes of growth stalls are not come from external force. It’s from management’s failure. Thus it’s knowable and preventable.To spot the sign of growth stalls, they suggest us to use diagnostic self-test they developed. It’s the asking, what company’s senior managers have seen in their markets, in their competitors, in their own internal practice that might be alert of impending stall. To prevent the growth stalls, they recommend us to make strategic assumptions explicit and carry forward it relevance and acc uracy. Thus, agility for reacting to changes of circumstance will be improved. Four practices are required to carry out that process. First, commission a core-belief identification squad which consisted with employees who are less stick to current orthodoxies.Second, conduct teams which develop visions of your company’s future five years hence. Third, appoint a shadow cabinet. Lastly, ask a venture capitalist to sit in on strategy reviews and probe for weakness. Authors’ insist that on the strategy agenda, guarding against growth stalls should be at the top. And firm should renew their competence in strategy in this point. Limitation and defect The authors’ thrust is reasonable theoretically. In intellectual approach, it’s appropriate and fresh idea. However, since theories are based on consequences, it entertains a doubt to rationalize theories in results.Consequently, it’s conflict against real-business situation. First of all, there are a lot of brands who are maintaining their market leadership although they undergoing four critical causes of growth stall. In real business area, there are bunch of brands which take their competitive advantage as product differentiation therefore don’t care their rivals although they’ve got cost leadership. Harley Davidson or John Galliano will be the typical cases. Both of brands even don’t care about customers’ preference. Rather than that, they make customer to be attracted by their brands by customer themselves.Particularly in the luxury good market, brands do not try to stick their concept as contemporary or trendy. They persists their own color. (From research by Custo Barcelona in 2010) Moreover, Asahi Breweries, who’ve got competitive advantage by abandoning core product prematurely and urgently replace it to new product, can be refuter of articles theory too. (Information from Harvard Business School in 1994) Secondly, there are too many restrict ions to absorb their tools in real business. Appling self-test to foresee a stall is not that easy as they insist because it’s unclear to define the fundamental reason of the phenomenon.It can be caused by the economic recession of whole industry, fed in the customer’s preference, where product lifecycle is, or maybe it can be signal of stall. We can’t confirm fundamentally where the drawback is started. Besides utilize four practices which assist to make strategic assumption is more complicated. We can certain that cost of adopting these practices will be high, but can’t confidence how effective it will be work. Efficiency of those practices will be different from each company’s organization, corporate culture and so on. Therefore sometimes it can be aggravate of the risk.In addition, inviting a venture capitalist can be more risky than their effectiveness. Finding faithful and influent VC who is assured to not leak the restricted information abou t corporation will be huge task to solve. Anyway, to reform this thrust, I’d suggest not pass over externalities. They’ve too many weighted in management problem. More fundamental causes will be arises in external environment, such as, threat of substitutes or technological changes. Then, mention about difference between industry and concrete supplementation for their tools which demonstrate its actual effect in really business will be required.

Save Water Speech Essay

Good morning to the excellencies, respected teachers and my dear colleagues. I would like to speech on a very important topic â€Å"save water† today at this special occasion. As well all know that how the water is important for the continuation of life on the earth. It is the most basic need of everyone (human being, animal, plant and other microorganisms). Water is the unique source of life, without water we cannot imagine the life here. Life on other planets is not possible just because of the absence of water. It is considered as the most important among other known celestial bodies. Almost three-fourth area of the earth is covered by the water and it constitutes around 60-70 % of the living world. It seems that water is endless renewable source on the earth because it is regenerated and redistributed all over the earth through evaporation and rain. It arises a question in our mind that if water is renewable source then why we should worry for water and try to conserve it. Actually, there is only 1% of the water on the earth which is usable to us. And other water bodies have unusable water to us such as 97% salty sea water, 2% water in the form of glaciers and polar ice caps. Only 1% water is here for us over which a huge population all over the world is depended for the survival. Death is more possible in the lack of water than the lack of food. It again arises a question in our mind that why we are so late in realizing the need of water saving and conservation. Since the life of each and every living things on the earth depends on water, then scenario will get worse if useful water become dirty or started reducing. A water looking fresh and drinkable from outside can be mixed with the harmful and toxic elements through various sources like industries, factories, sewer, etc and cause illness and death if ingested by animals, plants or human beings. Here are some tips which really will help us to save water: Parents should aware their children about the need of water conservation. They should avoid buying recreational water toys (which require constant stream of water) to their children. Everyone should be aware of the water shortage rules and restrictions and strictly follow in their own area. Every employee should be active for the water conservation at their own work place and encourage their employer to promote water conservation in other effective ways. There should be water conservation awareness and tips for every starter in the orientation manual and training program at schools, colleges,  work place, offices, institutions, etc. Water conservation techniques should be promoted on every news media such as TV, newspaper, radio, FM, community newsletters, bulletin boards, banners, etc. People should be more active in their area to report (to their owner, local authorities, water management of district) any problems related to water loss through broken pipes, errant sprinklers, open hydrants, abandoned free-flowing wells, etc. Water conservation awareness should be highly developed and promoted especially in the schools to aware children means future of the nation. School students should be assigned to prepare projects on water conservation or given this topic during any competition like debate, discussion, essay writing or speech recitation. It should be promoted at tourism level so that tourists and visitors can be aware of and understand the need for water conservation. As being educated citizens we should encourage our friends and neighbors to join the water conscious community. Everyone should make a task related to water saving and try to complete by the end of day strictly.

DSTV Consumer Behaviour

DUST aims to give â€Å"So Much More† to their clients and they do this with the creation of an effective racketing strategy. They target people who demand a high level of entertainment with a variety of program offerings such as Movies, Music, News, Comedy, Documentaries etc, for the entertainment of their clients thus creating and delivering value to the customer. The customer may choose what they want to watch whenever they want to watch It, whether at home or on the move with various Innovations such as the decoder at home and the Walk which may be used on the move.With all the innovations they have come up with and made money off, DUST still aims to better he environment they work in whether it is improving the lives of people through charity organizations or CSS. DUST has created employment for people of Africa and opportunities for Africans such as the Face of Africa competition, New Directions Initiative and the creation of Channel O which focuses on the musical talent s of some of Africans best musicians.DUST has also created multiple initiatives focused on improving the lives of people living in South Africa such as giving access to water to people without and making green houses for the people of South Africa. DUST rated and Installed the playful system In multiple schools throughout South Africa. This system combines the energy of children who would play on a Roundabout Playful which would produce water as they play, this water Is then used by the children for drinking purposes and it is used to water the food gardens areas to create a green environment.DUST has already provided over 5000 trees for low income households and community areas in the country. (Anon B) Market Analysis Customers User's Demographic core LSI: 8 – 10 Gender: 50% Male 50% Female Age: 6 – 18 Years Selector's Demographics ore LSI: 8- 10 Age: 20 – 35 years Payer's Demographics Age: 25-arrears Organizations Capabilities Strengths DUST offers over 90 Cha nnels and 78 Audio Channels Innovative – They have introduced Mobile TV I. E.Drifts, Drifts USB, Walk, Drifts (Lisle's Notes) DUST is Technologically Advanced – â€Å"South Africans Leading Satellite Pay Television Brand† (Lisle's Notes) Weaknesses DUST offers too many options in its Premium Bouquet DUST Premium is expensive and the cheaper DUST compact offers little entertainment Dusts is difficult to navigate and troubleshooting problems such as loss of signal uh to mechanical failure are difficult to fix Opportunities A growing Mobile Entertainment market The online media streaming trends Technological advancement e. . HAD Television, Smartened APS that allow you to stream media, AD TV. Threats People going back to traditional entertainment e. G. Children choosing to play outside instead of watching TV Piracy e. G. Illegal movies being sold at traffic lights being substituted for DUST Box Office Competitors e. G. Estimates which has over 7 million Current Com petitors Cinema e. G. Steer-Senior, Memento etc. TOP Walking on Water On Digital MediaE-sat Talked Media Future Competitors Nettling Provider of on demand online streaming media Numb Television They aim to offer 150 Channels HAD Channels Catch-up/On Demand Service Youth Stream videos online TV's being able to connect to internet meaning consumers can stream videos online The Environment Economic Forces Petrol price increase means some items will become more expensive which may force some to cut back on luxuries e. G.Changing from DUST Premium to Compact in order to save money Technological Forces Introduction of Smartest which may connect to the internet Smartness becoming trend in South Africa, DUST Mobile customers may increase. Legal Forces Laws that allow/disallow the broadcasting of certain events e. G. Oscar Posteriors Trial may increase DUST viewers Environmental Forces Weather patterns changing, more rain means DUST signal will be affected, which affects the performance of t he network. Segmentation DUST operates in the Satellite TV Market. They have chosen to focus on mainly the entertainment and education segments of that market (Anon C).This market is one that provides consumers with amusement in the form of Game Shows, Sport, Music, Movies etc, as well as insight and knowledge in the form of Documentaries, News and Learning Programs. The best way to segment the DUST market would be to place a group of individuals who share a similar set of needs and want together and provide them with programming that would best satisfy those needs. (Moray Roberts L. ) This segment would be targeted at children below the age of 10 years. These children are part of the core LSI (LSI 6 – 8).There's no cultural, racial limitation to the group and the programs featured in this Segment would include channels such s Cartoon Network, Disney and Nickelodeon for Entertainment purposes as well as channels such as the Learning Channel for Educational purposes. I choose to segment in this manner because this would allow DUST to effectively target children more and provide higher quality services to the parents and the children watching the shows which would best fit Dusts slogan â€Å"So Much More. † DUST premium This segment is targeted at adult Males and Females between the ages of 40 – 50 years.This individual is at the prime of their life and needs a high level of service and value for money. This individual is part of LSI 8- 10 and has a high ranking position in their workplace. This individual gets to enjoy all of Dusts offerings exclusively at any time of day. These individuals may watch DUST on their own or with their family/friends. DUST compact This segment is targeted at young adult males and females between the ages of 20 – 25 years. These young individuals are students and cannot afford to pay Premium prices but would like to enjoy some of Dusts offerings.This segment focuses purely on entertainment e. G. Reality s hows, game shows, music and series. They get to watch their favorite shows in their apartments/flats or on their smartness. These individuals are part of LSI 7 – 9 and are generally into speaking about celebrities and the latest gossip. DUST Cinema This segment is targeted at adult Males and Females between the ages of 30 – 40 years. These individuals love watching the latest movies and with the price of cinema tickets increasing they would benefit greatly from an affordable movie ticket in the comfort of their own home or while on the move.These individual are social and can e found in restaurants with their family or friends but would prefer to watch movies at home where there are less people and more comfort. Conclusion DUST has been able to grow its market over the years by creating effective marketing strategies that satisfy the consumer's needs. This has increased the amount of loyal customers they have and through thorough understanding of their customer's behav ior they may continue to make the right decisions when it comes to what their customers want and need as well as what they offer. References Bridal Paramus S. Roberts-Lombard M, 2012, Consumer Behavior, 2nd Edition, Marketing, 12th edition, Pearson Education Inc, 10 February 2014 Anon A, http:// unbranded . Co. AZ/news/broadcasting/81013-dust- more-subscribers- more- money. HTML, 15 February 2014 Anon B, http://www. Melancholic. Co. AZ/Melancholic/ view/Melancholic/en/page 24238, 17 February 201 5 Anon C, http:// www. Superabundant. Com/AZ/index. PH? 17 February 2014 Anon D, HTTPS:// www. BC. Dude/?Joneses/overhead. HTML, 23 February 2014 Gill Model, 2013, http:// grubstake. Co. AZ/2013/05/09/did-top-TV-ever-stand-a-chaw once-Ana lays is-of-dusts- strengths-weaknesses', 24 February 2014

Harlequin Enterprises: the Mira Decisions Essay

The primary issue facing Harlequin is the â€Å"steady loss of share in a growing women’s fiction market†, due to the growing popularity of single-title novels. With the volume sales dependence that is inherent in series publishing, the unit sales stalling that occurred in the late 80’s and early 90’s acted as a warning signal to Harlequin. A change in pricing strategies enabled revenues to continue to rise, but this was a short-term solution and Mira has the potential to become a long-term solution. However, there are a number of issues surrounding the launch of Mira. As the world’s largest publisher of romance fiction, Harlequin has a strong global foothold in series publishing with a presence in more than 100 international markets and 23 languages. Indeed, Harlequin has been able to create high barriers to entry in the series market through the development of brand loyalty and excellence in product quality and supply chain management. Brand loyalty comprises a strong readership base, which has been cultivated through brand recognition, trust, and long-term relationships. This is evidenced by the direct-to-reader Book Club, which currently provides 3/8 of US Sales at significantly higher margins than indirect sales. The low-price, consistent, high-quality product is well packaged and positioned ideally to take advantage of customer expectations, supported by a large and capable author/editor base. Standardization has enabled Harlequin to take advantage of significant economies of scale in printing, distribution and advertising; and simplifies retailers’ positioning and marketing strategies. While standing order distribution enables Harlequin to more accurately predict sales and returns, and therefore benefit from predictable cost-based accounting practices to achieve better margins. However, with limited diversification, Harlequin has little expertise in the broader realm of women’s fiction outside of the romance genre, which may limit their abilities to select and develop successful authors and titles, as was the case with the 1987 Worldwide Library failure. Although, the Worldwide experience gives Harlequin a true appreciation of their strengths and provides a strong foundation from which to avoid future mistakes. Harlequin’s inferior presence in traditional retail environments for single-title novels and limited advertising portfolio centred on print media somewhat restricts their sales to their existing, or stereotypical, customer base. Existing distribution partnerships are unlikely to resolve this issue and may force Harlequin to seek out new partnerships and/or mechanisms. According to the market research, â€Å"customers were reading as many single-title romance and women’s fiction books as series romances. This implies that there is significant overlap with other subject areas and market segments within Harlequin’s existing readership base and it should be possible for Harlequin to cultivate their customer loyalty and translate it to direct-to-reader sales in other genres. Mira also provides the opportunity for authors to develop beyond the series format without moving to another publisher, and still remain available to the Harlequin series genre. This promotes emp loyee loyalty and job satisfaction, while allowing Harlequin to invest in promoting individual authors and benefit from the cross-segment marketing. The overheads that Mira would incur, although substantial, would remain competitive with other publishers and would benefit from Harlequin’s global infrastructure. Foreign language markets, in particular, would be accessible to Mira through the use of existing translation services, distribution networks and retail relationships. Mira would also provide Harlequin the opportunity to create economies of scale through the centralization of rights acquisition activities already being undertaken in some international subsidiaries. Conversely, Mira represents an extremely high risk undertaking for Harlequin with significantly higher costs for production, distribution and marketing. A single-title novel is a unique product, which requires a publisher to generate higher per-unit sales volumes; create individual design, marketing and promotion campaigns; and provide higher returns to authors and third parties. Production changes, at least in terms of product dimensions, could have significant unforeseen impacts on the economies of scale currently enjoyed within the production and distribution supply chains. If Mira is to compete with existing single-title publishers, long-term author contracts, royalties and advances could put extreme financial pressure on Harlequin and represent a significant level of investment, which may or may not be realizable in the long-term. Therefore, the failure of a single-title novel to achieve break-even sales targets has far-reaching consequences; and can seriously damage reputations upon which future sales would depend. Nevertheless, the most significant threat to the success of Mira is its potential in the US market. The truce with Simon & Schuster achieved at the end of the Romance Wars may not be sustainable, if Harlequin launches Mira in direct competition with S&S in single-title publishing. This situation would be especially difficult given that Harlequin is entirely dependent on S&S for distribution of its series titles within the US market, and its lack of experience with mainstream retailing avenues. By pursuing Mira, Harlequin risks losing a highly efficient and profitable relationship with S&S and having to completely redevelop its distribution chain within the US. Upon consideration, Harlequin has the resources and capabilities it needs in order to succeed with Mira. Although the company currently has a different business model, it has the same basic components and critical resources necessary to create and manufacture the product. The author/editor base that Harlequin has at its disposal represents a considerable asset, and somewhat mitigates the risk of talent selection and development that can be associated with single-title novels. Historic market positioning and the reputation of Harlequin as a romance eries publisher may overshadow attempts to create the Mira brand; but Harlequin has reached the point where it must expand beyond the romance genre. The direct-to-reader sales, marketing and distribution mechanisms would require few adjustments or adaptations, and would provide Harlequin with an ideal test market from which to make the leap into the mainstream. Existing production and distribution expertise would sustain development of Mira , while Harlequin spends time putting mainstream distribution mechanisms and publicity expertise into place. It is conceivable that successful single-title authors who published their early works with Harlequin could be convinced to return to Harlequin, depending on the financial incentives; but, this is a long-term question, governed by authors’ contractual obligations and the success of Mira in the short-term. However, the back-list of novels created by successful authors who published their early works with Harlequin comprises an easily marketable, cost-effective and potentially profitable resource, that would enable Mira to capitalize on established reputations and in-direct publicity. The downside is that Mira may risk alienating or offending fans of established authors, by publishing works that did not meet reader expectations because of their quality or adherence to Harlequin conventions. Therefore, I would recommend that Harlequin perform a limited launch of Mira by re-developing titles in their back-list and generating direct-to-reader sales through the Book Club, while it explores global distribution and marketing relationships. References: Richard Ivey School of Business Case Harlequin Enterprises: The MIRA Decision #9B03M007