Coral Reefs, Our Disappearing Beauty

Coral reefs are one of nature's riches ecosystems with a diverse existence of life which is ultimately quite complex. They are a colorful ecosystem that plays an important role in the marine world and the human world as well. They are home to countless plants and animals, a source of food, medicines and one of the unique wonders of our world. While they might bring the image of life near a tropical paradise, there is much more to the coral reef than its beauty. These beauties are home to a diverse population that benefits humans, each type in its own way. But will we be able to save these natural wonders? Corals belong to the same group of animals as jellyfish and sea anemones. While they seem to move in the current of the ocean, they actually do not move and stay in one place. Coral use their tentacles to feed and exist in colonies. They grow every slowly but they can live anywhere from a few decades to even centuries. They have a hard calcium carbonate skeleton which provides them with protection. The calcium carbonate is continually deposited which added to its size, however, their growth varies depending on the conditions within the environment. The growth of the coral reef is long and slow and it takes several years for it grow only a few inches. This growth can be even slower when you consider the destructive activities of animals, storms and humans. As the coral grows they form colonies which become the basic foundation of the reef. Coral reefs need particular conditions in order to survive. They generally grow near the shoreline which is a form of protection for the shore. Coral reefs only grow to depths approximately 45 meters because they need sunlight in order to survive. The amount of oxygen available is also important because coral have symbiotic relationship with some types of algae. The algae live in the coral and perform photosynthesis which makes food for the algae and the coral alike. The coral gives the algae protection and sunlight. For this reason coral reefs are built in shallow, clear water where lights can reach them. The amount of sedimentation mud be low because sediments can block the sunlight they need. There are three main kinds of coral reefs. Each of these is thought to be a stage in the development of the coral reef. (Birkeland, 1997). These include the fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls. Some scientists include a fourth type, the patch reef, as well. The most common type of ref is the fringing reef. Found very near to land they can often form a shallow area in the lagoon. When reefs are formed it is the fringing reef that is formed first. Another type of reef is the barrier reef. It can resemble the fringing reef but they do not form so close to shore and are usually much larger than the fringing reef. The fringing reef grows out and the distance from land becomes greater causing the fringing reef to become a barrier reef. The atoll is shaped like a horseshoe or can be a circle. It surround the lagoon although there is no land associated with the atoll. This is because when the land subsides, only the reef remains and it has the shape of the land it surrounded. Finally, there is the patch reef which usually are found within the lagoon and ore the outcrops of coral. An abundance of both plant and animal life are an integral part of coral reefs. Scientists continue to discover new species and learn a great deal from coral reefs. First, the coral itself is living with the skeleton of calcium carbonate surrounding them for protection. The first animal that comes to mind when discussing coral reefs is the fish. Fish of every color swim in the reef, finding food, using it for protection, making it their home. Fish camouflage themselves within the reef to steer clear of larger fish and sharks. Sharks often scour the coral looking for a stray fish. Sea snakes also make the coral reef their home. There are also invertebrates like starfish who travel through the many species of seagrass and algae within the reef. There are many species of sea turtles that make coral reefs their home as well. These are only a few of the massive variety of creatures that live in the coral reefs. There are urchins, sponges, crabs, eels and literally thousands of others. It is the richest place of biodiversity. In fact, â€Å"Guam hosts over 3. 500 species of plants and animals, including 200 different types of corals. † (Teach Ocean Science, ret. June 14, 2013). In addition to theses kinds of plants and animals, there are also microorganisms that call the coral reef home. Coral reefs don't only benefit animals and plants, but they also benefit humans. They are one of the oldest ecosystems on our planet and one of the most beautiful. One way they benefit humans is due to their beauty. Areas with coral reefs bring tourism. This tourism supports local communities, creating jobs for local inhabitants. Visitors come to dive, snorkel, fish and enjoy the coral. These jobs help support the infrastructure of the community and build a strong economy. The economic value of many of the reefs individually are in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars, some over $1 billion each year. More importantly, there are many plants and animals that help us in the creation of new medicines and perfecting ones we already have. Medicines that have been developed or are being developed from the coral reefs include treatments for heart disease, cancer, arthritis, viruses just to name a few. More obvious than the previously mentioned benefits, coral reefs provide an abundance of fish and other sea life that helps populate the oceans for fishing. This also benefits humans. Fisheries are important for recreation as well as a trade to provide food. Also, as the name implies, coral reefs are a natural buffer between the ocean and the land. This helps prevent property damage, soil erosion, and protects people from storms. Nearby communities depend on the coral reefs for their well-being. Even though humans depend on the coral reef in so many ways, we are unfortunately slowly losing them. These natural beauties are disappearing at a faster and faster rate. The biggest threat is humans themselves. Healthy coral reefs need clean water but people are polluting these waters causing significant harm to the reefs. Fertilizers, soil, pesticides and even sewage is put into the water. These things make the water unhealthy for corals, smother the reef and make it more likely the will get diseases. Pollution is a major threat. Humans also often have destructive fishing practices. They use explosives to fish or bang on the reef with large sticks as well as bottom-trawling. In addition to these destructive practices, humans have been overfishing which upsets the natural balance of the ecosystem of the reef. The food chain is then so out of balance that the effects are not only the direct fish population but the entire ocean and beyond. Humans are not the only threats to coral reefs. Natural disasters can also harm the reefs. Hurricanes and other storms can cause damage as well. Global warming is also a threat. Corals will only survive in a certain water temperature and global warming has caused damage by elevating the levels of coral bleaching. When the reef is already unhealthy it is difficult for it to improve such a disaster. One way our own government has started to help protect the coral reef is by developing the U. S. Coral Reef Task Force. â€Å"On June 11, 1998, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13089 on Coral Reef Protection. † (EPA, Ret. June 10, 2013). This task force was charge with the duties of mapping and monitoring the US coral reefs, conducting research to identify major causes and consequences of the decline of the reefs and with developing ways to restore the damaged reefs and prevent further damage. Governments have set up Preservation Zones to focus on the cost of human impact to the coral reefs and how to maintain the reefs. Each of us can help protect the coral reef. Be sure to clean up after yourself when you go to the beach. It sounds simple, and it is but many people don't follow this advice. If you go to the area, be sure not to touch the coral. Take care of it. Leave shells and other creatures where they are. The food chain is a delicate balance and we should not do anything, no matter how small it might seem, to upset that balance. If you fish, catch only what you will eat. Throw small fish back to reproduce and the largest because they lay the most eggs. And if you don't fish, eat only the species of fish that are on the sustainable seafood list. Even if you are not in the area, you can reduce the amount of freshwater you use, develop habits that reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we produce like using too much electricity or driving a lot. Recycle more, including reusing items. Basically reducing our carbon footprint helps our coral reefs. Coral reefs are a vital resource in our environment. They are home to an extremely diverse population that is necessary to all life on earth. Humans have come to depend on this ecosystem for numerous things yet we still see the coral reefs disappearing quickly. But this sensitive ecosystem is depending on us was well. We each can do our part by minimizing our own carbon footprint but so much damage has already been done that this alone is not enough. Humans must get involved and be proactive to save this valuable resource before it's too late.Sources:Ruppert, EE and Barnes, RD, 1994, Invertebrate Zoology, 6th Edition, Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia â€Å"What lives on a coral reef?†, Teach Ocean Science, http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/education_modules/coral_reefs_and_climate_change/what_lives_on_a_coral_reef/, retrieved June 14, 2013. Water: Habitat Protection, EPA, http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/taskforce.cfm, Retrieved June 10, 2013. Birkeland, C. (1997). Introduction. In Life and Death of Coral Reefs. Birkeland, C. (ed.). Chapman and Hall, New York. Achituv, Y. ; Dubinsky, Z. (1990). Evolution and Zoogeography of Coral Reefs. In Ecosystems of the World: 25 Coral Reefs. Dubinsky, Z. (ed.). Elsevier, New York.

Raising Our Native Sons Essay

During the modern era, there was an overwhelming sense of optimism due to the nation’s booming economy. There was a generalization that any citizen could work hard and become successful. However, this was not always the case in American society. Not everyone was given equal opportunity to thrive and succeed. This struggle was expressed in various literary works. In is novel Native Son, Richard Wright uses symbolism and irony to attack race issues and oppression in order to suggest that African Americans should have equal opportunity as whites. Throughout the novel, the protagonist, Bigger Thomas faces persecution and mistreatment simply because of the color of his skin. This racism appears early in the novel when a rat is encountered in his apartment. Bigger’s mother is disgusted by the gross creature she finds wandering in the family’s apartment. She proclaims her disgust and fear of the rat by saying, â€Å"Lord, Lord, have mercy†¦ that sonofabitch could cut your throat† (10). Through this duologue, the readers realize the harsh treatment and attitude the rat is receiving from Bigger’s family. They are scared and afraid of the rat, even though it means no harm and is merely trying to surviving with the living conditions it has been given. This demonstrates the overall racism towards blacks throughout the book as they are treated poorly and set up to fail. Like the rat, they are considered the lowest of the low who scavenge off others to survive. They are treated as a threat that only causes harm and need to be rid of. Also, Bigger faces racism head on at home. When playing with his friends, they â€Å"play white†. This game attempts to imitate the way whites act in society. During this game, Bigger and his friends unknowingly play out the white people has having superior power over the whites. This demonstrates that the racism is engraved into their heads, even at a young age. This sets them up to fail from a young age by starting them off as knowing that they are considered inferior to the white people. As the book continues, Bigger’s story becomes a point of attention in the south side of Chicago. The newspaper reporters are gathered around preparing to write an article on Bigger’s recent crime. They are collaborating with  each other in order to create the best story possible. One of the reporters says, â€Å"I’m slanting to the primitive negro who doesn’t want to be disturbed by white civilization.† The conversation continues with another reporter saying, â€Å"mention his foreign sounding name† (201). The reporters are bouncing ideas off each other in order to write the best story for the readers. They mention how they are going to purposely define Bigger as a member of the African American community. This simple dialogue represents a much larger meaning within the novel. The reporters immediately turn to race in order to demonize Bigger. They call him â€Å"primitive† and point out his name in an attempt to dissociate him from white society. This display of racism conveys the treatment of African Americans as outcasts of mainstream society. In addition to this, the media is only aiding in the continued validity of this stereotype. The more the media portrays blacks as animals and creatures, the more they are attacked by mainstream white society. As a result of this, the blacks are suppressed more and more, causing them to become more and more desperate. This vicious cycle of racism and oppression is ongoing as society feeds off the harsh portrayal of African Americans by the news outlets. Wright brings attention to the overwhelming effect that oppression can have on an individual or group. Bigger is continuously oppressed throughout his life. After attempting to escape from the police, Bigger is captured and brought down to the street from a rooftop. He was dragged down the stairs with his head banging on every step. He found himself lying on his back in the snow, pinned down by his wrists and surrounded by a circle of this faces. The angry crowd shouts at Bigger. Roars from the crowd include, â€Å"Kill ‘im†¦ Lynch ‘im†¦ Kill that ape!† (253). The crowd is angry at the black man who has caused so much trouble to the white folk. When they finally capture him, they all seem to unite as one when shouting insults as if they have has a triumph by holding down this young black man. This unity represented the overpowering superiority of white society over that of the blacks. Although each individual is their own person and saying their own comments, all Bigger sees and hears is an overbearing common force. To Bigger, he does not see the individuality in each white person; he sees them as all members of the same group all with a common goal of suppressing his dreams. In addition to seeing all whites as a blanket of oppression, he is almost shameful of himself when around them.  While sitting in an interview, he sits in Mr. Dalton’s office with him. Bigger enters the room and does not make eye contact. He stands in a corner with his head down, being careful not to make eye contact with Mr. Dalton. Bigger knows the role that he has in society as well as the room. He is careful to not do anything to upset the white man for fear of potential punishment. This shame is built off the fact that he has been repetitively told and taught that he is inferior. This repeated oppression leads Bigger to act differently around white people, further placing him in to the mold of a non-productive member of society. Bigger feels as if he has been able to make very few decisions for himself his entire life. This suppression was put on him right from the start. Once he realizes his fate and is sitting on his cot, he thinks back on his life. He had always lived with the premonition that he would be sentenced to the electric chair. Once this becomes a reality, Bigger feels a sense of freedom that he has never felt before. He wonders to himself why he â€Å"put himself into the shadow of the electric chair only to find out this? Had he been blind all along? But there was no way to tell now. It was too late†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (335). He realizes that he lived his entire life under the shadow of fear of the electric chair. Once he realizes that he is actually doomed for the chair, he assumes that he should live his live with complete freedom with the remaining days he has left. He concludes, however, that it is too late to live with freedom since he wasted all of his previous days under the shadow. This shadow of oppression holds him back from living freely because he knows that his skin color limits his chances to succeed in life. Furthermore, Bigger can make choices that will only dig him deeper into a hole he cannot escape from. After lashing out and committing a murder, Bigger expresses his feelings that he has a sense of power for the first time in his life. By committing this murder, he has broken away from the limitations being placed on him. Although it was negative, he could not be stopped because he was not assumed to be capable of such a crime. This demonstrates that the oppressed are subject to hostility and more likely to lash out due to the poor treatment and lack of individual freedoms. By using irony and symbolism, Richard Wright brings light to the issue of race and oppression in America. He attempts to convey that blacks and white  should be given equal opportunity to succeed. Wright believes that African Americans are placed into a mold of failure, one that they cannot escape. The title â€Å"Native Son† suggests something about the treatment of the generation of young men we are raising in our country. All of our â€Å"Native Sons†, no matter what race, should be treated equally and be given ample opportunity to succeed.

Adv Top in Enterprise Analysis Essay

1. What is the main thrust of the strategy that AOL has been pursuing? In 1999, the major problem facing the â€Å"AOL Anywhere† strategy was how high-speed, broadband technologies would impact the company’s future growth. If AOL were to remain dominant against its competitors, it, too, would have to offer broadband access. Indeed, the emergence of broadband was the motivation behind the AOL/Time Warner merger, which was announced on January 10, 2000. The merged company became a formidable presence in the Internet, media, and entertainment fields. 2. What appear to be the strengths of this strategy? Do you think AOL’s strategy is proactive or reactive, and why? One of the strengths of the strategy is that the company was able to expand into the next level of the media venues that the world was achieving. The strategy was a reactive one, AOL needed to make major changes to adapt the new technologies in the new worldly age. 3. Telecommunication capacities are doubling every six months. What are the implications of this for AOL’s strategy? What are the implications of this for IT and other functional managers in most firms today? The merger for AOL did cause some implications for the company, one was expense, AOL would have needed to hire new employees that were skilled in the new areas of the company and create a new division for the company to keep and manage the new areas. 4. Research reveals that office automation as an issue has been declining in importance for IT executives. What might this mean in terms of strategic information systems? Strategic information systems (SIS) are information systems whose unique functions or specific applications shape an organization’s competitive strategy and provide it with competitive advantage. Office automation in the IT system is not an easy accomplishment, systems are used constancy with no breaks by far more personal across a company, the process needs to be monitored and watch. 5. The six strategic thrusts we presented are not mutually exclusive. Discuss the implications of this fact. * Differentiation, Cost, Innovation, Growth, Alliance and Time these six strategies have their good and bad aspects for the company. The good points are that the strategies can help the company meet its goals; the bad points are working against the company if the goals are not meet in their set dates and times. 6. De-regulation has encouraged new entrants into the airline industry. Given the enormous advantages of competitors who own reservation systems, how can new entrants overcome barriers to entry? By sharing the technology with other companies who wanted to be in the airline business, Sable shared the technology for the reservation system. They also became the company that managed, updated and maintained new technologies for the system. 7. Discuss the role that IT managers play within a firm as it seeks to improve its competitive posture. What contributions can they make, and in what areas must they take the lead? IT manager keep their departments in the lead by including all department from IT as well as other areas from within the company. They will also attend seminars for new technologies that are coming out onto the market, I know in previous companies that the managers would attend these seminars for this very purpose, they also will upgrade their systems such as workstations every three years and major server systems every 5 – 10 years depending on its rate of use by the company. These timelines will usually keep the company in the completive edge since they will need to know what other companies are using and if they are happy with the technology. 8. What are the implications of new wireless technology such as Satellite TV, Web-enabled cell phones, and other handheld devices to the financial industry? One such implication is that new technologies are a risk for any company to take, especially early on in the development and test stages. Apple for instance knows this very well, The took a chance when they introduced the iPhone to the world. They could have had a disaster on their hands if they had not played the part correctly. 9. Discuss the importance of telecommunications to the Federal Express’ strategy. Telecommunications in the federal express industry is very important, it has allowed the industry to have the companies and the customers to work together and make the ability more efficient. Telecommunications systems enhance information flow between organizational entities, bridging the gap in space and time. 10. What is the significance of new economy e-business systems? Give some examples of the impact of telecommunications on internal business systems. Although expensive, the importance has provided the companies that use the internet for some of the services are more attractive to customers. Some of the features enabled the customers to make orders and ship their packages themselves online, this helps the company with scheduling because then they can determine a particular place and time for the customer to bring the packages to them to be processed. 11. How might firms seeking international competitive advantage rely on information technology? What strategic thrusts might they employ? Recognizing the immense importance of e-business, many firms are rapidly building infrastructures, re-engineering business practices, and developing partnerships with suppliers, distributors, and others as they adopt new technology. Case Study 2 1. Use on-line library databases to identify articles in trade publications that provide case studies of ERP implementations. These articles may provide some insight into each of these questions: a. How widespread is the use of ERP across certain industries? ERP systems help organizations deal with the supply chain, receiving, inventory management, customer order management, production planning, shipping, accounting, human resource management, and other business functions. b. What are the benefits reported from implementing ERP? Organizations have a business justification for implementing ERP systems. The business benefits of ERP include improved accessibility of information; real time access to data benefits the organization, improved cycle time for orders, decreased financial close time, and reduced operating costs, and lowered inventory levels. c. What are its limitations? One of the limitations is time, most ERP plans need years to full implement and show the true level of success. 2. Research and learn about the implementation of ERP. Use trade publications and on-line library databases (e.g., ABI Inform, ProQuest, First Search, Wilson Select Plus, available through your library) to conduct a search for articles. d. Find a success story of ERP implementation. What factors contributed to the success of this implementation? Some of successes in the case studies that I read have to do with the proper planning and the timeline goals of the business plan. e. Find a story of problems encountered with an ERP implementation. What factors contributed to the encountered obstacles? One common factor that I notice was the human obstacle, companies needed to rely on a good staff to make the company run smoothly and grow. The ERP implementation time line takes years to complete, and as long as the company has the staff it does succeed.

Economic Portfolio - Economic Growth Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economic Portfolio - Economic Growth - Coursework Example Usually, the monetary policy is executed by the central bank, through its capacity as the financial sector regulator or through its participation in the government deficit financing and open market operation. Both the Fiscal and monetary policies are very essential not only due to their macroeconomic implications but also they are important in determining the policy remit of the state, direction and level of economic transfers which intern influence the overall distribution of wealth and income as well as the level of economic activities and the structure of employment. According to Keynesian macroeconomics, The monetary and physical policies can be relied upon in controlling aggregate demand (AD) and even the change in general price level of commodities i.e. inflation rate, with the view of stabilizing price and achieving full employment. Generally in a closed economy, aggregate demand (AD) include three major elements which are; investment (I) consumption (C) and government spendin g (G). Where as, for an open economy, AD includes exports (X) and imports (Z) which gives nets export (NX) as the sum of the two. Most probably, C is always a positive function of the disposable (post-tax) income, which is negatively correlated i.e. negative output gap (NOG) with interest rate level. On the other hand the reverse will give a positive output gap (POG). For instance, when consumer’s mortgage and credit becomes so expensive, the disposable income will definitely fall and this will make consumption to decline proportionate to it. In most cases, the AD curve will exhibit a negative slope in the price-output or price-income (P-Y) space; this is due to the fact that, when prices increase, the real money supply (M/P) will decline. Thus, in order to restore the normal equilibriums between money demand and supply, the rate of interest has to rise. Immediately this happens, funds will become very expensive and both I and C decline as shown in diagram 1. Figure 3: Aggreg ate demand According to this model, it assumes that the economy is operating at a high level of employment or very depressed. Considering the above, the aggregate supply (AS) curve is so parallel to the P-Y space and firms will be willing to supply any amount at the prevailing prices. This shows that the output gap (income) is determined using the AD curve as shown at point E in figure 2. Figure 2: Aggregate supply and demand. If the economy starts operating at a level bellow capacity, the government must relax it’s monetary or fiscal policy stance i.e. increase the rate of taxation, lower the interest rate or increase expenditures so as to raise I, G or C. This will definitely cause a shift of the AD curve to the right, increasing output level, demand and employment (L) in the economy as shown in figure 3. Conservatively, if inflation is threatening to take off and unemployment is abnormally low, the government must consider tightening its monetary and fiscal policies. The r esulting spending will cut down the higher interest rate or tax rate thus; limiting the existing inflationary pressures as illustrated bellow. Figure 3: Fine-tuning aggregate demand. Incase the government decides to manipulate its monetary and fiscal policy stance completely, and then it must be able to eliminate the economic cycle as well as

Parents Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Parents Role - Essay Example Considerable financial investments frequently match this poignant investment. Coaching, travel, equipments, facilities, etc. augment the price tag for sport involvement and parents raised up the tab. While we distinguish the prospective influence of parental involvement, we know little concerning how young athletes distinguish parental investment and support (White, S. A., & Duda, J. L. 1994). Nor do we recognize the prospective influence of parents on the psychosomatic variables of motivation and anxiety. Newsham & Murphey (1999) asserted that "the main purpose of sport is to create an opportunity for fun and growth. All the triumphs and heartaches that are inherent in sport can provide learning experiences and lessons that help pave the road to adulthood." http://www.coloradoperformance.org/psych.htm Basically, there are two dilemmas for girls and parents of elite gymnasts. Opportunities are not enthusiastically available, and parents, particularly fathers, do not keenly support their daughters to join in athletics. This is not, inevitably, a conscious omission, but one that is a product of society. Daughters do not have the similar openings in youth leagues their fathers had. Miller Lite and the Women's Sports Foundation (1985) carried out a poll and in which questions asked was, "In your opinion, which of the following are the biggest barriers to increased participation by women in sports and fitness" The random sample of more than seven thousand respondents claimed, as their number one answer, "Lack of involvement and training as children. This poll showed that more than thirty percent of the respondents did not participate on pre high school athletic teams. "The Wilson Report: Moms, Dads, Daughters and Sports" (1988) confirmed the Miller Lite findings. In a random telephone survey of more than thousand mothers and fathers, and 513 of their seven to eighteen-year-old daughters, only 35 percent of daughters seven to ten years of age and 28 percent of daughters eleven to fourteen years of age became associated in athletics through community organizations; 24 percent of seven to ten year olds and 18 percent of eleven to fourteen-year-olds become concerned through private organizations; and just 6 percent of seven to ten-year-olds and 11 percent of eleven to fourteen-year-olds participated through their church organization. Though, other resources show an increase statistics; yet, it is still inadequate. According to the 1993 "Miller Lite Report on Sports and Fitness in the Lives of Working Women," prior to the passage of Title IX in 1972, only fifty percent of all girls take part in sports; above sixty percent took part after the passage of the law. It is also found that participation in organized youth sport programs is an accepted part of childhood development in the United States to greater extent in comparison with Britain (Coakley, 1998) and has the potential to have an enormous influence on the self-concept of children (Smith & Smoll, 1990). Coaches' parched parents mostly influence whether the female sport experience is optimistic (Sabo, D. 1988). Over the past thirty years several findings have been reported concerning adolescent athletes motives to participate or end involvement in youth sports. (Harris, D.V. 1979, Gill, D.L., Gross, J. B., & Huddleston, S.

Superstructure Work Package Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Superstructure Work Package - Essay Example The building comprises of ten storeys, with all those above the ground providing office accommodation. There is also a ground floor, as well as, a high basement with a height of 7.5m. The latter provides space for a parking lot, loading bay and plants. Vehicles gain access to the basement through two vehicle elevators. The building has a centrally placed atrium, which extends from the ground floor to the tenth level, where it is covered with a glazed roof. The Point’s perimeter or circumference light well allows natural light to get to all floors including the ground floor, in addition to providing ventilation to the plant areas in the basement level. Work Package and Innovation under Scrutiny Even though the building’s perimeter light well and facades proposed by the architect bring light to all above ground levels, they do not constitute a comprehensive cooling and ventilation system. Additionally, the lighting mechanism does not cater for the basement level, thus dep riving plant areas sufficient light for growth. For these reasons, therefore, more considerations have to be accounted for, in order to enhance sustainability, technical performance and aesthetics, as per the client’s requirements. ... The Point on the local environment as well as on the potential occupants; which will make it possible to analyze the new developments in the design, operation and construction of this tall building. The available opportunities will be the need of assuring the client continuous dynamism provided that The Point requires superlative conditions for its operations. In order to achieve this, the building’s management is supposed to make sure that the demand for office space will be met. Further, tall office buildings like the Point have become increasingly essential as a result of the proficient utilization that they make on the limited land that is available. This is not only in Paddington, but it should be implemented in London as a whole. There is urgency for more office accommodation but there are problems that are experienced in such a situation. The problem being experience is in the sustainable development which is the principal parameter of action, and noting that, The Point has not exhausted all possible sustainability strategies. The construction, design as well as the operation of The Point, representing tall building has failed in conforming to new the legislation demanding installation of understandable sustainability procedures. Performance Standards The principal design worry for numerous tall buildings is fixed on their operational effectiveness instead of the environmental impact. A new balance needs to be struck between these two factors. Inefficient energy is also another concern. Speculative developers do not have any interest in other people’s building because they only want to maximize on their revenue that enhance environmental issues which will ultimately save energy and the tenants will incur much more on energy payment. The lifecycle assessment

Organizational Behavior and the Individual Essay

Organizational Behavior and the Individual - Essay Example Porter and Lawler’s theoretical model on individual motivation is largely based on this theory, and identifies expectancy, instrumentality and valence as the critical elements of motivation. These elements are related to extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors which include praise, recognition, incentives, etc and intrinsic factors are associated with an individual’s psychological values associated with work, leaders and the self (Isaac, Zerbe & Pitt, 2001). This theory has been expressed through the MARS model by McShane and Glinow (2006, 2008) who describes individual behavior as a resultant of motivation, ability, role-perception and situational factors. Motivational activities at Verizon may be related to the critical elements of expectancy theory and heed to individuals’ material motivation in the form of external compensation and benefits; achievement motivation through internal rewards and recognition, and emotional motivation through a great work place for the employees. These in turn influence individual performance shaped by extensive training involving simulation, classroom instruction, and on-the-job training that define individuals’ role-perception, create ability and cover situational factors such as product knowledge, soft skills, time and budget, facilities etc (McShane & Glinow, 2008). Verizon’s training plays a significant role in attaining high customer satisfaction scores (Noe, 2008). McShane and Glinow quote, â€Å"people rely on their ethical values do determine ‘the right thing to do’† (2006, p.33). For this, they attribute utilitarianism, individual rights, and distributive justice as the main requirements to foster ethics in organization (2006, 2008). At an organizational level, its culture is one of the main spheres where business ethics can have a significant impact on organizational

The history of computer crimes Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The history of computer crimes - Term Paper Example In 1969, a student riot in Canadian school building resulted to damages totaling around $2 million. The students were protesting against a racist professor when their riots resulted to a fire breaking out and destroying computers and other university property. 97 students were arrested in the incident (Concordia University, 2008). In 1970, several computer crimes were reported. A bomb at the University of Wisconsin resulted to $16 million worth of computer damage; a Molotov cocktail bomb caused $1 million damage to the Fresno State College; and students at the New York University wanting to free a jailed Black Panther damaged computers by placing fire-bombs on top of the Atomic Energy Commission (Kabay, 2008). Computers were often damaged during the 1970s in order to make a statement; antiwar protests in Australia resulted to the shooting of an American firm’s computers; terrorists poured gasoline on a university’s computers and burned them; and a peace activist destroy ed a computer at the Vanderburg Air Base in California as a sign of protest against American military policies (Kabay, 2008). From 1970 to 1972, Albert the Saboteur created problems for the National Farmers Union Service Corporation of Denver. Albert enjoyed having the repair crews over every time the computer crashed. As a result, he deliberately caused the computers to crash about 50 times in the span of 2 years. He lived an isolated life as a night shift operator. He finally got company and human interaction because of the computer crashes, and he could not help but cause one crash after another just to have company (Kabay, 1996). In 1970, Jerry Schneider posed as a PT&T employee and ordered $30,000 worth of equipment from PT&T. He retrieved PT&T computer printouts from dumpsters. He was later able to collect detailed information on various procedures in the company and as a result was able to successfully steal $1 million worth of equipment from

Critically Evaluate the Importance of Working With Professionals and Essay

Critically Evaluate the Importance of Working With Professionals and Families in Schools - Essay Example ortant if families and professionals can be involved in after-school programs and activities in order to enable their children to collaborate well with all including leaders and other important people in the community. Role of Interdisciplinary Teams, Nature of Multi-Agency, Families, and Professionals As long as the school leadership recognizes other community members, families and professionals in the school activities and development, positive results will be achieved. According to Cheminais (2009, p.8), multi-agency collaboration is advantageous to children as it allows integration of skills and expertise in school programs, thus enhancing value addition and preventing barriers to learning process. The teachers and the school leadership should consider moral leaders and other role models in the community to ensure that their students develop morally, and to promote strong connections between the students and the larger community. Besides, corporate members and government leaders should be considered for partnership with the school to provide more external support to the students. When this is done, the students will feel well secured and valued, hence promoting the value of education in the school and in the community or society in general (Cummings, Todd, and Dyson, 2007). For school to develop faster, the leadership must ensure that there is improvement in the education standards in the school and ensure that the students welfare is catered for; this can only be achieved through involving community resources in learning. Therefore, including professionals and families will enable the students to understand properly the social, political, and economic environments that surround the school, thus giving them more knowledge and proper awareness of their surroundings.... This report approves that involvement of families and professionals in the learning process is important, as it results into positive benefits including improvement in students general performance. Again, the discussion above has detailed the importance of community involvement in learning process as well as how to promote community involvement for maximum benefits in the learning process. The discussion has elaborated that parental attachment and students’ needs assessment is very important in the provision of better learning and performance of students with special needs. Therefore, it is important that all these be put in consideration while teaching and learning in the context of students with special needs, including involvement of proper communication and negotiation. The partnership of schools, professionals, and families will enhance support, guidance, and motivation, thereby allowing students to improve their performance. This will promote learning to all the students including those with special needs. Again, multi-agency in the community should be involved to give more support to the students where necessary. These multi-agencies can also help in providing guidance and health solutions to students. Furthermore, interdisciplinary teams can also be involved to provide for the students’ needs where necessary, thereby producing all-round students. This essay makes a conclusion that the parenting practice and child-rearing styles adopted by families have a great influence on the child’s learning behaviour later on in life. Indeed, parenting practices tend to is more objective in that, it is geared towards molding a child’s behaviour towards a certain goal. Therefore, a parent would be aiming for excellence in a child’s school performance and in such a case, provide an atmosphere for achievement of that goal.

Native American Feminism Essay Example for Free

Native American Feminism Essay â€Å"You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.† –Albert Einstein When approaching poverty as a global initiative rather than a feminine concern, most feminist lenses often lack the focus and compulsiveness that finding efficient solutions require. This paper will discuss the views of various groups of women; American Indian, Third-World, Indigenous, Muslim, Native Feminist, African American, and Western, through the perspective of various lens but more specifically; western and indigenous. By looking through two generally opposing lenses and examining the multidimensional aspects of poverty through feminism, we can generate a more precise and focused ideal of resolving the issue rather than taking it as a global initiative and generalizing it. Poverty is subjective and cannot be defined in terms of binaries or simple standards. Feminism as a catalyst to reducing poverty is vital to its success. Poverty is a very dynamic and multi-dimensional phenomenon that cannot be studied in way of vagueness and objectivity. Men’s poverty is different than women’s poverty as is children’s poverty different from both. To approach all aspects of poverty in one nebulous way would lead to a likewise superficial solution lacking depth and the focus needed to make truly beneficial changes. Poverty cannot be faced as a global initiative because not nearly enough attention and importance will be placed on the women in these societies. This is the problem with essentialism. Essentialism is the view that for any specific entity there is a set of attributes of which are necessary to vital to its identity and function. Strategic essentialism is using one characteristic to categorize as a whole in order to â€Å"essentialize† themselves and reach a certain defined goal. Feminism cannot be essentialized because it is too complex of an idea. There is not just one problem that feminism has to fix, but instead a multitude of different levels and types of issued that must be considered. Since f eminism is so multi-faceted, it cannot be considered with a multiculturalist approach either. Multiculturalism, which is usually efficient on smaller scales, attempts to imagine a world that can â€Å"encompass different identities and ways of being in a manner that respects and values all† (Bhattacharyya, 2008). However, on a larger scale, multiculturalism does not produce reliable claims since the factors being included are often  too complex and diverse. Women are often separately discriminated in their societies. It should not be trusted that proposed initiatives of lowering poverty actually give proper and equal attention to both men and women. According to economist, Stiglitz, â€Å"power gets power.† In history, it is popularly noted that the groups with control in societies were the ones who had all big decisions made in favor of themselves because they were the ones making the decisions. They were the only ones who were even given the option to have a voice. Throughout essentially all of history, men have been the one in power, and therefore the decision makers in which societies base them off of. With men in power, men become prosperous. The people in power have the responsibility of developing a society to become what they want it to be. What is given great importance is c arried out through most decisions. Not only are feminist movements often considered global movements, but these global feminist movements are more subject to western ideas. â€Å"With the increasing privatization and corporation of public life, it has become much harder to discern such a women’s movement from the United States (although women’s movements are thriving around the world), and my site of access and struggle has increasingly come to be the U.S. academy (Mohanty, 2008).† The separation between feminist and western is increasingly being blurred, with many western ideas seeping through the cracks of femininity. Many feminist movements attempt to form solutions to poverty and female discrimination in third-world nations through the ideas of western, developed and powerful theorists. When solutions are formed across borders, the true reality and needs of the â€Å"victims† are not usually considered. Feminist scholar, Chandra Mohanty, discusses the â€Å"assumption of women as an already constituted, coherent group with identical interests and desires, regardless of class, ethnic, or racial location, or contradictions , implies a notion of gender or sexual difference or even patriarchy that can be applied universally and cross-culturally.† Although in this context Mohanty is referring to the separation of analyzing men and women, this same idea should be applied to the separation of analyzing women of different backgrounds and cultures as well. Women are often lumped together into large and vague categories which presents a lack of division and consideration for the diversity apparent in the women species. This ongoing insensitivity to differences causes a dividing wall in womanhood;  often applied to class and culture. Third-world women encounter even less consideration than â€Å"western women usually do† (Mohanty, 2008). In most of western women’s writings, the numerous divisions of women are not addressed. At the end of Mohanty’s writing, she concludes that the only advantage that western women have over â€Å"third-world† women is that they live in more developed societies with stronger economies. However, socially, they suffer the same gender issues and disadvantages that correlate w ith being female. There are binary stereotypes that are common in feminist studies today. The â€Å"third world woman† and the â€Å"western woman† are approached in very different ways. The third world woman being â€Å"ignorant, poor, uneducated, tradition-bound, domestic, family-oriented, victimized (Mohanty, 2008),† versus the â€Å"self-representation of Western women as educated, as modern, as having control over their own bodies and sexualities and the freedom to make their own decisions.† These stereotypes are extremely dangerous when approaching poverty. Many third-world women feel a strong innate loyalty to the culture in which they are native to. Their culture and traditions is so deeply transcribed within them that when approached with the ideas of feminism, they often reject them. For example, a popular assumption made by many Native communities is that indigenous women should defend their own â€Å"tribal nationalism† which has been known to ignore the sexism and mistreatment that women in these tribes often encounter and deal with to achieve â€Å"liberation from colonization,† (Ramirez, 2007). It is seemingly more important to these women that they prevent colonization rather than achieve social prosperity. This correlation between â€Å"feminism† and betraying one’s tribal â€Å"sovereignty† is a very dangerous connection. The possible guilt that a tribe may provoke when a woman supports feminism is very unfortunate. However, disregarding feminism just because it is not commonly practiced is even more damaging. â€Å"Indigenous women in the United States die from domestic violence at twice the rate of other women† (Ramirez, 2007). These high rates of female domestic violence are popular within many Native American tribes. What women in these tribes are afraid of is that feminist reforms are based off of western principles. The key to finding a solution is placing a clear separation between western and feminist. Feminism should be a revolution amongst women, where each separate culture and sector of womanhood’s problems should be consider ed  individually. There are too many issues to believe that one solution will be sufficient for all problems. Women in western societies must consciously accept the idea that feminism is not a movement where western women are helping or â€Å"saving† third-world women, but instead a movement where women of all backgrounds face their own cultural obstacles where they exist. Native American feminist consciousness should be illuminated as an important goal to be reached in the indigenous communities to combat sexism instead of treating it as a â€Å"white construct,† (Ramirez, 2007). A woman being categorized as the â€Å"other† is a common reoccurrence throughout many feminist writings. The constant separation of men and women throughout history leads to the necessity of separate solutions for poverty as well. Women have been inferior in many contexts and on many levels. Chandra Mohanty gives specific order to the inferiority applied to much feminist research by challenging the ways in which women have been previously and commonly put down which includes; Women as victims of male violence, Women as universal dependents, Married women as victims of the colonial process, Women and familial systems, Women and religious ideologies, and Women and the Development Process. According to Mohanty, these six structures of inferiority have justified fe male discrimination throughout many sectors of history. Violence against women is a popular epidemic that has created huge problems within cultures and has even led to death. It is one of many ways in which men reiterate their superiority over women. Women’s reliance on men has created an â€Å"identifiable group† in which they have all can relate. This characteristic of womanhood is dangerous because no successful and powerful categorization of people should be separated because of their dependency. To move past this inferior dependency, women must work to make it an idea of the past and demand their own independent feats. Another way in which women are treated as subordinate, is in cultures where colonization has negatively influenced the process of marriage. For example, in the Bemba culture, men work for years for a family in exchange for food and eventual rights over the daughter of the family he has been working for. To trade the â€Å"rights† of a woman for household duties and chores is so beyond any traditional concept that may be practices. Not only are women often traded in cultures, but regardless of the way in which they become part of a family, they often assume the role of the â€Å"caregiver. † Women are often  sexual objects inherently used for reproduction and within a system of patriarchy. These are just some ways in which women have been continually put down and inferior to men through societal norms. The â€Å"Third World woman† is an idea that Chandra Mohanty introduces in her article; Under Western Eyes; Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses; which analyzes â€Å"sexual difference† in the form of a global, singular, uniform notion of male superiority leading to the production of an equally undermining and homogeneous â€Å"Third World woman† categorization. The problems that are associated with poverty cannot be assigned and divided in terms of geographical existence. This assumption would lead to a categorization of all people from a certain area to then face the same obstacles. For example, it cannot be assumed that the men and women of Canada share the same struggles. The social constructs that are present in Canada can and should be approached from multiple viewpoints in order to appropriately capture their true depth. In Nothing’s Shocking: Black Canada, Katherine McKittrick goes into depth on the reality of living in â€Å"Black Canada.† While reading about such a specific yet complicated and complex unit of society (the distinction of African American individuals living in Canada versus Caucasian individuals living in Canada), there is a vast amount of dimension that must be considered. In her article, McKittrick refers to African American people in Canada as â€Å"surprises,† as if it is unimaginable and unexpected for them to be there. In general, African American people in Canada were treated as subordinate and geographically excluded. Furthermore, when considering more specifically the ideas associated with an African American woman in Canada, even more norms are introduced. For example, consider the story of Marie-Joseph Angelique, a Portuguese-born slave who was accused of burning down the city of Montreal. The story goes that following years of suppression in Canada, Marie-Joseph Angelique rebelled against her â€Å"mistress† and in an attempt to escape from slavery, set a fire to distract her while Angelique ran away. However, instead of simply burning down the house of her mistress, the fire unexpectedly spread throughout the city, burning down a hospital and many homes. Through torture and brute force, Angelique was pushed into confessing to the being the perpetrator of the fire, although the truthfulness in this story is tentative. Angelique’s story, truthful or not, does however bring  truthfulness to core source that was in question, which was the presence of slavery in Canada. By looking at the past struggles of one woman, Angelique, we can encounter conclusions for other aspects of history, such as slavery in Canada. Women are often oppressed in third world nations; facing everyday threats of rape, discrimination, and constant struggles for equality. Theyâ€℠¢re treated as the minority; in which they’re special interests go unacknowledged and ignored. Referred to as the margin, they are the â€Å"edge or border of a surface, the ignored or unimportant sections of a group, the blank border on each side of a page, adjacent to or in opposition to the center† (McKittrick, 2006). In this application, women will always be the â€Å"other† (Mohanty, 2008). To approach any issue that affects femininity with a global solution is a clearly ineffective and lazy tactic. Although women’s issues are indeed everyone’s issues, this does not lead to the idea that they must be tackled as a global problem. These mistreatments are not only apparent in social structures, as mentioned previously through the categorizations of Chandra Mohanty, but also physically in their cultures. There are more than 1 billion people in the world today living in poverty, a big majority of those people being women. Unimaginable working conditions and societal inequities often lead to lower standards of living in many developing countries. Rooting from many causes, poverty is usually linked to poor structural foundations within countries including laws, regulations and standards that ensure liberty and equality. Poverty is a multidimensional problem that usually grows from both national and international spheres. â€Å"Women and girls are still 70 percent of the world’s poor and the majority of the world’s refugees. Girls and women compromise almost 80 percent of displaced persons of the Third World/South Africa, Asia and Latin America. Women own less than one-hundredth of the world’s property, while they are the hardest hit by the effects of war, domestic violence, and religious persecution† (Mohanty, 2008). The inequality that is so evidently clear through statistics and informative findings points strongly to the inferiority of women. Owning one hundredth of the world’s property, it is apparent that women are not receiving the same opportunities as men. Agriculture as a form of production has gone from 97% to 3% in the past century. However, land use in the form of agriculture and profit are very important in areas of the world that are not yet  develo ped. Women may work on these fields, but receiving the benefits from them often go to the men that own them. Mohanty reflects the views of western feminists on the third world woman as consistently being a â€Å"homogeneous powerless group often located as implicit victims of particular economic systems. Third world women are always the â€Å"victims† who need â€Å"western saving,† Women living in poverty are already restricted by this stereotype of helplessness. In Mohanty’s article Under Western Eyes; Feminist Scholarshop and Colonial Discorses, she closely examines the lives of women in â€Å"developing† countries. Mohanty introduces scholars such as Irene Tinker, Michelle Bo Bramsen, Ester Boserup, and Perdita Huston who all write about the effects of developmental policies on women in the Third World, assuming that â€Å"development is synonymous with economic development or economic progress.† Economic development involves the concern and actions of policy makers and communities in order to improve the standard of living and economic prosperity of a population. Usually involving higher wages, literacy and health, economic development in many cases does not focus in on the sexism that is usually evident in these developing nations. When Mohanty goes on to present the case of â€Å"Mince’s patriarchal family, Hosken’s male sexual control, and Cutrufelli’s Western colonization,† development seems to become the all-time equalizer. Women can either be affected positively or negatively by economic development policy which becomes the basis for cross-cultural comparison. Economic development often focus on the growth of men in these political and economic sectors which leads to even more inequality in these developing countries. If economic growth were to focus more on raising equality in these countries, then women would likewise benefit as well. However, this is seldom done naturally and must be given a particular amount of importance and attention. â€Å"Practices that characterize women’s status and roles vary according to class.† The state of women in these developing countries cannot be approached in a singular way and absolutely must be separated from the developmental issues of men. The â€Å"feminization of poverty† is an idea introduced by Mohanty that shows a positive correlation between the level of poverty between women of color and white working-class women in the United States. Men and women have always been segregated; society’s value of their labor being one of the most evident forms of discrimination, current in even our society today. The  existence of a sexual division of labor is often taken as â€Å"proof of the oppression† in various societies (Mohanty, 1988). Women who encounter similar situations cannot be treated as identical. For example, the rise of female-headed households has held various different meanings in cultures, specifically middle-class American and Latin American. In middle-class America, the rise of female-headed households often represents feminine progression, a symbol for greater independence and a woman’s â€Å"choice† to be a single parent (Mohanty, 1988). However on the other side, the same increase in female-headed households lending women more say in decision-making is concentrated in poorer areas, where there choices are constrained economically regardless. Discrimination between genders norms in the workforce leads to their division of labor. The sexual division of expectations in labor indicates a depreciation of women’s work and must be considered separately through each society and cultures own local contexts. When nations experience a big gap between genders, other nations are often led to the belief that they need â€Å"saving.† This assumption often leads to individuals from developing nations claiming themselves as self-righteous, then intruding on other â€Å"less† fortunate nations and validating it as a form of â€Å"saving.† When these nations intervene on others, they often lack an understanding of societal differences. Accepting and acknowledging differences, is the key to progressing. However, it is important to specify that acceptance does not necessarily lead to everyone being â€Å"cultural relativists,†(Abu-Lughod, 2002), but to take this idea and apply it in moderation. Intricacy and meticulousness is necessary in a world as interconnected as ours when recognizing and respecting differences. There should be no dividing line between nations, religions, or cultures in our world. The existence of western and third-world differences should not be the greatest factor that leads to separating people, and it is also important to acknowledge the fact that these are not just two bin aries that all people must fit into. A separation of differences should only be approached when studying the visions of â€Å"justice and the value of life,† (Bhattacharyya, 2008). These differences are usually in response to different histories and different circumstances that lead to the different social cultural norms in communities. While progressing towards justice for all women, we must first accept that that is not a universal idea but  instead may vary from woman to woman. There is a range of optimal envisions that different women might want or choose. Third world feminists are often criticized as â€Å"social critics† (Bhattacharyya, 2008). Entrenched in their own culture, third world feminists do not only identify themselves strongly with their culture, but also make a clear separation between their idea of feminism versus feminism for other activists and cultures. Third world resentment toward feminism in the context of western thinkers makes it very difficult to progress. The prime solution to approaching feminism would be to develop a mutually respectful appreciation of differences between different the different apparent ideas. However, our world is so diverse and complex that it is very difficult to find a solution that fits within all of the parameters that would satisfy all concerns. Women of all cultures should be aware of the need for global feminist movements while remaining within the strictures set by their own culture (Bhattacharyya, 2008). Resentment and difference leads to a complication of using a transnational language when approaching feminism, because it will always lack proper consideration of certain local struggles. One popular way to approach feminism is through an Indigenous methodical lens. As mentioned previously, Native American women have faced notable higher levels of mistreatment, inequality and discrimination throughout all of their recorded history. Even in current Native American communities, notions of sexism are still popularly practiced. There are many writings on feminism by Native women however these pieces often are claimed to be in conflict with the specific politics of sovereignty and self-determination that many Native Americans practice. Native writings often present critiques of feminism, relating it heavily to white and middle-class concepts. Other than those who are â€Å"assimilated,† Native American activists do not consider themselves feminist (Smith, 2008). Feminism is categorized as an â€Å"imperial project† that assumes a western colonial command over indigenous nations. This categorization results in a see-saw effect between supporting sovereignty an d rejecting feminism. When supporting sovereignty, Native activists find they must reject feminist politics. On the other side, scholars and activists who attempt to theorize feminism for native women activists often oversimplify the apparent issues with feminism, sexism  in societies (both native communities and other non-native communities), and the importance of teaming up all together to solve these problems. Due to the previously mentioned opposing concepts, it is extremely difficult to articulate a movement that instantaneously decreases sexism while promoting indigenous sovereignty. The progression of women’s rights has increasingly become a central goal of developmental movements, economically and socially. With a rise in feminist perspective and consideration, places that do not follow these changes in approach are often criticized. Women’s participation in societal life has become a measure of societal development. The problem of binaries in our societies is an extremely important factor in understanding political movements, discrimination and extreme activism. For example, in many Islamic cultures, there have been uneven attempts in examining developments. Solutions often represent those of which come from radical or inconsiderate theorists. Recently, however, these visions have been amended and changed to more thoroughly examine the contemporary Islamic problems regarding the superiority of masculinity (Bhattacharyya, 2008). The sexist issues apparent in many third-world nations are often criticized by western activists, although these accusations are very hypocritical. Many feminist writings and studies are the products of western writers. Since the majority of feminist writings are from the western perspective, feminism has had a likewise western connotation. Western thinkers are commonly obsessed with the concept of â€Å"sex,† (Bhattacharyya, 2008). The presence of â€Å"sexual conflict† within nations often leads to a western defense of sexuality. Sexuality is enacted as a symbol of western ideas that must be defended, as every woman should have the right to her own practiced sexuality. Western thinkers popularly be lieve that â€Å"their† problems regarding sexism are not nearly as horrible as other nation’s problems, so they believe it is their own responsibility to help or â€Å"save† others. However, western solutions are not global solutions and cannot be transcribed onto other cultures. Western separation and self-proclaimed superiority leads to a separation of â€Å"us† versus â€Å"them.† In terms of sexuality, western thinkers are often portrayed as more provocative. Westerners often accuse â€Å"others† of hating their freedoms- of which â€Å"to love and touch and leave and experiment† with their freedom to â€Å"move and love freely,† (Bhattacharyya, 2008). These self-proclamations are inaccurate  being that women in the western world still face many issues routing from their sex. This false representation of equal opportunity combined with democracy as a purification of western concepts is tried at being defended at all costs. Westerners often claim their ideas as completely fair and righteous, in comparison with other â€Å"less fortunate† countries. Although western ideas are the most common in feminist writings, they cannot be the only ones involved in discussions about foreign policy because that would lead to a misrepresentation of feminism (Bhattacharyya, 2008). Poverty is a global problem that affects individuals from all geographies and cultures. Representing different ideas to different people, poverty does not have a multiculturalist definition. As a factor to measuring poverty, feminine equality varies from culture to culture. Western feminist ideas are popular within feminist studies because they are the source of many current and historical feminist writings. However when approaching global problems such as poverty, multiple culture’s views must be considered when trying to find efficient solutions. By evaluating the views of women from numerous backgrounds, we can further develop resolutions that will bring a greater amount of happiness to a greater amount of people. Bibliography Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses Chandra Talpade Mohanty. Feminist Review , No. 30 (Autumn, 1988), pp.61-88 †Under Western Eyes† Revisited: Feminist Solidarity through Anticapitalist Struggles Chandra Talpade Mohanty Signs , Vol. 28, No. 2 (Winter 2003), pp. 499-535 McKittrick, Katherine. â€Å"Introduction, The Last They Thought of: Black Women’s Geographies, Nothing;s Shocking: Black Canada† . Ramriz, Renya K. Race, Tribal Nation, and Gender: A Native Feminist Approach to Belonging. Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism, Vol. 7. No. 2. 2007. Pp. 22-40. Abu-Lughod. †Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others.† American Anthropologistv. 104 no. 3 (2002): 783-790. Smith, Andrea, and J. Khaulani Kauanui. â€Å"Native Feminisms Engage American Studies.† American Quarterly, 2008: 241-249. Bhattacharyya, Gargi. â€Å"Introduction Chapter 1.† Dangerous Brown Men: Exploiting Sex, Violence and Feminism in the War on Terror. London: Zed, 2008. N. pp 1-45.

The Impressions Of Pride And Prejudice

The Impressions Of Pride And Prejudice Elizabeth Bennets pride and prejudice gives her inaccurate first impressions of Fitzwilliam Darcy. In the beginning, Elizabeth judges Darcy as the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world (Austen 8). This denotes the beginning of Elizabeths prejudice against Darcy, which further increases after he insults Elizabeth by calling her tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me (Austen 9). Although this is insufficient basis for her prejudice against Darcy, when she hears the awful stories about Darcy from Wickham, she is given more reasons to develop her prejudice against Darcy and even deepens her dislike of Darcy to the point that she views Darcy as having such malicious revenge, such injustice, such inhumanity (Austen 71). Elizabeths prejudice of Darcy is also further fuelled when Colonel Fitzwilliam implies that Darcy has intentionally broken up the relationship of Mr Bingley and Jane, Elizabeths eldest sister; Darcy does not want Mr Bingley to suffer the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage (Austen 165). Since Elizabeth is a proud person and she dislikes being wrong in her judgements, she never expresses her views of Fitzwilliam Darcy. However, Elizabeth is wrong on two counts. Firstly, Wickham tells Elizabeth a fictional story about Darcy. She discovers that after Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth after his failed first marriage proposal to Elizabeth, explaining the reasons and truths behind his own actions regarding his friendship with Wickham. Elizabeth feels ashamed, feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, and absurd (Austen 185). Secondly, Darcy misjudges Elizabeths sister to be indifferent to Mr. Bingley and he fears for Mr. Bingleys happiness; but Elizabeth corrects Darcy about her sisters feelings toward Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth finds this out in Darcys letter to her. Elizabeth has shown pride in herself, guarding her judgements and impressions of people, that she is blinded by her own prejudice. Fitzwilliam Darcy is not the only person of whom Elizabeth Bennet has the wrong first impression; she also has the inaccurate first impression of Wickham. In the beginning of the story, he is introduced as a handsome soldier: His appearance was greatly in his favour; he had all the best part of beauty, a fine countenance, a good figure, and very pleasing address. The introduction was followed up on his side by a happy readiness of conversation a readiness at the same time perfectly correct and unassuming (Austen 64). Wickham appears to be the complete opposite of Darcy. Elizabeth responds well to that kind of character, because she is already prejudiced against Darcy, a different kind of character; also, Wickham does not offend her pride. Wickham appears to be a friendly person, and Elizabeth immediately befriends him. When Wickham tells her his story about his acquaintance with Darcy, Elizabeth honoured him for such feelings, and thought him handsomer than ever as he expressed them (Austen 71). This increases the effects of her pride and prejudice against Darcy. Wickham manipulates Elizabeths pride and prejudice in a way that makes him seem an honourable person in comparison to Darcy. However, Elizabeth is also wrong about Wickham, because Darcy writes her a letter explaining his past acquaintance with Wickham and the reasons behind the end of their friendship. Elizabeth is astonished when she reads a passage in Darcys letter: Mr Wickhams chief object was unquestionably my sisters fortune, which is thirty thousand pounds; but I cannot help supposing that the hope of revenging himself on me, was a strong inducement. His revenge would have been complete indeed (Austen 180). Elizabeth is thrown into an emotional confusion as she tries to examine Darcy by his letter and his behaviours. She realizes at the end that Wickham has instilled a sense of falsehood concerning Wickhams acquaintance with Darcy. Elizabeth changes her mind about Wickham and views him differently after reading the letter from Darcy. Elizabeths pride and prejudice influences her to think good of Wickham in the first place because he is the polar opposite of Darcy. In addition, Elizabeth Bennet is not the only character with pride and prejudice. Fitzwilliam Darcy is another example of a person proud and prejudiced. Fitzwilliam Darcy is described as: Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well bred, were not inviting. In that respect, his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continually giving offence (Austen 13). The quote describes how the people in Hertfordshire, including Elizabeth, views Darcy. He acts in this manner because he is a proud and wealthy person. Charlotte Lucas explains the reason for Darcys actions: His pride, said Miss Lucas, does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud (Austen 16). Darcy is proud because he has everything he could ever ask for, such as social connections, fortune, social status, and friends. He views Elizabeth as an inferior because of her family, her connections, and her wealth. Because of Darcys pride, he becomes prejudiced towards Elizabeth. Despite his prejudice against Elizabeth, he begins to love her. Darcy really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger (Austen 45). Darcy is sure that Elizabeth will have bewitched him if she has social connections and wealth, but Darcy does not realize that he has already begun to love her. His love is blinded by his own pride and prejudice. As the story progresses, Darcy finds it hard to resist Elizabeths charm to the point that Darcy proposes to her. However, this is an emphasis on Elizabeths inferiority in Darcys views: He spoke well, but there were feelings beside those of heart to be detailed, and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority of its being a degradation of a family obstacles which judgements had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit (Austen 168). Darcy proposes marriage to Elizabeth, reminding her about her familial and social connections. This shows that Darcy is conscious of Elizabeths social and financial status. Darcy is concerned about himself; however, he is partially willing to throw away his pride for his love of Elizabeth. Nevertheless, Elizabeth does not accept Darcys proposal and explains her reasons. Darcy is forced to re-examine himself and recognize his wrongful actions. When he realizes that he is too proud and prejudiced, he experiences a massive character transformation. After his self-examination, Darcy appears a different man and less prejudiced. He helps Elizabeths family by bringing Bingley and Jane back together, and finding Lydia and Wickham. He makes sure Wickham will marry Lydia even though the situation does not directly affect him, because4 he knows that will make Elizabeth happy and relieved. Elizabeth plays an important role in Darcys life; because of Elizabeth, Darcy is able to overcome his pride and prejudice. On the contrary, Elizabeths first impression of Mr. Collins is correct, although Mr. Collins is an easy person to decipher. Mr. Collins is a predictable character, a nervous person, and one who obviously admires his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr. Collins has stayed as a guest at Elizabeths family home to solve the disagreements between Mr. Bennet and Mr. Collins father. Since he is not a complex character as Darcy and Wickham are, Elizabeth can figure him out: It now first struck her, that she was selected from among her sisters as worthy of being the mistress of Hunsford Parsonage, and of assisting to firm a quadrille table at Rosings, in the absence of more eligible visitors. The idea soon reached to conviction, as she observed his increasing civilities toward herself and heard his frequent attempt at a compliment on her wit and vivacity; and though more astonished that gratified herself, by this effects of her charms, it was not long before her mother gave her to understand that probability of their marriage was exceedingly agreeable to her (Austen 78 79). Elizabeth Bennets mother hints at Mr. Collins real purpose for visiting the Bennets. This information from her mother influences Elizabeth in a way that she develops her first impression of Mr. Collins before he even comes to visit. Therefore, Elizabeths first impression of Mr. Collins is untrue, she does not develop her opinion of him on her own as she has with her opinions of Darcy and Wickham. In conclusion, first impressions of people are influenced by a persons pride and prejudice. Elizabeth Bennets pride and prejudice influences her first impressions of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Wickham, and her first impressions are wrong; the same can be said for Fitzwilliam Darcy. Therefore, the characteristic traits of pride and prejudice are the central role in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice.

Brief History Of International Business Commerce Essay

Brief History Of International Business Commerce Essay International business is defined as the transactions that are carried out across national borders to fulfill the objectives of individuals, companies and organizations. The different modes by which international business is being done are import-export trade, foreign direct investment, licensing, franchising and management contracts. Over the last five decades international trade and investment have grown faster than the domestic economies. International business facilitates flow of idea, services and capital across the globe. The result is higher levels of innovation, faster dissemination of goods and information worldwide, more efficient use of human capital and improved access to financing (Czinkota, Ronkainen and Moffett, 2009). Brief History of International Business International business is not a new phenomenon but has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. Through the routes established in the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians, Mesopotamians, and Greeks did trading. As sophisticated business techniques emerged, facilitating the flow of goods, resources and funds between countries flourished. This growth was further stimulated by colonization activities. The Industrial Revolution further stimulated the growth of international business by providing methods of production for mass ,markets and efficient methods for utilizing raw materials. The inventions and technological developments from Industrial revolution further accelerated the smooth flow of goods, services and capital between the countries. The production grew at unprecedented levels by 1880s as the industrial revolution was in full swing in Europe and the United States. Growth continued in an upward spiral as mass production was realized and the manufactures were pushed to seek foreign markets for their products. This marked the emergence of multinational corporations. (Ajami,Cool, Goddard and Khambata, 2006) Factors leading to Growth in International Business Development and expansion of technology The introduction of telegraph in 1837, the telephone in 1876, the wireless in 1895, the aero plane in 1903, the television in 1926, the liquid fuelled rocket in 1927, the coaxial cable in 1930s and digital computer in 1946 were all the key events that triggered the growth of international business. Next to air transport, electronic communication, digital information processing has been the other principal area of technological innovation. All these technological advancements provided the platform for companies to set off increased number of international business activities. (Marios Katsioloudes, Spyros Hadjidakis, ) Liberalization of cross border activities The governmental barriers for international business have been lowered after the Second World War. The European Union, NAFTA, ASEAN and other regional economic blocs throughout the world provide fewer restrictions on cross border movements. The European Union was awarded the Nobel prize for peace 2012 in recognition for its constructive handling of peace, improving relations between nations through trade, reconciliation and human rights in Europe over the past six decades. (Europa.eu, 2012) The European commission president Jose Manuel Barrosa at the outset of receiving prize said that, we honor this prize and will preserve what had been achieved. This achievement will propel the quest for shaping a better organized world with the values of freedom, democracy and human rights.(Guardian.co.uk, 2012) Development of supporting services Governments and companies have developed services that facilitate further international business. For instance Mail, which is a government monopoly, could be transferred by an airline other than that of the country of origin could go through many different countries before reaching the final destination with the stamp of the country of origin. Also banking institutions have developed effective and efficient means for companies to receive payment for their foreign sales. The banks can assist in the payment of any currency through various international transactions upon the receipt of goods /services. (Marios Katsioloudes, Spyros Hadjidakis, ) Distinctive elements of international business The four distinctive elements of international business are: Globalization International Business Environment Unique Culture International Business Management Globalization: People around the globe are more connected than ever before. Goods and services produced in one part of the world is increasingly available in other parts of the world. This phenomenon is termed as globalization. Globalization refers to the shift toward a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Globalization has two components which are globalization of production and globalization of markets. (Aswathappa) Globalization of markets refers to the merging of separate and distinct market place into a single market. (Subba Rao, 2009). The global acceptance of consumer products such as Sony Walkmans, Coca-Cola, Levis Jeans, Citicorp Credit Cards, MCDonald Hamburgers are all considered as prototypical examples of this trend. By offering a standardized product worldwide they are helping to create a global market. (Marios Katsioloudes, Spyros Hadjidakis, ) Globalization of production refers to the tendency among firms to source goods and services from locations around the world to take global advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production. (Labor, land, energy and capital) Companies hope to lower overall cost structure by doing so. For example, Boeing companys jet airliner 777 has 132,500 component parts which are produced around the world by 545 suppliers. (Marios Katsioloudes, Spyros Hadjidakis, ) International Business Environment The international business environment is highly characterized and influenced by International Politics International Culture International Trade International financial markets and Institutions International Politics International politics is a primary concern for Multi National Enterprises. (MNEs) The past two decades have witnessed dramatic change in their political systems. Most of the countries in the Eastern Europe, in the Americas are building market economies in varying degrees. MNEs feel more confident in starting up their operations in market driven economy as they are endowed with more freedom to fix prices and more liberty in carrying out their business operations. Until MNEs feel that the government is willing to take the steps necessary to ensure that promises are kept and they are able to repatriate their funds, they are going to proceed very cautiously with their investment plans. (Rugman and Collinson, 2006) International Culture Despite the various patterns and processes of globalization, Cultural awareness is a very important aspect for MNEs when it operates in international arena. As an example, the culture, beliefs and etiquettes which are followed in the India is entirely different from that of the western world and the companies and persons who are involved in business in India should comprehend the Indian culture to its full extent. When going to a business meeting in India , bring family photos. Indians enjoy talking about each others families, which is seen as building trust and rapport before doing business. (Czinkota,Ronkainen and Moffet, ) Real Business Case Saudi Arabia: Many organizations from foreign countries entered into the Saudi Arabian market following the crisis it faced in 1970s. But not all were successful as they failed to understand the Saudi Arabian culture. A major U.S security company won a large contract to install security system for a client in Saudi Arabia. The troubles started when the shipments from the U.S. which landed in Saudi Arabia were not released by the custom officials. The reason behind the detainment of the shipments was that the security devices were wrapped in newspapers which contained fashion photographs of scantly claded women. This offended the cultural sensitivities of the officials of a nation in which majority of the women wear a long garment called Abayah. (Misra and Yadav, ) International Trade International trade is a broad term, which includes all commercial transactions that take place between nations. Multinational companies are major players in international trade and account for the major proportion of International trade. Some classic examples for international trade are, Ford which makes gear box in its factory in Bordeaux and exports it to assembly plants in different EU countries. Spain depends upon Nigeria, Algeria and Libya for 99% of its natural gas requirements. (Misra and Yadav, ) International Financial Markets and Institutions Irrespective of whether a company or bank engages in international trade, it is important that its managers understand some key aspects of international financial markets. The euro currency market, international monetary system, the foreign exchange market all influence the functioning of markets for goods and services. The euro currency market may offer a low cost borrowing opportunity; the international monetary system may set a framework that may affect many firms and the foreign exchange market determines the cost and availability of foreign currencies used in business by many firms. Unique Culture International business and its by product globalization will ensure and enforce a unique culture around the globe. For example, Pizza which has had its origin in Italy is now widely accepted and consumed all around the world thus integrating the culture and bringing about a unique food culture. Similarly Indian costumes are in high demand these days in the U.S and Europe. So international business is bringing forth a common culture which brushes out all national and cultural barriers. International Business Management International business management is all about developing business operations on an international scale. (Coade,1997). The key features of international business management are: The elements of market analysis which are required to start business operations overseas. Guidance on how to influence the international strategy on business Construct a dynamic market entry strategy Easy ways to search for a competitive advantage Why do companies go international? The desire to expand sales and revenue to acquire inputs at least cost and to minimize business and financial risk through geographic diversification has led to the growth of MNCs. The factors that led the companies accelerate their business activities worldwide are: Minimize competitive risk Expand sales Acquire resources Cost Minimize Competitive Risk Companies seek to have global presence for defensive reasons. The intense competition between companies in the domestic market incites companies to have global operations. Real Business Case Tata Motors: Since early 1990s India have been witnessing strong waves of liberalization, privatization, and globalization. The automobile giant in India, Tata motors realized that if it wants to grow then it cannot afford to have business solely to the fortunes of one country as automotive business is highly competitive and the competitiveness depends on the quality, economies of scale and efficiency which could be improved if the organization enters foreign market. The senior management of Tata Motors where left with the question whether they should remain as an exporter of vehicles which they were doing since 1961 or to enter into the international market which can compete with the best in the business. The answer they have zeroed in was to widen its business operations than just exports (Misra and Yadav, 2009). Acquire Resources Another important motive of companies to set for international business is to acquire resources such as raw materials, capital, products, technology, products or services. The reasons for it would be: Non-Availability of resources in the home country. High prices of resources in the home country. To seek resources of better quality/standard. Real Business Case Philips: Cheap labor in China brought Philips to China. In 2002 Philips had 23 factories in china which were either wholly owned or joint ventures. Two third of the companys export products were from these plants. According to Gerard Kleiterlee, the president and CEO of Philips Electronics, China is the second largest market for Philips Surpassing Germany in the last quarter of 2009. We are one of the largest multinationals in the country operating in 600 Chinese cities and employ 15000 people. (Philips.com, 2010) Minimize Risk Organizations always want to minimize the risk by minimizing the swings in sales and profit. Companies try to mitigate the vulnerability to a single economy by having a broader base in multiple geographies. Real Business Case Nestle: In 2001, Nestle witnessed slower growth in Western Europe and in the U.S. but this was offset by higher growth in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia. According to Peter Brabeck , Vice chairman and CEO of Nestle, Nestle has delivered a good performance by any measure in the first half of 2002 demonstrating its capacity for growth and performance improvement even in a difficult global environment (Nestle, 2002). Cost Cost aspect is a significant motivation for organizations to have inclination towards global business. Many organizations go in for international business to become more competitive internationally by reducing their costs. Real Business Case Toshiba: The manufacturing of Toshiba laptop is dispersed geographically where the mix of factor costs and skills are most favorable. The manufacturing of laptop components such as memory chips and display screens take place in Japan, microprocessors and hard drives made in the U.S. and finally assembly takes place in Singapore from where it is shipped to the U.S, Western Europe and Japan. Global Trends shaping International Business Emerging markets increase their global power Emerging markets are viewed as the worlds economic growth engine. The emerging markets where once seen as home for natural resources, cheap labor and low manufacturing cost. But now these emerging markets are seen as promising markets as they are having rapid population growth, sustained economic development and growing middle class. It is expected that BRIC nations (Brazil,Russia,India and China) would account for 50% of global GDP growth by 2020. (Ernst and Young, 2012) Cleantech become a competitive advantage Most of the governments and organizations around the world are very well aware about the carbon emissions and its repercussions. The cleantech enabled transformation to a low carbon, resource efficient economy will be the source for next industrial revolution. China, India, Brazil and Germany are gaining advantage in solar, wind, biofuels for its energy requirements. (Ernst and Young, 2012) Global Banking sees recovery through transformation The financial institutions all around the world are forced to have regulatory changes following the global economic slowdown. (Ernst and Young, 2012) The final shape of global regulatory framework is still not clear but the international banking will change tremendously in following fundamental ways: Heightened corporate governance More restrictions on priority trading, investments in hedge funds and private equity funds. Executive pay will be limited. More focus on consumer protection. Demographic shifts will transform global workforce Even though the global population is on a rise, the availability of skilled workforce is shrinking. The data suggests that the demographic divide will arise between countries with younger skilled population and aging shrinking workforce. The war for talent will be intense in areas which require higher skill levels and education. (Ernst and Young, 2012) Rapid technology innovation creates a smart, mobile world Last twenty five years have been marked by digital revolution and it has changed the way we work and communicate. Yet the consumers want more powerful devices and applications, meanwhile businesses are looking for cost-effective technology. Still there is room for greater innovation in the areas of business intelligence, smart devices and cloud computing which would revolutionize the whole process by which international business is being carried out. (Ernst and Young, 2012) Conclusion From daily bread to fuel, cosmetics to cars, entertainment to essentials, it is hard to see a product without having the label of a foreign brand. In fact international business has transformed our lifestyle, culture and tastes. It has to be noted that the positives of international business is overarching the negatives of it. International business has served as a bridge for the developing nations to attain the status of developed nation, for underdeveloped nations it is a ray of hope and for the developed world it is a means to further extend their business operations and supremacy. The good international business has done to the human kind can never be estimated and the history has proved that the international business activities were blossomed when peace existed between nations. Thus international business can be viewed as symbol of prevailing peace, prosperity and general well being of mankind.

Strategic Leadership Essay example -- Business Management Studies

Strategic Leadership The only thing harder than being a strategic leader is trying to define the entire scope of strategic leadership a broad, difficult concept. We cannot always define it or describe it in every detail, but we recognize it in action. This type of leadership involves microscopic perceptions and macroscopic expectations. Volumes have been written on the subject, which may in fact contribute to the difficulty of grasping the concept. One finds confusing and sometimes conflicting information on this blended concept that involves the vagaries of strategy and the behavioral art of leadership. Sometimes the methods and models used to explain it are more complicated than the concept and practice of strategic leadership itself. Exercising this kind of leadership is complicated, but understanding it doesn’t have to be. Beginning with a definition and characterization of strategic leadership and then exploring components of the strategic environment may prove helpful. Future leaders must also recognize the nature of that environment. Finally, they should also have some familiarity with ways of developing competencies for dealing with the broad, new challenges that are part of leading in the strategic environment. What Is Strategic Leadership. The common usage of the term strategic is related to the concept of strategy—simply a plan of action for accomplishing a goal. One finds both broad and narrow senses of the adjective strategic. Narrowly, the term denotes operating directly against military or industrial installations of an enemy during the conduct of war with the intent of destroying his military potential. Today, strategic is used more often in its broader sense. Thus, we use it to relate something’s primary importance or its quintessential aspect for instance, the most advantageous, complex, difficult, or potentially damaging challenge to a nation, organization, culture, people, place, or object. When we recognize and use strategic in this broad sense, we append such meanings as the most important long-range planning, the most complex and profound decisions, and the most advantageous effects from a bombing campaign as well as leaders with the highest conceptual ability to make decisions. As mentioned earlier, strategy is a plan whose aim is to link ends, ways, and means. The difficult part involves t... ...e, again, to expand their perspective and increase their conceptual ability. In fact, many of them are experts in a number of unrelated fields. Becoming a dual expert helps one think in multiple dimensions. After committing to some or all of these development activities, potential leaders should reflect on each activity as a way of mining the total benefit and seeking greater meaning. They will also benefit from mentoring other leaders and being mentored themselves. When mentors share their experiences, they help others know and understand them. Conclusion The many components of the strategic-leadership environment challenge even the best leaders. The monumental consequences of strategic decisions call for individuals with unique performance abilities who can navigate the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity inherent in the nature of those decisions. Aspiring leaders can rise to the challenge by undergoing self-assessment and personal development. Accepting the demands of strategic leadership involves a transition from the art of the familiar to the art of the possible. This is the realm of strategic leadership and the strategic environment.