Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay Example

Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in nineteen twenty-two in the Metropolitan Magazine.   Fitzgerald was labeled the spokesperson for the reckless youth of the nineteen twenties and for a good reason.   He was a part of this reckless youth, he was eloquent, and he had an insight of where it would lead that the others did not.   The theme of the short story is Fitzgerald’s insight to those who get carried away in attaining the American Dream and see it as an attainment for wealth and only wealth and how that alone does not make an individual happy.Dexter Green, the protagonist, comes from an upper middle class family and is dissatisfied from his youth.   He wants to attain wealth and the all of the things in life that he associates with the wealthy.   Golfing, belonging to a country club, and possessing the richest girl in town are all things that Dexter thinks he has to have to prove that he has achieved his goal.   He does become a wealthy man, he comes home to be accepted in the social circles where he was once only good enough to work, but he has not achieved the goal of obtaining Judy Jones, the daughter of the wealthiest man in town. Judy Jones is a horrible person who does not know how to love, yet what she represents means more to Dexter than the person He is not satisfied with what he has, because he cannot have it all.   Fitzgerald saw this as becoming a problem with the materialistic attitudes of the nineteen twenties.   Today it is easy to look back and see that if those living then would have just realized what they had, and appreciated things, then the crash of twenty-nine might not have happened.   Even though it is easy to see this now when one looks back, it is difficult to internalize about the present generation.Fitzgerald’s style is evident in Winter Dreams because he uses his characteristic descriptive details and his realistic dialogue.   Fitzgerald was a melancholy person, and in his writin g he points out the sins of his generations and generations to come, but it is obvious through his tone that he feels that people will not learn from their mistakes and will be doomed to repeat them.   The substitution of the word winter for American when it comes to dreams is symbolic of the things that are cold with no feeling and glitter in the sunlight.   They also melt away when warmth is applied.   This short story that is structured into sections which skip several years between each of the parts is ironic in that Dexter does not achieve his winter dream because it was impossible from the start.Winter Dreams is a short story that is universal.   It spoke volumes to people of the nineteen twenties and to every generation since.   When people chase winter dreams, they will fade before their eyes just like the season.

#2 Ishmael Assignment Example

#2 Ishmael Assignment Example #2 Ishmael Assignment – Assignment Example Ishmael Novel Introduction The narrator of the story is concerned with the categories of people who are takers and the leavers. The takers refer to the kind of people who are influenced by the pleasures of this world and believe on procreation thus altering most of God’s creation. The leavers are regarded to those who live according to the God’s will therefore acting as role models to clearly exemplify the power of God over our lives and that we cannot determine our destiny. The new developments in our world today have been influenced by the takers that some have gone to extend to be viewed as semi gods (John Wiley, 2000). The world experiences most of these scenarios where human beings have believed to control the human life and our daily activities. The health sector for instance have innovated medical services that alters the physical appearance of an individual.The new innovations include plastic surgery that alters the physical appearance of and one can take new co lour complexion. This has been as a result of man’s effort to control human aging to enable them look more young and energetic. The other exploration by the takers in our current world is the practices of body organs transplant once the patients are infected with various diseses.These include kidney, eye transplants and use of innovated limbs especially when attacked by the cancer. This clearly indicates the man’s efforts in controlling human life’s. Leavers on the other hand when infected with such diseases should set good examples by accepting how God created them (John Wiley, 2000). In conclusion the narrator emphasizes on the effects of takers in influencing our daily lives. However the leavers who have believe with our God who controls our lives should act as role models to the takers to demonstrate the greatness of our creator.ReferenceJohn Wiley (2000).Ishmael novel. Retrieved 23 September, 2012.From

International business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

International business - Assignment Example Face book provides and creates and effective platform for developing and improving the partnership between the development of the business and the non-profit organization for conducting good social programs. Face book alone serves and includes 1.11 billion users across the world. Facebook can be considered potentially for providing business to the millions of users in the new and emerging market. The development of the face book across the world has increased the complexity of the world. The complexity comprises of the opportunities and the obstacles for carrying out international business that are challenged continuously. Face book has failed to enter and penetrate in the Chinese market because of the rumour which in indicates that it may enter into partnership with Baidu which will penetrate the Chinese market and will overcome the barriers that have settled or established the internet brands of US in China. But it is likely that face book may face the censorship which is practiced by all Chinese websites. The changes and modification in the technology have developed the mechanism towards the growth and development of the international business. The reduction of the barrier in the movement of the trade and the capital has resulted in the flow of the import, export and the foreign direct investment. The multinational organization has developed as the prime agent of the coordination of the international economies. The international business promotes and improves the ability for generating innovations and delivering the goods and services in the market. The growing and development of the new industrialized countries such as China has lead to the development of the activities related to international business. At the firm level the productivity, cost and the market share are all considered as the prime indicator for increasing the competitiveness in the international business. The economies have widened and expanded in the recent years due to the

The Presence of Racism is Shakespeare's Othello Essay

The Presence of Racism is Shakespeare's Othello - Essay Example Therefore, after the Reformation, it represented an antagonistic political and religious force against Protestantism in England. At that time, Italy was the site of classical Roman history and civilization which paved the way for the "Renaissance" of European culture from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century. (Nostbakken, 2000) Differences matter. Othello was not a Venetian by birth and therefore his status is ambivalent: he both belongs and does not belong to the city of Venice. He belongs because he is Venice's military general whose main role was to defend the city from possible invaders, and he is a Christian who shared a common religion with his fellow Venetian citizens. However, he is also a real stranger from a strange country, a foreigner and an outsider. The play manifests the inherent tension which exists between the differences that set him apart and the qualities that allow him to play a respected and vital role in the city's day-to-day life. Cassio, another key character of this play, is an outsider but he is less of a stranger compared to Othello for he is a European gentleman. Cassio comes from the beautiful Italian city of Florence. Othello, in contrast comes from the unknown and misunderstood world of Africa. (Nostbakken, 2000) The courtesans of Venice were prostitutes serving an upper-c... In this play, Shakespeare presents the strong positive and negative impact of identity by exploiting many degrees of difference between various characters of the play as distinguished by their rank and status, and by their places of origin, adoption, or conquest. Shakespeare wrote this play for English audiences in the early seventeenth century and this play reflected and responded to problems, situations, and problems of the period. Hence, the play showed identities defined by differences as well as similarities. In a sense, the responses of English audiences were also influenced by their own sense of identity as a nation.Iago's character speaks for the corruption and intrigue in Venice. In the first scene, he implies the practice of political prejudice, as opposed to impartiality, by explaining that friendship gained Cassio the title of lieutenancy while Iago's attempts had failed. Iago acts as a model of self-interest rather than duty. Iago's advice to Roderigo to "put money in th y purse" exemplified the naked greed that foreigners identified with Venice's highly prosperous merchant economy. Iago is inherently revengeful, scheming, and manipulative. His dominance in the play mirrors the dark side of humanity and also the dark side of Venice. Iago is a true native of Venice and he belongs there in a way that Othello, the outsider, does not. (Nostbakken, 2000) Venetian women were perceived to be very deceptive. Desdemona was shown as a "super-subtle Venetian" and suspects practically every man and woman as being unfaithful, adulterous, or promiscuous. However, Desdemona does not fit the Venetian stereotype of infidelity and deception. She was a faithful woman.

Biogeochemical Cycles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biogeochemical Cycles - Assignment Example The present research has identified that a nitrogen cycle consists of a gas phase and a mineral phase. Since plants require nitrogen as a mineral rather than a gas, they receive their requisite via biological nitrogen fixation, aided by bacteria. Legumes play an important role by giving them a home and transferring the fixed organic nitrogen, thus produced, in the ecosystem through food chains. Animals, for the purposes of energy, break down proteins and organic compounds and excretes the ammonium ion form of nitrogen. Either the plants reabsorb it or bacteria convert it into nitrate, hence creating an organic cycle. â€Å"The key processes in a carbon cycle are of respiration and photosynthesis. During the process of respiration, carbohydrates and oxygen in a combination, produces carbon dioxide, water, and energy†. Whereas, during the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide produces the carbohydrates and oxygen, back again. Besides being liberated by a plant, either the ca rbon remains in them when they die or animals eat plant and respire them back into the atmosphere through respiration. Moreover, either decomposer decompose actively cycled carbon in a dead organic matter to release it back into an atmosphere or the dead matter stays intact to form coal, oil or natural gas (fossil fuels). As per hydrogen cycle, since, the largest reservoir for hydrogen is water; electrons from H2O, H2S, and low-molecular-weight organic compounds reduce CO2 whereas the electrons from reduced organic compounds travel through the respiratory chain to ultimately form water from dioxygen reduction. Moreover, anaerobic fermentation, photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation produces and releases free gaseous H2. The life-supporting oxygen has three sources, atmosphere, water and carbon dioxide.

Sociological Perspectives And The Functionalist Perspectives Sociology Essay

Sociological Perspectives And The Functionalist Perspectives Sociology Essay The first sociological perspective that I will use to try to explain the Bertram family scenario is the functionalist perspective. The functionalist perspective evolved from the work of Emile Durkheim (1858-1917), though it was shaped by Harvard sociologist Talcott Parsons during the mid-20th century.    Functionalism can be summed up simply: the world is a system of interrelated parts, and each part makes a necessary contribution to the vitality of the system (Bohm, 1997: 82). Functionalism examines society through a functional framework which stresses that everything, no matter how seemingly strange, out of place, or harmful, serves a purpose. A useful analogy to use would be all the different parts of the body and how they function to keep the human body alive. All organs in the human body depend on each other and each is vital, performing an overall function. Social systems work in much the same way as an organic system. Societies have established structures within which are es tablished beliefs and practices. All members of society are expected to conform and behave acceptably. The institutional arrangements, for example, political or religious arrangements, exist in society not by choice of its citizens but because they perform a specific function for the social structure as a whole. People within these social structures know and agree on how to behave, living their lives in the right ways from which society benefits (Jones 2003:39). Functionalism holds that everyone and everything in society, no matter how strange it may seem, serves a purpose.   Crime, for example, is viewed almost universally as a nuisance.   Functionalists, however, point out that crime serves several purposes.   Durkheim concluded that crime and deviance serve three major functions for society: deviance clarifies or reaffirms societal norms, it promotes social unity, and it challenges the status quo.   Deviance can bring into question the status quo, forcing society to reth ink previously held norms.   For example, acts perceived as criminal or deviant were critical in shaping the rights movements for African Americans, women, and homosexuals in the United States.   Without questioning the traditional way of treating disadvantaged groups, the norms of discrimination and prejudice could not be broken. Criticisms of functionalism focus on its acceptance and rationalization of social inequality and societal evils.   Since functionalism holds that all aspects of society are necessary, human rights issues like poverty, hunger, slavery, and genocide must be accounted for.   Critics suggest that functionalism can be used as a rationalization of such issues.   The perspective is also criticized for its lack of testability, which is critical for upholding any social science theory.   Several questions stand against its reliability.   Still, it has its strong points, such as its ability to explain crime and deviance.   Functionalism essentially s erves as the most traditionalist of the sociological schools of thought. As with all the other different parts of society family has a role to play in the functioning of society and each family member has a role to play. Mrs Bertram is no longer able to perform the social roles that society expects of her (for example, mother and wife). In the scenario of the Bertram family, Mrs Bertram could be seen to have taken on the sick role. The functionalist perspective of illness is that it disrupts society; it too is a form of deviance. A functionalist perspective would suggest that social services would need to control the deviance by either putting Mrs Bertram into residential care or by providing services for her at home, in order to bring her back in line with societys expectation of her. Similarly the social worker would also expect Mr Bertrams deviant behaviour to be dealt with. The fact that he is leaving his wife alone for extended periods of time and is generally not caring for her as would be expected of a husband could be viewed as deviant behaviour. The Bertrams are from a generation where gender roles were very specific and Mr Bertram is probably struggling with the role reversal, so would need support with this. Mr Bertrams possible alcoholism could also be viewed as a form of deviance that would need to be brought under control by perhaps providing him with support to overcome it. Feminist theory became established in the 1960s. What defines feminism is the view that womens relative subordination must be questioned and challenged (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005:16). The feministic view is that women are oppressed and their freedom to act and express themselves is limited by the relative power of men, as they tend to possess more economic, cultural and social resources than women. There is a wide range of feminist views due to the failure to agree on ways to explain subordination of women or how women can be liberated or what actually constitutes oppression (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005). As a result there are many varying feminist perspectives drawing on a wide range of disciplines. According to Abbott Wallace and Tyler (2005) early feminists have focussed on issues relating to questions of power, knowledge and subjectivity. Liberal feminism sees gender prejudice as a matter of individual ignorance (Jones 2003:91). Liberal feminists believe inequalities ca n be eradicated by putting in place anti-discrimination laws and by promoting non-sexist attitudes. Marxist feminists believe that womens subordination serves the needs of capitalism (Jones 2003:92). Marxist feminists argue that subordination of women in capitalist societies is best explained by understanding the economic disadvantages that they face. Radical feminism sometimes referred to as gynocentrism affirms that patriarchy is the key to understanding social structures and patriarchal relations are universal and elemental (Jones, 2003:94). The term patriarch is used widely to refer to a society based on universal male supremacy and female subordination (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005:33). This perspective is concerned with womens rights rather than gender equality and it emphasises the difference between men and women. Within radical feminism the family is seen as a key instrument of womens oppression through sexual and maternal obligation. Feminists who adopt this perspective are concerned with the way women perpetuate mens control when they become so oppressed by patriarchal ideologies. Feminist theories of social work have been criticised recently for treating women generically and displaying insufficient sensitivity to the complex ways in which other social divisions such as race, age, disability, etc impact on gender relations. (Dominelli 2002) Mrs Bertram could be seen by feminists to be suffering at the hands of a patriarchal society. She has been lured into dependency by Mr Bertrams charming ways. It could be argued that Mrs Bertram found the prospect of marrying into a higher social class rather appealing. Radical feminists argue that all relationships between men and women are institutionalised relationships of power (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005:35). Mrs Bertram does not appear to be an equal in the marriage and her illness has further exacerbated her powerlessness. Mr Bertram has all control of the finances and probably all major decisions affecting Mrs Bertram, especially as she now lacks capacity, further reinforcing her subordination. It is unclear whether Mrs Bertram has ever worked, if she has not Marxist feminists would argue that this was to the benefit of a capitalist society as she provided, when she was able, free domestic services to sustain her husband. Mrs Bertrams reasons for wanting to stay with her husband may be due to her ideological view of marriage. Feminists argue that married women do not have an identity separate to their husbands (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005) and she may be trying to hold on to what little she has left of her identity as she is slowly losing her faculties due to the Alzheimers. Her ideological view masks the real subordination she faces at the hands of her husband. This is further reinforced by his neglect of her needs and failure to care for his wife as a husband would be expected to. The psychodynamic theory was pioneered by Freud and later developed by a number of writers. Freud argued that there were various levels of conscious and unconscious thought. The id which is the source of basic urges and the drive to survive. The superego is the conscious, public expression that seeks to convey that we are doing what is acceptable to society. The ego is the part of the unconscious that attempts to mediate between the id and superego. Individuals may not be aware of the interactions within themselves and engage in behaviours that are expressions of their deep unconscious, seeking to rationalise them through the ego and superego. The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning as based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious conflict between the different structures of the personality (Baker, 2003:39). The psychodynamic approach attempts to explain the motivation of behaviour. Th e basic assumptions of the psychodynamic theory are that behaviour is motivated by conscious and unconscious mental processes, and that behaviour reflects current motivation and past experience (Glassman and Hadad, 2009). The approach claims that early negative experiences may become buried in the unconscious and manifest themselves in how an individual behaves in relationships with people later in life. Bion (1962) cited in Maclean and Harrison (2009) believes that the quality of childhood relationships in early life shapes the development of personality and character. According to Freud various defence mechanisms are developed by people to cope with difficult emotional situations. These defences include denial, repression, projection and displacement. Freud was of the opinion that people could overcome their problems by making conscious those thoughts and motivations hidden in the unconscious. He used several methods to gain access to the unconscious, such as free association whic h involved allowing the individual to say whatever came into their mind and if the client became blocked talking about something this signified something deeper was occurring in their unconscious. Freud also use dream analysis as he believed that unconscious thoughts were revealed in dreams and could be interpreted. Transference was another method used as clients projected and displaced their own thoughts and feelings onto their therapist. The psychodynamic approach is criticised for its subjectivity and gender, cultural and historical bias (Barker, 2003). The psychodynamic approach could be used to better understand Mr Bertram. Problems that are identifiable in the case scenario are his poor management of money, his neglect of his wife and his suspected alcoholism. His behaviour could possibly be a result of what is happening in his unconscious mind due to a negative experience in early childhood. The amount of time he spends at the golf club away from his wife could be explained as him using denial as a defence mechanism against painful emotions. He may have experienced painful losses in the past and this may have affected his unconscious mind. It is possibly too painful for him to accept his wifes illness and his coping strategy is to refuse to accept what is happening. His suspected alcoholism may be due to him regressing to an earlier stage of development where he felt safe or comfortable, possibly the oral stage when developing children focus on oral pleasures such as feeding. It is possible that the stress of his wifes illness h as triggered the regression and he may not even be aware of how his unconscious is leading him to use alcohol to cope. His use of alcoholism could also be explained as fixated behaviour, if Mr Bertram experienced trauma when he was at the oral stage (stage where according to Freud child gains satisfaction from sucking, eating, etc) in his development it is possible that he then became confined to this particular stage. His conscious choice to drink alcohol has its origins in the repressed depths of the unconscious mind (Ingleby 2006:8). His use of alcohol as a way of managing a difficult situation is inappropriate behaviour and generating its own set of problems as he is neglecting his wife and the home is in an awful state. A social worker using this approach would have to proceed with caution as behaviours may not be the result of unconscious assumptions. Behaviourism rose in prominence in the early 20th century through the ideas of thinkers such as Pavlov and Watson. The behaviourist approach lays emphasis on the role of environmental stimuli in determining the way that we act. A key idea in behaviourism is that all individuals enter the world as a clean slate (Ingleby, 2006:5). Social factors are then responsible for shaping the individual. The basic assumption is that humans learn behaviour by learned relationships between stimulus (excites the sense organs) and a response (reaction to stimulus). The main behaviourist theories of learning are classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning occurs when we make an association between a neutral stimulus that reliably produces a response, so that the neutral stimulus comes to produce the same response (Baker, 2003:43). It is most well known through Pavlovs experiment where dogs were given food at the same time as a bell was rung. The result was that the dogs wou ld salivate when the bell was rung even if no food was presented. Pairing of an unconditioned stimulus led to an unconditioned response and when the unconditioned response was paired with another stimulus, the stimulus eventually produced a response on its own. Operant conditioning has had a considerable influence on psychology and is used regularly in social care (Maclean and Harrison, 2009). Operant conditioning recognises that the environment effects behaviour. Much behaviour occurs randomly and whether we repeat it or not depends on the response we get. For example, if a person says they want to kill themselves, they may not know how or fully understand what they are saying but whether or not they say it again may depend on the response of those around them. The behaviourist approach is criticised for be oversimplified as it ignores mental processes and limited as not everything can be accounted for by simple learning (Barker, 2003). It is possible that Mr Bertram has learned behaviours over the years due to the responses he has received. As he is from a white upper class background he has led a fairly privileged life. Even though his financial status is now in question he has learned over the years that his exceedingly charming manners are able to get him what he wants. He was able to use his charm to sweep Mrs Bertram off her feet and so far has managed to use this same charm offensive to keep the landlord and social services at bay. If we apply the principle of operant conditioning to the situation we can see that Mr Bertrams behaviour has been shaped by the way that those he has come into contact with have responded by conceding to his charming ways. The consequence has been that he continually uses this behaviour to mask the problems he and his wife are experiencing. I was born and raised in Zimbabwe just before independence and I am the second child of a nurse and a self-made business man. Education was very important in my family and although it went unsaid there was always an expectation that we would be successful in life. The culture I was raised in had a very patriarchal framework and this extended to state policies and procedures. For example, in order for me to obtain a passport or national identity card I had to either go to government offices with my father or a male relative with the same surname or produce my fathers identification documents. My mothers presence or her documents would not have been acceptable. If I view this from a feminist perspective, women in my culture were placed in a position of subordination because of economic dependency and because generally they were constructed as socially inferior (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005: 28). Despite the fact that my mother worked all financial decisions were made by my father. M arxist feminist would argue that subordination of women in Zimbabwe served and continues to serve to enhance capitalist interests. My mother tended to my fathers every need so that he could go out and be productive at work. Education was a very important part of my life. Emphasis was always placed on the fact that I needed a good education in order to succeed in life. I remember getting very good reports at school while my sister got the opposite. My parents would sit her down every time her report card came home. If I apply the behaviourist principle of operant conditioning to my situation I learned that if I came home with a good report card my parents response would be a positive one. I therefore endeavoured to always have a good report so that that positive response from my parents would be repeated. My background will provide me with insight on how women can feel oppressed even in environments that they are supposed to feel safe, so that I can effectively challenge oppressive practices. My background also helps me understand how responses I may have as a social worker will shape future behaviours of service users to other social workers or professionals. It is clearly important to have an understanding of sociological and psychological perspectives in social work as both make a significant contribution to understanding different service user needs.

Sichuan, China: An Earthquake that Brought Together Local, National, an

The Sichuan province in mainland china has had a long history of seismic activity. On May 12th, 2008 the village of Wenchuan County located in Sichuan province was struck by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake. According to the State Council Information Office, the causalities from this disaster were approximately 70,000, with approximately 10,000 confirmed to have been school children, whose deaths resulted from 7,000 collapsed classrooms and 18,000 more individuals, were reported missing (Teets, 330). The earthquake which struck Wenchuan County resulted in bringing together relief efforts from local, national, and international communities. A few examples are: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Volunteer crews, Military efforts, Sichuan airlines, Red-Cross and many donations from international communities. These relief efforts, a result of strong government communication also, led to strengthening the devastated village and the nation of China. The involvement in recovery effor ts strengthens civil society’s individual capacity through mass networks of volunteers and donors, learning new skills in project management, and demonstrating to the government potentially positive roles the community can do. Relief efforts by groups help to build trust and connect potential volunteers and donors on behalf of foreign governing institutions. This essay aims to discuss these efforts in greater detail and provide numerous examples of successful recovery projects in Sichuan province. The earthquake which devastated Wenchuan County was a result of stress built up between the colliding Indian plate and Eurasian plate tectonics. This disaster left more than 4.8 million residents homeless in this village, ironically the 2008 Beijing Summ... ...struction efforts: the emergence of civil society in China?." The China Quarterly 198 (2009): 330-347. Vià ±a, Andrà ©s, et al. "Effects Of Natural Disasters On Conservation Policies: The Case Of The 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, China." AMBIO - A Journal Of The Human Environment 40.3 (2011): 274-284. Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. Ying, Liang, and Wang Xiukun. "Developing A New Perspective To Study The Health Of Survivors Of Sichuan Earthquakes In China: A Study On The Effect Of Post-Earthquake Rescue Policies On Survivors' Health-Related Quality Of Life." Health Research Policy & Systems 11.1 (2013): 1-21. Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Mar. 2014 Zhang, Xia, et al. "The NHV rehabilitation services program improves long-term physical functioning in survivors of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake: a longitudinal quasi experiment." PloS one 8.1 (2013): e53995.

Independent Trust: Assurance in Modern Development Essay

In these economically unstable times with deep collapses and shifts within the global business community, it is essential for a company to provide stable, reliable service to its clients in bilateral partnerships of trust. The nature of an independent trust company is one of total solidarity with its individual clients, resisting the temptation of common prevalent lapses of ethics within the business community. With firm and friendly partnerships in place, our company moves into the continually developing economic environment with assurance in the fact that new clients, situations, and communities can be well served by our team of professional experts who continually keep watch on the life generating business developments across the globe. The confidence and positive outlook of our staff lends well to the retaining and expanding of our client base, and in a pact of mutually beneficial investments and market gauges, our company consistently hits the mark in providing the highest level of intelligent excellence to each individual with whom we come into contact, our staff members and all the clients we serve. The environment where our company is based, with locations in Jersey and Geneva, lends to a beautifully positioned placement within Europe. The liberated nature of the core societies in which we work shores up the ability of our company to make wise and independent decisions while are uniquely tailored to the needs of our global clients. Individuals from the United Kingdom, Far East, Middle East, and Eastern Europe are well served by the strategic location of our offices, both in terms of the unique legal structures of Geneva and Jersey as well as the convenience of their global positioning and welcoming infrastructure. Our staff members are able to travel easily between our offices and to make trips across the world in order to best serve our clients. People are never â€Å"out of sight, out of mind†, rather our full devotion and energy is invested in our staff members and clients, with meetings, trips, and travel being the means in which we are able to make assured decisions in the mutually beneficial agreements with clients and businesses. In looking to the structure of our company, it is important to note that we have a very high level of qualified staff members, employing six chartered accountants and numerous ICSA and STEP qualified personnel. The top managers are very easily approachable and support the company workers with proactive and confident attitudes, aiming to keep the company driven in steady and positive directions. Benefits are arranged in a flat organizational structure, with all employees enjoying the extra perks of retirement and health investments, the choice to live and work in either of our two lovely office environments in Jersey or Geneva, having to the option to change jobs and immerse oneself in a new and exciting cultural environment, and to relax during business meeting and trips as well as personal leisure time, including dinner and drinks, and stimulating excursions to Sark, France, or the mountains of Switzerland. Everyone knows how important it is to enjoy the work environment, and encouraging the happiness of our employees and clients in essential to doing good business. While our staff and clients are nurtured by the care of our company, the level of expertise and the commitment to performance is what drives our constant impulse to provide the highest level of service to our business partners. A company always has to sustain performance in the present as well as keep an eye on the attainable goals for the future. With our recent purchase of another company which was heavily involved with charities in Africa, working with AIDS, children, and animal sanctuaries, we have now opened up to our Southern market and are strategically placed to conduct careful business in this developing economy which is ripe with potential. Catering to the unique needs of our clients and partnerships always involves a sense of ethics and wanting to provide not only business services, but also to provide a heartfelt level of care to the people we engage. More and more, it is understood that morality in the business and investment communities, in the modern day market, is vital to the health and sustainability of individual people, businesses, communities, and nations. Without a true and faithful grasp of the essential elements of conducting good business, a company with be sure to falter or collapse, a situation which has never been experienced by our company, even within these economically challenging times. With eyes on our current clients and partnerships, care being given to maintaining and developing relationships, and strategic plans being crafted for the implementation of our future in opening market possibilities, our company enjoys the satisfaction of knowing that we are catering to the real needs of our worldwide friends and stepping in to provide the real needs to the market demands. In adding to the idea of morality in business, it is important to highlight what we avoid, in order to also provide a clear image of the business we do conduct. There is never a time when it is alright for us to ignore or set aside a potential working relationship. In connecting with our clients, we don’t ever assume that we are in a particular power position or exude any sort of elitist arrogance. The over confidence and greed which is the demise of many businesses is consistently rejected by our staff team, and we never accepted outside commissions. The level of importance of each individual member of our company is horizontal. Although one person may have a more complicated task to perform at any given time, there is never a time when any person in our company believes that the other person is not absolutely and vitally essential to our well selected team. To us, each staff member, client, and business is a partner, each person and organization equally essential to the web of relationships in which we weave and network. By placing trust and positive regard in our well selected partners, we pulse energy into the ties which bind us and generate life not only in social or emotional terms, but also in business and economic terms. It would be a great honor and pleasure for our company to receive the award of Independent Trust Company of the Year. By taking note of our strength and resilience through very difficult economic times, the powerful friendliness of our company team, the devotion with which we serve our global partners, and the high level of ethics with which we infuse our company, we hope that you will see the value in naming us for this prestigious gift. The hard work and determination of our solid and caring team members would be nothing more than expanded and rejuvenated by the dedication of this award to our stable and well positioned independent trust company. In aiming high, resisting immoral business temptations, catering to the true needs of our staff members and clients, making informed business decisions, working for the sustainability and development of our company, and nurturing our personal and professional relationships, we are sure that the quality and performance of our company is justifiably notable and well deserving of nothing less than the highest honor and best regard.

Toyota Company Analysis

Toyota Motor Company has been a strong competitor in the global automobile market since its inception in 1937. Today Toyota has become a globally recognized brand and has won the coveted spot as the worlds top selling auto manufacturer, with 17% total market share. Despite many challenges Toyota has remained relatively financially stable consistent with the S&P 500 and continues to provide low cost high efficiency vehicles appealing to various demographics with the implementation of a high end luxury line (Lexus) as well as a line catering towards the younger market (Scion).Toyota Motor Company  prides itself on the successful implementation of a lean manufacturing system including a one of a kind just in time production system. The success of their inventory management and strong supply chain is apparent through their strong sales to inventory ratio and inventory turnover average between 10 to 15 days. Toyota has also exhibited consistently positive EVA rates which indicates high efficiency and value per capital. Although this practice has cut costs for the company, it has also affected sales in a negative light.In 2010 and 2011 when natural disasters hit the areas of their suppliers, Toyota did not have enough parts to complete necessary purchase orders and keep up with consumer demand. For this reason the sales figures from those years are lower than what they were anticipated to be. Despite  these challenges, investors should maintain confident in the efficiency of their invested capital in Toyota, represented by a continuously rising ROE in comparison to its competitors.Toyotas  dividend yield ratio is very attractive to investors as well with 1. 3% compared to the industry average of 1. 1% despite a significant drop in 2008. When looking at the auto industry, investors should take into consideration that Toyota remains competitive despite not receiving the government bailouts provided to the American manufacturers. Toyota features various threats sp ecifically their slow pace in innovation and structure reform.Another notable area of concern is the diminishing market share of their high end line Lexus. Despite these threats Toyotas earning expansion is at an all time high. A focal point of consideration of many analysts and investors is the volatility of the Yen. When looking at Toyotas 1 year growth of -2. 6% which is heavily understated due to the volatility of the Yen, which has effected consumer behavior as well as purchasing power.With the value of the Yen becoming less powerful, Toyota has the opportunity to leverage this to their advantage through relationships with suppliers and improved export profitability. The future success of Toyota will depend on whether or not they are able to keep up with the fuel economy and safety features of other manufacturers. If they are able to do this effectively while also reducing costs using advantages from the diminishing value of the Yen the outlook for this company looks very posit ive for potential investors.

Free Essays on Today’s Virtual Office

In today’s corporate landscape, traditional office space is steadily becoming a thing of the past. Empty chairs and vacant cubicles provide the backdrop for much of today’s corporate floor space. Nothing more than little signs reading â€Å"Telecommuting Today† or â€Å"Virtual Office Day† hang from cubicle walls. Today’s workforce consists of employees who work from home, from their cars or from virtually anywhere. Advanced technologies and progressive HR strategies make these alternative offices possible. Imagine it’s 7 am on a Monday morning. Inside the dining room of his regional office, John Sabrio, IT Manager, is enjoying his morning bagel and espresso while scribbling down voice mail messages and replying to dozens of email messages. In front of him is a Laptop - equipped with a network connection- connected to his high speed Cable Internet service which gives him network connectivity that’s always on and available with speeds that rival that of his companies intranet. The contents of his briefcase are spread on the table. As he sifts through a stack of paperwork and responds to incoming email, he periodically picks up a cordless phone and places a call to a customer or co-worker. As he talks, he sometimes wanders across the room. This is not your traditional Monday morning at work. Sabrio doesn’t have a permanent desk or workspace, nor his own telephone. When he enters a building on site, he locates any vacant conference room or cubicle, pops out his lapto p, and connects his network cable to one of the companies convenient network jacks. Equipped with his laptop and mobile phone, Sabrio is equipped to do business on the spot - just about anywhere. It could be the Server Center, or a conference room on the 30th floor with a breathtaking view of the city and water. It could even be the home office or family room, which houses punching bags, big screen television and a pool table. Wherever he goes, a network forwa... Free Essays on Today’s Virtual Office Free Essays on Today’s Virtual Office In today’s corporate landscape, traditional office space is steadily becoming a thing of the past. Empty chairs and vacant cubicles provide the backdrop for much of today’s corporate floor space. Nothing more than little signs reading â€Å"Telecommuting Today† or â€Å"Virtual Office Day† hang from cubicle walls. Today’s workforce consists of employees who work from home, from their cars or from virtually anywhere. Advanced technologies and progressive HR strategies make these alternative offices possible. Imagine it’s 7 am on a Monday morning. Inside the dining room of his regional office, John Sabrio, IT Manager, is enjoying his morning bagel and espresso while scribbling down voice mail messages and replying to dozens of email messages. In front of him is a Laptop - equipped with a network connection- connected to his high speed Cable Internet service which gives him network connectivity that’s always on and available with speeds that rival that of his companies intranet. The contents of his briefcase are spread on the table. As he sifts through a stack of paperwork and responds to incoming email, he periodically picks up a cordless phone and places a call to a customer or co-worker. As he talks, he sometimes wanders across the room. This is not your traditional Monday morning at work. Sabrio doesn’t have a permanent desk or workspace, nor his own telephone. When he enters a building on site, he locates any vacant conference room or cubicle, pops out his lapto p, and connects his network cable to one of the companies convenient network jacks. Equipped with his laptop and mobile phone, Sabrio is equipped to do business on the spot - just about anywhere. It could be the Server Center, or a conference room on the 30th floor with a breathtaking view of the city and water. It could even be the home office or family room, which houses punching bags, big screen television and a pool table. Wherever he goes, a network forwa...

Week 4 Assignment Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 4 Assignment Paper - Essay Example Of the points raised in the readings, I agree that inclusion issues dealing with disability differ from country to country, expressed in Chapter 10. However, these differences are caused by more than just prejudice, being strongly influenced also by economics and legislation. On the other hand, I disagree with the point made by Steve Bucherati in Chapter 9, that community involvement is evident when a firm manufactures a good that is patronized by all segments of the market. For me, this simply means the firm has adopted the mass production strategy. These insights into community involvement, social responsibility, and diversity and inclusion, will help me, as a sales representative and agent of St Jude Medical, to create stronger and more meaningful bonds between my company and the public it relates to. In Chapter 10, I agree that inclusion issues dealing with disability differ from country to country; however, these differences are caused by more than just prejudice. There are economic considerations, such as in those countries where the population is large, labor is cheap, and the great number of able-bodied, qualified and skilled workers is more than enough labor supply for the existing industries. With the high rate of unemployment and largely manual production processes, it is not so much that the disabled are discriminated against, but that it is likewise an injustice to turn down more capable, equally jobless, workers who would be more useful to the business. There are also legal considerations; some governments provide wage subsidies for businesses which employ the disabled (Europa, 2008; EBU, 2012), but in other countries there are no such provisions. Ultimately, therefore, the decision to hire disabled applicants does not proceed solely from some sense of altruism, but to avail of government incentives for businesses which do so – thereby reducing costs and enhancing profits. Multinationals might therefore practice diversity where it

A reaction to 3 articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A reaction to 3 articles - Essay Example What he seems to be categorical however is that despite Japan’s intransigence about foreign workers, they have to move with urgency and resolve legal hurdles deterring foreign workers coming to Japan as Japan is staring at a crisis soon to come of lack of workers in vital sectors as the Japanese population declines and becomes aged. At the beginning of the article, Chico says that for Japan to continue maintaining economic relevance in the next decades, it will â€Å"depend on its ability to-and its willingness-to grow by seeking outside help.†He cites the case of foreign nurses and the odds they face-they must pass a test that â€Å"almost no foreigner passes.† He explains that Japan has â€Å"deep misgivings about immigration and has tightly controlled the ability of foreigners to live and work† in Japan. He explains that with her declining population, the government will have but, to source foreign workers. The government is taking steps towards loosening of grip on immigration and in fact, it hopes to double the number of highly skilled foreign workers within a decade. He nonetheless observes that Japan is on course to have three workers for every two retirees by 2060.Noting that Japan has a program to that effect-the economic partnership program- with Indonesia and Philipines,he howeve r observes that the program has a flaw. Throughout the article, he shows that Japan has a need for skilled labour but it is stuck with restrictive rules like on language. He indicates that a language test with a pass rate of less than 1 percent will always be criticized.