A Doll’s House Study Guide Essay

Act I: Kevin Gao The setting is on Christmas Eve, in the Helmer’s Household. There is the aspect of the contrasting temperature, in which inside the house it is warm, symbolic of security and safety, whereas outside it is harsh and cold, symbolic of the real world and how cruel it is. These details are important in that they set the stage for the rest of the story. The people who live in the house are obviously very well-off people. They have money, yet they are frugal, not very lavish. The title â€Å"A Doll’s House† suggests that their home is very decorative. There is a bookcase, fine China, and other neat little ornaments. The characters are all described as dressed in nice clothing. Nora has all kinds of things on her like money and sweets. Money is very important in the play in that it seems to directly influence the kind of lifestyle they live. I’ve noticed that the gifts are very tacky, showing poor taste, and are very unnecessary and needless objects. In my opinion, only the rich people seem to be able to afford macaroons and other sweets. The macaroons are characteristic of lavish lifestyles, for people who have time to kill. Nora Initially seems like a silly, naive woman, indicated by her playful attitude (noticeable when she says things like â€Å"Pooh! † and â€Å"Just a tiny wee bit†). Her appearance in Act 1: she is very pampered and spoiled by her husband, yet later she reveals her slightly rebellious side, showing that she does not need to be treated as such by Torvald. I predict she will later develop a more independent lifestyle from Torvald. I notice that she is constantly asking for money. It’s as if she wants to do things by herself, with her â€Å"own† money. Mrs. Linde is Nora’s childhood friend. Mrs. Linde is like Nora’s foil in that her life of poverty seems to underscore Nora’s wealthy and privileged life. Nora isn’t being honest to Torvald. She is obviously lying to Torvald about eating the macaroons, and she is described as being â€Å"rather uneasy†. Nora adores her own children, her most prized possessions. She shows herself as a genuinely loving mother. Torvald delights in his position of authority as a husband in the house. He believes that it is a man’s job to protect and guide his wife. Torvald treats her like a child, which was described as like her father would, and is name calling (little squirrel, little lark) is like he masking his authority with tenderness, and that he sees her as a simpleton who will succumb to his bantering. He constantly reminds Nora not to be a thrift spender. He does not see Nora as an equal, and his teasing, his referrals to her as â€Å"a girl†, and his uses of pithy phrases suggest that Torvald doe sn’t take her quite seriously. Krogstad is a lawyer who went to school with Torvald. He is essentially the antagonist of the play. He was employed by Torvald, but he might lose his job. He constantly torments Nora with financial issues; he once loaned to her, but he blackmails her because he knows she forged her dad’s signature on their contract, even though he also committed the same crime. His actions aren’t characteristic of his good intentions and his sympathy for her. Unlike Torvald, who desires to get respect for his own selfish satisfaction, Krogstad wants that respect for the sake of his own family. Krogstad and Mrs. Linde used to be lovers, but she left him because of his immoral behavior and because she wanted to marry someone with more money. Dr. Rank is one of Torvald’s friends. Rank seems to be obsessed with talking about the diseased natures of all the people he is acquainted with, even himself. Nora and Torvald do not think very highly of Dr. Rank; he is simply unimportant to them and everyone else. He does not rank very high in their thoughts, hence the irony in his name. Act II: The setting takes place on Christmas Day. The space around the tree is very messy, indicating that they had a Christmas celebration. The room and the tree have been removed of all signs of festivities. The costume is what Nora has to wear to the Stenborg’s ball; however it is in need of mend. This is representative of how Torvald wants to dress Nora as one would dress a doll. The letter Torvald sent to Krogstad shows his complete narrow-mindedness, as he is not changing and as understanding as the other main characters. The maid hands Nora Krogstad’s visitor card and tells her that Krogstad will not leave until he has spoken with her about the issue. Krogstad’s letter is used to inform Torvald of the forgery committed by Nora. He uses this as blackmail for Nora to get a better position in the bank. Dr. Rank plays the piano in accompaniment, showing that he is still the supporting character and unimportant, as in the first act. Again, there are recurrent aspects of the â€Å"rich-family† theme, with the champagne and the macaroons at the dinner party. Nora has been thinking about leaving her family, specifically, she is contemplating suicide. However, she is hesitant about doing so because she is worried that her kids will miss her, and she thinks it will be difficult for her kids to adapt to life without her. The reason she wants to commit suicide is because of her forgery crime on the contract for the money, but she wanted to do this because she knew it was a choice to save either Torvald, or her dying father. Nora is afraid that if Torvald find outs about her crime, he will sacrifice himself and take all the blame onto himself (a fantasy she has concocted in her mind) and go to jail, which would be great but terrible at the same time; this is the terrible thing she hopes and fears for. Nora does not persist with her request for Dr. Rank because she is disturbed by how he feels about her, as she has stated that â€Å"there are some people one loves best, and others whom one would almost rather have as companions†. Nora wants Christine to be her witness in case she goes mad over the crime she committed, or if something happens to her (presumably, her suicide) and her credit is dishonored. To make matters more complicated, Torvald had written a letter notifying Krogstad of his dismissal. Nora tries to stop him by saying that Krogstad has power with the press to bad mouth Torvald. That’s when Torvald makes the connection between him and her father: that she fears for Torvald as much as she used to fear for her father, but that he is, unlike her father, not in any legal trouble, which makes him safe from all threats. He tells Nora that he doesn’t want to take back the dismissal letter, as it would show his weakness and that he is easily swayed by his own wife. This shows his belief that a wife has no authority in a household or in business; he thinks she knows nothing of the business world and that her opinions have no real intent. This, in turn, shows that he does not know anything about his wife at all, which might lead some to believe that their marriage is nothing but a charade, an act without meaning or purpose. However, it is his â€Å"knowledge† of her that Nora tries to use to her advantage. By calling herself â€Å"little skylark† and â€Å"little squirrel†, she is trying to manipulate him into doing what she wants. However, Torvald’s pride is persistent, as well as his stubbornness. He thinks that he must dismiss Krogstad to keep his own appearance of a strong man who is not easily stifled. Also, in my, opinion, Torvald’s view of social life has stemmed from his very stubbornness. For example, he believes that Nora does things, like warning him of Krogstad’s power over the newspaper, simply because she loves him, as a â€Å"typical wife† would, and that he must show her that she has nothing to fear (this is that â€Å"strong manly husband† fantasy). Christine agrees to help Nora with her dress because she wants to help her make a good impression with Torvald. Christine, claiming her to be more mature and more experienced than Nora, tries to figure out some of Nora’s problems, specifically, to look out for Dr.  Rank and to end her friendship with her; Christine does not leave because she is suspicious of Nora, and she knows that she is hiding something from her. When Christine reappears, she tries to help Nora understand the fact that her marriage is not what she thinks it really is; it is not perfect and she isn’t really happy with it. Christine agrees to be Nora’s witness to testify that Nora did that whole act on her own, and that Torvald was not connected to it at all. She agrees because she wants her to continue her endeavor to save Nora’s marriage; she gives Nora the courage and reassurance. Krogstad is pretty much described as a nuisance to Torvald; he is â€Å"morally diseased† to Torvald because he did not confess to his crime of forgery and that there was no justice done onto him. Torvald is disgusted with Krogstad because, since they used to be friends, he calls Torvald by his first name. Torvald would prefer if he showed him more respect as a superior. Krogstad is so desperate because he wants to gain as much respect as he can, and to achieve a high position in the bank, higher than Torvald. He does this in order to take care of his children. He threatens to use the forgery contract as blackmail to have influence over her and to make her get his job back. He says that he is willing to keep it all a secret as long as Torvald promotes him to a higher position. We learn the Dr. Rank is ill from syphilis, that he received it from his father (who was sexually overindulgent), and that he does not have much time left. This shows Ibsen’s tragically flawed philosophy that morals are hereditary, for example, Nora’s naive belief set, that any action is acceptable as long as it benefits her loved one; also, another trait is that Nora’s father always made excuses, and later â€Å"passed it down† to Nora. Dr. Rank confessed that he loves Nora. Nora is surprised because they have been best friends for a long time, and that she feels that his confession is basically a misinterpretation of her affection toward him. She does not continue with her request because she feels that he would think of it as exploiting his love for her, since he knows now that Nora will reject him. Unlike the other two, Dr. Rank is pretty much ‘the help’, as he states it. He has not changed much from the first act in that he is still nothing but a supporting character; he remains unimportant in anyone’s thoughts. Krogstad, unlike Torvald, is working for respect to support his family as well as establish an appearance/personality for him to others. Dr. Rank is not like Torvald in that he is only one Nora feels she can express herself fully in front of, something she wouldn’t dare try to do with Torvald. Act III: The setting is in the Helmer’s household. There is dance music upstairs. The table is in the center of the room with a lamp burning on it, surrounded by chairs. The lamp is like Nora’s realization; at first, there was nothing in the room, but as time went on, a spark grew in her mind, with its own ideas, independent from that of Torvald’s. The dress is great, but it shows how possessive Torvald is of Nora, and the costume he dresses her in is from his own choosing, as one would do when dressing a doll. The mailbox is like a cage; no outer forces can penetrate it, and it holds Nora captive in the way that she is trapped by the letter inside the mailbox. The door slam at the end is like Nora has finally woken up and has realized that her life for the past 8 years has been an act, nothing more. She closes the door on Torvald, suggesting that she no longer wants Torvald’s guidance; that she needs to do things on her own from now on. Nora doesn’t want to come back into the house because she will never be understood in her house. Torvald will never treat her like an independent woman, that she will always be a child. She leaves what she describes as a ‘stranger’s’ house. Nora’s dance, the tarantella, is an Italian dance. Her dancing is so flustered, and it is constantly full of uncertainty in the moves, which is like Nora’s character. The dance expresses the idea that an ugly truth, though it might be harmful, is the only way to mend Nora’s marriage with Torvald; it is Nora’s last chance to be Torvald’s little doll, to amuse and satisfy him. She says â€Å"Never to see him again. Never! Never!†¦. † indicates that she is leaving Torvald and her children, because she still thinks that he will step in and take the blame, and she does not want him to do this. This is also shown in the phrase â€Å"You shan’t save me, Torvald†. After the second letter, Nora becomes frozen, all quiet and puzzled. Nora suddenly realizes the truth about their marriage: that Torvald only cares about aesthetics, and that he would do anything for a seemingly happy marriage. The â€Å"most wonderful thing† it, to its fullest, a marriage that is not tied down by any social bindings. What Nora wants is a marriage that is purely feeling, unconditional love, without duty or responsibility. Torvald’s imaginings indicate that he is very self-protective, and that he is worried too much about what others think of him. His reaction to the letter suggest that he does not care about Nora, but that he only cares about himself and whether or not his â€Å"reputation† will be destroyed or not. These selfish reason are based on his desires for appearances; also, he forgets that the only reason Nora committed the crime was to save him, which further underlines his selfishness. by He mentions Nora’s father as a way of saying that it is not his fault, it is Nora’s father’s fault, and ultimately, her fault as well, which is very different from what Nora thought he would do (to take the blame upon himself). He repeats the most wonderful thing of all because he has no idea what it is, showing how blinded he is by his own fantasy of a â€Å"real† marriage. The story opens with Christine and Krogstad as a way to set the stage for the background story. From the phrases that the two exchange, it is obvious that they were once lovers, but that Christine left Krogstad for someone else with more money. It is also apparent that Christine often regrets throwing him out of their home, and that she justifies it by saying that she had to take care of her own family and siblings. Deep down, she always wanted to stay with Krogstad. Christine is Nora’s foil in that Christine’s poor, cruel, and bitter lifestyle seems to underscore Nora’s lifestyle, and her actions, such as living prudently, underscores Nora’s wasteful and lavish lifestyle. The quote â€Å"but now I am quite alone, my life so empty and I fell forsaken. There is not the least pleasure in working for oneself† suggests that Christine wants to get back together with Krogstad. Krogstad and Christine’s relationship is like a foil to Nora and Torvald’s marriage in that their broken and â€Å"shipwrecked† marriage underlines Nora and Torvald’s successful and ‘happy’ marriage.

Igneous Rock

Igneous rocks originate from deep within the Earth’s crust. Igneous rocks (from the Greek word for fire) are formed when magma crystallizes and solidifies. An increase in temperature, a change in the composition, or decrease in the pressure can cause melting of these rocks in the mantle which form igneous rocks. The melt begins deep below the surface of the Earth close to active plate boundaries. As the temperate increases the rocks rise toward the surface.Igneous rocks are divided into two categories, intrusive or extrusive, depending on where the magma solidifies (USGS, 2004). Intrusive or plutonic igneous rocks form when magma cools and solidifies beneath the surface of the Earth. These types of rocks cool very slowly and have mineral grains that can usually be seen with the naked eye. Intrusive rocks have a coarse grained texture. One example of an intrusive igneous rock would be granite. Extrusive, or volcanic, igneous rocks are formed when magma exits and cools outside o f the Earth’s surface.These types of rocks are formed when lava flows from volcanoes. They solidify above the surface and have much shorter cooling times. Because lava cools and crystallizes quickly, it is a fine grain. The grains in extrusive rocks are quite small, so to classify them they have to be placed under a microscope to examine the thin sections to determine the mineral constituents. Given that igneous rocks form from a liquid state, their mineral grains are packed together very tightly (Geo. a, n. d. ). One distinguishing characteristic between the two categories of rocks is that intrusive rocks are formed below the surface and extrusive rocks are formed above the surface. Another distinguishing characteristic is that intrusive rocks have a coarse grained texture and extrusive rocks have a fine grain texture. Intrusive rocks cool and solidify very slowly whereas extrusive rocks have a much shorter cooling time which means they solidify faster.Reference Geology in t he National Parks (January 13, 2004) Rocks. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/rxmin/rock.html Igneous Rocks (n.d.) What are Rocks. Retrieved March 24, 2010 from http://www.geo.ua.edu/intro03/ignis.html

Note Guidelines Rise to Power Hitler

Hitler and Nazi Germany Origins and Rise of Hitler- Note Guidelines Use pages 63-72 in â€Å"Authoritarian and Single Party States† by Waller and Todd to make notes using the following headings: How did the political circumstances of Germany after 1918 contribute to the rise of Nazism? The new government set up after the abdication of the Kaiser †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Stab in the back’ theory †¢Disappointment at Peace settlement †¢Proportional Representation †¢Constitution- especially Article 48 Challenges to the New Government †¢Spartacus League- left wing challenge †¢Reaction of the conservatives to the new government †¢Kapp Putsch and ‘White Terror. ’ Munich Putsch What part was played by economic conditions of 1919-29 period? †¢Reparations †¢Passive Resistance †¢Hyperinflation †¢New currency and Dawes Plan †¢Problems in agriculture in 1920s †¢Wall Street Crash- effect on Germany How did the Nazi party d evelop between 1919 and 1929? †¢Formation of NSDAP †¢Role of Hitler †¢Formation of the SA †¢Munich Putsch- its impact on Germany and on the Nazi Party †¢Change in party tactics- Fuhreprinzip †¢Formation of the SS †¢Reaction to the Young Plan †¢Support for the Nazis in 1928 (before the Great Depression) How far did the circumstances of 1929-33 open the way for Hitler’s rise to power? Impact of Great Depression- unemployment figures †¢Response of Muller’s Government †¢Nazi messages †¢Changes in chancellors between 1930-33 †¢Increasing divisions among political parties †¢Nazi gains in the Reichstag in 1930 †¢Hitler’s challenge to Hindenburg in the presidential election †¢Nazi gains in the Reichstag in 1932 –July and November †¢Increased support for the Communist Party (KPD) †¢Failure of von Papen’s Chancellorship †¢Failure of von Schleicher’s Chancellorshi p †¢Reason why Hindenburg decided to appoint Hitler as Chancellor †¢Reichstag Fire †¢Emergency Decree †¢March 1933 election †¢Ceremony at Potsdam †¢Enabling Law †¢Gleichschaltung

The Difference of Children's Life Between Past and Present Essay

The Difference of Children's Life Between Past and Present - Essay Example The physical activities helped them achieve very strong and muscular physique. Contrary to that, children of the present age have almost no time for outdoor physical activities. The schooling system is so advanced that children find very little time for enjoyment and relaxation. Therefore when they do get some time, they tend to surf the Internet or play video games. Even during the major portion of the day when they are studying, they are constantly using computers and the Internet because the contemporary educational system heavily depends upon the use of technology. As a result of this, children of the present age gain weight because of sitting for hours and hours continuously. Most children of the present age are either overweight or obese whereas others are too skinny. â€Å"Exercise is an important part of any daily regimen and diet, but it is even more critical for children† (Breedon). Very few children of the present age have a physique that is comparable to the childr en of the past. Children of the past were not very sharp. The main reason for this might be there lack of interaction with technology. Children of the past had seen very little world. They used to remain only in the city where they were born. They would play there, work there, and live there. They had very little information or knowledge about the world beyond what they had seen. Children of the present age are very sharp and intellectual. Again, the main reason for this is their interaction with technology. Computers and television have made it possible for the children of the present age to see the world beyond where they are and remain in constant contact with their friends abroad. This has made the children of the present age far more intellectual and informed as compared to the... This report approves that the changed lifestyle has had mixed effect on children. The positive and negative effects of the change on the children are almost equal. The positive effects of the changed lifestyle on children include increased intellectual skills and competence in the use of technology, expanded social network, availability of more opportunities of academic and professional growth. The negative effects of the changed lifestyle on children include but are not limited to increased consumption of junk food leading to many diseases including diabetes and obesity, increased number of teenage pregnancies, distance from the elders especially the grandparents emotionally as well as physically, reduced practice of religion, and increased susceptibility to violence and cybercrime. Modern age children are not very obedient. This paper makes a conclusion that lifestyle of the modern age children is so different from their lifestyle of the children of the past that the two have very rare common elements. From the standpoint of diet and physical activities, children of the past were much more privileged and advantaged as compared to the children of the present age. From the standpoint of intelligence and general knowledge, children of the present age are much more advantaged than the children of the past. Children of the past were emotionally closer to their elders than the children of the present age.

4 Discussion questions to be answered Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

4 Discussion questions to be answered - Essay Example ssessment methods that do not group people based on their physical appearance or origin will go a long way in reducing the possibility of adverse impacts. The method used should also be uniform for all employees. Learning the advanced counseling skills has helped me a lot, as now I am able to apply what I learn in class to real life experiences. According to Smaby and Maddux (2010), a person’s personal characteristics affect their success during counseling training. I always become anxious about my counseling performance. Students are expected to repeat practicing the basic skills in advanced counseling and therefore I have developed more experience in the application of the basic counseling, which has reduced my anxiety. This has made me good at reflecting. I am able to encourage people to continue talking by showing them that I am able to perceive the world as they see it. I think my anxiety is my driving force as it makes me practice often and it makes me a good listener. I will continue working on it as I can see the positive effects it has on everyone around me, myself included. I think that the collection of personal information from unsuspecting web users is both a good marketing strategy and at the same it is an invasion of privacy. I remember the first time I noticed this, I had searched a website from abroad then later I saw the same website being advertised on other websites that I was accessing. It was creepy at first before I realized what was happening. For those companies, it is a good marketing strategy because their products reach their targeted audiences, including new products that are not familiar to an individual. This is possible even without opening the particular website. People on the other hand get hold of information about things that interest them without going the extra mile of actually searching for the product. As much as both the websites and consumers are benefiting, at the end of the day I believe that it is wrong to sell

Future Developments of Power Electronics Devices and its Applications Essay

Future Developments of Power Electronics Devices and its Applications - Essay Example Based on wide band gap (WBG) semiconductor materials such as Silicon Carbide and Diamond, power electronics could up the efficiency and reliability of the next generation electric grid, as they are able to route power more quickly and handle high voltages (Perret, 2009). They can operate at higher temperatures and have relatively low thermal resistance thereby allowing for better cooling.This kind of strength gives them an edge over other electronic devices made for the same function.If successful, the semi-conductor technology will improve performance of power electronic applications such as electric vehicles and motor drives and also lower their costs. They will facilitate greater adoption of the vehicles and as a result reduce U.S oil imports, and this gesture would result to a stable economy in the country (Sira and Silva-Ortigoza, 2006). More efficient power electronic systems could lead to lower electricity consumption reducing harmful related emissions as well as less energy u se saving many families and business owners a lot of money spend on power bills.In conclusion, power electronics semi-conductor devices are the next big breakthrough in power electronics and upon their successfully being inculcated in the electric grid, they will result in energy saving as well as environmental conservation through reduction of energy related emissions that are harmful. They however face the challenge when it comes to designing new device types to exploit these devices. A lot of research needs to be done on it to ensure success.â€Æ'

Article Critique Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Article Critique Assessment - Essay Example This paper aims at discussing the article and to find the issues and possible loop holes of the paper. The main reason this article has been chosen is that it deals with the security threats of eCommerce as well as the various threats to the accounting information systems. The authors have also discussed the implications to the management as well. This article is appropriate in the current times, where almost every business has launched an eCommerce website and the numbers of businesses online are constantly increasing every minute, this article is helpful in bringing out the threats being faced and the repercussions that these threats have on the management helps the businesses focus on the factors that need to be taken into account. Hence this article is very relevant in the current times and to a great extent provides the readers with a clear and well explained list of implications on various parties including, management, accountants and auditors, and academics. The article is al so very insightful as it provides a clear explanation of the need for security which can be easily overlooked in the current times. On the whole, the article provides a great insight into the security issues that relate to accounting information systems and excellent ways to reduce the threat levels of these systems. The article is very effective with a detailed explanation of the various aspects and views for different audiences. The article by Beard and Wen has touched upon a few essential aspects of accounting Information systems. The authors have discussed a wide range of issues that are being faced by companies across the world. An excellent point that the authors have included in the paper is the issues that are being faced due to the wide expansion of the internet and the newer opportunities that are being opened up for almost every business and the easy accessibility to break down all barriers of trade and all the physical barriers. The article has a major focus

Portfolio Risk Utilising a Value at Risk Methodology Dissertation

Portfolio Risk Utilising a Value at Risk Methodology - Dissertation Example my gratitude and thanks to my supervisor Tony Hall and course leader Jason Law whose insight and experience showed me the right path and guidance to complete this project. My acknowledgment would not be complete if I miss to thank other tutors and classmates who were the source of learning and enjoyment throughout my stay at the university. Table of Contents Table of Contents 6 CHAPTER 1 8 INTRODUCTION TO CHINA 'S STOCK MARKET 8 1.1 Introduction 8 CHAPTER II 12 1.2 Stock Market Development from 1922 12 1.3 Institutional Facts about the Chinese Stock Industry 12 1.3.1 Stock market structure 12 1.3.2 Share structure 13 1.3.3 Investors 14 1.3.4 Listing and de-listing 14 1.3.5 Trading mechanism 16 1.4 Value at Risk 17 1.4.1 Definition of Value at Risk 18 1.5 Existing Approaches in Value at Risk Estimation 21 1.5.1 Traditional Historical Simulation 21 1.5.2 Variance-Covariance Approach 23 1.5.3 GARCH Model Building Approach 25 1.5.4 Monte Carlo Simulation 25 Chapter 3 28 Value at Risk Methodology 28 Introduction 28 1.2 Portfolio VAR 31 1.3 Historical Simulation 33 1.4 Monte Carlo Simulation 34 1.5 VAR Strengths and Weaknesses 35 CHAPTER IV 37 DYNAMIC CORRELATOIN OF CHINESE STOCK 37 4.1 Introduction 37 4.2 Data and Descriptive Statistics 40 4.2.1 The Data 40 4.2.2 Summary statistics 41 4.3 The dynamic Correlation Coefficient Model 45 4.4 Empirical Estimations 48 CHAPTER V 51 CONCLUSION 51 Effects of policy change 51 Conclusion 53 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO CHINA 'S STOCK MARKET 1.1 Introduction With China's rapid transition to a modern economy, all of its business sectors and industries are undergoing dynamic changes. A substantial amount of working capital is required by business firms, and economic development in China demands rapid advancement of capital...With China’s rapid transition to a modern economy, all of its business sectors and industries are undergoing dynamic changes. A substantial amount of working capital is required by business firms, and economic development in China demands rapid advancement of capital markets. In retrospect, the first stock in China, Shen BaoAn, was issued in 1983. By then China had no securities exchange, and stock trading activities were operated virtually underground (Chen and Sun, 2003). It was three years later, on September 26, 1986, that the JinAn Business of CICB Shanghai Trust and Invest Company began to trade its stocks over the counter. Nevertheless, the local secondary market trading was still unofficial and unorgani zed (Gordon and Li, 1991). After several years’ effort and a learning period, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenshen Stock Exchange were formally established on December 19, and December 1, 1990, respectively. Since their establishment in the early 1990s, developing Chinese stock markets have received a great deal of attention from both domestic and international practitioners and researchers. The main reason for this is that, before 1982, the Chinese economy was a central planning system in which no private business was allowed, and there was no market-oriented banking system. The constitution Act in 1982 lifted the ban on private business activities (Shirai, 2002), allowing a large number of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and banks to be privatized and incorporated.

Role of Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role of Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Innovation is a key factor in entrepreneurship. Innovation involves introducing new ideas and products as a measure of improving or satisfying a market need. The chief instigator of innovation is the entrepreneur, who analyzes the pros and cons of innovation and the likely risks that relate to implementing innovation. The say if it is not broken, do not fix it; however, this concept cannot apply to entrepreneurs based on their pursuit of increased sales and maintaining their pioneer status. Innovation is a factor that is pivotal in the longevity of a company. (Howkins, 2001) Mercedes-Benz: A Leader in Innovation The best example of innovation relates to Mercedes-Benz in the 1980s. The company came out with a new concept of using block headlights instead of the popular circular headlights. They claimed that the concept would be copied by a majority of car companies in the 1990s. It was a bold statement by the car company, who were deemed to be blowing their own horn at the time (Reyno lds, 2007). However, true to their prediction, in 1992, several car companies had begun using the block headlights introduced by Mercedes-Benz. This is an illustration of the impact of being a pioneer in innovation. The fact that Mercedes introduce the concept the concept first meant that they were the leading light in car innovation, and to some degree, they still are to this day. Though it was a risk making the bold prediction, there were spot-on proving they have a sharp eye for solid innovation concepts. The primary aim of any entrepreneur is to ensure that their company makes the most sales and net profit (gross profit – company costs = net profit). Wise entrepreneurs push this factor beyond the limits of the company in order to grow as a company. Growth involves factors such as becoming a multinational company, and becoming the global leader in sales of a given product. It is vital for an entrepreneur to push the company to its highest limits, and put it on a level that will make the world take notice. This may not be the best strategy for the consumers; however, the ultimate task for an entrepreneur is to become a monopoly in the company’s respective market. This ensures that the company is the pioneer in the market, and the latter will make purchases from the company anytime they require a product that the company produces. Coca Cola: an Entrepreneurship based on Establishing a Monopoly The best example is Coca-Cola; when it comes to soft drinks, the first word on everyone’s lips is coca-cola. Such is the dominance of the company, that it can be considered the global monopoly of soft drinks. It holds over 70% of the market share for soft drinks on a global scale. As a result, the company is able to generate large volumes of revenue, which can be used for aggressive advertisement (Howkins, 2001). Though it has established itself as a soft drink monopoly, Coca-cola does not rest on this accomplishment. It is constantly seeking new ma rkets to enter, such as the water market. Coca-cola has entered the juice market and is looking into venturing into the tea and coffee markets. This is evident of the company’s ambitions, which are evidence of quality entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is important in the revival of companies. Employing the right CEO or chairman is the fine line between success and failure of a company. Experience is the best teacher that serves to educate entrepreneurs

Imitation Plato and Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Imitation Plato and Aristotle Essay Introduction Plato and Aristotle are two famous literary critics in ancient Greece. Aristotle is Plato’s student. They all agree that art is a form of imitation. However, their attitudes towards imitation are profoundly different. Plato claims that poetry is worthless and bad because it is mere imitation and may have bad influence on human beings. Instead, though Aristotle admits that poetry is imitation, he thinks that it is all right and even good. He also explains that imitation of life should be valued rather than discounted (â€Å"Plato and Aristotle†). This paper is to discuss the different understandings of Plato and Aristotle on imitation. Imitation of Plato Plato thinks that poetry is a form of imitation. However, he is deeply suspicious of the arts because, in his view, they appeal to the emotions rather than to the intellect (Michael). He thinks that this imitation is far removed from the reality and it is only a â€Å"game†. As a result, it is worthless and bad. He also claims that imitation in tragedy can have a bad influence on human beings. As he says in The Republic, a good imitation can undermine the stability of even the best humans by making us feel sad, depressed, and sorrowful about life itself. Firstly, Plato claims that an imitation is at three steps removed from the reality or truth of something (â€Å"Plato and Aristotle on Art as Imitation†). In Plato’s opinion, knowledge of truth and knowledge of good are virtually inseparable. If there is no truth, there is no good too. As a result, he counsels rejection of the physical in favor of embracing reason in an abstract, intellectual, and ultimately more human, existence (Stephen). Plato thinks that the world of appearance does not really represent the reality because in his opinion, it is the forms which can only represent the essence of the world. The tangible world is imperfect because there are many kinds of appearance but there is only one thing that is true—idea. As a result, art widens the gap between truth and the world of appearances (Stephen). We can see that from his book The Republic. In Book X of The Republic, Plato’s prolocutor Socrates says that there are plenty of tables and beds in the world, but there are only two ideas or forms of them—one of a bed and the other of a table. He also says that the makers of the table and the bed make them for our use according to the ideas, but no artificer can make the ideas themselves. Worse still, painters draw a bed or a table according to the ones made by the artificers. As a result, Socrates concludes that imitative art is at three steps far removed from authentic reality (Michael). There is a sentence that can well show Plato opinion, â€Å"the tangible fruit of any human labor is an indistinct expression of truth (Plato, Book X). From this sentence, we can see that in Plato’s opinion, art as an imitation is irrelevant to what is real. Secondly, Plato also thinks that artists offer nothing important and meaningful in their imitation. As a result, he concludes that imitation is only a kind of â€Å"game†. Here is the good evidence, in The Republic; Socrates concludes that imitation is a kind of game and not something to be taken seriously. He explains that such imitation is disengaged from the realm of knowledge and truth-testing entirely, constituting an autonomous, arbitrary game onto itself (Bo). Plato thinks that imitation is a game because it engages only the appearance rather than the truth. He mentions in his book The Republic that imitation is far removed from the truth, for it touches only a small part of each thing and a part that is itself only an image. And that, it seems, is why it can produce everything. He uses the painter as an example. He says that the painter is not the maker of things, but the imitator of which others have made. Thirdly, Plato claims that a good imitation can undermine the stability of even the best humans by making us feel sad, depressed, and sorrowful about life itself (â€Å"Plato and Aristotle on Art as Imitation†). In Plato’s opinion, imitation may pose a challenge to philosophy and even can have a bad influence on people because imitation can be false, and false imitation can mislead people. No matter art is perfect in its imitative process or art is flawed, it is not only worthless, but also a challenge to truth in general (Stephen). In The Republic, Plato writes that The power which poetry has of harming the good (and there are very few who are not harmed) is surely an awful thing. Here, we can see that he suggests that art is a potential danger to society. As a result, Plato’s critique of art  as imitation is linked to a negative appraisal of its social utility: Art is dangerous, for its appeal to the irrational distracts us from the legitimate claims of reason (Bo). As it was mentioned above, we can see that Plato admits that art is imitation. However, he is deeply suspicious of the arts because he thinks that firstly, an imitation is removed from the reality or truth of something; secondly, it offers nothing important and meaningful; thirdly, imitation can have a bad influence on human beings. As a result, he concludes that imitation is worthless and even bad. Imitation of Aristotle Aristotle is Plato’s student. However, he holds a very different attitude towards imitation. Aristotle also admits that art is imitation, but according to him, this kind of imitation is all right and even good. He explains that firstly, imitation is a creative process of selection, translation, and transformation from one media to another (Stephen). Secondly, tragedy can be a form of education that provides moral insight and fosters emotional growth and a successful tragedy even produces a catharsis in the audience (Michael). Thirdly, he also thought that imitation is natural to humans from childhood (â€Å"Plato and Aristotle on Art as Imitation†). Firstly, in Aristotle’s opinion, imitation is a creative process of selection, translation, and transformation from one media to another. Plato claims that imitation is far removed from the truth or is only a small part of truth. However, Aristotle thinks that imitation can reflect the truth in a better way because it is a creative process. According to Aristotle, the world exists in an infinitely diverse series of parts; human beings can have a good knowledge about these parts by observation and scrutiny (Stephen). As a result, different from Plato’s opinion that artists offer nothing important and meaningful in their imitation, Aristotle concludes that artists are makers, selecting certain details, excluding others, giving a work its particular shape, not a deceitful scribe (Stephen). Here, we can see that according to Aristotle, imitation is a distillation of universal truths from contingent, merely and particular facts rather than an arbitrary game because to submit something to literary imitation is not in the least to attempt to be true to its  appearance, although it is an attempt to be true to its truth (Bo). Secondly, to Aristotle, imitation such as tragedy can be a form of education that provides moral insight and fosters emotional growth and a successful tragedy even produces a catharsis in the audience. According to Plato, imitation can be a danger to the society because imitation can be false and false imitation can mislead people. However, to Aristotle, imitation such as tragedy can be a form of education that provides moral insight and fosters emotional growth (â€Å"Plato and Aristotle on Art as Imitation†). Aristotle even characterizes tragedy as effecting the catharsis of pity and fear† in his Poetics because with tragedy as the catalyst, people will develop their knowledge of good. As a result, we can see that Aristotle treats imitation as an ethical endeavor rather than a danger to the society (Stephen). Thirdly, Aristotle also thought that imitation is natural to humans from childhood and imitation makes human beings different from other living creatures. We can find the evidence in his Poetics. In this book, he mentions that the instinct of imitation is implanted in man from childhood, one difference between him and other animals being is that he is the most imitative of living creatures, and through imitation learns his earliest lesson. From his description, we can see that in Aristotle’s opinion, human beings begin imitating as early as when they are children. Imitation not only enables human beings to gain knowledge about the world, but also makes human beings a distinctive creature. As it was mentioned above, we can see that Aristotle holds a very different attitude towards imitation from Plato’s. According to Aristotle, imitation is a creative process and a form of moral education. It is also natural to humans from childhood and imitation makes human beings different from other living creatures. As a result, he concludes that imitation is all right and even good. It should also be valued rather than discounted Conclusion Though both Plato and Aristotle are two famous literary critics in ancient Greece almost at the same time and they all admit that art is a form of imitation, their attitudes towards imitation are very different. Plato claims that poetry is worthless and bad because firstly, it is far removed from the truth or idea; secondly, it is mere imitation and just a â€Å"game†; thirdly, it can have a bad influence on people; however, Aristotle thinks that imitation is all right and even good because firstly, imitation is a creative process; secondly, it is a form of moral education; thirdly, It is natural to humans from childhood. Works Cited Aristotle. Poetics. 11 November, 2007. . Bo Earle. â€Å"Plato, Aristotle, and the imitation of reason. † Philosophy and Literature. October, 2003: 382. Michael Moor. An introduction to Plato and Aristotle and their significance to the performing arts. 6 October, 2007. http://web. ukonline. co. uk/michaelmoor/an_introduction_toplato_andari. htm Plato and Aristotle. 25 October, 2005. . Plato and Aristotle on Art as Imitation (Mimesis). 8 November, 2007. . Plato. Republic. Peking: China Social Sciences Publishing House, 1999. Stephen Conway. Plato, Aristotle, and Mimesis. 8 November, 2007. .

Dementia care

Dementia care ‘The public outdoor world is rarely conceived of as an appropriate setting for a person with dementia’: Critically discuss this statement with reference to your reading and practice or caring experience. Use at least one case study or vignette of up to 350 words taken from your practice or caring experience. This should support your argument and illustrate either the opportunities and/or the challenges of accessing the outdoors. Assignment to be: 2500 words People with dementia have the right to a dignified, healthy, safe, and friendly environment where they are treated as equals regardless their increasing age or diminishing capabilities. (Mitchell et el., 2004). They can still maintain their abilities to cope independently throughout the early or mild stages of dementia. They still have the desire to stay independent and have control over their own lives. It is essential for people with dementia to experience regular mental and physical exercise to keep their minds and bodies active and to maintain social contact. If the streets in their neighbourhoods are not designed to meet their needs they will be trapped in their homes, because their previously safe and secure neighbourhood changed into a harmful and dangerous environment. There is an increasing need improve urban design through the Local Planning Authorities, as such urban planners should take in consideration the implication of not only normal ageing but they should enable indi viduals with various types of cognitive impairments to maintain their independence (Burton Mitchell, 2006). Effects and challenges of dementia Physical, mental, and psychological changes are due to the ageing process, and can encompasses several slight impairments in hearing, vision, ability, mobility, and memory. These affect elder individual’s ability to live in their surroundings with ease. This is even more difficult for individuals with dementia because they have to cope with both the normal ageing effects and the challenges of dementia that cause a threat to their personhood and result in the loss of identity (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Chaudhury, 2008). Dementia pose a number of behavioural, personality, and cognitive changes for example restlessness, agitation, depression, and anxiety. There is a typical decline in physical and mental abilities. They develop a typical style of mobility in the form of an unsteady shuffling pace with a stooped posture, always looking down and as such they are not aware of their surroundings. Dementia also result in sensory impairment which can include hearing and vision. Colour ag nosia is often intensified by dementia, dark colours and combinations thereof is difficult to distinguish. There might also be impaired depth perception, sharp colour contrasts or patterns on the ground will be interpreted as steps or holes, shiny or reflective surfaces looks slippery and wet, buzzy designs or repetitive lines will cause dizziness and that can result in trips or falls. The mental decline in dementia is permanent and incurable, it might progress gradually and result in unpredictable physical deterioration. During the mild to moderate stages their short-term memory is very fragile and their long-term memory remains acute (Burton Mitchell, 2006). Negative feelings The statement, ‘The public outdoor world is rarely conceived of as an appropriate setting for a person with dementia’ said it all. â€Å"There are currently over 750,000 people with dementia in the UK and this is predicted to rise to about 870,000 by 2010 and over 1, 8 million by 2050†. (Burton Mitchell, 2006, p. 27). But people with dementia is disabled and disempowered by the unfriendly and unsafe environment, it does not meet their cognitive impairment needs, which is ignored. Accessibility for these individuals have become a huge problem, there is positive transformations for normal disabilities but not effective enough to take into consideration the different barriers for individuals with dementia and their unique impairments. Burton and Mitchell (2006) found that individuals with dementia experience negative feelings that include fearfulness and anxiety. This is due to the fear associated with their decline in mobility and vision. Burton and Mitchell also i ndicated the complications and risks presented by existing city environments for instance irregular paving, poor seating, no shelter, steep inclines, a lack of signposting, and bicycles on footpaths. The psychological and social difficulties are also serious obstacles for example, poor bus services, inaccessibility of local shops, insufficiency of toilet services, and the possibility of getting lost. Constant noise of heavy traffic flow disturbs the person with dementia’s hearing and has an influence on their concentration. Unexpected, loud sounds often frighten them. Another ‘no-go’ facility is the moving stairways in any public building, it hinders a person with dementia who suffers vision-impairment to judge the stairways distance and speed. (Blackman et al. 2010) Vignette The above findings support the caring experience in my practice in that the public outdoor world is not an appropriate setting for a person with dementia, they do experience obstacles and challenges on a daily basis when accessing the outdoors as proven in my vignette: One of the residents, Mr X, in my care setting has been experiencing Schizophrenia for many years and he has also diagnosed with Vascular Dementia. He was from the local area and very familiar with the neighbourhood and community and is well known by some of the locals. He had free access in and out of the Care Home for many years but recently we received a phone call from a local shop that informed us that Mr X had lashed out towards one of their staff members who approached him to support and guide him. At one stage Mr X entered a private property without consent. He also developed some injuries on his lower legs and hands and also got on the wrong public transport. It was not very pleasant to involve the police to locate Mr X and to guide him back to his own home. After observing Mr X’s change in behaviour we determined that there was a deterioration in his physical and mental functioning, for example he could not remember where a toilet facility was available and used the ally of the local shop. He also entered a private property because that was his previous home. Due to the uneven walkways he also tripped and fell, injuring his legs and hands. Furthermore, Mr X could not read or understand the electronic screen at the bus stop causing him to use the wrong public transport. We had to involve Mr X’s General Practitioner to review his medical treatment and according to the legislation we had to redo his risk assessments. Out of experience and observation we are aware that a person with dementia experience bad days and good days, and it can be problematic to specify at what stage their dementia has developed. But Mr X still has the capacity to make his own decisions and as such he decided to continue with his daily visits to the local neighbourhood as normal. We understand and support his decision, because this daily routine ‘walk about’ was very vital to maintain his self-respect, independence, and his quality of life. However, Mr X agreed to inform staff when he is leaving the facility and when he can be expected back, following the internal home policy to keep him safe and secure. Positive transformations As mentioned above there was positive transformations for normal disabilities, the UK Disability Discrimination Act updated in 2005 affected a change in attitudes towards design for disability in order to meet the needs of anyone with disability. Accessibility has become the most important problem because of the increasing population of older individuals and more positive attitudes towards disability in general. Recently the mission for dementia friendly communities received an enhancement from the Prime Minister’s Challenge on dementia: a national challenge. In his challenge the Prime Minister highlighted three key areas (see Prime Minister’s Challenge, 2012, p.5) Driving improvements in health and care. Creating dementia friendly communities that understand how to help. Better research. Mitchell (2012) identified only six projects that have addressed the dementia-friendly design of neighbourhoods. That includes a three year research project, which was sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Individuals with dementia and older people in the community were directly involved, through escorted walks around their own neighbourhoods and in depth interviews. During the research the neighbourhoods were measured, mapped, and evaluated by using a developed checklist of environmental features. This research identified six key design principles that are necessary and required to make the streets and neighbourhoods more dementia friendly. The streets need to be safe, comfortable, accessible, familiar, legible, and distinctive (Burton Mitchell, 2006). Familiarity The roads and outdoor environments and features should be recognisable and easily understandable by older individuals, especially for the person with dementia who experience confusion, spatial disorientation, and memory difficulties. Individuals with dementia do not recognise modernistic unfamiliar designs, they are used to traditional designs with the main entrance facing the street with normal swinging doors and not revolving or sliding doors. They also fail to recognise modern designed street furniture, for example modern bus shelters, telephone boxes, or an automated ‘Superloo’ (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). To achieve familiarity in the outdoor environment the following can be done. Long-established streets can be maintained, local styles, materials, and forms should be used for new developments, and any changes should be incremental and on a minor-scale (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). Legibility Legible roads refers to an easy to recognise network of directions and junctions with simple, obvious signs and noticeable, unmistakeable features. Some individuals with dementia sub-consciously use various techniques to find their way. These include visualising their route through mental maps, route planning by using the same route every time, and they can follow symbols that are realistic and clear. Most individuals with dementia find it difficult to follow or understand the outdoor signs. A cluster of signs is very confusing and difficult to read and understand. People with dementia prefers straightforward, simple signs fixed to the wall. For example the post office sign is familiar and the colour is acceptable for people with colour agnosia. Another technique they tend to use in order to find their way is familiar landmarks and environmental features, such as the letterbox at the corner or a street cafà ©. It can happen that individuals with dementia get lost at times, that is d ue to confusion, disorientation, or distractions like sudden loud noise that causes a break in concentration (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). To achieve legibility in the outdoor environment, streets should be laid out on an irregular grid pattern, staggered and this will allow the connection of routes that is easy to understand. Forked and T-junctions decrease the amount of routes and offer focus points at the end of the roads (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). Distinctiveness Distinctive streets replicate the community’s character through the use of a variety of features, colours, forms and materials that provide the buildings and streets with their own character and identity. It is essential for people with dementia to follow a route with a variety of local styles, shapes, sizes, and colour that will help them maintain concentration. They prefer a visit to the parks that presents them with mix activities such as enough seating, greenery, and public art (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). To achieve distinctiveness and to help dementia people find their way in the outdoor environment it is important to provide interesting and understandable places, use landmarks, and environmental features. Firstly, make use of aesthetic features such as water pumps, attractive gardens, hanging baskets, fountains, and trees. Secondly, use practical features for example street furniture that includes familiar letter boxes, red K6 telephone box, bus shelters, and safe public seating (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). Accessibility Accessibility states to which degree the local streets empower people with any physical, mental, or sensory impairment to reach, enter, and walk to places they wish to visit. Older people, including people with dementia are no longer able to drive on their own or to use any public transport. Their trips are limited, due to their personal capabilities, to local places within walking distance for their homes. With the decline of their mobility they cannot walk fast or far distances and they struggle to cope in crowded places because they need enough space on the walkways. Level changes also create barriers for frail people, similarly ramps or steps are a challenge for people with mobility problems (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). To attain accessibility for frail people, they should preferably live no more than 125m from the nearest post box or telephone with 2m wide pathways and no more than 500m from crucial services and facilities. There should also be public seating every 100m to 125m (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). Comfort Comfort for older people and people experiencing permanent incapacity can include streets that allow them to visit places of their choice without any mental or physical agitation, it provides them with a welcoming and calm feeling (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). To achieve a comfortable environment the streets must be designed in a way that it is welcoming, quiet, open, and accessible by providing enough public seating, shelter, and toilets. The seating must preferably be a wooden seat with arm and back rests. Bus stops should provide shelter, with transparent sides and flat seats of non-slippery material that do not conduct cold or heat (Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004). Safety Safety is a critical characteristic of a friendly environment for dementia people, they have to be able to move around without fear of tripping, falling, being run-over, or attacked. Safe streets will be well-lit, wide, plain, level, non-slippery, non-reflected, and smooth footways with isolated bicycle lanes and in front of building entering ways (Blackman et al., 2010, Burton Mitchell, 2006, Mitchell et el., 2004) The above principles outline the design guidelines to a more outdoor friendly environment for people with dementia. Burton and Mitchell (2006) also provides 65 recommendations and by using these it will support the design and re-design of an easy to use and welcoming neighbourhood. To summarise, it is clear that people with dementia, at least during their mild to moderate stages, can still maintain their ability to cope independently and any regular mental and physical exercise is essential to maintain their self-respect, independence, and their quality of life as seen in the vignette. That is why it is so important to us to ensure that the outdoor environment is accessible, open, and safe for people with all stages of dementia. If this cannot be achieved the environment out there becomes a scary and frightening world for people with dementia. Although, the neighbourhood environment is not dementia friendly at present there is positive improvements and pressure from Government, through the Prime Minister’s Challenge on dementia. Importantly, the research project identified six principles of a dementia friendly environment that can be used for future planning and implementations. This will ensure that all new developments that take these principals into consideration will be in line with suggested and prescribed rules that cater for a safe and accessible environment for people with dementia.

Relationship between Parental Rejection and Loneliness

Relationship between Parental Rejection and Loneliness Tazrin Akkas Zinia INTRODUCTION In the literature there are many different dimensions such as acceptance, affection control, warmth permissiveness, restrictiveness, and demandingness about the child rearing attitudes or parental behavior. Children all over the world need a specific form of positive response (acceptance) from parents and others attachment figures. When this need is not met satisfactorily, children everywhere regardless of variations in culture gender, age or, other such defining conditions tend to report different types of behavior and attitudes. Humans have over the course of evaluation, developed the biologically based emotional need for positive response from parents and other attachment figures. This need includes an emotional wish desire, or yearning (whether consciously recognized or not) for comfort, support care, concern, nurturance and over all positive regard from people with whom they have affection bonds of attachment. For this reason, parental acceptance-rejection is an important part of children’s lives at different stages of their development. Parents may be warm and loving or hostile and rejecting. Each pattern of parental behavior effects the personality development of children. According to interpersonal theory given by Sullivan (1953) the self system that is a person’s perception of self, is a significant component of personality, which develops through interaction with significant figures in the environment. In later life people respond according to this self system, whether people see the self as good or bad depends on their past perceptions. Rohner gave his famous Parental acceptance-rejection theory, widely known as a theory of socialization which attempts to explain and predict the antecedents, correlations and consequences of parental acceptance and rejection throughout the globe. It focuses on four major issues, one of them is the behavioral, cognitive and emotional development of children and adult personality functioning. Every person has experienced the warmth and affection provided by someone important to him/her, who is called the parent not necessarily, mother and father. This warmth and affection is a range from a great deal to none, where one end is named parental acceptance while the other one is termed rejection (Rohner, 2000a).According to the findings of a study conducted over worldwide love sample and American sample, parental hostility was significantly related to certain personality dispositions including hostility, negative self esteem and self adequacy, emotional instability, negative world view and dependency (Rohner). â€Å"Parenting† means providing care, support and love in a way that leads to a child’ includes being responsible for the child physicals need. It means creating a nurturing environment of attention, encouragement thus parenting involvement. It also means providing guidance for the children. It also means providing guidance for the children. Thus parenting involves meeting the Childs physical, mental, emotional and social needs. Both parental acceptance and rejection consist the warmth dimensions of parenting. According to PART theory, parental acceptance refers to the warmth, affection, care, comfort, concern, nurturance, support, or simply love that parents and others can feel and express toward their children, and others. Acceptance has two principle behavioral expressions: physical and verbal. Physical expressions of acceptance include hugging, fondling, caressing, approving glances, kissing, smiling, and other such indications of endearment, approval, or support. Expressions of verbal acceptance include praising, complimenting, saying nice things to or about the child or other person, perhaps singing songs or telling stories to a young child, and the like. A feelings and behaviors and by the presence of a variety of physically and psychologically hurtful behaviors and affects. The most broadly accepted definition of loneliness is the distress that results from discrepancies between ideal and perceived social relationships. This so-called cognitive Discrepancy perspective makes it clear that loneliness is not synonymous with being alone, nor does being with others guarantee protection from feelings of loneliness. Loneliness is the distressing feeling that occurs when one’s social relationships are perceived as being less Satisfying than what is desired. This entry describes how loneliness is conceived and measured; How loneliness is mentally represented; how loneliness influences thoughts, feelings, and Behaviors; and consequences of loneliness for health and wellbeing. Loneliness is related to a number of personal characteristics including low self esteem, shyness, feelings of alienation, external locus of control and belief that the word is not a just place that are associated with depression .( Jones, Freeman, in press). The term â€Å"depression’’ in the study refers to the central features of depressive to disorders, such as, depressed, mood, pessimistic ,thinking ,lack of enjoyment ,reduced energy and slowness. Of these, depressed mood is usually, but not invariably the most prominent symptom. (Gelder, Gath, Mayo and Cowen, 1996) some researchers showed that depression might have different manifestation in different cultures, for example, in an Indian study; it was found that depression had varied manifestations like depressed mood, anxiety, somatic, features, insomnia, obsessions etc (Puri etal, 1995). Literature review Stogdill (1937) said that, â€Å"The empirical study of parental acceptance-rejection has a history going back to the 1890s. It was not until the 1930s, however, that a more-or-less continuous body of empirical research began to appear dealing with the effects of parental acceptance-rejection.† Among, different programs of research on acceptance rejection, the work of Rohner and colleagues are most highly developed. Almost 400 studies have been completed in more than 60 nations internationally, as well as in every major ethnic group of America (Rohner, 2004a). Khaleque and Rohner, (2002a) experiment A meta analysis showed that, approximately 26% of the variability in children’s psychological adjustment and 21% of that is adult’s is accounted for by(parental as well as maternal) acceptance rejection. Roher, Uddin, Shamsunnaher Khaleque (2008) showed that, Among Japanese adult’s, remembered parental acceptance made an independent and significant contribution to men’s adjustment whereas only remembered maternal acceptance made an independent and significant contribution to men’s adjustment . Chyung Lee, 2008; Parmer Rohner, 2005; Rohner Khaleque, 2008, found several research findings and suggest that â€Å"remembrance of father’s (but not mother’s) acceptance in childhood are uniquely associated with variations in the psychological adjustment of adult people† Varan Rohner Eryuksel, (2005) conducted A study which is supports conclusions, from the preceding research, and thus suggests the possibility of a universal relation between individual’s mental health status and their perceptions of acceptance rejection by parents and intimate adult partners . In addition to issues of psychological adjustment, evidence also strongly implicates at least three other mental health issues of parental acceptance rejection .these issues are(1)depression and depressed affect,(2)behavior problems including conduct disorders, externalizing behaviors, and delinquency, (3) substance (drug and alcohol) abuse (rohner britner,2002). Rohner Veneziono (2001; 2000, 2003) concluted that father love(acceptance-rejection) is often as strongly implicated as mother love in the development of behavioral and psychological problems as well as in the development of offspring’s sense of health and well being . Rationale of the study Very few empirical investigations are available in Bangladesh context to highlight the relationship between parental acceptance-rejection and mental health problems .loneliness and depression are prominent psychiatric disorders in Bangladesh and so would be considered with priority. By this study we will be able to contribute to the understanding of the parents to appropriate parenting behaviors which are necessary for the good mental health for their children. And without good mental health they will be unable to contribute the future national developmental process. Furthermore this study will be able to enrich the PART theory. Objectivity of the study The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation of parental acceptance-rejection with loneliness depression. Considering above reviews and objectives of the study two hypotheses were formulated. Hypotheses1: parental rejection would be positively correlated with loneliness. Hypotheses2: parental rejection would be positively correlated with depression. Method Research design In present study, for investigating relation of parental–rejection with anxiety and depression, correlation and multiple regression analysis will be used. Sample A sample of 100 individuals will be used, 50 males and 50females. Their ages range from 20 to 50. At the time of this investigation, all of the participants are university students and studying different areas. Instruments Demographic Information Form: It gathered information related to the personal life of the participants for example, age, gender, academic qualification, number of siblings, birth order, family system etc. Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire/Control: Father mother-Short Form (Adult PARQ/ Control: Father mother-Short Form, Rohner, 2005, Urdu translation by Munaf, Kamrani Hussain 2009): It measures the adult’s perception of father’s and mother’s acceptance-rejection in their childhood. This 29 items self reported questionnaire measures five dimensions of paternal behavior that are coldness/lack of affection, hostility/aggression, indifference/neglect, undifferentiated/rejection and control, that can be rated on four-point Likert scale ranges from almost always true (4), sometimes true (3), rarely true (2) and almost never true (1).Its cumulative score indicates perceived father acceptance-rejection; score at or below the midpoint of test scores means acceptance while high score is indicative of rejection. According to Khaleque and Rohner (2002) it is an empirically validated instrument used by researcher and in clinical settings as reliable measures. The revised UCLA loneliness scale was to develop to measure loneliness. It is a 20 items. Likert type scale.20 items of English version were translated into Bengali. The English and Bangla version were administered to 50 subjects with a gap of 7 days. Significant correlation [r48=.88,p>01] between scores of English and Bangla version indicated translation reliability of the scale that were measured the something by the two version . Each of the 20 items is scored such that a 1 indicates lack of loneliness and a 4 indicates high level of loneliness. Adapted Bangla version of The Geriatric Depression Scale : GDS (Brink et al., 1982) would be used to measure depression of people. GDS is Geriatric ally oriented scale for depression. It consists of 30 items which include symptoms like lowered affect, inactivity, irritability, withdrawal, distressing thoughts, and negative judgments about past, present, and future. Each item is worded as a question and respondents are asked to reply in â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† fashion. Each â€Å"yes† answer receives 1 point, except on reverse-scored items. Where â€Å"no† receives answer zero point. Ten items are reversed-scored. Total score of the scale ranges from 0 to 30 and a score of 0 to 10 is considered to be the range for normal no depression, scores of 11-20 indicate mild depression and 21-30 moderate to major depression. The reliability coefficient of split half (Spearman-Brown) was .81 and alpha (Cronbach) was .84 which were highly significant indicating the int ernal consistency of the scale. Procedure The above instruments will be administered individually to the members of the sample. They will be informed of the purpose of the present study and necessary rapport will be established before administering the questionnaires. The respondents will be instructed to read the items of the scales attentively and to respond rapidly. They will be asked to give tick (√) mark in the appropriate box. They will be also requested not to omit any item in the questionnaire and will be talk to them no right or wrong answer and no time limit for answering. Data Analyses A descriptive analysis of the variables will be presented such as the respondents by age, sex, SES. Then, a multiple regression analysis will be carried out to see how much respondents’ loneliness and depression can be explained by the parental acceptance and rejection.

Disneyland Essay examples -- Disney Amusement Parks essays research pa

Disneyland   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The greatest place on the face of the earth is Disneyland. Nowhere else has the magic that a day at Disneyland possesses. From my childhood to my adulthood, I have never experienced a day at Disneyland that didn't put enough joy in my heart to far exceed the admission price. Rides, shops, shows, and characters. These are just a few of the many great aspects of a wonderful place called Disneyland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disneyland has always been a very special place to me. My parents took my family there for the first time when I was about three. To this day I still remember shaking Mickey Mouse's hand, giving Goofy a hug, and meeting all of the rest of my favorite Disney characters. It was a truly euphoric experience to meet stars of all my favorite cartoons that I so loyall...

Essay --

One group of people that are accused of killing the president are the Cubans. The Warren Commission found â€Å"dozens of allegations of a conspiratorial contact between Oswald and agents of the Cuban Government† but they did not find any indication showing that Cuba was a part of the murder of the president. However, conspiracy theorists often accuse Fidel Castro of organizing the murder of Kennedy in revenge for the CIA trying to kill him. Basically, the Cubans were trying to kill Kennedy because the CIA plotted to assassinate Fidel Castro all the way back to 1960. Furthermore, on separate occasions, Lyndon Johnson expressed to two major television men that he assumed Castro had prepared the president’s elimination in vengeance for the CIA's efforts to execute Castro. Finally, in 1971, Johnson told his former writer, who operated with Time Magazine, that he never believed Oswald was the lone gunman. In 1975, Clare Luce, the spouse of a Time reporter, said that on the evening of the killing, she got a call from a representative of a commando group. According to her, a man by the name of Julio Fernandez expressed to her that Oswald had communicated with his group in an effort to help kill Castro. He further claimed that he and his contacts discovered that Oswald was a communist and a follower of Castro. Finally, according to Luce, he told her that there was an assassination team that had Oswald as their gunman. Another tie to the JFK assassination was the mafia. The reason why this group stood out was because Jack Ruby, who killed Oswald, was tied to the mafia. Ruby established close ties to many Dallas police officers that visited his nightclubs. Here he entertained them with large amounts of alcohol and women. This made the officers... ...y things wrong with what the Secret Service did on the horrible day of Kennedy’s assassination. First, they testified that president Kennedy had not been given enough protection in Dallas. Second, the Secret Service had information that was not properly examined or inspected by the Secret Service connecting to the Kennedy's trip to Dallas. Finally, the Secret Service agents in the motorcade were ill equipped to shield the president from a gunman. The HSCA specifically noted that the agent in the right front seat of the president’s limousine did not engage the president when he was shot. He should have covered Kennedy’s body in this case. Furthermore, they specified that the main purpose of the agent was to remain in close vicinity to the President at all times in case of disaster. This caused controversy and sparked ideas of conspiracy that could have been involved.

Development can improve your work Essay

?1.3- explain how learning and development can improve your own work, benefit organisations, and identify career options. Learning and development means that you will be able to broaden your knowledge and skills in that particular aspect of your job role. This will improve your marketability in your job, meaning more people will recognize your company. This also helps you to understand your job role better and to open up possible places for future promotions. When learning new skills, you could realise that you are now able to do a job you used to think was impossible to complete. In completing a job it increases your value to your employer and helps provide that you keep your job and hopefully advance with the company that you are working for, also meaning more career offers, as people around different company’s may recognize you, meaning that they like the way your work and could potentially ask to employee you. It can benefit work as well the employee is better qualified and should have a better understanding of their job role.

International Business: Volkswagen Essay

The foundation of Volkswagen dates back to the Third Reich. For the opening of the international automobile show in Berlin 1934, Adolf Hitler demanded the development of a car which should be priced at a maximum price of 1000 Reichsmark and thus remain affordable for the average citizen. This car should be named ‘Car of the people’ (Volkswagen) and offer space for a family of four members. The first model was designed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1934 and in May 1937, the â€Å"Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH† (a company for the preparation of the German Volkswagen Ltd.) was established in Berlin (Volkswagen AG 2013). One year later, the company changed its name into â€Å"Volkswagenwerk Gmbh†: The beginning of today’s popular German car manufacturer. Over the last decades, Volkswagen turned from being the owner of a single production plant in Wolfsburg into Europe’s largest automobile producer and the third largest of the world with a yearly turnover of about â‚ ¬ 192,676 million. The company sells, directs and produces twelve automobile brands all over world. 550,000 employees work together to produce 37,700 cars per day which can be purchased in 153 countries (Volkswagen Company 2013). The following report focuses on the automotive division, excluding the financial services division and other subsidiaries. 1a) The design of a multinational enterprise’s (MNE) strategy is primordially determined by the institutions and the prevailing culture of its home country. Volkswagen’s (VW) economic origin is found in central Germany, a town called Wolfsburg, where one of its largest production sites is still in place. Often described as Europe’s economic engine (Iwulska et. al 2013), Germany possesses a culture favoring individualism and refusing power distance (Hofstede 2013, appendix 1.1.). With a score of 67 on Hofstede’s individualism scale, Germany joins those Northern European countries prioritizing self-actualization, which often leads German workers to pioneer the motto of â€Å"live in order to work†. In this context, the work itself constitutes an important source of self-esteem in the German culture. This mentality strongly ties in with a pronounced masculinity, prioritizing career progression and material rewards as well as approving a sharp differentiation in gender roles (Peng & Meyer, p.75).At the same time, the exchange between the average worker and their supervisor is marked by mutual constructive feedback and participation (Peng & Mayer, p.75), as expressed in low power distance scores. However, one can observe the strong concern for structured situations which describes a core element of the German culture (Vector Study 2012). Typical for a country scoring high on the uncertainty avoidance scale, Germany favors a bank-based financial system where risk reduction portrays a priority (Tadesse et al. 2005, p.4). In contrast, Germany scores particularly low on the long-term orientation scale, as expressed in its great appreciation for respecting traditions as well as establishing the truth (Hofstede 2013, appendix 1.1.). Another determinant of designing a successful strategy displays the global connectedness of the country, namely the degree of information exchange, human resources and trade with other economies of the world. With the second highest overall connectedness index, Germany meets the expectations of one of the world’s largest exporting economies. Such strength in export is promoted by the achieved European Integration (EU) which remains the most globally connected region of the world (Ghemawat 2012). As opposed to the modest sustainable rally of the overall global connectedness index in those years following the financial crisis (Ghemawat 2013), Germany managed to further approach its peak value of 2007 whilst consolidating its economic position in Europe as seen by its presence in Europe’s top 10 countries in all four pillars of the index (Ghemawat et al. 2012, appendix 1.2.). Given Germany’s increased trade with other European countries, its merchandise trade score in the breadth dimension is more inward-oriented. Contrary to this, Germany shows a strong tendency for outward trade flows of both merchandise trade as well as services in the breadth dimension. In this context, Germany’s focus on manufacturing becomes evident with reference to higher scores obtained for both inward and outward merchandise trade than for its equivalents in services. Overall, Germany displays an example of rising depth in its global exchange with other economies whilst continuing to sharpen its global profile as expressed in an increasing score in the breadth dimension. b) Volkswagen can be described as a truly home-region oriented company, given that the largest proportion of sales revenues is created in Europe (table 1). However, it nearly achieved to attain 20% of its sales revenues in another region, namely South America, pointing towards Volkswagen’s objectives of further expanding globally (Volkswagen AG 2013). Region| Europe| North America| Asia-Pacific| South America| Total| Sales revenues(mio)| 28.191| 6.554| 4.392| 7.429| 46.565| Percentage sales(sales revenues/Total sales revenues)| 60.541%| 14.075 %| 9.431%| 15.954 %| 100%| Table 1: Sales revenues by region (Interim Report 2013) 2a) One of VW’s most important ownership advantages at the upstream end portrays its standardization in production practices, namely in terms of MQB and MLB (Taylor 2012). These production systems allow for building different models from using the same components whilst increasing the productive efficiency and reducing the throughput time across all its international business units (Buiga 2012). In this context, the transfer of its standardized production practices across its business units globally is supplemented by VW’s ability to do so â€Å"without the customer noticing† (Taylor 2012). This ability is, however, strongly promoted by its second remarkable ownership advantage at the downstream end, namely VW’s internationally recognized and maintained brand identity. Generally, Volkswagen is perceived by customers as a carmaker offering high both quality and longevity with cars such as the beetle succeeding over decades (Haig 2011). Consequently, its brand identity displays the source of its global competitive advantage, given that consumers associate it with the aforementioned advantages (Taylor 2012), contributing to its continuously increasing brand value (Interbrand 2012). Given its innovations in the light of fostering sustainability and the resulting recognition of being ranked fourth among Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands, Volkswagen’s brand identity is destined to improve further; most likely to be presented through the continuation of its brand value growth (Interbrand 2012). b) The Uppsala model by Jan Johansen and Jan-Erik suggests â€Å"that internationalization is a dynamic process of learning in which firms take decisions over their next step based on what they know at that time†(Peng & Mayer 2011). Experiencing new markets and cultures reduces the liability of outsidership and influences the firm’s ability to perceive risks and to recognize opportunities. The stage model is similar to the Uppsala model because both models imply that a step-by-step process is necessary to reduce market uncertainty whereby the stage model does not focus on the experimental learning process, but on the increase in degree of commitments. If firms, for example, first make use of licensing, afterwards founding a joint venture and finally owning subsidiaries, then they are able to reduce cultural and institutional distance. After China started to open some of their trade borders to take part of the international trade, VW signed a contract in 1985 to establish a joint venture â€Å"Volkswagen Shanghai Automotive Company Ltd.† was the first joint venture in the Chinese automobile market. With an equal share of 50% for the German and Chinese shareholders, VW is and will not be able to fully own a subsidiary. To ensure the market leader position, VW founded a second joint venture in 1991 whereby the German shareholders only have 40% of the shares (Volkswagen AG 2013). However, in April 2002 the Shanghai-VW joint venture extended the contract until 2030 which shows that VW puts great value on effectively occupying the position of China’s largest foreign car marketer (Feng 2007). VW’s entrance into the Chinese market supports the stage model more than the Uppsala model because the incremental steps are recognizable; founding the first joint venture in Shanghai, then another one in Changc hun and finally extending the contracts. 3a) The automotive industry is known to be one of the most globalized industries due to companies organizing its production in a global value chain (Sturgeon et al. 2008). As Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest automotive companies, its thousands of suppliers are located across the globe. Even though VW’s headquarters are located in Germany, only 26% of their cars were produced in its home country. The company operates with more than 100 foreign affiliates in South America, Eastern and European countries, South Africa and Asia (Chiappini 2011). In most factories, different motor vehicle models are produced, whereas in others, automotive products and components are assembled. Considering the number of factories outside its home region, VW’s degree of offshoring is very high . As the suppliers make a substantial contribution to the company’s success, reliable partnerships need to be present. This leads VW to establish a cooperative relationship with a number of long-term oriented suppliers to increase its focus on the quality of each component. Furthermore, VW’s focus on quality, technology, and innovation, leads it to select its suppliers on cost to quality basis. Additionally, VW selects only the suppliers which implement production-related environmental and social standards according to global minimum standards (Volkswagen AG 2006). b) The advantages of VW’s international sourcing strategies are stable relationships with its suppliers which allow for a high integration in the production processes. By choosing reliable and trustworthy suppliers, VW gains a competitive advantage in ensuring the high quality of assembled components. As the focus lies on the product’s quality, sourced inputs cannot always be purchased at the lowest price. In order to provide all production facilities with the necessary supplies, VW is dependent on a large number of suppliers which increases the risk of deficient components. VW tries to counteract this risk by implementing a selective admission process for its suppliers. Its offshoring strategy enables the company to exploit lower production costs in emerging countries. At the same time, by setting up production facilities in different countries, import restrictions can also be avoided. In order to become the world’s leading car manufacturer by 2018, VW must enhance its collaboration and integration with its suppliers in the long term to strengthen its competitive advantage. 4a) Ghana is currently one of the most favorable emerging markets in West Africa with a GDP growth rate of 14.4 % and a FDI inflow of US$3 billion per year (World Bank 2013). It is one of the most secure countries in terms of corruption and furthermore, the supported change in institutional frameworks by the World Bank and the IMF simplifies business practices (Gyetuah 2009). Moreover, the geographical location offers many opportunities to serve the complete west coast by shipping and to reduce transaction costs. Volkswagen already has plants in South Africa, which recently gained a membership of the BRICs, but the company’s responsiveness to market changes in the northern countries is poor because of the distance. Besides, Ghana offers a unique opportunity set for businesses. It has many natural resources for example cocoa, gold, silver, industrial diamonds, manganese, bauxite, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, timber, salt, limestone and oil (The Central Intelligence Agency 2013). Ghana has become the magnet of many European and especially Chinese companies, particularly in the oil industry which shares ties to the automotive industry. Currently, only Toyota Ltd. has a plant in Ghana and consequently competition is relatively low which facilitates the gathering of a significant market share (List of companies 2013). However, Ghana is weakened by â€Å"the increasing flow of drugs through West African States [that] is beginning to undermine the state, through weakening its institutions, its local communities, and its social fabric† and since the production of oil and gas not only businesses but also terrorism is attracted which create a certain risk for many companies (Aning 2008). Figure 1: Emerging Markets (http://emergingmarkets.ey.com/worldmap/ghana/) b) Volkswagen should focus on the hub in Ghana by founding a majority joint venture with a local company. This strategy lowers the liability of outsidership while accelerating the comprehension of the culture and economy to prevent threats of piracy. Volkswagen can consequently share costs and risks with its local partner, thus limiting the financial risk of investment. Furthermore, a fusion with a local company creates a dynamic network which is vital for the distribution to other countries and is politically preferred. The strategy of a joint venture in an emerging economy is more profitable and secure than in a developed market where formal and informal institutions are important and an inherent part of the legal framework and culture. While entering developed markets is more profitable when taking direct actions, making use of the ownership advantages and critical success factors, entering an emerging mark et stresses cultural sensitivity and caution. 5a) Recently Volkswagen entered the Mexican emerging market by finishing a new plant in January 2013. This was primarily done due to aid their strategic objective to increase sales in the United States. The demand for passenger cars in the US is forecasted to be 7 million units. Moreover, in 2011 the automobile â€Å"production increased by 12.5% to 2.64 million units† and a growth of 8 – 9 % per year are expected until 2016 (Bouman 2012). With the favorable geographic location of Mexico and its 12 FTA with 43 countries, NAFTA Volkswagen has a great opportunity to expand sales (Grant Thornton 2012). Another strategic objective is to strengthen its market position in North America which is an essential component of the Volkswagen Group’s global growth strategy (Volkswagen AG 2013). Apparently, North America has 17,167,000 cars of which 4.9 % are vehicles of Volkswagen (Volkswagen AG 2013). To fulfill its strategic objective with a high cost reduction it was necess ary to enter the Mexican market. b) VW regards FDI as one of its preferred entry modes. With the intention of penetrating both local and neighboring markets, VW has set up manufacturing plants in India aiming at establishing an â€Å"export base to the around regions† (Wen 2007, p. 51) in addition to its recent announcements of increasing the density of its production facilities network in Mexico (FDITracker 2013). Aside from FDI, Volkswagen has entered foreign markets through those modes considered less risky: strategic alliances and joint ventures. Throughout the portfolio of countries in which VW operates, it has formed strategic alliances with firms such as Daewoo Motor Sales Co for marketing purposes in South Korea. Additionally, VW entered several joint ventures and thus achieved the penetration of markets in both developing (e.g. Angola) and developed (e.g. U.S.) economies (Wen 2007, p. 52-53). In this context, the formation of joint ventures displays VW’s prior mode of entry for the Chinese market and could not have been substituted by any other of the aforementioned entry modes. Given the legal obligation by Chinese authorities, VW entered two joint ventures in the 1990’s which have been extended ever since whilst continuously pursuing FDI by investing in both existing and new production facilities (Schrott 2012). In the case of China, these joint ventures displayed not only VW’s single -legally possible- entry mode for one of the world’s largest car markets, but also a source of production resources, as well as both knowledge and network relations for the Chinese automotive market (Schrott 2012). c) As far as VW’s multinational strategy is concerned, one can clearly identify its global approach, characterized by its standardization practices throughout the primary process and the bureaucratic operation that envelops its subsidiaries. Figure 2: VW’s multionational corporate structure (Pà ¶tsch 2011) In this context, VW has recently implemented the standardization of its IT infrastructure across unit and country boundaries, in addition to the cost-efficient MQB (see 2a) production system in place (Microsoft 2012). Such measures clearly indicate the identification of VW’s global standardization strategy given that it holds centers of excellence in each of its sales regions (see figure 2.). Nevertheless, VW still lacks the diffusion of knowledge and innovation across country boundaries and among subsidiaries in the same region, as a result of the centralization of R&D in its home country (Schmid et al.). Consequently, VW does not follow a transnational strategy which would include this aforementioned diffusion, but remains strategically centralized (Mà ¶ller 2005), particularly in considering itself as â€Å"the innovative car maker from Wolfsburg [..]where [its] home lies† (Volkswagen 2013). 6a) As one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers, VW sets high standards in both, social and environmental concerns and it was therefore not easy to find significant dilemma situations. Nevertheless, in many emerging countries, VW was confronted by the social issue of rising pressure to engage in behavior, which is considered strongly unethical in the Western World (Deutsche Presse Agentur 2005). Figure 3: Worldwide Governance Indicators (http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/mc_chart.asp#) Engaging in corruption and bribery is common in countries with weak control systems and can give firms large advantages. With the high degree of power that comes along with the size of an influential company like VW, it is also harder to keep control over all business entities. Over the last decades, VW had to face several allegations of bribery and corruption. In 2005, information about a bribery scandal in India involving the former HR chief at VW’s Czech unit, Skoda, became public. The firm reacted immediately by submitting the case to court (NDR 2013). Besides, VW also faces the environmental dilemma of increasing sustainability while keeping costs to a minimum. Furthermore, VW is pressured by several environmental organizations, particularly Greenpeace, who accused VW of not making sufficient progress on fuel efficiency. Over the past five years, VW reduced the carbon emissions of its latest models by 13% and introduced a range of new car models with cleaner engine technologies, thereby acting in accordance to the latest criteria (Handelsblatt 2012). In 2013, VW also agreed to reduce the CO2 emission standards of its newly produced cars to an average of 95g/km by 2020 and subsequently finally reached an agreement with Greenpeace. * b) As a large MNE, VW has a number of stakeholders that need to be satisfied. Since its stakeholders are highly interrelated, the firm has to focus on strategic actions that are in accordance with all its stakeholders. * * * Figure 4: Stakeholder Dialogue (Volkswagen 2013) * * Even though the social dilemma of corruption can occur all over the world, it is prevalently perceived in emerging countries. The issue is therefore of global relevance and especially harmful to the company and its employees. Uncovering corruption is of utter importance for VW and in order to satisfy all stakeholders, the firm has implemented a specific system which enables employees and business partners to fight corruption (Volkswagen AG 2013). A globally standardized strategy in this issue is explicitly important since any form of fraud is unacceptable in VW’s home country. Volkswagen is therefore trying to counteract any mode of corruption, as the publication of such affairs involves highly undesirable consequences for the future. * The increased need of sustainable processes and environmental awareness is also a global issue. Even though sustainability does not have the same significance in every culture, VW sets high standards for all the production facilities as well as its suppliers worldwide. By implementing the same norms for all employees, suppliers and other parties involved, VW wants to ensure the same quality and standards that it is known for in its home region. In order to maintain the credibility concerning sustainability and CSR, a globally standardized strategy is highly appropriate. c) Both, VW and Unilever have remarkable similarity in allocating considerable value to social responsibility and sustainability. Unilever’s approach is very similar to that of VW as both companies have similar corporate governance manuals and strongly encourage ethical behavior. While Unilever actively tries to reduce its impact on the environment by trying to halve its carbon footprint by 2020, VW set the goal of reducing the CO2 emission of its new-car fleet by 30% until 2015. Furthermore, both companies sacrifice retained earnings to invest in the improvement of sustainability and social responsibility in order to maintain a good public image. Moral philosophies and environmentally sound behavior are highly prioritized and both firms refrain from behavior that can be considered unethical in the host countries, for instance by implementing strict regulations for their suppliers. Improving corporate social responsibility policies, as well as developing more efficient processes, is favored from the viewpoint of the corporation and the society at large, so both firms’ approaches can be supported. Aning, K 2008, ‘From ‘voluntary’ to a ‘binding’ process: towards the securitisation of small arms’, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, vol. 26, no. 2, pp.169-181 viewed 12 May 2013, . Bouman, S 2012, Mexico: Business opportunities in the automotive industry, draft, 14 August, Agentschap NL, viewed 12 May 2013, . Buiga, Dr A 2012, â€Å"Investigating the Role of MQB Platform in Volkswagen Group’s Strategy and Automobile industryâ€Å", International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences September 2012, vol. 2 no.9, pp.391-398, viewed 2 May 2013, retrieved from . Chiappini, R 2011,