Infertility In Women With Hormone Complications Essay

Infertility In Women With Hormone Complications - Essay Example Infertility is a major concern that affects about 10 percent of couples in their reproductive age. Approximately 1/3 percent of infertility cases that occur are attributed to fertility issues with a woman while the rest two-third are attributed to the man or both partners issues. Thus, infertility is a major issue affecting many women in the reproductive age. Infertility resulting from hormonal complications is a major concern affecting many women that need to be discussed.Hormones involvedA woman's ability to bear children normally occurs at her start of menstruation when she enters puberty. Various hormones are involved, as the whole process is complex. The follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is first produced and stimulates the follicles to mature. Once they are mature, estrogen is produced stimulating the thickening of the uterine lining. At the 14th day of the cycle, luteinizing hormone (LH) is produced that stimulates ovulation and leads to the production of progesterone and est rogen through the corpus luteum that supports the pregnancy. Hormonal complications of each of the above hormones on a woman who is in the reproductive age may result in infertility.Polycystic ovarian syndromeAbbreviated, as PCOS it is a condition among women of the reproductive age where the ovaries do not make all the hormones that are needed for the egg to fully mature. The follicles may start growing and even build up with fluid, but ovulation does not occur as some follicles remain as cysts.

Food and the First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Food and the First World War - Essay Example These include high explosive, perfected machine guns, hand grenades and poison gas among a whole host of other 'advances'. The social changes wrought by WWI are also commonly known, from the end of Victorian England to the growth of a middle class to the new independence of women. However, one important advance that occurred both before and during the war; one that would change the world profoundly, was the method of production, storing and transportation of food. This analysis detail the differences between the importance of food in previous wars versus WWI, as well as the wider cultural changes that were placed on European people because of a concentration upon the supply (and disruption thereof) in the war. It will also consider that technological advances in the food industry as a result of the prolonged war. Food was a very important wartime commodity, and new types of warfare, including the u-boats, were aimed at sinking ships transporting supplies, and especially food supplies. In previous wars, food had been important to armies, indeed, it was a matter of prime importance for an army o the move. Julius Caesar, in one of the greatest, and first, works describing warfare, suggests that the need for food is perhaps the most vital component of an army's activity. Food, according to Caesar, is the prime "weapon" of warfare, because without it, none of the others are effective (Caesar, 1983) Before the advent of modern warfare, which can in some ways traced to both the American Civil War (in terms of numbers of men/devastation) and to WWI (in terms of technology/deaths), armies needed to live off the land that they passed through. While some supplies could be taken with them, sue to the lack of storage/preservation these could only the very basics such as corn, oats and some salted meats. But because roads were unpaved and slow, the transport of large amounts of food would bring an army to a stand-still. So the major source of land would be the land that was being passed through. Indeed, cutting off that food supply brought many great armies to their knees. Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, and the subsequent destruction of his army stemmed from two major factors: first traveling too far, too fast without access to a reliable source and second, the Russian winter. The Russians adopted a "scorched earth" policy in which they destroyed their own landscape by setting it on fire in order to starve the French army (Schom, 1998). As Napoleon stated in what has become something of a clich. "an army marches on its stomach" (Schom, 1998). As the fate of Napoleon's army illustrated, as well as that of many others over the centuries, reliance upon the native sources of food rather than transporting one's own individual supply leads to a great vulnerability, even for what is superficially the strongest army. The larger the army the greater are needs for food, and the greater logistical problems involved in supplying it. The Industrial revolution, which started in England and eventually spread to much of the rest of Europe and the United States, caused a massive transformation in the cultural and economic landscape of food production. In the century between Napoleon's disastrous defeat at the hands of the Russians and the beginning of WWI in 1914, many advances in both the production and preservation of food had occurred. One of the great improvements was the invention of

Role Of Language In Identity Formation Cultural Studies Essay

Role Of Language In Identity Formation Cultural Studies Essay People that have multilingual background face complex issues in adapting and assimilating their language to cultural identity that they want to be identified with. People create their linguistic structure so as to bear a resemblance to those of the group with which from time to time they wish to identify. Cultural identity is defined as the product of social and historical background that is constructed when an individual categorize themselves a group, in addition to social context and ethnically accustomed communicative structures in a particular society (Jung and Lee,2004). Language serves as a tool that embraces ones identity and operates as a mean of uniting a cultural community that share the same collective identity. In the process of identity formation, language functions as a tool that holds the cultural identity that the language resembles. Professor Ngugi Wa Thiongo, an African scholar and Kenyan author claims that language is a carrier of culture (cited in Kaili and Kaili). He explains that the distinctiveness qualities that a culture possessed for example, its own value, custom, principles, faith, ideologies and the ways of life are embed in its own language. Kaili and Kaili (1998) gives an example about the relationship between language and identity that is embedded in a culture of fakaapaapa to the variety of status in Tongan social hierarchy; this cultural customs is conceded in the Tongan language of respect. A Tongan speaker will utilize variety form of Tongan speech to express the level of fakaapaapa that is ethnically suitable for the person ones is speaking to. This illustration demonstrate the role that language play in the process of identity formation. Lanehart (1996) in her article alleges that language is a part of ones culture and identity. In the article, Laneheart explains the connection between language and identity and how they are related with each other. She claims that our identities emerge from our transaction which is develop within a culture, whither language is essential. Lanehart relates language and identity through the concept of language goals where people construct their language structure so as to bear similitude with the cluster they want to identify with and want to become. As an African American, she gives her view based on her social experience where she explains the dilemma that African Americans face when they try to incorporate their language to cultural identity that they want to identified with. Social perception that equates the choice to speak Standard English as trying to be White creates a dilemma in most people that have multilingual background. This perception and situation demonstrate that there is a significant connection between language and identity formation. However, the role as a cultural identity that the language play is debatable because there are some cases when the individuals does not identify themselves as a group in particular ethnic even though they master the language of that ethnic. Jung and Lee (2004) in their study about the ethnic identities of Korean American students found that most of their research subjects identify themselves as a person that has a strong Korean background although they are fluent in English and were born in U.S. They identify themselves as either Korean American or Korean, but not American. This is the outcome of strong influence of Korean community that is ethnically oriented. In this context, we can see two forces that drive the changes and divergences identity formation: structures and agency. Structure is the forces beyond our control which shape our identities while agency is the degree control which we ourselves can exert who we are (The Open University, 2010). Ones cannot choose the language t hat they are born with because of the structure forces; however, as time goes by, identities changes as a result of agency factor such as media, environment and social pressure and this induce a person to make changes in which language and cultural identities they want to identify with. Open University (2010) asserts that identities are not fixed and constant; they change too. It can be concludes that language is not the only tools that embrace identity; there are some other external factors that helps the process of identity formation. Language also works as a mean of connecting a cultural community that share the same collective identity. Collective identity refers to sense of belonging when an individual identify themselves to a group or nation (Open University, 2010). Kaili and Kaili (1998) claims that when an individual speak their mother tongue language with their peers, they are a sense of relationship, unity and bond that make the cultural community more connected with each other. Research that was conducted by Jung and Lee (2004) found out that Korean language is the agent that unites the Korean Americans cultural community. Even though there is a type of student whom did not really engage with Korean cultural activities, this type of students still typically hangs out with Korean peers because they feel cultural disparity when they communicate with American peers. Ghose (2010) supports the idea of unity that language plays in identity formation in his article and he stresses that language serves as a mean of unifying the country. If the role of language in uniting a cultural community is analyzed in a different perspective, language can act as a tool that divides the people in a cultural community. Goose (2010), Lanehart (1996) and Kaili and Kaili (1998) share the same opinion about this idea. They critique the society obsession with Standard English and how English have eroded the cultural identity of their culture. For example, many Tongans see the Tongan language as an obstruction to their academic and economic development; they favored English language more than the Tongan language. Freire and Macedo (1987, 128) highlight that language should never be understood as a mere tool of communication (cited in Lanehart). Without doubt, language plays a significant role in the formation of cultural identity. It also acts as tool to unite the people in one cultural community that share the same collective identity. We often do not realize how much language has impacted our life. So, it is important for us to value our language because it carries our cultural, historical and social identity. Without a language, ones will lose its own identity.

Collective Memory :: essays research papers

Anthony D. Smith who wrote â€Å"National Identity and Myths of Ethnic Descent† discussed how myths are formed and how they can lead to the ethnic regeneration within a group of people. He associated his ideas on ethnic regeneration with the countries of Turkey, Greece, England, France, and Israel. His ideas clearly outlined the steps that are taken to regenerate when people are influence by myths created sometimes thousands of years ago in such cases as seen by Jews. There were eight steps which all of these nation-states were said to have followed, in order to be where they are today. Of these eight steps I do not agree with the one that says, â€Å"they designate a space and time for their action.† I do not feel that a specific time is designated. Instead I feel that the time is determined at a moment’s notice. This can be seen presently when referring to the future state of Palestine. The date for this states declaration of existence has changed numerous time s during the past few years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yael Zerubavel writes about Collective remembering and Zionist reconstruction of the past. I do not agree with the historian that Zerubavel talks about in his writings. I feel that Halbwach’s view of history expressed as â€Å"collective memory†. Collective memory is what gives a society is goals that they must seek in the future. It also creates a bond between the people of that society. As a result it leads to these people wanting to settle together in a nation-state. The Zionist movement is an example of something caused by collective memory. Through generations the Diaspora and other events in the lives of Jews have been passed on, which eventually led Jews to create a homeland in 1948.

Building an Ethical organization in a mental health association Essay

Our organization is a Mental Health Association of Kentucky which is a private organization having countrywide membership and board of directors who in essence represents the diverse cultures of Kentucky. It is an association that falls under the category of health care industry. It is believed to be the oldest mental health support group in the whole commonwealth. Its mission is to support and provide education, information and undertaking out research directed at the prevention and curing mental related diseases. The main aim of MHAKY is to offer informational services all over Kentucky that will assist in the improvement and understanding of individual’s desires and they mostly focus on helping the mentally sick people in ensuring that they live healthy and active lives thus those individuals can achieve their goals like each and every person in the world. Our Vision The organization is to attain a kind and healthy community whereby the public is given value, self-respect, and the chance to accomplish their complete potential without stigmatization and discrimination. The challenge of this organization has always been the desire to be international in scope, currently we only serve the people of Kentucky. This have been a challenge to the entire management of MHAKY as we have the desire to be wide in scope, we would like to provide our services to all people around the globe not only to the people of Kentucky. This organization is big in size and can be said to be providing quality services to all in Kentucky and its environs. (Dale, 2001) Values statement Since it’s a big association we have many employees including subordinates staff and also a number of supervisors in the various departments in the organization. The stage in the life cycle of the organization in the health industry can be said to be at its peak because at the moment the organization is offering quality services and at the same time it has good reputation among the people living in Kentucky and especially from those who have been treated in the organization. It’s widely known organization and most of the people from all over the country always seek consultation and treatment for their relatives or friends in the organization whenever we have problems associated with mental illnesses. (Dale, 2001) Through a well organized and coordinated series of managerial activities that comprises of planning, leading, organizing, directing, and controlling of all the resources in our organization including employees in order to achieve desirable results. We achieve our success through the recruiting competent, motivated and qualified employees in order to achieve good results, good communication system in the organization, unambiguous policies, decisions and regulations, a conducive environment for working, good management, ability to adapt to any changes, an efficient board of directors and building a viable and strong culture and mission among others. Our association is a consciously co-coordinated social unit composed of two or more people that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals. Therefore this effectiveness is always achieved through the management functions; planning, which encompasses defining our goals by establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals and developing a comprehensive hierarchy of plans to integrate and coordinate activities, organizing, which is the determination of what tasks have to be done, who does them how the tasks are to be grouped? Who reports to whom and where decisions are to be made. Controlling, this involves monitoring the organizations performance, leading, which involves managers motivating subordinates, directing the activities to be done, selecting the most appropriate channels of communication and resolving any conflicts among our employees. (Dale, 2001) The management of MHAKY should improve on managerial activities by building people skills through friendly management and also motivation of employees. The management has also put in place enough machinations to cope with the ever changing environment and these can be evidenced because of the continuous improvements of operations and continued update of knowledge and skills by the workers through training. Also the organization has emphasized the importance of work groups in achieving results. It has been a challenge to the entire management to be effective in the activities and much need to be done including training of managers in order to cope with change in the health industry. Dale, 2001) Our structure should be clearly outlined such that the employees know what they are expected from them in the course of their duties. This will lead to reduction of conflicts between management and the workers because there will be no vague policies. The structures should be in such a way that it fits the modern world and should be adaptable by the employees.

Intercultural Competence

10th May 2011, London: Following several incidents involving the police and members of the public of different cultures, religions and beliefs the country has decided to educate the police force and publish a handbook that is designed to give officers a better understanding of the needs and expectations of the people in the area. This handbook will relate to everyone from asylum seekers and ethnic minorities to travelers, homosexuals and people with disabilities. The councils Head Officer in Diversity issues said, â€Å"It is crucial that the police in Britain understand and are aware of the different cultures involved in the community that they serve in order to improve the service and trust for the people we are protecting†. One incident that caused a lot of media attention to the way that the British police force handles multicultural and diverse members of the public occurred last year in Essex County when a Muslim woman was arrested and the police officer proceeded to search her for concealed weapons. For Muslim women this is very disrespectful to be searched by a man, who later requested that she remove her headscarf so that he could see her properly. It is incidents like this that are completely cruel to someone with different beliefs than the police officer. After the media had heard about the way this individual was mistreated the police officer involved said, â€Å"I had no idea that I was disrespecting her religion or her beliefs and I would have never acted in that manner if I was aware of the vast differences†. This is why the need for a handbook and more cultural education for the police is necessary to run a more effective police service. Another incident that backs up this handbook was the documentary filmed by the BBC called ‘The Secret Policeman’ (2003) which investigated the police force in Manchester and the large amount of racism displayed during the show, typically referring to Muslim and Middle-Eastern members of the public as ‘Pakis’. The documentary shows another side of the police that Britain was not aware of, and a particular Junior Officer said a shocking statement, â€Å"A dog born in a barn is still a dog. A Paki born in England is still a F****** Paki†. The documentary caused an uproar and the police were forced to take action as the public was no longer comfortable being monitored by such people. The journalist responsible for covering the story; Mark Daly personally went undercover in the Manchester police force and recorded racist behavior with hidden cameras. Five years later (2008), Daly went back to the police and collected surveys from multicultural members of the force to see if the racism issue had improved, what he discovered yet again was severely disappointing, â€Å"this person in particular says he is treated as a slave purely because he is Black†. Other issues came up such as never being promoted based on race, being treated worse than in the 60’s, and that more than 72% of all police officers in Britain had experienced racism at work. The Secret Policeman’ had hours of disgraceful police behavior recorded and really caused the public to be aware of who they are being served by, leading to a huge loss of trust and respect for the entire police force in Britain. This alone was a potentially dangerous situation for the crime rate in the UK. Not only were the police in the UK acting in a racist manner towards members of the public but also towards other police officers. According to the documentary, each police department in the UK has a required percentage of ethnic minorities that should be involved in the force, however this percentage was not met by any of the police departments. Another survey shows that 50% of Ethnic Minorities that join the police force last less than 6 months, compared to 85% of white officers. The racism occurring amongst the police force members was shown to be very severe and involved extreme racist references to the Ku Klux Klan. This type of discrimination towards anyone is truly unacceptable and only proves how much the police truly require some further training in respecting, understanding and dealing with cultural differences. The entire country could benefit from a handbook on intercultural sensitivity, as it would create a much better environment for every community in Britain. The BBC documentary ‘The Secret Policeman’ (2003) explores racism in the police force, however there is still a large amount of racism amongst the general public. This was proven from another documentary also conducted by the BBC ‘Racism in Multicultural Britain’ (2009) where a Middle-Eastern couple went undercover in a housing estate in Bristol. They were targeted by the youth of the estate and were constantly discriminated against for being Muslim and an ethnic minority in the community. They were not only verbally abused but also physically from having rocks and punches thrown at them for no good reason but being different. As the United Kingdom continues to attract immigrants due to the better opportunities for education and employment the police force needs to adapt. This handbook hopefully symbolizes the acknowledgement for this change and will lead to the entire country becoming more interculturally competent. As more and more people in and outside Britain become aware of the racist issues in the country there will be more action taken to help communities accept and respect other ethnic groups. In the future, discrimination should be eradicated and no longer accepted in British culture. References: ‘The Secret Police man’ (2003, October 24). Racism In U K Police Force. YouTube . Retrieved May 14, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_GWy82olhw&feature=related ‘Racism in Multicultural Britain’. (2009, October 21). Racism in Multicultural Britain. YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8e6lS7T9yI

Darkness at Noon Revision Notes Essays

Darkness at Noon Revision Notes Essays Darkness at Noon Revision Notes Essay Darkness at Noon Revision Notes Essay Why does Nikolai Rubashov confess to offenses against the revolution that he has non committed? What are the political options open to Rubashov following his apprehension? Which option does he take? Are the deductions of the political statement in Arthur Koester’s Darkness at Noon anti-revolutionary or simply anti-Stalinist? Is Darkness at Noon an effort to explicate why the Russian Revolution in peculiar failed or is it an effort to explicate why all revolutions that rely on violent agencies to accomplish their terminals must neglect? What is the cardinal political statement of Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon? What are the political deductions of his statement? Outline the most of import differences in the political outlook of Rubashov’s interrogators- Ivanov and Gletkin? What political options are unfastened to Rubashov after he is arrested? Following Rubashov’s arrest Ivanov gave the option of traveling through a public test by squealing to certain Acts of the Apostless. or holding a private administrative test. Public test: * This could take to the discrediting and weakening of the political orientation * Rubashov held a high place within the party. and for him to be seen as a dissenter would hold stirred other revolutionists * Would hold made it more hard for the party to discredit his positions if Rubashov did non publicly denounce himself * Doesn’t serve the revolution * Preserves his ain honor in some ways but is of no usage to the greater good Confess: * Rubashov capitulates in order to function the revolution and the party * Although he was non guilty of anything. he can non happen any ground in his ain head non to capitulate. Rubashov has been a animal of the party for his whole life. and now the party demands that he should squeal * Justice and nonsubjective truth have ceased to hold any significance for him * He feels superior to his Czarist officer who inhabits the following cell. demoing the differences in thought procedures from a individual ingrained with the party political orientation versus the bourgeois’ angle who would continue his honor * The officer believes that honor is about making what you think is right. an individualist position. where as Rubashov contends that to continue the honor of the regime/revolution is more honorable. Ideology dictates the actions of all participants in the government – citizen and province To function the revolution. Rubashov finds it necessary to capitulate – serves the greater good – it is better to squeal to offenses non committed than to put on the line the repute of the revolution for his ain honor – grammatical fiction: there is no I. This is a presentation of the corruptness of revolutions enacted through violent agencies. The means don’t warrant the terminals when the citizens are being overlooked – the revolution is supposed to move for the good of the people. but the political orientation has become corrupted to function the good of itself and its leader. Sketch the most of import differences in the political outlook of Rubashovâ₠¬â„¢s interrogators- Ivanov and Gletkin? Ivanov * He lived before the revolution. and was an rational who helped convey approximately and function the revolution * He is non a adult male of force – would prefer to carry Rubashov instead than crush him. Coercion is a last resort for him. but if it is necessary. he believes that the terminals do warrant the agencies. Gletkin * Gletkin is of the 2nd coevals of the revolution. He comes from a provincial background. is non an rational. Rubashov thinks of him as little more than a violent hood. * His political positions are hence those of the party. he accepts what is force fed to him without believing critically about it. * He is a adult male of force. He wants to crush and torment Rubashov to obtain his confession. Therefore he doesn’t believe in the thought of persuasion. However this does demo that he believes the terminal justifies the agencies. * Gletkin is the apogee of what Koestler argues went incorrect with the revolution – he represents totalitarian idea. and he is the sort of single that it produces. * born without an umbilical cord’

Who Started The Cold War essays

Who Started The Cold War essays The United States of America is responsible for starting the Cold War with the Russians. The Cold War broke out shortly after the Allied powers defeated the Axis powers in World War II. The Cold War was an arms race between the Russians and the Americans that lasted until the 1980s. The United States and Russia, two very different nations, united to bring down a common enemy. That enemy was Nazi Germany or the Axis powers. However, the US did not uphold their end of the agreement until D-Day in 1944. Up until D-Day, there was only one offensive against the Germans, and that was the Russian front. To the Russians, it seemed that the Americans were simply pushing the danger towards Russia. Russia was left devastated after World War II because so much of it was fought there. Russian resentment of US resulted from the lack of American support in World War II. Furthermore, in August of 1945, the US dropped not one but two atomic bombs on Japan, which effectively ended World War II. First of all, Russia had never heard of a bomb with that type of payload, and it would not create its own atomic bomb until September 1949. This alone was enough to cause a great scare in the Russians. Next, by dropping two atomic bombs, it sent the message that America had more of them. This showed that America was not afraid of using its atomic weapons, which deeply scared the Russians. Additionally, it showed the Russians that America had more atomic weapons. When the bomb was dropped, the US and the Soviets were still allies. Russia had no idea that America planed to drop an atomic bomb on Japan. This led to the distrust between the nations. By dropping two atomic bombs on Japan, the US did more than stop World War II; it caused distrust and a deep fear of America in the Russians. This was probably a start to the arms race, because Russia had no thing to counter the American atomic bombs. After World War II, the Soviets had ...

Business plan - CoViTek Essay Example for Free

Business plan – CoViTek Essay CoViTek is an Atlanta based company that offers a unique value added service to the $11 billion dollars video rental industry. CoViTek will revolutionize the industry by renting movies through its video vending machines. These machines are already experiencing tremendous success in Europe, where they were invented. Customers will now be able to rent videos twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week in a timely and efficient manner at the lowest price. Our machines can be implemented anywhere, even in locations that are not accessible to our brick and mortar competitors, and we will therefore focus our efforts on all the strategic locations. Reve-lution Int. will offer a unique business-to-consumer service for the rental of videos and DVDs. The technology, containing a fully automated system, will facilitate continuous rental and return of movies bridging the gap between video stores, who only are open 15 hours a day, and services such as the nonexistent Kozmo. com, who offer video delivery for a premium price. The company has a cost-per-action (CPA) pricing structure. CoViTek’s target customers will include universities with a student body of at least 10,000 in addition to the rest of the city of Atlanta for the first six months of operation. CoViTek will provide their clientele with a complete set of integrated tools within the machine to make accurate and enjoyable purchasing decisions. CoViTek will give video rental customers the freedom of rental 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. CoViTek will build the world’s truly first convenient and efficient rental system†¦ Target Customers Movie rentals have proven to be an integral part of the everyday lives of the American population. With more than $11 billion dollars in rental sales in 1999, we acknowledge the aggregate demand for the video rental industry. Constantly seeking immediate gratification, video rental stores want the most efficient and cost-effective methods of satisfying their customers. CoViTek will make rentals simple by providing consumers the most efficient tools for with which to initialize a rental process. With the killer application technology used in these machines, the customer will be able to conduct multiple searches in order to rent the movie of their desire. CoViTek will further assist them through the provisions of an active preference search, which is currently being used by Amazon. com. This application will determine what the customer rented last and list the preferred movies of that category the customer will like based on past rental behavior. CoViTek’s potential customers will represent the bulk of video rental households who value rental outlet convenience and flexible payment plans. CoViTek will strive for the most efficient, cost-flexible payments and active searches for preservation of quality time. Market Growth Perspective According to analyst Paul Keagan & Associates, at home movie consumption expenditures will increase approximately 40% by 2005 to $27 billion, almost triple the amount spent in 1990. The vast majority of these expenditures, about 83%, will be for video/DVD rentals and retail. However, movie consumption will also encompass pay-per-view and video on demand (VOD) available through cable and satellite services. Video Production Companies Ninety percent of our videotapes will come from one of the six major production companies: 1. Buena Vista 2. Warner Bros. 3. Universal 4. Fox 5. Paramount, or 6. Columbia-Tri-Star The power of these suppliers is very high, as they hold the exclusive rights to the movies they produce. One of our late competitors, Kozmo. com, has built a unique strategic partnership with these production companies. They have developed a profit sharing system with the major production companies requiring no initial investment in the videos, but agreeing to give 40% of the revenue generated by the rentals to the producer of the movie. We believe that this profit sharing system is financially unattractive, although it will allow us to reduce our initial investment costs; it minimizes our profits which in turn will delay our expansion strategy. We will use an initial video vendor, Video Bicicling, based out of Texas to supply us with our videos and DVDs. They will provide us with the most up-do-date movies for competitive prices. Competitor Differentiation CoViTek differentiates itself from its competitors in several key areas. While companies such as Blockbuster and Hollywood Entertainment offer the same features, only CoViTek will incorporate all of the features described below in a way that gives consumers the ultimate ease of use, active preference search, and extremely convenient locations of operations. Time Availability CoViTek’s competitive advantage is based on its time availability for rentals. The machines will be open and available for usage 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round. CoViTek will keep customer service readily available even throughout holidays. Strategic Locations CoViTek will implement the vending machines in key strategic locations after performing a detailed demo-geographical analysis of the city of Atlanta. Locations will initially be university campuses and later the urban areas of the city. Each machine will be located in areas where there is heavy human traffic. Payment Flexibility Our pricing will be flexible depending on the amount of time the video is out. Since CoViTek is a system that is open 24 hours a day there are no late fees associated in our model. Our standard rental time for DVDs is â€Å"midnight of the following day† for a price between $2. 50-$3. 00. Each additional day will be between $1. 50-$2. 00. Video Cassettes will be $3. 99 and if returned within 24 hours $1will be credited back. Each additional day will be $1. 99. (Based on new releases) Active Search CoViTek will use an innovative application technology which actively searches for videos categorized by title, actor, new releases, type of movie (action, thriller, comedy), and most frequently rented movies. Relative Competitive Factor Blockbuster Video Hollywood Video Kozmo. com CoViTek Relative Product Quality and Differentiation i i i i Flexible Payment Plan i E-commerce Based i i Brand Recognition % 100% 63% 40% N/A Locations around campuses i i i i Locations on Campuses i i Large video selection.i i Number of employees less than 5/ location i One of the most compelling aspects of the CoViTek model is its portability into untapped realms of video rental opportunities. This will provide the company with a critical advantage-the flexibility to transform itself in response to competitive challenges or to shifts in the video rental market environment. CoViTek’s flexibility will give downside protection to its owners by insuring that new, innovative means of generating cash flow can be realized. Future elements of CoViTek may include: National Expansion. Video rental opportunities in selected national markets such as: Washington D. C. , Los Angeles, Miami and Huston. Washington D. C: our second location has similar features to our first city of operation. It has a few large universities, widely used public transportation, and high pedestrian traffic. The schools we target will be American University, George Washington University, and Georgetown University. Our downtown locations will depend on areas where there is an intersection of the public transportation lines and high pedestrian traffic. Data Distribution. Future plans may include the sale of CoViTek’s proprietary online consumer data to the major video production companies. Specialized Machine Content Another growth opportunity for CoViTek in the future is the implementation of machines with customized video selection. The content of these machines will be select videos and DVDs targeted toward an audience based on specific themes. These machines will be placed in strategic locations based around their themes. Some possible â€Å"themed† machines may include: classic movie machines, foreign movie machines with Spanish subtitles or dubbing, and award-winning movie machines. The placement of these machines will require careful market analysis and planning, and therefore we plan to wait before implementation to gather enough data about the market and the purchasing patterns of our customers. Investment Needs Michel Khoury founder of CoViTek, has accumulated cash in excess of $10,000 for the development and the start-up cost of the company. CoViTek is now prepared to obtain financing through establishing a line of credit and implementing an equipment loan for its initial machine. It will later apply for loans as needed in order to buy more machines as it expands its operation. Using the machines and earnings as collateral CoViTek should have sufficient funds to obtain a line of credit that will secure its implementation of strategy. The initial stage of funding will be used to complete Web-site development, obtain one machines, invest in computer hardware and software, lease location space needed for the machines and market CoViTek during the first 12 months of operations. After 12 to 18 months of operation, CoViTek will require an infusion of an additional $15,000 to expand its brand image and increase its service offerings at an accelerated pace. Successful development and operation of CoViTek will allow it to be self-sufficient within approximately 9 to 12 months of initial operation. CoViTek will be a for-profit company incorporated in the state of Georgia. CoViTek – Start up costs Machines $20,246. 64 Inventory: video tapes $9,210 Cash/ month $2,808 Advertising $8,000 Legal & Accounting $7,000 Insurance $3,000 TOTAL $50,264. 64 Management team Michel Khoury Chief Executive Officer Founder While founding CoViTek, Michel Khoury is Assistant Managing Director at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. He is working hand in hand with the Managing Director of the company in order to implement a system of bringing foreign investment to the company. He has had significance experience with young ventures as he has participated in the creation of several companies nationally and internationally. Michel Khoury is also consultant to the CEO of Santege Capital Asset Management Group in New York City. Michel Khoury graduated in May of 2001 from Emory University with a Bachelor of Business administration with concentrations in Finance, Consulting, Venture Management and Marketing. Business plan – CoViTek. (2017, Aug 04).

The International Law of Human Trafficking Coursework

The International Law of Human Trafficking - Coursework Example The researcher states that no matter the high number of women working on the global issue of human trafficking is pretentious. The women who seem to work for the end of this bad practice are the ones who, in order to escape the said poverty, engage in the trafficking. They normally get away with it since their actions are less suspicious and some of their actions are backed by self-explanatory answers. A number of cases have emerged where women who are the ‘rescuers’ of trafficked women had been found to be involved. In that, they rescue some women while traffic some women. Their actions are seen as an attempt to rescue the women if found with foreign women with no proper documentation. These women have gone ahead and made empires and vast wealth with this business while pretending to be rescuing trafficked women. According to Fox news released on the March 23rd of 2015, a woman was charged with trafficking her daughter in order to get money to buy drugs. Another view al together in the cartel of human trafficking is the fact that the government has put measures and laws that protect human beings and aims at eradicating human trafficking. However, the same government bodies put to govern against this vice is working with the criminals in conducting and propelling this business. One online news center the Kaieteur online news, a paper in Guyana, exposed some police who were involved with human trafficking. The report filed by news writer Abena Rockcliffe stated that the president of Guyana women miners’ organization, Simona Broomes was against the idea of the government posting rogue police to certain areas. This comes after certain policemen were pounding to have been involved in actions that were not policing stipulated.

Business Appraisal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Appraisal - Assignment Example The strategy can be accomplished by maintaining its low prices as continual respond to the changing needs of its markets. It diversification efforts to more products would continue to protect also itself from industry threats. Investing in research and development cost could be another way protects the company further from industry threats. Tesco PLC (or â€Å"Tesco†), based in the United Kingdom, operates under the retail industry. It has expanded operations outside the UK and it now considered as international retailer. Its being the UK leader in the grocery retailing, and its success internationally could explain its being considered world’s third largest retailer in terms of gross sales (Tesco, 2010a, 2010b). From being originally a UK-focused retailer specializing in food and drink, the company’s expansion should include its eventual diversification both by products and geographically. Its present business on clothing, financial services, health, car and dental insurance, electronics, telecoms, retailing and renting DVDs, and software speak for the magnitude of its diversification. Geographical diversification produced as retailing and associated activities outside the United Kingdom including that of Japan, Malaysia, Poland Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, China, The Czech Republic , India South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States (MSN, 2010a). This paper demonstrates an organization’s need to be knowledgeable of the influence of both its internal and external environment in order to have effective and appropriate decisions for the organization and for promoting good management. A wise decision maker should know itself firms in terms of its strengths and weaknesses and its industry opportunities and threats. The industry opportunities are what make the industry attractive or give more chances of gaining profits while industry

Does money buy votes in congress outline the relationship between Research Paper

Does money buy votes in congress outline the relationship between campaign contributions and voting in congress - Research Paper Example Special interest contributions can flow to politicians who intrinsically value the same policy outcomes, but the contributions may have insignificant political behaviour once a politician is elected in office. One cornerstone of the argument presented in the various studies is the notion that campaign contributions are essentially concerned with affecting election outcomes and that donations are for the most part not meant to buy votes. However, donations are used by various groups in trying to influence ideological positions closer to congress regarding the ideal perception for the interest group (Bronars & Lott, 1995). According to Wawro (2001), efforts to reform campaign finance laws result from the belief that campaign contributions have pernicious effect on politician behaviour with a recent survey showing that 53% of individual believed campaign contributions influence policies of elected officials. ... Therefore, PAC (Political Action Committees) contribute to members of the congress in a way likely for the politicians to vote the way PACs favour even without contributions. PAC donation to friendly members may be construed as cause for the members to vote in a certain way when in fact the member would have voted the same way without the donation. The extensive research on the issues has not produced consistent results that indicate that campaign contributions influence congress members’ voting behaviour (Wawro, 2001). Despite the common knowledge that campaign contributions of interest groups have far less influence that commonly thought; systematic examination of literature reveals various studies that establish connection between monetary donations and votes. Findings from various studies indicate several significant qualifications to the common knowledge that monetary donations do in fact sway how elected representatives vote. The findings are however subject to variation s in model specification because there is less significant link in certain research model specifications such results are nevertheless common in better models. Clearly, monetary donations are linked with voting that favour the donor’s interests; nevertheless, any attempt to conclude autonomous sway on legislators has to fully account for the complexities of the relationships involved. That of great importance is the propensity for PACs to give money to affiliates who are disposed to favour their position; for instance, liberal groups back their own associates who come from liberal constituencies resulting in them voting generously while the opposite applies to conservatives (Roscoe & Jenkins, 2005; US Congress votes on trade, 2011). The pattern suggest that it is the

Examine the difficulties involved in making international GDP per head Essay

Examine the difficulties involved in making international GDP per head comparisons - Essay Example Substitute goods share similar type of effect on their demand and price (Sloman, Hinde and Garratt, 2010). For example, some countries use GDP per head while others use Gross National Product (GNP) per head. Within the economics context, both measures are used alternatively. Consequently, it will be very difficult to compare two economies in which one uses GDP per head while other employs GNP per head. Additionally, expenditure sources also hinder the process of carrying out an effective international GDP per head comparison. Many developed countries make expenditure on health, education and technology. On the other hand, developing countries prefer to spend on defence, security and other non-development sectors of economy. As a result, such difference also disallows a reasonable comparison between per head GDP of two international countries. Moreover, cost of living, particularly inflation, also makes it difficult to compare per head GDP of two countries. For example, Norway is known as the most expensive country because the rate of government taxes is considerably higher. On the other hand, small taxes are given in

Controversy native american names symbols mascots in U.S Essay

Controversy native american names symbols mascots in U.S - Essay Example But five pro teams and hundreds of high school teams with no connection to Indians continue to portray their teams under Indian imagery. Now the fight has reached the NCAA, the governing body of college sports, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which has, for the first time, called for â€Å"an end to the use of Native American images and team names by non-Native schools.† The use of Native American mascots is quite an extensive issue in college sports. There are quite a few examples of this. As of 2001, Florida State University’s mascot was Chief Osceola with his steed Renegade. The image of the mascot was actually painted onto the turf of the playing field. Their pregame ritual actually consisted of the living mascot representative running out with a flaming spear and stabbing it into the image on the playing field. â€Å"Meanwhile, outside the delirious stadium a small group quietly stands with signs protesting the use of Seminole Indian imagery for the school’s sports mascots. They came two hours before the game and they will stay two hours after, holding vigil as fans file in and out, paying little attention to the authentic Seminoles who attend every game, rain or shine† (Teaching Tolerance, 2008, pg. 1). The teams themselves and their fans on one side attribute the use of the Native American mascots as a tribute to Native Americans. Some individuals beg to differ however, taking great offense to the fact that it is allowed on grounds that they consider it to be racist and degrading. Altogether, there are around 100 colleges in the United States that have Native American names or mascots. Some of those have been changed. For instance, Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma held its mascot as the Savages until it was changed to ‘Savage Storm’ just a few years ago after much controversy prompted the decision in an area of the country so filled with individuals of Native American ancestry. This practice is

Musicals in the West End Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Musicals in the West End - Essay Example Before presenting any logical argument, it is inherent to carry out a practical check on the shows currently running in the West End theatres and those lined up for production later in the year. According to the London Theatre Online by Darren Daglish, there are 23 musicals, 13 comedies, and 11 dramas (or straight plays if you like) currently running. Mathematically, this translates to 48% musicals, 28% comedies, and 24% drama. At this point, one might conclude that there many musicals shows than the other two classes. However, there is a list of shows lined up for production this year, including 9 musicals, 11 comedies, and 37 plays: or 16% musicals, 20% comedies, and 64% dramas [2]. Clearly, plays still dominate the theatre time if these statistics are anything to go by. While there may be repetition of some musicals such as Billy Eliot, Blood Brothers, and Jersey Boys, there is a relatively few number of repetition of plays. Actually, there are fifteen musicals repetitions with on ly six repeated plays. Thus, it would be inaccurate to say that the West End harbours more musicals than other subsidised theatres. However, one must bear in mind that musicals have relatively long runs than plays. Thus, there may not necessarily be a 64% increase in the number of plays. Dominance of musicals Another interesting statistic is that about two-thirds of the straight plays currently showing or planned for production show in subsidized theatres, with only seven and two musicals. Therefore, there will be around 30 musicals, 17 comedies, and 16 straight plays in the commercial theatres. Certainly, this is not a show of unhealthy competition and dominance by musicals! Essentially, the dominant nature of musicals in the West End theatres is a perception rather than a matter of fact. To prove this practically, try asking any average person about any showing musicals in the West End theatres and majority will mention Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, and The Lion King [3]. The person may also mention Cats and Les Mis, and probably Beauty and the Beast. Similarly, ask the people to mention a few straight plays in the same theatres would probably respond by naming just a single play and add the typical â€Å"some Shakespeare.† This highlights the enormous interest that the public has for musicals as compared to straight plays at all levels, with the exception of real theatrical devotee

Controversy native american names symbols mascots in U.S Essay

Controversy native american names symbols mascots in U.S - Essay Example But five pro teams and hundreds of high school teams with no connection to Indians continue to portray their teams under Indian imagery. Now the fight has reached the NCAA, the governing body of college sports, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which has, for the first time, called for â€Å"an end to the use of Native American images and team names by non-Native schools.† The use of Native American mascots is quite an extensive issue in college sports. There are quite a few examples of this. As of 2001, Florida State University’s mascot was Chief Osceola with his steed Renegade. The image of the mascot was actually painted onto the turf of the playing field. Their pregame ritual actually consisted of the living mascot representative running out with a flaming spear and stabbing it into the image on the playing field. â€Å"Meanwhile, outside the delirious stadium a small group quietly stands with signs protesting the use of Seminole Indian imagery for the school’s sports mascots. They came two hours before the game and they will stay two hours after, holding vigil as fans file in and out, paying little attention to the authentic Seminoles who attend every game, rain or shine† (Teaching Tolerance, 2008, pg. 1). The teams themselves and their fans on one side attribute the use of the Native American mascots as a tribute to Native Americans. Some individuals beg to differ however, taking great offense to the fact that it is allowed on grounds that they consider it to be racist and degrading. Altogether, there are around 100 colleges in the United States that have Native American names or mascots. Some of those have been changed. For instance, Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma held its mascot as the Savages until it was changed to ‘Savage Storm’ just a few years ago after much controversy prompted the decision in an area of the country so filled with individuals of Native American ancestry. This practice is

Sir Francis Drake Essay Example for Free

Sir Francis Drake Essay Typically, Francis Drakes life begins with a mystery the date of his birth. 1540 is often mentioned, 1542 has been heard as has been 1538, and other years pop up here and there. Often the given date is based on a portrait which itself is dated and which includes the comment that it shows Drake at a particular age. The only safe conclusion is that he was born around 1540. His place of birth was Tavistock, in Devonshire, along the river Tavy (which eventually empties into the sea near Plymouth). Here his grandparents held a lease on about 180 acres of farmland and made what was probably a reasonably secure living as farmers. Here also Edmund Drake, who became Francis Drakes father, had been born. Some reports state that he was a sailor, but there are records that contradict this, and it seems likely that he too made his living from the land. Edmund Drakes wife, the mother of Francis, was of the Mylwaye family but her first name is unknown. The couple had twelve sons; Francis was the eldest. Papa Edmund had some difficulties, in part because he, not being an eldest son himself, did not inherit the bulk of the Tavistock lease. He also seems to have gotten into some legal trouble, perhaps involving petty crimes. Additionally, there have long been rumors that protestant Edmund was the victim of some sort of religious persecution. In any event, when Francis Drake was still a young boy the family left Tavistock and moved to Kent, nearer the sea, where they lived in the hulk of an old ship and where Edmund made a bare living as a preacher to the sailors of the navy. So, young Francis now was living (and learning) among the ships and seamen that would become the focus of his life. Francis Drake first went to sea sometime in the 1550s, as a young boy apprenticed to the elderly master of a small coastal freighter. He pparently did well both nautically and personally, because the old captain, having no family of his own, willed the little ship to Drake. This marks the beginning of Drakes nautical career, about which this brief sketch will say no more. Drake married Mary Newman, about whom little is known, in 1569 when he was still a young unknown sailor; they had no children and she died twelve years later, leaving the then-newly knighted Sir Francis Drake a widower. In 1585 the now-famous and wealthy Drake married Elizabeth Sydenham, some twenty years his junior, who unlike Mary Newman came from a wealthy and well-connected family. The couple moved into Drakes recently purchased estate, Buckland Abbey (which today is still a major monument to his memory). Again, there were no children. In 1596 Sir Francis Drake was stricken by a tropical disease the bloody flux (perhaps yellow fever) during a less-than-sucessful expedition against the Spanish in the Caribbean. On January 28, on board his flagship Defiance, in the pre-dawn hours and after rising from his sickbed intending to don his armor so that he would die as a soldier, Sir Francis Drake passed quietly from this world. He was buried at sea off Puerto Bello, Panama, in a lead coffin. there is not much known about sir francis drake as much of it was clouded by history and as one often chooses to remember the brighter side of things and not the true details of what happens in the world. the history of sir francis drake is not one to be sure of but the information that has been salvaged is enough to give us a clear picture of him at least and that counts for something. The sir francis drake died in 1569 and was buried at sea in a lead coffin probably to perserve his body as he was a great man in his own right.

Organisational structures and cultures

Organisational structures and cultures Introduction Case study: This case study is about Mr Smiths restaurant. Mr Smith is a foreigner who has lived in the UK for many years. His family in Africa operates a chain of restaurants across the continent and he is therefore familiar with this kind of business. At present the Smith Restaurant has a central location in London, close to many attractions and is easily accessible by public transport. His restaurant is a small family business he is the founder, owner and also the Managing Director. Although he has two Assistant Managers and three Supervisors, he has a direct control over management and operational issues such as hiring of staff, marketing, sales promotion, accounting and finance department. The restaurant has fifty employees mostly made up of international students who work part time. These students are attracted by the flexible working conditions that Mr Smith offers. This allows them to work part time during term time and full time during vacation. Recently the restaurant has seen a big increase in its customers due to the popularity of its European and International cuisines. These factors have convinced Mr Smith of the wisdom of opening similar restaurants throughout the UK. Mr Smith is the one who makes all decisions and he has a direct control over management and other operational issues. The current issue at the restaurant is that Mr Smith is reluctant to recruit new staff and to cope with the increased activity in the restaurant he has reduced staff lunch time. Some staff felt that these changes should not have been introduced without their consent. When one employee complained about the situation, he was sacked. The rest of the employees are unhappy but they are afraid to voice their concerns for fear of loosing their jobs. According to Mr Smith, he pays his employees very well and therefore they will be happy with his decisions; his decisions are not for debate; managers should make the decisions and subordinates must obey. He does not believe in consulting staff when he has to make important decisions. As a result, a feeling of helplessness, alienation, and fear have developed amongst staff. The recent changes in employees working conditions have increased the levels of absenteeism and lateness. Mr Smith is now very concerned that if such trends continue, the restaurant may not be able to cope with the increased customer demand. Being one of the longest serving employees, Mr Smith asked me to consider the above issues and advise him in light of the expansion and recent developments of the business. My task is to advise him on the followings within the chain of new restaurants. Organisational structures and cultures; Approaches to management and leadership styles; Motivational theories and their application; Group behaviour, teamwork and technology TASK 1: Organisational structures and cultures within the UK restaurants Organisational structure creates a framework of order and command through which the activities of the organisation can be planned, organised, controlled, and directed towards the goals and objectives of the organisation. The structure defines tasks and responsibilities, roles, relationships and communication. Within the UK, most restaurants have entrepreneurial, functional and geographical structures. Entrepreneurial Structure: This structure is appropriate for small owner managed companies, for examples: a small restaurant, a small-scale industrial unit, or a small proprietary concern. Functional Structure: This is the most commonly used basis for grouping activities according to specialisation that is organising the business according to what each department does. Specialised skills and delegation of authority to managers are needed to look after different functional areas. Geographical structure: Activities are grouped according to location. Different services are provided by geographical boundaries according to particular needs and demands, the convenience of consumers, or for ease of administration. Advantages and disadvantages of organisational structures The UK restaurants may have hierarchical, tall or flat structure Hierarchical structure: Refers to †¢ Authority: the right to exercise powers such as hiring and firing or buying and selling on behalf of the organisation †¢ Responsibility: the allocation of tasks to individuals and groups within the organisation †¢ Accountability: the need for individuals to explain and justify any failure to fulfil their responsibilities to their superiors in the hierarchy Tall and flat hierarchical structures: In the tall structure there are narrower spans of control and more levels of command that is many managerial levels and fewer staff. In the flat structure there are broader spans of control and few levels of command that is few managerial levels and many staff. For example, the McDonalds restaurants all have a flat structure. The manager in each place of business controls the other assistants and employees. He takes all the decisions and he is in charge of the main functions like, R D, marketing, finance and human resources and the other staff do the selling. Advantages of tall and flat structures Organisational cultures Charles Handy defined it as: The way things are done around here Every business is made up of different cultures, and the cultures that are present within the business depend on the management styles and organisational structures that are used. Handys four types of cultures are: Power culture: Best suited for small entrepreneurial organisations and relies on trust, empathy and personal communication for its effectiveness. Role culture: Emphasizes on power and position within the organisation. This type of culture applies when organisations are big and inflexible. Task culture: Job-oriented or project-oriented. This works well in a matrix organisation structure. Person culture: Works around educated individuals. Examples are groups of barristers, architects, doctors or consultants. Looking at Handys four main types of organisation cultures it can be seen that most of the UK restaurants adopt the power culture. Organisational structure and culture of Mr Smiths restaurant After analysing Mr Smiths case study and the latest issues, it is clear that his restaurant is adopting an entrepreneurial and hierarchical structure, and a power culture since it is a family owned business where there is excessive reliance is on the owner-manager; Mr Smith has authority, responsibility and accountability within the organisation. The distribution of tasks, the definition of authority and responsibility, and the relationship between members of the organisation are established on a personal and informal basis. Therefore I am convinced that the management style, organisational structure and culture are influencing employees behaviour within organisation. However, with Mr Smiths plan to expand and develop new restaurants across the UK, there is need for a formal organisational structure and culture, which has to be carefully designed, so as to avoid conflict and encourage the willing participation of staff for effective organisational performance. I believe that Mr Smith business should have a flat structured along functional lines with major areas including, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting and Finance, and Purchasing Departments. With a flat structure the business will have: †¢ A wide span of control encouraging delegation and motivation through job enrichment. †¢ Lower management overhead costs. †¢ Better communications as horizontal and lateral communication is encouraged. †¢ Real and meaningful promotions. †¢ Closer contact between top management and lower levels Factors that may influence individual behaviour of Mr Smiths employees The individual: The individual is a central feature of organisational behaviour. When the needs of the individual and the demands of the organisation are incompatible, this can result in frustration and conflict. Then it the work of the management to integrate the individual and the organisation and to provide a working environment where individuals needs is satisfied as well as organisation goals are achieved. The group: Group exists in all organisations and are essential to their working and performance. People in groups influence each other in many ways and groups may develop their own hierarchies and leaders. Group pressures can have a major influence over the behaviour and performance of individual members. The organisation: Individual behaviour is affected by patterns of organisation structure, technology, styles of leadership and systems of management through which organisational processors are planned, directed and controlled. Therefore, the focus of attention is on the impact of organisation structure and design, and patterns of management, on the behaviour of people within the organisation. TASK 2: How organisational theory underpins principles and practices of management, how this would impact on the new restaurants? The study of management theory (also termed management thinking) and its application in organisations brings changes in behaviour. It helps to understand the principles underlying the process on management. It helps to understand the interrelationship between management theory, principles and practices of management, and behaviour in organisations. Managers learned about how they should behave. This will influence their attitudes towards management practice. The different approaches to management theory are: Classical approach; scientific management; Bureaucracy; Human relations approach; Systems approach; and Contingency approach. These various approaches underpin the common principles of management that organisations should practice in their business, which mean they are based on views of organisations, their purpose and responsibilities, structure, division of work, hierarchy of management, technical requirements, rules and regulations and behaviour. Fayol 14 Principles of Management: 1. Division of work: Specialisation increases output as employees become more efficient. 2. Authority: Gives managers the right to give orders. 3. Discipline: Employees must conform to respect the rules that govern the organisation and the use of penalties for breaking the rules. 4. Unity of command: Only one superior should give orders to employees. 5. Unity of direction: Organisational activities having the similar objective should be directed by one manager using one plan. 6. Subordination of individual interests to general interest: The organisation interest should dominate employees or group interests. 7. Remuneration: A fair wage for workers and their services. 8. Centralisation: The degree to which subordinates participate in decision-making. 9. Scalar chain: Communications should follow this chain. 10. Order. People and materials should be in the right place at the right time. 11. Equity. Managers should be kind and fair to their subordinates. 12. Stability of tenure. High employee turnover is inefficient. Management should provide orderly personnel planning and ensure that replacements are available to fill vacancies. 13. Initiative. Employees who are allowed to originate and carry out plans will exert high levels of effort. 14. Esprit de corps. Promoting team spirit will build harmony and unity within the organisation. Suggestion: Mr Smith should follow these principles of management. Managers will have to perform these five functions (by H Fayol): Plan and forecast; organise; command; coordinate; and control. The different approaches to management theory Classical approach: †¢ Emphasis on purpose; †¢ Formal structure; †¢ Division of work; †¢ Hierarchy of management; †¢ Technical requirements; †¢ Common principles of organisation. Scientific management and Bureaucracy are the two sub-grouping of the classical approach. Scientific management F .W Taylor (1911): †¢ Scientific selection and training of workers; †¢ Development of a true science for each element of an individuals work; †¢ Co-operation with the employees to ensure work is done as set; †¢ Division of work and responsibility between management and the employees; †¢ Improve production efficiency through work studies, tools, economic incentives. Bureaucracy Max Weber (1947): †¢ Formal hierarchical structure; †¢ Organisation by functional specialty; †¢ Rules and regulation; †¢ Impersonality; †¢ Employment based on technical qualifications. Human relations approach: †¢ Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne Studies (1933) discovered that the informal organisation, social norms, acceptance, and sentiments of the group determined individual work behaviour. †¢ Maslow, McGregor, Herzberg, and many others stressed the importance of social relations in organisations, understanding workers and managers as human beings with social and emotional needs. Systems approach: Organisations are open systems that constantly interact with the external environment: Inputs (resources and information) transformation process outputs (products, services, information) feedback Contingency approach: Contingency theory does not identify or recommend any particular approach to organisation and management. Appropriate management approach depends on situational factors faced by an organisation. Suggestion: After comparing the above managerial approaches I believe that the classical approach will best suit Mr Smith restaurants. The classical approach centres on understanding the purpose of an organisation and then examining its structure. They play emphasis on the planning of work, technical requirements, principal of management and behaviour. Attention is given to the division of work, duties, responsibilities, maintaining specialisation and co-ordination, hierarchy of management and formal organisational relationships. TASK 3: Different leadership styles and their effectiveness Definition: Leadership in an organisation is to lead employees to work in a given direction to achieve its goals and objectives. The three styles of leadership are: Autocratic leadership: All authority is centred on the leader and decisions are enforced by means of rewards and the fear of punishment. Communication is one-way, from the leader to the followers. Advantage: Quick decision-making. Disadvantage: Its effect upon group morale; creates conflict. Democratic leadership: In contrast, democratic takes into account the suggestions of the members and of the leader. It is a human relations approach, in which all members of the group can participate and contribute to improve the quality of the final decision. Advantages: Increased morale and support for better decisions through shared ideas among group members. Disadvantages: Slower decision-making and diluted accountability for decisions. Laissez-faire leadership: The leader exercises very little control over group members. A member is given a goal and mostly left alone to decide how to achieve it. The leader functions mainly as a group member, providing only as much advice and direction as is requested. Advantage: Opportunity for individual development offered to group members. All persons are given the chance to express themselves and to function relatively independently. Disadvantage: Lack of group cohesion and unity toward organisational objectives. Without a leader, the group may have little direction and lack of control. The result can be inefficiency or even worse, chaos. Suggestion: Mr Smith is applying an authoritative leadership in his first restaurant because his business is small. But now that he wants to expand his business he has to adopt a different style of leadership. I would suggest that he has to adopt the democratic leadership within his new restaurant. This is because the democratic style is a human relation approach in which all staff participates and contributes in the decision-making. This will prevent conflict between staff. Different motivational theories and their application Definition: Motivation can be described as the direction and persistence of action. It is concerned with why people choose a particular course of action in preference to others. The purpose of motivational theories is to predict behaviour. The difference theories of motivation are: The hierarchy of needs are shown as a series of steps in the form of a pyramid; it implies a thinning out needs as people progress up the hierarchy. Based on Maslows theory, once the lower-level needs have been satisfied (physiological and safety needs) people advanced up the hierarchy. Therefore to provide motivation for a change in behaviour, the manager must direct attention to the next level of needs (love or social needs) that seek satisfaction. McGregor Theory X Y Theory X assumptions: People inherently dislike work. People must be supervised to do work to achieve objectives. People prefer to be directed. Theory Y assumptions: -People view work as being as natural as play and rest. -People will exercise self-direction and self-control towards achieving objectives they are committed to. -People learn to accept and seek responsibility. Herzbergs Two-factor theory McClelland theory: Need for achievement: Personal responsibility Feedback Moderate risk Need for power: Influence Competitive Need for affiliation: Acceptance and friendship Cooperative Suggestion: Mr Smith does not delegate; does not give employees responsibilities; employees are not considered part of the group; they feel insecure in the employment; they cannot voice their opinions; he imposes his rules and regulations on employees. In addition he has reduced employees lunch-time. Here Mr Smith is using McGregors Theory X; employees are unhappy and de-motivated to work as their lunch-time has been reduced but their wages have not increased. Therefore, since he wants to expand his business throughout UK, I will recommend the Maslows hierarchy of needs theory to Mr Smith. Managers will have to provide motivation for a change in behaviour by satisfying the lower-level needs so that the employees basic salary, safe working conditions (need to stay alive, have food, shelter) and job security, fringe benefits, protection against unemployment, illness are satisfied. This will encourage the willing participation of employees for effective organisational performance. The relationship between motivational theory and the practice of management The purpose of motivational theories is to predict behaviour; and behaviour of people in organisations depends on practices of management. If managers practise Fayols 14 principles of management, then employees at all levels are motivated to work. People generally respond in the manner in which they are treated. Therefore, to control human behaviour a heavy responsibility is placed on managers and the activity of management, where attention must also be given to appropriate systems of motivation, job satisfaction and rewards. Accordingly, Mr Smith must understand how good management practices will motivate staff to work. Managers should plan and forecast, organise, command, coordinate, and control appropriately in an attempt to satisfy employees needs so that they are motivated to work. This will create an organisational climate in which employees can work willingly and effectively to achieve the goals of the organisation. Managers should get the best performance from employees to attract more customers. Managers should apply this policy: The needs, wants and rights of employees to be treated fairly and with dignity. TASK 4: Nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations A group comprises two or more individuals who interact in the collective pursuit of a common goal. They share values and goals, are involved in regular activities together, and identify themselves as members of the group and are identified as such by others. (From lecture notes AJ). Another useful way of defining group is a collection of people who share most, if not all, of the following characteristics: A definable membership; Group consciousness; A sense of shared purpose; Interdependence; Interaction; Ability to act in a unitary manner. Formal groups (official groups): Created to carry out specific tasks set up by the organisation to complete assigned tasks. Formal groups may be divided into two categories: 1. Functional groups: Consist of varying size of work units, with a manager and subordinates who are responsible for a range of duties and functions within the organisation, for example: the finance department, the salaries section and the revenues section. 2. Task groups: Created for the dispatch of specific business or operations, such as a project team, management team or co-ordinating committee. Informal groups (unofficial groups): Created by the individual members for the purpose of sharing a common interest. Importance of informal groups: The spread of information through informal networks the grapevine is often much faster and more influential than through formal groups. There is the potential for conflict between roles held in formal and informal groups particularly in respect of leadership, where the informal leader may not be the same person as the formal leader. Two informal groups: 1. Interest groups: develop around the shared pursuit of a specific goal by certain employees, which may or may not be related to the organisation. 2. Friendship groups: Individuals joining together for various social activities The factors influencing Group Behaviour: Cole (1996) Size of the group Leadership and management style Group cohesiveness Motivation of group members Norms of groups Group/team roles The work environment The group task Factors leading to effective teamwork within the new business Peters and Waterman defines five factors for effective teamwork: 1. The numbers should be small: each member will then represent the interest of his or her department. 2. The team should be of limited duration: Exist only to resolve a particular task. 3. Membership should be voluntary. 4. Communication should be informal and unstructured. 5. It should be action-oriented. The team should finish with a plan for action. The influences that threaten success of teamwork The team does not work around the unreliable people. A smaller group of people does most of the work and a larger group pretends to help. Sometimes team members do not work well together and may work against each other. This may result dysfunctional teams, caused by: Lack of trust is the most common problem afflicting teams; Lack of team cohesiveness Lack of a clearly defined purpose Impact of technology on team functioning Technology: Technologies such as e-mail, mobile phones, blackberry, groupware and computers can improve and in some cases delay team functioning. To be able to function effectively, teams must be kept up-to-date with knowledge as technology changes. Communication: Successful teams communicate successfully by email, mobile phone, phone technologies such as blackberry and 3G data cards and 3GB USB dongles, groupware and personal computers. Change: Successful teams can successfully bring-up change. Teams will become less effective and efficient if they do not respond to changing internal and external factors. In contrast, responsive teams are more effective, efficient and, are able to rise to the challenges of the modern business world. Networks and virtual teams: In the modern connected world, it is easier for teams to communicate and network. It is possible to create virtual teams which never (or rarely) meet in physical locations and use a range of web tools to communicate and collaborate. Global and cross-cultural teams Task 5: Strategies for the restaurants stakeholders needs Employees: †¢ Mr has to adopt HR practices to ensure that the organisation is able to achieve success through people. †¢ Staffing the organisation: Sufficient numbers of the right people in the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost for the organisation. †¢ Reward and recognition: Creating structures that maximise recruitment, retention and motivation; obtaining the best performance from the people available. †¢ Performance improvement throughout the organisation, for individual, team and organisational effectiveness †¢ Managing behaviour ensuring that individuals are encouraged to behave in a way that allows and fosters better working relationships. Customers: Mr Smith and his area managers should monitor the changing requirements and expectations of its customers, and the quality of service they require. Conclusion and recommendations With Mr Smiths plan to expand and develop new restaurants across the UK, there is need for a formal organisational structure and culture, which has to be carefully designed to encourage the willing participation of staff for effective organisational performance. Mr Smith should follow the principles of management managers will have to perform these five functions (by H Fayol); plan and forecast; organise; command; coordinate; and control. The classical approach will suit his business as it plays emphasis on the planning of work, technical requirements, principle of management and behaviour. Alongside he has to adopt the democratic leadership in which all members of the group can participate and contribute to improve the quality of the final decision. Area managers will have to provide motivation for a change in behaviour by satisfying the employees needs through rewards. Reference Websites: 1. http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1269812 2. http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/FIS/courses/LIS1230/LIS1230sharma/history6.htm (Maslows hierarchy of needs) 3. http://www.hnc-business.co.uk/unit3.html Module Tutor Lecture notes and emails: Dhlamini S., 2009. Organisations and Behaviour (unit 3) H1, HND in Business. London: Guildhall College Bibliography Book: Mullins L J ., 2000. Essentials of Organisational Behaviour. Essex: FT/Prentice Hall

Dealing with Society Edna Pontelliers Battle with Social Class Essay

Dealing with Society Edna Pontelliers Battle with Social Class Edna Pontellier, the main character in Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening, is a woman trying to form her own identity, both feminine and sexually, in the repressive and Victorian Creole world of the latter nineteenth century. She is met by a counterpart, Mademoiselle Reisz, who is able to live freely as a woman. Edna herself was denied this freedom because of the respectable societal position she had been married into and because of her Presbyterian up bringing as a child. The role that Mademoiselle Reisz played within society, a society that failed to view her as being a truly respectable social member, was quite opposite to that of Edna’s respectable position in society. Edna was ordained in the Presbyterian ways as she became an adult in Kentucky and Mississippi (Companion 123); as one critic put it, she was of â€Å"solid old Presbyterian Kentucky stock† (Petry 58). Edna was raised in a truly â€Å"restricted Victorian† (Nikerson) manner to be â€Å"an American woman†¦with a graceful severity of poise and movement† (Companion 123). To understand the social order she was born into you have to look at the Presbyterian background she grew up in. Presbyterianism took the view that women were â€Å"regarded as equal to men†¦[but women were] the weaker vessel†¦and should become subordinate to the husband† (Wolff 2). In broader terms, this is saying that women are equal, but are still below men in society. This construct was reinforced by the fact that â€Å"married women in Louisiana†¦[, in Edna’s time,] were legal property of their husbands† (Chopin 121). By a broad range, women of high V ictorian society were greatly scrutinized if they tried to step out of any of the normal set boun... ...ction. Westport, Greenwood Press Inc., 1988 Chopin, Kate and Cully Margo, Ed. The Awakening: A Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton & Comp., 1994. Mahon, Robert Lee. â€Å"Beyond the love triangle: trios in â€Å"The Awakening.† The Midwest Quarterly 39.2 (1998) : 228-236. McCoy, Thorunn Ruga. â€Å"Chopin’s ‘The Awakening.’† The Explicator 56.1 (1997): 27-26 InfroTrac SearchBank. Online. 30 Nov. 1998. Nickerson, Megan. â€Å"Romanticism in The Awakening.† Online. 29 Nov. 1998 Petry, Alice. Critical Essays on Kate Chopin. Printice Hall International., 1996 Thorton, Lawrence. â€Å"The Awakening: A Political Romance.† American Literature 52 (1980): 50-66. Wolff, Cynthia Griffin. â€Å"Un-utterable longing: the discourse of feminine sexuality in ‘The Awakening.’† Studies in American Fiction 24.1 (1996): 3-23. InfroTrac SearchBank. Online. 30 Nov. 1998.

A Discourse on Inequality Essay -- Jean Jacques Rousseau Inequality Es

A Discourse on Inequality In Rousseau’s book â€Å"A Discourse On Inequality†, he looks into the question of where the general inequality amongst men came from. Inequality exists economically, structurally, amongst different generations, genders, races, and in almost all other areas of society. However, Rousseau considers that there are really two categories of inequality. The first is called Natural/Physical, it occurs as an affect of nature. It includes inequalities of age,, health, bodily strength, and the qualities of the mind and soul. The second may be called Moral/Political inequality, this basically occurs through the consent of men. This consists of the privileges one group may have over another, such as the rich over the poor. Rousseau came to the conclusion that the best way to examine the inequality in society is to examine the beginning of mankind itself. He tried to imagine the early state of man assuming there was ever actually a state where man existed only with the nature, in a solitary, and primitive lifestyle. He did not however revert as far back to the idea of the Neanderthal man to examine the ideas man held and where they came from. Instead, he looked at a state where man looked, and seemed to have the same physical abilities as he does today. Rousseau also concedes that a time where the ideas of government, ownership, justice, and injustice did not exist may not have ever existed. If what many religions tell us is true, then, in mans beginning, he was from the start, handed down laws from god which would influence his thinking and decisions. Through this, the only way such a period could come about would have to be through some catastrophic event, which would not only be impossible to ex plain, but consequently, impossible to prove. Therefore, imagining this state could prove not only embarrassing, but would be a contradiction to the Holy Scriptures. In the â€Å"natural state†, Rousseau suggests that we should strip man of all the â€Å"supernatural gifts† he may have been given over the course of time. He says we should â€Å"consider him, in a word, just as he must have come from the hands of nature, we behold in him an animal weaker than some, and less agile than others; but, taking him all around, the most advantageously organized of any.† He presumes that man’s needs would be easily satisfied. His food was easily gained, as wa... ...e significantly because in more instances remaining a part of the group was more of a benefit then not. Now that groups were steadily together, they began to expand their knowledge, their tool making abilities had increased, they learned to make huts, and did so because they believed they were easier to defend. Others would not try and take over this hut, not because it belonged to the one who built it, but either because it served no use to them, they were weaker, they could build it themselves, or most likely, they knew that they would have to fight with the family if they did attempt to take it. Instead, this person was likely to become a neighbor, rather then an enemy for the sheer motive of convenience. Essentially, the fact that others stood by as one did something for oneself, mimicked it rather than tearing it down, allowed for the ideas of property, and ownership. Property, as it grew large in its ideology would become too big for those who would eventually try to tear it down, this would lead to laws and groups who would enforce it as being a valid concept. Thus Ownershi p, Property, and Law are the basis for the outbreak and ever present inequality in our lives.

Death of a Salesman Family Relationships

Battle between Father and Son Family relationships always have a way of playing a key role for the duration of most literary pieces. According to Arthur Miller’s novel, Death of a Salesman, the interaction of Willy and his sons, Happy and Biff, shows that family ties usually are connected either physically or emotionally in some way or another. Willy Loman is just like every father in a father/son bond, yet all he wants is to be a part of his son’s life. Even though Biff and Happy admire and have so much love for their father when they are younger, later down the road when they are older suddenly they realize he had failed to prepare them for the real society in life. Many people would say that in the play that the father/son relationship would be considered merely ironic. In a sense, one might consider that a poor relationship stems more from the lack of love and attention from the father. With that in mind however, the Loman family’s circumstances would be considered the complete and utter opposite. Ever since the day Willy Lomans’ first son was born, he vowed for his life goal to be the perfect father (1214). Throughout his life, he becomes enthralled with becoming the absolute ideal father, so to speak. It’s displayed through Willy’s actions and even his words that all he wishes for his son’s is for them to be what he sees as successful (1216). Although Willy may not be considered the best salesman out there, he has the constant urge to keep believing he needs to keep trying harder in order to give off the impression to people that he’s an excellent provider. With all his troubles, sacrifices he makes, and even his final suicide they all end up being for his sons, and not nearly for himself. Father Loman’s constant need to try and better his way of becoming a perfect father to his son’s drives him to believe that if he commits suicide he could better provide a different life that he wished he could’ve given to his son’s (1277). From the first line to the last, Willy had the instinct to think that if he did so much for his boy’s he had hoped that someday he would be considered an even greater father than his own was by making the so many sacrifices he did. All Willy really wants is to be a part of his son’s lives and, Miller shows this by the example of when in the play Biff comes home to recollect himself, Willy seems to think this as a failure because he would rather see his eldest son be likely more successful rather than his youngest, Happy. Hereafter, Willy tries to take matter into his own hands, ‘I’ll get him a job selling, he could be big in no time’, he says to Linda (1215). Partially due to Willy’s consistency in Biff’s life conflicts start to erupt more partially to do with the fact being that they had different ideas of what the ‘American Dream† really is. With Biff believing that the most inspiring job to a man is working outdoors, his father disregarded by saying that working on the road selling was the greatest job a man could possibly have (1276). The boys are clearly not at all fully functioning adults because of their upbringing throughout their life. Another major issue in the play with the father/son relationship between Willy and his sons is the amount of love shown towards them. The continuous support from growing up had molded the Lomans into men who always fled back home whenever a problem approached. Biff says to Willy, ‘I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air I could not stand taking orders from anybody! ’ (1275). The Loman brothers were babied so much all through their childhood they never got a real chance of growing up and trying to choose for themselves of what they really wanted in their own lives. Being raised to only know to want one thing like selling, for example, puts pressure on everyone else especially the eldest, Biff. In real life today we are faced with decisions of what is next after high school; In Death of a Salesman, Biff was pressured primarily from his father to be a famous football player but then when things turn for the worst he suddenly loses everything and nothing to live for but selling like his father, which is not his true idea of what the ‘American Dream’ is supposed to be. The father/son bond in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, leads to a tragedy of downfall in the Loman family. Willy’s longing effort to be the perfect father did not have much success for him in the life he tried to accomplish living. Once finding out that he still had his sons’ love he was immediately overwhelmed with it all. Suicide was Willy’s last resort to try and make up for what he wasn’t able to provide for his son’s growing up to give them the money from the accident. His immediate departure in the end left Happy, Linda, and Biff in despair and uncertainty of what was really going on through Willy’s thought process.

Imam Ali in my word Essay

Imam Ali’s (p.b.o.h.) stories are so fascinating to read and to hear about. Knowing about Imam Ali (p.b.o.h.) life style and stories is so wonderful. Especially how Imam Ali (p.b.o.h.) saved Islam and won battles for example when Imam Ali (p.b.o.h) slept in prophet Mohammed’s (p.b.o.h.) bed so that prophet Mohammed could take his last journey, Imam Ali slept in the prophets bed because the people that wanted to prevent and kill the prophet so to save Islam Imam Ali took .Also to understand how Islam was saved for and passed to us to be Muslims now. All the stories I enjoyed. But the one that I liked most is well is not actually a story but what will happen in the future to Imam Ali (p.b.o.h.). When Imam Mahdi (p.b.o.h.) comes back before Qiyamat and the Imam Ali (p.b.o.h.) comes and slowly the rest of the Imams (p.b.o.h.) come back, I found that so lovely knowing that one day the Imams will come back, and if I live I may see then return to the world and take over. I liked Imam Ali’s personality how Imam Ali cared for his family dearly by helping out at home and the way Imam played with his two sons: Hasan and Hussain. The way Imam Ali was fair and considerate to other people as in another story about The pomegranate how Fatima (p.b.o.h.) wanted a pomegranate and Imam Ali went to get one but when he got to the shop there was only one left that he could have, but along the way Imam Ali met a old man and gave half to the old man because he was thinking if Fatima but the man asked for the other half so kindly Imam gave, when he got home he was a bit shy to face Fatima as Fatima never asked for any thing but when he found out that send from heaven, Fatima was eating pomegranates.

Automatic Renewal Clauses: The Case between Letisha and Sudson Washer and Dryer

This paper examines a contract between Letisha and Sudson Washer and Dryer that contains an automatic renewal clause. The potential defenses for Letisha if Sudson sues her for breach of contract are presented. The defenses for Sudson that support the automatic renewal clause are also discussed. The ethical issues of using an automatic renewal clause and the actions of the Sudson Washer and Dryer representative when signing the contract are also examined. Section 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code and how it applies to this case is presented. There are also government and private entities that Letisha can complain to about the business practices of Sudson. Finally, the paper concludes with the potential outcome of the case if Sudson sues Letisha for breach of contract.Automatic Renewal Clauses: The Case between Letisha and Sudson Washer and Dryer Letisha signed a lease with a Sudson Washer and Dryer Representative that allowed her to lease a washer and dryer from the company for five y ears. At the end of the lease agreement, Letisha called to cancel, and found out that her lease agreement had been extended for three five year terms. Letisha was unaware that the contract had an automatic renewal clause.The Uniform Commercial Code section 2A defines a lease agreement, and it also explains how lessees and lessors are protected. Using Section 2A and state laws, there may be defenses for Letisha if she decides to breach the contract and Sudson sues her. There may also be government agencies Letisha can bring her grievances to about Sudson’s use of automatic renewal clauses. There are also defenses for Sudson to support the enforcement of the automatic clause, even if the use of an automatic renewal clause may be unethical. This case is an example of the importance of reading a contract before signing it.Defenses for LetishaDepending on the state where Letisha lives, there could be a multitude of defenses available to her regarding the automatic renewal. In some states, the lessor is required to send a reminder to the lessee of the automatic renewal (Davidson et al., 2009). In New York, for example, the lessor is required to send written reminders of the automatic renewal at least 15 days before the contract renews (Dutton, 2011). Since Letisha received no prior notification besides the information in the contract; she may be able to use that fact in her defense.In Illinois, the automatic renewal policy must be conspicuous (Dutton, 2011). There is no uniform requirement for conspicuousness, but the Uniform Commercial Code states that capital letters and bold face print should be used. It is apparent in Letisha’s case, that the automatic renewal clause with Sudson was not conspicuous, which may be grounds for a defense.In Wisconsin, laws regarding the automatic renewal clause were passed saying that the lessee must be informed about the clause before the contract is signed (Dutton, 2011). The salesman did not inform Letisha of the cl ause, and while it is her responsibility to read the contract, she may have grounds for a defense in some states. Some states would also allow a defense on the grounds that the automatic renewal length is too extensive. Most standard form contracts are held if the automatic renewal is for five years or less (Kirschenbaum, 2013). It would be up to Letisha to either research the legislation in her state regarding automatic renewal contracts, or to hire an attorney to do so, in order to find if she has grounds for a defense against Sudson.Defenses for Sudson Washer and DryerThough there are provisions in many states regarding automatic renewal clauses, if Sudson followed the stipulations in their state, they would have a legal argument supporting the enforcement of the clause. In the case of Tidwell v. Pritchett-Moore, Inc. & Tim Rutledge, the Alabama Supreme Court found that automatic renewal clauses are enforceable if the provision is clear in the contract (Tidwell 2008). It is not t he fault of the company, if the lessee signed the contract without reading it fully and failed to give notice of cancellation before the deadline.If the clause is stated clearly, then it is likely that it will be enforced by the courts. For example, in the case of Winthrop Resources Corporation v. Spearhead System Consultants, the court found that because intentions to terminate the  contract were not made clear before the time allotted in the contract, the renewal of the contract was enforceable (Huddleson, Graynor, Flick, & Whelan, 2003).Ethical IssuesWhile Sudson’s automatic renewal clause may be upheld, there are ethical issues of the company using such a practice. First, many courts have had the opinion that parties should be notified when the lease is up for renewal (Leitess, Ihne, & Goldberg, 2005). It is unlikely that the client would remember about the clause five years later, and the company should be willing to make a courtesy call in order to keep customers happ y. Also, all parts of the contract should have been discussed before signing.Not informing the client of the automatic renewal policy does not reflect well on Sudson Washer and Dryer Service. The National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers states in their code of ethics that leasing companies should remain honest and professional in all business transactions (â€Å"NAELB,† 2013). In this case, not discussing all parts of the contract before allowing the client to sign is neither honest nor professional. U.C.C Section 2AThe Uniform Commercial Code Article 2A governs the leases of goods, and it provides basic contract rules regarding leases. The U.C.C. defines a lease as transfer of goods by a lessor to a lessee for a set amount of time in exchange for payment (â€Å"U.C.C.,† 2002). Using this definition, the U.C.C. Article 2A can be applied to the agreement between Letisha and Sudson Washer and Dryer Service. Sudson leased the equipment to Letisha in return for mo nthly payments.The company is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the washer and dryer because they hold the title to the machine. Letisha is required to make payments to Sudson in order to fulfill her part of the lease agreement. Article 2A not only lists the necessities to make a lease agreement legal, but it also lists the rights of both lessee and lessor regarding the lease agreement.Complaints to Government EntitiesOne entity that Letisha may complain to is the Better Business Bureau. The BBB will look into any complaint that does not involve the workplace, discrimination, health services, legal services, or cases in litigation (â€Å"What complaints,† 2013). A complaint through the BBB will be sent to the business for resolution. Though the business may choose to stand behind their agreement, a complaint will be lodged against the company. Another option for Letisha is the Bureau of Consumer Protection under the Federal Trade Commission.The purpose of the Bure au of Consumer Protection is to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive business practices (Rich, 2013). If the automatic renewal clause is found to be unfair or deceptive, then the company may be sued by the Bureau of Consumer Protection. Letisha can complain to these entities about Sudson’s automatic renewal clause, but it is the agency’s discretion whether the clause is unfair or not.Outcome of Legal ProceedingsIf Sudson sues Letisha for breach of contract, it is likely that Sudson will win the case. The U.C.C. Section 2A-301 states a lease contract is enforceable according to the terms agreed to by both parties (â€Å"U.C.C.,† 2002). Since Letisha and the Sudson representative signed the contract, both parties agreed to the terms within the contract. It is unlikely that the court will favor Letisha because the automatic renewal clause was not pointed out to her. It is the lessee’s responsibility to read the contract and understand all parts. The ag reement clearly stated the time limit on cancelling the lease, and Letisha failed to meet those requirements.ConclusionIn order to avoid issues like Letisha’s with Sudson, it would be advisable for parties to go through the contract together. Lessees may even want to hire an attorney to explain any part of a contract that is not easily understood. By taking the time to read the entire contract before signing, lessees are protecting their interests. Automatic renewal clauses are losing their popularity, but they are still used, especially in leases between businesses. Businesses may want to consider other avenues to keep customers, but if they are going to use automatic renewal clauses, it will keep customers happy if they are informed of such a clause before it is too late to cancel the lease agreement.