Case study week 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 3 - Case Study Example Auditing requires enough time and thus fixing time within the company’s busy schedule may delay the process. Finally in a high competition industry, determining inherent risk is important since there are higher complex valuation issues and thus more experienced staffing is needed. This will affect the client in the sense that the cost of increased staffing digs into the company’s profit margins which are minimal in such an industry. The year 1998 was faced with allegation from the delloitte auditors on misappropriation of the audit results due to the wrong facts provided by the vice president of Just for Feet. Below are the risk factors that are likely to have affected the company. The affected parties here were Just for Feet, Logo Athletics, Reebok and Deloitte Being in Thomas Shine’s position; working related ethics did not allow him to engage in such a fraudulent conversion with Don Allen Ruttenberg. The wise decision here was to ask Ruttenberg to organize a conference where the executives of the vendor companies would decide and thus he would have avoided the

Chocolate liquor Essay Example for Free

Chocolate liquor Essay Chocolate is a confection made from cacao beans, the seeds of the cacao plant. There are a large number of products made from it on the market, from powdered cocoa for making drinks to white chocolate, and most markets carry a cross-section of confections for their customers. In addition to being available at general markets and grocery stores, chocolate can also be purchased from specialty companies which make luxury and distinctive confections. Making chocolate is a time consuming process. Cacao plants are grown on plantations in South America, where the plant is native, and in parts of Africa. There are actually several varieties of cacao plant, all of which produce chocolates with slightly different flavors, and the flavor is also impacted by where the plant it grown, how it is handled after harvest, and how it is processed. Companies invest a great deal of money in developing ideal blends of cacao beans to create the flavors their consumers are used to. Cacao beans grow in large pods which are harvested once they ripen and then allowed to ferment. Initially, the cacao beans are extremely bitter; the fermentation process softens the bitterness, allowing producers to move on the next steps, roasting and hulling. Roasting helps to develop the flavor of the beans, while shelling exposes the cacao nibs, the portion of the bean which has all the flavor. Once cacao nibs are extracted, they must be ground into a substance known as chocolate liquor. This liquor isnt something youd want to eat: it is extremely fatty, thanks to the cocoa butter it contains, and it is gritty and bitter. This liquid is then pressed to create what is known as press cake, a substance consisting primarily of cocoa solids, while the cocoa butter is allowed to drain away. Once press cake has been created, producers have a number of options. To make cocoa, they can squeeze the press cake even more to isolate the cocoa solids before allowing it to dry and then pulverizing it. They can also blend some of the cocoa butter back in, along with sugar and other ingredients, to produce eating chocolate, which is subjected to a process called conching to create a smooth, creamy confection without any traces of grittiness. Eating varieties can also be adulterated with milk, creating milk chocolate, and the level of sweetness can vary widely. For white chocolate, cocoa butter is mixed with vanilla and milk. The history of chocolate is almost as interesting as the confection itself. In its native South America, it was prepared in drinks reserved for royalty and high ranking members of society. When European explorers visited, they were introduced to chocolate, and upon bringing the food back to Europe, it became a big hit. Eventually, Europeans started experimenting, adding sugar and other ingredients and ultimately developing a process which would allow them to make bars in addition to drinks. With the development of bar chocolate, confectioners realized that it had a wide range of possibilities, from candy bar coating to truffles, and the once rare luxury turned into an extremely profitable global industry.

Essay on The Value of Dreams in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown: The Value of Dreams Young Goodman Brown The Birthmark Nathaniel Hawthorne's stories "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Birthmark" both make use of dreams to affect the story and reveal the central characters. With each story, the dreams presented are extremely beneficial to the development of the story as they give the reader a new view of the plot itself, or the characters within. At the same time, however, it becomes difficult to determine how much of the dream has been affected by the character, and how much is pure fantasy. This is true with Young Goodman Brown, who cannot determine whether the events in his life actually occurred, or if they simply were created in his troubled mind while he slept. In "The Birthmark," Aylmer too is haunted by his night-time musings as he dreams of mutilating his wife in order to rid her of a small birthmark. This small detail later turns out to foreshadow the conclusion of the story, while giving readers further insight into his diabolical nature. Dreams thusly play an important developmental role in the explica... ...he beauty of his bride, which is, at least, unsettling, until his dream of butchering Georgianna is revealed. Troubled, too is Young Goodman Brown, who can not determine whether or not the incredible visions of the previous night were real. As a precaution, he avoids contact with the dream-related peole and lives the remainder of his life alone, but surrounded by those who were once his friends, associates, and family. As evidenced by these two short stories, we can see the important role that dreams can play in the effective telling of a tale.

Urban Government and Private Development :: Public Policy Politics

Urban Government and Private Development in Postindustrial Urban America ABSTRACT: As revenue-deprived cities in the United States depend more on developments aimed at attracting visitors, the governing bodies controlling this infrastructure play a larger role in urban government. This paper explores the case of one such development, Chicago’s Navy Pier. The author argues that the Pier’s redevelopment as a festival marketplace, which was based on public rhetoric and space, necessitated the creation of a public authority that compromised this vision. The paper begins with a description of the postindustrial city, then outlines the history of Navy Pier and its redevelopment, and closes with a discussion of the role of public authorities in the contemporary city. In 1986, Chicago and urban America generally, were in decline. The bedrock of federal urban funding had disappeared, middle class residents continued to flee the city for suburban enclaves, and manufacturing jobs that had once employed large portions of city dwellers were suddenly much scarcer. While cities searched for strategies to reverse these trends, most found great trouble in doing so. An urban regeneration seemed unlikely at the time, but cities would soon find ways to attract dollars, residents, and visitors back within their limits. Seventy years earlier, Municipal Pier, a mixed-use development for shipping and entertainment, was constructed near the mouth of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. The initial uses of the structure known today as Navy Pier symbolize the industrial and leisure activities taking place in a rapidly growing, and at times, carefree urban setting. In the decades to follow, the pier served as a Navy training base, the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois, and finally, as a landmark used intermittently for municipal gatherings and public events. During the era of urban decline, however, Navy Pier sat idle amidst a city on the verge of rebirth; plans for renovation had come and gone and it looked as though the Pier might never be of use again. The ever-changing currents of urban America provided a different outcome. In 1990 a plan that would redevelop the Pier was accepted, and in the previous year, two factors ensured its success. The first was the plan’s use of public rhetoric, which stood out from other festival marketplaces that had embraced private development exclusively. This can be attributed to the fact that throughout the city’s history, Chicagoans have treasured their public space along Lake Michigan. A phenomenon best represented by Daniel Burnham’s 1909 plan for Chicago, which placed an emphasis on beautifying the lakefront and rejuvenating the residents and city (Hall, 2002, pp.

Pros and Cons of Single-Sex School on Students

PROS & CONS OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOL ON STUDENTS Pros & Cons of Single-Sex School on Students INTRODUCTION Single-sex school has not been a stranger to us even from back in those old days. It practically shows how gender differences and effects caused by it had largely impacted on the society. People learnt how the attraction between Adam and Eve kind brings a lot of many things, including the separation of these two kinds through – one of the most important thing to the society, the education. According to the article ‘What is Single Sex  Education? Defining Single-Gender  Education’ by Amanda Morin,  Single-Sex education are the practice of educating girls and boys in separate classes or schools. Just like many other co-educational schools, single-sex ones are no exception to the ‘villains and angels’ of this issue. There has been a lot of discussion regarding the pros and cons of single-sex school, which would be my focus in the essay. Pro, based on the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, are something that are in favour of. Hence, con would be the opposite meaning of pro, meaning disadvantages of something, issues or problems.Before 1900, education in America was contained largely within a single-sex framework (Bracey, 2007). That structure was the result of societal views, expectations, and opportunities for each gender. As a rule, males required greater formalized education to facilitate their expected worldly occupations, and females received a much less formalized education, rich in the practical skills necessary for their anticipated domestic life. Males and females required such different educational experiences and subject matter that they were educated separately (Cohen, 2000).There were long and storied history in American higher education about single-sex colleges and universities where a few original colleges in U. S. existed – though that is to educate men only. However, in the early 1800s severa l seminaries for women were founded to provide girls with a liberal education. Post Civil War has also produced the women's colleges of the Northeast, whom been wishing to demonstrate that women were as capable of achieving advanced education as were men. By 1950 the percentage of women in higher education dropped to a low of 30 percent, and enrolment at many of the single-sex institutions began to decline.The 1960s and 1970s saw a more pronounced shift away from single-sex institutions toward coeducation. The history of one’s place or issue could probably make us understand better, whereas would help us to elaborate more on the matter. The focus in this essay would be the advantages and disadvantages of single-sex school, from two different perspectives – academically, and socially. ADVANTAGES As we all know it, boys and girls inhibit and exhibit different learning style and learning outcomes. Research has shown that boys and girls brains are different, they are progr ammed to learn distinct ways.It is not saying that one gender is inferior to the other, they are just different. Single sex education has been shown to reduce stereotypes based on gender rather than promote them. Factors such as smaller classrooms and teacher training are factors of a good school and many single sex schools offer those variables, in addition to offering different and specialized teaching styles which also may improve the quality of education. From the book entitled ‘Early Implementation of Public Single-Sex School : Perceptions and Characteristics’ , its study team has contacted all 20 schools the U.S. Department of Education identified as public single-sex schools in 2003. It shows academic behaviours in 164 single-sex classrooms and 45 coed classrooms in the single-sex and coed schools visited. Students in the single-sex elementary, middle, high schools, were more likely to complete homework than were students in the coed comparison elementary and mid dle school, but no study on high school were included. One public charter school in Northeast Indianapolis namely Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School, segregates academic classes for its younger students.Overall, the policy has been positive, resulting in better grades and fewer distractions. On the social side of this matter, Rosemary Salomone, professor of law at St. John’s University and author of the 2003 book Same, Different, Equal: Rethinking Single-Sex Schooling, said that: â€Å"Many students in single-sex classes report feeling more comfortable raising their hands and expressing uncertainty regarding a lesson or topic without fear of embarrassment or teasing from the opposite sex. † Boys tend to soften up and become more collaborative as they can just be boys and not worry about what the girls might think in a single sex setting.Girls become competitive, bold, and a risk-taker which also give girls the opportunity to take on leadership roles and interact wit h women in positions of leadership. National Coalition of Girls' Schools had conducted a survey which 93% of the women surveyed felt that they had more leadership opportunities and that 63% felt they were well-prepared for the â€Å"real world. † DISADVANTAGES On the surface, it is undeniably true that most single-sex schools do well academically, by saying that the gender gap between girls and boys has been overcome. However, by separating them, the gender gap are still there, but not always seen.Over the past 10 years, 130 independent schools that taught girls and boys separately have either become co-educational or closed. Some schools now offer single-sex lessons in an attempt to close the gender gap that has seen girls overtake boys in achievement. This gender gap is about the fact where boys are always lagging behind girls, and if practiced through placing them in a same sex school, it should probably causes the fact that all-boys’ school lagging behind all-girls ’ school. From the article ‘All-boys school are not the answer’ by Oli De Botton, in practice, the single-sex question is a distraction from what really matters.It sounds obvious, but both boys and girls will do better if they are taught better by excellent teachers. That means skilled teachers whom can attract and teach the students well – regardless of their gender. Kids that are able of responding to all learning environments are better, which they can break out from their comfort zone. Let boys and girls learn together, taught by the best teachers we can find. A new report, published in the journal Science, states that single-sex schools’ students are no better educated than those who attend co-ed schools. The study has also noted that a review commissioned by the U. S.Department of Education found only, little overall difference in academic outcomes between children in single-sex schools versus those in co-ed schools. The professor of psycholog y and education at Penn state, Lynn Liben says that â€Å"There's really no good evidence that single-sex schools are in any way academically superior, but there is evidence of a negative impact,† Another disadvantage would be students’ socialization. The article ‘Co-ed vs. Single-sex schools’ by ULS. com has said that a wider range of people allows the interaction of students of both sexes which allow them to learn how to work and talk to people of the opposite sex.This, though does not happen in a single-sex school causing lack social skills of the students of a single-sex school. Furthermore, the all-boys and all-girls situation might lead to other case such as homosexual. Ghanaweb. com has reported that how their Ghana Education Service has conceded that single-sex schools in Ghana are becoming the place where homosexuals breed. Stephen Adu, the Deputy Director General of the GES told Citi News, that he disagree to the way of dealing with the situation with converting such schools into mixed school. Instead he thinks holistic approach is required to deal with the situation.He added, â€Å"I will agree that homosexuality and lesbianism started with single-sex schools. It has become prevalent and so more people have become aware of it. This is just one of the many problems we have in our educational system†. OPINION In my opinion, single-sex school is neither good or bad. It is the matter of how people work, consider and tolerate it. Elizabeth Weil, in her article titled ‘Teaching Boys and Girls Separately’ stated that the United States Department of Education, along with the American Institute for Research, published a meta-analysis comparing single-sex and coed schooling.The authors started out with 2,221 citations on the subject that they then whittled down to 40 usable studies. Yet even those 40 studies did not yield strong results: 41 percent favored single-sex schools, 45 percent found no positive or negat ive effects for either single-sex or coed schools, 6 percent were mixed (meaning they found positive results for one gender but not the other) and 8 percent favored coed schools. I have one friend of mine, ex single-sex’s school student, whom has such different way of thinking. She’s a feminist, has such a hard time trusting guys and has limited social skills.She doesn’t know how to interact with boys especially, even with the girls sometimes. This is what I can see from her. My evaluation and interpretation might be wrong as I am not an expert. As academically, she’s a perfectionist, hardworking, competitive and a bright student indeed. But her low self-esteem and lack of social skills penetrated her from speaking in class as she doesn’t have the ability of delivering what she wanted to say. What I can see is that single-sex school benefit so much on the academic side, as students really focuses on studying because there is no other distraction an d attraction at school.They really want to compete with each other, curious and wanting to know their ability because they think they have the same capabilities, just at different levels. However, it is sad to compare to their socialization, because single-sex school changes the way they think. They got used to the all-girls or all-boys situation that they end up being sexist, which then later lead to cases like homosexuals. CONCLUSION. Boys and girls are obviously different in nature, and vary in their likings and favourites. What people do not know is a little bit of understanding in these differences could bring such a vast improvement on students.Socialization and academic are both important, and must be balanced well in order to have a fully accomplished life. Pros and Cons are unavoidable where we can’t really choose the good one instead of the bad one but to accept both willingly and somehow work with it. REFERENCES References : RMC Research Corporation Portland, Ore. (August, 2008). Early Implementation of Public Single-Sex Schools : Perceptions and Characteristics. Bradley, K. (n. d. ) The Impact of Single-Sex Education on the Performance of First and Second Grade PUBLIC School Students.Kreyden, V. (March, 2011). Multiple benefits of single-sex classes. Retrieved from : http://blogs. indystar. com/ypress/2011/03/01/multiple-benefits-of-single-sex-classes/ Morin, A. (n. d. ) What is Single-Sex Education? :Defining Single-Gender Education. Retrieved from : http://childparenting. about. com/od/schoollearning/a/what-is-single-sex-education-def. htm Weil, E. (March, 2008). Teaching Boys and Girls Separately. Retrieved from : http://www. nytimes. com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3-t. html? pagewanted=all (e-news) APPENDICES

Foreign Policy Under Thomas Jefferson

Foreign Policy Under Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson, a Democrat-Republican, won the presidency from John Adams in the election of 1800. Highs and lows marked his foreign policy initiatives, which included the spectacularly successful Louisiana Purchase, and the horrid Embargo Act. Years in Office: first term, 1801-1805; second term, 1805-1809. Foreign Policy Ranking: first term, good; second term, disastrous Barbary War Jefferson was the first president to commit US forces to a foreign war. Barbary pirates, sailing from Tripoli (now the capital of Libya) and other places in North Africa, had long demanded tribute payments from American merchant ships plying the Mediterranean Sea. In 1801, however, they raised their demands, and Jefferson demanded an end to the practice of bribe payments. Jefferson sent US Navy ships and a contingent of Marines to Tripoli, where a brief engagement with pirates marked the United States first successful overseas venture. The conflict also helped convince Jefferson, never a supporter of large standing armies, that the United States needed a professionally trained military officer cadre. As such, he signed legislation to create the United States Military Academy at West Point. Louisiana Purchase In 1763, France lost the French and Indian War to Great Britain. Before the Treaty of Paris of 1763 stripped it permanently of all territory in North America, France ceded Louisiana (a roughly defined territory west of the Mississippi River and south of the 49th Parallel) to Spain for diplomatic safe-keeping. France planned to retrieve it from Spain in the future. The deal made Spain nervous as it feared to lose the territory, first to Great Britain, then to the United States after 1783. To prevent incursions, Spain periodically shut down the Mississippi to Anglo-American trade. President Washington, through Pinckneys Treaty in 1796, negotiated an end to Spanish interference on the river. In 1802, Napoleon, now emperor of France, made plans to reclaim Louisiana from Spain. Jefferson recognized that French reacquisition of Louisiana would negate Pinckneys Treaty, and he sent a diplomatic delegation to Paris to renegotiate it. In the meantime, a military corps that Napoleon had sent to reoccupy New Orleans had run afoul of disease and revolution in Haiti. It subsequently abandoned its mission, causing Napoleon to consider Louisiana too costly and cumbersome to maintain. Upon meeting the US delegation, Napoleons ministers offered to sell the United States all of Louisiana for $15 million. The diplomats did not have the authority to make the purchase, so they wrote to Jefferson and waited weeks for a response. Jefferson favored a strict interpretation of the Constitution; that is, he did not favor wide latitude in interpreting the document. He abruptly switched to a loose constitutional interpretation of executive authority and okayed the purchase. In doing so, he doubled the size of the United States cheaply and without warfare. The Louisiana Purchase was Jeffersons greatest diplomatic and foreign policy achievement. Embargo Act When fighting between France and England intensified, Jefferson tried to craft a foreign policy that allowed the United States to trade with both belligerents without taking sides in their war. That was impossible, given that both sides considered trade with the other a de facto act of war. While both countries violated American neutral trade rights with a series of trade restrictions, the United States considered Great Britain to be the biggest violator because of its practice of impressment- kidnapping US sailors from American ships to serve in the British navy. In 1806, Congress- now controlled by Democrat-Republicans- passed the Non-Importation Act, which prohibited the import of certain goods from the British Empire. The act did no good, and both Great Britain and France continued to deny American neutral rights. Congress and Jefferson ultimately responded with the Embargo Act in 1807. The act, believe it or not, prohibited American trade with all nations- period. Certainly, the act contained loopholes, and some foreign goods came in while smugglers got some American goods out. But the act stopped the bulk of American trade, hurting the nations economy. In fact, it wrecked the economy of New England, which relied almost exclusively on trade to support its economy. The act rested, in part, on Jeffersons inability to craft a creative foreign policy for the situation. It also pointed out American arrogance which believed the major European nations would cave in without American goods. The Embargo Act failed, and Jefferson ended it just days before he left office in March 1809. It marked the lowest point of his foreign policy attempts.

A Small Price to Pay essays

A Small Price to Pay essays Similar to my experience with stricter airport security rules, the United States Senate has approved of the creation of a massive Department of Homeland Security that will transform the way the federal government responds to emerging terrorist threats. Many Americans have argued against the creation of this department saying that it will take away too many freedoms. I ask these people, What good are these freedoms if terrorists wipe you out before you can enjoy them? Although many fear that the new laws created since 9/11 will transform our nation into a police state, the new laws exchange a minimal amount of freedom for vital security against terrorism. Let us begin with what the Homeland Security Act is and how it can benefit Americans. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th have changed United States operations, attitudes, and priorities, the government has created the Homeland Security Act. The four main divisions of this act are the Border and Transportation Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures, and Information Analysis and Infrastructure protests. Each division works to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduces America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimizes the damage and recovers from attacks that do occur. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, sums up the effect the act will have. It gives us the structure that we need in order to implement the national strategy and will bring together everyone under the same roof, working toward the same goal and pushing in the same direction. However, each division of the act will limit freedoms and privacy that Americans enjoy. For example, the Border and Transportation Security will subject Americans riding in cars crossing the state or country border subject to thorough inspections of their vehicles, yet this is a small price to pay for security. ...

Hunter Gatherers - People Who Live on the Land

Hunter Gatherers - People Who Live on the Land Hunter gatherers, with or without a dash, is the term used by anthropologists and archaeologists to describe a specific kind of lifestyle: simply, hunter-gatherers hunt game and collect plant foods (called foraging) rather than grow or tend crops. The hunter-gatherer lifestyle was what all human beings followed from the Upper Paleolithic of some 20,000 years ago, until the invention of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. Not every group of us on the planet embraced agriculture and pastoralism, and there are still small, relatively isolated groups today who practice hunting and gathering to one extent or another. Shared Characteristics Hunter-gatherer societies vary in many respects: how much they relied (or rely) on hunting for game versus foraging for plants; how often they moved; how egalitarian their society was. Hunter-gatherer societies of the past and present do have some shared characteristics. In a paper for the  Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) at Yale University, which has collected ethnographic studies from all types of human societies for decades and ought to know, Carol Ember  defines hunter-gatherers as fully or semi-nomadic people who live in small communities with low population densities, do not have specialized political officers, have little defines hunter-gatherers as fully or semi-nomadic people who live in small communities with low population densities, do not have specialized political officers, have little status differentiation, and divide up required tasks by gender and age. Remember, though, that agriculture and pastoralism werent handed to humans by some extraterrestrial force: the people who began the process of domesticating plants and animals were hunter-gatherers. Full-time hunter-gatherers domesticated dogs, and also maize, broomcorn millet and wheat. They also invented pottery, shrines, and religion, and living in communities. The question is probably best expressed as which came first, domesticated crop or domesticated farmer? Living Hunter-Gatherer Groups Up until about a hundred years ago, hunter-gatherer societies were unknown and unbothered by the rest of us. But in the early 20th century, Western anthropologists became aware of and interested in the groups. Today, there are very few (if any) groups who are unconnected to modern society, taking advantage of modern tools, clothing, and foods, being followed by research scientists and becoming susceptible to modern diseases. Despite that contact, there are still groups who get at least a major portion of their subsistence by hunting wild game and gathering wild plants. Some living hunter-gatherer groups include: Ache (Paraguay), Aka (Central African Republic and Republic of the Congo), Baka (Gabon and Cameroon), Batek (Malaysia), Efe (Democratic Republic of the Congo), G/Wi San (Botswana), Lengua (Paraguay), Mbuti (eastern Congo), Nukak (Colombia), !Kung (Namibia), Toba/Qom (Argentina), Palanan Agta (Phillippines), Ju/hoansi or Dobe (Namibia). Hadza Hunter-Gatherers Arguably, the Hadza of eastern Africa are the most studied living hunter-gatherer groups today. Currently, there are about 1,000 people who call themselves Hadza, although only about 250 are still full-time hunter-gatherers. They live in a savanna-woodland habitat of about 4,000 square kilometers (1,500 square miles) around Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzaniawhere some of our most ancient hominid ancestors also lived. They live in mobile camps of about 30 individuals per camp. The Hadza move their campsites about once every 6 weeks and camp membership changes as people move in and out. The Hadza diet is made up of honey, meat, berries, baobab fruit, tubers and in one region, marula nuts. The men search for animals, honey and sometimes fruit; Hadza women and children specialize in tubers. The men typically go hunting every day, spending between two and six hours hunting alone or in small groups. They hunt birds and small mammals using ​bow and arrow; hunting large game is assisted with poisoned arrows. The men always carry a bow and arrow with them, even if theyre out to get honey, just in case something turns up.​​​ Recent Studies Based on a quick peek into Google Scholar, there are thousands of studies published each year about hunter-gatherers. How do those scholars keep up? Some recent studies I looked at (listed below) have discussed systematic sharing, or the lack of it, among hunter-gatherer groups; responses to the ebola crisis; handedness (hunter-gatherers are predominantly right-handed); color naming (Hadza hunter gatherers have fewer consistent color names but a larger set of idiosyncratic or less common color categories; gut metabolism; tobacco use; anger research; and pottery use by Jomon hunter-gatherers. As researchers have learned more about hunter-gatherer groups, theyve come to recognize that there are groups who have some characteristics of agricultural communities: they live in settled communities, or have gardens when they tend crops, and some of them have social hierarchies, with chiefs and commoners. Those types of groups are referred to as Complex Hunter-Gatherers. Sources The Human Relations Area Files is an excellent place for conducting research on ethnographic studies on hunter-gatherers (or really any human society, past or present). See Carol R. Embers paper linked below. Berbesque JC, Wood BM, Crittenden AN, Mabulla A, and Marlowe FW. 2016. Eat first, share later: Hadza hunter–gatherer men consume more while foraging than in central places. Evolution and Human Behavior 37(4):281-286.Cavanagh T, Berbesque JC, Wood B, and Marlowe F. 2016. Hadza handedness: Lateralized behaviors in a contemporary hunter–gatherer population. Evolution and Human Behavior 37(3):202-209.de la Iglesia HO, Fernndez-Duque E, Golombek DA, Lanza N, Duffy JF, Czeisler CA, and Valeggia CR. 2015. Access to electric light is associated with shorter sleep duration in a traditionally hunter-gatherer community. Journal of Biological Rhythms 30(4):342-350.Dyble M, Salali GD, Chaudhary N, Page A, Smith D, Thompson J, Vinicius L, Mace R, and Migliano AB. 2015. Sex equality can explain the unique social structure of hunter-gatherer bands. Science 348(6236):796-798.Eerkens JW, Carlson T, Malhi RS, Blake J, Bartelink EJ, Barfod GH, Estes A, Garibay R, Glessner J, Greenwald AM e t al. 2016. Isotopic and genetic analyses of a mass grave in central California: Implications for precontact hunter-gatherer warfare. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 159(1):116-125. Ember CR. 2014. Hunter-Gatherers (Foragers). Human Relations Area Files. Accessed 19 June 2016.Hewlett BS. 2016. Evolutionary Cultural Anthropology: Containing Ebola outbreaks and explaining hunter-gatherer childhoods. Current Anthropology 57(13):S000-S000.Lindsey Delwin  T, Brown Angela  M, Brainard David  H, and Apicella Coren  L. 2015. Hunter-gatherer color naming provides new insight into the evolution of color terms. Current Biology 25(18):2441-2446.Lucquin A, Gibbs K, Uchiyama J, Saul H, Ajimoto M, Eley Y, Radini A, Heron CP, Shoda S, Nishida Y et al. 2016. Ancient lipids document continuity in the use of early hunter–gatherer pottery through 9,000 years of Japanese prehistory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113(15):3991-3996.Rampelli S, Schnorr Stephanie  L, Consolandi C, Turroni S, Severgnini M, Peano C, Brigidi P, Crittenden Alyssa  N, Henry Amanda  G, and Candela M. 2015. Metagenome sequencing of the Hadza hunter-gatherer gut microbiota . Current Biology 25(13):1682-1693. Roulette CJ, Hagen E, and Hewlett BS. 2016. A biocultural investigation of gender differences in tobacco use in an egalitarian hunter-gatherer population. Human Nature 27(2):105-129.

Corporate And Social Responsibility In Ship Management Case Study

Corporate And Social Responsibility In Ship Management - Case Study Example All managers undertake the same basic functions to obtain results by establishing an environment of effective and efficient performance from individuals working together in groups. This is the same with ship management business managers. Their social responsibilities mirror their company's ideology and ethics directed to professional client service and association, of mutual interest. In the 1990s, and at the turn of the century, a galaxy of developments was witnessed around the globe, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, where globalization took many developing countries by storm. China, India, and Vietnam, to name a few, benefited through FDI. The development of infrastructure, imports and exports have led to frantic activities in all major ports around Asia. Be it sea or airports, the movement of cargo in and out has made officials and workers work round the clock to clear backlogs. As huge ships ferry bulk cargo from and to different ports around the globe, the need to establish alternate points to ease the congestion has come under the scanner. As the major ports in China and India work overtime, their respective governments have been busy studying the feasibility of expanding port operations to smaller ports around the country. Ship business managers take pride in keeping their fleet operational at all times. When they come across ports ill-equipped to han dle large ships, they need to supplement that sector with smaller ships. This is a critical area of operations, which lie squarely on their shoulder. In times of contingencies, ship business managers must be there to handle client grievance. In short, ship business managers are the front-line PR of shipping companies.

Aba riot, woman and African economy Research Paper

Aba riot, woman and African economy - Research Paper Example Nigeria provides such an ideal opportunity to study the contribution and state of African women. It is one of the most populated nations in Africa with varied ethnical groups. People of all economical classes are present and education levels also vary. The nation has a lot of resources though it still has economical downturns. Therefore the study of Nigerian women provides a good basis for understanding the difficulties experienced by other African women as they go through their economic activities. In this regard, I agree with Chuku that women were formidable in their contribution to the economic, political and social development1 During the 1920s, women of Ngwa community experienced increased burdens and threats towards their sovereignty in the market and their use of earnings. Despite this situation, women struggled to retain their status. Men somehow got despaired while the women remained closely focused to maintaining the production of food and palm. Martin says that â€Å"at a time when the adoption of cassava was increasing their farming and cooking duties, they managed to increase their production of kernels and to retain their control of the income obtained from selling them†2. In addition to this, they began to trade in oil and kernels. Despite their hard work, social responsibilities prevented them from spending their income on other investments such as joining enterprise opportunities and other trading activities. In fact, they were denied opportunities to own property such as bicycles. While all these were happening, the European firms decided to increase their pricing and new measuring arrangements among the traders. Women were the most affected since they had ventured into trading activities more than their men. By this time, women relied most on trades so as to make their livelihoods. The situations became unbearable for them as they were not able to offset their losses with the little gains that they could manage;

Assignment 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

5 - Assignment Example f dependent variables are fatalities rate, night time fatalities and frequency of accidents based on drunken driving (Benson, et al., 1999; McCarthy & Pedersen, 2009). Frequency of accidents based on drunken driving has a number of attributes such as acquiring a driver’s license by youngsters that can eventually affect the frequency of substance abuse and different male and female drinking ratio affecting the overall frequency (McCarthy & Pedersen, 2009). The examples of independent variables are legal drinking age of people, anticonsumption laws and preliminary breath test laws (Benson, et al., 1999). Enforcement of laws related to drinking is advantageous for the people of any age whether they are youngsters or adults. Legal drinking age of people is an independent variable that has many possible attributes such as deterring drunk driving of youngsters, the legal age is usually twenty one years old in most of the states and the defined legal age for drinking decreases the drinking experience of youngsters while driving (Benson, et al., 1999). Anticonsumption laws are independent variables that have possible attributes like banning usage of alcoholic drinks in automobiles, deterrence of drunk driving and role of police in abstaining people from increasing the probability of alcoholic usage (Benson, et al., 1999). Anticomsumption laws are effective in controlling the issue of drunk driving because of implementation of laws that keep a check on drunk driving and deter dangerous limit of alcoholic usage. The preliminary breadth test laws have possible attributes such as suspension of driving license after identification of alcohol usage by the drivers, deterring future driving after drinking and imposing minimum fines for the law breakage and ensuring future limited usage (Benson, et al., 1999). The law enforcement officials conduct a preliminary breadth test that shows whether the driver is drunk or not. This test makes sure that the driver is not drunk and

E-Commerce Business Models And Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

E-Commerce Business Models And Concepts - Essay Example Due to this, they end up not meeting the set objectives and being ineffective. The core reason of this is poor development, and the fact that most of these sites do not meet minimum software quality requirements. As the business world becomes more competitive, website firmly hold the position of one of the most crucial tools a company must possess in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Armed with an e-commerce site companies become more flexible, and are able to adjust accordingly with market dynamics. It is evident that many companies now realize the importance of websites as a tool to gain market share and improve sales. This paper is intended to highlight the essential parts of quality e commerce sites, and through the identification of current market trends show the best concepts applicable in a successful online store. Business Background http://www.horchow.com/: The Horchow management structure consists of activities such as the allocation of tasks, supervision and coord ination, which are directed towards the accomplishment of the aims of the company. The company structure mainly participates in the accomplishment of the company goals this is because the company has several dedicated employees whose main agenda is to assist the company to achieve his company's goals. Most flourishing companies like unique home decor, Paul Michael Company, Bensons would not have reached the places they are without their websites (Plumley & Wyrostek, 2011). Horchow has several supervisor is in each and every department, this ensures the employees work up to the required standard. This contributes to the making of designing high quality decor products because the management has catered everything governing the employees work. The company uses various business models to make it distinct from other companies. The business models also help to describe the organizational architecture of capture mechanisms, delivery which are employed by the company's enterprise. The compa ny has applied business models such as, collecting intelligence, user generated content, and improving the available systems. It also uses transport services such as airline and private courier services to ensure their products are available all over the continent. The goals of the business are primarily marketing the products on sale and making sure they increase their profits though online sale and delivery. The company also seeks to be capable of running consumer satisfaction surveys so as to assist they gauge their progress. Finally, the ultimate goal is to ensure that the company becomes a reputable and among the most respected and successful in this field of business The website will, therefore, be designed so as to make sure the company achieves most of its goals in the most efficient way possible. The website will become a partial platform for the marketing department. This is because many people nowadays depend on the internet for many things, making it an easier place to a ccess customers. The products will be marketed by posting them on the website and giving information on the latest home decors awaiting release and those already in the market. In order to enhance marketing, company will have to alias with the most visited websites and have accounts in social platforms such as Facebook, linked in, twitter and MySpace among others. Secondly the company will should be able to give customers the ability to purchase items and request them to get delivered to supported locations. The products shall be priced ant the availability of a customer to purchase the items collectively using a virtual card. This will

Physics of Formula One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words - 1

Physics of Formula One - Essay Example Enzo Ferrari the legend behind the name Ferrari had a passion for car racing which motivated him to come out with the brand name which is today a household name in the field of F1 races. It was in 1945 that the work started on designing and building the very first Ferrari, a project which was being prepared around 12-cylinder2 – a first in the history which went on to provide a direction to the car in general and car racing in particular. Ferrari was the first car to use 1.5 litre unit in a V12 configuration. Since then the company has not looked back. Ferrari, the car was the brain child of its founder Enzo Ferrari. The journey begins with the foundation of Scuderia, sort of a club, on 16th November 1929, exclusively for participating in motor-racing competitions. Enzo Ferrari an integral part of Alpha Romeo for many decades, parted ways in 1929. When Ferrari left the club, he was not allowed to have his name on any of the cars or clubs for the next four years. But his resolve and patience saw him through in his ventures and he started with an 8-cylinder, 1500 cc sports spider, named as 815. It was only in 1946 that the name Ferrari comes into being for cars. The company has not looked back since then. Thereafter came its association with Michael Schumacher in 1996, which further helped in establishing the brand equity called ‘Ferrari’. The F1 racing is now an integral part of Ferrari. In fact F1 racing has now become a big industry in itself. Such developments have started driving other car manufacturers as well int o the race and serious manufacturers like BMW have also started experimenting with the sporty driving. Though it may sound boring to people watching the racing on the tracks, its television clippings have started commanding huge premium. This potential was foreseen by Mr. Ecclestone of ‘Formula One Administration’, who produces the electronic feed being watched by over 40 billion viewers (The

E-Commerce Business Models And Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

E-Commerce Business Models And Concepts - Essay Example Due to this, they end up not meeting the set objectives and being ineffective. The core reason of this is poor development, and the fact that most of these sites do not meet minimum software quality requirements. As the business world becomes more competitive, website firmly hold the position of one of the most crucial tools a company must possess in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Armed with an e-commerce site companies become more flexible, and are able to adjust accordingly with market dynamics. It is evident that many companies now realize the importance of websites as a tool to gain market share and improve sales. This paper is intended to highlight the essential parts of quality e commerce sites, and through the identification of current market trends show the best concepts applicable in a successful online store. Business Background http://www.horchow.com/: The Horchow management structure consists of activities such as the allocation of tasks, supervision and coord ination, which are directed towards the accomplishment of the aims of the company. The company structure mainly participates in the accomplishment of the company goals this is because the company has several dedicated employees whose main agenda is to assist the company to achieve his company's goals. Most flourishing companies like unique home decor, Paul Michael Company, Bensons would not have reached the places they are without their websites (Plumley & Wyrostek, 2011). Horchow has several supervisor is in each and every department, this ensures the employees work up to the required standard. This contributes to the making of designing high quality decor products because the management has catered everything governing the employees work. The company uses various business models to make it distinct from other companies. The business models also help to describe the organizational architecture of capture mechanisms, delivery which are employed by the company's enterprise. The compa ny has applied business models such as, collecting intelligence, user generated content, and improving the available systems. It also uses transport services such as airline and private courier services to ensure their products are available all over the continent. The goals of the business are primarily marketing the products on sale and making sure they increase their profits though online sale and delivery. The company also seeks to be capable of running consumer satisfaction surveys so as to assist they gauge their progress. Finally, the ultimate goal is to ensure that the company becomes a reputable and among the most respected and successful in this field of business The website will, therefore, be designed so as to make sure the company achieves most of its goals in the most efficient way possible. The website will become a partial platform for the marketing department. This is because many people nowadays depend on the internet for many things, making it an easier place to a ccess customers. The products will be marketed by posting them on the website and giving information on the latest home decors awaiting release and those already in the market. In order to enhance marketing, company will have to alias with the most visited websites and have accounts in social platforms such as Facebook, linked in, twitter and MySpace among others. Secondly the company will should be able to give customers the ability to purchase items and request them to get delivered to supported locations. The products shall be priced ant the availability of a customer to purchase the items collectively using a virtual card. This will

Independent Commission on Banking reforms and Basel III Essay

Independent Commission on Banking reforms and Basel III - Essay Example Basel III contain set of reforms that were developed by the Basel Committee created for banking supervision so as to strengthen supervision, regulation, and management of risk in the banking sector (Angelini, 2011). Basel 3 aims to discover the ability of the banking sector to absorb shock that is experienced from economic and financial stress and improve governance and risk management. In addition, the reform measures aim to strengthen the bank's disclosures and transparency. These reforms targeted the micro-prudential or rather bank level regulation that is entrusted with raising the resilience of personal banking institutions to stress periods. In addition, Basel 3 targets the micro-prudential institution risk that can be experienced across the banking sector and amplification of those risks over time. Basel 3 analyzes it objectives into three essential parts that include capital reform, liquidity reform and other elements that are related to the financial system. The capital refo rms include quantity and quality of capital, leverage ratio, the introduction of buffers for a capital observation, complete risk coverage and a counter-cyclical capital buffer. The liquidity reforms include the long (Net Stable Funding ratio) and short-term (Liquidity Coverage ratio) ratios.   The independent Commission on Banking, on the other hand, came out with a final report that contained their recommendation on the reforms to promote competition and stability in the banking sector in the United Kingdom.

Thoreau, Henry D, Walden Essay Example for Free

Thoreau, Henry D, Walden Essay Henry David Thoreau, who deals with nature, remains to this day something of a mystery. He was an American essayist, poet, and sensible philosopher, best known for his autobiographical story of life in the woods, WALDEN (1854). Thoreau became one of the leading personalities in New England Transcendentalism. Thoreaus primary genre was essay, and his fascination with his natural surroundings is reflected in many of his writings dealing with totally different subjects. Natural History of Massachusetts includes poetry, describes the Merrimack River, and discusses the best technique for spear fishing. Although he has had more interpreters than any of our other writers on nature, his complex personality has eluded an ever-gathering host of sentimental disciples, whom he would have been the first to spurn , and nearly all his ingenious critics from Lowell and Stevenson to those of his centenary in 1917. He has been regarded as an American Diogenes and a rural Barnum; as a narrow Puritan, as a rebel against Puritanism, as a German-Puritan romanticist; as a sentimentalist; as a poet-naturalist; as a hermit worshiping Nature; as an anarchistic dreamer; as a loafer, Where, amid these bewildering and often equally plausible interpretations, are we to find what he himself called his true centre, if indeed he has one? Obviously, the answer should lie within the twenty volumes of his collected writings; in part, however, it should be revealed by an examination of the influences that were most important in making him what he was. John Thoreau-one of Carlyles sincere, silent fathers of genius, who, in his manufacture of pencils and plumbago, was more intent on excellence than on pecuniary gain-and of Cynthia Dunbar, handsome and spirited, one of the most unceasing talkers ever seen in Concord, whom her staid community was inclined not altogether to approve. His love of nature seems to have been adumbrated in his mother; certainly it was evoked very early, since he tells of the keen impression produced on his imagination, when he was only four or five years old, by the sight of Waldens fair waters and woods, which, he says, for a long time made the drapery of my dreams. Early, too, came the tendency to reverie and the love of solitude, although for some years he lived, like Wordsworth, mainly the life of glad animal movements, wandering over the countryside, to woods, lakes, and rivers-hunting, fishing, berry-picking, boating, swimming. Thoreau was associating with men on other grounds than the raptures of youth in contact with nature; and this habit grew until, at Harvard College, he paid little heed to the curriculum, and He embarked upon a long voyage of unchartered reading that profoundly influenced his outlook on nature and on human life . For the field observations of a student of nature Thoreau was admirably endowed. There was a wonderful fitness, said Emerson, of body and mind. He had in high degree a species of dexterity not uncommon in the Yankee. He understood the relation between sensuous vigour and subtlety and the life of a naturalist: The true man of science, he wrote in the Journal, will know nature better by his finer organization; he will smell, taste, see, hear, feel, better than other men. Accurate perception in the metaphysical as well as the physical sphere he believed to be dependent on a fit body. The whole duty of man is to make to oneself a perfect body, a fit companion for the soul, since the bodily senses are channels through which we may receive ineffable messages-subservient still to moral purposes, auxiliar to divine. This relation between body and soul he was almost incessantly conscious of; certainly he never cultivated body for the sake of body, and, being a good New Englander, had no erotic strain. Nothing was more foreign to his nature than the sensuality of a certain type of vigorous masculinity to be found in all ages, notably in the Renaissance, when poet and painter, as well as philosopher, had ground for saying that not all the snows of Caucasus could avail to allay the fires within me. Driven to choose between body and soul, Thoreau would have had no hesitation: I must confess there is nothing so strange to me as my own body, he wrote in his Journal. I love any other piece of nature, almost, better. That is his view of body as body, but body as minister of the divine he could not value too highly, and, if not of the Renaissance, he was equally not of the Middle Ages. He was indeed all- sentient. Other poets of nature have not been so fortunate. Thoreaus Taking nature as his province, Thoreau studied her faithfully, acquainting himself with her multitudinous facts, her exact rules and laws, her endless diversity and loveliness of form and movement, till he was prone to forget that knowledge of the part was but a means to knowledge of the whole. Yet inwardly he knew and remembered that to attain the true end, to penetrate to the reality beneath the show, he must stir the deeper currents of his own being, rouse himself out of that somnambulism which, according to Carlyle, is what we please to call life. How could he hope to read rightly the holy book of nature if he brought to it nothing better than the unreal light of the dream world in which the ordinary man lives without knowing it-that ordinary man of whom Plato says, dreaming and slumbering in this life, before he will awake here he arrives at the world below, and has his final quietus . Thoreaus subtle and ambiguous synthesis is founded on a fiction. His account of his tax resistance in the essay revises his tax resistance in the world, in his community of Concord. Thoreau tells us he finds in himself an instinct toward the higher, or spiritual, life, and another toward a primitive and savage one. He reverences them both: ‘I love the wild no less than the good. ’ For wildness and goodness must ever be separate. Thoreau repudiates the physical life with the astounding statement— in Walden of all books—‘Nature is hard to be overcome but she must be overcome. ’ In this new context it appears that Nature is abruptly aligned with the feminine, the carnivorous, and the carnal; though a mans spiritual life is ‘startlingly moral’ one is nonetheless susceptible to temptations from the merely physical, or feminine; urges to indulge in a ‘slimy beastly life’ of eating, drinking, and undifferentiated sensuality. Thoreau speaks as a man to other men, in the hectoring tone of a Puritan preacher, warning his readers not against damnation (in which he cannot believe-he is too canny, too Yankee) but against succumbing to their own lower natures: ‘We are conscious of an animal in us, which awakens in proportion as our higher nature slumbers. ’ Sensuality takes many forms but it is all one-one vice. All purity is one. Though sexuality of any kind is foreign to Walden, chastity is evoked as a value, and a chapter which began with an extravagant paean to wildness concludes with a denunciation of the unnamed sexual instincts. ‘I hesitate to say these things, but it is not because of the subject, I care not how obscene my words are, but because I cannot speak of them without betraying my impurity Thoreaus extensive accounts of his house in Walden demonstrate a lively appreciation of issues in current architectural thought. Pinning down his intellectual sources, however, often proves difficult, and it is uncertain whether or not he knew the villa books firsthand. There is some evidence that he was familiar with Downing, albeit at a later date than the Walden experiment. He mentions Downings A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening (1841) and The Fruits and Fruit Trees of North America (1845) in a brief enumeration of books on a friends shelf in 1857, and in a journal entry of 1852, he critiques the notion that one should take up a handful of the earth at your feet paint your house that colour, a conceit that had appeared in Downings writings in 1846 and 1850. Joseph J.  Moldenhauer argues, however, that Thoreaus source was instead William Wordsworths Guide to the Lakes (1810), a copy of which Thoreau owned (the fifth edition, of 1835, is an American compilation), in which the handful of the earth conceit is attributed to Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) in conversation. Moldenhauer stresses that Thoreaus knowledge of Downing is circumstantial rather than documentary; nonetheless, the circumstantial evidence seems strong, given that Downing was at the height of his popularity and influence at the very moment of Thoreaus 1852 remarks . Elsewhere Thoreaus Nature is unsentimental, existentialist. In ‘Brute Neighbours,’ for instance, Thoreau observes an ant war of nearly Homeric proportions and examines two maimed soldier ants under a microscope; the analogue with the human world is too obvious to be emphasized . Although Thoreau introduces the irreconcilability of man and Nature in Walden, in The Maine Woods (1864) he gives the inscrutability of Nature its fullest treatment. In each of Thoreaus three quests into the forest of Maine he foregrounds an epistemological crisis which ultimately reveals the inscrutability of Nature, and the inability of man, as Melville might suggest, to pierce through the pasteboard mask of Nature. In Ktaadn, Thoreau introduces the epistemological themes that he will develop further in Chesuncook and Allegash and East Branch. Each of these three excursions is an extravagant wandering from civilization out into the wild interior of Maine, and then back to civilization (although it must be noted that none of the three excursions is completely circular: in the first and third journeys. Thoreau and his companions leave from Boston, but only return as far as Bangor; in the second journey Thoreau leaves from Boston and returns to Oldtown, just a bit past Bangor). The central opposition at work in all three excursions is the contrast between civilization and Nature, the tamed and the primitive. The hallmarks of civilization are money, property, politics, and machines, such as the railroad and steamboat; the wilderness features wild animals, tangled plants, bugs, mountains, rivers, and Mount Ktaadn. Ktaadn, the first excursion, takes place in 1846. The themes of Ktaadn are grounded in the relationship between civilized man and primitive Nature. Thoreau sets out from Boston into the wilderness of Maine in order to ascend Mount Ktaadn in an effort to re-establish an original relation with Nature, to push beyond boundaries into the realm of the Indian storm-bird Pomolawho, according to Penobscot legend, lives on Mount Ktaadn-where man and Nature unite and ultimate truths are revealed. He never reaches the summit of Mount Ktaadn, however, and Thoreau makes it clear that Nature remains ultimately inscrutable. Speaking of Ktaadn, Thoreau writes: It was vast, Titanic, and such as man never inhabits. Some part of the beholder, even some vital part, seems to escape through the loose grating of his ribs as he ascends. He is more alone than you can imagine. There is less of substantial thought and fair understanding in him than in the plains where men inhabit. His reason is dispersed and shadowy, more thin and subtle, like the air. Vast, Titanic, inhuman. Nature has got him at disadvantage, caught him alone and pilfers him of some of his divine faculty. She does not smile on him as in the plains. She seems to say sternly, Why came here before your time. This ground is not prepared for you. Thoreau writes: Talk of mysteries! Think of our life in nature, daily to be shown matter, to come in contact with it, rocks, trees, wind on our cheeks. Having sought the unification of man and Nature, and failed. But, just as Thoreau fails to reach the top of Ktaadn, none have gone high enough up the mountain to find the origin of the spring. Thoreaus second journey into the wilderness of Maine occurs in 1853. Thoreau more fully develops a series of oppositions introduced in Ktaadn. In Chesuncook Thoreau explores the contrast between civilization and wilderness, the civilized and the primitive, the present and the past, lower uses of Nature and higher laws, the indiscriminate hunter and the poet, and commodity and discipline. In his excursion, Thoreau wishes to recapture the past-to relive what the Jesuit missionaries experienced when travelling through the primitive wilderness untouched by civilized man-but he is unable to: he is tainted by the corrosive effect of civilization. Thoreau makes this clear central crisis: the destruction of the moose by Thoreaus band of indiscriminate hunters. Framed by suggestive allusions to Mount Ktaadn, Thoreaus participation in the killing of the moose provokes the wrath of Nature against Thoreau, thereby cutting off any chance. Thoreau may have had of succeeding where he failed in Ktaadn: to establish an original relation with Nature, to go beyond boundaries and express truth . In Chesuncook Thoreau laments his only half-willed participation in the destruction of Nature; in A Minor Bird the narrator tries to understand what there is within man that would cause him to silence any song of Nature, whether that song be in-or-out of key. The suggestion in A Minor Bird is that there is some mysterious separation between man and Nature, a disharmony. Thoreau reflects on the relentless, inevitable advance of civilization, and the destruction of Nature, which this advance brings with it. This poses a serious problem, for the Poet, notes Thoreau, and draws power and inspiration from contact with primitive Nature. In the end Thoreau suggests that perhaps man can preserve some of the raw wilderness left in America (through some form of park system or similar venture). This solution is Thoreaus problematic attempt at a mediating compromise between the relentless progress of civilization and the need of the Poet to tap into the inscrutable power within Nature, the Poets muse. In the past, Nature was untouched and available to the Poet; in the present, Nature is quickly receding. Thoreau introduces the idea of Nature as Muse in Chesuncook. Thoreau is doubly-damned: the mythological tablets that only the poet can read are being destroyed by civilization, and the poet himself has been so corrupted by civilization that even he can no longer read the few glowing wood chips that remain. The poet yearns for communication with Nature, but he cannot bridge the gulf, which separates them. In the end, Thoreau symbolically resigns himself to his fate: when hop and Indian Joe pass by Ktaadn on their way back home, they do not even attempt to climb. Thoreau complains testily in his Journal (1852). One needs distance to be able to focus his vision. One needs space and freedom of movement to refocus his vision, keep it unconstrained by familiarity, habit and custom. In Thoreaus view, lack of originality and morning freshness amounts to near blindness. What makes nature nonhuman, but, for that very reason, also a perfect conversationalist is that nature is ever original, lacking intention and memory. Both, in Thoreaus eyes, are socially conditioned and therefore suspect, the first associated with private interest, the second, with the bonds of tradition. Natural existence, on the other hand, is superior to petty concerns and designs, it unfolds spontaneously moment-by-moment, offering itself to man as a pure tonic. Vista and novelty are what Thoreau treasures most in relationships and communication, and these natures would provide amply . Until recently, Thoreaus scientific interests and pursuits were dismissed by critics as amateur and sloppy science coupled with a declined prose style. Only recently, with the 1993 publication of Faith in a Seed—a collection of not just his late natural history essays but also including the first publicat ion of his unfinished manuscripts—has it become apparent that Thoreau had accomplished something important. In Faith, he demonstrated by observation, experimentation and analysis, how 99 percent of forest seeds are dispersed; and how forests change over time, and regenerate after fire or human destruction. Thoreau worked at his familys pencil factory in 1837-38, 1844, and 1849-50. He had a natural gift for mechanics. According to Henry Petroski, Thoreau discovered how to make a good pencil out of inferior graphite by using clay as the binder; this invention improved upon graphite found in New Hampshire in 1821 by Charles Dunbar. Later, Thoreau converted the factory to producing plumbago, used to ink typesetting machines. Frequent contact with minute particles of graphite may have weakened his lungs. He travelled to Quebec once, Cape Cod twice, and Maine three times; these landscapes inspired his excursion essays, A Yankee in Canada, Cape Cod, and The Maine Woods, in which travel intineraries frame his thoughts about geography, history and philosophy. Thoreau was not without his critics. Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson judged Thoreaus endorsement of living alone in natural simplicity, apart from modern society to be a mark of effeminacy: Thoreaus content and ecstasy in living was, we may say, like a plant that he had watered and tended with womanish solicitude; for there is apt to be something unmanly, something almost dastardly, in a life that does not move with dash and freedom, and that fears the bracing contact of the world. In one word, Thoreau was a skulker. He did not wish virtue to go out of him among his fellow-men, but slunk into a corner to hoard it for himself. He left all for the sake of certain virtuous self-indulgences. Stevenson was sickly much of his life, bed-ridden and cared for by his mother and wife, but craved a life of adventure and travel. However, English novelist George Eliot, writing in the Westminster Review, characterized such critics as uninspired and narrow-minded: People—very wise in their own eyes—who would have every mans life ordered according to a particular pattern, and who are intolerant of every existence the utility of which is not palpable to them, may discourage Mr. Thoreau and this episode in his history, as unpractical and dreamy. Throughout the 19th century, Thoreau was dismissed as a cranky provincial, hostile to material progress. In a later era, his devotion to the causes of abolition, Native Americans, and wilderness preservation have marked him as a visionary.

Corporate Culture Case Study: BMW

Corporate Culture Case Study: BMW Introduction In the mind of every person, emotions, thoughts and possible actions form a pattern which has developed during his or her childhood. Once rooted in the mind, these patterns must be forgotten before anything new can be taught. A common name for these patterns is culture. Culture is important. It is what founds confidence. The concept of culture is broad and abstract but still a crucial part of everyones environment and something that can be found anywhere. It takes form in symbols, heroes, rituals and customs. The core, the essence of culture is values. Our basic values are founded in the beginning of our lives, while as we grow older we tend to focus on consciously learning new customs. The choices we make during this process determine our self-image how we look upon the others. There are countless definitions of the word culture, each one claiming to be unique. But in fact this only goes to show that the concept is far too abstract to be clearly defined, Bang states that it signifies what we at every specific moment want it to signify. We see this as the strength of the subject; it is what makes it so interesting to study. You can end up anywhere, and there is no right or wrong. Many connect culture with art and theater, but the concept is nowadays far more widespread and can be applied to many more areas, corporations being one of them. A popular and simple definition of the expression corporate culture is made by Deal and Kennedy: Culture is the way in which we perform something here at ours  [2]   The term culture originally comes from social anthropology. Late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century studies of primitive societies-Eskimo, South Sea, African, Native American-revealed ways of life that were not only different from the more technologically advanced parts of America and Europe but were often very different among themselves. The concept of culture was thus coined to represent, in a very broad and holistic sense, the qualities of any specific human group that are passed from one generation to the next. The American Heritage Dictionary defines culture, more formally, as the totally of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought characteristics of a community or population  [3]   It is helpful to think that corporate culture has two levels, which differ in terms of their visibility and their resistance to change. At the deeper and less visible level, culture refers to values that are shared by the people in a group and that tend to persist over time even when group membership changes. Those notions about what is important in life can vary greatly in different companies; in some settings people care deeply about money, in other about technological innovation or employee well-being. At this level culture can be extremely difficult to change, in part because group members are often unaware of many of the values that bind them together. At the more visible level, culture represents the behavior patterns or style of an organization that new employees are automatically encouraged to follow by their fellow employees. We can say, for example, that people in one group have for years been hard workers, those in another are very friendly to strangers, and those in a third always wear very conservative clothes. Culture in this sense, is still tough to change, but not nearly as difficult as the level of basic values. Each level of culture has a natural tendency to influence the other. This is perhaps most obvious in terms of shared values influencing a groups behavior-a commitment to customers, for example, influencing how quickly individuals tend to respond to customers complaints. But causality can flow in the other direction too-behavior and practices can influence values. So, How Do We Define Culture? Culture is a pattern of shared tacit assumptions that was learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feeling relation to those problems.  [4]   What really drives daily behavior is the learned, shared, tacit assumptions on which people base their view of reality as it is and as it should be. It results in what is popularly thought of as the way we do things around here, but even the employees in the organization cannot, without help, reconstruct the underlying assumptions on which their daily behavior rests. They know only that this is the way, and they count on it. Life becomes predictable and meaningful. If you understand those assumptions, it is easy to see how they lead to the kind of behavioral. Three Levels of Culture The biggest danger in trying to understand culture is to oversimplify it. It is tempting to say that culture is just the way we do things around here, the rites and rituals of our company, the company climate, the reward system, our basic values and so on. These are all manifestations of the culture, but none is the culture at the level where culture matters. A better way to think about culture is to realize that it exists at several levels and that we must understand and manage the deeper levels. The levels of culture go from the very visible to the very tacit and invisible.  [5]   Artifacts Visible organizational structures (hard to decipher) Espoused Values Strategies, goals, philosophies (espoused justifications) Underlying  Assumptions Unconscious, taken for granted  beliefs, perceptions, thoughts and feeling (ultimate source  of values and action) Classifying Corporate Culture G.Hofstede Hofstede demostrated that there are national and regional cultural groupings that affect the behaviour of organizations. Hofstede identified four characteristics of culture in his study of national influences: Power Distance The degree to which a society expects there to be differences in the levels of power. A high score suggests that there is an expectation that some individuals wield larger amounts of power than others. A low score reflects the view that all people should have equal rights. Uncertainty Avoidance reflects the extent to which a society accepts uncertainty and risk. individualism vs collectivism individualism is contrasted with collectivism, and refers to the extent to which people are expected to stand up for themselves, or alternatively act predominantly as a member of the group or organisation. masculinity vs femininity refers to the value placed on traditionally male or female values. Male values for example include competitiveness, assertiveness, ambition, and the accumulation of wealth and material possessions. Long vs short term orientation Deal and Kennedy Deal and Kennedy defined corporate culture as the way things get done around here. They measured organisations in respect of: Feedback quick feedback means an instant response. This could be in monetary terms, but could also be seen in other ways, such as the impact of a great save in a soccer match. Risk represents the degree of uncertainty in the organisations activities. Using these parameters, they were able to suggest four classifications of organisational culture: The Tough Guy Macho Culture. Feedback is quick and the rewards are high. This often applies to fast moving financial activities such as brokerage, but could also apply to policemen or women, or athletes competing in team sports. This can be a very stressful culture in which to operate. The Work Hard/Play Hard Culture is characterised by few risks being taken, all with rapid feedback. This is typical in large organisations which strive for high quality customer service. They are often characterised by team meetings, jargon and buzzwords. The Bet your Company Culture, where big stakes decisions are taken, but it may be years before the results are known. Typically, these might involve development or exploration projects, which take years to come to fruition, such as could be expected with oil exploration or aviation. The Process Culture occurs in organisations where there is little or no feedback. People become bogged down with how things are done not with what is to be achieved. This is often associated with bureaucracies. Whilst it is easy to criticise these cultures for being over cautious or bogged down in red tape, they do produce consistent results, which is ideal in, for example, public services. Charles Handy Handy (1985) popularised a method of looking at culture which some scholars have used to link organizational structure to Organizational Culture. He descibes: a Power Culture which concentrates power in a few pairs of hands. Control radiates from the centre like a web. Power Cultures have few rules and little bureaucracy; swift decisions can ensue. In a Role Culture, people have clearly delegated authorities within a highly defined structure. Typically, these organisations form hierarchical bureaucracies. Power derives from a persons position and little scope exists for expert power. By contrast, in a Task Culture, teams form to solve particular problems. Power derives from expertise so long as a team requires expertise. These cultures often feature the multiple reporting lines of a matrix structure. A Person Culture exists where all individuals believe themselves superior to the organisation. Survival can become difficult for such organisations, since the concept of an organisation suggests that a group of like-minded individuals pursue the organisational goals. Some professional partnerships can operate as person cultures, because each partner brings a peculiar expertise and clientele to the firm. Elements of the corporate culture: The Paradigm: What the organization is about; what it does; its mission; its values. Control Systems: The processes in place to monitor what is going on. Role cultures would have vast rule books. There would be more reliance on individualism in a power culture. Organizational Structures: Reporting lines, hierarchies, and the way that work flows through the business. Power Structures: Who makes the decisions, how widely spread is power, and on what is power based? Symbols: These include the logos and designs, but would extend to symbols of power, such as car parking spaces and executive washrooms! Rituals and Routines: Management meetings, board reports and so on may become more habitual than necessary. Stories and Myths: build up about people and events, and convey a message about what is valued within the organization. These elements may overlap. Power structures may depend on control systems, which may exploit the very rituals that generate stories. Selecting a Company I decided to focus my research on the BMW Group ,because it is a one of the worlds top automobile manufacturers with long history of successful technological achievements and thousands of employees and I believe ,it will be a great example for a successful corporate culture. The company produces motorcycles and engines, as well and it also own and produces the Mini brand and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. As one of the great car manufacturers with subsidiaries on each continent and since the automobile industry has been strongly influenced by the social environment, I believe that studying the BMW Group corporate culture is an effective means for understanding the corporate cultures of European companies. To present the BMW group corporate culture ,I will analyze how the BMW corporate culture works and what are its core values. BMW Group Overview BMW History BMW is an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG- or, in English, Bavarian Motor Works  [6]  . Whatever you call it, the German-based company is one of the worlds most respected automakers, renowned for crafting luxury cars and SUVs that offer superior levels of driving enjoyment. Founded in Munich, the company began in the early 1910s as an aircraft manufacturer. BMWs current logo, designed to represent white propeller blades against a blue sky, reflects these origins; its blue-and-white color scheme also references Bavarias blue-and-white checkered flag. It wasnt until 1928 that production began on the first BMW automobile, the Dixi. The car proved tremendously popular, and its success helped the manufacturer weather the Depression. BMWs best-known pre-World War II vehicle was the Type 328 roadster, a supple two-seater that racked up over 120 victories on the motorsport circuit between 1936 and 1940. Postwar BMW cars maintained this tradition, winning several racing, rallying and hill climb victories. The early 1950s saw the launch of the BMW 501, a roomy, voluptuous sedan that was resplendent with all of the hopefulness of that era. It was soon followed by the 502 which was powered by the worlds first light-alloy V8, foreshadowing BMWs ongoing commitment to developing new technology. The best-selling BMW of that decade was the Isetta, a petite two-seat microcar typically powered by a 12- or 13-horsepower engine. The mid-50s also saw the debut of the limited production and breathtakingly beautiful 507 sports car which had an alloy body and used the 502s V8 for propulsion. In the 1960s, BMW sales strengthened significantly, thanks in part to the immense popularity of the 1500, a sporty family sedan.   [7]   By the 1970s, BMW was establishing itself as a full-fledged car company. It was a pioneer for many emerging technologies, including turbocharging and advanced vehicle electronics. BMW of North America was established at this time, and consumers who coveted both sports and luxury cars became loyal Bimmer owners. The 70s also saw the birth of BMWs three-tier sport sedan range consisting of the compact 3 Series, midsize 5 Series and large 7 Series cars and the creation of its performance M division. Though the 3 Series could be had with four-cylinder power, it was the companys inline-6 engines that developed BMWs reputation for spirited, yet highly refined performance. At decades end, the limited-production, short-lived M1 supercar debuted. Throughout the 1980s, BMW became the unofficial poster car of yuppies, as the brand ostensibly signified ones financial success as well as a passion for driving. The elegant 6 Series coupe debuted and the latter part of the decade saw the high-performance M division working its magic on various production models. The early 1990s saw BMW replace the 6 Series with the powerful (V12-powered at first) but heavy 8 Series grand touring coupe while later that decade the Z3 roadster bowed. The company also opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in the latter half of the 1990s. The 2000s brought a midsize SUV (the X5) as well as a compact SUV (the X3) as BMW joined the hot-selling segment. Since then, BMW has replaced the Z3 with the Z4, introduced the compact 1 Series, produced hybrid versions of a few models and debuted the X6 fastback crossover. The company has also expanded its empire to include Mini and Rolls-Royce and continues to build motorcycles, something it has done since the 1920s. The automakers famous advertising slogan describes each of its vehicles as the ultimate driving machine, and its not mere hyperbole. Over the past couple of decades, BMWs have become the standard for performance and luxury in most of the over $30,000 segments. With family-friendly wagons, crisp sedans, distinctive coupes, nimble sports cars and spacious SUVs offered, BMWs model roster is diverse. But its luxury vehicles all share a common characteristic: the ability to make drivers feel gloriously connected to the road.  [8]   The automobile industry in Europe  [9]   The auto sector is often credited as the engine room of Europe. The European Union is the homeland to a competitive and innovative automotive industry that generates activity throughout the economy from materials and parts supply, to RD and manufacturing, to sales and after-sales services. Manufacturers have trained and developed a highly-skilled workforce, producing quality products for home and international markets. Vehicle manufacturing supports over 2 million European jobs with an additional 10 million citizens employed in associated industries. Exports are valued at over  £70 billion annually. The automotive industry has also established itself as a partner in sustainability. Technological advances have brought real solutions, driving down harmful emissions from industry products and production sites. Manufacturers have spearheaded significant improvements in vehicle safety and embraced social responsibility goals. Annually, the industry invests  £20 billion in RD, more than any other private sector. Its drive towards sustainable mobility remains an ongoing commitment. BMWS Group Corporate Culture The BMW Group is one of the worlds leading car and motorcycle manufacturers with more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries. With the brands BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce,BMW operate very successfully in the premium segment of the automobile and motorcycle industry. In order to consistently maintain the quality standards, BMW seek employees who possess team spirit and personal initiative, as well as an uncompromising desire to constantly further their knowledge. Because they are convinced that those who cease to improve have already ceased to be be good. High-efficiency culture. It is not only the technical know-how that makes BMW stand out considerably from other companies. In keeping with the quality standards of products, BMW corporate culture is a consistent high-efficiency culture. BMW constantly incite each other employee to become even better, to offer even better products. This is only possible through a pronounced team spirit. Critical reflection and self-critical advancement are only possible within a well-functioning team. Because they approach each other with respect and esteem, the employees have a strong team spirit the decisive prerequisite for success within a team. Satisfied and motivated employees are an invaluable competitive advantage to our company.   [10]   Basic principles: During the next decade BMW aim to secure a position as the worlds leading manufacturer of premium automobiles. For this reason all of companys strategies including the corporate culture are conceived on a long-term basis and are constantly target-oriented. BMW wish to utilise new chances and achieve a new level of efficiency,they aspire to create an atmosphere of optimism from which to draw the energy for necessary changes. The following principles of the BMW Group form the basis of this long-term and target-oriented action  [11]  : Customer orientation. Our customers decide whether or not our company is successful. Our customers are at the centre of all of our actions and the results of our actions must be judged from a perspective of their benefit to the customer. High efficiency. We aim to be the best. Each of us has to rise to this challenge, meaning that each employee must be prepared to achieve a high degree of efficiency. We aspire to belong to an elite, but without being arrogant, because it is the company and its products that count the most and nothing else. Responsibility. Each BMW Group employee bears personal responsibility for the success of the company. This also applies within a team, where each individual must be aware of his or her responsibility. In this respect we are fully aware that we all work together in achieving corporate goals. For this reason we also work together in the interests of the company. Effectiveness. Only sustainable and effective results are of benefit to the company. When assessing management, it is only the effect of performance on results that counts. Adaptability. In order to achieve continuous success we must adapt quickly and flexibly to new demands. Therefore, we regard change as a chance and the ability to adapt as the prerequisite for making use of this chance. Disagreement. In the search for the best solution everyone has the duty to bring to light any disagreement. The solutions found are then resolutely implemented by all involved. Respect, trust, fairness. We treat one another with respect. Management is based on mutual trust, trust is based on calculability and fairness. Employees. Business enterprises are made by people. Employees are our strongest factor of success. Consequently, personnel decisions belong to the most crucial decisions. Exemplary function. Every executive has an exemplary function. Sustainability. We regard sustainability as a lasting and positive contribution towards the economic success of the company. This is the basis of our ecological and social responsibility. Society. We consider awareness of social responsibility an inseparable part of our corporate self-conception. Independence. We secure the BMW Groups entrepreneurial independence through sustainable and profitable growth. Equality of opportunity BMW Group employees work in different countries on different continents. They are as diverse as is usually the case in our globalized world. It goes without saying that all of our employees are treated equally according to their qualifications and granted equal opportunities. So diversity is perfectly normal in our working lives. Diversity The diversity of the BMWs employees is one of their special strengths. It enhances the companys innovative capability and helps to gain ground in new markets. It broadens the pool of BMWs talents and competencies. Human diversity is therefore a key to the sustainable success of the BMW Group. Hence diversity is an important issue of the future. Human diversity also influences the cultural horizon within the company. As a result it becomes constantly broader, providing BMW with new aspects and perspectives. This enables to perceive new needs and trends far earlier and above all to understand them and to live with diversity. Sustainability management We have set ourselves the goal of integrating sustainability throughout the entire value chain and its underlying processes creating an added value for the company, the environment and society. Key elements of BMW Groups sustainability management include an environmental radar that is regularly extended to cover additional ecological and social aspects; ongoing dialogue with stakeholders; the inclusion of sustainability criteria in all decision-making processes; and a holistic approach to the entire value chain. The BMW Groups basic principles form the foundation of the companys long-term alignment. They establish, among other things, that being a good corporate citizen is an integral part of how the BMW Group defines itself as a company. Furthermore, sustainability is regarded as making a positive contribution to the companys economic success. According to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, the BMW Group is currently the worlds most sustainable carmaker. The company was named industry leader in these important global sustainability indices for the fifth consecutive year in 2009. Numerous other ratings and awards also confirm the companys lead role in the field of sustainability. But for the BMW Group this is only the beginning. It is obvious that sustainability is set to play an even bigger role in defining premium mobility of the future from environmentally-friendly drive trains and resource-friendly production processes to new, sustainable services in the field of individual mobility. In the future, premium will inevitably comprise the concept of sustainability. The manufacturer with the more efficient and resource-friendly production, who offers the most visionary solutions for eco-friendly individual mobility, will have the competitive edge. BMW position At the BMW Group, sustainability is not just the responsibility of one particular department. All employees are called upon to implement elements of corporate sustainability in their area of responsibility. Here the members of the Board of Management of BMW AG discuss how their individual divisions define corporate sustainability. The BMW Group and its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands epitomise joy, passion and success. The aim is to actively shape the future. To achieve this, we are making sustainability an increasingly integral part of our value chain. Sustainability should be the defining principle of how we design our processes and procedures. Our company has been changing its approach over recent years. The revision of the BMW Groups sustainability strategy was the next logical step and an important milestone. But there is still some way to go. Economics  [12]   The BMWs corporate Strategy Number ONE is creating the best conditions for long-term value creation and sustainability. Our vision is to be the worlds leading provider of premium products and premium services in the automotive industry. As we see it, this also means being a leader in the field of sustainability. From an economic point of view, issues such as compliance, anti-corruption and risk management form the backbone of corporate responsibility. In late 2007, the BMW Group presented its new corporate Strategy Number ONE. The vision: To be the leading provider of premium products and premium services for individual mobility. To reach this goal, the company needs to focus consistently on growth and profitability; to constantly develop new technologies; to guarantee access to relevant customer groups; and, most importantly, to actively shape the future. These key fields of action are the four pillars of Strategy Number ONE. Everything BMW do is based on the twelve basic principles the Board of Management defined in Strategy Number ONE: Customer orientation The customer and benefit for the customer are at the heart of everything the company does. Peak performance -The company and all its employees aim to be the best. Responsibility Every employee shares the responsibility for the companys success. Effectiveness Only results which have a lasting effect count. Adaptability Flexibility as a crucial prerequisite for success. Dissent As we strive to find the best solution, we are frank with each other. Respect, trust, fairness The basis of successful cooperation. Employees The strongest factor in a companys success. Leading by example Every manager has to be aware that he / she is a role model and should act accordingly. Sustainability Acting sustainably is an element of our corporate responsibility and a contribution to value creation. Society Social responsibility is an integral part of our corporate self-image. Independence Sustained profitable growth secures the corporate independence of the BMW Group. Based on these principles, the BMW Group has established a focused approach to master the current crisis. Priorities are to secure the companys sound financial footing and its liquidity as well as to develop attractive, trendsetting products. Over the past five years, the company has invested a total of over 21 billion euros in its future, an amount that also reflects the BMW Groups technological expertise and the pace at which innovations are developed. With its corporate Strategy Number ONE, the BMW Group is setting the course for tomorrows dynamic growth. For more detailed information on the financial year and our latest figures please refer to the current Annual Report. Employees-Basic principles During the next decade we aim to secure our position as the worlds leading manufacturer of premium automobiles. For this reason all of our strategies including our corporate culture are conceived on a long-term basis and are constantly target-oriented. We established this prerequisite when we launched our Strategy Number ONE. The Vision: to become the worlds leading provider of premium products and premium services for individual mobility. To this end, the BMW Group concentrates on profitability and sustained value creation. The companys four strategic pillars also include growth, shaping the future and access to technologies and customers. The following principles of the BMW Group form the basis of this long-term and target-oriented action:  [13]   Customer orientation Our customers decide whether or not our company is successful. Our customers are at the centre of all of our actions and the results of our actions must be judged from a perspective of their benefit to the customer. Peak performance We aim to be the best. Each of us has to rise to this challenge, meaning that each employee must be prepared to achieve a high degree of efficiency. We aspire to belong to an elite, but without being arrogant, because it is the company and its products that count the most and nothing else. Responsibility Each BMW Group employee bears personal responsibility for the success of the company. This also applies within a team, where each individual must be aware of his or her responsibility. In this respect we are fully aware that we all work together in achieving corporate goals. For this reason we also work together in the interests of the company. Effectiveness Only sustainable and effective results are of benefit to the company. When assessing management, it is only the effect of performance on results that counts. Adaptability In order to achieve continuous success we must adapt quickly and flexibly to new demands. Therefore, we regard change as a chance and the ability to adapt as the prerequisite for making use of this chance. Dissent In the search for the best solution everyone has the duty to bring to light any disagreement. The solutions found are then resolutely implemented by all involved.