Oil Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oil Market - Essay Example In case the price of oil went down, then the price of such commodities were also stable, and if the price of this commodities went down, then these products also follows such occurrences. If we are to analyze this, one might ask, what is with oil that it has the power to control different scenario On the second thought, analysts particularly economists suggests that it is not only the oil that can have such a trend, but almost every product that is available to the market. This kind of occurrences is dictated by the demand of the customers and the availability of the product. In this case, the law if supply and demand comes into picture. Therefore, what is the law of supply and demand Before analyzing such a law let us first scrutinize the meaning of demand and supply with regards to economics perspective. The Columbia encyclopaedia (2005) described supply and demand as, 'Supply refers to the varying amounts of a good that producers will supply at different prices; in general, and a higher price yields a greater supply. Demand refers to the quantity of a good that is demanded by consumers at any given price. According to the law of demand, demand decreases as the price rises.' Upon analyzing this premise we can now have a clearer picture of what supply and demand has something to do with the oil market. It is now clear that oil will be regarded as the supply and the wanting of the consumers to get the oil to compensate their needs is the demand. Upon looking into this scenario, one might conclude that the oil as a commodity has the power to dictate its price regarding to the demand of world market. As stated on the first page that almost every human activities on earth needs the consumption of oil, therefore, it would be safe to conclude that there is a huge amount of demand for oil. From cooking meals, generating electricity and running automobiles, this kind of activities consumes oil. If we are to base such things with the aforementioned premises, the price of oils would tend to go up and it is due to the law of demand. The law of demand is defined as " a microeconomic law that states that, all other factors being equal, as the price of a good or service increases, consumer demand for the good or service will decrease and vice versa (answers.com 2006)." In this regard, the flow of the prices of oil would tend to go up if we are to base this phenomenon to the worldwide demand of oil. All over the world, oil is a necessity in life. On the second thought, one might ask that why it is that oil can dictate the flow of economics of some countries in the world Why is it expensive than other necessities The answer would be, it is because of the availability of the product. If we are to compare oil's prices in the majority of Middle East countries where oil is abundant against distant countries such as the Philippines where there is a minimal source of the said product, there is a huge amount of difference with regards to the amount of oil. In countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and the likes, oil prices ranges from $20-$30 centavos per liter to judge against $1.2 per liter. This is due to the following reasons: 1) the fact that oil production is limited, then the priorities of the distribution of oil would be in the countries were it was extracted and therefore, counties

Performance management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Performance management - Assignment Example However it is also found that most of the performance management system and the performance management processes and the performance management systems are tiring in their processes. Performance management system requires managers to go with the employees to a room in a yearly performance management review. The worst problem with performance management system is that the problem lies with one’s performance being reviewed by another person. Pulakos and OLeary (2011) claim the formula for effective performance management remains elusive. Performance management system is not universal and actually every company and organization should have a performance management system that is unique to the organization characteristics and applies to the unique problem that the organization faces. However the problem with most models of performance management is that they are defined on a universal basis. The paper below analyzes the statement given by Pulakos and OLeary in context of the perfo rmance management and tries to address the challenges in an effective manner. Performance management is the process that is designed so as to improve organizational, team and individual performance that is in turn owned and driven by the line managers. According to Lawler there is a large no. of design features which can potentially influence the effectiveness of a performance management system. Many of the different performance management system are studied empirically so as to study the impact of the performance management systems. The research in this field shows that the effectiveness of the performance management increases; when there is consistent and ongoing feedback. The behaviour based measures are normally used so that preset goals are employed. It is reasonable to argue that when the outcomes of performance appraisal are tied to the rewards the performance management system will

Achievement Goal Theory

Achievement Goal Theory Achievement Goal Theory (Nicholls, 1984, 1989) proposes that goal orientations are developed and altered through various socialization processes, including the motivational climate created by parents and coaches (Nicholls, 1989). In order to better understand the influence of motivational climates, it is necessary to understand the concept of the achievement goal theory (Dweck Leggett, 1988). Achievement goals have been widely researched by Maehr (1980), Nicholls (1984) and Dweck (1986), who have worked individually, but also collaboratively, in an attempt to explain achievement behaviour within sport settings. As Duda (2001) and Nicholls (1984) demonstrated; whether a goal orientation is seen to have adaptive or maladaptive outcomes, will depend on the ability perceptions of the individual. Ames (1984, 1992) supported this idea, discovering that through a parents reaction to their childs performance, children will learn what is valued and preferred. Ultimately, this preference will then be reflected in a childs goal orientation and attitudes towards sport and exercise. In addition, when measuring this Ames (1992) commented that it is the childs interpretation of the parental influence rather than the actual behaviour that is deemed most important. Dweck (1986) proposed goal orientation as a defining feature of motivation. Task and ego orientated performers differ, as different behaviours will need to be adopted for each goal orientation and each environment within which the individual performs. Bartlett, Gratton and Rolf, (2006) agreed that a task orientated performer believes that participation in the activity leads to enhanced feelings of mastery, enjoyment, satisfaction and interest. In contrast, performers can be described as ego orientated. Smith, Balaguer and Duda, (2006) viewed this as the tendency to judge ones ability with respect to the performance of others and to tie subjective success to the demonstration of superior ability. Biddle et al. (2003, p. 11) hypothesized that, As a result of childhood socialization experiences, individuals goal orientations are expected to be consistent with the perceived goal orientations held by significant others, such as parents or coaches. Therefore, the following study will examine a childs perceptions of the motivational climate created by their parents and illustrate the relationship that this has with a childs attitudes towards sport and exercise participation. Perceived Motivational Climate Recently, research has addressed the contention that parents create a motivational climate that influences their childrens achievement motivation (Duda and Hall, 2000; Weigand, 1994; White, 1998). The motivational climate is created through a set of behaviours (e.g. rewards, punishment and feedback) from either parents or coaches (Ames, 1992). Similar to the structure of achievement goals, motivational climates can be either task or ego involving. Research suggests that promoting a task climate is related to greater satisfaction (Walling, Duda, Chi, 1993) and enjoyment (Seifriz, Duda, Chi, 1992); whereas promoting an ego climate is related to performance worry (Walling, Duda, Chi, 1993), and low self-efficacy (Nicholls,1989). In order to better understand an athletes socialisation experiences and the way in which these will influence their attitudes towards sport and exercise; it is appropriate to examine the motivational climate created by significant others (Elliot and Dweck, 2005). As well as coaches and peers, parents have an important role to play in understanding their childs motives for involvement in sport; and ensuring that they are supported, by creating the optimal motivational climate (Maffulli, 2001). Horn (2008) developed this idea further, commenting that, no role is more important than establishing the psychological climate in which the childs sports participation will take place. You have not included Epsteins TARGET research which underpins motivational climate research. By giving certain rewards, making explicit expectations and identifying the importance of a particular event or competition, significant others structure the sport context so that it becomes task or ego involving (Lee, 1993). This goal structure created by the adult establishes a motivational climate, whereby the development of one goal perspective takes priority over the other (Nicholls, 1989; Roberts, 1992). The motivational climate that is created will vary depending on the parents view of sport; and ultimately, their dispositional goal orientation. For instance, parents supporting a highly competitive goal orientation, identified winning and being better than other children as most important; whereas parents endorsing less competitive orientated goals placed greater emphasis on their child focusing on getting on with others and being accepted as part of the team (Lee, 1993). Resultantly, if emphasis is placed on effort, improvement, and self-referenced goals, then a mastery clima te develops. In contrast, if emphasis is placed on social comparison, winning competitions, and other-referenced goals, then a performance climate develops. As parents are the most critical social influence on childrens development, it is likely that goal orientations are made clear through parents encouraging and rewarding certain actions and involvement in certain activities (Weigand et al., 2001). Previous studies have examined perceptions of the motivational climate initiated by the coach (e.g. Newton Duda, 1997; Seifriz et al, 1992; Treasure Roberts, 1997). The results from these investigations have supported the categorisation of motivation into two distinct climates-being, a task-involving and an ego-involving climate. Include sentence here clarifying task-involving is mastery climate and ego-involving is performance climate and be consistent in your use of terms. Further work in this field has also demonstrated the link between such climates with an individuals adaptive or maladaptive motivational patterns. This is an interesting area of study as the adoption of an adaptive or maladaptive motivational attitude will influence the chosen goal orientation that the child will work under. Current research has reflected that perceptions of a mastery climate are linked with high task orientation, whereas perceptions of a performance climate are associated with high ego orienta tion. Socialisation an influential construct? Socialisation is a two way interactive social process whereby individuals are exposed to significant forms of information regarding expectations within a particular setting (Bandura, 1977; Greendorfer 1993; Weiss and Glenn, 1992). For instance, parents may encourage their children to partake in a wide variety of sporting activities; in order to emphasize their belief that making friends during childhood is important, and also to stay fit and healthy you must exercise often. In contrast, other parents who are more ego-orientated driven will expect their child to excel within the activity; sometimes adopting a win-at-all costs attitude. Parents are considered to be the most influential social agent in a young childs life as children spend most of their time within the family unit during early childhood; and parents are usually the ones who will introduce their children into sport and enrol them into sport programmes (Green and Chalip, 1998; Greendorfer, Lewko and Rosengreen, 1996). It is also predicted that during the early years, parents are likely to be present at their childrens games and sport fixtures; therefore giving them ample opportunity to express their values and beliefs of sport to their children (Scanlan, 1996). Horn (2004) also demonstrates that before 10 years of age, children regard the feedback and judgements regarding their abilities given from parents, as imperative to their development and progress. However, when they reach the teenage years, children rely more on the feedback given and believes demonstrated by their peers and coaches; now meaning that parents are more likely to support their chi ldren with regards to transport and the financial needs of participation (Cote, 1999). This shift in primary sporting influence from parents to coaches and peers, when a child enters their teenage years (Hellstedt, 1995) . This can sometimes increase the chances of a coach-parent conflict but can also confuse the child in who they are supposed to take primary notice of. Treasure and Roberts (1995) have shown that physical activity and a childs choices towards sports participation are not only influenced by their dispositional goal orientations (e.g. task and ego goals), but also by the actions, beliefs and attitudes from powerful social agents (e.g. coaches, parents and peers). The process of socialisation is powerful in demonstrating parents beliefs to their child; since, as individuals mature they come to define their own set of values, therefore making a greater number of independent decisions (Dixon, Warner and Bruening, 2008). With this knowledge, it is appropriate to assume that socialisation is most influential during the earlier stages of a childs lifetime (Dixon, Warner and Bruening, 2008). Laursen and Hartup (2002) supported this finding, commenting that, as children enter late childhood (10-12 years); they extend and mature their social relationships with friends, peers and non-family members. One particular study concept that has been of great use when explaining the process of socialisation is the expectancy-value model (Eccles et al., 1983; Eccles Harold, 1991; Fredricks Eccles, 2002, 2004). This model does not address the longevity of parental impact as the model has been solely developed and tested for the study of childrens (rather than adolescents or adults) lives. Therefore, this research project will provide a retrospective account of the impact of parental influence on a childs sport involvement. This reflective process will allow findings to be gathered from when the participant first started experiencing parental influence, up until the present day. Conducting a retrospective study may also provide the researcher with the opportunity to predict a time or age range where parental encouragement is no longer influential, as many scholars argue that the effects of parental socialisation are centred in early childhood (ages 5-12) (Warner and Bruening, 2008). Warner and Bruening (2008) concluded that further research should examine an adults perspective of their parents impact on their sport beliefs, values and participation. The authors maintained that such a study would add value to the literature on parent socialisation. This supports the proposals for the current study, whereby opinions and perceptions will be taken from an adult-childs perspective. Social Agents The Parents / Parent-child interactions Researchers have identified parents as the most critical sport socialization agent for children (Brustad and Partridge, 2002). The majority of research surrounding the parent-created motivational climate has been completed by White (1996, 1998). White Duda (1993) produced a modification of the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire (PIMCQ; ) (White, Duda Hart, 1992), named the PIMCQ-2. This 36-item questionnaire records sport and exercise participants perceptions of the motivational climate created by first their mother, and secondly their father. Subscales question the learning and enjoyment climate, worry-conductive climate and a success-without-effort climate (Jowett Lavallee, 2007). Of the 36 total items, 18 refer to the mother-created motivational climate and 18 items target the father created motivational climate (Lavoi and Stellino, 2008). MORE ABOUT THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES HERE.? yes Researchers (Horn and Weiss, 1991; Brustad, 1996) have suggested that, as a function of cognitive development, youngsters rely most heavily on parental and significant adult feedback to judge personal competency. A large proportion of time in childhood is also spent in the familial context, and children normally have not yet developed firm social contacts outside the family unit (Brustad, 1996). However, with expanding social experiences, cognitive maturation, and improved social skills, children and adolescents spend an increasing amount of time in peer group company, resulting in an increasing reliance on peers to evaluate competence (Horn and Weiss, 1991). Parents possess a great deal of power when expressing their beliefs, enabling them to sway and alter a youngsters choices by either providing encouragement by a means of transportation to and from sporting venues or by educating the child of the values associated with sport and physical activity. It is these powerful social processes whereby values and norms are transmitted and taught, with the hope that they will then be adopted by the child, which highlights the importance of the process of socialisation (Bandura, 1977; Greendorfer, 1993; Weiss Glenn, 1992). Dixon, Warner and Bruening (2008) suggested that in order to determine what attracts children into sport and influences their choices within this domain, the socialisation experiences that youngsters have need to be studied. Thus, an investigation was undertaken to examine the effect of parental influence on womens sport involvement. This study focused primarily on the process of socialisation, using the expectancy-value model to demonstrate their findings (Fredricks Eccles, 2002, 2004). Results revealed that parents have the most direct impact upon socialisation when a child is young, however this influential power is then passed onto teachers and coaches during the adolescent stage of a childs development (Anderssen, Wold, Torsheim, 2006). Few studies have examined the childs perception of parental beliefs (White, 1996), therefore the current study will focus on the perception of the motivational attitudes and climates that parents create. White (1998) supported this, identifying that it is the perception of a situation or set of behaviours that is more important than the actual situation or behaviour itself. For example, Duda and Hom (1993) examined the perceived and self-reported goal orientations of young athletes and their parents. Results revealed that children who were higher in task orientation, as opposed to ego orientation, perceived their significant parent to be higher in task orientation. In contrast, those children higher in ego orientation, as opposed to task orientation, perceived their significant parent to also be higher in ego orientation. Weigand (1994) found similar results, in a study of children and adolescents in a variety of youth sports. Results revealed that males, more than females, were sign ificantly more ego than task oriented, perceived both parents to endorse more ego than task involvement, and perceived fathers affective pressure in sport and importance of sport (e.g. pressure to win), to be higher. Parental influence can have a dramatic effect on ones choices towards sports participation (Fredricks and Eccles, 2002). Past investigations have examined the influence significant others have on children involved in sport and have identified parents as being the most influential (Kelly, 1974; Snyder, 1978). Recent research has also concluded that parental beliefs are consistently related to young adults goal orientations (White, Kavussanu, Tank Wingate, 2004). Dixon et al (2008) examined parental influence on womens lifetime sport involvement. Semi structured interviews were used to study socialisation and participation over time. Findings revealed that parents are more influential during a childs early youth; nevertheless they maintained that this influence lasts well beyond childhood. The authors also recognised that narrative accounts can often be overly positive or negative as subjects may demonstrate a degree of bias towards their parents. Nonetheless, Dixon et al (2008) believed that parents are one of the most powerful social agents for children. With this in mind a child will act in accordance with their parents beliefs about their potential successes, as they do not want to become a disappointment to them; thus they will place a similar, if not identical level of importance, upon success within that activity (Bois, Sarrazin, Brustad, Trouilloud, Cury, 2002). This study will seek to identify the links between the parent initiated motivational climate and the childs dispositional goal orientation. Waldron and Krane (2005) studied the motivational climate and goal orientation in adolescent female softball players, with particular reference to the development and maintenance of such goal orientations. Participants with an average age of 15 years completed the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ; Duda and Nicholls, 1992) and The Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire (PIMCQ (; White, Duda and Hart, 1992). Findings showed that children high in task orientation perceived their parents to be high in task orientation and children high in ego-orientation perceived their parents to be highly ego orientated. This is consistent with other studies results (White and Duda, 1996; Duda and Homs, 1993), after examining the relationship between goal orientation and the perceived parent-initiated motivational climate. Results reflected that children who were high in task orientation perceived their parents to prefer a climate where learning and enjoyment were mos t important. However, children high in ego orientation perceived their parents to favour a climate where success was associated with low levels of effort in the learning of physical skills. Importantly, it has been suggested that; the perception of a situation or motivational climate, rather than the actuality of the situation itself, should receive more attention in future research (Waldron Krane, 2005; White, 1998). Therefore the current study will aim to examine the perceptions of the motivational climate created by parents, as the influence of parents on athletes achievement behaviours has not been as widely studied as that of coaches (Waldron Krane, 2005). Stressors In addition to the obvious competition and sport specific stressors affecting athletes, another stressor that can affect youngsters is that of parental pressure (Maffulli, 2001). Hellstedt, (1990, 1995) and Scanlan, (1995); identified both positive and negative aspects of parental involvement. With regards to the positive aspects, parents were referred to as being the main source of encouragement, positive role models and providers of support (e.g. emotional, financial). However, parental support was also viewed at times to be negative, as, parents presented a source of stress through criticism of performance and financial blackmailing based on the financial investment made by them. Research has supported that unrealistically high parental expectations (such as pressure, criticism and those mentioned above); have been linked to lower enjoyment, less intrinsic motivation and more stress among young athletes (Lavoi and Stellino, 2008). Social Cognitive Perspective The predominant theory used to examine interpersonal influences on behaviour has been social cognitive theory (SCT). Banduras (1991) social coginitve theory contended that personal factors (e.g. moral reasoning), environmental factors (parental socialisation) and moral behaviours operate interactively in a recipricol way (Horn, 2008). According to SCT, there exists, three primary mechanisms of influence on childrens physical activity choices; these are, role modelling, social influence and social support processes (Welk, Wood and Morss, 2003). Role modelling has emerged from the research as the most commonly used source of parental influences on physical activity (Anderssen and Wold, 1992; Moore, Lombardi, White, Campbell, Olivera and Ellison, 1991), however the results are mixed, with some studies finding little or no link between parent and child activity habits (Biddle and Goudas, 1996; Garcia, Broda, Frenn, Coviak, Pender and Ronis, 1995). Despite the fact that it is reasonable to expect that parents who are active may be more likely to encourage their children to participate in physical activity than parents who are inactive (Sage, 1980; Seppanen, 1982); this topic has received little attention in recent times. Therefore, the current study will seek to establish the strength of the relationship between parent activity levels and sports participation, in correspondence to that of their children. Previous Research Measures Much of the previous research has used quantitative measures of study to collect results, therefore the current study will focus on qualitative measures (i.e., interviews) as they offer a more in-depth perspective (Gratton and Jones, 2004) and allow participants to expand and explain their answers to given questions. Through this data collection method it is hoped that the quality of data will be greater as the interviewer can use probes to guide the interviewee to specific answers, allowing for increased precision of responses (REF). From the literature reviewed, it is clear that the motivational climates created by significant others play a vital role in influencing youngsters attitudes and choices towards physical activity and sport (White, 1998). Therefore, predictions can be drawn that parental task orientated climates will predict athletes task orientation whereas parental ego orientated climates will predict athletes ego orientation. Need concluding para with summary of aims and hypothesise (if appropriate)

Rip Van Winkle and its Impact on Society :: Rip Van Winkle Essays

Rip Van Winkle and its Impact on Society Events, no matter how small can change a society, a culture, and an outlook in the blink of an eye. Whether it is in a war, a speech, a gesture, or even a novel. Washington Irving made an incredible impact from his short story "Rip Van Winkle", drawing the events surrounding him to form a simple story with deep meaning. To bring to a pinpoint, the story shaped the American culture as the American culture shaped the story. Washington should not be able to take full credit for his story. Rip Van Winkle originated from the Dutch folklores. The story was found in the house of Diedrich Knickerbocker. Although there was some speculation on the accuracy of the tale, historians agree that the story is "now admitted into all Historical collections as a book of unquestionable authority" (Irving, 1353). Knickerbocker claims that he actually talked to Winkle himself and concluded that Rip was in sound mind and that "the story therefore, is beyond the possibility of doubt" (1353). The Catskills are a parallel to the story. Filled with Indian folklores, the Catskills are believed to posses a Manitou or spirit that will take the form of the flesh of human or animal form that would strive to rid the area of bad or mischievous elements or people. Combing the Dutch folklore, the Indian tales, and the idea of using short simple stories to make a point, Washington created a whole new dimension of literature. The British culture concluded that his story had become the new "American" literature. Washington analysis of the relationship between the British and the colonists caused a minor stir among people. First, it was unconventional to even mention the revolution since it was such a touchy subject. Secondly, Washington made quite a statement with his notion that the British rule acted selfishly and oppressive, in turn, portrayed America as the hero. From this folklore, others have grown from it. Some believe that Rip in fact did not fall asleep, but took adventurous journeys in foreign lands with strange people. Art and child-like fantasies have been the median to which the stories have been communicated.

Effect of Unethical Behavior Article Analysis

The unethical practices & behavior in today’s business accounting often goes unchecked, because the actions directly affect management or executives, since they usually control this accounting hence the results. If someone thinks their job might be in jeopardy they may falsify thinks for these members of management. As it seems obvious, falsifying or altering business documents such as sales receipts, or tampering with reports would be considered unethical practices. According to Anonymous Employee (n. d. , â€Å"Among the most common unethical business behaviors of employees are making long-distance calls on business lines, duplicating software for use at home, falsifying the number of hours worked, or much more serious and illegal practices, such as embezzling money from the business, or falsifying business records. † (para. 1). Among those situational exampleswhich include embezzlement of funds by an accountant from their employers for financial gain also include accountants receiving corporate pressure from their client to report false information and having unrealistic objectives and deadlines. An accountant may decide to work for a company even though a conflict of interest may exist. If the accountant is owed money or has a significant stake in a firm, he or she may not be the ideal individual to prepare certain companies' financial statements. † (Jacobsen, 2008, para. 10). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is legislation enacted for the protection from the unethical behaviors. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act puts rules in place to hold executives accountable for the accuracy of their organization’s financial statements. The rules that are put in place achieve harsher punishments and criminal penalties for non-compliance. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act does its best to ensure financial statements be true and correct. â€Å"Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that publicly traded companies disclose their code of ethics for senior financial officers. The Act was designed to promote honest and ethical conduct; full and accurate disclosure in periodic reports; and compliance with applicable government rules and regulations. † (Jacobsen, 2008, para. 10). Does the Sarbanes-Oxley Act completely guarantee ethically correct financial statements each and every time? References Jacobsen, R. (2008, January). Unethical Behavior In The Workplace. EzineArticles, (), . Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Unethical-Behavior-In-The-Workplace;id=954264 Anonymous Employee.(n.d.).Unethical behavior in the workplace. Retrieved from http://www.anonymousemployee.com/csssite/sidelinks/unethical_behavior.php

Traditionl Healers in Latin America

Introduction Traditional healers also known as curanderismo are important part of Latin American culture, society and a way of life. Traditional healers have been a part of Latin American culture for thousands of years and even today are considered as important as the traditional health care professionals (Avila, 1999). The services of these healers are used extensively and they are well respected and admired members of the community. Not anyone can be a healer and in order to become one a special talent and extensive training is needed (Avila, 1999).The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of traditional healers in Latin American culture and to discuss what economic, social and religious reasons traditional healers are still so popular in this day and age in Latin America. Who Can Be a Traditional Healer? One of the most interesting aspects of the traditional healers in Latin America is that no everyone can be one. This is a striking contrast with traditional medical profess ionals where calling has become something secondary and where more people than not go into the medical field not because of genuine desire to help but because it pays well.The story is completely different for the traditional healers as the next generation is carefully hand-picked based on what is called â€Å"el don† or a gift (Avila, 1999). This gift cannot be acquired or trained, a person either has it or not. Having gift is not enough though as a new apprentice has to train for a very long time under the practicing traditional healer in order to learn the mastery and the craft of healing (Trotter & Chavira, 1997). Another interesting distinction between what Latin American traditional healers and regular health care professionals is the core philosophy that underlines their work.Traditional medicine focuses on symptoms and causes, while for the traditional healer the most important core of any problem is spiritual one, as the illness is the essentially an imbalance that h as to be corrected (Trotter & Chavira, 1997). Healers are also very in tune with nature and as it will be discussed below they rely a lot of natural remedies and so on (Avila, 1999). Spirituality and religion go hand in hand because as it was mentioned above healing powers are considered the unique gift one has received from some higher entity and thus religion plays very important role in the work of traditional healers.What Exactly Do Traditional Healers Do? Remarkably just like any health care professionals, traditional healers in Latin America also have their own specializations and areas of practice. While some have very narrow and specific areas, such are herbalists or midwives for example; others often have been trained in various specialties and can provide the â€Å"full package care† (Trotter & Chavira, 1997). Regardless of the specialty every traditional healer always considers the illness as a complex manifestation of problems in physical, emotional and spiritual planes.Traditional healers use variety of means in their practices. They prepare various mixtures, lotions, potions, oils and other substances for consumptions or for external use. But the substances are only the part of the practice. There are many rituals, offerings and prayers that constitute healing practices. The rituals could be very elaborate and include other objects and things such as for example birds’ eggs, or water or fire. All these things are believed to be important components in the healing process and are more often than not part of the ritual.Healers often give their clients various amulets to protect or to heal them including bracelets, necklaces and other objects. Many herbal and plant matters are used including very common veggies, spices and fruits like papaya, potatoes, garlic, cumin, mint and others (Davidow, 1999). Finally traditional healers employ many psychological means as they are often keen observers and student of human nature (Trotter & Chavir a, 1997). Many healers admit that the use of rituals is done for the patients’ sake as it aids in healing process.Remarkably there is a scientific support to this notion as the â€Å"placebo effect† indicates that something with strong suggestive power can deliver desired results. Economic, Religious, and Social Explanation For the Use of Traditional Healers in Latin America There are numerous reasons why traditional healers are so widespread and commonly used in Latin America. One reason is purely economic as traditional healers are the only medical care many families could afford (Trotter & Chavira, 1997). Traditional healers in general do not take any money from their clients and definitely do not take anything from very poor clients.They could accept offerings for their service but it is done on case to case basis. So for that reason the most important economic reason why healers are used is because their services are free. Another reason why healers are so popular is religious. As it was described above in order to be a healer one has to have a gift from the high spiritual power (Trotter & Chavira, 1997). Healers often offer some sort of a mix of religious, spiritual and physical practices that resonate with the Latin American community that has this mix also present.Latin American culture is both spiritual and religious and this is exactly what healers do offer. The religious/spiritual aspect of healing process is something that is strikingly different from traditional medicine and this is why healers are so popular. They often use religious objects in practices and the healing process including icons, crucifixes and so on. Finally there is a social explanation for why traditional healers are so often used even today. Healers have been traditionally not just a part of community but very well respected and admired members of community.Latin American culture is well known for its strong cultural ties and strong community sense (Trotter & Chav ira, 1997). Hence in case of illness or any other malady the first reaction is to go to the community member, a traditional healer than to go the hospital which many could not afford anyway. Healers also offer social and spiritual support and often even counseling, thus making it even more likely for a person to seek their help. As it was discussed above, economic, religious and social reasons for using traditional healers are very strong and more often than not they operate in conjunction even further supporting each other.For example, when a person has no money, he is less likely to go to a hospital. A healer could also play into person’s religiosity and sense of community, so all this factors together make a traditional healer more popular than any local hospital. Conclusion Traditional healers have been and most likely will be in the foreseeable future a very important part of Latin American culture and way of life. Traditional healers operate within community and are imp ortant and well-respected members of the community.They are often the last resort for poor segments of population, and the complex interactions of social, religious and economic factors often make them more attractive and popular than local hospitals. Traditional healers often have specific specializations such as herbalists or midwives, but many have numerous specializations. Not anyone can be a healer as it requires a gift and extensive training. Traditional healers offer a variety of services including physical treatment, various remedies and amulets and spiritual and psychological counseling.Spirituality is important part of practice and is one component which makes healers so popular. Traditional healers’ approach differs significantly from traditional medicine approach because it is more multileveled and holistic. Healers in a sense try to address the issues on both physical and spiritual levels, while the traditional medicine often focuses on physical symptoms and defi nitely less on spiritual aspects of illness. Healers are of course often frown upon by the medical community and called â€Å"quack doctors† because they do not have formal training and education.Yet Latin American communities still use their services extensively and remarkably even immigrant communities like Mexicans in the US for example, still use traditional healers. Recent estimates demonstrated that as many as 75% of Latin Americans living in Texas used traditional healers in one way or the other to either completely or partially deal with their illnesses or ailments (Tafur, 2009). This trend is very unlikely to change any time soon, after all traditional healers have been a part of Latin American culture for thousands of years. References:Avila E (1999). Woman Who Glows in the Dark: A Curandera Reveals Traditional Aztec Secrets of Physical and Spiritual Health. New York: Penguin Putnam. Davidow J (1999). Infusions of Healing: A Treasury of Mexican-American Herbal Remed ies. New York: Simon & Schuster. Tafur, M. M. , Crowe, T. K. , & Torres, E. (2009). A review of curanderismo and healing practices among Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Occupational Therapy International, 16(1), 82-88. Trotter, R. T. , & Chavira, J. A. (1997). Curanderismo: Mexican American Folk Healing. University of Georgia Press.

Free Essays on Truth In Advertising

When actually putting forth attention to watch a commercial, a viewer wants to be told the truth. No one wants to be lied to or dragged around in circles of what product makes someone â€Å"look prettier† than the next consumer. Commercials, or advertisements in general, are supposed to inform a consumer of what positive things the product can bring to a person’s life. The purpose of a commercial is for companies to get their products out on the market for consumers to take notice of, not to persuade someone into thinking that product will make you better looking, more popular, or a superior person altogether. However, that is what commercials have turned into. Slim Fast, for example, is a widely known product. The purpose of it is to lose weight. Slim Fast targets â€Å"overweight† people, or more importantly, people who think they are overweight. Their gimmick is, â€Å"If you drink a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, then eat a sensible dinner,† consumers will lose weight fast and with virtually no problems. The people in their commercials proclaim, â€Å"Before I used Slim Fast I was fat.† The word fat has negative connotations, especially in our country where everyone should look like a beautiful model. When seeing this commercial, people think, â€Å"I would do anything not to be fat.† This is one example of Name Calling as a propaganda technique. Another technique used to trick people into buying products is Card Stacking, which is also used in Slim Fast commercials. The people in their ads are glad to tell say, â€Å"After trying everything else, Slim Fast is the only thing that worked.† They exclaim that Slim Fast is full of vitamins and minerals. This leads someone to believe they can lose weight fast and still be healthy in the process, when Slim Fast hardly has the proper amount of vitamins and minerals needed for everyday life. One last example of a propaganda techniques used in Slim Fast commercials is Plain Folk... Free Essays on Truth In Advertising Free Essays on Truth In Advertising When actually putting forth attention to watch a commercial, a viewer wants to be told the truth. No one wants to be lied to or dragged around in circles of what product makes someone â€Å"look prettier† than the next consumer. Commercials, or advertisements in general, are supposed to inform a consumer of what positive things the product can bring to a person’s life. The purpose of a commercial is for companies to get their products out on the market for consumers to take notice of, not to persuade someone into thinking that product will make you better looking, more popular, or a superior person altogether. However, that is what commercials have turned into. Slim Fast, for example, is a widely known product. The purpose of it is to lose weight. Slim Fast targets â€Å"overweight† people, or more importantly, people who think they are overweight. Their gimmick is, â€Å"If you drink a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, then eat a sensible dinner,† consumers will lose weight fast and with virtually no problems. The people in their commercials proclaim, â€Å"Before I used Slim Fast I was fat.† The word fat has negative connotations, especially in our country where everyone should look like a beautiful model. When seeing this commercial, people think, â€Å"I would do anything not to be fat.† This is one example of Name Calling as a propaganda technique. Another technique used to trick people into buying products is Card Stacking, which is also used in Slim Fast commercials. The people in their ads are glad to tell say, â€Å"After trying everything else, Slim Fast is the only thing that worked.† They exclaim that Slim Fast is full of vitamins and minerals. This leads someone to believe they can lose weight fast and still be healthy in the process, when Slim Fast hardly has the proper amount of vitamins and minerals needed for everyday life. One last example of a propaganda techniques used in Slim Fast commercials is Plain Folk...

Alvarez Surname Meaning and Origin

Alvarez Surname Meaning and Origin Alvarez is a patronymic (derived from the name of the father) surname meaning son of Alvaro and is thought to have originated with the Visigoths. The Visigoths were 5th-century German warriors who participated in the eventual fragmentation and collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and one of two main branches of the East Germanic tribe known as Goths. According to the Instituto Genealà ³gico e Histà ³rico Latino-Americano, the surname Alvarez originated in Spain, primarily from the regions of Andalucà ­a, Aragà ³n, Asturias, Galicia, Leà ³n, and Navarra. Alvarez Surname: Fast Facts Alvarez is the 26th most common Hispanic surname.Surname Origin:  SpanishAlternate Surname Spellings:  Albarez, Alvaroz, Alviriz, Alvares, Albaroiz Famous People with the Surname Alvarez Carlos Alvarez- Spanish opera singerLuis Walter Alvarez- American experimental physicist, Nobel Prize winner in PhysicsLuis Fernndez lvarez- Spanish American doctor and researcher; grandfather of Luis Walter AlvarezPedro Alvarez- Dominican American MLB baseball playerJosà © lvarez Cubero- Spanish sculptorJorge Montt lvarez- Chilean Admiral and former President of ChileGregorio lvarez- Argentine historian, physician, and writer;  the Alvarezsaurus dinosaur was named for him. Where Do People With the Alvarez Surname Live? The surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Alvarez as the 212th most common surname in the world, identifying it as most prevalent in Mexico and with the highest density in Cuba. The Alvarez surname is the 10th most common surname in Cuba, 11th in Argentina, and 16th in Spain. Within Spain, Alvarez is found most commonly in the northwestern regions of Asturias, followed by Galicia and Castille Y Leà ³n,  according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler. Is There an Alvarez Coat of Arms? Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as an Alvarez family crest or coat of arms.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   Resources for Exploring the Alvarez Surname ALVAREZ Family Genealogy Forum- Search this popular genealogy forum for the Alvarez surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Alvarez query.FamilySearch: ALVAREZ Genealogy- Access over 2.7 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Alvarez surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.ALVAREZ Surname Family Mailing Lists- This free mailing list for researchers of the Alvarez surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages.DistantCousin.com- ALVAREZ Genealogy Family History- Explore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Alvarez.The Alvarez Genealogy and Family Tree Page- Browse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Alvarez from the website of Genealogy Today. Genealogy and Resources for Spanish Surnames Have you ever wondered about your Spanish last name  and how it came to be? The 100 Most Common Spanish Surnames have unique naming patterns and origins. When researching  your Hispanic heritage, its best to start with the basics such as family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. Sources Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. ï » ¿Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Amino Acid Quantitative Analysis

Amino Acid Quantitative Analysis N.Koen Introduction Amino acids give the basic building blocks of forming a protein and play an essential role in the energy metabolism, neurotransmission, and lipid transport. Their quantitative analysis is important for various uses, including disease diagnostics and in elucidating nutritional influences on physiology (Fromm & Hargrove, 2012). Amino acid levels in the body fluids are used to diagnose metabolic deficiencies. Deprived or excessive levels of amino acids can show different defects of deficiencies (Lanpher, 2006). Preparation requirements and sample clean-up make the procedure a slow procedure. While some protocols may provide adequate chromatographic methods and derivatization procedures, that makes it more sufficient and quicker. Leucine is an essential amino acid, which means that it cannot be manufactured in the body. It is also well represented in all the proteins in the body. In vivo leucine kinetics presents a theoretically valid index of protein turnover. C onsequently, isotopically labelled (2H, 3H, 13C, 14C or 15N) leucine is most commonly used for the study of protein metabolism in humans and animals (Fromm & Hargrove, 2012). Literature review Amino acid involvement 1. Amino acid analysis Leucine is an amino acid which is usually obtained by hydrolysis of most common proteins. It was among the first of amino acids to be discovered in 1819 in muscle fibre and wool (Bauman, et al., 1992). Leucine is present in large proportions in haemoglobin. This amino acid is also known for preventing the breakdown of muscle proteins caused by injury or stress (Lanpher, 2006). In addition, Leucine may be beneficial for people suffering from phenylketonuria. Leucine is an essential amino acid, so your body cannot produce it naturally but can only obtain it from food, including protein-rich animal food like fish, chicken, beef, also dairy and eggs. Leucine is classified as a hydrophobic amino acid due to its aliphatic isobutyl side chain. It is encod ed by six codons (UUA, UUG, CUU, CUC, CUA, and CUG) and is a major component of the subunits in ferritin, astacin and other ‘buffer’ proteins. 2. Inborn errors of the metabolism Branched-chain organic acidurias are inborn errors of the metabolism involving the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine and valine. These diseases usually involve neurological symptoms. They are treatable with strictly controlled diets and enhancement of detoxification of toxic intermediate metabolites. Detoxification is enhanced through supplementation of glycine, carnitine, biotin and other vitamins where applicable. The most common branched-chain organic acidurias are maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (MCC), propionic aciduria (PCC), methylmalonic aciduria (MMA) and isovaleric aciduria (IVA) deficiency (Heidelberg, 2012). Leucine is involved in a few inborn errors of the metabolism, from which maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is one of the ma in mentioned. MSUD is caused by a deficiency in the branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex. (Lanpher, 2006) Ketoacidosis, neurological disorders, and developmental disturbance can all be induced by the accumulations of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and branched-chain alpha-keto-acids (BCKAs) in patients with MSUD. According to clinical investigations on MSUD patients, leucine levels over 400ÃŽ ¼mol/L apparently can cause any clinical problem derived from impaired function of the central nervous system. Damage to neuronal cells found in MSUD patients are presumably because of higher concentrations of both blood BCAAs or BCKAs, especially alpha-keto-isocapronic acids. These clinical data from MSUD patients provide a valuable basis on understanding leucine toxicity in the normal subject. (Fromm & Hargrove, 2012)

Business Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Assignment 2 - Essay Example s  better, for in human society.† Management today is not just restricted to human resource but is now divided into various segments like management of finances, strategic management, operations management, time management, marketing management and crises management. (Finkelman, 2006). There are various functions of management that includes planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting. It is through these functions that complete and successful management can be done in an effective and efficient manner. (Finkelman, 2006). There are three different role of management or a manager that are interpersonal roles, informational roles and decisional roles. (Covey, 1992). Interpersonal roles includes role of a figurehead, leader and liaison. Informational manager’s role is of monitoring, disseminator and as a spokesperson. Decisional roles include entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator (Mintzberg, 1973). In general, there are two approaches to management, the industrial organization approach and the sociological approach. (Covey, 1992). Industrial organization approach deals with economic theory focusing on competitive rivalry, resource allocation and economies of scale. (Finkelman, 2006). Sociological approach deals with human interaction assuming rationality, satisfying behavior and profit sub-optimality. Thus a good management style is a mixture of efficiency and effectiveness without which the desired result can not be reached. (Bush, 2003). A leader  is a person who guides others toward a common goal, showing the way by example, and creating an environment in which other team members feel actively involved in the entire process. A leader is not the boss of the team but a person that is focused to carrying out the mission of the organization. (Bush, 2003). Therefore leadership is the process by which an individual influences others to achieve a common goal and creating an environment in which

Definition of family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Definition of family - Essay Example This essay discusses that there prevailed among the American whites a form of monogamy easily terminable on both sides, which was called the â€Å"pairing family.† The issue of the married pair was known to everybody knew and identified by everyone: there was without a doubt who was to be referred to as father, mother, daughter, son, sister or a brother. However, these names were in fact used rather in a different way. The man not only referred to his own young ones as his daughters and sons but also the kids of his brothers, and they referred to him as the father. The kids of his sisters, on the other hand, he referred to them as his nephews and nieces, and they referred to him as their uncle. In the modern world, it is very hard to define family. This is so because parents nowadays have little influence on their children. Children are mostly influenced by their peers and also by the media. Children are influenced negatively by whatever they learn on the television and on the internet. Parents have also delegated the duty of molding their children to teachers. It becomes very hard for a teacher having several pupils to monitor and tutor each and every pupil closely. Parents spend most of their time working. This means there is no or less family time. There has also been a case of neglect of children by parents leading to the suffering of children. This has led to children being sent to foster homes. Hence it can be concluded that family is anyone who gives you a sense of belonging, care, love, and protection.

Company Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Company - Coursework Example The report has also examined little management accounting techniques. Finally, the report has attempted to evaluate some current techniques that are appropriate for strategic management accounting. The report is generally to be used within Spacenet.inc; a well-established ICT firm based in Brussels. The board of associations and the management depend on financial reports to be able to cognize the economic situation of the board and to help the whole team in the process of decision making. For the purposes of improving the usefulness of financial information in the perspective of the decision making process, financial statements should be analyzed (Young, 2003). In that perspective, financial statement analysis can be described as the process where data is converted from financial statements into meaningful information for the organization quality evaluation by use of diverse analytical methods, which is very essential in the entire process of rational management. The function of financial report analysis is to identify good characters of Spacenet.inc so that the management can apply most beneficial characteristics. At the same time such reports also help an organization to recognize its weaknesses and take the necessary actions. A good financial strategy should consider both strength and weaknesses of the company. The use of internal financial statement prepared for top management provides the information they require in monitoring the organization’s operation and aid in decision making. Published reports rely on internal financial reports to inform investors, lenders and suppliers about the firm’s financial position. One limitation of both internal and published financial report in decision making is that the data given is based on the market at that particular time (Young, 2003). Subject to the nature of the market, change may be observed very quickly, so top managers are not supposed to assume that figures as per the last reports will be stagnant

The essence of history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The essence of history - Essay Example Although others have criticized historians for basing their work on hearsay, in a society that expects the purposes of education to serve the general public, the aims and objectives of history can seem a bit cumbersome to define compared to other disciplines such as medicine and psychology. The subject is therefore very useful, although the historical study products are not tangible and in effect not very immediate as opposed to others such as medicine. Significance of History History is known to offer rich source of information in regard to how individuals and the society in general behave. It is very challenging to understand how people and societies operate, though numerous disciplines attempts to do so. Any efforts in knowing what transpires in the society can be hampered by relying only on current data. For instance, it is not easy to evaluate war if a nation is enjoying relative calm and peace. In order to do so, the only way possible is through digging deep into historical dat a. It is not possible to understand our geniuses such as Aristotle, the development and impact of technology as well as the role played by beliefs in determining the course of societal life (Evans, 23), Man therefore must make use of the past experiences to fully understand his environment. As evident, both social and physical scientists have tried to come up with theories to explain the behavior of human persons, but as matters stand, even the recourses needed for such studies largely depend on historical information, except for a few cases where artificial cases involving experiments can be instituted to determine the action of individuals. The main aspects of the operations in the society, namely military incursions, activities of missionaries and others cannot be instituted as laboratory experiments. However history, though riddled with imperfection must serve as the critical laboratory, thus information from the past forms the basis of the significant evidence in the quest to e xplain the many concepts. This is one of the fundamental reasons why man cannot assume the role of history as it provides the most extensive evidential parameter for the analysis and contemplation of functioning of the society. The position of history in the society cannot be underemphasized follows on the already stated significance. It is in order to note that the past determines the present and as well the future. For example, in pursuit of knowledge to get equipped with what happened a century ago, what matters first is to carefully look for what prevailed during the period. At times recent historical developments may come to the fore to offer explanations in relation to some remarkable developments, but above all, it is important to look further in the historical aspects to comprehensively identify what really transpired. It is only through historical studies that man can have substantial knowledge of the changing world, thus the full understanding of societal elements. The sig nificance of history in understanding and explaining the occurrence of change in relation to human behavior cannot be underestimated. For example, alcoholism as a human phenomenon has been a subject of discussion and research. Biological experiments have attempted to identify specific genes that are believed to cause an inclination toward addiction to alcohol in some people. Although it is a laudable scientific advance, as a social reality,

Nursing research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nursing - Research Paper Example The city of California made evaluations based on its public policies and formulated a strategic goal aimed at improving the economic condition of the city. The timeline for the strategy included the period between 2002 and 2007. The most evident goals of the city’s public policies included efforts of improving the overall services offered to the community, attracting more businesses to Irvine and improving revenue collection for the city. This is a case study analysis on the feasibility test study on the establishment of an electricity utility project in the city of Irvine. The case study involves the identification of the issue at relating to the distribution of electricity around Irvine, making assessment on the initial recommendations and finally making suggestions on alternative policies on the establishment of an electricity utility project in Irvine. Problem/Issue Statement The city of Irvine is searching for the best policy option that will ensure that residents access reliable and cost effective electricity utility (Forsyth, 2005). There are two available policies including private and public power. Private power involves the continuation of the provision of electricity by SCE that will include the expansion of electricity supply from the other areas of California to the ‘study areas.’ Under the policy, the project has no timeline but remains to be a continuation of the supply of electricity by SCE. The policy is based on the experience of SCE in supplying California City with electricity. Public power will involve establishing of a municipal electricity utility in a timeline of 20 years and will only concentrate on the ‘study areas’ only. There is need to adopt a policy that will ensure customers get reliable electricity utility at effective costs. The policy is based on the assumption that the city will collect a lot of revenue from the project. Stakeholders City of Irvine The city if Irvine plays a significant role in the formulation of public policies concerning the establishment of the municipal electricity utility project. The city of Irvine is in California and not all its parts have electricity. This has necessitated the municipality within the city to start a project that would ensure that businesses and residents have adequate supply of electricity at their disposal. The city of Irvine had various interests that applied across all the other stakeholders. However, not all the interests of the city applied to all the other stakeholders. As noted earlier all the stakeholders reached an agreement to establish the municipal electricity utility project. The city has developed strategic business goals that influence the interests of the city in the project. According to the public policy statement prepared by the city, the main interests of the city in the project include the provision of the highest services in the city in terms of costs. The city aims at providing electric utility at cost effe ctive rates. The cit also aims at increasing its revenue base because it is expecting to collect a lot of money in terms of electricity utility revenue. This will ensure that the city has a strong revenue base that will enable it to run its operations effectively and efficiently. The city has developed a public policy based on public power that will see the community owning majority of the electricity utilities. The concept of pursuing a public power policy is supported by the fact that the United States has a large number of electricity utilities owned by the community or the public. This city’s public policy notes that â€Å"There are over 2,000 community-owned or public electric utilities in the United States, including 39 in California, which provide 25% of electric requirements in the State. Fifty percent of these US utilities are comparable by number of customers and 83% by revenues to the City’s proposed utility† (Demirkan, 2011). The main reason for the city to pursue the public power poli

Company Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Company - Coursework Example The report has also examined little management accounting techniques. Finally, the report has attempted to evaluate some current techniques that are appropriate for strategic management accounting. The report is generally to be used within Spacenet.inc; a well-established ICT firm based in Brussels. The board of associations and the management depend on financial reports to be able to cognize the economic situation of the board and to help the whole team in the process of decision making. For the purposes of improving the usefulness of financial information in the perspective of the decision making process, financial statements should be analyzed (Young, 2003). In that perspective, financial statement analysis can be described as the process where data is converted from financial statements into meaningful information for the organization quality evaluation by use of diverse analytical methods, which is very essential in the entire process of rational management. The function of financial report analysis is to identify good characters of Spacenet.inc so that the management can apply most beneficial characteristics. At the same time such reports also help an organization to recognize its weaknesses and take the necessary actions. A good financial strategy should consider both strength and weaknesses of the company. The use of internal financial statement prepared for top management provides the information they require in monitoring the organization’s operation and aid in decision making. Published reports rely on internal financial reports to inform investors, lenders and suppliers about the firm’s financial position. One limitation of both internal and published financial report in decision making is that the data given is based on the market at that particular time (Young, 2003). Subject to the nature of the market, change may be observed very quickly, so top managers are not supposed to assume that figures as per the last reports will be stagnant

Nursing research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nursing - Research Paper Example The city of California made evaluations based on its public policies and formulated a strategic goal aimed at improving the economic condition of the city. The timeline for the strategy included the period between 2002 and 2007. The most evident goals of the city’s public policies included efforts of improving the overall services offered to the community, attracting more businesses to Irvine and improving revenue collection for the city. This is a case study analysis on the feasibility test study on the establishment of an electricity utility project in the city of Irvine. The case study involves the identification of the issue at relating to the distribution of electricity around Irvine, making assessment on the initial recommendations and finally making suggestions on alternative policies on the establishment of an electricity utility project in Irvine. Problem/Issue Statement The city of Irvine is searching for the best policy option that will ensure that residents access reliable and cost effective electricity utility (Forsyth, 2005). There are two available policies including private and public power. Private power involves the continuation of the provision of electricity by SCE that will include the expansion of electricity supply from the other areas of California to the ‘study areas.’ Under the policy, the project has no timeline but remains to be a continuation of the supply of electricity by SCE. The policy is based on the experience of SCE in supplying California City with electricity. Public power will involve establishing of a municipal electricity utility in a timeline of 20 years and will only concentrate on the ‘study areas’ only. There is need to adopt a policy that will ensure customers get reliable electricity utility at effective costs. The policy is based on the assumption that the city will collect a lot of revenue from the project. Stakeholders City of Irvine The city if Irvine plays a significant role in the formulation of public policies concerning the establishment of the municipal electricity utility project. The city of Irvine is in California and not all its parts have electricity. This has necessitated the municipality within the city to start a project that would ensure that businesses and residents have adequate supply of electricity at their disposal. The city of Irvine had various interests that applied across all the other stakeholders. However, not all the interests of the city applied to all the other stakeholders. As noted earlier all the stakeholders reached an agreement to establish the municipal electricity utility project. The city has developed strategic business goals that influence the interests of the city in the project. According to the public policy statement prepared by the city, the main interests of the city in the project include the provision of the highest services in the city in terms of costs. The city aims at providing electric utility at cost effe ctive rates. The cit also aims at increasing its revenue base because it is expecting to collect a lot of money in terms of electricity utility revenue. This will ensure that the city has a strong revenue base that will enable it to run its operations effectively and efficiently. The city has developed a public policy based on public power that will see the community owning majority of the electricity utilities. The concept of pursuing a public power policy is supported by the fact that the United States has a large number of electricity utilities owned by the community or the public. This city’s public policy notes that â€Å"There are over 2,000 community-owned or public electric utilities in the United States, including 39 in California, which provide 25% of electric requirements in the State. Fifty percent of these US utilities are comparable by number of customers and 83% by revenues to the City’s proposed utility† (Demirkan, 2011). The main reason for the city to pursue the public power poli

Participant roles and purposes Essay Example for Free

Participant roles and purposes Essay In talking about social situations and participants, Goffman suggests that situations move forward in accomplishing Ð ° goal or purpose because the participants come to Ð ° working consensus about the nature of the situation: Together the participants contribute to Ð ° single overall definition of the situation which involves not so much Ð ° real agreement as to what exists but rather Ð ° real agreement as to whose claims concerning what issues will be temporarily honored (1959: 9-1o). The working consensus of most teacher-student meetings is realized through the expectations and obligations of the role of teacher and student. These roles have mirroring expectations (the actions others can insist we perform) and obligations (the actions we can insist others perform) (Goffman 1967: 126). For example, the obligations of the student roleto read, to take exams, to attend classesare expectations of the teacher role. The expectations of the student roleto receive information, to be given fair exams, to be graded on the basis of meritare the obligations of the professor role. Thus these roles become interdependent; the expectations and obligations are complementary and in service to each other. In their interviews, both the Professor and the Student focus on the expectations and obligations of their respective roles as teacher and student, They both articulated the role of the Student as checking on an assignment (getting information) and making sure the Student had Ð ° clear understanding of the Professors expectations (giving information). The Professor: My view of the meeting was that І was there to answer [the Students] questions, not that І was there to tell him anything. І think thats why І started the meeting by looking expectantly at him. The Student explained his purpose: My purpose was to make sure І understood the assignment correctly and was going in the right direction. The paper was supposed to be handed in during class, and І held it back because І wanted her to check it first. If she approved, then fine, І would hand it in. І knew the ASL would be hard to understand, so І wanted to ask if І should go ahead with the ASL story or follow the English interpretation. When asked if they thought the meeting was successful, that expectations and obligations were met, both responded affirmatively. They explain in their own words. The Professor: The meeting was successful. Nobody yelled at anybody. [The Student] came to get information and he got it. The laughter, І think the laughter is my signal that everything is going well. І felt [the Student] knew what he was supposed to do. The Student: She read my story and seemed satisfied with it. І knew she wanted me to improve it and bring it back with thirty copies. Yes, the meeting was successful. Although the Professor comments on the interactional success, nobody yelled at anybody as well, both speakers are attentive to the primary purpose, and their ensuing obligations, of Ð ° teacher-student meeting. As the next chapter demonstrates, many of the Professors and the Students motivations for speaking or taking Ð ° turn center on their expectations or obligations of their social roles, their roles define their purpose for meeting and constitute how they will interact and how their meanings are represented in talk. The Interpreters role is to interpret. In general, the role of an interpreter is to make possible communication between people who do not speak the same language. The Interpreter defined his role, what he says it always is, as working to have effective communication, for people to communicate. However, when asked if he thought the meeting went well, he offered Ð ° perspective that was not centered on whether or not the participants had effective communication: Yes, because І think [the Students] goals were achieved, in getting some ideas across and talking about some issues. That he understood where she was coming from and she understood where he was coming from Although this response is vague and unfortunately not further clarified; there are some indications as to what the Interpreter is referring. When the Interpreter mentions [the Students] goals were achieved, it appears that the Interpreter assumes goals other than getting an assignment reviewed. He continues by adding getting ideas across and talking about some issues, but the only issue mentioned previously by the Interpreter is connected to people communicating. The Interpreter never mentioned checking the assignment or the Student getting information on how to analyze the narrative, nor did he mention the Professors obligations she might have for meeting with students. Because both primary participants are involved with the study of language and because the study of ASL as Ð ° natural language was still Ð ° relatively new idea, many conversations with linguists who study spoken languages come around to the topic of the differences between Ð ° signed language and Ð ° spoken language. At the time, the status of ASL as Ð ° language in the larger world community was not firmly established, nor was the status of Deaf persons as member’s of Ð ° linguistic and ethnic minority. That these issues particularly affect interpreters can be demonstrated by reading newsletters and journals published at the time in the interpreting field, as well as by attendance at meetings and conferences. These debates and discussions are often referred to with phrases such as getting ideas across and talking about issues, so І can suggest the possibility that the interpreter is referring to these potentially explosive arguments about the acceptance of American Sign Language as Ð ° natural language. Fortunately, this is not an issue with the Professor, as the Interpreter acknowledges: Shes obviously educated [about Deaf people] in that shes familiar with deafness and Deaf people because she explained the outgoing message on the answering machine, things that are very hearing culture and so І think that in some regards she took care of all that. Although he acknowledges that the Professor is familiar with deafness and Deaf people, it is also his focus on her adaptations to the Student that remain primary in his reflection on the interpreted event. The answering machine was Ð ° few seconds of small talk before the more important discussion of the Students narrative and transcript. The Interpreters focus on getting ideas across and taking care of cultural differences reflects what is Ð ° central concern of interpreters in their role, the notions of equality and justice. It seems that the Interpreter feels that it is incumbent on him in his role to create an understanding and Ð ° balance between these speakers moreover, the Interpreter never commented on the discussion around the assignment for either participant. To see how far the Interpreters thinking was from the thinking of the primary participants, here is what the Professor said about the answering machine talk: [І was] trying to be polite and make everyone comfortable, telling him about the answering machine and the knocking at the door and then І realized [there was] no reason to tell him. The Interpreter has attributed the meaning of the talk to the Professors awareness of Deaf people when, in fact, she was focused on the nature of starting to talk and the often necessary small talk that is Ð ° prelude to official business. Because interpreters are primarily concerned with communication, of language and also of cultural nuances, much of an interpreters concern is for differences in language and culture. But speakers themselves are typically concerned with the central task of the meeting, carrying out their obligations and responsibilities necessary to accomplish their goals. We will see in the next chapter that an interpreters role is more than to just translate or just interpret. What the role is and how to manifest that role to others, while appearing neutral or impartial, is not an easy task. If an interpreters role expectations and obligations were as easily defined as the teacher or student role, then there would not be the problems, concerns, and issues that arise around the discussions about an interpreters role.

The Background Of Walmart Marketing Essay

The Background Of Walmart Marketing Essay Introduction International business is where business activities take place in other countries. Business activities include starting a joint venture, shipping, exporting goods and services across national borders. In this essay, I will be selecting Walmart as an international business which had encountered business failure because of the lack of understanding of the national cultural difference in South Korea. Background of Walmart Sam Walton was the founder of Walmart in July 1962 and the first Walmart store was opened in Rogers, Arkansas, offering Lowest Prices Anytime, Anywhere. In 1970s, the company goes national and expands their businesses. In 1980s, the company set up Sams club, attending small businesses and individuals. The first Walmart Supercenter was opened in Washington, Mo., merging merchandise and supermarket to offer one stop shopping convenience. In 1990s, Walmart became the countrys number one retailer and Walmart Supercenter reformulate their multiple services to Every Day Low Prices strategy (Walmart 2012). Walmart.com was founded to offer consumers a seamless shopping experience to shop online, handheld devices or in a store. Today, the company hires 2.2 million associates and have exceeded 10,000 retail stores in 27 countries. In conjunction to that, they also celebrated 50 years of assisting people to save money so they can live better. Problem Identification Walmart goes international to South Korea in 1998. At that point of time, American economy in 1998 had strong domestic economy. The fundamentals of South Korea market were excellent but Asian financial crisis had ruined the exchange value of the Korean won. And as their currency is artificially low and hence, Walmart sees it as an opportunity to expand into Korea. But due to the culture differences and underperforming business in the host country, they had decided to pull out and give up 16 of its South Korea stores to the countrys largest discount store chain, Shinsegae in 2006 after eight years in the market. At the time of withdrawal, Walmart Korea was ranked in the lowest among five major discount store chains in the South Korea (Ramstad 2006). According to the Walmarts spokesman Beth Keck, Walmart Korea earned $787 million of sales in 2005. Following on, they held an interview in Seoul to announce that the company had suffered a loss of $10 million in 2005 (Olsen, 2006). In less than a month, Walmart had become the next western retailer to pull out from South Korea after French retailer Carrefour, sell off its 32 South Korea stores to a local retailer, E.Land Group for $1.8 billion (Choe, 2006). The decision to pull out from Korea is part of its global strategy. Steers and Nardon (2006) stated that global strategy is to focus attention on cost reduction and effectiveness at the cost of local adaption. But as Walmart strive hard on their growth strategy, they still couldnt the reach the stage they desired from the South Koreas market. On May 2006, Walmart joined other reputable firms like Nokia, Nestle and Google under a list of multinational whom had experienced the same outcomes that failed to change the taste of the South Koreas customers (Choe 2006). Causes of the Problem There were many factors that led to the failures of Walmart in South Korea. Walmart failed due to the incapability to identify the shopping patterns of the local consumers and to modify its business model to suit the current culture of the South Koreans. Thus, the profits they earned from stores were very little and despite of large investments, consumers did not choose Walmart as their main shopping destination. Location Preference In South Korea, Walmart had only 16 stores. Just in Seoul, a metropolitan area of 10 million, there is only one single Walmart store. As a result, it couldnt generate enough customer flows as the location is not well located. Therefore, many Koreans have never heard of Walmart. This has resulted in many Koreans shopping at E-Mart, largest discount store chain in South Korea. E-Mart has a total of 79 outlets which are all easily accessible in the centre of the cities. The local retailers, E-Mart, has a more localized approach to suit the local consumers taste and preference. They changed the preference by moving from the open-air market into a well-situated indoors concept in supermarkets. They studied the local consumers preference and focused mainly on food and beverages like local delicacies, seafood as well as their products mix. E- Mart offer low-priced products in smaller quantities and in well-known locations instead of warehouses, having more fresh foods and feature special-in-store events (Coyner 2007). Therefore, most of the South Korean customers do not like the warehouse design of the Walmart. It pulls them off as the tall shelving causes them to use ladders or to stretch for items on higher shelves that were beyond their imagination. They prefer department stores like E-Mart which is clean, neat and have stylish atmosphere. Product expectation The OECD reported that Korea has the highest hours per worker in 2002 (OECD 2004) shown in figure 1. The standard number of hours worked per year in OECD countries is around 1700 and Korea reached 2410 hours per year. Therefore, Koreans work a lot, under huge amount of pressure. Hence, they want every moment when theyre not working or studying to be a luxurious life of living. They have a tendency to choose expensive products and better environment. As a result, Walmart was not very approachable in the host country. Product Mix The South Korean customers might not be interested in the same product categories as the Americans as both of the countries have different consumer preferences based on their cultures differences. Walmart sell dry products, electronics products and garments. Walmarts shoes to sausage product line concept do not go well with the shopping habits of the locals. Freshness of food is very important and in the aspect of the South Koreans and they take it very seriously. They dont mind travelling down to supermarkets or wet markets to buy the fresh food products frequently. Another reason is that they stay at small houses with limited storage and freezing space to store the food, therefore, they have to go for groceries shopping every day. Choe (2006) reported that South Koreans prefer to shop for fresh vegetables and fresh foods rather than buying foreign foods and beverages. In contrast to that, Americans doesnt travel to supermarkets often. They buy products in bulk for longer storage. Therefore, most of the products in Walmart are sold in boxes which do not cater to the Koreans as they prefer smaller packages. A retail analyst Hyundai Securities in Seoul said that Walmart Korea failed to attract customer to the stores (Olsen, 2006). South Koreans are visually-oriented shoppers. They prefer eye catching displays and local retailers were able to present it and grab their attention. Problem Solutions If I am in charge of the Walmarts businesses in Korea, the fundamental aspect to go global is to have an in-depth understanding of what local customers need, want and desire. Some of the business concepts can be easily transferred while others may suit only to particular countries. Walmart go into South Korea sticking to its own culture and sales strategy, ignoring local cultures and buying behaviour and failed to survive in the market at the end (Kottolli 2006). Based on Hofstedes dimensions of culture and Trompenaars cultural dimension, it will be easier to identify the similarities and differences between the Walmarts in United States and South Korea. Therefore, the cultural values are very important in a national culture, it could reflect how the business operate and organise within that country. Hofstedes Dimensions of Culture Figure 2 shows the comparison between South Korea and United States based on the Hofstedes five dimension of culture. They are categorized under Power distance (Power Orientation), Individualism (Social Orientation), Masculinity/ Femininity, Uncertainty avoidance (Uncertainty Orientation) and Long- term orientation (Time Orientation). Power Orientation Power orientation means that the people in the culture hold the power and authority differences in hierarchy levels such as business organisations. There are power respect and power tolerance in the power orientation. Power respect is individuals who have the tendency to accept power based on the position and will respect superiors decision. Power tolerance is those individuals whom often question people in higher authority. Based on the chart shown in Figure 2, under power distance, South Korea scored 60 and United States scored 40. This shows that South Korea is based on a hierarchical society which means that people agree to a hierarchical order based on the position and needs no further explanation. Social Orientation Social orientation reflects a persons beliefs about the relative importance of the individual and the group to which that person belongs (Ajami et al.2006). Under the social orientation there are individualism and collectivism. Individualism refers to the people or countries that look after themselves and their families first. Collectivism refers to people who look after others more than themselves. According to Hodstede (1997), people are integrated into strong cohesion groups which offer protection in exchange for loyalty. Figure 2 shows that South Korea scored 18 and United States scored 91 for the individualism. South Korea is considered a collectivistic society and loyalty in a collectivist culture is importance as it prevails over other rules and regulations. The collectivistic society emphasizes on strong relationship where everybody takes accountability for fellow members of their group. But the disadvantage of the collectivistic society is that wrongdoing will lead to humiliation and loss of face as the employment relationship is perceived in ethical terms (e.g. family connection). Also, hiring or promotion decisions take the employees in- group into account. As for the United States, their employment relationship is perceived via contract. Based on rules and skills, the management will then decide to hire or promote the employees. Uncertainty Orientation Uncertainty orientation refers to the extent to which an individual in the society who feel threatened by uncertain and unknown situations. There are uncertainty acceptance and uncertainty avoidance. People in cultures with uncertainty acceptance have the tendency to be motivated by change and to thrive on new opportunities. On the contrary, people with uncertainty avoidance have the tendency to dislike ambiguity and avoid it. Figure 2 shows that South Korea scored 85 and United States scored 46 under uncertainty avoidance. South Korea is considered to be the most uncertainty avoidance countries in the world and they hold rigid rules based systems. South Korea people feel that there is a need to work hard and have rules and punctuality. As for the United States, they will work hard only when there is a need. Time Orientation Time orientation refers to the people of a culture who adopt a long- term versus a short- term viewpoint on work, life and other issues (Griffin 2011). Figure 2 show that South Korea scored 75 and 29 on the long- term outlook. South Korea has a longer term orientation and people from this society accept the fact that they have to work hard and to have perseverance in order to achieve their goals. As for United States, the Americans will focus on the past and present more rather than the future. Apply Hofstedes theory to Walmart Applying back to Walmart Korea, there is a need to examine the different dimensions of culture based on Hofstedes model shown in Figure 3. South Korea being a collectivistic society, they work hard to achieve their goals and blindly obey the orders of their superiors. Walmart cant simply impart their western culture to the South Korea and to expect them to accept. South Koreans dislike ambiguity and will avoid the changes. Walmart needs to look into the future of the South Koreans living expectation and adopt a different way of approach to keep the customers. They cant just look into the Asian financial crisis and go into South Korea without preparing their business plan for the long term growth in the local market. Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions Another theory that I will apply is using Trompenaars cultural dimensions. Its another alternative to Hofstedes dimensions. Universalism versus Particularism South Korea is more of a Particularistic culture. They believe that circumstances state how ideas should be applied and some things cannot be done the same way as it is. South Korea with high particularism that has legal contract is often amended and they will try to work things out to suit the parties. Likewise for the culture in Walmart Korea, they are under Universalists. They believe that ideas can be applied everywhere without any modifications. Aswathappa (2010) stated that the management under Walmart focus on formal rules and business connections. Specificity versus Diffuseness South Korea is under diffuse countries, which means that their work and private life are closely related. In 1996, Trompenaars observed that the employee turnover rate and the number of invasion in the countries are quite low mainly because of loyalty (Cited in Heidtmann 2011, p. 44). Walmart are based under specific cultures because of its handling by western country. The people are more open and outgoing. Furthermore, their work life and private life are separated so they only share with close friends or associates. Achievement versus Ascription South Korea is considered an ascription- orientated culture. They give certain associates a higher status because of their age, gender and social connection. As for the Walmart in United States, their status is based on their performance and accomplishment. Conclusion To conclude, Walmart needs to plan their operations and strategies before expanding to South Korea. Having a lucrative business in foreign country depends on the market size, culture aspects, current and future wealth of customers. Walmart had their strategic positioning fit in the United States and was able to capture the principles from the customers which helped to boost their profit growth (Kim 2008). But Walmarts attempt to use their business model to the South Korea market leads to failure. As a result, Walmart Every Day Low Prices strategy does not fit in the South Korea country due to the culture differences. In addition to that, Walmart did not come up with an effective localization strategy to indicate how much they are investing and grow in the local market. Therefore, Walmart should apply Hofstede or Trompenaars culture theories to analysis the culture differences first before deciding whether Korea was a strategically key market to go into it global expansion. Word limit: 2363

Nelson on Descartess Theory of Perception and Judgment Essay -- Desca

Nelson on Descartes?s Theory of Perception and Judgment ABSTRACT: One tension in Descartes?s account of human error stems from the idea that we may be faulted for our acts of will, despite the fact that God is our omnipotent and omniscient creator. In the present essay, I describe a second tension in Descartes?s account of human error. After describing the tension, I consider Alan Nelson?s characterization of the means by which Descartes?s intended to relieve it. Although Nelson's interpretation is almost correct, I think that it obscures some of the interesting details of Descartes?s theory of perception and judgment. These details are revealed by the taxonomy of sensory responses that Descartes articulates in the Sixth Set of Replies to the Meditations. I. In the Fourth Meditation, Descartes is confronted with the problem of reconciling his conclusion that God exists and is no deceiver with apparent instances of human error. Described generally, Descartes attempts to square his assertions regarding God, with the fact that humans are subject to error, by claiming that any error made by a human being originates in a free act of will for which God should not be attributed fault. There is, of course, enormous tension between Descartes?s claim that human beings may be faulted for their acts of will, and his claim that God is our omnipotent and omniscient creator. In what respect is it appropriate to regard us as culpable for our acts, assuming that God is antecedently the author of these acts through his creation of the Universe? This is a difficult question to answer. However, even if we set this question aside (as I will), we find that considerable tension remains in Descartes?s account of the etiology of perceptual error. .. ...escartes, Volume II, pp. 295. 21 The same sort of confusion is also described in the last sentence of both principle 70 and 71, in Book One of the Principles. 22 In fact, the categories of the objects of confusion mentioned in principle 46 (perceptions and judgments) are precisely the constituents of the second and third categories of sensory response described in the Sixth Set of Replies. 23 The Philosophical Writings of Descartes, Volume I, pp. 208. References Descartes, Renï ¿ ½: 1985, The Philosophical Writings of Descartes (Vol. 1,2, and 3), Cambridge University Press, New York. Hare, R.M.: 1952, The Language of Morals, Clarendon Press, Oxford. Locke, John: 1975, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Clarendon Press, Oxford. Nelson, Alan: 1997, ?Descartes?s Ontology of Thought?, Topoi 16, 163-178. DESCARTES?S THEORY OF PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT 11

Medieval Europe And The Renaissance :: essays research papers

When I look at the conflicts that medieval European people faced and the conflicts that modern people face, I see a huge difference. Our government, economics, science, mobility, art, literacy and health are very different. Some aspects of religion are different, but not many. The Black Death and feudalism are some major contributions to the medieval times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Black Death is known as a beneficial divider between the central and Middle Ages. The changes are numerous. They include the introduction of gunpowder, importance of cities, economic and demographic crises, and powerful new currents in culture and religion. Overall, the late middle ages were characterized as a period of chaos. The Black Death did not cause the chaos, but the plague definitely contributed towards it, as well as making more problems. The Black Death erupted in the Gobi desert in the late 1320’s. There is no real explanation why. The plague bacillus was alive and active long before that. Europe had suffered from an epidemic in the 6th century. But the disease became relatively dormant in the following centuries. It is said that it was due to the climate beginning to cool in the 14th century. Whatever it was, the outbreak began and spread fast. It mostly went west, but it spread everywhere. The Asian nations suffered greatly as anywhere. In China, the population dropped from 125 million to 90 million. The plague was so widespread; it was said that there was not enough living to bury the dead. Rodents ran the unsanitary streets that carried the fleas that had the disease. This is how the Bubonic Plague was spread. The people believed at the time that the gods were punishing them for things they had done wrong in the past. The Bubonic Plague is transmitted either though an infected rodent (rats, rabbits, etc.) carrying bugs (fleas). It was first thought that the rats themselves transmitted the Bubonic Plague because when people found dead rats in the towns' streets, they would usually flee their civilization in fear of the rodents. But it was observed that people would only get the disease if they came in contact with a rodent or rat that was dead for a short amount of time. The Bubonic Plague is not very common these days, but that is because we live in the United States where our sanitary level is fairly high. But in Africa, Asia, and South America, several people die from it every year.