Monday, September 30, 2019

Cells and Movement of Substances

All living things are formed by cells, the structure of these cells varying depending on their function. Animal and plant cells have common features such as a nucleus, cytoplasm and cell membrane. Dissolved substances pass into and out of cells by diffusion Diffusion Diffusion definition: Diffusion is the movement of molecules from a high concentration to a low concentration. Dissolved substances have to pass through the cell membrane to get into or out of a cell. Diffusion is one of the processes that allows this to happen There are many examples of diffusion occurring in our bodies; two of these are: 1. Digested food particles in the gut moving from the gut cavity to the blood in capillary of villus 2. Oxygen particles in the lungs moving from the Alveolar air space to the blood circulating around the lungs Particles continue to move from a high to a low concentration while there is a concentration gradient*. In the lungs, the blood will continue to take in oxygen from the alveolar air spaces, so long as the concentration of oxygen there is greater than that in the blood. Oxygen diffuses across the alveolar walls and goes into the blood, where the circulation takes the oxygen-rich blood away. Osmosis Osmosis Definition: A process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semi permeable membrane* from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane. Eventually the level on the more concentrated side of the membrane rises as the molecules move through the membrane, causing the level on the less concentrated side to fall. When the concentration is the same on both sides of the membrane the movement of water will be the same in both directions, and a balance has, in effect, been found. At this point, the net exchange rate of water is zero and consequently there is no more change in the level of the liquids.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Failure of Thomas Gradgrind (Hard Times by Charles Dickens)

Thomas Gradgrind is a man bereft of any imagination or fancy, and perhaps that is why he is a staunch believer in the practicality of the education system. He discards wonderment and regards facts and figures as the ultimate path to learning. In the novel Hard Times, the author Charles Dickens has shown Gradgrind as an educationist, and hence has portrayed him implementing his views on both his pupils in the school, as well as on his family. He expects his students to engage in nothing but factual education; and brings up his children on the same principle.Fashioning his children on the principle of logic, he wants to make model beings out of them, which he may portray to society as examples of a practical nature. But he fails to understand the power of human emotions, or rather their weakness. Ignoring all possibilities of what hope and imagination could bring, into the lives of both himself and others around him, he creates a wall of facts beyond which it becomes very hard for his daughter Louisa and his son Tom to see, which they very much come to want. They get sick of their father’s ‘eminently practical’ ways and long to break free from the environment they are made to live in.Their desires and wishes are so subdued that they are forced to turn to whatever respite, no matter how little they can get from any source whatsoever. Despite his efforts to implement his theory upon everyone around him, the seed of fancy does not die out in his son and daughter, and is evidently on display in the incident where the siblings are caught peeping in at the fanciful circus which fuels their starved imaginations, but their moment is short lived as they are caught by their eminently practical father who chastises them for their behavior.In his views, their behavior is astonishing, for such practical children are not expected to be seen paying attention to things such as circuses and other such buffoonery. His views, which he holds in such high regards, fail here as it shows that no matter how much practicality a person is fed with, even if it is up to the brim leaving no room for any thing belonging to another nature, that basic human nature, which is known as, among others, fancy, will find its way through the thickest of books and the toughest of facts, into the minds of human beings, especially those so deprived of it.And it may as well grow their, positively if it is fed, and negatively, in a manner of frustration and despair, if it is not. Such was the case with Gradgrind’s children that their fancy was gravely trampled upon and not allowed to grow, that their basic human nature of fancy and imagination took on a negative tone of development and brought out in them natures far from what might be considered good. Gradgrind’s forcing upon them his extreme practicality and factual nature brings out the worst in them, as is often the case with youth exposed to the extremities of human psychology.His daughter Louisa enters into a loveless marriage with the unsympathetic man Bounderby, and becomes an unfeeling and cold person. There is no hope developed within her to help her think about what other prospects might have been open for her; whereas Tom goes astray and disembarks on a path unfit for a gentleman of his stature. There is no imagination in his mind whatsoever to suggest to him another course of being other than the one he has been brought up on, which is also the one he detests, and hence, in desperation, he takes to the only other path he sees before him.Gradgrind, having firm belief in the sensibleness of his ideas, extends his educational theory to the orphan child Sissy, who is the estranged child of the circus man Jupe, whom Gradgrind, overcome by pity at realizing her prospects as an un-apprenticed orphan, invites to live in his own house, which he relishes in presenting as an example to Louisa as to what becomes of someone who engages in things which do no appeal to the rationa l side of man.He provides Sissy with the same logical education he had been fashioning his children and his pupils on, but Sissy is not able to be as practical in nature as her education ought to have made her. She is not able to leave behind her basic nature, one which has bred from a past of reading fairy tales and enjoying the circus, which Thomas Gradgrind so detests. And it is this past, this quality of nature, which ultimately helps his son to escape a dreadful turn of events. Tom Gradgrind, on the other hand, having received an education factual in nature to the core, and without any experience whatsoever in mattersotherwise, goes off course and unlike his father, becomes a man of lesser standards. He enters into gambling and commits thievery. The education tom receives, which teaches him that self interest must rise above every other, is over-done. As a result Tom becomes so selfish that he coaxes his sister Louisa into marrying the rich businessman Bounderby just so that he could mint money for his gambling purposes, and becomes cross with her, when Louisa lands up on the wrong side of her marriage and is not able to fulfill his demands anymore.His sister is distraught at being treated coldly by her beloved brother, as he is the sole love of her life. He is very efficiently able to hide the crime he commits by playing upon the general suspicion on the poor workman Stephen Blackpool, the suspicion he has facilitated by taking advantage of Stephen’s gratitude towards his sister and asking to keep watch over the bank on the days leading to the robbery, so that the general doubt would naturally fall on Stephen.Gradgrind is forced to realize the failure of his theory implemented on his children by the embarrassment he suffers at the hands of his son when Tom junior, after his heist at the bank is at the brink of exposure, is in the process of escaping but is stopped short by Gradgrind’s old student Bitzer, who has now become a man of utmost p ractical bend of mind, who places his teacher’s very theory in his own face.Bitzer is an unyielding man who gives importance to nothing above self interest, which, as he truly states, was taught to him under the school of thought propagated by Thomas Gradgrind himself. He gives no regard to his former educator, stating instead that self interest and practicality is what he has been taught all his life, and that is what he shall practice. Gradgrind’s daughter Louisa marries Bounderby solely for the sake of her brother.Neither does she feel anything special towards Bounderby, neither holds anything against him, but agrees to it solely on her brother’s suggestion. To her, nothing in her life is worth getting excited for, as the extreme practical nature of her upbringing restricts her from thinking about things she could’ve possibly engaged in. Her saying, from time to time, â€Å"What does it matter? † suggests that she is so jaded of the system she i s a part of, that it does not matter to her what goes on around her, and is devoid of all concern.Her upbringing and education has been so weak in equipping her with knowledge about human relations of any kind that she is flustered when she is approached by James Harthouse with matters of the heart, and rushes back to her father as she is clueless about what to do about or make of the situation, thus displaying the failure of Thomas Gradgrind’s principles and beliefs on which he has brought his daughter up. This which goes on to show that man’s basic temperament cannot be bottled and filed, thus failing his theory of education being profoundly practical.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Foreign Policy Processes in France and Germany in the Post-Cold Essay

The Foreign Policy Processes in France and Germany in the Post-Cold War Era. What evidence is there that Germany has embarked on a normal foreign policy - Essay Example Following the war, there was a strong need for states to re-establish themselves on the world stage, especially in terms of foreign policy. The collapse of the Soviet Union meant that a new world order was necessary, as there was no longer the bipolarity of two warring superpowers (Ikenberry, 1996). Instead, the new world could be considered in one of two ways. Either unipolar, with the United States representing the centre of the worlds power and the only superpower, or multipolar, where there are many different centres of power, including Japan, Germany and China (Krauthammer, 1990). Many of the previously reliable reference points from which different states developed their foreign policy were gone, and thus the need to determine new areas of reference and new policies, were essential (Scott, 1998). There was no longer a common enemy of the Russians or a single unifying threat. Communism was also quickly collapsing, with the Berlin Wall being brought down around a year after the C old War finished. This represented a large change worldwide and one that had to be contended with in policy decisions for each government. The end of the Cold War resulted in a dramatic fall in the prevalence of communism worldwide and this caused a significant shift in the balance of power (Hopmann, 1994). As nations attempted to build new alliances and to secure current ones, foreign policy became one of the most important factors on the agendas of different nations. The German nation suffered from the limitation of stigmatism following the Second World War and this influenced their foreign policy.... The German nation suffered from the limitation of stigmatism following the Second World War and this influenced their foreign policy. France was not subject to the same limitation and as a consequence had more freedom in their decisions regarding foreign policy. Following the Cold War, it was unknown whether multiple world powers would emerge, or whether the United States would remain as the sole superpower. From the German perspective, there was the idea that the Germany could emerge to be one of the new superpowers, or Europe in general . One of the biggest changes that the end of the Cold War brought about for Germany and for Europe in general was the bringing down of the Berlin Wall. Like the end of the Cold War, this signified the collapse of the Soviet power . This lifted the threat of war that had been present in Europe for more than 40 years . Unification of East and West Germany occurred within a year of the end of the Cold War, and the country moved its focus back to the in ternational environment . One important issue for Germany was to decide whether they would be involved in nuclear weapons. This is a reflection of traditional concerns about security, and additionally may be related to a desire to be independent and to develop a distinctive ‘German’ identity . Germany was faced with an additional problem. It was not long after the Second World War, and much of the world was still wary about the country. As a consequence, their foreign policy had to take this into account. They could not focus on security to such an extent that it made them appear as a threat to other countries. Germany’s foreign policy focused on remaining a civilian entity, rather than building military might, and consequently, did not

Friday, September 27, 2019

IT Personnel Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

IT Personnel Management - Essay Example The job market is becoming more and more competitive as people are acquiring more skills and expertise making it a rat race for those who can perform the best (Jones and George, 2007) The human resource department is one of the many divisions of an organization that combine and integrate to work towards the organizational aims and goals. The main purpose of the Human resource department revolves around the process of recruitment, training and the most efficient utilization of the personnel in order to give out maximum productivity while achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. It is claimed that manpower and workforce of an organization is its most significant resource. As the world progresses and technology evolves day by day, gaining competitive advantage with the help of a focused and well-motivated workforce is imperative. In addition, there is more flexibility seen in the labor market around the world as well-qualified staff is moved between businesses. Hence, it is more pertinent to attract the most qualified employees in order to gain differentiation. Due to the importance of the people of the company it is equal important and difficult for the managers to manage these people. (Robbins and Coulter, 2004) This paper will discuss the It Personnel management and how it is different from traditional human resource management. It would elaborate over the various aspects of Personnel management and its implications. Moreover, it would compare and contrast IT management in different cultures and different countries including Saudi Arabia and India. Activities Associated with HR Management of IT Personnel Recruitment and Selection The recruitment of the right person to the right job at the right time is vital to the success of a company and is a key element of what the human resource department does.The process of recruitment of IT personnel is not very different from that of non-IT personnel. There are additional skills that the IT personnel shou ld posses. The process of recruitment can be divided into three core stages starting with the definition of requirements, then the recruitment and then the selection process. (Amit and Belcourt, 1999) It is important to define the qualities, competencies and general requirements sought from the potential employee. For an efficient selection process and to avoid future problems (including high staff turnover, lack of satisfaction and wastage of resources), it is necessary to have a preset profile of the skills and abilities of the candidate. The process of defining the requirements should start with an analysis of the job. Job analysis is the collecting, analyzing and setting out information about a job under the headings of overall purpose, content, accountability, performance criteria, competencies, responsibilities and more. Job analysis is for internal purposes and it is important in terms of job evaluation for pay purposes, for planning training programs and for efficient and ef fective recruitment. The analysis is used for drawing up the job description which is referred to a statement that defines the purpose, duties and the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

A psychological and sociological perspective to demonstrate an Essay

A psychological and sociological perspective to demonstrate an understanding of these perspectives and evaluate in what way there application enhances your unde - Essay Example e lives; nevertheless, it is a fact that society has to accept single parenting, because in future, with present stress on individuality, more and more children are likely to be brought up by single parents. Parents who find themselves abandoned by partners are supported by social care and children, who will learn to react to the circumstances and environments, will find difficulties in dealing with social and psychological problems. According to the case study, Michael and Kate were having problems during her third pregnancy because of Michael’s attitude towards his family. He has taken to drinking and was physically assaulting Kate, to the extent that she had to live with Social Care. Michael, in spite of recent behaviour, continues to be fond of their children, visits them often, buys presents, but does not want to shoulder day-today responsibilities bringing them up. Kate, being pregnant and financially dependent on Michael, was finding the situation difficult. Michael moved out of the family home and Kate moved into Grimesbar from Social Care, as it was easy to find accommodation in Grimesbar. She now lives in a four storey tenement with common entrance that is not particularly secure, and the building is scheduled for demolition. That being the case, many of the flats are empty, and Kate lives in an insecure and isolated building. Kate, being a non-practising Roman Catholic, considers other Church going single mothers as ‘holy.’ She does not particularly keep in touch with social workers and in the meantime, becomes friendly with local community activist Frances Kane, who helps Kate in looking after children. She has two teenage children of her own, a daughter training for a career and the boy in armed forces. Her husband Bill, a Lorry driver, stays away from home a lot due to his work schedule. Frances likes to look after Jade and Scott, and Kate leaves them more and more in her care, because Kate has started working and finds it almost impossible

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

(the self-parking and driving car Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

(the self-parking and driving car - Assignment Example Also as they will be able to access real-time information on the status of the roads, traffic jams and grid-lock may become a thing of the past, also they may ease movement for the visually impaired and physically challenged (Car jam). Driverless cars are still illegal and ultimately it will be up to lawmakers to adjust the guidelines of the road, particularly dealing with security and insurance matters, so as to allow for driverless cars on the road. Issues like who is at fault in an accident? Will drivers control data about their whereabouts? Imagine a situation where the computer fails and the driver cannot retake control in time. Likewise, what if the system is hacked? These are a few of the new challenges that have to be faced. Despite this some states namely California, Michigan, Nevada, Florida and Washington D.C, are taking steps(CNN). Either way companies like Google, Audi, BMW, Mercedes ford and Nissan see this as the next frontier in car development and have viable prototy pes in testing. Though this is yet to be achieved, it seems to be the future of driving (CNN). Â  CAR Magazine site. "Driverless cars: why you wont be buying one soon (2014)." 2014. Web. 26 Mar 2014.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

New York fashion week Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

New York fashion week - Essay Example Designers came up with events and conferences that were economical and aimed at reaching the people in the crucial time of the economic drop, giving them options that would help save. Further, they took to options that would help them cut out on runway costs or other organizing costs. Some of the events that have been part of the New York fashion week aimed at cutting down on costs, economizing and bringing to their audience what they are sure to receive with delight, technology. The costs of the show that would usually go up to $750,000 had been cut down and designers have gone economy friendly, however, not forsaking the striking patters, designs and beauty of the clothing range. In the current fashion scenario, simple and breathtaking are the two words often complimenting each other in collections that have been popular and sought after. The collections that are more wearable and simple in design still contain the glam and beauty that a more expensive and complicated array of fash ion clothing would hold. The birds collection by Andrew Holdes turned out to be a combination of just this. The colors were solid, the designs simple, angled and interesting. The collection included clothes with modern silhouettes that combined classic British tailoring with enduring American work wear, the most sought after style in the current season. Green jackets were cropped, corduroy vests with shawl collars paired with huge scarves as leather trimming and epaulets were added to other pieces.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Annotated Soap Note Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Annotated Soap Note - Assignment Example Social history: She denies taking alcohol or drugs but admits to smoking at least two cigarettes daily. She lives a very active life where she does a lot of walking activities. Her diet consists of high calories, fat, fruits, and vegetables. From the information gathered, the patient is likely suffering from bladder infection. Flank pain is associated with renal and upper urinary tract illnesses. In addition, the pain is a sign of underlying illness which in this case is bladder infection (Lippincott & Wilkins, 2008). The illness is diagnosed through a clean-catch mid-stream urine stream specimen to perform culture and determine the presence of bacteria. Concentration that is more than 100,000 organisms per ml of urine rules out the diagnoses (Murray & Pizzorno, 2012). The culture is repeated after seven to fourteen days after therapy to check if it has cleared (Schapiro, 2014). The treatment will include Norfloxacin (Noroxin) 400mg BID for three days (Tripathi, 2013). In addition, the patient is prescribed 100mg calcium C four times daily. It aids in making the urine more acidic that makes it unfavorable for bacterial growth. The best management of bladder infections is preventing the bacterial growth. To attain this, the patient is educated on how to limit the development of bacteria. It includes urinating completely and frequently. In addition, she should avoid keeping urine in the bladder for a long time. Moreover, she is advised on hygiene tips especially how to clean herself after bowel movement. She should perform it from front to back. Furthermore, she should avoid underwear that is from synthetic fabrics that has the tendency of confining moisture. She will be trained on the significance of taking sufficient fluid that is mostly six to ei ght glasses daily, as it eliminates toxins from the bladder (Schapiro, 2014). The patient is also

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Eating Too Much Meat Will Kill You Essay Example for Free

Eating Too Much Meat Will Kill You Essay Bill Cosby once stated, â€Å"Did you ever see the customers in health-food stores? They are pale, skinny people who look half dead. In a steak house, you see robust, ruddy people. They’re dying, of course, but they look terrific.† On average, Americans consume about 8 oz. of meat a day, twice the amount as the rest of the world; about one-sixth of the total meat consumed, U.S being less than one-twentieth of the population. Meat is generally delicious, contains rich sources of proteins and minerals. Some nutritional diet programs like the Atkins Diet have linked certain types of meat-based diets to weight loss. On the contrary, eating too much meat has been linked to certain type of cancers, high cholesterol and an increased risk of contracting a foodborne illness. Americans need to recognize that diets high in meat increases the cancer risk and other health issues. Evidence suggested that consuming meat could damage the body. In a country known for its love for hamburgers and steak, consumers need to cut down on their meat for a healthy life. Consumers also need to understand grilling meat increase the risk of cancer. Part of the solution is eating healthy, but consumers also should be aware of what they’re eating. The big issue in America is quantity. Eating meat and fast-food meat on a daily basis for seven days a week, 365 days a year, is a big reason why the risk for cancer and other health diseases is dangerously high in U.S. United States slaughters more than 10 billion land animals every year (Freston 802), and the market research firm Packed Facts stated Americans spends 142 billion dollar on beef, chicken, pork, lamb at market retails. Eating too much red meat has been linked to increased risk of death from cancer and heart disease, according to a study from American Cancer Society, the more red meat you eat will increase the risk for cancer. A Journal published by the American Medical Association reported a 20-year study of nearly 149,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 74. Researchers examine the risk according to how much red meat, poultry, or fish the people had eaten. Researchers looked at how many people develop colon cancer after the study. The results were 30% to 40% are more likely to develop cancer in the lower part of the colon. People who ate the most processed meats were 50% more likely to develop colon cancer (Parish 6). Eating just three ounces meat a day increases the consumer’s chance of dying by 13 percent, and 20 percent increase if eating processed meat, like bacon and hot dogs. But it doesn’t mean we should completely cut out meat in our diet; these statistics demonstrates that the less meat you eat, the better. Consuming meat damages the body. According to Dr. Oz, from the Dr. Oz Show, eating a steak dinner can take two to three days to get out of your intestines (par. 3). Red meat takes more than 24 hours to completely digest. In the mean time, it is in your intestine rotting at 98 degrees, sending toxins through the body. Eating any food that does not completely digest will ruin your health. What happens is that the human stomach acids are not made to break meat down efficiently because of its high fat and protein contents. The body lacks the enzymes that digest proteins in the stomach. Protein digestion mainly takes place in the first section of the small intestines where the pancreas secretes the types of digestive enzymes to help break down nutrients into energy and allow the nutrients molecules enter the bloodstream. Hence, meat takes longer as it has to pass into the stomach and the intestines, opposed to carbohydrates, which are broken down easily by saliva and the stomach. Although red meat is digestible than any other food sources such as rice and vegetable, it remains in the digestive system for a longer period of time, leaving the meat to rot in your intestines. Dr Klein believes that animal protein is the primary cause for the inflammation of the intestines because meat rots in your stomach (4). It explains why eating animal protein for a long period of time can increase the risk of colon cancer. Also the kidneys work to remove excess protein from your body. Eating too much protein can stress out the kidney, leading to kidney damage. Grilling meat is a method that most people are familiar with. Grilling is part of American culture; it brings family and friends together for the holidays like Independence Day. Grilling is a method of cooking food hot and fast on your grill. Burgers, poultry, beef, seafood are typically grilled. Grilling is actually a much healthier option than frying food because it is low fat and you can grill food without adding oil on them. But unfortunately, grilling food may potentially introduce the risk for cancer. Those juicy hamburgers, especially the charred ones contains cancer causing chemical called carcinogen. When you grill meat, some of the fat drips down to the charcoal or flame and the smoke carry the carcinogen known heterocyclic amines (HCA ) and polycyclic armomatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to form. These compounds have been shown to affect our DNA and might cause cancer. PAH is the same smoke from forest fires, coal burning, car exhaust and smoking. Exposure to high amounts of PAH is dangerous to your health and long term exposure increase the risk of cancer. According to 2007 study in Epidemiology, women with high intakes of grilled, barbecued or smoked meats over their lifetime had a 74 percent chance of developing breast cancer (373). It is also important to not that these women has low intake of fruits and vegetables. Most people are not aware of the carcinogen when they are grilling the meat. But let’s face it, grilled meat taste good and people should not give up on their grass fed steak or burgers from the grill. There are couple ways to grill safely and reducing carcinogen. 1. Marinating meats for at least several hours that contains herb and spices can dramatically reduce HCA. Herbs/spices is highly potent antioxidant that helps prevent HCA formation. 2. Pre-cook the meat in either the oven or microwave and finish it on the grill to decrease the amount of the carcinogen. 3. Pick leaner cuts like skinless chicken, lean beef or pork; it decreases the fat from dripping down on the open flame. It also important to remember that well-done meat has a higher concentration of carcinogen. Medium-rare, or medium cook is healthier choice than well done. These tips to reduce and prevent carcinogen is a safe way to consume grilled meat, but what about restaurants that serves grilled meats? Unfortunately, the meat holds carcinogens. Study shows restaurant meat such as burgers, ribs, and chicken carry substantial amounts of carcinogen. Few years ago, KFC calls their new Grilled Chicken â€Å"the better-for-you chicken for health- conscious customers.† But a PCRM a test shows the grilled chicken contains a high level of carcinogen (Sullivan 12). Consumers eating grilled chicken from popular restaurant chains are exposed to substantial level of carcinogen. A study published in Nutrition and Cancers show that an independent laboratory examined one hundred samples from seven popular restaurants, and Phip, a carcinogen, was found in all the samples (33). These findings clearly show that eating grill chicken can potentially cause cancer. Consumers deserve to know what they’re eating is just as worse as a greasy high-fat fried chicken. It misleads consumers to think grilled chicken is healthy diet but in actuality a grilled chicken salad can increase the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other dangerous health disease. If that the case, shouldn’t the government or chain restaurant provide warning labels on their product? Since Tobacco Company labels their pack with a warning that cigarette causes cancer; restauran ts serving cancer-causing meat should do the same. When parents cook chicken for their children, they try to be health conscious. If people knew there were high levels of carcinogens in their grilled chicken, they may not choose it as a healthy alternative. Meat is part of American culture; Western men often forge a strong link between eating meat and masculinity. Eating too much meat is a common problem in American Society. I believe most Americans don’t realize that they’re eating too much meat. When comparing the size of the burger we’re eating today to the past decades, our burger has gotten bigger. Bacon is a big part of American culture today. It brings child-hood memories of how mothers cooked bacon for their children. It is also a common breakfast food and is often associated with family gatherings. But, eating bacon every single day of your life has life threatening repercussion to your health. Most processed meat like bacon or hot dogs contains sodium nitrate. Sodium nitrate is a food additive used in m any processed meats. It increases shelf life, gives any meat a fresh appearance, improves the smoky flavors of bacon, and slows the rate of the foul smell, and reduces bacteria (Kortboyer 5). It seems sodium nitrate is a great additive but it is widely regarded as a toxic ingredient. It is a highly carcinogenic chemical and once it enters the human digestive system; it release toxin to a number of internal organs including liver and pancreas. USDA tried to ban sodium nitrate in the 1970’s but was vetoed by food manufacturers who complained that they are trying to ban bacon from America and insisted the additive was safe. The sodium nitrate is found in almost every meat package. It’s listed right on processed meat products like bacon, turkey, hot dogs, and meats in canned soups. If it’s so dangerous, why does food manufactures use it? It sells more meat products because it makes the meat appear fresh and vibrant. Consumers are often influenced by the appearance of the meat, and sadly they will buy meat that looks fresh because of the additives, but in reality, the meat could be months old. A proven strategy to help combat sodium nitrates is to consume large doses of vitamin C and E before your meal. Another safe alternative is purchasing nitrite-free meat to reduce the exposure to sodium nitrate. But, meat without nitrates is prone to spoilage. I believe meat industry uses the saturated fat argument to distract consumers from real issues like cancer. Fruits with high saturated fat like coconut juice wont increase a person risk of cancer to jump up 50%. The real issue is what’s added to the meat during processing and packaging. While eating too much meat can be dangerous, the solution is to consume less. Meat is rich in protein and the body needs protein to maintain cellular tissue. Reducing meat intake benefits the bones. According to Dr. Campbell of Cornell University, animal sourced proteins extract more calcium from the bones, causing the bone to weaken (par. 4). Another good benefit of cutting back on meat is it that makes the consumer eat more nutritious foods. A study from American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that participants who were served a meal with less meat ate more vegetables (Rolls 916). Eating small portions of good quality meat can help curb meat cravings and will not jeopardize the health. Many health education websites like Meatless Mondays offer idea of cutting back on meat consumptions. Another healthy alternative is replacing meat with non-meat sources of protein. Small red beans, black beans, legumes, dairy products are all good source of protein. While fish and seafood are technically meats, they do not carry the same risks as red meat, chicken, and pork because they contain low saturated fat and cholesterol. Non-meat protein not only has low saturated fat and cholesterol, they contain healthy fats, vitamins and minerals the body needs. Besides, the average person only needs about eight grams of protein per 20 lbs of body weight. Make no mistake, Americans love eating meats. Meat is essential part of a healthy diet, but over consumption of meat will kill you. America spends hundred of billion dollars on meat and it’s no wonder why cancer is epidemic in United States. Meat is considered a luxury in other country’s, but meat in America is readily available anywhere and consumers need to learn self-restraint. Meat like hot dogs and bacon is part of American culture, but consumers need to understand that meat industry’s uses dangerous additives like sodium nitrate and eating it for a long period of time will have repercussion to your health. Strong evidence claims that not only the harmful sodium nitrate harms the body, but also eating meat in general will damage the body. There are other healthy options like non-meat protein. But the solution to the problem is consumers need to be aware of what they’re eating and learn self-restraint.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Virtual Meeting Scenario Essay Example for Free

Virtual Meeting Scenario Essay In the past, a meeting for many global companies and organizations with largely distributed partakers was challenging. For example, previously if a company called a meeting and attendees were in different locations, the business would either fly those in attendance to a central location, or hold conference calls. Today companies take advantage of technology by holding virtual meetings. According to Educause Learning Initiative â€Å"A virtual meeting is Online virtual meetings are real-time interactions that take place over the Internet using features such as audio and video, chat tools, and application sharing† (Educase Learning Initiative, 2006). In other words a virtual meeting can link meeting participants without him or her ever leaving his or her workplace. From this new innovation businesses can expand businesses and make decisions faster; however, all meeting attendees should learn to respect each other, communicate, and appreciate each other’s differences. There are several types of teams, from sports teams to debate teams and workplace teams. Workplace teams is the focus of this paper, specifically virtual teams, the individual who are a part of the team must be there to create a cooperative effort for teamwork to be present. Different obstacles can be created by virtual meetings because the individuals involved in the meeting are not face to face and only have what each other say to make his or her impressions and perceptions. The teams involved in the virtual meetings have to be open to learn, share, discuss, and seek information and knowledge. The virtual meeting scenario with Pablo, Sam and Lifang Lin, they all are from different regions and cultures. The simulation is provided by University of Phoenix (2009). The obstacles and difficulties that each individual in the simulation endures include accents, stereotypes, culture, ego and gender. There are remarks made based on one’s culture and stereotypes brought up. In the simulation it is understood that because Lifang Lin is a female that the two males seems to leave her out of conversation and not recognize that she is a part of the team. Sam, an American, made offensive comments that are very derogatory and rude. He also made a prejudice comment to Pablo that he wants to â€Å"build a higher wall along the border there so y’all meaning Mexican don’t keep coming over into America and ruining things for the rest of us,† (University of Phoenix, 2009). Sam also talks about taking â€Å"siestas† and calling him â€Å"Senor Pablo† and that he â€Å"don’t hablo espanol or anything like that. † Even though Pablo is an educated man Sam comments still make seems like he is superior to Pablo and Pablo in inferior to him. Sam is an unethical, prejudice, self-absorb, and bias person. I would not have let it the conservation get far. I would have told Sam he was unprofessional and we are here to conduct business. Pablo is from Mexico and third world country. Pablo has a big ego and he always singing his own praises and building his self-up. He always wants to take the lead, talk about how handsome he is, talk about a lot about his accomplishments, and feel he is superior to everyone else. Pablo appears to be self-centered and arrogant just from his introduction. He did show have some hostility toward Sam regarding his remarks, Pablo told Sam the topic is sensitive to him. Pablo is an egotistical person despite the how Sam stereotyped him. I would have did the same with Pablo stopped him before he made everything about himself and not the business. Lifang Lin is from China. Lifang Lin is the most professional out of them all. She needs to talk up some to Sam and Pablo and not let them bully her. She is submissive, maybe because of her culture. She appears to be somewhat shy and laid back, but she is respectful of other. She tries to makes things peaceful between everyone. She is more of a peacemaker and leader than Sam and Pablo. If I was Lifang Lin I would have ask Sam and Pablo to conduct themselves professionally and treat each other with respect.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Discovery And Invention Of Some Areas Of Knowledge

Discovery And Invention Of Some Areas Of Knowledge Discovery and invention are two separate edges to a discussion. It is complicated to show the interrelation between the two because they do not have the same meaning. It can be said that something that exists from past but not being uncovered is a discovery. But when something new is been created to meet certain requirements are known as an invention. Reflecting back on the question my focus is to discuss the claim that some areas of knowledge such as natural science, ethics and mathematics are discovered and others are invented. By working on this claim will give me an opportunity to attempt and try exploring the world from a different prospective. In order to demonstrate the vision which claims that some areas of knowledge are discovered and others are invented can be processed by showing relevant evidence. This can be acknowledged by focusing on different areas of knowledge and creating a bond between them. This can be shown by illustrating different examples from different areas of knowledge. I am aiming to look at this essay through the lens of natural science, ethics and mathematics knowing that this claim would be well supported in two of the three areas of knowledge. There is a probability that one might not come to a final conclusion in some one statements below. Natural Science, an area of knowledge that is more discovered then invented. With time there have been many discoveries and to sustain such phenomena there have been inventions. This can be illustrated with the discovery and invention of the periodic table. According to me being a Chemistry HL student have a strong claim that natural science is almost discovered but on the contrary one can state that in todays world its all about inventions making life faster. When looking at the formation of periodic table I think, all the elements existed always and still there are many elements that are existing but are not discovered yet. As a result the elements, compounds and the properties are all being discovered with experiments and tests. Although looking at the inventions, all the 2D and 3D models created using graphic programmers and other high technology are major inventions. To explain this situation it can be stated that. These inventions of models have made the understanding of the mo lecules easier and even thought they do not exist still this can be used as a beneficial visual technique. It is much easier to visual the concept in this it can be stated that sense perception comes in role. This is how ones understanding is impacted. However in the world of science there are always exceptions, somehow there are lines drawn when a certain existence cannot be classified as a discovery or invention. For example, a hypothesis can be said as phenomenon created by the human body according to the information they were aware of, it is an imagination and creativity from a scientists brain. But theories with no proof cannot directly be considered inventions or a discovery. But my personal view is that one should not attain a biased view, rather look at the theories existing as either a discovery or invention. I hold a balance view for the rules stating that with natural science it is not that easy to group this area of knowledge being either completely about discoveries or inventions. Also looking at gravity, for example gravitation was when Newton thought of what made the apple fall on the ground. The thoughts as that gravity existed since this world, therefore this could just be considered as an discovery of gravity and the invention here was conversely the formula stating F= m x g. this is said to be an inventions which was created though many other phenomenons being involved in the understanding of the concept. According to me natural science can be associated more with discovery compare to invention. With natural science on the other extreme we have the ethics as an area of knowledge. Ethics is unique in itself. This is because I believe that ethics can be considered both discovery as well as invention at the same moment. This depends on the justification of the person and how he or she looks forward to the actual scenario. Ethics is a way to justify whether something is considered to be right or wrong. In order to balance my judgment can be influenced by many factors such as religious belief, use of laws and being ethical by following standards of behavior existing in our society. Of writing down or codifying things that most people agree are principles of good behavior. This cannot be evaluated whether or not is ethics considered to be either invention or discovery. Like, natural sciences even in this the same phenomenon comes in place. As stated above, that ethics as well is discovered more than invented. This is because when assessed it is a way in which certain things are de signed to be done, to maintain some order in the world and have peace. Personally I consider that ethics are invented. This is because we people living in the community knowing the situations make decisions considering them right or wrong. For example, some ethical values are considered to be invented, for example business ethics, people created this in order to make the community well controlled and attain certain standards. I believe ethics and moral values are created my human. But there is a counter argument to this claim. This is because, there is some evidence that ethics exists within us. This is not any concept to be invented but this is an area of knowledge that one person discovers with their personal experience or because of their parents. It has been in our life since we are born. Looking into a situation as we are told that stealing is wrong and this was discovered by us as children, when our parents scolded us for the first time we did this. This made us be aware of th e consequences and ethical implications. Our parents play an important role making us understand the importance and ethical values. We are been taught since we are young. Ethics are being built within us tenaciously. Hence this makes it a discovery. This is because the values existed and differed in different cultures but were later achieved with time. Therefore to conclude ethics one can realize that like natural science there are some inventions made such as having various ethics to follow at different situations. Also I strongly believe that Ethics is more a discovery then invention but depending on the personal reflection. Lastly mathematics is an area of knowledge with many inventions to help support the discoveries made with all the theories and formulas. Final correlation is shown between natural science, ethics and mathematics. These are three different extremes in areas of knowledge. It has been debated for a long time whether or not math is discovered or invented and according to me I believe its both to a certain extent. It can exclaimed that mathematics is a discovery and all the formulas existed they were just needed to be discovered. Or it can be articulated as simple inventions by great mathematicians putting their soul into the argument. This is a question of reflects both sides of the spectrum. Because people can either believe that mathematical truth is pure discovery with time or invention with requirements and need. I believe some laws in moths are universal facts which remain the same forever. But even if maths is considered as pure discovery there are some areas which are invented. Fo r example, if we take at a look at complex numbers. They are divided into real numbers and imagery numbers. It is said that invents are made to make the discoveries easier and self explanatory. Therefore the mathematician invented a term called imagery numbers. For example, It is been said that the square roots of negative numbers was invented by Heron of Alexandria whereas there formulas of roots or third degree polynomials were discovered by Niccole Fontana Tartaglia (cite). Then was soon realized that real solutions did exist but as certain calculations it was required to manipulate square roots of negative numbers increasing their cause of invention leading to another discovery. This again has the same link as shown above. Even maths can be considered highly a discovery but to support the understanding they needed to invent some theories which made the understanding and the concepts much organized and better and to an extent more reliable. To conclude this is a wide topic with many different ideas this does not depend on how subject to knowledge are invented or discovered but the purpose behind this holds much more of an importance.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Colombia Essay -- South America

Colombia Colombia, republic in South America, situated in the northwestern part of the continent, and bounded on the north by Panama and the Caribbean Sea, on the east by Venezuela and Brazil, on the south by Peru and Ecuador, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia is the only country of South America with coasts on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The total land area of the country is 1,141,748 sq km (440,831 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Bogotà ¡. IILAND AND RESOURCES The distinguishing topographical feature of Colombia is the Andes mountain chain, situated in the central and western parts of the country, and extending north-south across almost its entire length. The Andes comprise three principal and parallel ranges: the Cordillera Oriental, the Cordillera Central, and the Cordillera Occidental. On the Caribbean coast is the isolated mountain mass known as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which includes Colombia's highest point at Pico Cristà ³bal Colà ³n (5776 m/18,950 ft). The Cordillera Central contains the volcanic peaks of Huila (5750 m/ 18,865 ft) and Tolima (5616 m/ 18,425 ft). About 240 km (about 150 mi) south of the Caribbean, the Cordillera Central descends to marshy jungle. The cordillera peaks are perpetually covered with snow; the timberline in these mountains lies at about 3000 m (about 10,000 ft). East of the Cordillera Oriental are vast reaches of torrid lowlands, thinly populated and only partly explored. The southern portion of this region, called selvas (rain forests), is thickly forested and is drained by the Caquetà ¡ River and other tributaries of the Amazon River. The northern and greater part of the region comprises vast plains, or llanos, and is traversed by the Meta and other tributaries of the Orinoco River. Between the cordilleras are high plateaus, a number of which are about 2400 m (about 8000 ft) above sea level, and fertile valleys, traversed by the principal rivers of the country. The principal river of Colombia, the Magdalena, flows north between the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera Central, across practically the entire country, emptying into the Caribbean near Barranquilla after a course of about 1540 km (about 960 mi). The Cauca, also an important means of communication, flows north between the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera Occidental, merg ing with the Magdalena about 320... ...mber and December anti-guerilla vigilante groups killed 73 people suspected of being guerilla sympathizers. During 1997 guerillas sporadically attacked remote government outposts. They launched a campaign of violence and intimidation in October aimed at preventing voters from participating in municipal and regional elections. Paramilitary squads launched a counter-campaign of violence, raiding a number of villages and executing individuals suspected of supporting guerilla activities. In March 1998 FARC forces ambushed elite government troops in a remote southern jungle region, killing about 70 soldiers in the worst government defeat in the 35 years since guerilla hostilities began. Government sources estimated that more than 41,000 Colombians-mostly poor farmers-fled their homes to escape the growing violence between guerillas and paramilitary units. The government and Colombia's second largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN) agreed in early 1998 to open peace negotiations. However, the future of negotiations remained questionable following the death in February of 62-year-old ELN leader Manuel Perez, a former priest who had led the rebel group for 25 years.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Physics chemistry :: essays research papers

ATHENS, Ohio -- Today's computers and other technological gizmos operate on electronic charges, but researchers predict that a new generation of smaller, faster, more efficient devices could be developed based on another scientific concept -- electronic "spin." The problem, however, is that researchers have found it challenging to control or predict spin – which keeps practical applications out of reach. But physicists in Europe, California and at Ohio University now have found a way to manipulate the spin of an electron with a jolt of voltage from a battery, according to research findings published in the recent issue of the journal Physical Review Letters. In the new study, scientists applied voltage to the electron in a quantum dot, which is a tiny, nanometer-sized semiconductor. The burst of power changed the direction of the electron's spin -- which can move either up or down. This also caused it to emit a small particle of light called a photon, explained Richard Warburton, a physicist with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, and lead author on the new paper. Usually you have no control over this at all – an electron flips its spin at some point, and you scratch your head and wonder why it happened. But in our experiment, we can choose how long this process takes," he said. The experiment was based on a theory by Sasha Govorov, an Ohio University associate professor of physics and astronomy who is co-author on the current paper. Pierre Petroff, a scientist with the University of California at Santa Barbara, contributed the semiconductor used in the experiment, Indium Arsenide, which commonly is used in electronics. "It's one of those happy collaborations -- Pierre has given us some fantastic material and Sasha has come up with some really smart ideas," Warburton said. The scientists were able to manipulate how long it would take for the electron to flip its spin and emit a photon – from one to 20 nanoseconds. But Govorov's theory suggests that 20 nanoseconds isn't the upper limit, which will lead the physicists to try out longer time periods. Scientists' abilities to control the spin of the electron help determine the properties of the photon, which in turn could have implications for the development of optoelectronics and quantum cryptography. Photons could be encoded with secure information, which could serve as the basis for anti-eavesdropping technology, Warburton said. The current study is one of many in the growing field of nanoscience that aims to find, understand and control physical effects at the nanoscale that could serve as the basis of a

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Benedick and Beatrice in “Much Ado About Nothing” Essay

One of the most important aspects in â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing† is the story of love. It is often the basis for what transpires throughout the play and can most easily be seen through the relationships between Hero and Claudio, and Benedick and Beatrice. During the play the reader learns a lot about these couples as well as how they possess some of the same relationship traits whilst still seeing the obvious disparities between them. Benedick and Beatrice represent a â€Å"love/hate† relationship. They share many things in common and both are cynical of love and marriage. They are witty intellectual and not at all shy, which leads to many wars of words between them. In the beginning of the novel, the hate between this eventual couple is evident. Beatrice says to Benedict, â€Å"I wonder that you will still be talking, Signor / Benedict. Nobody marks you†. Benedict comes back with, â€Å"What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet / living?†. Although Beatrice and Benedict may have no idea; the fact that they love each other must be evident to the rest of the characters. Otherwise, their friends and family would not have tricked them into admitting their love. Claudio and Hero represent a more romantic relationship. Claudio finds himself in love with Hero upon coming back from battle and he is not ashamed to admit his love for her. â€Å"I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife†. This leads to Don Pedro assisting in Claudio’s proposal and gaining Leonato’s acceptance. Claudio and Hero’s love is mostly based on looks, since they did not know one another very well before Hero accepts Don Pedro’s proposal to marry Claudio. The fact that they don’t know each other means that there is little trust between them and this is exploited when Hero is accused of being unfaithful. Claudio is also extremely gullible and jealous and that is why he shames Hero at their first wedding. Although there are many differences between the two couples there are also some similarities. Both couples had to deal with obstacles that they would not have overcome without the help of others. Beatrice and Benedict would still be arguing if their friends did not trick them into thinking that they were in love with each other. They would not have realized that their  constant bickering with each other translated into loving emotions. Claudio and Hero’s relationship is broken when Hero is accused of being unfaithful but with the help of Dogberry and Verges, it is revealed that the accusations are not true. This allows Claudio to clear Hero’s name and marry her in the end. An obvious similarity between the relationships is that they both accomplish love.

Monday, September 16, 2019

How to measure employees’ performance Essay

Emulation of strategies incorporated amongst organizations is a tell-tale whereby the former company is performing admirably efficient and effective through well formulated resources allocation on its strategy. Of the many decisions a company must face to achieve success is how to measure employees’ performance and how to reward them (Kleiner and Gautreau 2001). For the avant-garde management accounting information system, it cannot live on financial measure alone because management can manipulate such data by cutting cost, investing less and hence forth. The accounting system requires a mix of non-financial and financial data to give a more balanced view of firm’s overall performance (Bushman et al. 1996). Research by Cumby and Conrod, 2001 indicates that non-financial information is highly value-relevant for knowledge-based industries and shown as an effective tool to evaluate an academic organization and demonstrate accountability to government and the public (Dorweiler and Yakhou 2005). Current non-financials could also predict organization’s future financial performance (Smith 2005; Amaratunga et al. 2001). Unlike usual performance measurements system decades ago, more importantly now, is to measure performances relative to organizations’ goals and strategies. Amongst other key issues in the development of performance measurement tools in past decades have been quandaries pertaining customer loyalty. The emerging new generation is more educated with their customer rights thus, more demanding. Declining customer loyalty is due to extensive choices. Hence, corporations have to focus strategy and behavior to not merely selling products/services, but also serving customers (Hope and Fraser 2001). Moreover, there has been a need to increase firms’ pace of innovation. Competitions have proliferated and firms must constantly refresh their strategies and methods; generating new business concepts and processes while coping with the changing nature of technology (Kaplan and Norton 2001). Additionally, prices are falling and costs ought to reduce to remain competitive and profitable. Hence, operation costs are challenged (Inman 2000). Furthermore, talented people are hard to find; even harder to attract. Firms then have to provide a challenging work environment that enables personal development (Hope and Fraser 2001). Large businesses were leading and performing well financially but by early 80s they were displaced as market leaders as competitors vie through quality, innovation, etc (Anthony 1998; cited by Kleiner and Gautreau 2001). Managing intellectual capital or Knowledge Management, is vital to gain competitive advantage at this era. Knowledge management being a long-term strategy, development of BSC helps the company to align its management processes and focuses the entire organization to implement it (Arora, 2002). By ‘implementing’ meaning turning the scorecard into a true management system and sustaining the system (Rohm and Halbach 2006). With BSC, intangible assets are valued (Marr and Adams 2004) while above issues have been addressed also. The scorecard actually balances external measures with the internal measures, financial with non-financial information and short-run with long-run performance drivers (Johnsen 2001; Cobbold and Lawrie 2002a). Strategy of firm in BSC is matched between internal capabilities and external relationships (Kay 1993; cited by Johnsen 2001). Strategy implementation is balancing internal and external demands. Management control and performance measurement are concerned with decision relevance, thus, performance indicators on the BSC are important to managers (Mayston 1985; cited by Johnsen 2001). Learning and growth perspective in BSC can sustain efficient employees while shareholders and customers’ needs are met by realigning values and sustaining good customer relationship in the customer perspective in BSC. Besides, business processes are innovated to keep up with the increasing pace of market uncertainties. BSC helps staff understand more, unlike before, how they could contribute to the strategic success of the organization as well as proven to be a valuable tool in linking vision and strategy to daily actions (CIMA 2001). BSC appears to be very effective and valuable for a divisional manager in a large US company (Mouritsen et al. 2005). The BSC has definitely helped in daily planning activities for different industries. The strength of the scorecard is that it has ascertained the reasons due to its ‘balanced-nature’ (Carmona and Gronlund 2003). In higher learning institutions, the European Foundation for Quality Management was used as performance measurement, do not reflect interests of all stakeholders and not linked to strategic management. Studies show that BSC is adopted instead (Cullen et al. 2003). Hotels also rely on non-financial and financial indicators with increasing confidence in strategic issues (Harris and Mongiello 2001). By using BSC, organizations can also minimize the negative consequences of risk (Scholey 2006) and identify cost reduction opportunities, resulting in overall improvement (Anand et al. 2005). Albeit Cobbold and Lawrie, 2002a claimed BSC to be complete as no additional perspective of believed worth is added, in reality, variations in basic BSC are common; some add a fifth perspective such as stakeholders, economic factors (Rohm nd; Lord and Shanahan 2006). Some express skepticism about the claimed positive results and commented that BSC is just a number crunching-exercise by accountants or just another latest management fad (Angel and Rampersad 2005). Norreklit, 2000 argued that 4 perspectives do not accommodate all intangible assets, changing the BSC framework may put the causal logic of BSC into question (cited by Marr and Adams 2004). She also argued that the BSC is not a strategic control model because of its rigidness and static focus (Lord et al. 2005). BSC has also been criticized because it is bias towards shareholders and fail to address to employees and suppliers (Smith 2005). Hoque, 2003 states that with wide ranges of measures, may lead to information overload. But findings show that BSC is not perceived to be a fad (Lord et al. 2005). There also appears to have no cause and effect dysfunctional organizational behavior as claimed, the only causal is the improved performance in one perspective leads to an increase in another (Lord et al. 2005). BSC is maturing and approached because of its flexibility (Lord and Shanahan 2006; Bible et al. 2006). It has been argued that BSC does consider employee satisfaction through the learning and growth perspective (Hoque 2003). Numbers of performance measures used were satisfactory and information overload was overcome through BSC (Yeniyurt 2003; McWhorter 2003; Arora 2002). However, BSC experiences difficulty in linking performance measures to strategy (Lord et al. 2005). Other issues include it does not tackle human resource and uncertainties issues usually done in PESTEL analysis (Smith 2005). In recent years, the Porter’s model had made its debut to help managers develop and implement long-term strategy (Sims 2001). The model is used to gain competitive advantage over another but does not define for the strategic unit or as a corporation (Sims 2001). It also does not take into account the dynamics of markets which is rapidly changing. Another development adopted by large number of companies is the Economic Value Added [EVA], which includes the cost of capital, hence creating value but was heavily criticized for not being different from traditional methods (Yeniyurt 2003). The Skandia Navigator [SN] was later developed to measure intellectual capital by adding human perspective to the financial, customer, process and learning perspectives (Roslender and Fincham 2001; Shaikh 2004). Although this opened new research fields on intellectual capital, the SN lacks incorporating financial and non-financial measures which is required to provide better performance measurement (Scarbrough and Carter 2001). Works have been done to modifying the traditional budgeting system-Beyond Budgeting Round Table [BBRT] emerged coping faster with changes and uncertainties of product and strategy lifecycles; leading to lower costs and value creation (Hope and Fraser 2001). Management By Objectives [MBO] by Drucker, 1954 is found consistent with BSC-retained emphasis on achieving financial objectives, focusing on marketing and customers and pursuing innovation (Johnsen 2001). MBO is more open-ended but lacks a valid performance measure while BSC is focused (Anand et al. 2005). BSC usage is higher than other management tools like TQM or ABC (Hendricks et al. 2004). BSC initially was a performance measurement tool, after placing strategy into it, BSC evolved to a strategic performance measurement system, illustrating flexibility and maturity (Bible et al. 2006; Cobbold and Lawrie 2002). Failure to focus attention and commit onto scorecard management and communicating them are reasons BSC whither and die albeit how successful the tool has been (Richardson 2004; cited by Hendricks et al.2004). In conclusion, it is important to realize the limitations of BSC. However, successful implementation by managers would bring about many benefits. Â   Amaratunga D, Baldry D and Sarshar M (2001) ‘Process Improvement through Performance Measurement’, Work Study, 50: 5, p. 179-188 Anand M, Sahay B and Saha S (2005) ‘Balanced Scorecard in Indian Companies’, Vikalpa: Journal for Decision Makers, 30: 2, p. 11-25 Angel R and Rampersad H (2005) ‘Do Scorecards Add Up?’, CA Magazine, p. 12-18 Arora R (2002) ‘Implementing KM-A Balance Scorecard Approach’, Journal of Knowledge Management, 6: 3, p. 240-249 Bible L, Kerr S and Zanini M (2006) ‘The Balanced Scorecard: Here and Back’, Management Accounting Quarterly, 7: 4, p.18-23 Bushman R, Indjejikian R and Smith A (1996) ‘CEO Compensation: The Role of Individual Performance Evaluation’, Journal of Accounting and Economics, 21: 2, p. 161-193 Carmona S and Gronlund A (2003) ‘Measures vs. Actions: the Balanced Scorecard in Swedish Law Enforcement’, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 23: 12, p. 1475-1496 Cobbold I and Lawrie G (2002) ‘The Development of the Balance Scorecard as a Strategic Management Tool’, paper presented at the PMA Conference, 17-19, July, Boston Cobbold I and Lawrie G (2002a) ‘Classification of Balance Scorecards Based on their Intended Use’, paper presented at the PMA Conference, 17-19, July, Boston CIMA (2001) ‘The Balanced Scorecard-An Overview’, CIMA Technical Briefing, Harvard Business School Press, USA Cullen J, Joyce J, Hassal T and Broadbent M (2003) ‘Quality in Higher Education: from Monitoring to Management, Quality Assurance in Education, 11: 1, p. 5-14 Cumby J and Conrod J (2001) ‘Non-financial Performance Measures in the Canadian Biotechnology Industry’, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 2: 3, p. 1469-1930 Dorweiler V and Yakhou M (2005) ‘Scorecard for Academic Administration Performance on the Campus’, Managerial Auditing Journal, 20: 2, p. 138-144 Harris P and Mongiello M (2001) ‘Key Performance Indicators in European Hotel Properties: General Managers’ Choices and Company Profiles’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 13: 3, p. 120-127 Hendricks K, Menor L and Wiedman C (2004) ‘The Balanced Scorecard: To Adopt or Not to Adopt?’, Ivey Business Journal, 11/12, p. 1-9 Hope J and Fraser R (2001) ‘Figures of Hate’, Financial Management, February Issue, p. 22-25 Hoque Z (2003) ‘Total Quality Management and the Balanced Scorecard Approach: A Critical Analysis of their Potential Relationships and Directions for Research’, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 14, p. 553-566 Inman M (2000) ‘The Balanced Scorecard’, ACCA Students’ Newsletter, February Issue, p. 37-41 Johnsen A (2001) ‘Balanced Scorecard: Theoretical Perspectives and Public Management Implications’, Managerial Auditing Journal, 16: 6, p. 319-330 Kaplan R and Norton D (2001) ‘Transforming the Balanced Scorecard from Performance Measurement to Strategic Management: Part 1’, Accounting Horizons 15 Kleiner B and Gautreau A (2001) ‘Recent Trends in Performance Measurement Systems-The Balanced Scorecard Approach’, Management Research News, 24: 3/4, p. 153-156 Lord B and Shanahan Y (2006) ‘Management Accounting in the Corporate Sector: Recent Research’, Chartered Accountants Journal, 3, p. 29-31 Lord B, Shanahan Y and Gage M (2005) ‘The Balanced Scorecard: A New Zealand Perspective’, Pacific Accounting Review, 17:1, p. 49-77 Marr B and Adams C (2004) ‘The Balanced Scorecard and Intangible Assets: Similar Ideas, Unaligned Concepts’, Measuring Business Excellence, 8: 3, p. 18-27 McWhorter L (2003) ‘Does the Balanced Scorecard Reduce Information Overload?’, Management Accounting Quarterly, 4: 4, p. 23-27 Mouritsen J, Larsen H and Bukh P (2005) ‘Dealing with the Knowledge Economy: Intellectual Capital versus Balanced Scorecard’, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 6: 1, p. 8-27 Rohm H (nd) ‘A Balancing Act’, Perform Magazine, 2: 2, p. 1-8 Rohm H and Halbach L (2006) ‘A Balancing Act: Sustaining New Directions’, Perform Magazine, 3: 2, p. 1-8 Roslender R and Fincham R (2001) ‘Thinking Critically about Intellectual Capital Accounting’, Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 14: 4, p. 383-398 Scholey C (2006) ‘Risk and the Balanced Scorecard’, CMA Management, 6/7, p. 32-35 Shaikh J (2004) ‘Measuring and Reporting of Intellectual Capital Performance Analysis’, Journal of American Academy of Business Cambridge, 3, p. 439-448 Scarbrough H and Carter C (2001) ‘Towards a Second Generation of KM?-The People Management Challenge’, Education and Training, 43: 4/5, p. 215-224 Sims A (2001) ‘Generating Strategic Options’, CIMA Insider, September Issue, p. 24-26 Smith M (2005) ‘The Balanced Scorecard’, Financial Management, February Issue, p. 27-28 Yeniyurt S (2003) ‘A Literature Review and Integrative Performance Measurement Framework for Multinational Companies’, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 21: 3, p. 134-142

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Filinvest Company Background Essay

Filinvest Land, Inc. (FLI) is one of the leading real estate developers in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC), which has more than 40 years of experience in real estate development. Founded by Mr. Andrew L. Gotianun, Sr., FDC is the holding company of the Gotianun Family. Originally engaged in the small-scale financing of second hand cars in 1955, the Gotianun Family’s business later expanded into consumer finance in partnerships with foreign institutions such as Chase Manhattan Bank, Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Ford Philippines. By the early 1980’s, the Gotianun Family’s Filinvest Credit Corporation had become one of the leading consumer finance companies in the Philippines in terms of assets, and the â€Å"Filinvest† name had become well recognized in the Philippines. The Gotianun Family entered the real estate business in 1967 through the incorporation of Filinvest Realty Corporation, which engaged in the development of residential subdivisions. In 1984, the Gotianun Family consolidated their real estate interests in FDC after divesting their shares in two family-owned banks, Family Bank and Trust Company and the Insular Bank of Asia and America. By 1990, FDC expanded its products line to include the development and sale of low-cost and medium-cost housing units. FLI was incorporated on November 24, 1989 as Citation Homes, Inc. and changed its name to FLI on July 12, 1993. It began commercial operations in August 1993 after FDC spun off its MISSION AND VISSION The primary responsibility of Filinvest Land is to the people that inhabit the cities, communities, and homes it has created. Filinvest will continually contribute to the economic development of society and will function as a good corporate citizen. II.View point Based on the researcher’s opinion, Filinvest Alabang Incorporated is a well established enterprise in the Philippines. In fact, Filinvest Alabang Incorporated was ranked as high as number 5; Top Real Estate Companies in the Philippines. Although it’s a well established company here in the Philippines, still, they do encounter minor and major problems depending on the situation and due to some environmental factors. Since Real Estate is the main source of profit for the company, it is very important that the management will hire highly qualified employees who possess a quality that can help the company grow. And to make the employees perform better, the management should provide rewards that will help motivate the employees to function effectively and efficiently. Overview Although Filinvest Alabang, established a stable place in the market; it should be always equipped with â€Å"contingency plans† in case of crisis or if any problems will rise. And in this paper, the researchers will provide a concrete analysis of the problems of the said company, and might will provide solutions for the given problem. III.Time context Filinvest Alabang, Inc. (FAI) was incorporated on August 25, 1993 in connection with the development of Filinvest Corporate City (FCC) in Alabang, a joint venture with the government’s Public Estates Authority. FAI is 80% owned by FDC and 20% owned by FLI. FAI’s primary project is FCC, a 244-hectare mixed-use development project located at the southern end of Metro Manila and adjacent to the South Expressway in Alabang. FAI uses modern, ecological urban planning and design in developing FCC as an alternative to Metro Manila’s business districts. Since the start of its development in 1995, FCC has grown to become a major destination in southern Manila that services all segments of the population with a wide array of retail, office and residential developments. It is home to key anchors such as Insular Life, Asian Hospital and the fast-growing Northgate Cyberzone BPO hub. The second busiest transport terminal in Metro Manila is in the immediate vicinity, making FCC a major gateway for commuters going into and out of Metro Manila from the south. The extension of the Skyway elevated road to Alabang significantly enhances the value of FCC and further increase its attractiveness as the location of choice for offices and residential living in the South of Metro Manila IV. Statement of the problem MAIN PROBLEM: Relationship basis inside the corporation MAJOR PROBLEM: †¢Low recruitment process †¢Lack communication inside the industry MINOR PROBLEM: Relationship basis inside the corporation †¢Reward and benefits of the employees are small and little in hand †¢Salaries and wages are not accommodated well V.Statement of objective †¢To identify the cause of the slow recruitment process in Filinvest Alabang Inc. †¢To provide possible solutions for the slow recruitment process. †¢To analyze problems occurring inside the cooperation and providing solutions to patch-up the problems of employees regarding the delay of their salaries and having less rewards and incentives. †¢To provide solution for improvement of employees and worker’s skills regarding in handling customers service and maintaining good image of the industry. * Specific †¢To identify the different demands and problems of the employees inside the organization’ which they think is affecting their performance. That way, the firm will be able to provide any possible solution so to trim down those types of problems affecting the employee. The study will cover the common types of problems that employees encounters: Salary and Wages, working hours and relationship among other employees. * Measurable †¢The company could provide seminars once or twice a month to address all the concerns that i bothering the employee. That way, the manager will be able to point out what exactly is the problem within the organization. And by providing seminars for the employee, they will be able to know more how to interact with their co-employees. With this type of structure, most probably, the organization will be able to solve any ongoing long term problems within a year. * Attainable †¢The objectives of this study are indeed attainable as it will focus more on solving the problems of the employees. Although it will take some time to discuss, know and solve their problems, still it is very important for the part of the management to address all the employee concerns so that they will be able to function well. * Realistic †¢The plan is bound to be effective if it’s implemented, although it will take some time to execute it properly. * Time bound †¢The target audience of this study is mainly the employees of this organization. And this plan should be implemented for a year. VI.SWOT analysis Strength Filinvest Alabang Incorporated has been one of the leading Real Estate developers here in the Philippines. Boasting a total of 70 Billion assets and earning an all-time high of 20 Billion of sales the year 2011, this year, they aim to earn higher; 30 Billion of sales, so to provide Filipinos a chance to experience a dynamic living in a vibrant master planned city. What gives Filinvest Alabang Inc. an edge compared to other Real Estate developer? Simple, they bounded their project in a very good location, wherein the city is connected to 5 major road points; giving them maximum exposure to businessman, commuters and even prospect buyers. In terms of their recruitment routine, applicants undergo a series of observations, interviews and training so to identify if they are well qualified for the job and somehow has the ability to achieve the given job description. With this type of assessment, Filinvest Alabang Incorporated accepts highly qualified sellers to help the company achieve its target mark for this year, making sure that the ones they accept will be able to function really well. Weakness Given the amount of time that the recruitment process takes to finally hire employees, there is a possibility that they might miss out other highly qualified applicants due to the long process of interviews and series of training. Some applicants might lose their interest given the time that the training process eats. And due loss of interest of applicants, there’s a blink of probability that other Real Estate companies will snatch the chance of getting those type employees and definitely that gives Filinvest a slight margin of disadvantage. Opportunities With a well renowned name in the industry of Real Estate, that puts Filinvest Alabang Inc. in a good position as a top of mind priority for businessmen and job applicants. Knowing that selling real estate requires a huge workforce, evidently the corporation is in search of many inspiring job applicants who want to earn big money. And Filinvest Alabang give those kinds of opportunities to unemployed individuals who wants to make a living. They actually have a very flexible standard when they hire applicants, because they can’t throw away the fact that they need an individual with great talent, given that he/she wasn’t able to meet one of the required standards to be hired be swatted away. Threats Obviously, Filinvest ALabang Inc. is not only the renowned RealEstate developer here in the Philippines. Other top competitors Ayala Land and SMDC for example use different kind of strategies to lure prospect buyers to buy their luxurious properties and of course, they have a different style of training used to hone the skills of their employees. With the presence of other top real estate companies, that makes the stakes of hiring highly qualified employees divided among those corporations. VII.Alternative courses of action Detailed Background Check. ( Past Employment ) To make the process of recruitment shorter, the Human Resource management could use a background check with regards to the individual’s past employments (if available), whether he/she has background working on a sales team which will help clarify points if the individual is capable of being part of the Filinvest Alabang sales team. Putting a little bit of emphasis on the applicant’s background would help shorten the period of training knowing that he/she is capable of being a seller. That will definitely help cut the expenses that the company supply for training and seminars as part of the training program Experience Experience is definitely a plus when you apply for a job. And for Human Resource managers, an applicant with plenty of experience makes the job easier. Knowing that the individual is already knowledgeable of the job description and knows what are the functions of being a seller, those type of statistics may lead to fewer training and interviews. But the management definitely should not rest easier; they should conduct a detailed background check regarding the past performance of the applicant like consulting the previous company where he/she worked for about how he/she dealt with the stress of the job and etc. VIII.Recommendation †¢Conduct seminars for improvement of customer relationship and as well as the employee to employee relationship. †¢Conduct monthly meeting to be aware of the status of each organization of the corporation. †¢Get feedback from customer to distinguish the quality and satisfaction of service and products the Filinvest offers. IX.Action plan / time constraint The Human Resource management could make a proposal to be sent to the higher level management regarding the issue of slow recruitment process and suggest that they should focus more on analyzing and looking briefly at the individual’s experience by conducting background check so to lessen the time that the training and interviews are taking. That way, the recruitment process would somehow speed up, and in case they get better results, they should continue to do it or perhaps improve the system more. And in case that the strategy is not working out, they should try to evaluate on what seems to be out of sync and once they were able to point out the problem, they should be able to come up with good solutions to the problem. X.Conclusion The researcher recommends that the management of Filinvest Alabang Incorporated should speed up the process of hiring highly qualified employees without sacrificing their thoroughness in selecting the best among the job applicants. They could focus more on looking briefly at the resume of the employee and perhaps, they could perform through background check on the individual to ensure that they are qualified for the job. That way, they could cut the cost allotted for many sessions of trainings and undying interviews.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Barilla Spa (A) Case Study Essay

Executive Summary Sales representatives at the Barilla SpA, world’s largest pasta producer, are seeing customers changing due to long re-order lead-time and frequent stock-outs. Even with a high inventory levels, Barilla is still not able to cope with the fluctuating demand. The fluctuation in demand is seen as the bullwhip effect that is caused by sales strategies that have been put into place that is very product focused. This causes excessive demand from week to week depending on the product that the promotion or incentive is been aimed towards. There is also a lack of data sharing and poor communication throughout the whole supply chain which does not bring visibility for production forecast. With the Just-in-Time Distribution (JITD) that was brought in from the logistics manager, neither internally nor externally is supporting the new system. With the lack of understanding of the new system and the positive results it will bring, it will be hard to convince buy-ins from different angles. The initiative should be tested first from Barilla’s own facilities and prove out the methods and be able to visualize the improvements to the rest of its supply chain. During the implementation and test phase, there should be dedicated teams which monitor the data and metrics coming from the new system. Daily meetings should be held to discuss issues and resolve them as quickly as possible. As inventory levels drop, issues with the distribution system will arise which provides a priority of issues to resolve. Once the system has been proven, the results will be the biggest selling points to have the implementation through the whole supply chain and for everyone to understand its benefits. Issues Identification Barilla is experiencing issues to meet their fluctuating demand from the distribution centers even when carrying additional inventory throughout the supply chain. Brando Vitali has came with a proposal of a Just-in-time Distribution (JITD) but neither the sales team in Barilla or the buyers at the distribution centers are agreeing with the approach. At the same time, these teams are already noticing that our customers are leaving due to the lack of servicing we are able to provide. Distribution centers were asked to carry more inventories to prevent occurrences of stock outs but the suggestion was not accepted. In return, they issued a complaint regarding the number of SKUs Barilla has which makes it impossible to manage and the long manufacturing lead-time due to the tight heat and humidity specifications. Environmental and Root Cause Analysis Fluctuating Demand: The fluctuation in demand is caused by a combination of reasons. The trade promotions and volume discounts that Barilla uses as sales strategies are one of the biggest influences. There were also no limits to the quantities that the distributors are allowed to order per each â€Å"canvass† period. The incentive program for Barilla’s sales representatives is also causing inconsistency to the demand; they would be pushing for the SKU’s that would bring them a higher incentive. Barilla is also experience a growth in their export market; it was expected to reach 20-25% per year. With this increasing growth, Barilla does not have any sophisticated forecasting technique that would prepare them to meet the demand. There is a minimal visibility for Barilla to see where the volatility is in the demand is coming from. This is creating the Bullwhip Effect throughout their whole supply chain. The poor communication and cooperation between retailers, distribution centers and manufacturer is the reason that they all are maintaining higher inventory than required. Resistance to Changes: There were many resistances to this new initiative when it was being brought up internally and externally. When there is a lack of understanding of the results that a new initiative will bring, there will always be resistance to change. Sales team fears that that they would see a reduction of responsibilities and distribution centers were defensive when they misinterpret the approach as saying they don’t know what they are doing. Alternative and/or Options Alternative #1 – Continue to promote the Just-in-time Distribution (JITD) initiative To be able to eliminate the Bullwhip Effect, there must be an increase in visibility through the whole supply chain. With better communication and an understanding and trust between vendors, it will eliminate the volatility in demand. This will improve the service levels from distributors to retailers and at the same time reduce the inventory carrying cost. With the visibility, it will better Barilla to forecast their demand and improve their production planning process. While achieving this, it will reduce their manufacturing cost and their inventory cycle. Alternative #2 – Eliminate product focus sales strategies Instead of promoting particular products in each canvass period that will cause excessive demand, Barilla should maintain a constant competitive pricing through the year. Barilla should also eliminate their product-focus incentive policy for their sales representative and create incentive programs that will not allow them to focus on a particular SKU. Recommendations and Implementation Barilla should continue to promote the Just-in-Time Distribution initiative. As this is a new concept for the distributors and retailers, Barilla should prove out this initiative at their own facility. With the results, they can then have bigger bargaining power to promote this idea to its whole supply chain. As for anything else to be successful in a company, it is important for top management to be actively involved. Employees need to be aware of the importance of this project in order for it to be successful and for them to understand positive results it will bring to the company. During the implementation, there would be decrease in inventory levels. Before, the inventory levels were used as a buffer to hide the problems that prevents us from working with a lower inventory level. As we decrease the inventory levels, the problems will arise and it will identify for us what issues we need to resolve as a priority. If the problem requires a longer time to resolve, then the inventory levels can be raise to prevent affecting customers from stock-outs. Then the focus would be to resolve the issue and the inventory levels can be lowered again. With this approach, it will help prioritize the issues that need to be address and which ones will help lower our inventory levels. Monitor and Control To monitor the affects of this initiative, there are a few key performance indicators that need to be set-up. Stock Out Rate – This will immediately show the trend with the current system and be able to visualize that JITD will increase service levels. Inventory Levels – Visualize inventory levels at all firms to demonstrate the win-win scenario that this initiative will bring. Re-order Lead-time – To show with the increase communication, it helps for manufacturers to respond faster There should be daily meetings held with the key departments to ensure that the information is communicated in an effective manner. The meeting should be held at the same time in the same form to create a drum-beat system that will create a habit for the stakeholders to inform of any issues that they have encounter and to gather as a group to resolve.

Moral psychology Essay

a. Strengths of the analysis include the idea that talking about ethical issues is important,and that the analysis suggests avenues for improving ethics education. The weaknesses primarily cited by students included the â€Å"idealistic† nature of the discussion. Onecommon theme emerged, which is that frauds and unethical behavior occurred long before formal business school education. Students often cited this fact as anunaddressed weakness in Professor Waddock’s analysis. b. The average level of moral reasoning for the Danish auditors in the study was a p-scoreof 35. 48, which corresponds to a conventional level of moral reasoning. However,about 37 percent of auditors in the study were in the pre-conventional moral reasoninggroup. Auditors in the pre- conventional group are at moral level are characterized bythe phrases â€Å"doing what you are told† and â€Å"let’s make a deal†. Auditors in theconventional group are at a moral level characterized by the phrases â€Å"be considerate,nice, and kind; you’ll make friends†, and â€Å"everyone in society is obligated to and protected by the law†. Only about a third of the sample in the study achieved the post-conventional moral reasoning level, which is characterized by the phrases â€Å"you are obligated by the arrangements that are agreed to by due process procedures† andâ€Å"morality is defined by how rational and impartial people would ideally organizecooperation. † Based on Kohlberg’s categories, this implies that many auditors in thesample will be heavily swayed by client preferences, and that regulatory pressure/compliance threats will be important in affecting auditors’ judgments. c. The arguments in Paper 1 assume that ethics can be taught, and yet the evidence inPaper 2 suggests that many auditors who have received a business school educationare still operating at very low levels of moral reasoning. Therefore, students’expressed concerns about whether ethics can really be taught in formal business schoolsettings. Students’ discussion focused on issues including the quality and extent of exposure to ethics interventions as being important in determining whether they will be effective. Students also commented on overall ethical climates at different auditfirms, and in different cultures (i. e. the Danish sample of auditors provided an avenueto discuss possible cross-cultural differences in ethical norms in a business setting). d. Students completing this project provided many examples of possible dilemmas. Common examples included concerns about client pressure on difficult accountingissues, independence issues, the relationship between tax and audit services, andinterpersonal dynamics (including age and gender issues, and concerns about how tohandle the inappropriate judgments of colleagues). In terms of plans for handling thesituation, any reasonable plan was deemed appropriate for purposes of assigning points. However, plans that incorporated the ethical decision-making frameworksdescribed in the chapter were considered superior. Regarding anticipated outcomes,students expressed concerns about their own welfare (pay, performance, jobsatisfaction, and job retention), and they also discussed the effects on other stakeholders (clients, shareholders, bankers, and society in general).

Friday, September 13, 2019

Movie report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Movie report - Essay Example The sacrifices of the Jesuits in the movie closely mirror the life that Jesus lived in the Bible. â€Å"The Mission† is a movie written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffe. Produced by Fernando Ghia and David Puttnam, it stars Jeremy Irons as Father Gabriel, the head of the Jesuit mission, Robert de Niro as a former Spanish slaver who becomes a Jesuit, Liam Neeson as a young Jesuit, Ray McAnally as the Spanish cardinal sent by the Catholic Pope to look into the Jesuit missions, and Chuck Low as the Spanish Governor Cabeza who led the Spanish troops to attack the Guaranis. The setting of the story is in the 1970s. The movie’s historical background suggests that under the Treaty of Madrid, the Portuguese were given the power to take over the Guarani community, which at that time was run by Jesuit missionaries. The natives themselves resisted and many died including the Jesuit missionaries headed by Father Gabriel. The introduction presents an example of how the Je suits risk their lives in their mission to convert non-Christians. The scene in which one priest is salvaged by tying him to a cross and letting him run down through the Iguazu falls depicts how cruel the Guaranis could be towards the missionaries. In fact, history recounts Jesuit missionaries in different countries who died for their belief. Martinez (73) reports the death of eight missionary Jesuit priests in an attack in Mexico. Tylenda (372), Butler (68) and Molinari (26) also report the sacrifices of the Jesuit missionaries in different parts of the world especially in Japan, China and Southern America. The scene in which Fr. Gabriel plays his oboe in a river illustrates the courage and determination that Jesuits should possess in order to enter the mission. This is despite the death of the other missionary priest in the falls. Fr. Gabriel plays his instrument to capture the hearts of the Guaranis. Soaked in the river, he positions himself on a rock and plays his oboe until the Guaranis pay attention to him and ask him to come with them. Fr. Gabriel uses music to communicate and bring peace to the people because that is the only way to communicate with them. In sending his disciples, Jesus did not mention the use of music but he equipped them with different languages in order to spread the Word. On the part of the Jesuits, music serves as the way to capture the hearts of the people. In the latter part, we see the people singing in harmony, a scene that touches even the heart of Cardinal Altamirano. This shows the strategy of the Jesuits in converting non-believers. The music of Fr. Gabriel communicates peace and harmony with the people. Until now, Jesuits are known for the beautiful music they make, which one can hear from mass in Catholic churches. The movie also sets the example on how the Jesuit missionaries deny themselves of material pleasures in life. Mendoza, the Spanish slaver, leaves his armor and other personal belongings behind when he follows Fr. Gabriel. The scene is momentous because leaving his sack signifies Mendoza’s preparedness to enter the mission by denying his personal needs and embracing the missionary life. It is also in this scene that the Jesuits and the Guaranis welcome him as their brother. Based on his reaction, Mendoza experiences true happiness and finds relief from the pain caused by his