Given Danziger’s Claims Essay

Given Danziger’s claims about ‘methodomorphic theories’ and given what you know of quantitative and qualitative research methods and psychology in general, what do you think would be the obstacles to attempt to break free of the ‘methodological circle’? Research methods in modern psychology offer a variety of methodological options for researchers to utilise. However, there are issues associated with all methods. This essay will examine problems associated with the ‘methodological cycle’, such as the monopolisation of statistical methods in social sciences. These ‘issues’ continue to be common practice in psychological research and present obstacles to moving towards a less rigid, constrained method of working. This will be followed by exploring approaches that move forward, towards a more fluid and inclusive method of empirical psychology, such as Theoretical Sampling in Grounded Theory and Relational metatheory. Danziger coined the term ‘methodological circle’, asserting that many psychological researchers adopt methods based on certain assumptions about the subject matter, which in turn â€Å"only produce observations which must confirm these assumptions† (Danziger, 1998, p 1). These assumptions continue to be common practice in current psychological research, and pose as a barrier to moving away from the ‘methodological circle’. Psychology as Pure Science Kuhn (1962) described â€Å"ordinary science† as involving discussion of problematic truth claims and is carried out within the context of implicitly shared metatheoretical frameworks; on the other hand â€Å"paradigms† involve discussion that challenges these metatheoretical frameworks themselves. Psychology operates within both of these frameworks. ‘Ordinary science’, also known as Scientism, involves uncritically accepting that science is both highly distinct from, and superior to, ‘common sense’ and methods for identifying cultural patterns. However, factors that a social scientist may wish to study do involve facets that are not static and are defined by the context in which these facets operate. An example of this could be trauma. Trauma is viewed by individuals in Western society as a concept which individuals or a collective may suffer after a disrupting or distressing event. However, in less developed societies, such as in Rwanda which suffered mass genocide, no instances of trauma are reported (Alexander et al, 2004). Such examples highlight the problems presented by adopting a purely scientific (positivist) approach to a social phenomenon. In addition to this, it must be remembered that even though research will always endeavour to be as objective as possible they will, ultimately, use their common-sense knowledge of how social phenomena operate in order to define and measure these variables for precise investigation (Silverman, 1993). Psychologists who work purely in line with Scientism make the error to totally remove itself from common sense, rather than acknowledging and working with it, adopting, say, a more constructivist approach e.g. Conversation Analysis. Kock (1973) sums this up assumption beautifully by saying â€Å"The entire subsequent history of psychology can be seen as a ritualistic endeavor to emulate the forms of science in order to sustain the delusion that it already is a science† (Kock, 1973, p. 66). Dependence on statistics The use of statistical methods in psychology can be said to have become â€Å"institutionalized† (Danziger, 1998, p. 4). According to Danziger, such institutionalization presents 3 main problems: 1. It assumes that statistical conclusions are the only means of providing reliable and valid results for interpreting and developing theory; 2. It asserts that certain rules and models are constant, and cannot be amended or updated by new evidence; 3. it postulates that methodology must lead theory formation, and not the other way round. Such facets create a rigid environment, which restricts ways in which the social scientist can explore social phenomena which focuses on interactions between figures rather than meanings of interactions. The importance of the meaning behind words was acknowledged as far back as Freud, who stated â€Å"In medics you are accustomed to see things†¦in psychoanalysis, alas, everything is different†¦Words were originally magic and to this day words have retained much of their ancient power†¦Words provoke affects and are in general the means of mutual influence among men† (Freud, 1918, p.12). This statement emphasises the importance in not just, say, overt behaviour in the amount of words one uses (i.e. numerical data) in an interview, but also what one says and the meaning behind those words (i.e. qualitative data). Artificial settings to measure real life Psychology is the science of the real life, cannot be manipulated in artificial models. In its attempt to become a ‘pure’ science, psychological research methods tend to prefer to use controlled, experimental procedures, where one variable is directly manipulated by another variable, controlling for any other influencing factors. While such methods offer detailed and reliable statistical information, details of social, political, economic, and historical contexts can be overlooked (Waitzkin, 1990). The variety within psychology Psychology is a broad discipline with a variety of approaches such as Social and Cognitive Psychology. Social Psychology looks at qualitative interactions in the real world between people, whereas Cognitive Psychology examines the thought processes involved in individual reasoning. The former cannot be effectively manipulated in a controlled laboratory experiment, whereas the latter can be. If one attempts to artificially create and conduct a social experiment which uses solely statistics as a method of obtaining and interpreting results, one will miss the rich data that can be gained through qualitative measurement, looking at meanings and interpretations. A degree of flexibility is required in theory construction and method development, taking care to acknowledge how applied the science is and the vast array of methodological procedures to adopt. Top down vs. bottom up When conducting empirical investigation in psychology, the research question should lead the methodology, not the other way round. However, with the dominant quantitative method, researchers tend impose theories on data and see whether or not the data supports the theory. Upon these results, the researchers either accept or reject their hypotheses, rather than further exploring any discrepancies. Alternatively, researchers who adopt a qualitative method allow the data drive the theory and design models and theory from data. This is unpopular with many as it can oversimplifying complex social phenomena. As we can see, both designs appear to be poloarised, with little or no room for convergence. Deductive vs. Inductive Another assumption that perpetuates the ‘methodological circle’ is the belief that quantitative methods always must use a hypothetico-deductive approach and qualitative methods an inductive approach. Again, this restricts the way in which researchers can work with their subject matter, and rather than adopting an antithetical approach, researchers should endeavor to focus on the rationale of the study and the research question. Realism vs. Idealism In a similar vain to the short discussion above, there is the determinist assumption that all quantitative researchers are realists and qualitative researchers are idealist in their approach. This assumption enforces more restrictions on the way research would be carried out. Indeed quantitative research could do well to accept more subjective and individual attitudes, as qualitative methods could with more objective, measurable approaches. Moving forward Acknowledging the obstacles above, I will now explore ways in which psychology can move forward, away from the ‘methodological circle’ towards an approach that recognises and embraces both ‘quantitative’ and ‘qualitative’ virtues. Such an approach should not be concerned with paradigmatic purism but more concerned with identifying effective ways of conceptualising and discovering answers to the research questions. Grounded Theory -Theoretical saturation and sampling When using Grounded Theory, researchers use Theoretical sampling until they reach ‘Theoretical saturation’, where researchers collect data â€Å"until (a) no new or relevant data seem to emerge regarding a category, (b) the category is well developed in terms of its properties and dimensions demonstrating variation, and (c) the relations among categories are well established and validated.† (Strauss & Corbin, 1998, p. 212). Such a fluid and flexible approach provides a useful means in theory construction because it builds the theory as it evolves from incoming data, offering an alternate perspective on how the results are interpreted than the restrictive positivist, deductive approaches. Relational metatheory Relational metatheory offers a relational dialectical perspective in which interpretation (a more quantitative, positivist approach) and observation (a more qualitative, construstivist approach) are both acknowledged and used (Overton, 1998; 2003). Relationism metatheory acknowledges that there is interconnection between the person, culture and biology (Hase, 2000), which is a much more fluid and explorative method then a split metatheory (using only quantitative or qualitative). This results in more complex, self creating, self organising, self regulating and adaptive systems that function and develop in relation with sociocultural constructs. In conclusion, there is a range of obstacles researchers encounter when attempting to break free of the ‘methodological circle’. These include both theoretical considerations such as theory construction and practical considerations such as the dependence on statistics. In order to move away from these imposed restrictions, researchers should consider adopting a more inclusive, flexible approach such as Grounded Theory and Relational Metatheory. As Danzgier concludes we must overcome these problems associated with the ‘methodological circle’ in psychological research; if not â€Å"theory testing in psychology will be a matter of choosing among different versions of a theoretical position, the fundamental features of which are in fact beyond dispute.† (Danziger, 1985, p.13). References Alexander, J. C., Eyerman, R., Giesen, B., Smelser, N. J., Sztompka, P. (2004) Cultural Trauma and Collective Identity, University of California Press, CA Danziger, K. (1985) The methodological imperative in psychology. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 15, 1-13 Freud, S. (1918) The Complete Introductionary Lectures on Psychoanalsis, Alden Press, Oxford Hase, S. (2000) ‘Mixing methodologies in research’, NCVER conference, Coffs Harbour, April. Koch, S. (1963) Psychology: A Study Of a Science, (Koch, S. (Ed.). (1959-1963), McGraw-Hill, New York Kuhn, T. S. (1962) The structure of scientific revolutions. University of Chicago Press, Chicago Overton, W. F. (2012) Paradigms in Theory Construction, (Eds L’Abate, L.) Springer; US. Silverman, D. (1993) â€Å"Beginning Research†. Interpreting Qualitative Data. Methods for Analysing Talk, Text and Interaction, Sage Publications, Londres Strauss, A. L. & Corbin, J. M. (1998) Basics of qualitative research: techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, Sage Publications, US Waitzkin, H. (1990) On Studying the Discourse of Medical Encounters, Medical Care. 28:6, 473-487

Secret River

Shaira Sanchez 05/09/12 Shaira Sanchez 05/09/12 The Secret River by Kate Grenville Essay Explain the way that narrative devices have been employed by an author to construct a representation of people or places in at least one text that you have studied. You must make specific reference to â€Å"The Secret River. † One of Australia’s finest writers Kate Grenville wrote The Secret River which challenges traditional gender roles of women in the early nineteenth century London and Australia.The novel has challenged the female stereotype in a patriarchal society through the strong female character of Sal Thornhill. Sal has been the brains of her family through their tough times in London and their settlement in Sydney. Sal is the wife of William Thornhill, a convict. The memory of how the gentry treated Thornhill pushed him to work himself up into the foreign land of Australia to become like that gentleman he had served once back in London, in the water of Thames–the one with the power and the one who looked down on him who represents the working class.His determination to set off a space for himself in the foreign land eventually placed him and some of the settlers in direct opposition to the Aboriginal people by their desire to finally have control on their own lives. The use of a wide range of narrative devices in The Secret River has vividly taken the readers back to the nineteenth century where power and wealth determines a man’s position in the society. Sal Thornhill has been constructed in The Secret River as a strong female character who challenges traditional gender roles in the early nineteenth century–mainly when women were biologically, socially and intellectually inferior.Although Sal was raised in a quite comfortable lifestyle, she still has managed to cope with the tragic events in her life as a mother and as a wife. We see through Thornhill’s limited omniscient point of view that Sal would have to â€Å"brig hten herself up† because they both knew that Sal would have to offer her service in the cold streets of London to support her family’s financial needs, while Thornhill was convicted for theft. Sal’s staggering sacrifices did not just end in London.Her character even became stronger when they settled in a place that nothing Thornhill had ever seen–where â€Å"trees were tortured formless things† that looked half dead and when Christmas was during the hot days of summer. Women in that time were normally perceived as housekeepers and child-bearers. However, Sal did not just take care of her family emotionally and physically, but financially as well â€Å"At the end of each week Sal would count up the takings, from Thornhill’s work on the water and from her own selling liquor, and hide them away in a box. † which is evident through the descriptive language used.As a migrant myself, I understood Sal’s attitude towards the new environ ment that she was in. It wasn’t a part of her plan, but she accepted the circumstances and lived with it half-heartedly. Although her heart was always reminding her of ‘Home’, her mind and body still endured the harsh conditions, all for her family. It wasn’t the usual approach of women back in the nineteenth century to stand up for her family instead of the husband. However, Sal’s character was constructed to challenge the representation of women during that time by being the provider and the child-bearer all at once.Sal, her family, and the other settlers encountered the ‘otherness’ once they arrived in Sydney–which had two different representations as a race in The Secret River. Australia was not an empty land when the Thornhills and the white settlers arrived. They were not expecting people living in that type of place for thousands of years. These people were as strange as the place through the settlers’ perception. T here was one who hung about the Thornhills’ hut and entertained them, dressed only with a faded-pink bonnet on his head in trade for food and a sip of rum.They called him Scabby Bill who represents the ‘visible’ natives. His drunkenness and his appearance symbolises the detrimental impact of colonialism to the Aboriginals. The other sort of native were the ‘invisible’ ones who stayed away from the settlement. They were represented through Long Jack’s strong character. The settlers did not initially affect them, but they saw them as â€Å"snakes or the spiders, not something that could be guarded against† which symbolises as a threat to their dreams. The blacks, on the other hand had a different view of what the settlers referred to as ‘stealing’.Their belief is that nobody owns the land, not them, not the settlers. This clash of beliefs has lead to the novel’s climax, the massacre, where the ‘invisible’ became ‘visible’. The way Thornhill addresses the natives and were given English names symbolises Thornhill’s attitude being Eurocentric. Thornhill did not want to be engaged to the natives, but he himself implanted the European traditions on them. The settlers did not have the same beliefs towards the blacks, just like the natives were to them which also lead to two different representations–one that respects the ‘otherness’ and one that doesn’t.A huge contrast in the characters was made in the novel between Blackwood and Smasher. Blackwood was described as a huge deep and silent man who had â€Å"a rough dignity about him†. He believed in the concept of â€Å"give a little, take a little† in terms of dealing with the blacks. While Smasher’s appearance was constructed as â€Å"a naked-looking face without eyebrows† and always craves for attention that is evident through his dialogue that he had â€Å"not se en the event (rage) personally† but spreads the story anyway. He believed in the concept of ‘whips and biters’. There was no single respect that was given to the blacks from Smasher.Of all the characters, Blackwood has the greatest knowledge and appreciation of the Aboriginals and even lived with an Aboriginal woman and had a child. Smasher did live with one as well, but he referred to her as his â€Å"black bitch. † Although the settlers had the same hopes of finding a better life in Australia, they still ended up on two different paths due to the contrast on their attitude towards the Aboriginals. William Thornhill’s character was not constructed consistently in The Secret River as his attitudes and values towards Australia and the Aboriginals changed throughout the novel.Through Thornhill’s limited omniscient point of view, we sympathise with him by the way the gentry treated him as a waterman in the lower class. He had worked hard but his efforts were not appreciated, thus, pushed him to steal that lead him in his deportation to Australia. Thornhill and the majority of the convicts found a hope for a better life in Australia. It was what they have always longed for–to own a land, to finally have something they can call their own. Thornhill’s change n values was revealed through his dialogue, â€Å"Forgetting your manners are you, Dan Oldfield† he said to an old friend who he chose as one his servants. He became hungry for power and authority when he had a taste on what it was like to be on top of the others: on top of his fellow settlers, on top of the Aboriginals.Thornhill has spoken to the Aboriginals the way the gentry did to him â€Å"Old Boy, he started. He fancied the sound of that. † Thornhill and some of settlers saw the blacks as a hindrance to their one last chance to achieve their ultimate dream, like when Sagitty suggested to â€Å"get them before they get us. He has been succ essful in this goal but behind the high walls of his ‘villa’, was an unfulfilled William Thornhill after losing his friends and ultimately, his son Dick, who sympathise to the indigenous way of life. He became like the gentry, but not quite. He possessed the land, the house, the servants, but not the respect. The scars of his past were embedded on his name–William Thornhill, who was once a waterman, illiterate and an ex-convict. The Secret River has diverse representations of gender, class and race that have been successfully constructed in each character through the use of narrative devices.Sal represents those women who stood up for their family, in spite of the tagged inferiorities built by the society through the years especially in the nineteenth century and the earlier times. Scabby Bill and Long Jack represent the two different approach of their race on colonisation of the Europeans. Their values differ, just as the settlers’ views had towards them. Blackwood amongst all the others respects the Aboriginals, while Smasher had no heart for these people and treated them like animals.William Thornhill as the novel’s protagonist did not have a certain representation. His whole character was constructed based on his life back in London that resulted in a change of values as he found himself flourishing in his new ‘Home’. This novel lets the readers engage themselves in each of the representations effectively through Thornhill’s limited omniscient point of view. We tend to judge the differences in gender, in every class and in every race through what the society has already built on people as time goes by.However, Kate Grenville gave us a wider view of how each of these people ended up the way they were before, and the way they are in present time. As a migrant myself, I can compare myself with Sal, above all the characters. Migration wasn’t a part of our plan, but if that leads us to a better life, why not endure the circumstances? At the end of the day, every sacrifice and effort will be worth it. However, I believe that I will never end up the way Thornhill had– a wealthy man with a ‘villa’, without a peace of mind.

Effects of the Issue on Early Childhood Education Essay

This study examines the effects of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s early childhood education programs on social-emotional outcomes at kindergarten entry. As such, it extends our prior work demonstrating substantial positive impacts of the Tulsa pre-K and Head Start programs on cognitive development, including pre-reading skills, pre-writing skills, and pre-math skills (Gormley, Phillips, & Gayer, 2008). We focus on children who were enrolled in either the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) pre-K program or the Community Action Project (CAP) of Tulsa County Head Start program during the year prior to kindergarten. Oklahoma’s pre-K program has received national attention because, as one of a handful of programs with universal eligibility, it reaches a higher percentage of fouryear-olds (68%) than any other program in the nation (Barnett al. al. , 2007). It also offers atypically high quality preschool education (Phillips, Gormley, & Lowenstein, in press), perhaps in part because Oklahoma requires a lead teacher with a B. A. degree who is early-childhood-certified in every classroom and pays these teachers regular school system wages. In Tulsa, the CAP Head Start program follows the same guidelines. As a result, this investigation may be seen as offering a â€Å"best case scenario† look at the potential contribution of high-quality school-based pre-K and Head Start programs to children’s social-emotional development. Social-emotional Development Young children’s social-emotional development captures a broad swath of specific outcomes, ranging from the ability to identify and understand one’s own and others’ feelings, establish and sustain relationships with both peers and adults, and regulate one’s behavior, emotions, and thoughts (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2005). The importance of these foundational capacities has been welldocumented. Having behavior problems in early childhood, for example, is associated with low peer acceptance, maladaptive teacher-child relationships, and anti-social disorders and delinquency in middle childhood and adolescence (Brody et al. , 2003; Ladd & Burgess, 1999; Nagin & Tremblay, 2001; Shaw, Owens, Giovannelli, & Winslow, 2001; White, Moffitt, Earls, Robins, & Silva, 1990). Early childhood behavior that is more internalizing in nature, such as fearfulness or behavioral inhibition, is also associated with the development of serious anxiety problems in middle childhood and beyond (Tincas, Benga & Fox, 2006; Fox et al. , 2005; Schwartz, Wright, Shin, Kagan, & Rauch, 2003). The emergence of emotional and behavioral problems in children is much more likely under conditions of adversity, with poverty and low social-economic status having been studied extensively in this context. Deep and prolonged poverty, perhaps especially during the early childhood years (Duncan, Yeung, Brooks-Gunn, & Smith, 1998), has been found repeatedly to predict emotional and behavioral problems in children, even after accounting for parent and family characteristics (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002; Dodge, Pettit, & Bates, 1994; Duncan, Brooks-Gunn, & Klebanov, 1994; McLoyd, 1998; Ripke & Huston, 2005). The effects of poverty appear to be more pronounced for externalizing behavior problems (e. g. , aggression, defiance) than for internalizing behavior problems (e. g. , social withdrawal, depression) (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002; Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997).

Business Dissertation about Currency Wars Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 16500 words

Business about Currency Wars - Dissertation Example The report gives a literature review on the topic and also explains the rationale of the study. It discusses the studies and opinions of many analysts, who have clearly mentioned in their views the connection currency wars, and trade, exports, imports and grey imports. The research is believed to provide crucial knowledge on the impacts of currency wars as a strategy to boost exports and contract imports. Interpretive research methodology has been used in the data collection and analysis. The research approach has been qualitative as well as quantitative and case study method has been applied. A case study of the Euro, USD, AUD and Yen has been used for the research purpose, which has helped to answer the research questions. The case studies have comprised of theoretical and analytical frameworks. During the entire research program, all the ethical issues have been taken care of, and the purpose and procedures of the study have been clearly declared. The dissertation explains all the procedures applied for data collection, the results that have been obtained, and a clear analysis based on the examinations has been provided. Based on the analysis, a view has been provided on the importance of currency wars, in the light of international trade.... I am also much obliged to my supervisors who guided me with their timely advice, feedbacks and suggestions which aided me in attaining the expected standard of work and keeping me punctual as per the scheduled deliveries of dissertation chapters. Table of Contents Serial no. Topic Page no. I Introduction, Aims & objectives and Research Questions 8 I.1 Introduction 8 I.2 Aims 10 I.3 Objectives 11 I.4 Research Questions 11 II Literature Review 13 III Research Methodology 29 IV Findings and Analysis 36 V Discussions 55 VI Conclusion 58 VII Recommendations for future Research 61 References 66 List of figures Figure no. Topic Page no. 1 Devaluation improves Balance of trade 15 2 Nominal Exchange Rate between Euro and USD 40 3 Standard Deviation in USD relative to Euro 42 4 Nominal Exchange Rate between USD and Yen 47 5 Standard Deviation in Yen relative to USD 48 6 Nominal Exchange Rate between Euro and AUD 53 7 Standard Deviation in Euro relative to AUD 54 List of Appendices Serial no. T opic Page no. Appendix A Nominal Exchange Rate between Euro and USD 64 Appendix B Standard Deviation in USD relative to Euro 64 Appendix C Nominal Exchange Rate between USD and Yen 64 Appendix D Standard Deviation in Yen relative to USD 65 Appendix E Nominal Exchange Rate between Euro and AUD 65 Appendix F Standard Deviation in Euro relative to AUD 65 II) Introduction, Aims and Objectives and Research Questions: I.1) Introduction: The term ‘Currency War’ was coined by Guido Mantega, the Finance Minister of Brazil, in 2010. (Draghi, 1) Currency War is a â€Å"battle over the value of each nation’s currency and the impact it has on their trade relationships† (Willis, 51) It is a competitive devaluation strategy of the government for the generation of

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Astronomy - Essay Example One of these methods is through the use of spectroscopy. Spectroscopy is a method of looking at the composition of a star or other celestial object by observing differences in the electromagnetic radiation patterns that are picked up. Different elements vibrate at different wavelengths; therefore each element shows a different color when a spectrometer is picking it up. This is how scientists can tell what elements are and are not present in a star. These series of lines are unique to each element. For example, helium produces: one red line, one yellow line, one green line, three blue lines, and four purple lines. This pattern is inherent to only helium, therefore it will show/not show up if it is present/not present. Atomic emission spectra look at the differences in energy that are absorbed when a photon goes through changes in energy levels. Thus when the photon is absorbed, the electrons jump up in energy levels because they become more excited. This jump in energy is what scient ific instruments pick up. This is achieved through lines. Absorption spectra look at the â€Å"holes† that are left when that electron is moving up and down energy levels. Basically, both are looking at atomic energy levels, however they are observing two different effects of energy at the quantum level.

Motivation at Workplace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Motivation at Workplace - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that motivational scholars consider that for every last thing we do (actions and behavior) there is an essential cause or reason; as such it impacts our conduct', our decision of conduct and its perpetual quality, and the measure of exertion put into it. They additionally accept that energy about the reasons will empower forecast and hence take into account impact on those practices or activity. Contemporary exploration and hypotheses have developed and progressed subsequent to those of Skinner who considered execution taking into account inspirations from a behavioral perspective, while Maslow extended his needs pecking order to oblige inspiration regarding individuals trying to fulfill needs inside an orderly request that advances from physiological needs, to security, to social, to regard lastly acknowledgment toward oneself. His needs order represented the essentialness of fulfilling the needs of representatives if inspiration somehow happened to be affecte d and cultivated. Motivational research at the moment concentrates essentially on the determination of what great inspiration- what boost is obliged to expand inspiration - and takes both natural and outward inspiration into thought.

222 # 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

222 # 4 - Essay Example Once embraced fully in numerous states, death penalty is an effective tool to ensure crimes rates have declined contrary to life’s imprisonment. This is because many criminals prefer the latter than facing extermination. Yes. I think numerous states have realized costs involved in undertaking death penalty and its implications compared to other forms. This is as per Death Penalty Information Center recent report, which showed more than half of the respondents (54%) preferred any other type of life sentences compared to capital (DPIC). For instance, arguments based on costs referred to particular three cases, which before that conclusion cost the approximately 350 million, which is quite expensive than if it chose to give them a life sentence (DPIC). In addition, citizens including diverse activists are emerging with claims this punishment approach is not even fair for long seems to favor certain races. I think due to the complexity involved with lethal injections whereby those undertaking it might not have the necessary expertise, it should be obsolete but justice authorities uphold other executions. For instance, in my view I propose electric execution whose undertaking is more practical and does not encompass numerous complex technicalities to the executioner. In addition, its durations is quite short compared to legal whereby with the appropriate voltage of 40 seconds is enough then let the body cool down. â€Å"Whats New: Public Opinion: Majority of Pennsylvanians Prefer Life Sentences, Support Moratorium on Death Penalty.† Death Penalty Information Center – DPIC. 25Th March 2015. Web. 26Th March 2015.

An Analysis of WTO, European Union, China and the UK relations Essay

An Analysis of WTO, European Union, China and the UK relations - Essay Example In general, MFN means that every time a country lowers a trade barrier or opens up a market, it has to do so for the same goods or services from all its trading partners - whether rich or poor, weak or strong. National treatment: Treating foreigners and locals equally Imported and locally-produced goods should be treated equally - at least after the foreign goods have entered the market. The same should apply to foreign and domestic services, and to foreign and local trademarks, copyrights and patents. Freer Trade: Gradually through Negotiation Lowering trade barriers is one of the most obvious means of encouraging trade. The barriers concerned include customs duties (or tariffs) and measures such as import bans or quotas that restrict quantities selectively. From time to time other issues such as red tape and exchange rate policies have also been discussed. Opening markets can be beneficial, but it also requires adjustment. The WTO agreements allow countries to introduce changes gradually, through "progressive liberalization". Developing countries are usually given longer to fulfill their obligations. Predictability through Binding and Transparency Sometimes, promising not to raise a trade barrier can be as important as lowering one, because the promise gives businesses a clearer view of their future opportunities. With stability and predictability, investment is encouraged, jobs are created and consumers can fully enjoy the benefits of competition - choice and lower prices. The multilateral trading system is an attempt by governments to make the business environment stable and predictable. Promoting Fair Competition The WTO is sometimes described as a "free trade" institution, but that is not entirely accurate. The system does allow tariffs and, in...From time to time other issues such as red tape and exchange rate policies have also been discussed. Opening markets can be beneficial, but it also requires adjustment. The WTO agreements allow countries to introduce changes gradually, through â€Å"progressive liberalization†. Developing countries are usually given longer to fulfill their obligations. †¢ Predictability through Binding and Transparency Sometimes, promising not to raise a trade barrier can be as important as lowering one, because the promise gives businesses a clearer view of their future opportunities. With stability and predictability, investment is encouraged, jobs are created and consumers can fully enjoy the benefits of competition — choice and lower prices. The multilateral trading system is an attempt by governments to make the business environment stable and predictable. †¢ Promoting Fair Competition The WTO is sometimes described as a â€Å"free trade† institution, but that is not entirely accurate. The system does allow tariffs and, in limited circumstances, other forms of protection. More accurately, it is a system of rules dedicated to open, fair and undistorted competition.

Cause and Effect Essay of diabetes Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cause and Effect of diabetes - Essay Example ts in insulin secretion, insulin action or both, which translates to long term damage and dysfunction of various organs of the body (Nayak and Roberts). Within the pancreas, the Islets of Langerhans are responsible for secretion of insulin, which acts to regulate of blood glucose levels. In persons with diabetes, normal insulin function is impaired where it can be produced in insufficient quantities or is produced defectively. This further classifies diabetes mellitus into Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 3-5% of all diabetes in the world and is more common in children and young adults but can occur at any age (International Diabetes Federation 6). Type 1 diabetes presents as an autoimmune disease where insulin producing cells within the pancreas are destroyed, and the patients are always dependent on insulin injections for survival. The destruction of Islets of Langerhans within the pancreas impair the ability to produce insulin adequately thus affecting the process of glucose regulation negatively. Such destruction may be facilitated by the presence of external factors such as viral infections, which may alter the orientation of the host immune system. On the hand, Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of all diabetes cases globally, occurring among the middle-aged and older people. In this condition, the body either does not make enough insulin or does not respond well as it ought to the insulin produced and can be controlled by keeping blood glucose levels within the range through diet and exercises. In this regard, Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which implies that the body cannot effectively utilize the insulin produced no matter its quantity. As a result, glucose cannot be transported from the blood to the cells, which encourages excess blood glucose, which makes it difficult for the body to maintain normal glucose levels in the blood. Obesity, which is associated with insulin resistance, has been described

Managing Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Conflict - Essay Example According to Benjamin (2007), conflicts sometimes may be a tricky issue to solve or handle which may always necessitates consultations from different quarters. For instance the Chief Executive officer of a shipping company may approach the human resource manager to seek guidance on the excessive drug use by some section of company employees. In the recent past, the company has experienced a series of plant accidents which the Chief Executive Officer alleges can be attributed to machinery operation under influence. The Chief Executive Officer have therefore ordered a compulsory for a mandatory drug test among the existing employees and the new employees too.However,the labor union have openly opposed such a move despite the company assuring them that those found positive will undergo treatment sponsored by the company and attend company financed cessation seminars. Despite such a situation being tricky, a solution must be found and the relevant advice given to the Chief executive Officer by the Human resource manager. Whether the employees are guilty of the Chief Executive Officers assertion or not, one aspect must remain outstanding: that at the end of the day, the decision reached must consider the good long term future of the company (Benjamin, 2007). As the Human Resource manager, the following recommendation may be helpful to address the conflict in an amicable manner and in such away the labor union may readily accept the adoption of the company’s new policy. The employees who use drugs and those who do not should not be coerced to undergo drug testing but the company should formulate an internal regulation to punish those who go to work under influence. This can be done through the introduction of operation fitness desk. This desk can serve the function of clearing employees before they embark on operating machinery. Those under influence when on duty should not be allowed to operate machinery and if possible face internal disciplinary measures

Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business Essay Example for Free

Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business Essay There are several categories that a small business can fall into. Within these businesses there are legal, social and economic environments that effect how the business is run and whether the business is a success or failure. From the cost to run to how the tax return is filed; all three have their advantages and disadvantages. All three also can produce a lucrative income for the right person or people. It is imperative to the business for the owner(s) to choose which path is the best way to go while taking in consideration the pros and cons of each type. Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business The idea of a three pronged cord came to me when I noticed how many cords have burned up on my appliances. The third prong on the cord would distribute the current better. My goal is to manufacture and sell my product. Small businesses are what formed our country. From the forming of our governments to starting computer companies in our garages business decisions had to be made. There are three main organizations of small businesses: Sole Proprietor, Partnership, and Corporation.  When opening a business the owner or owners need to know how each organization operates and which would be the best for them. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but every business falls into one category or another. Business Organizations Sole Proprietor: A sole proprietor is a single individual who makes all the decisions in the business. There is no one to run to and ask â€Å"What do you think about this? † It is the most simple of the three types because there are almost no legal requirements. As a sole proprietor there is more freedom to do what the individual wants which makes it much easier to run. Also, the individual can get a tax benefit and there is a lower cost to start (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 9) Almost anyone can have a small business as a sole proprietor. Although saving some money on the start up and from tax exemptions are a plus, there are some things one has to take into consideration. One is the limited resources because there is no one else around to bounce ideas off of and most people don’t have the business sense to run their own company from the start, unless they’ve had previous experience and knowledge in that field (Tavassoli, 2013. Another is the difficulty of borrowing money. Most banks or investors are hesitant to lend funds to one person because their financial resources are limited. Finally, all the liability of the business is put directly on the individual (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 9). Whatever happens in the business is solely on the owner and there usually isn’t anyone to fall back on for help. Partnership: The second type of business is a partnership. There is more room for growth in this type of business because now we have an added talent or experience (Tavassoli, 2013). You automatically have someone to get insight on ideas and bring more ideas to the table. There is a better opportunity to borrow money. Now instead of one persons income and assets there are two. Someone is more likely to help finance a partnership than an individual person (Tavassoli, 2013, Slide 10). In addition, the business return flows into the individual/joint return. Just as a sole proprietor, a partnership has unlimited liability. The only difference is now there is more than one person involved so burden is split. In a partnership the owners are responsible for all the debt and expenses of the business (Ebert Griffin, 2005). Something else to consider is the difficulty to sell a business owned by a partnership. Why is it difficult? Consent is always needed from the other partner. No decision can be legally made without the other partner agreeing. Corporation: The third decision is a Corporation. Companies like Apple, Ford, and Microsoft all fall into corporations. One good thing about a corporation is the stockholders of a corporation have limited liability which means they are only liable for the amount they invested (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 11) When there are law suits or debts only the corporation loses money. Lenders and investors are most like to provide funding for a legitimate corporation before others. Another thing is there is a better chance to find talent and pool ideas. The opportunity to create more jobs is another plus for being a corporation. With the good comes the bad. In a corporation there are multiple stockholders that have to be answered to when it comes to business decisions (Tavassoli, 2013. ) Theses owners will have their own opinions on how things should be done and which ideas to be taken into action. A corporation can be easily taken over if it is agreed upon by the majority of the owners. The financial reporting requirements are more extensive. Finally, at the corporate level businesses are double taxes not only as a corporation but on the paid dividends to its stockholders (Ebert Griffin, 2005). After careful consideration I feel a limited partnership is the best choice for my business. A Limited Partnership would allow us to obtain financing in the future, rather than trying to get financing on my own as a sole proprietor. Also, the amount of liability is reduced because we are only liable for the amount of our individual investments. This allows my partner not to have to take an active role in the partnership. A limited partnership agreement is not required but will be put in place to protect each partner (CEC, 2010).

Truearth Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Truearth Case Analysis Essay Competitors began offering similar products in 2008 which cause the growth to slow. * Some of their competitors are Nestle and Kraft. * The do not make a rash decision. The success of Cucina Fresca was a calculated risk based on significant research. The company only uses high-quality durum wheat and mostly organic ingredients. * The company further raised consumer awareness through several promotional programs, using coupons, magazine advertisements, and in-store demonstrations. * Idea generation. As the company grew, the idea generation process became a more systematic evaluation of consumer trends, with formal management brainstorming sessions. * Three important developments reshaped how consumers purchased groceries. The first important trend was a new, loosely defined food category in the United States— â€Å"home meal replacement† (HMR). An increase in dual-income households had led to higher disposable incomes coupled with â€Å"time poverty,† as both workers found themselves lacking the time to cook a meal and clean up afterward. Further, consumers had tired of unhealthy carryout and fast food and started seeking greater variety and freshness. Supermarkets began meeting HMR needs by enhancing their fresh, prepared food offerings. * There was no fresh whole grain pasta with broad distribution, with 85% of those in favour of the concept having never purchased it before. In an attempt to retain our leadership position and extend our product line, we have invested in the development of a new whole grain pizza. We must decide whether to launch our pizza offering. Our decision must take into consideration that the new product’s wholesales volume estimates must exceed $12 million to meet our return requirements. The decision-making process is time sensitive because one of our competitors, Rigazzi Brands, has already tested a whole grain pizza concept and is not far from introduction. Given these factors, we can either debut or suspend the product. Based on sales volume estimates and situation analysis, I recommend that the company launch the pizza. The introduction will result in a wholesales volume that exceeds our return requirements and these additional funds can be reinvested into the firm. Option I: Launch Whole Grain Pizza Product The launch of a whole grain pizza kit will capitalize on the same consumer trends that prompted the release of Cucina Fresca: growing demand for quick, customizable home meal replacements that are refrigerated and available in tasty, whole grain options. Also, pizza is a core component of the Italian-American food category that we cannot ignore because it is frequently purchased by customers on a monthly basis. Our whole grain pizza product resolves the time- and health-related concerns of American consumers in one of their favorite dishes (see Exhibit 1: SWOT Analysis for Whole Grain Pizza Product). The growing demand for a whole grain crust has been addressed by local pizzerias and take-out franchises, but not in the store-bought refrigerated pizza market. The immediate release of the pizza kit would allow us to penetrate this market before Rigazzi and benefit from first mover advantages. As a result, our 1st year wholesale volume estimates would exceed our return requirements by approximately $4. 5 million (see Exhibit 2: Whole Grain Pizza Concept Purchase Volume Estimate, Year 1 [Excellent]). The excess returns can be reinvested into the firm and used to expand our manufacturing facilities or further extend our product line. If the pizza kit is launched, the firm must consider the potential consequences. We must assess the impact it will have on Cucina Fresca’s success and production, as well as the TruEarth image if the product flops (see Exhibit 1: SWOT Analysis for Whole Grain Pizza Product). Likewise, we must review the potential consequences if the wholesale volume estimate is calculated using the percentage repurchases when the product is perceived to be of mediocre or average quality (see Exhibit 3: Whole Grain Pizza Concept Purchase Volume Estimate, Year 1 [Mediocre, Average]. Option II: Do Not Launch Whole Grain Pizza Product The competitive environment of the pizza market and quality-related issues discovered in the BASES studies indicate that the whole grain pizza product should not be launched. Although the market generates high sales, it is extremely crowded and dominated by powerful players like Kraft and Nestle. Furthermore, the ability to market a tasty whole-grain pizza crust and communicate its benefits will be difficult because the American public perceives whole grains to be less appetizing than white flour. Attempting to change consumer preferences is timely and costly. By foregoing the release of the pizza kit, the company can focus solely on Cucina Fresca. The operating facilities will not have to worry about manufacturing two different product lines and our distribution infrastructure will not be overworked (see Exhibit 1: SWOT Analysis for Whole Grain Pizza Product). Likewise, our marketing team could concentrate on attempting to revive the pasta meals. This product has proven to be successful at one time. Investing all of our resources into the pizza product could be both disastrous and expensive considering we have no experience in this market category. However, by shelving the pizza, an opportunity is lost because our company would be ignoring the needs of a potentially profitable market. The health-conscious trend is not going away and our firm needs to expand our product line in order to retain our leadership as a gourmet, healthy alternative. Recommendation At this time, our company would benefit the most by launching the new whole grain pizza product. By not launching the pizza kit, our investments and time can be focused on expanding the pasta line and retooling the marketing campaign to improve sales; however, in order to diversify the TruEarth brand name, innovation is needed. Although the pasta market may seem safe, we must venture into new categories in order to raise brand awareness, seek new customers, and increase our profits. Exhibit 1: SWOT Analysis for Whole Grain Pizza Product Strengths| Weaknesses| Highly selective about ingredients * Existing infrastructure for coupons, magazine advertisements, in-store demonstrations * Existing formal 4-step process for research and development * Incremental investment for pizza less than pasta.

Assessing Key Strategic Levels Of Electrolux Commerce Essay

Assessing Key Strategic Levels Of Electrolux Commerce Essay There are usually three levels under which a strategy can be implemented and formulated in a company or an organization. They include the corporate level, business unit level and the departmental or the functional level. The corporate level is mostly concerned with the identification of the potential competitors in the market which must be considered in the daily operations of a business. At this level of strategy, the business is concerned with the reach, competitive contacts and business interrelationships coupled with managing activities of the business. The utilization and consideration of the managing practices which the business engages into is paramount of consideration at this level. Secondly is the business unit level of strategy in an organization which deals mostly with a single unit in a business tasked with specific assignment like cost, revenue or profits. Their responsibility is to devise a strategy that will propel the businesses to conquer and acquire large market ar ea size bigger than its competitors while maintaining a competitive advantage in the market. Lastly, the functional level is fundamental since it determines the level of business operations within the independent units of a business (Thompson Strickland 1995, p. 23). Their collective activities form the overall business operations. Electrolux identified three levels of their market practices that they needed to capture, improve and rectify in order to effectively compete in the international market. First in the corporate level is the globalization aspect. Since the global competition is strong and stiff, the company devised production procedures that are cost effective providing the clients with variety of products at lower prices. In identification of corporate behaviors in the manufacturing industry, the company concentrated with quality development of products, extensive efforts to build their brand name as well as thorough efforts to capture wider market area size internationally. Secondly, the business level unit of business strategy involved the study of the market polarization and its dynamisms. The change of consumer preferences were taken into consideration before implementation of any production process to only deal with the products t hat are preferred by the customers. Market polarization was due to strong international competition, changes in consumer preferences and the rapid growth of the retail chains in the international market (Thompson Strickland 2001, p. 16). Therefore a thorough scrutiny of the consumer trends in the market is basic for companies to venture in those fields that are profitable. Lastly, in the departmental level of business strategy, Electrolux identified the steps to consolidate their retailer outlets for fostering the market segments to capture an extensive market area size. Therefore, Electrolux has introduced large scale purchases of raw materials in the production department not only to save on costs but also benefit from large scale economies. This coupled with a wider geographical coverage it strives to capture will propel the profitability of the business to higher levels. With proper consideration of retailers across the global market especially in developed economies, Electrolux has been in a position to supply wide variety of household appliances at reduced prices a fact that has created wider market for its appliances. The adaptation of supply to large scale out lets has also been incorporated under this level of strategy to capture a large international geographical area (Hill, Jones, Galvin Haidar 2007, p. 97). Porters Five forces model This is a business framework used by industrial stakeholders both manufacturing and service industries in their analysis and business strategy development. This concept utilizes industrial organization economies in addition to development strategies to identify and utilize the five market forces to increase companys attractiveness in the market in terms of profitability. The unattractive market situation according to porter occurs when the combination of these forces reduces the profitability of a business. Among the five forces in porters model, three acts from the external perspective of the business. Factors beyond business control greatly influences the market practices. They are well studied when divided into two components; horizontal competition involving the threat of established competitors, threat of substitute products and the threat of new entrants into the market. On the other hand, the vertical competition involves the bargaining power of suppliers as well as the bargai ning power of consumers (Porter 1980, p. 34). The existence of substitute products ion the market encourages customers to switch to alternatives if the prime company does not satisfy their needs and preferences. However the substitute element is dependent on a number of factors like; he customers cost of switching, their propensity to substitute products and commodities, the ease at which substitution is possible and the quality of depreciation to which the substituted product infer. When the market provides good and favorable conditions for businesses coupled with profitability, the entrant of new competitors in the same field is inevitable. This trend results to reduced profitability and the market approaches perfect competition scenario. However, this may be prevented by introduction of barriers to entry, high cost of switching, improving brand name and quality, increasing capital requirements and introduction of government regulations. The threat of competitive rivalry in the market is very evident in many business set ups. A business can therefore prevent this by adopting appropriate competitive advantage through market innovations and creativities (Porter 1980, p. 39). Other factors that determine the extent to which entry of potential competitors affects the business may include the advertising costs, strength of the competitive strategy, and the capital base of businesses. Bargaining power of customers which represents the market output of the firm or a business is paramount to existence of a business. The concentration of buyers and that of business should be proportionate to sustain the businesses; the buyers volumes should be substantial, the market information should be available to all participants and buyers should always be sensitive to price adjustments. Lastly the bargaining power of suppliers represents the market inputs for businesses. When the business has a good supply of raw materials, labor, components and services, its in a position to have a market command. For this force to work properly, the suppliers degree of product differentiation should be distinct, market should have input substitutes to be used in cases of shortage of pr ime inputs and the existence of supplier competition. Household appliances have also experienced several forces in the market not only for individual country but also in the international market (Porter 1980, p. 44). The bargaining power force identified is the growth of domestic market demand for Electroluxs products which witnessed the firm expands its operations to cover dishwashers and washing machines to satisfy the growing market. The threat of existing firms is evident when they introduced production plants in countries where the cost of production was low. This competitive force existing between dominant firms forces firms to venture to product development, brand building as well as improving marketing strategies. Household industry is also experience the threat of new entrants in the market especially from Asia producers of LG and Samsung the Unite States household appliance market. There has also been entry of new supplier of other household appliances which have forced Electrolux to venture also in the production and distribution of other appliances like dish washers and washing machines to remain competitively. There has also been supply of raw materials at lower costs in other countr ies like Mexico where existing competitors and new entrants have ventured forcing Electrolux to establish a manufacturing firm in Mexico as well (Porter 1980, p. 48). Household appliances industry over the recent decade proved to be a very attractive industry in provision of household items. The bargaining power of customers has been increasing over time resulting to mare and effective demand. The bargaining power of suppliers has as well tremendously increased which has witnessed the profitability of household appliances industry to increase tremendously. This increased profitability has rendered the household industry to be most attractive industry not only in the country but also in the international market. Strategic capabilities of Electrolux Strategic capabilities are the methods that a business implements allowing it to have an advantage in the market. They are the business strengths that a firm enjoys over its competitors in the market. The composition of the executive leadership of a business has also substantial effects to the future progress of a business in the industry especially when the competition is stiff. Their leadership and managerial skills towards addressing market issues forms a substantial component of the business and determines the existence of the business in the market. Therefore the skill for identification and restructuring of a business activity in the market greatly determines the capabilities of a business in a certain industry. Electrolux have diverse and strong capabilities that enable it to work properly and preserve the strong competition in the market. It is the largest company for the manufacture of professional and domestic appliances in the world market (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington 2 005, p. 24). Despite its wide market coverage, Electrolux manufactures a wide range of products from cookers, fridges, vacuum cleaners, chain saws to law movers. This diversification element presents it with an advantage over other businesses during tough economic periods. The wide market coverage also plays a vital role in the market diversification to secure from unprofitable regions which are compensated by other profitable ventures. This element allows the company to continuously remain in business. Its capital base is also strong a fact that makes it preserve strong economic conditions. Another notable capability that the company enjoyed is the able leadership of its presidents and Chief Executive Officers. Since early 1920s, the president of the company; Alex Wenner-Gren spreaheaded the growth strategy and created a wide pool of capabilities that the company relied on in its execution of duties (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington 2005 p. 86). The diversification plans the company explored to start production centers outside Sweden offered a proper opportunity for the company to stand a better chance to capture the market. Its establishment in UK, France, USA, German and Australia created a wide and large capital base for expansion and dealing with large scale economies of scale. The diversification strategy adopted by the company provided better grounds for expansion and capturing of new markets as well as sustaining the existing ones. The continued and able leadership the company enjoyed has provided a good platform for expansion both national and in the international markets. The company had also strong financial resources that allowed it to continue with numerous acquisitions not only in Sweden but also in other major trading blocks in America, Europe and Asia which further added to their strength of retaining a large market area size. These acquisitions were accompanied by disposal of non profitable ventures and subsi diaries of Electrolux in the international market. This step allowed the company to concentrate with the profitable branches and maximization of profit in other branches that were profitably. Lastly the company was in a position to heavily invest in marketing as well as building on the brand name which gave it a command in the international market (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2005 p. 89). Strategies to strengthen competitive position Household appliances since 1930s were a competitive venture in the internal market. Demand for household appliance increased effectively especially after the send world war, therefore, many companies invested heavily to this profitable business threatening the existing companies in the market. However, for the existing companies to remain in the widely and strong competitive market, they had to devise a strategy of operation. One such company was the Electrolux which adopted several strategies to competitively remain in the market as a leader. First, the company resolved to continually pursue plans of cost cutting in all its branches and further reduce all the procedurals in the operations to avoid complexities. This would propel the company to manufacture household appliances at lower cost hence provide finished goods in the market at a reduced price than its competitors. Therefore, Electrolux will increase sales and expand its market area size as compared to the other investors and businesses in the same field. Secondly, Electrolux resolved to rely on consumer insights and information to continually increase its product renewal rates (Thompson Strickland 2001 p. 25). This strategy will not only increase sales for its products but will also be in line with changes in consumer preferences and tastes which will make Electrolux products relevant in the market maintaining its competitive position in the international market. Manufacture of customer specific products and commodities not only increases sales but also assists the company to implement innovative ways in the production process. Lastly, to maintain its market leader position in a highly competitive market, Electrolux decided to be undertaking frequent market investment plans to have first hand information concerning its position in the market. These investments were also aimed at building its brand name in the market regardless of other competitors action which will consequently increase the companys sale volume in the international market. The marketing investment will also assist the company to identify the under performing business units, identify low production units and destinations, i dentification of more efficient purchasing ventures as well as information containing activities of other competitors (Thompson Strickland 2001 p. 35). Corporate governance of Electrolux Corporate governance involves a whole set of customs, policies, institutions, laws and processes which directly or indirectly affects how an organization or a company is controlled, directed and administered. It also includes the relationship between and among all the stakeholders in an organization or a company. The major stakeholders involved in a company to be included in the corporate governance include; management, board of directors and the shareholders. Other stakeholders included in the corporate governance are the customers, suppliers, employees, creditors and the wider community. The principal objective of corporate governance is to eliminate and prevent any form of malpractices in business operations while promoting transparency and accountability. While corporate governance is executed properly, it enhances economic efficiency of the company as well as improving on the shareholders and other stakeholders welfare. Due to the accountability and transparency achieved by corp orate governance, the collapse of a company is not likely since there are checks and balances that occur among all the involved stakeholders (Hill, Jones, Galvin Haidar 2007 p. 101). Electrolux is governed under the statutes contained in the Swedish corporate governance, Swedish companies act, regulatory system of NASDAQ OMX Stockholm as well any other corporate Swedish and foreign law relevant to its operations. The companys governing structure is composed of more than 160 companies operating in over 50 countries globally. The parent company is the AB Electrolux situated in Sweden among the listed companies in the country. The major stakeholders are the external auditors who are nominated by shareholders in the Annual General Meeting, internal auditors appointed by the board of directors who oversee their operations as well as those of external auditors in addition of remunerating them accordingly. The company is headed by a Chief executive Office besides a management board. Under them, there are several boards dealing with specific departments like risk management, pension, treasury, audit and tax boards in charge of administration in their respective departmen ts (Hill, Jones, Galvin Haidar 2007 p. 104). Changing management in acquisition strategies Companies undergo acquisitions and mergers to expand and avoid bankruptcy. Most of these mergers and acquisitions do not meet their objectives and the deal fails due to lack of proper consideration of the change management necessary in such exercises. These changes include; cultural cohesion that should identify the cultural back core of the involved companies. The cultural components of acquisition process of companies include the conditions, disciplines, and beliefs that form the internal component of a company reflected in the external traits of the company. Secondly is the persuasion of missiology processes which involves the convincing of another company to join with another. The persuaded company abandons its values, beliefs and practices to join those of the other performing the acquisition. Meritocracy acquisition forms the other forms of acquisition changes that are necessary for the company to consider before engaging into acquisition of mergers (Thompson Strickland 2001 p . 24). Under this processes, retention of any stakeholder in the new entity after acquisition is dependent on the contribution to the company as opposed to longevity of employment. Lastly, acquisition changes may be effected by consideration of mettle. This involves the strength, spirit, character and courage that exist within a certain group of people within a certain organization. When an acquisition occurs, the mettle components of the acquired company must be adjusted to fit to those of the parent company. Therefore, Electrolux should adopt the cultural cohesiveness in the process of acquisition of other companies (Thompson Strickland 2001 p. 28). While acquisition has already taken place, several adjustments are necessary to the management in order to include all the stakeholders interests. In the leadership and management field, changes are virtually important to foster and reflect the interest of all the stakeholders as well as those of the company. Secondly, the operations field in another context under which changes is paramount to harmonize the operations of the acquired company with the parent company.

Review of Stearns’ Fat History: Bodies and Beauty in the Modern West :: essays research papers

Wow, I mean, your sister, she’s so fat that when she wears a yellow raincoat, people shout out, â€Å"Taxi!† Your brother, gosh, he’s so fat that his driver’s license says, â€Å"Picture continued on the other side!† About your mother, well, she’s so fat that when she walks in front of the television, you miss out on three commercials! I’m tellin’ ya! Fat!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those humorous one-liners are just a few of the many out there. In the United States today, we are obviously obsessed with weight, but how did this cultural craze with heaviness start? When and why, even? Are we the only ones? Peter N. Stearns is a Carnegie Mellon history professor and dean, and in his book Fat History: Bodies and Beauty in the Modern West, he explores and compares the weight-consciousness over the past century in both the United States (arguably the most obese Western country today) and France (arguably the slimmest); he also attempts at explaining why such contrariety exists between these two countries, despite both being heavily infatuated with body and beauty. It is Stearns’ stance that this modern struggle against fat is actually very deeply rooted within our American culture, and dieting and rampant hostility toward the obese continue to become one of the underlying themes in our society today. He also notes the differences in attitud es toward the obese in both countries. He does not really believe that the French approach to obesity could so readily be adopted in the United States, but possibly recognizing a different attitude may help to later reshape the views and opinions that have been formed this past century in our society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With respect to the United States, Stearns reveals that before the 1890s plumpness was healthy and in fact preferred over frailness; full-figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s were linked to successful motherhood and were indeed quite fashionable. In the decade just before 1900, however, as we became more sedentary, fashion changed, and dress sizes became standardized, greater attention was drawn toward the more oddly shaped bodies, possibly creating a new public concern for body weight, especially for women. Fat-controlling devices like â€Å"reducing corsets†, dieting gimmicks such as Kissiengen water, and other advertisements for products to help against weight also began to spread during this time period. Morality even came into play, as obese individuals were seen to not only be lazy and weak but also on their way toward what one may call â€Å"fat hell†. Review of Stearns’ Fat History: Bodies and Beauty in the Modern West :: essays research papers Wow, I mean, your sister, she’s so fat that when she wears a yellow raincoat, people shout out, â€Å"Taxi!† Your brother, gosh, he’s so fat that his driver’s license says, â€Å"Picture continued on the other side!† About your mother, well, she’s so fat that when she walks in front of the television, you miss out on three commercials! I’m tellin’ ya! Fat!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those humorous one-liners are just a few of the many out there. In the United States today, we are obviously obsessed with weight, but how did this cultural craze with heaviness start? When and why, even? Are we the only ones? Peter N. Stearns is a Carnegie Mellon history professor and dean, and in his book Fat History: Bodies and Beauty in the Modern West, he explores and compares the weight-consciousness over the past century in both the United States (arguably the most obese Western country today) and France (arguably the slimmest); he also attempts at explaining why such contrariety exists between these two countries, despite both being heavily infatuated with body and beauty. It is Stearns’ stance that this modern struggle against fat is actually very deeply rooted within our American culture, and dieting and rampant hostility toward the obese continue to become one of the underlying themes in our society today. He also notes the differences in attitud es toward the obese in both countries. He does not really believe that the French approach to obesity could so readily be adopted in the United States, but possibly recognizing a different attitude may help to later reshape the views and opinions that have been formed this past century in our society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With respect to the United States, Stearns reveals that before the 1890s plumpness was healthy and in fact preferred over frailness; full-figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s were linked to successful motherhood and were indeed quite fashionable. In the decade just before 1900, however, as we became more sedentary, fashion changed, and dress sizes became standardized, greater attention was drawn toward the more oddly shaped bodies, possibly creating a new public concern for body weight, especially for women. Fat-controlling devices like â€Å"reducing corsets†, dieting gimmicks such as Kissiengen water, and other advertisements for products to help against weight also began to spread during this time period. Morality even came into play, as obese individuals were seen to not only be lazy and weak but also on their way toward what one may call â€Å"fat hell†.

Uranium :: essays research papers

Uranium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth, a German chemist, in the mineral pitchblende (primarily a mix of uranium oxides) in 1789.Klaproth, as well as the rest of the scientific community, believed that the substance he extracted from pitchblende was pure uranium, it was actually uranium dioxide (UO2). After noticing that 'pure' uranium reacted oddly with uranium tetrachloride (UCl4), Radioactivity was first discovered in 1896 when Antoine Henri Becquerel, a French physicist, detected it from a sample of uranium. Today, uranium is obtained from uranium ores such as pitchblende, uraninite , carnotite and autunite as well as from phosphate rock , lignite (brown coal) and monazite sand . Since there is little demand for uranium metal, uranium is usually sold in the form of sodium diuranate , also known as yellow cake, or triuranium octoxide). Uranium, a radioactive element, was first mined in the western United States in 1871 by Dr. Richard Pierce, who shipped 200 pounds of pitchblende to London from the Central City Mining District. This element is sorta boring but I found something interesting, they used it to make an an atomic bomb in the Cold War. In 1898 Pierre and Marie Curie and G. Bemont isolated the "miracle element" radium from pitchblende. That same year, uranium, vanadium and radium were found to exist in carnotite, a mineral containing colorful red and yellow ores that had been used as body paint by early Navajo and Ute Indians on the Colorado Plateau. The discovery triggered a small prospecting boom in southeastern Utah, and radium mines in Grand and San Juan counties became a major source of ore for the Curies. It was not the Curies but a British team working in Canada which was the first to understand that the presence of polonium and radium in pitchblende was not due to simple geological an d mineral reasons, but that these elements were directly linked to uranium by a process of natural radioactive transmutation. The theory of radioactive transformation of elements was brilliantly enlarge in1901 by the New Zealand physicist Ernest Rutherford and the English chemist Frederick Soddy at McGill University in Montreal. At dusk on the evening of November 8, 1895, Wilhelm Rontgen, professor of physics at the University of Wurzburg in Germany, noticed a cathode tube that a sheet of paper come distance away. He put his hand between the tube and the paper, he saw the image of the bones in his hand on the paper.

Essay on Stagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie

Stagnant Lives in Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Stagnant Lives of Blanche DuBois and Amanda Wingfield  Ã‚  Ã‚   "All of Williams' significant characters are pathetic victims--of time, of their own passions, of immutable circumstance" (Gantz 110). This assessment of Tennessee Williams' plays proves true when one looks closely at the characters of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire and Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie. Their lives run closely parallel to one another in their respective dramas. They reject their present lives, yet their methods of escape are dissimilar. Both women have lost someone they cared for, and so seek to hold, and unintentionally suffocate, those they have left. A major problem that both Blanche and Amanda face is their misconception of reality and the "New South." "The predominant theme of these plays is Southern womanhood helpless in the grip of the new world, while its old world of social position and financial security is a paradise lost (Gassner 78). They are victims of a society that taught them that virtue, attractiveness, and gentility all led to happiness. When tragedy strikes, Blanche and Amanda are unable to adjust to modem society and eventually withdraw into the securities of the past. "For Blanche and Amanda, the South forms an image of youth, love, purity and all of the ideals that have crumbled along with mansions and family fortunes" (Tischier 319). Tragedy after tragedy has struck the character of Blanche DuBois of Streetcar until nothing is left except her tenuous grasp on sanity. Her young homosexual husband, Allan, kills himself, leaving her racked with guilt with which she cannot deal. It s as if the "Grim Reaper set up his tent," taking the... ... New York: Chelsea Publishers, 1987. 99-112.    Gassner, John. â€Å"Theatre at the Crossroads.New York,† Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960. pp. 77-91, 218-231.    Howell, Elmo. "The Function of Gentlemen Callers: A Note on Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie." Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie: Modern Critical Interpretations. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1988. Contemporary Literary Criticism 11 (1979): 575-576.    Nelson, Benjamin. Tennessee Williams: The Man and His Work. New York: Ivan Obolensky, 1961.    Tischler, Nancy M. "The Glass Menagerie: From Story to Play." Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie: Modern Critical Interpretations. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea Publishers, 1988.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New York: Viking Penguin, 1976.   

Discover Your Inner Economist

In his delightfully witty and humorous book, â€Å"Discover Your Inner Economist†, Cowen takes the dry and serious subject of economics from the mundane to the everyday. He begins by subtly stating that economics is not about money, but other motivations. â€Å"The critical economic problem is scarcity,† he says. â€Å"Money is scarce, but in most things the scarcity of time, attention, and caring is more important. †In a highly aimless, rambling style, Cowen leads the reader down many divergent paths from topic to topic, covering everything from how to talk your spouse out of buying a warranty on a new purchase to why your daughter will not wash the dishes to why we do not have to eat â€Å"sunk costs. † Throughout the book, two themes are clear. The first is that everyone is very self-centered, and motivation is all about â€Å"Me†, or as Cowen calls it, â€Å"the Me Factor†. The next motif, although highly correlated to the former, is cont rol. Both themes encompass the concept of identifying motivation.â€Å"The key to tapping your Inner Economist†, Cowen explains, is the ability to identify people's true incentives, which are usually more than money. Suppose you want your daughter to help out around the house by washing dishes. Should you pay her? Bad idea†, Cowen warns. â€Å"If you explain that washing dishes is her family responsibility, she may not always obey, but at least she'll feel some obligation. Bring payment into the picture, and her motivation changes. It becomes a market transaction†, writes Cowen, and â€Å"the parent becomes a boss rather than an object of deserved loyalty.† The point is that your daughter will soon come to realize that she would rather work for someone else. â€Å"Expect dirtier dishes,† Cowen concludes. Motivation and incentives are clearly interesting to us all, whether we acknowledge it or not. In his book, Cowen offers some unique theories on mo tivation and incentives. Big business is very interested in the concept of motivation; as the goal of any business is to be most productive, and this requires motivating employees to become their most productive. It is the responsibility of managers to strive to motivate employees so that they will make valuable contributions to the organization.Managers most frequently do this by offering rewards to motivate people to share their talents with the company. Managers seek to ensure that people are motivated to contribute important inputs to the organization, that these inputs are focused in the direction of high performance and that high performance results in employees obtaining the outcomes that they desire. Management theorists have come up with many theories to explain what creates a motivated workforce. Cowen believes that small improvements in understanding will bring a much better use of incentives (motivation).Cowen uses economic theory as the basis for using pattern recogniti on to incentivize. His book does not offer management theory, however, the author focuses on learning how humans in general are motivated, and these theories can be applied to business, personal lives, and just ordinary living. Study and research have proven that motivated employees are more productive than those employees who lack motivation. On this assumption, a look at some of the most widely known motivation theories may add some insight into the role of incentives as effective motivators. Frederick Herzberg’s theory is based on two factors: Hygiene and Motivation.The hygiene factors are based on extrinsic values such as salary, working conditions, ergonomics, status, and company policies. These factors, according to the theory, do not lead to motivation, but the absence of positive hygiene factors causes dissatisfaction. Herzberg’s other factor is motivation, which encompasses those work conditions that prompt intrinsic motivation. These factors include job satis faction, growth, achievement, and recognition. According to this theory, in order for employees to be motivated, there must be low levels of dissatisfaction and high levels of motivational factors.Herzberg suggests these factors should be used together to reduce dissatisfaction and increase motivation to achieve high productivity. Another famous motivation theory is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This theory is based on the concept of levels of needs in human beings. This theory suggests that each level of need must be satisfied before someone is motivated to achieve the next level. The lowest level is physiological, then safety, then love, esteem, and finally self-actualization. The following chart from Accel- Team illustrates Maslow’s theory: (Accel Team, 2007)From an economist’s point of view, in Cowen’s book, one economist, Colin Camerer took a poll at the Davos World Economics Forum and polled big business gurus as their ideas on motivation. The number one and two answers were, respectively, Recognition and Respect, and Achievement and Accomplishment. Never mind that the sources may have been slightly skewed, he was polling a particularly successful group of businessmen and not average employees, but the point is that money did not make the top two as far as incentives go. Cowen does provide money its proper place within the motivation/incentive model, however.He does not dismiss money as a primary motivator, he merely sets it aside as the single most obvious incentive to allow thought for other, equally motivating incentives. Cowen demonstrates by example how the idea of everything being â€Å"up for market† is repulsive to humans. He notes that there are some things that simply cannot be motivated through monetary incentives. At the beginning of the book, as mentioned above, Cowen discusses the resistance of his stepdaughter, Yana, to washing the dishes. After he and his wife resorted to paying her, â€Å"she did them f or about a week and then stopped,† he says.â€Å"I knew this could happen. I understood that there is such a thing as intrinsic motivation and that if you pay people, you might weaken that. What I didn’t really â€Å"get† was the control issue. That when you start paying people to do a thing, they often see it as control. † But there was a happy ending: After Yana read the book, she started doing the dishes. For free. Cowen believes that we are also consumed with the desire for control. Cowen argues that if you want to have more control of what happens around you, you need to know how to balance the kinds of incentives you offer.As far as good reading, unfortunately, there are not enough economic tricks that break down neatly into interesting advice. When he discusses the techniques for motivating your dentist, like giving them a bonus for cavities well filled, he ends with, â€Å"I don’t think I can control my dentist or receive the very best care . By giving up this quest for control, however, I might get care that is just a little better than average. † Is that really any advice, or just an economist attempting to relate to real humans? Economics cannot tell you what the price of gold will be next week.But it can help you choose good restaurants, promises Cowen. The best sections of the book concern tactics for maximizing one’s cultural consumption, (at least according to Cowen’s standards). Cowen explains that those of us who enjoy unique and tasty flavors in our meals should avoid restaurants located in fancy shopping malls or on major thoroughfares. These restaurants must pay high rents to occupy such locations and, therefore, they need customers in high volumes. Because these restaurants must appeal to large audiences, meals there will be more predictable and bland than those served in restaurants located off beaten paths.So if you're hankering for dinner at a restaurant featuring bold or unusual tas tes – at a restaurant that serves ethnic dishes that are truly authentic — you'll have better luck going to a Chinese or Ethiopian or Cajun (or whatever ethnic variety you crave) restaurant that is located on a side street or in a suburban strip mall. With lower rents to pay, such off-the-beaten-path eateries are more likely than are restaurants in high-rent locations to cater to serious foodies. Choosing a restaurant is just one of many important and surprising insights offered in Cowen's book.He lists eight strategies for taking control of one’s reading, which include ruthless skipping around, following one character while ignoring others, and even going directly to the last chapter. Your eighth-grade English teacher would faint. But the principle here is valuing the scarcity of your own time, which people often fail to do. It works for movies, too—Cowen will go to the multiplex and watch parts of three or four movies, rather than just sit through one. Why wait for a highly predictable ending when a fabulous scene might be unfolding in the movie playing next door?Cowen also offers advice for how to defeat the boredom that, despite our best intentions to be culturally literate, overtakes many of us minutes after we enter an art museum. How do we deal with this â€Å"scarcity of attention†? Pretend to be an art thief, he suggests—in every gallery, pick one picture that we’d like to run off with. Sounds juvenile, admits Cowen, but it â€Å"forces us to keep thinking critically† rather than daydream about the snack bar. Cowen doesn’t really attempt to offer serious advice. He does offer some interesting anecdotes, however.Among the most valuable insights that economics does offer about investing is to ignore anyone who announces publicly that he knows what will happen to stock prices tomorrow. Anyone who sincerely believes himself to possess such knowledge will not give it away or sell it on the chea p. To do so would be like passing out hundred-dollar bills to strangers or offering to sell hundred-dollar bills for $25 apiece: Very few people are so selfless. If I am confident that shares of, say, IBM will rise tomorrow, I don't want other people competing with me to scoop up IBM shares.But finding a good meal, well, that's a different story. The most interesting insight for me is that bygones are not always best treated as bygones. The mid-19th-century economist William Stanley Jevons famously wrote that â€Å"bygones are forever bygones. † Economists have overwhelmingly taken Jevons' statement as advice to ignore sunk costs. This advice generally is sensible. Suppose you've spent $10 million building a machine that can do nothing but produce chocolate-covered pickles. You discover soon afterward that no one wants to buy your product.Your wisest course from this point forward is to suck up the loss. Continuing to produce chocolate-covered pickles that no one wants to buy will only deepen your losses, doing nothing to help you recover your investment. But Cowen shows that bygones should not be treated as bygones in all areas of life. When our self-image is at stake, past choices — costs that are irrevocable — often remain relevant for guiding our decisions today. Self –deception is another theme through which Cowen offers examples of our â€Å"Me First† mentality.For example, many of us think of ourselves as physically fit. Because of this self-image, we often buy memberships in gyms. But on many an evening, after a long day at work, we're typically tempted to relax at home rather than spend an hour exercising at the gym. The economically â€Å"rational† decision is to stay home and relax if that's what you prefer doing this evening. After all, whether you go to the gym or not, the money you've spent on your gym membership is already spent. You'll not get that money back if you don't use the gym this evening.So the fact that you've already paid for a gym membership should not factor into your decision on whether to go to the gym today. But sometimes this fact does indeed matter. Sometimes we think, â€Å"Geez, I've paid for that gym membership. I should go. † And we then summon our remaining energy and head off for some exercise — even though if we hadn't paid for the gym membership, we definitely would avoid the gym this evening. Again, as a narrow economic matter, that's a silly thing to say and do. From a less-narrow perspective it's entirely reasonable.By going to the gym we reinforce our positive self-interest. And if the mental trick of pretending that sunk costs are relevant helps in this effort, it's a worthwhile thing to think. For a wonderfully enjoyable and practically useful read you can do no better than to discover your inner economist by reading Tyler Cowen's new book. Tyler Cowen is a professor of economics at George Mason University. He is a prominent blogger at marginalrevolution, the world's leading economics blog. He also writes regularly for The New York Times, and has written for Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.The book is a quirky, penetrating caper through everyday life that reveals how you can turn economic reasoning to your advantage—often when you least expect it to be relevant. Cowen aims to not â€Å"hit the reader over the head with economic principles, † but to offer an alternative viewpoint of economics and how it really can improve anyone’s everyday life. Even if you don't agree with all of Cowen's cheerfully offered opinions, it's a pleasure to accompany him through his various interests and obsessions.

The Golden Lily Chapter 9

THOSE OF US WHO KNEW what to look for could instantly spot Moroi by their pale complexions and tall, slim builds. To most human eyes, those features stood out but weren't a vampire tip-off. Humans just noted the features as striking and unusual, much as Lia regarded Jill as the perfect ethereal runway form. I didn't want to play upon stereotypes, but after a quick assessment of Mr. Ivashkov's Moroi-paleness, long face, dour look, and silver hair, I kind of wondered that he didn't get mistaken for a vampire more often. No, vampire wasn't really the correct term, I decided. More like undertaker. â€Å"Dad,† said Adrian stiffly. â€Å"Always a pleasure.† â€Å"For some of us.† His father studied me, and I saw his eyes fall on my cheek. He extended a hand. I took it, proud that shaking hands with Moroi was a non-event for me now. â€Å"Nathan Ivashkov.† â€Å"Sydney Sage,† I replied. â€Å"It's very nice to meet you, sir.† â€Å"I met Sage while I was bumming around out here,† explained Adrian. â€Å"She was nice enough to give me a ride from ll.A. today since I don't have a car.† Nathan looked at me in astonishment. â€Å"That's a long drive.† Not nearly as long as the drive from Palm Springs, but we'd figured it would be safest – and more believable – to let him think Adrian was in Los Angeles. â€Å"I don't mind, sir,† I said. I glanced over at Adrian. â€Å"I'll go get some work done. You want to text me when you're ready to go?† â€Å"Work?† he asked in disgust. â€Å"Come on, Sage. Go buy a bikini and enjoy the pool while you're hanging around.† Nathan looked between us incredulously. â€Å"You made her drive you out here, and now you're just going to make her wait around for your convenience?† â€Å"Really,† I said. â€Å"I don't – â€Å" â€Å"She's an Alchemist,† continued Nathan. â€Å"Not a chauffeur. There's a big difference.† Actually, there were days at Amberwood I doubted that. â€Å"Come, Miss Sage. If you've wasted your day driving my son here, the least I can do is buy you lunch.† I shot a panicked look at Adrian. It wasn't panicked because I was afraid of being with Moroi. I'd long since gotten used to these sorts of situations. What I was unsure of was if Adrian really wanted me around for his family reunion. That hadn't been part of the plan. Also, I wasn't sure that I really wanted to be around for said reunion either. â€Å"Dad – † Adrian attempted. â€Å"I insist,† said Nathan crisply. â€Å"Pay attention and learn common courtesy.† He turned and began walking away, assuming we'd follow. We did. â€Å"Should I find a reason to leave?† I whispered to Adrian. â€Å"Not when he uses his ‘I insist' voice,† came the muttered response. For a moment, catching sight of the gorgeous terrace restaurant and its sunny ocean view, I thought I could handle the Ivashkovs. Sitting out there in that warmth and beauty would be well worth the drama. Then, Nathan walked right past the balcony doors and led us to the elevator. We followed obediently. He took us down to the hotel's ground floor, to a pub called The Corkscrew. The place was dim and windowless, with low-hanging wood beams and black leather booths. Oak barrels lined the walls, and what light there was came filtered through red glass lamps. Aside from a lone bartender, the pub was empty, which didn't entirely surprise me this time of day. What did surprise me was that Nathan had taken us here instead of the ritzy outdoor restaurant. The guy was dressed in an expensive suit that looked like it had come straight from a Manhattan boardroom. Why he'd ignore a trendy, elite restaurant for lunch and instead choose a stuffy, dark – Dark. I nearly groaned. Of course the terrace wasn't an option, not with Moroi. The sunny afternoon that made such enchanting conditions for me would have resulted in a pretty miserable lunch for the Ivashkovs – not that either of them looked like they planned on enjoying this one anyway. â€Å"Mr. Ivashkov,† said the bartender. â€Å"Nice to see you back.† â€Å"Can I get food delivered down here again?† asked Nathan. â€Å"Of course.† Again. This subterranean lair had probably been Nathan's mainstay for all meals since arriving in San Diego. I allowed the terrace one last, wistful thought and then followed Nathan and Adrian inside. Nathan selected a corner table intended for eight people. Maybe he liked his space. Or maybe he liked pretending he was presiding over a corporate meeting. The bartender gave us menus and took drink orders. I got coffee. Adrian ordered a martini, earning disapproving looks from his father and me. â€Å"It's barely noon,† said Nathan. â€Å"I know,† said Adrian. â€Å"I'm surprised I held out that long too.† Nathan ignored the comment and turned to me. â€Å"You're very young. You must have just started with the Alchemists.† â€Å"They start us all young,† I agreed. â€Å"I've been working on my own for a little over a year.† â€Å"I admire that. Shows a great deal of responsibility and initiative.† He nodded thanks as the bartender set down a bottle of sparkling water. â€Å"It's no secret how the Alchemists feel about us, but at the same time, your group does a lot of good for us. Your efficiency is particularly remarkable. Too bad my own people don't pay more attention to that example.† â€Å"How are things with the Moroi?† I asked. â€Å"With the queen?† Nathan almost smiled. â€Å"Are you saying you don't know?† I did – at least, I knew what the Alchemists knew. â€Å"It's always different hearing an insider's perspective, sir.† He chuckled. It was a harsh sound, like laughing wasn't something Nathan Ivashkov had much practice with. â€Å"The situation's better than it was. Not great, though. That girl's smart, I'll give her that.† I assumed â€Å"that girl† was Vasilisa Dragomir, teenage queen of the Moroi and Rose's best friend. â€Å"I'm sure she'd rather be passing dhampir laws and hereditary laws – but she knows those are only going to anger her opponents. So, she's finding ways to compromise on other issues and has won a few of her enemies over to her already.† The hereditary laws. Those were of interest to me. There were twelve royal lines among the Moroi, and Vasilisa and Jill were the only two left in theirs. Current Moroi law said a monarch had to have at least one other family member, which was how Jill had become such a political game piece. Even hardcore assassins would have a difficult time taking out a wellguarded queen. Removing her half sister would provide the sa me results, however, and invalidate Vasilisa's rule. That was why Jill had ended up in hiding. Nathan's thoughts followed the same lines. â€Å"She's also smart to hide that bastard sister of hers.† I knew he meant â€Å"bastard† in the sense of an illegitimate child, not an insult, but I still winced. â€Å"Rumor has it your people know something about that. Don't suppose you'd give me an insider's perspective on it?† I shook my head and tried to keep my tone friendly. â€Å"Sorry, sir. Insight only goes so far.† After a few moments of silence, Nathan cleared his throat. â€Å"Well, Adrian. What is it you wanted?† Adrian took a sip of his martini. â€Å"Oh, did you just notice I was here? I thought you'd come to see Sydney.† I sank into my chair a little. This was exactly the kind of situation I'd wanted to avoid. â€Å"Why must every question yield some difficult answer with you?† asked Nathan wearily. â€Å"Maybe it's the kinds of questions you ask, Dad.† This pub wasn't going to be big enough to hold the rapidly increasing tension. Every instinct told me to become invisible, but I found myself speaking anyway. â€Å"Adrian's in college,† I said. â€Å"Taking art classes. He's very talented.† Adrian shot me a questioning – but amused – look at that. Some of his pieces were quite good. Others – especially when he'd been drinking – looked like he'd accidentally spilled paint on canvas. I'd helpfully told him so on a number of occasions. Nathan looked unimpressed. â€Å"Yes. He's done that before. It didn't last.† â€Å"Different time, different place,† I said. â€Å"Things can change. People can change.† â€Å"But often, they don't,† declared Nathan. The bartender returned to take our lunch orders, though none of us had even looked at the menus yet. â€Å"I'll just order for us all, shall I?† Nathan opened the menu and scanned it quickly. â€Å"Bring us a platter of the garlic butter mushrooms, the goat cheese fondue, the bacon-wrapped scallops, and the fried oyster Caesar salad. Enough for three on the salad, obviously.† The bartender made a couple of quick notes and was gone before I could even say a word. â€Å"Heavy-handed much, Dad?† asked Adrian. â€Å"You didn't even ask if we minded you ordering.† Nathan looked unconcerned. â€Å"I've eaten here before. I know what's good. Trust me, you'll like it.† â€Å"Sage won't eat any of that.† This really would be easier, I decided, if they'd both just pretend I didn't exist. â€Å"Why ever not?† asked Nathan, looking at me curiously. â€Å"Are you allergic to seafood?† â€Å"She only eats healthy stuff,† said Adrian. â€Å"Everything you just got is dripping in fat.† â€Å"A little butter won't hurt her. You'll both see that I'm right. It's all good. Besides,† Nathan added, pausing to sip at his water. â€Å"I did order a salad for the table. Lettuce is healthy.† I didn't even attempt to point out that no amount of Romaine was going to make up for fried oysters or Caesar dressing. I wouldn't have had a chance to speak up anyway because Adrian was on a roll and – I noticed with some surprise – halfway through his martini. â€Å"You see?† he said in disgust. â€Å"That's exactly how you operate. You assume you know best for everyone. You just go ahead and make these decisions, not bothering to consult with anyone, because you're so certain you're right.† â€Å"In my vast experience,† said Nathan coldly, â€Å"I am usually right. When you too possess that kind of experience – when you can actually claim to be an authority on, well, anything – then you can also be trusted with important decisions.† â€Å"This is lunch,† Adrian argued back. â€Å"Not a life or death decision. All I'm saying is that you could have at least made some effort to include others. Obviously, your ‘vast experience' doesn't apply to normal courtesies.† Nathan glanced over at me. â€Å"Have I been anything but courteous to you, Miss Sage?† My chair, much to my dismay, didn't swallow me up or offer to hide me. Adrian finished his martini in a gulp and held up the glass to catch the bartender's eye. â€Å"Leave her out of it,† Adrian told his father. â€Å"Don't try to manipulate her into proving your point.† â€Å"I hardly need to manipulate anyone into proving my point,† said Nathan. â€Å"I think it's made.† â€Å"Lunch will be fine,† I blurted out, fully aware that this altercation between father and son really had nothing to do with my eating habits. â€Å"I need to try more things anyway.† â€Å"Don't give in to him, Sydney,† warned Adrian. â€Å"That's how he gets away with walking all over people – especially women. He's done it to my mom for years.† The bartender silently appeared and replaced the empty martini glass with a full one. â€Å"Please,† said Nathan, with a heavy sigh. â€Å"Let's leave your mother out of this.† â€Å"Should be easy enough,† said Adrian. I could see lines of tension in his face. His mother was a sensitive topic. â€Å"Seeing as you always do. I've been trying to get an answer out of you for weeks on how she's doing! Hell, I've just been trying to figure out where she's even at. Is that so hard for you to give up? She can't be in maximum security. They must let her get letters.† â€Å"It's better that you don't have contact with her while she's incarcerated,† said Nathan. Even I was amazed at how coldly he spoke about his wife. Adrian sneered and took a sip of his new martini. â€Å"There we are again: you knowing what's best for everyone. You know, I'd really, really like to think you're keeping this avoidance attitude with her because it hurts too much. I know that if the woman I loved was locked away, I'd be doing everything in my power to reach her. For you? Maybe it's too hard. Maybe the only way you can cope without her is to block her out – and by keeping me away too. I could almost understand that.† â€Å"Adrian – † began Nathan. â€Å"But that's not it, is it? You don't want me to have contact – and you probably aren't having contact – because you're embarrassed.† Adrian was really getting worked up now. â€Å"You want to distance us and pretend what she did doesn't exist. You want to pretend that she doesn't exist. She's ruined the family reputation.† Nathan fixed his son with a steely look. â€Å"Considering your own reputation, I'd think you would see the wisdom in not associating with someone who has done what she's done.† â€Å"What, screw up?† Adrian demanded. â€Å"We all screw up. Everyone makes mistakes. That's what she did. It was bad judgment, that's all. You don't cut off the people you love for mistakes like that.† â€Å"She did it because of you,† said Nathan. His tone left no question about what he thought of that decision. â€Å"Because you couldn't leave well enough alone with that dhampir girl. You had to flaunt your relationship with her, nearly getting yourself in as much trouble as her in your aunt's murder. That's why your mother did what she did – to protect you. Because of your irresponsibility, she's in prison now. All of this is your fault.† Adrian went pale – more so than usual – and looked too shocked to even attempt any response. He picked up his martini again, and I was almost certain I could see his hands shaking. It was right around then that two waiters from the upstairs restaurant showed up with our food. We stared in silence as they arranged our place settings and artfully laid out the platters of food. Looking at all that food made me nauseous, and it had nothing to do with the oill or salt content. â€Å"Mr. Ivashkov,† I began, despite every reasonable voice in my head screaming at me to shut up. â€Å"It's unfair to blame Adrian for her choices, especially when he didn't even realize what she was doing. I know he would do anything for her. If he'd been able to stop this – or take her place – he would have.† â€Å"You're sure of that, huh?† Nathan was piling his plate with food and seemed quite excited about it. Neither Adrian nor I had an appetite. â€Å"Well, Miss Sage, I'm sorry to shatter your illusions, but it seems you – like so many other young women – have been fooled by my son's fast-talking ways. I can assure you, he has never done anything that didn't serve his own interests first. He has no initiative, no ambition, no follow-through. From a very early age, he was constantly breaking rules, never listening to what others had to say if it didn't suit what he wanted. I'm not really surprised his college attempts have failed – and I assure you, this one will too – because he barely made it out of high school. It wasn't even about the drinking, the girls, and the stunts he pulled†¦ he just didn't care. He ignored his work. It was only through our influence and checkbook that he managed to graduate. Since then, it's been a constant downward spiral.† Adrian looked like he'd been slapped. I wanted to reach out and comfort him, but even I was still in shock from Nathan's words. Adrian clearly was too. It was one thing to go on and on about how you thought your father was disappointed in you. It was an entirely different thing to hear your father explain it in excruciating detail. I knew because I had been in both situations. â€Å"Honestly, I don't even mind the drinking so much, so long as it knocks him out and keeps him quiet,† continued Nathan, through a mouth full of goat cheese. â€Å"You think his mother suffers now? I assure you, she's far better off. She was up countless nights, crying over whatever trouble he'd gotten himself into. Keeping him away from her now isn't about me or him. It's for her. At least now, she doesn't have to hear about his latest antics or worry about him. Ignorance is bliss. She's in a better place not having contact with him, and I intend to keep it that way.† He offered the scallops to me, as though he hadn't just delivered a huge chastisement without taking a breath. â€Å"You really should try this. Protein's good for you, you know.† I shook my head, unable to find words. Adrian took a deep breath. â€Å"Really, Dad? I come all the way here to see you, to ask you to give me some way to contact her†¦ and this is all I get? That she's better off not talking to me?† Looking at him, I had a feeling he was working very hard to stay calm and reasonable. Breaking into snarky Adrian retorts wouldn't win him any ground, and he knew it. Nathan looked startled. â€Å"Is that the only reason you came here?† It was clear from his tone that he thought it was a foolish reason. Adrian bit his lip, probably again to hold back his true feelings. I was impressed at his control. â€Å"I also thought†¦ well, that maybe you'd want to hear how I was doing. I thought you might be glad to know I was doing something useful.† I gasped. For a moment, his father simply stared. Then, his confusion melted into one of those awkward laughs. â€Å"Ah. You're joking. I was puzzled for a moment.† â€Å"I'm done with this,† said Adrian. In a flash, he downed his martini and was out of his seat, heading toward the door. Nathan continued eating undisturbed, but I was on my feet as well. It was only when I was halfway across the pub, trying to catch up with Adrian, that Nathan bothered to say anything else. â€Å"Miss Sage?† Every part of me wanted to run after Adrian, but I paused to glance back at his father. Nathan had taken out his wallet and was flipping through a stack of bills. â€Å"Here. Allow me to pay you for your gas and your time.† He held the cash out, and I almost laughed. Adrian had forced himself to come here for all sorts of reasons, money being one of them. He'd never gotten a chance to ask for it, yet here his father was, offering it up. I didn't move. â€Å"I don't want anything from you,† I said. â€Å"Unless it's an apology to Adrian.† Nathan gave me another blank look. He seemed sincerely confused. â€Å"What do I have to apologize for?† I left. Adrian had either taken the stairs or immediately caught an elevator because there was no sign of him outside the pub. I went back up to the lobby and peered around anxiously. A bellman passed by, and I flagged him down. â€Å"Excuse me. Where's the nearest place you can smoke?† He nodded back toward the front door. â€Å"Far side of the circle drive.† I thanked him and practically ran outside. Sure enough, over in the designated smoking area, Adrian was leaning against an ornate fence in the shade of an orange tree, lighting up. I hurried over to him. â€Å"Adrian,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Are you okay?† He took a long drag on his cigarette. â€Å"Is that really a question you want to ask, Sage?† â€Å"He was out of line,† I said adamantly. â€Å"He had no business saying any of that about you.† Adrian inhaled on the cigarette again and then dropped it to the sidewalk. He stamped the cigarette out with the toe of his shoe. â€Å"Let's just go back to Palm Springs.† I glanced back at the hotel. â€Å"We should get you some water or something. You took down that vodka pretty fast.† He nearly smiled. Nearly. â€Å"Takes a lot more than that to make me sick. I won't throw up in your car. I promise. I just don't want to stick around and risk seeing him again.† I complied, and before long, we were back on the road again. We'd spent less time in San Diego than it had taken to drive there. Adrian stayed silent, and this time, I didn't try to coax him out or distract him with meaningless conversation. No words of mine would help. I doubted anyone's words would help. I didn't blame Adrian for his mood. I'd feel the same way if my father had laid into me like that in public. Still, I wished there was something I could do to ease Adrian's pain. Some small comfort to give him a moment of peace. My chance came when I saw a small gas station outside of Escondido with a sign reading BEST SLUSHES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HERE AT JUMBO JIM'S! I remembered his joke about switching to a slush-based diet. I turned my car off the highway, even though I knew it was silly. What was a slush compared to the disaster we'd just left behind? Still, I had to do something – anything – to make Adrian feel better. He didn't even seem to notice we'd stopped there until I was getting out of the car. â€Å"What's up?† he asked, managing to drag himself out of his dark thoughts. The look on his face tore me apart. â€Å"You've got half a tank.† â€Å"Be right back,† I said. I returned five minutes later, a cup in each hand, and managed to knock on his window. He got out of the car, truly puzzled now. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"Slushes,† I said. â€Å"Cherry for you. You have to drink it out here, though. I'm not risking the car.† Adrian blinked a couple of times, as though maybe I was a mirage brought on by too much sunlight. â€Å"What is this? A pity party for me? Because I'm so pathetic?† â€Å"It's not always about you,† I scolded. â€Å"I saw the sign and wanted a slush. Figured you'd want one too. If you don't, I'll throw it away and just drink mine.† I only got one step away before he stopped me and took the bright red slush. We leaned against the car together and drank without talking for a while. â€Å"Man,† he finally said, when we were about halfway through. There was a look of wonder in his eyes. â€Å"I'd forgotten how good these are. What kind did you get?† â€Å"Blue raspberry.† He nodded and slurped loudly on his. That dark mood still hung around him, and I knew a childhood beverage wasn't going to undo what his father had done anytime soon. The best I could hope for was a few moments of peace for him. We finished shortly thereafter and tossed the cups in the trash. When we got back in Latte, Adrian sighed wearily and rubbed his eyes. â€Å"God, those are awesome. I think I needed that. The vodka may have hit me harder than I thought. Glad you decided to branch out into something that isn't coffee for a change.† â€Å"Hey, if they'd had coffee flavor, you know I would've gotten it.† â€Å"That's disgusting,† he said. â€Å"There isn't enough sugar in the world to make that even remotely – † He stopped and gave me a startled look. In fact, he looked so shocked that I stopped backing up and kicked the car back into park. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked. â€Å"The slush. That thing's like 99 percent sugar. You just drank one, Sage.† He seemed to interpret my silence as though perhaps I hadn't understood. â€Å"You just drank liquid sugar.† â€Å"Maybe you drank liquid sugar,† I said. â€Å"Mine was sugar free.† I hoped I sounded convincing. â€Å"Oh.† I couldn't tell if he was relieved or disappointed. â€Å"You freaked me out there for a minute.† â€Å"You should've known better.† â€Å"Yeah. I suppose so.† He fell back into his blue mood, the slushes only a temporary distraction. â€Å"You know what the worst part of all that was?† I knew we were back to his father, not slushes. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You'd think it'd be that I didn't get the money or that he just ripped my life apart or that he has no faith in me sticking to college. But that's okay. I'm used to that from him. What really bothers me is that I really did ruin my mom's life.† â€Å"I can't imagine you did,† I said, shocked at his words. â€Å"Like you pointed out, we still love people who make mistakes. I'm sure she loves you too. Anyway, that's something you need to discuss with her – not him.† He nodded. â€Å"The other thing that bothered me†¦ well, he said all that in front of you.† That was a shock too. I brushed it off, feeling a little flustered that he would think so much of my opinion. Why should he care? â€Å"Don't worry about me. I've been with much more abrasive people than him.† â€Å"No, no†¦ I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian looked at me and then quickly averted his eyes. â€Å"After what he said about me, I can't stand the thought that you might think less of me.† I was so surprised that I couldn't muster a response right away. When I did, I just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. â€Å"Of course I don't.† He still wouldn't look at me, apparently not believing my words. â€Å"Adrian.† I laid my hand over his and felt a warm spark of connection. He jerked his head toward me in astonishment. â€Å"Nothing he said could change what I think of you. I've had my mind made up about you for a long time†¦ and it's all good.† Adrian looked away from me and down to where my hand covered his. I blushed and pulled away. â€Å"Sorry.† I'd probably freaked him out. He glanced back up at me. â€Å"Best thing that's happened to me all day. Let's hit the road.† We got back on the highway, and I found myself distracted by two things. First was my hand. It still tingled and felt warm from where I'd touched his, which was kind of funny. People always thought vampires were cold, but they weren't. Certainly not Adrian. The sensation was fading the longer I drove, but I kind of wished it'd stay. The other thing that kept distracting me was all that sugar I'd just consumed. I kept running my tongue over my teeth. My whole mouth was coated in sickening sweetness. I wanted to brush my teeth and then drink a bottle of mouthwash. Liquid sugar. Yes, that was exactly what it had been. I hadn't wanted to drink one, but I'd known if I'd just brought a slush for Adrian, he really would've read that as pity and refused. I had to act as though I'd wanted one too, with him as an afterthought. He seemed to have believed my lie about the drink's sugar content, though a quick trip into the gas station would have quickly alerted him to the fact that Jumbo Jim's most certainly didn't carry sugar-free slushes. I'd asked them. They'd laughed. Skipping lunch wasn't going to compensate for those calories, I thought glumly. And I wasn't going to get that sugary taste out of my mouth anytime soon. With as quickly as Adrian had sunk back into his depression, I suddenly felt stupid for even attempting this ruse. A slush couldn't change what his father had said, and I'd be a pound up on the scale tomorrow. This probably hadn't been worth it. Then, I thought back to that brief moment by the car, and Adrian's fleeting look of contentment, followed later by: God, those are awesome. I think I needed that. A brief moment of peace in the midst of his dark despair. That was what I had wanted, and that was what I had gotten. Was it worth it? I rubbed my fingertips together, still feeling that warmth. Yes, I decided. Yes, it was worth it.