Elements of Design in the film 300 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elements of Design in the film 300 - Essay Example This paper is a literature review of the film is called 300. This is an American fantasy action film that was released in the year 2006. The film is based on a 1998 comic series also named 300 by an author called Frank Miller. The film is revolves around the story of the battle of Thermopyle. There were many artists who were involved in the film’s production. These artists include the director, the production designer and also the art director.The director of the film was Zack Synder. Zack Synder was hired to direct the film especially so because earlier before, he had attempted to produce a film that was based on Miller’s novel. His main role was the planning and directing of the film ensuring that the shooting went smoothly. At some point in the production of the film, he photocopied panels from the original comic book then used this to plan the preceding and succeeding shots. The production designers of the film included; Gianni Nunnari, Frank Miller, Mark Canton and Jeffrey Silver. Their main role in the film was to acquire the film rights of the movie then proceeds to produce it. Frank miller acted as the consultant and the executive producer in the film production since the whole idea of the film revolved around his novel. Hence his output and opinions were highly sorted. Michael Gordon is the one whose task was to write the film script. The art directors of the film were Shaun Smith and Mark Rappaport. Their main task was the designing of the different look of every individual character in the set. They also designed and produced the prosthetics, the props, the weapons and also the dummy bodies needed for the production. The film was shot indoors against a blue screen. The cinematographer was Larry Fong and he devised an efficient and effective method of integrating overhead and key lighting which made it easy to do faster and more efficient shooting. This method made it easy for the perspective to change by simply turning and reversing the lighting. This was made easier because all the lights were pre-mounted hence all one had to do was just to flip a switch. The film producers choose the blue screen over the green screen because the film has a lot of red. The problem with the green screen was that there is bound to be production of a yellow edge when one has saturated red on the green screen. The amount of light bouncing back off the blue screen is different from that of the green screen. More light bounces off the green screen than the blue screen. This results in the production of a screens that are brighter and not suitable for the shooting of the film (Hanson, 2007). The setting of the film is ancient Sparta and the battle site of Thermopylae where the Greeks, the Spartans and their allies were able to hold a large mass of invading Persian army led by their king, Xerxes who was deemed as a god king. The Persians invaded in 480 BC and the 300 Spartans and their allies met the invading Persian armies at the narrow mountain pass of Thermopylae. The pass was wide enough for only one chariot and a few number of warriors at a time, hence the Spartans choose it to hold their ground. The small Spartan army and its allies was led by King Leonidas of Sparta. The Spartan culture was primarily military. the Spartans were completely dedicated to a military life. This was their entire way of life. The Spartans started their training from birth where only the only physically strong babies were allowed to live. The boys were then taught reading and writing which was necessary for their basic needs. Then after that all their time and knowledge was dedicated to training for fighting (Hanson, 2007). The costumes were designed to suit every individual character in the film. The flowing red cape worn by the Spartans was preferred because of ease of movement over the common leather strapped skirts worn by the ancient Spartans. The weapons used were also carefully chosen to fully present the actual weapons used by the ancient Sp

Not yet forgotten Essay Example for Free

Not yet forgotten Essay There have been many wonderful periods of time in my life and the one I have chosen to talk about here is high school. Not the English type of high school, but the Romanian one: those four years before university. Before I had got there, I had already got used to the idea that school is an unlikely place for friendships to occur and it cant get any better than boredom and stress. Nevertheless, it was with hope and confidence that I stepped into the high school entrance. From the very first day I could feel something was going on well. I had a cheerful feeling and I was very comfortable and motivated. People would mind their own business and, if they had to choose, would rather be nice to each other. It was there that I really met people who appreciated me and with whom I could get on. Each morning here I must make clear that I am a night owl I got up with a smile on my face, even if outside was still dark. I would then take the bus and watch the sunrise on my way to the last station. The buses at that time of the day were terribly crowded and despite the fact that us pupils had special buses on which others werent allowed to board, no-one respected that rule. Afterwards, I would have to walk to the high school for about ten minutes past a great statue of a Romanian revolutionary and fighter which had different backgrounds, depending on the weather. The statue was in front of a cathedral for which the city is famous: an enormous, astonishingly beatiful Orthodox cathedral built in the middle ages. It was a very energizing feeling watching so many people go to work or school in the centre of the city. The buzz managed to nudge me from my semi-conscious state of mind in which I was still, due to the early hour of the morning when I had lessons and had to get up. It is true that the spirit of a place is given by the people in it. Obviously, not all my classmates were great friends, but those who were taught me lots of things about peoples behaviour and what really counts, directly and indirectly. They let me know that I can really be loved for who I am and that being yourself is worth it. The teachers were, for the first time ever, happy to teach us and be part of the education system. The lessons were fun, informative and, although quite tiring, we would all leave the high school at the end of the day with a smile on our face, if not laughing. That single year of high school was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences I have had until now. Sometimes my friends and I would skip classes and go to a pub in the city centre, but these naughty adventures will take their place in another story, another time.

The Use of Images in William Carlos Williams, The Young Housewife Essa

The Use of Images in William Carlos Williams', The Young Housewife As is typical of most Modernist poetry, William Carlos Williams uses very specific images in "The Young Housewife" to reveal not merely a particular circumstance or event, but to also suggest underlying themes and ideas of his subject matter. For example, he gives to the reader various real and imagined images, such her moving about in negligee behind closed doors, or her going about her daily affairs, that are at once very seductive and suggestive of ideas that supercede their appearances. These images especially accentuate the young housewife's naturalness and beauty. However, they are quickly contrasted by a comparison drawn by Williams of the young lady to a fallen leaf-a comparison that initially seems completely bizarre and esoteric. One, in fact, wonders what Williams' purpose is in suddenly changing the mood of the poem to make this comparison. Upon close inspection, however, the comparison actually proves to be less confusing than it appears. In fact, when one considers the nature of a fallen leaf and compares it with various aspects of the young housewife's life, possible explanations begin to arise that clarify Williams' possible intent. Primary to understanding the comparison, is of course, understanding the nature of leaves and more particularly fallen leaves. Universally, leaves are considered to play both a functional and ornamental role for trees. On the functional level, leaves enable photosynthesis and thereby give nourishment to the tree. On the ornamental level, they enrich the appearance of the tree, giving it more color and substance. In fact, leaves are widely considered to be the evidence of a tree's vivacity. La... ... young housewife's sexual nature and beauty is to William and how much emphasis he puts on her captivity in her house, it becomes easier to understand the parallel of her to a fallen leaf. To Williams, the young housewife is like a beautiful leaf that needs to stay connected to its life force in order to maintain its beauty and vitality and even continue to nourish the tree. Otherwise it will inevitably dry up, become colorless and eventually die. Her marriage has separated her from the world and from her life force and will eventually cause her to lose her beauty and pristine nature. It is only a matter of time, in fact, before she becomes one of the leaves that Williams drives over in his car. Works Cited: Williams, William Carlos. â€Å"The Young Housewife.† Anthology of Modern American Poetry. Ed. Cary Nelson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Metternich’s Political Confession of Faith Essay

Prince Klemens von Metternich was the leading personality during the Congress of Vienna which sought to restore Europe back to the status quo, undoing the â€Å"disorder† caused by Napoleon. Besides being instrumental in â€Å"cleaning up Napoleon’s mess,† Metternich was a conservative at heart and saw the â€Å"damage† the French Revolution had brought to France and how Napoleon tried to import the legacy of the French Revolution, as well as the Enlightenment, to the rest of the lands in Europe he conquered and the subsequent effects thereafter. Metternich wrote â€Å"Political Confession of Faith† which he addressed to Russian Tsar Alexander I as a â€Å"secret† memorandum in 1820. This also came at a time when there were similar revolutions, led by liberals in parts of Spain, Italy and Germany. This document revealed Metternich’s sentiments about the emerging trend in Europe – the rise of liberalism. For Metternich, this was a trend that was a major area of concern not only for him but for the rest of Europe. He had singled out France for being the â€Å"cradle of the Enlightenment† when he said: â€Å"France had the misfortune to produce the greatest number of these men. It is in her midst that religion and all that she holds sacred, that morality and authority, and all connected with them, have been attacked with a steady and systematic animosity, and it is there that the weapon of ridicule has been used with the most ease and success. Drag through the mud the name of God and the powers instituted by His divine decrees, and the revolution will be prepared! Speak of a social contract, and the revolution is accomplished! † A staunch conservative monarchist, He saw what the French Revolution, whose leaders were imbued with Enlightenment ideas toppled the monarchy which they regarded as obsolete and irrelevant owing to its inability to care for its people, did to French society. For the French people, they no longer recognized the Divine Right of kings and instead saw it from a different prism – King Louis XVI did not live up to the â€Å"social contract† and in doing so, lost his legitimacy to rule and when Louis tried to stifle their rights, they took drastic action that led to his overthrow. What happened next was something that made Metternich concerned – the Reign of Terror which saw what Metternich noticed as a spree of persecution with reckless abandon of those said to be colluding with the old regime. Not only was Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, executed, but several others who had no connection with them, including members of the clergy were also persecuted or sent to the guillotine. He deplored Napoleon for making quite a mess of European society: â€Å"Nevertheless the revolutionary seed had penetrated into every country and spread more or less. It was greatly developed under the regime of the military despotism of Bonaparte. His conquests displaced a number of laws, institutions, and customs; broke through bonds sacred among all nations, strong enough to resist time itself; which is more than can be said of certain benefits conferred by these innovators. From these perturbations it followed that the revolutionary spirit could in Germany, Italy, and later on in Spain, easily hide itself under the veil of patriotism . † For Metternich, as shown in his secret memorandum to the Russian Tsar, liberalism was regarded as a menace to the status quo of Europe where most of the states were still monarchical. Whereas the relatively young republic of the United States of America would be all praises of liberalism, Metternich and his ilk were not. The French Revolution, particularly the Reign of Terror served as a wake-up call to the remaining monarchies to make them stand up and take notice on what could possibly happen if they would allow liberal ideas to germinate in their societies. He warned the other surviving monarchical governments to be on guard by saying, â€Å"The first principle to be followed by the monarchs, united as they are by the coincidence of their desires and opinions, should be that of maintaining the stability of political institutions against the disorganised excitement which has taken possession of men’s minds†¦ In short, let the great monarchs strengthen their union, and prove to the world that if it exists, it is beneficent, and ensures the political peace of Europe: that it is powerful only for the maintenance of tranquillity at a time when so many attacks are directed against it; that the principles which they profess are paterllal and protective, menacing only the disturbers of public tranquillity . † Metternich’s admonition paid off as it was evident during the revolutions of 1848 when liberal movements failed to gain a foothold or emulate the success of the French Revolution. The reason being was that these societies had no long history of empowering the people and only radical means was necessary to do it. The bottom line Metternich was pointing out was that liberalism could not be drastically erected and revolution was not always the answer to addressing the social and political problems. Furthermore, the Reign of Terror also saw how ugly liberalism would go when taken to the extreme in bringing even more instability in exchange for bringing too much freedom to the people. Bibliography Metternich, Klemens von. â€Å"Political Confession of Faith. † Fordham University Modern History Sourcebook. December 20, 1820. http://www. fordham. edu/haslall/mod/1820 metternich. html/

Asia Essay

1. Which internal and external factors have helped Reliance group to grow into its current position? Reliance group is an example of a well-managed company that has been able to take advantage of interior competitive advantage possibilities as well as exterior ones. On one hand, Reliance started out with Dhirubai Ambani by borrowing money from the Indian government, shifting towards textiles made out of synthetic plastic fibers and receiving benefits from government incentives and political connections at its origin and middle life cycle. Reliance responded perfectly to the world leading industries at the time and acted as a pioneer in introducing them in the Indian market. As the world’s leading industry shifted from a high demand for plastics and textiles derived from plastics to petrochemicals and fuel production, the Reliance group did likewise by building petrochemical plants in India and tried to make the maximum profit out of what India had to offer to the world and itself at the time and had not been developed to its maximum potential yet. On the other hand, government played a key role in Reliance success as it enabled the company to export worldwide and grow in domestically by reducing quotas and tariffs as well as taxes on the raw materials needed for manufacturing. 2. In which aspects has the management of Reliance group been typical for Indian management? In which aspects has it been atypical? Most of the aspects of the management of the Reliance group can be easily related to the way companies are managed in India. Reliance group is a family run company that depends gravely on the relationship between the siblings that own the company, all siblings had the father and founder as the center of the company and once he passed away the company was divided amongst the brothers and sisters. Another typical Indian attribute is the diversification of the operations of the company, Ranging from petrochemical to eatable products or telecommunications. Each brother took care of a different sector and the gender role with a tendency towards masculinity and seniority was also seen when the company was divided giving the oldest of the brothers 70% of the market share of the company, 20% to the younger brother and only 5% to each one of the sisters. What was very atypical was the monochromic way the company has been run, however it can easily be explained due to the fact that they need to replicate the way the international monochromic market works that emulates the way US firms work. 3. Do you think Reliance Group has to transform its fundamentally to remain successful in the future? Yes, I do believe that Reliance group should find of way of not having to depend on the fluctuations of the global market as much as it does, Thus preventing the company from ever being as impacted as it was by the recent global crisis. I believe they should expand domestically as a way of having a â€Å"safe space† in case there is another crisis in the future and perhaps try to grow deeper ties with other Asian countries like Japan or China that did not suffer from the crisis at the scale that western economies did and that are geographically closer from India than many other western countries.

Essay on The Civil RightsEssay Writing Service

Essay on The Civil RightsEssay Writing Service Essay on The Civil Rights Essay on The Civil RightsAlthough some people consider that the Voting Rights Act was a logical conclusion to the Civil Rights Movement, many people have different views on this issue. Actually, since the Civil Rights coalition seemed to fall apart after 1965, the true promise of the Civil Rights Act and thus the Civil Right Movement were somehow left unfulfilled. For many blacks the Voting Rights Act was crucial as this issue had been the key factor in the presidential election and affected their racial identity. Many blacks were registered as voters (Bolick 234).     In fact, the racial problems were rapidly diminished, but many other social challenges remained unsolved. The Civil Right Act of 1964prohibited racial discrimination practically at all levels of American society. According to researchers, the true legacy of this act was narrowed because the â€Å"civil rights reform that left the perpetual promise of the movement unfulfilled† (Waller 195). For example, the i mplemented approach to civil rights reforms in the United States highlighted in the Civil Rights Movement never challenged the established structure and functioning of the white power system. Due to the Civil Rights Act, black people had got access to public places, as well as obtained equal employment opportunities, comparing with whites’ rights and opportunities (Bond 15).   However, the radical civil rights reform was not supported by the Civil Rights movement. As a result, â€Å"the dominant and unassailable structure of exclusion remained in place even while giving the appearance of inclusion† (Waller 195). Undoubtedly, these facts influenced the shift in the protests of African-Americans â€Å"from civil rights to black power† (Cashman 206).   Since the 1960, various protest movement were launched because of anti-Vietnam war opposition, increased student activism and unfulfilled civil rights reforms. Thus, I believe that the Voting Rights Act was not a logical conclusion to the Civil Rights Movement.

Free Essays on Leighton - Voctiorian

Frederic, Lord Leighton was - and still is - an important and influential Victorian artist. During the Nineteenth century, Leighton reigned as one of the most fashionable and significant painters of his time. Indeed, he was so well regarded as a painter that he was made President of the Royal Academy in 1878. And the reason that Lord Leighton was so successful during his lifetime is simple - his paintings brilliantly captured the Victorian nostalgia and longing for the glorious "Golden Age" of ancient Greece and Rome. In classically inspired works such as Clytie, Idyll, and Greek Girls Picking up Pebbles by the Sea, Leighton depicted an idealized vision of the past that perfectly appealed to the sensibilities of the time. Combining a flawless painting technique with a keen sense for color and composition, the artist created some of the most beautiful - and memorable - images made during the Nineteenth century. See for yourself, and learn more about this remarkable painter by selecting one of the links to his works above.... Free Essays on Leighton - Voctiorian Free Essays on Leighton - Voctiorian Frederic, Lord Leighton was - and still is - an important and influential Victorian artist. During the Nineteenth century, Leighton reigned as one of the most fashionable and significant painters of his time. Indeed, he was so well regarded as a painter that he was made President of the Royal Academy in 1878. And the reason that Lord Leighton was so successful during his lifetime is simple - his paintings brilliantly captured the Victorian nostalgia and longing for the glorious "Golden Age" of ancient Greece and Rome. In classically inspired works such as Clytie, Idyll, and Greek Girls Picking up Pebbles by the Sea, Leighton depicted an idealized vision of the past that perfectly appealed to the sensibilities of the time. Combining a flawless painting technique with a keen sense for color and composition, the artist created some of the most beautiful - and memorable - images made during the Nineteenth century. See for yourself, and learn more about this remarkable painter by selecting one of the links to his works above....

The 15 writing habits of people who build amazing careers

The 15 writing habits of people who build amazing careers The 15 writing habits of people who build amazing careers One of the great pleasures of my job is that I frequently get a chance to talk to people who really are at the top of their game. Over the last 18 years, my colleagues and I have worked with over 40,000 people. And among them have been many industry leaders who have built seriously impressive careers and truly made a difference in their particular sector. These people are undeniably successful –Â  regardless of whether you define success in monetary terms, in what theyve been able to achieve, or both. Along the way, Ive noticed certain characteristics coming up again and again in the documents and emails that these super-successful people write – and in the approach they take to writing them. Clear patterns have emerged: ways of writing that so many successful people seem to share that I strongly suspect they are habits that underpin their success. Some of these patterns are in the way they write. Others are in what they write (and in how they develop that content). Together, these things propel them forwards, enabling them to make the kind of progress that others can only dream of – and often to earn many times more than those people. No single person exhibits all the traits, or even most of them. And these extraordinary individuals may not even be aware that the way they approach written communication is special or know why their approach works so much better than what other people do. But the fact that they do it that way has almost certainly been a major factor in their rise to the top. So here are those characteristics: 1. They write with confidence It takes courage to tell it like it is, but these people have it in spades. Theres a fine line between being arrogant and being confident, and these people are definitely the latter. They exude belief in their messages by never hiding behind flowery language or using 30 words when ten will do. 2. They nurture their ideas So much writing advice (and presentation training, for that matter) focuses on methodology. But even the most articulate wording will not disguise lazy thinking. Effective thinking needs to come first and it takes time. It cant be done between emails or checking Facebook. These people make and take that time, building and developing their ideas. As a result, what they write has real value. In the longer term, this builds their personal PR, and their organisations begin to recognise that value more and more. 3. They keep notes Neuroscientists have made many real breakthroughs in the last 20 years. One of these is the discovery that there are two distinct types of thinking: focused thought and free association (sometimes called mind wandering mode). Our brains cant do both at the same time, needing instead to switch between the two. (Brain researchers have even identified the neural switch that does this – the cingulate cortex.) The best ideas often spring from the second type of thinking, which typically happens when you are not sitting at your desk. In fact, it tends to happen when youre doing something completely unrelated to work – like shopping or loading the dishwasher. Successful people tend to capture ideas from these moments of mind wandering by noting them down on their smartphones or on a small pad, which they keep with them at all times for that purpose. 4. They are careful readers Successful people often seem to recognise that their attention and mental capacity are precious resources that they must spend wisely and renew regularly. As such, they use social media and other websites judiciously, reserving them for free thinking time rather than getting sucked down into all-day Facebook fests that drain them of energy and original thought. They also allow time to focus on one thing –Â  which benefits them not just because they can develop their ideas but because continually switching attention drains mental energy. 5. They look after their mind This habit often extends into other areas of their lives. For example, they make sure they get enough sleep and they eat sensibly: avoiding the highs and lows of sugar binges or overdosing on caffeine. Of course, they are human. But their secret is self-awareness. So, if the ideas arent there, they do something about it: whether thats going for a walk, stimulating their mind – with more reading or music, for example – or simply stopping and picking things up tomorrow. 6. They are conscious writers This one is critical. People who build extraordinary careers are expert influencers, so they are acutely aware of the effect both poor and good writing can have on others. They know that every document or email is an opportunity to influence many more people than they will ever meet, so they never squander that opportunity. That means they think before they write (unlike their less successful colleagues, who typically think while theyre writing –Â  or even afterwards, when it may well be too late). 7. They write to express, not impress The most successful writers never waste time or screen space posturing with verbose language. Theyd much rather engage directly with the brains of those they seek to influence in the most efficient way possible. 8. They know that its not all about me The first and main focus for them is their reader: who they are, what interests them, what they might be thinking and what they want them to think. That focus underpins their planning and stays with them throughout the writing process. (This is in contrast to less effective writers, whose focus tends to be on just getting the thing written and crossed off their list.) 9. They see the big picture This is another aspect that truly marks out highly successful people from the rest. Ive noticed that they develop a keen understanding of where their organisation is going and make sure they keep that at the front of their minds, rather than dwelling on the minutiae of the day-to-day. But that doesnt mean they ignore minor tasks or issues. They just see those as part of the bigger picture and keep that in mind when theyre writing. As a result, they often have a direct connection with the executives in the C-suite, who tend to be similarly focused. 10. They know when enough is enough The most successful people make their written communications only as long as they need to be: never longer. They also know that those communications usually need to be a lot shorter than many of their colleagues think they do. 11. They set clear objectives and they plan Uncommonly successful people know exactly what each report or proposal needs to achieve. Often, they write down those objectives; always, they base them on a knowledge of their readers. (See point 8.) This is part of an essential planning process. Many people start their documents by immediately firing up Word (or, if theyre a management consultant, more likely PowerPoint) and starting to type. But not these people. They know that planning is essential and they take time to work out a structure for their document before they even touch their keyboard. 12. They know how to build a persuasive argument By the time they start typing, they already have a clear idea of who their reader is, where they need them to go and –Â  crucially –Â  how theyre going to get them there. The most successful people know that persuasive writing is more of a science than an art. So they build their argument carefully first. As a result, their battle is half won even before they open up their laptop. 13. They are politically aware Awareness of organisational politics – and how to use that knowledge to your advantage –Â  is a sensitive issue. In an ideal world, everyone would work together selflessly and and logically for the greater good. But the real world is populated by humans, with all their foibles, ambitions and emotions. Successful people know that their documents will have to work with those too. So, regardless of what theyre writing, they take into account human psychology and how its played out in their particular workplace. 14. They dont rely on writing alone Its tempting to think that the written word is the only tool in your communication toolbox. The most successful people know that there are other tools too, and theyre careful to choose the right one for the job each time. So their documents often include captivating charts, diagrams or pictures. And these people know when to talk to someone instead of emailing them (sometimes as a way to ensure a document hits its mark). 15. They sweat the small stuff Ive deliberately left spelling, punctuation and grammar to the end of this list – even though those are the things that most people think of if you mention effective writing. Thats because a technically perfect document can still be devoid of original thought, totally disengaging and, therefore, potentially useless. However, it is still important to make sure that silly mistakes in accuracy dont undermine all your hard work. Successful people use spell-check and proofread their work. This list is still evolving and its not exhaustive. You may well have noticed other habits that make all the difference. Id love to hear what they are, so do let me know in the comments below. Image credit: mimagephotography / Shutterstock

Health Care System, Its Components And Essential Functions & Essay

Health Care System, Its Components And Essential Functions & Activities Related To The Business Of Healthcare - Essay Example Health care operations includes any of the subsequent behaviors or actions of the enclosed body to the degree that the actions are connected to enclosed purposes, and any of the following behaviors of an planned health care display in which the enclosed body contributes: (1) Carrying out quality evaluation and upgrading actions, counting results assessment and expansion of clinical strategies, granted that the acquiring of generalizable information is not the most important reason of any studies ensuing from such behavior; population-based actions connecting to humanizing health or dropping health care expenses, procedure improvement, case administration and care organization, contacting of health care suppliers and patients with knowledge about dealing options; and connected purposes that do not comprise handling; (2) Assessing the capability or credentials of health care specializes, assessing practitioner and supplier presentation, health chart presentation, carrying out teaching programs in which students, apprentices, or practitioners in areas of health care study under management to put into practice or develop their ability as health care providers, education of non-health care professionals, authorization, certification, certifying, or credentialing a

Competitive use of Information at E-bay.com Essay

Competitive use of Information at E-bay.com - Essay Example Most relevant influencing factor that paved the way for a new thrust in doing business is the prolific use of technological advancement and application generated by the Internet. Global organizations reportedly operate within an Internet economy. According to Fichter (2003), â€Å"the term â€Å"Internet economy† emphasizes the networking of economic actors and processes by means of electronic communication media and the related change in structures of value creation, mechanisms of market function, professional life, and consumption patterns† (p. 26). Likewise, Bazdan (2011) asserted that â€Å"one of the newest evolving positive trends is electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or ecommerce. The process consists of buying and selling various products or services over electronic systems, such as the Internet and other computer networks† (p. 45). From among the most identifiable successful participants in the Internet economy, two organizations from the United States are prominent: eBay.com and Amazon.com (Bazdan 2011). The current discourse focuses on presenting a critical analysis of eBay, including its brief historical overview, strategies and analysis of its performance using Porter’s five forces and SWOT. History of E-Commerce (The Digital Age) Different studies have identified the origin of e-commerce from varied time frames. The earliest originating date was noted that â€Å"in its purest form, electronic commerce has existed for over 40 years, originating from the electronic transmission of messages during the Berlin airlift in 1948. From this; Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) was the next stage of e-commerce development† (Obayi, 2011, p. 18). According to Hiser, Lanka, Li & Oliver (n.d.) the date that was identified to originate e-commerce was 1984 when â€Å"EDI, or electronic data interchange, was standardized through ASC X12. This guaranteed that companies would be able to complete transactions with one another reliably† (p. 1). Both sources have acknowledged EDI as commonly present and instrumental in the development and growth of e-commerce. The popularity of use and applications offered by the Internet in 1993 was noted to have made a wave of effects, specifically labeled as first and second waves of the internet economy (Fichter, 2003). This meant that the evolution of global organizations that increasingly relied on the Internet gradually shifted their focus from â€Å"stationary computers and terminal devices† (Fichter, 2003, p. 26), to the proliferated use of mobile and telecommunication devices that could be linked directly on the organizations’ Internet providers. The term e-commerce was likewise defined as â€Å"an electronic transaction is the sale or purchase of goods or services, whether between businesses, households, individuals, governments, and other public or private organizations, conducted over computer-mediated networks. The goods and servi ces are ordered over those networks, but the payment and the ultimate delivery of the good or service may be conducted on- or off-line† (OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development), 2001; cited in Fichter, 2003, p. 27). Likewise, Obayi (2011) clearly stipulated that e-commerce includes the following essential ingredients, to wit: â€Å"1. Electronic trading of physical goods and of intangibles such as information. 2. All the steps involved in trade, such as on-line marketing, ordering payment and support for delivery. 3. The electronic provision of services such as after sales support

Consumer Buyer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Consumer Buyer Behaviour - Essay Example (2011). FORBES NAMES NIKE MOST VALUABLE BRAND IN SPORTS. Available at http://business.transworld.net/74449/news/forbes-names-nike-most-valuable-brand-in-sports/ [Accessed on Dec 17th 2012] The global pc market share has observed some extraordinary changes observed by different brands in terms of their market share and revenue. Lenovo has emerged as a global leader in market share in third quarter of 2012 (Gartner, 2012). On the other hand, US PC Vendor market has seen no significant difference in 2012. HP holds the number one spot with 25% of market share followed by Dell and Apple with 21.7% and 12.0% market share. Apple is still the most desired brand of computers in the world but the price of their products restricts major population from acquiring it. Global television market is a very competitive market with so many brands fighting to gain the maximum share in the market. Korea-based companies are still the number in the world television manufacturer with overall 20% market share going to Samsung and 9% to Sony (Displaybank, 2012). In this section, we are going to discuss the current television market trends in global market and the market share of different companies in 2011. Data Source: Displaybank (2012). Result of Flat-panel TV Shipment in 2011 - Korea Leads, China Rapidly Progresses, Japan Slows. Available at http://www.displaybank.com/_eng/share/press_view.html?id=225804 [Accessed on Dec 17th 2012]. With the financial crisis throughout Europe, British Banking sector has become more focused towards its core features (Pettinger T., 2011). Banking sector has a great value in the overall GDP and national output of the nation as mentioned by Pettinger T. (2011). Banking sector alone contributes as much as  £70 billion to the overall output of the country. In terms of tax, the percentage goes to 25% corporation tax which is estimated around  £8 billion. This analysis has a huge impact over the customer trust on different banks and

Decision Making at Cat Cooperation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Decision Making at Cat Cooperation - Article Example The major problem was choosing the best supplier for one of critical subassemblies for manufacturing of its leading product TVR500 voltage stabilizer from the four short listed four vendors: Ideal; Dolphin; Boss; and Freedom. Good vendor was critical as lead time in manufacturing had increasingly become crucial criteria for competitive advantage. The company considered efficiency, power factor, losses, turn ratio and cost as main factors for choosing vendors. The decision on final vendor had become difficult as consensus from people coming from different departments like purchase, finance, manufacturing and quality could not be reached. The three qualitative factors: efficiency, power factor and losses were subjective in nature where turn ratio and cost could easily be evaluated because of their quantitative nature. The pair wise comparison of the product showed that Ideal was better in terms of efficiency and power factor with slightly more cost. But as efficiency and power factor significantly contribute to the credibility of the product, Ideal should be chosen as

Management Classes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Classes - Assignment Example This essay discusses that psychology teaches the importance of understanding the behaviors of others in order to interact well with them. This is important in team work as is mentioned in the interviews. Working in a team requires learning the personalities of others as well as try to integrate all these personalities into the team and ultimately attain success within the specified time.As the paper highlights one of the interviewees was very adamant about team work. She insisted that she worked only with a team if it was absolutely necessary which was not very often. This was quite the opposite of the perspective and life story of the other interviewee who admitted to liking working with a team and did it all the time. What was surprising about the statement was the fact that most people indicated that team work is very effective and reduces the burden of the workload for each individual. The fact that different people will bring in different perspectives as well as solutions to a p roblem makes team work really good in any business. Working independently according to the interviewee leads to the work being completed way ahead of schedule, taking less time and less stress in dealing with different people. Team work should only be taken as strategic points in a plan and not be engaged in at all times and especially by the administrators who hold the highest caliber in the office and who can also intimidate the rest of the team members.

Horizon Human Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Horizon Human Services - Essay Example So far it relates to funds for services in the areas of housing, they receive assistance from â€Å"US Department of Housing, Urban Development and the Arizona Department of Housing† (Community Housing, 2013). In addition, they also accept donations from the public as well as corporate entities. How Does the System Serve and the Services they Offer: Any person intending to avail the services of Horizon Human Services can call their office for an appointment with a screening specialist and once screening is completed, he or she will be sent to the intake specialist who will assess the individual and provide initial counseling to â€Å"help address the reason† for which services have been sought (Getting Started, 2013). People who seek services will have to produce their ID document, proof of income, social security, and any documents relating the problem they wish to address with the help of the organization. Major services, as per information on the â€Å"services† section of their site, include: Adult Residential Services: It is a program for mentally ill or substance abusing adults, by providing â€Å"clean and tidy† therapeutic â€Å"environment,† as envisaged in quality social work practices, which is free of substances (Malley & Fernandez, 2010, p.561). Community Based Services: This is also a program targeted to mentally ill, within the community to help them cope with the problem. The services include counseling and monitoring of medication apart from a variety of other services that the patient requires from time to time. Domestic Violence Services: This program extends assistance to victims of domestic violence and includes services such as counseling, transportation, case management, referral services, advocacy etc. Habitation Services: It envisages habitation of individuals with developmental disabilities in collaboration with other agencies and includes a variety of services. Horizon House: Services under this prog ram comprise vocational services, extending support for housing, counseling, and integrating the affected into the community. Psychiatric Services: Horizon provides a wide range of psychiatric services including diagnosis, evaluation, monitoring as well as planning treatment etc. In addition, they also provide outpatient and residential substance abuse treatment. DUI Services: Horizon also provides DUI clinical and educational services and facilitates DUI treatment after assessment and evaluation. Community Housing: This consists of the provision of housing for those in dire need and certified as homeless â€Å"under HUD guidelines† or substance abusers apart from helping people in securing housing assistance and â€Å"identifying available units† (Community Housing, 2013). In addition to the above services, Horizon also provides a wide range of other assistance, the details of which are available on their site under the link ‘services’ which is accessible to all members of the public. Accessibility to Services/Eligibility Requirements: The organization has different criteria for determining the eligibility conditions for the services being rendered by them. As befitting the objectives of social work

Management Classes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Classes - Assignment Example This essay discusses that psychology teaches the importance of understanding the behaviors of others in order to interact well with them. This is important in team work as is mentioned in the interviews. Working in a team requires learning the personalities of others as well as try to integrate all these personalities into the team and ultimately attain success within the specified time.As the paper highlights one of the interviewees was very adamant about team work. She insisted that she worked only with a team if it was absolutely necessary which was not very often. This was quite the opposite of the perspective and life story of the other interviewee who admitted to liking working with a team and did it all the time. What was surprising about the statement was the fact that most people indicated that team work is very effective and reduces the burden of the workload for each individual. The fact that different people will bring in different perspectives as well as solutions to a p roblem makes team work really good in any business. Working independently according to the interviewee leads to the work being completed way ahead of schedule, taking less time and less stress in dealing with different people. Team work should only be taken as strategic points in a plan and not be engaged in at all times and especially by the administrators who hold the highest caliber in the office and who can also intimidate the rest of the team members.

Media and war on Terror Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media and war on Terror - Essay Example The government on the other hand used the media to counter the information and claims distributed by terrorists. Through the media, governments also wages a war of winning the hearts and minds of the people by letting the public know how terrorist organizations are causing havoc in our society. In so doing, they erode public sympathy from the terrorist potential supported. Having said this, media inadvertently becomes an instrument of the tugging parties on the war on terror. Media and terrorism will always have a symbiotic relationship because media will feed on the news created by terrorists. The â€Å"juicy† news that terrorists will provide increases the news agency’s rating while terrorist organization gained media exposure to win public sympathy and support. This kind of set-up inadvertently forms a symbiotic relationship whereby each entity thrives on the existence of the other. Media benefits in either way. When terrorists organization issues a threat, media increases its ratings by sensationalizing it and when government counters to continue our way of life so as to deprive the terrorist of their victory, the media again has something â€Å"juicy† to report to increase its

Plant Growing Lamp Presentation Essay Example for Free

Plant Growing Lamp Presentation Essay Good morning, everybody. Thank you for coming to my short presentation today. Let me introduce myself first. I’m Chris Wong, a medical assistant of Willis Health Centre. I’m very glad today to present to you our team’s proposed product, Dino, a plant growing lamp. My presentation will be covered into three parts. I’ll, first of all, introduce to you the background information about our environment. Next, I’ll explain our proposed product, Dino. Finally, I’ll outline some problems that our team concerned about. Afterwards, there will be a question and answer session. Right, let me start with the background about our environment. In fewer years, do you feel the weather is unexpected? Do you think this is terrible? Do you know why? Let me talk you. Nowadays, human do lots of things to damage our environment is caused the bigger problem, global warming. That why the weather is unexpected. They use lots to things to release the greenhouse gas. It is global issue because the effects are very important. That why we developed this plant growing lamp. Fine, I’ll now explain our proposed Dino. To start with, let’s look at the aesthetic value. This lamp can come with different pattern and color. Most important is it will have some seed inside the lamp. You can choose the pattern and color to match your home design and your home will be more modern. After the plant grows up, it also can offer fresh air. You will have a wonderful environment in the house because it can be a pretty decoration. Now, let’s turn to the user’s needs. The lamp has deep penetrating infrared light. Do you feel tired after a whole working? It can help you to relief pain and stimulate blood circulation. You feel more relax after using Dino. It really can bring you a health benefits. So much for the user’s need and the aesthetic. Let’s now look at the benefits for our company image. As you know, our company directions are focusing on health and environment. I think the health benefits of the user are already to promote our images. For the environment, the lamp is using a bio-degradable material. It is less damaged to our environment and it is very eco-friendly since Dino is also using the recyclable material.

The Apollo Program By Nasa History Essay

The Apollo Program By Nasa History Essay The Apollo program is a space program by NASA which aims to send men to moon. It began in 1961. The goal was accomplished during the Apollo 11 mission, when Neil Armstrong was the first human to step on the moon. The program has many dimensions other than space field and explorations, it has political dimensions too. Apollo program affected the world in many ways and started a space exploration revolution. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sense the beginning of the 17th century, when Galileo took the first close look to the moon using his first telescope, people started dreaming of flying to the outer space and to reach the moon. That dream became real after 3 centuries, when NASA launched Apollo Program. The Apollo program was a project by NASA in the United States. The goal of this project was to land humans on the Moon and bring them back to Earth safely. The idea of getting a human to the Moon started during the Eisenhower administration but it really began in 1961 after President John F. Kennedy declared a national goal of landing a man on the Moon before the end of this decade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the biggest reasons behind starting this program is the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in space exploration field. In 1961 and during the cold war, the Soviet Union was the first country to send a man to the outer space in an orbital flight, that man was the Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin. After the great achieve of the Soviets, many Americans saw that the United States must win the competition against the Soviet Union.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the 20th of July 1969, the goal was finally accomplished when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Albrin landed on the Moon and returned to Earth safely and that was during the Apollo 11 mission. Between 1969 and 1972, there were a total of six successful landings on the Moon. In these flights, 12 astronauts walked on the Moon and collected around 382 Kgs of  rocks, sand and many other samples to study the geological features of the Moon. The program ended in 1974 with Apollo 17. The Space Race   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Early in 1960 and during the Eisenhower administration, the Apollo program was conceived as a follow-up to the Mercury program which was the program that sent the first American astronaut to the space. The Apollo spacecraft was able to carry three astronauts whereas the Mercury capsule could support only one. NASA manager Abe Silverstein named the program after the Greek god of light and music; he said later   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In November 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected president after he promised in his campaign to put America in superiority over the Soviet Union in space exploration and missile defense field. Despite Kennedys promises, he didnt approve immediately on Apollo program once he became president. Though he knew about some of the technical details, at the same time he was put off by the huge financial commitments. On the 12th of April, 1961, Soviet Union successfully sent Yuri Gagarin to the outer space to become the first human to fly in space. That movement reinforced American fears about losing the space race against the Soviet Union and being left behind in a technological competition. At the same time President Kennedy refused to make any commitments on Americas response to the Soviets. After 8 days on April 20, Vice President Lyndon Johnson received a memorandum from President Kennedy discussing the Americas space program status with him and asking him to find a solution to catch up with the Soviet program. Johnsons respond came out one week later, he concluded He mentioned also that landing humans on the Moon will be achieved by the United States . On the following month, on May 25, 1961, President Kennedy announced his approval and his full support for the Apollo program. He said that through a speech during a special session of Congress. At that time, many of NASA employees doubted whether Kennedys goal could be met. Many people doubted too, because only one American had flown in space. The goal of landing astronauts on Moon before the end of 1969 required an advanced technology, and a huge amount of money to run the program, it was around $24 billion which is the largest commitment of resources ever made by any nation at that time, and to get the work done in less than 10 years, NASA employed 400,000 people to work on Apollo program plus the support of more than 20,000 industrial companies and universities. Apollos mission mode Once Kennedy had announced the national goal, the planners of Apollo mission faced the challenge of designing a flying system with the minimum risks to human life. At the same time they dont want to exceed the limits and spend extra money on designing flights. They came up with four possible mission modes to choose from: Direct Ascent: Its to send the spacecraft directly to the Moon, make it land and return as one unit. To be able to make this kind of missions work efficiently, they have to design a strong launching system and a more powerful booster. Earth Orbit Rendezvous (EOR): In this mode many rockets would be launched, each one of the rockets will be carrying a different part of a Direct Ascent spacecraft and propulsion units to keep the spacecraft moving until it escapes earth orbit. Then the spacecraft will land on the Moon as a unit. Lunar Surface Rendezvous: They would launch two different spacecraft, one is a vehicle with propellants on it, and the other is the manned vehicle. First, the vehicle carrying propellants would land and then the manned vehicle will land later. They would transfer propellant from the first vehicle to the manned vehicle to make it able to go back to Earth. Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR): In this mission mode they would send a main spacecraft and a smaller lunar module to travel together into a lunar orbit. Then the lunar module will independently land on the Moon. When the mission is completed, it returns to the lunar orbit and come again with the main spacecraft. Then the main spacecraft returns to Earth. After studying each mission and testing some of them they came up with some expected results to choose the best mission mode for Apollo program, they decided to go with the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous mode. In the LOR method, astronauts can use the spacecraft as a life boat in case of a failure in the command ship, which is an advantage. On Apollo 13, astronauts faced a problem of oxygen tank failure that caused a cut in the electrical power in the command ship. The Lunar Module provided all the needs to get the crew back to earth safely. Apollo Missions There are two types of Apollo missions: Unmanned missions NASA began preparing for the Apollo program long before they decided to start the manned Apollo missions. In October 1961, they started testing flights of the Saturn I booster and it lasted for around three years until September 1964. In 1963, two tests of the launch escape system at the White Sands Missile Range. After all the tests, NASA sent three unmanned missions, they were Apollo 4, Apollo 5 and Apollo. Manned missions After testing the launching vehicles and making sure that nothing wrong is going to happen to the crew, NASA started the manned missions which carried three astronauts each or sometimes more. The first manned mission on the Apollo program was Apollo 7, launched on October 11, 1968 in an Earth orbital flight; it was to test the Command Module. Many manned missions continued the following years with some successful Moon landings. The last Apollo mission was Apollo 17, launched December 7, 1972. Canceled Missions Apollo 18, Apollo 19 and 20 were originally supposed to be a part of the Apollo program, but those missions had been canceled. In 1968, during the beginning with the election of Richard Nixon, the space program started to lose focus. After Nixon was elected president, he didnt want to continue what Kennedy started and he was not so interested in the space program, in hes opinion, its enough and its the time to stop the space missions because the original goal has accomplished. In 1969 Apollo 20 was canned, and 18 and 19 were dispensed with in 1971.

Recruiting Changes in College Football :: Essays Papers

Recruiting Changes in College Football With the recent controversy and scandal surrounding the University of Colorado and the college football world, this off season has been one of the busiest ever. College Football has experienced an eye-opening revelation and these experiences call for major changes in the traditional recruiting practices. Last month, stories surfaced about the University of Colorado using sex, alcohol, and parties to lure blue chip recruits to their program. While these types of actions are prevalent at every major football program, this is the first time that they have been officially exposed. This exposure has started a chain-reaction of changes to the recruiting part of college football and has grabbed the attention of the United States Congress. The involvement of the most powerful government in the world shows the seriousness of the present situation and also that these inappropriate recruiting practices are not going to be ignored any longer. The face of college football will change dramatically and the results of this scandal will have a lasting impact for decades to come. For any person who follows college football and has a favorite team, this is an important issue because the traditional way that many of us have come to love, is about to disappear. It is amazing how an isolated incident, such as the one at Colorado, can incite such a large frenzy and call for change. The scandal started with a former recruit telling his experiences during his college visit in Boulder at the University of Colorado. His stories included wild parties with unlimited amounts of alcohol and the open availability to sex with the women of his choosing. The term used for these parties was "sex parties" and recruits were told that the women would perform any sexual act he desired. After the recruit made his experiences public, other stories began to surface from other recruits who had similar experiences at Colorado and other schools. The situation came to a boil when a former female player accused some of her team mates of sexual assault at one of these parties. Other students came forward with similar allegations of football players forcing sex from females at their parties. What started as small story ballooned into a very situation and it became very obvious that the recruiting game was out of control and in need of major change. After the stories surfaced out of Boulder, Colorado more stories began to surface around the country and even Brigham Young University kicked off four players for sexual misconduct.

Romanticized Idealism

This is the story of Madam Bovary who approaches life with a novelistic, imaginative and idealistic approach.   This Character from her conduct reflect her own personality more and the fact her being a wife seems less associated with her vision of life. Emma, as her name was, was used to living in imaginary world either trying to create fantasy filled perfect life or stays longing for it. This never ending search lead to her to shape a unreal world around her and when eventually she faced the real life left her disappointed. The unimpressive character of her husband and his disinterest in Emma’s personality having an admiration of her physical beauty only, made her deject life and happiness completely. She wanted to romanticize every day of her life and once married her dreams stayed unfulfilled and left her desires burning inside her heart.   Emma seems to have an obvious character flaw that is her over romanticism leading her life to be discontent. She tried to love her husband but her emotions directed by her vision of an adventurous life ended her even more unhappy. She from her living pattern had the tendency to get bored with the monotony of life and had always looked for change. Charm and comfort of a wealthy life attracts her she was obsessed by the idea of having luxuries and facilities. She blamed her husband for discomfort and simple life. The modern day psychologists suggests that the reason behind these behaviors of characters in literature is to depict how the nature of any one is shaped by its heredity and psychological transformation is an evolutionary process, as a result the authors realizing this human psychic narrate the whole effect from their perspective to make people notice and solve few social problems (David P. Barash, Nanelle R. Barash, 2005). She feels her middle class, simple husband and modest home being responsible for her unhappiness and fails to understand that her unsatisfied nature causes her unease and memoirs of her initial life at farm and convent could never make her forget her past life. Emma's incompetence at being a wife according to the bourgeois habitus allows her to expand her competence as a woman by following the hexis of her female body. (Roland A. Champagne, 2002) Themes of the Madam Bovary Gustave Flaubert has attempted to use the theme of fate with several ambiguous interpretations of romanticism, greed, mockery and deception within the novel. The flaws possessed by different characters have been highlighted. Madam Bovary, as it appears, could be considered the most unlikable personification of a character but as we look at the behavior and conduct of each character we find that each of them contributes their share of encouragement that leads Emma to forget everything and follow her instincts. Its an established fact that ‘Fate’ is considered to the cause of greatest misfortunes a human faces, but when a woman due to her immaturity, lack of insight in life, inability to think critically and analyze situations end up destroying not only her own life but the life of her entire family, blaming fate seems quite an irrational explanation. When a man as experienced and cultured as her lover who deceived her just when she was about to elope with him tries to stand fate as responsible for him using her it’s not acceptable. Her husband, Mr. Charles was nothing but a naà ¯ve. He was no doubts a dull and useless man when it was the time to study   and try to learn the skills he wasted his time and missed classes consequently he proved to be a bad doctor and filled his own and his family’s life with misery. He was not living life merely passing time and seemed to have no interest in any thing. He is unintelligent so much so that despite of his mother and neighbors knowing that his wife is involved in extra-marital affairs, he couldn’t sense that, not even for a second. He failed to provide Emma not the kind of life she wanted but even couldn’t make her trust his love by making her feeling proud of him. This gulf of interest her husband possessed about everything in his life made Emma positive about her quest for a free life where she dreams to have everything she longs. Despite some idle cant about high ideals, what clearly attracts her is the artifice of this urban milieu, the ornate trappings and material excess. (Peter Gay, 1999) Romanticism of this lady contributed great for her own unhappiness. She had the tendency of looking at everything with a novelistic approach. A wish to make things perfect completely denying the realities of life and accepting them to normalize her life like every other human being tends to do. She has extremisms in her approach, when she wanted to pray she tried to become a complete devout, when she wanted to love she made it to the limits including her death was also a result of her uncontrolled attitude towards life. In the translated version of Madam Bovary: How false or perverted values debase and dehumanize those who hold such values. Emma Bovary idealizes romance, believing flirtation, trysts, secret letters, and gala balls are the the pith, the very soul, of love. She also prizes things–money, chic fashions, sumptuous surroundings, the tinkle of crystal. The dinner-dance she attends in Rouen is a microcosm of the haut monde in which she wants to live. (Eleanor Marx-Aveling) When a person is not responsible it’s too easy to take advantage of this attitude and its gets quite simple to deceive him. When Charles wife found such an attitude in her husband she availed the opportunity and tried to deceive him in every possible way. Deception lead a relationship to disastrous ends, her adultery for so long had been hidden by her husband, she with perfect mastery concealed her actions and not for once her husband even thought about his wife’s unfaithfulness. He didn’t try to keep a check on her not because very husband should suspect his wife but because a person is suppose to take care of those him or her loves, to protect them and be aware of their happiness. Greed is an evil force that makes men do anything in his power to satisfy it. The characters around Madam Bovary like Lheureux, who this sharp mind and understanding identified her nature and use her weakness to maximize his wealth. He had a liking for Charles property and he made it easy for Madam Bovary to take loans from him. He encouraged   her to make purchases and continued accumulating this debt till the day when   he could claim everything she had, thus leaving her frustrated and incapable to pay her debt with the guilt of causing her herself destruction. Emma had the false believe of associating happiness with wealth. She had a belief that money could buy happiness, she was extremely materialistic. Her exposure of balls and rich people made her illusionary life more idealized. She wants everything around her to be perfect.   She used to spend lavishly over useless things just to possess all expensive stuff. She had an obsession of stuffing her house with all the articles that were priced high. She used to spend too much on her lovers, who later turned her down when she needed them. Materialistic approach could not help inner emptiness. Emma’s self-centeredness and quixotic perception of reality cause her to ignore her child, deceive her husband, surrender to promiscuity and go so deeply in debt that she offers her body in payment. (Michael J. Cummings, 2004) Early in the story there is a ball at a grand house — an episode that awakes in Emma a dangerous taste for the high life. (Clive James, 2004) The mockery of her lovers who used her for their pleasure was destructive. Despite knowing the fact that she had a weak character they approached her. The insincerity of those lovers was never obvious for Emma, for she had a habit of living in her own imaginary world where everything had to be the way she wanted. She treated real life as being a spectator never enjoy the taste of reality and accept it to let happiness touch her soul. The lovers, they made her fool by using her while making her believe their love and when she needed them, they ran. She was an obvious stupid but in her conduct was not insincere. She was so fond of beauty, luxury, fantasized life and romance that she made herself vulnerable to the mockery of rich and cunning men around her.   One of her lover, in his trial to seduce her said: Does not this conspiracy of the world revolt you? Is there a single sentiment it does not condemn? The noblest instincts, the purest sympathies are persecuted, slandered; and if at length two poor souls do meet, all is so organized that they cannot blend together. Yet they will make the attempt; they will flutter their wings; they will call upon each other. Oh! No matter. Sooner or later, in six months, ten years, they will come together; will love; for fate has decreed it, and the yare born one for the other. (Gustave Flaubert, 1856) Fate no doubt dictates what happens in life but human beings being superiors to all the other creatures just because they posses mind have the capability to survive in even the worst circumstances caused by fate. Realistic approach towards things in life make people fight with great calamities. Women should have enough education so that they may understand themselves and the society, identify their potentials and exploit their possibilities. Given any of the consequences, man is capable enough to fight his fate and make impossibilities vanish from his life. Flaubert was tried on charges of immorality stemming from the publication of the novel; successfully defended him self arguing that the death of Emma shows the novel's upholding of morality and illustrates the consequences of sin. (Dr. Fidel Fajardo-Acosta, 2001) The story ends with Emma committing suicide. Her illusionary vision of life, yearn for pleasure   and comfort, need for dramatic romance made her blind to the welfare of her family, vulnerable to mockery of those who used her just for their pleasure and incapable of understanding the love of her husband who despite of having flaws in his character loved her sincerely. Discovery of her betrayal took her husbands life and left their daughter suffers alone in the whole world with a childhood started as a labor. About the book reviewers write: Consolation and a sense of proportion, a revulsion against chaos, a taste for life.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fictional suffering neutralized the suffering I was experiencing in real life. (Mario Vargas Llosa,1975) Perhaps we identify with Emma because we too feel emptiness at the center of things — an emptiness we try to fill with books, with fantasies, with sex, with things. Her yearning is nothing more or less than the human condition in the modern world. (Erica Jong, 1997) References Acosta, Fajardo, Fidel. (2001) World Literature Website 2001. Retrieved March 24, 2008 from, http://fajardo-acosta.com/worldlit/flaubert/bovary.htm Aveling, Marx, Eleanor.( February 25, 2006). EBook #2413. Retrieved March 24, 20008, from,http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=223754 Barash, P. David. Barash, R. Nanelle. (2005) Madame Bovary’s Ovaries: a Darwinian Look at Literature. Retrieved (March 26, 2008). Fromhttp://denisdutton.com/barash_review.htm Champagne, A.   Roland, (2002). Emma's Incompetence as Madame Bovary Retrieved March 24, 2008 from, http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1034/j.1600-0730.2002.570202.x Cummings J. Michael (2004). A study Guide, Retrieved March 24, 20008, from, http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Bovary.html#Type Flaubert, Gustave.(1856). Madame Bovary James,Clive. (2004). No Way, Madame Bovary. Retrieved (March 24, 2008). from, http://www.powells.com/review/2004_10_05.html Jong, Erica. (Sept. 15, 1997). Retrieved March 24, 2008 from, http://www.salon.com/sept97/bovary970915.html Llosa, Vargas, Mario. (1975) THE PERPETUAL ORGY   Flaubert and Madame Bovary. Peter Gay, (1999). Madame Bovary. Retrieved (March 24, 2008). From, http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/327 ; ;

Thirsting for Power

Power is defined the ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality. Each and every person possesses some type of power over another thing. Some people are content with not having any power whatsoever and then there are people whose entire lives revolve around that thirst and need for power. The latter is a description of two famous people in history, Malcolm X and Julius Caesar. Thirsting for power and wanting to much of a good thing can be very self-destructive. This thirst for power can cause people to be blinded but the reality of what is going on around them.Taking into consideration that both of these powerful leaders had this longing for power that ultimately leaded to their destruction we can identify many similarities and differences that may be relevant to their nature and the way they both lived, and died. The major difference between Julius Caesar and Malcolm X is obviously the time period in which they were from. Malcolm X was born in the early 20’s and Julius Caesar was born around 100 BC. These time periods are completely different eras from each other yet the thirst for power and a solid following was present in both of them.The thirst for power is something that has been around since man was created. A key similarity between these two leaders is that their thirst for power and their ability to have an influential effect on people’s lives was seen from a very early age. Caesar was born around 100 BC and by the time he was 18 had already been through and witnessed more than many people had that were in their later years of age. He was married to the daughter of a very noble man, fathered her child. Then was ordered to divorce her or be executed. Caesar refused to divorce Cornelia and her fathered ordered him to be executed which caused him to go into hiding.After escaping that event, barely with his life he was kidnapped in Grease Around 60BC is when his power really started to motivate his da ily actions as well as increase the crazy thirst he had for power. â€Å"While sailing to Greece for further study, Caesar was kidnapped by Cilician pirates and held for ransom. When informed that they intended to ask for 20 talents, he is supposed to have insisted that he was worth at least 50. He maintained a friendly, joking relationship with the pirates while the money was being raised, but warned them that he would track them down and have them crucified after he was released.He did just that, with the help of volunteers, as a warning to other pirates, but he first cut their throats to lessen their suffering because they had treated him well,† (Yavetz). The experience of Caesar’s kidnapping helps us to see another similarity between him and Malcolm X. Both men were considered very wise, intellectual and eloquent speakers. This worked very much in their advantage. They were quick to think on their feet and were able to persuade and convince people very easily. This is a very useful skill regarding the thirst of power because in order to have power a person must also have support and some sort of following.This is needed in order for the power to grow and to help to protect the leader from enemies who are not so supportive or easily convinced. The fact that Caesar could be held captive by pirates, entertain and joke with them while warning them of their deaths that will come as revenge, shows so much about Caesar’s attitude. In 72 BC Caesar was elected military tribune and then would go on to speak to the people at the funerals of his loved ones. Instead of putting much of the focus on those who died, those who were close to him, he made sure that the people that were listening acknowledged his noble past and bloodline (Kebrick).It was during this time that the thirst for power began to really be set in motion. It was at this time that he was beginning to gain more and more of a following and put into the peoples’ heads how magni ficent of a leader he would be. â€Å"In 58 BC Caesar left Rome for Gaul; he would not return for 9 years, in the course of which he would conquer most of what is now central Europe, opening up these lands to Mediterranean civilization—a decisive act in world history. However, much of the conquest was an act of aggression prompted by personal ambition (not unlike the conquests of Alexander the Great).Fighting in the summers, he would return to Cisalpine Gaul (northern Italy) in the winters and manipulate Roman politics through his supporters,† (Kebric). After this and many more complex events and elections Caesar would continue to plunder neighboring territories and occupy them. This is how the rise of the Roman Empire, the strongest and longest lasting empire began. Caesar would publicly deny his want to be idolized as a King but acted in ways that suggested he wanted to be idolized more of a God than a Monarch. It was this attitude and his thirst for more power, more territory that would lead his enemies to assassinate him in 44 BC.â€Å"Caesar attended the last meeting of the Senate before his departure, held at its temporary quarters in the portico of the theater built by Pompey the Great (the Curia, located in the Forum and the regular meeting house of the Senate, had been badly burned and was being rebuilt). The sixty conspirators, led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Brutus Albinus, and Gaius Trebonius, came to the meeting with daggers concealed in their togas and struck Caesar at least 23 times as he stood at the base of Pompey's statue,† (Yavetz).Although his own reign was short lived and his thirst for power caused his own self destruction, Julius Caesar will always be known for the creation and rise of the Roman Empire. Malcolm X, like Julius Caesar, had a troubled childhood. His parents died young and he was in and out of foster homes as well as jail cells. When the law finally caught up with him in Bost on, for a robbery charge, he was sentenced to a 8-10 year sentence in Charleston Prison. It was in prison in which his thirst for power began to take shape.He was introduced to many books and would often read many in one day. Also while in prison, he was visited by several siblings who had joined to the Nation of Islam, a small sect of black Muslims who embraced the ideology of black nationalism—the idea that in order to secure freedom, justice and equality, black Americans needed to establish their own state entirely separate from white Americans. Malcolm X converted to the Nation of Islam while in prison,† (Malcolm X). Malcolm’s transition and thirst for power was a lot different from Caesars for the reason that he had good intentions.He wanted better for his people, African American people. He had seen so much racism and lost many close friends and even his family to the KKK. Teachers told him from a young age that because he was African American, he wouldnâ⠂¬â„¢t be able to do things such as become a lawyer and that he needed to be more realistic about his place in life. It was these numbered events that offered fuel to the fire that was burning inside Malcolm. He was unhappy with the way society was working, along with the majority of society at this time.In my opinion, Malcolm was  a much better leader than Caesar because the motives behind his thirst for power had some justification, at least for African Americans and was not just about taking over any and everything that he could, like with Caesar. Malcolm’s thirst for power was to offer something better to his people whereas Caesar’s thirst for power came from arrogance and wanting the world to recognize him as being the most powerful. When X was released in 1952 he would relocate to Detroit, Michigan and join forces with the head of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Mohammed to spread the word of this new way of life.In the eyes of the Nation of Islam, he was a miracul ous leader. He became overseeing minister of a temple in Harlem, a temple in Boston and even helped to found temples in Philadelphia and Hartford. Articulate, passionate and a naturally gifted and inspirational orator, Malcolm X exhorted blacks to cast off the shackles of racism â€Å"by any means necessary,† including violence. â€Å"You don't have a peaceful revolution,† he said. â€Å"You don't have a turn-the-cheek revolution. There's no such thing as a nonviolent revolution.†Such militant proposals—a violent revolution to establish an independent black nation—won Malcolm X large numbers of followers as well as many fierce critics,† (Malcolm X). It was Malcolm’s ability to captivate audiences, just as Caesar, that would put him front-and-center of a power vacuum. Also, like Caesar, he would be betrayed and envied by those who were close to him. In Malcolm’s case it was Elija Mohammed who would begin to envy X’s power and ability to gain support. X would leave the Nation of Islam in 1964 after constant tension with Elijah and his disgust with disregarding his own teachings.He considered Elijah to be a hypocrite and felt that the path the Nation was going down was one doomed for disaster. Little did he know, this move would be the lead to his own disaster. On the evening of February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, where Malcolm X was about to deliver a speech, three gunmen rushed the stage and shot him 15 times at point blank range†¦ He was 39 years old. The three men convicted of the assassination of Malcolm X were all members of the Nation of Islam. Although both Caesar and X were both powerful speakers and leaders, their motives behind power were quite different.Both men wanted to convince as many people as they could that the way things were being done, were not right. Both men felt they had the power to change the world. However, the differences lie in how they wanted it to change. Caesar wanted violently take over all and any territory he could and X wanted to gain the support of his people and ultimately begin a quest back to Africa where African Americans could live amongst themselves without discrimination. The actions that resulted from their thirst for power is what would ultimately lead to both of their assassinations.

Ethics Essay Primark Essay

This essay shall look at the cost to human life and lifestyle through the demand of low cost clothing in the UK. This will be undertaken specifically looking at Primark and the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, observed as modern day slavery, having a â€Å"race to the bottom† characteristics, occurring as a consequence of globalisation. This essay will analyse differing ethical approaches including Virtue, Kantian and Utilitarian ethics. An overview of the findings will be given, using the Rana Plaza Factory in Bangladesh as a case study, along with an analysis of Primark’s supply chain. Bangaldesh has for many years has been used for outsourcing, attractive to western clothing companies supply chains due to low costs. Bangladeshi’s economy is almost entirely reliant upon these export sales (80%) in the cloth trade (Jacob, 2012). Given this, it is clear that the Rana Plaza disaster (2013) killing more than 1000 workers did not have only a local effect, but a global one, with it raising many questions. It has been attested that those who died, did so as a consequence of poor operations management. The disaster further served to highlight that conditions of many factories were poor and often illegal. Large fashion brands including Primark, were seemingly happy to ignore such factors, to continue to gain profit, observed by the lack of procedures in place to ensure that standards of health and safety were met. This alongside the knowledge that child labour was often used, has led to many questions regarding irresponsibility of western companies. Despite the cost of life in one of the major disasters (the Rana Plaza collapse) of the fashion industry, Primark has made huge profits (44 % higher than in 2012) highlighting that cost rather than ethics is at the forefront of the stakeholders. The race to the bottom characteristics1 of Bangladesh have facilitated giant western companies, cheaper labour and goods. Furthermore the lack of enforcement of the limited laws and regulations, along with the Bangladesh’s class system, to some extent has allowed large companies to exploit these loopholes, given that Bangladesh’s economy is dependent on the textile industry, worth one billion dollars in 1985 and now estimated to be worth over 20 billion dollars (Young, 2013). What has been debated is whether or companies such as Primark are ensuring, and not just assuming, that all in their supply change are acting ethically. The focus of this  study will be on Primark. Fast Fashion â€Å"That bastion of fast fashion, scorned and idolised by the British public – indeed, all of Europe† (Joy, et al., 2012). Fast fashion may be described as inexpensive clothing which mimics catwalk fashion trends, lasting only the trend, thus part of the throwaway culture leading to unsustainability. This is supported by Joy et al. (2012) who express that fashion trends run their course, with today’s styles outdoing yesterdays, with yesterday’s having already been relegated as trash (Joy, et al., 2012), this is Primark’s main business model offering competitive advantage and success. For example, fast fashion results in consumers having at least 30% of unworn clothing (worth  £30 million) with approximately  £140 million of used clothing going to landfill annually (WRAP, 2014). Changing trends have shown that in the 1900s, 15 % was spent on clothing in comparison to 2.8 % (2010), although a greater number of items were purchased with the onset of time, indicating that the majority of purchases were low-cost items. Packard (REF) refers to â€Å"consumerism† in negative way, highlighting the role of advertising in the creation of â€Å"consumption for consumption’s sake â€Å", which leads to mindless consumerism, whereby individuals are â€Å"more wasteful, imprudent, and carefree† in their habits. As a consequence natural resources are utilised unnecessarily at an alarming rate. Therefore indicating that all stakeholders of Primark, including consumers are participants of â€Å"mindless consumerism†. Stakeholder theory Initially, Milton Friedman’s stakeholder theory will be utilised, Friedman is known for his famous quote of â€Å"business of business is business†. He claims that there is one, and only one social responsibility of business, to use it resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits, so long as it stays within the rules of the game, therefore â€Å"engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.† REF he furthers this by expressing what does it mean to say that â€Å"business† has responsibilities?, only people have responsibilities. As articulated by Friedman (1970), a corporation is an artificial person and in this sense may have artificial  responsibilities, but â€Å"business† as a whole cannot be said to have responsibilities, even in this vague sense’ .Milton. Ref â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits.† New York Times Magazine, 13 September 1970. Identifying that Milton Friedman thinks that businesses should only look at the shareholders in the organisation, their priorities and needs. For instance, as with Primark low prices, to maximise profits for shareholders. Freeman Alternatively, Freeman contradicts Friedman’s theory through the stakeholder theory (Freeman, 1984). Freeman states that business will only maximize profit over the long-term, if it takes into account its social responsibilities Businesses that are seen to ignore the interests of the wider community and to fail to protect society’s welfare will pay in terms of damage to image and reputation. Although it is evident that Freeman’s theory did not hold, as despite the Rana Plaza disaster, and associated unethical practices, Primark has continued to be successful. As Freedman states Primark should not only look at their shareholders interest but should also proactively engage with stakeholders. Responsibilities of supply chains and due diligence Due diligence is the procedure by which companies monitor and review actions of a company, prior to signing a contract. Intrinsically this procedure is used to identify whether the â€Å"business partner† is working to a standard which complies with that required by the investor (Brown et al). Therefore identifying if a company is adhering to its own code of ethics, as they would have prior knowledge of the proposed outsourcer and their standards, allowing them to make an informed choice. This is undertaken by â€Å"best practice† of due diligence, in doing this Primark could obtain information that could be critically evaluated to ensure that their business partners in the supply chain are acting responsibly. Highlighting a lack of due diligence by Primark, in place at the time of the Rana Plaza disaster. Supply chain With the onset of globalisation, many difficulties as well as advantages have  arisen. One of the main difficulties associated with globalisation is the lack of visibility and transparency of the supply chain, which may lead to risk, as highlighted by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) who disclosed that within at least 11 % of UK business, it was highly probable that â€Å"modern slavery† exists within the supply chain. As emphasised by the Rana Plaza collapse, the problems of lack of visibility are inherent, due to extensive supply chains, with many of the associated problems as a consequence undisclosed to buyers. Researched by the CIPS states, ~72% of British supply chain professionals have no visibility of their supply chains beyond the second level with only 11% having complete visibility of the chain (Noble, 2014). It is not understood whether Primark was fully aware of the problems at the Rana Plaza factory, although they could still be considered at fault, due to ineffective checks and monitoring of subcontractors, highlighted by Panorama (date). Alternatively it could be assumed that Primark was indeed aware and was willing to take the risk, for profitability, at what cost? Irresponsible behaviour analysis Fast fashion underpins the entire fashion merchandising industry. Children and adults are used to produce such fashion items, primarily in underdeveloped countries including Bangladesh. These individuals work in very poor, and often dangerous conditions, earning very small amounts of money. In working, the young children are unable to access education. The workers have limited rights and are general thankful to be able to earn any amount of money whatsoever. Western society often views such circumstances as being exploitative and unethical. There are several theories of ethics which have differing viewpoints. These include a Utilitarian, Kantian and Virtue ethics. Utilitarian ethics relate to benefiting the majority of society, focussing not upon individuals but a collective whole. Many businesses utilise this approach as a basis to provide guidelines for ethical decision making for the greater good. The outcome is that the majority of stakeholders benefit. Utilitarianism looks to fi t well into a company’s business strategy, connecting ethical responsibility with business and society, in their focus of striving and justifying their approach as being for the greater good for the majority Gustafson, 2013).. Therefore  from a consequential (Utalitarian approach) perspective, whereby an act is deemed to be right or wrong, is judged using two principles. Initially determining the outcome, with the proviso that the greatest good for the greatest number of individuals is attained, limiting harm and maximising overall good (Hartman & DesJardins, 2011). Therefore from a consequentialist viewpoint Primark did not appropriately undertake a cost versus benefit analysis, by not accounting for their lenient attitude in respect of their suppliers. Knowledge of poor working and safety conditions were widely known prior to the collapse of the Rana Plaza (BBC News, 2013), indicating that Primark had no regard with respect to risk factors, that could be caused by the absence of due diligence. Therefore, Primark did not act ethically, from a consequentialist viewpoint, exploiting workers for financial gain and simultaneously failing to achieve â€Å"the greatest good† for the â€Å"greatest num bers†. However, if the example of workers at the Rana Plaza factory is considered, working on behalf of Primark, it may be seen that these stakeholders suffered at the hands of a Utilitarian approach. This is due to the main driver of Primark’s business being profitability, along with a demand for cheap clothing by UK consumers, therefore the greater good does not incorporate the workers in the factories, paid low wages to keep production costs down. Despite this, it may be argued that without work, those effectively excluded from Utilitarian ethics would be left in an even more difficult position, having no finances whatsoever. Since Capitalist societies in general dominate the fast fashion market, the actions of these corporations must be evaluated and the significance of their impact considered. Given that such corporations are driven primarily by profit, many may suggest that the lack of provision of education and improved living and working conditions, is indicative of the fact that company’s do not consider if their actions are moral or not. Instead they do what they want, without thought of the negative impacts, to drive their goal, in Primark’s case the provision of cheap fashionable clothing. This is a clear demonstration of a company taking a Utilitarian approach, marginalising the minority whilst providing for the majority. However, from a deontological viewpoint, whereby dutiful obligation plays the greatest role, in which regardless of consequence all individuals are expected to do â€Å"the right thing† , with these actions deemed to be ethical, only if they have the  possibility to become general law (Fisher et al., 2013). In order to be a part of society, there are accepted social norms and laws that individuals must follow (Stanwick & Stanwick, 2014). Primark (supposedly) partakes in the following of societal norms, clearly stated within their ethical guidelines (2011), where they explicitly state amongst other norms, that Primark will not tolerate either unsafe or unhygienic working environments? Despite the inclusion of these norms within their guidelines, their failure to adhere to them is clearly visible. Despite Primark’s duty to do the â€Å"right thing†, they did not, from a deontological ethics viewpoint. Had Primark acted ethically in a deontological way, consideration of workers well-being, happiness and other rights would have been considered. Likewise Kantian ethics (1785), have the expectation that individuals are able to distinguish right from wrong, based on an individual’s beliefs and moral, not via legal laws. It is clear that no individual would consider working 19 hour shifts for very low wages an acceptable scenario, and allowing individuals to do so in the factories of Bangladesh, brings into question Primark’s ethical judgement, or lack of, based on Kantian ethics. However Kantian ethics is seen as opposing Utilitarianism, its core values emphasise treating employees as individuals, having equal value. Furthering this, Kantian ethics incorporates within its ethos that employees should not be treated ‘as a means to an end’ (Driver, 2006) and that each should have individual rights, whilst not being viewed only as a source of labour (Smith and Dubbink, 2011). The Kantian approach involves the decision-maker being detached from personal motives when making a judgement (Smith and Dubbink, 2011). In this approach, no external factors are considered. However, due to the personal emphasis on profit in the current climate, companies are unable to detach themselves from the personal motive of profit and cannot adhere to Kantian ethics (Driver, 2006). Virtue ethics focus on personal characteristics and whether or not they acted in a virtuous manner when making a decision (Driver, 2006). â€Å"Justice and generosity† are often agreed to be such traits that are employed to pursue good practice (Audi, 2012). Paralleling this to a company, a company would be deemed virtuous, and therefore acting ethically, if their intention was  to achieve a caring environment and general positivity of employees, rather than maximising profits alone. Once again, Primark based on virtue ethics is not observed, acted with no regard to safety or well-being. Recent initiatives to improve due diligence in the supply chain have been undertaken as a consequence of the Rana Plaza disaster, however consequential actions do not follow the rules of virtue ethics, actions must be commonly practiced. Evaluation of ethical theories and Primark Adam Smith states that â€Å"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest†. (1776, Wealth of Nations PAGE NUMBER). He attests that in engaging in self-interest that individuals also bring about greater good for the society as a whole. Smith furthers this in expressing that should an invisible hand be guiding the economy, then competitive producers would produce goods required at the lowest cost, leading to a self-regulatory economy, a free market. There are limited regulations with regards to Health and Safety in particular, in Bangladesh in comparison to the UK. Had Health and Safety been at the level of UK standards, with workers not having been used as a means to an end, as described by Kant, it is unlikely that the Rana Plaza tragedy would have occurred. However, in respect of a Utilitarian approach and cost-base analysis, without cheap labour, working in poor conditions, the outcome would not have been as required and consumers would not obtain cheap fast fashion goods, nor would shareholders resultantly be rewarded as expected. In this respect as the greater good is generally attained, individuals in Bangaldesh have employment, shareholders have profits and consumers have the latest cheap fast fashion. Therefore it may be criticised that no moral/ethical behaviour is taken into consideration within Smith’s theory (Mill, n.d.). Based on Kant’s theory it may be argued that the above scenario is in fact unethical, as the workers’ rights are not taken into consideration and that they are viewed only as a means to an end (Bowie, 2002), prioritising productivity and therefore profits, whilst viewing the employee only as a form of labour. When comparing a Kantian viewpoint to that of an Utalitarian perspective, then the Kantian standpoint does not consider a situation to be unethical even if it is for the greater  good, as in the case of an Utalitarian approach. Furthermore any gains made by a company that are achieved through any activity which does not take an employee’s rights into consideration is regarded as unethical (Bowie, 2002). However, for some consumers ethical responsibility of a company may influence whether they purchase a product, which may af fect profitability and could also affect brand and brand image. Damage to a brand is often irreversible. However, in the case of Primark after the factory collapse, due to unsafe and unethical practices; for example workers were locked in, unable to escape, luckily this potentially disastrous impact on brand image, had in reality little impact. Initially there was uproar and disgust expressed by western society, although this negative and damaging event slowly faded from the press and media, and rapidly from the minds of the consumer. Therefore highlighting that western consumers, although horrified and shocked about the conditions, seem not to care and have no moral stance and may be described as egoethical. Egoethical characteristics include self-interest without consideration of the consequences of the demand for cheap goods. Given the recent increase in interest regarding business ethics, it may be deemed that having an â€Å"ethical† business can lead to competitive advantage, attracting business from â€Å"ethical† consumers. Although in reality this may be a tool, used solely for the purpose of increasing profits rather than benefiting employees (Schwartz, 2011). The power of business in today’s society along with the time individuals spend in employment, necessitates the need for an ethical environment ( Mishra & Crampton, 1998) . Primark’s response and actions to improve ethics Balch (2013) expresses that companies are ethically responsible to deal with problems when and wherever they are highlighted. Ruggies (2010) framework in respect of human rights and business advocates that if a ‘problem’ arises within the supply chain, the inclusion of this part of the supply chain must be considered in respect of a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to define whether inclusion is crucial. Should it be considered crucial, the company must seek to safeguard that ethical practices are improved, if not critical, an alternative should be sought. Primark based on a consequentialist perspective as mentioned earlier, plays a large role in  Bangladesh’s economy, by the employment of many workers as part of its supply chain, with this it may be argued that Primark is supporting a reduction in poverty rates. Additionally as described by Primark’s Ethical Trading (2013), 85% of its Bangladeshi workforce are female, offering oppor tunity and developing their independence. Consequently it may be argued that if Primark removed its outsourcing from Bangladesh elsewhere, this would be extremely detrimental, and would add to the high numbers already living below the national poverty line , 49.8 % in 2002 (ILO, 2009), highlighting that despite many ethical reservations Primark impacts the country and the people of Bangladesh in a positive way. From a deontological perspective, almost immediately after then Rana Plaza disaster Primark was seen to be improving, observed by Primark’s assessment of structural integrity of the factories and also via their joining the Accord on Fire and Building Safety (Bangladesh Accord, 2013). Furthermore Primark later terminated contracts with factories that were investigated and were considered at risk of collapse. Primark attests that there is due diligence throughout its supply chain which is undertaken irrespective of consequence. From a virtuous perspective Primark immediately acknowledged its responsibility and responded instantaneously to the catastrophe of the Rana Plaza collapse (providing financial and food aid to victims and their relatives), in comparison to other major fashion chains also using the factory (Primark, 2013). Primark’s actions were virtuous, in that not only did they support â€Å"their† workers (and relatives), they supported those employed by other fashion chains within the Rana Plaza factory. Additionally it may be seen tthat Primark is working towards provision of improved well-being and education via projects such as their Health Enables Returns (HERproject) for female employees (Primark, 2011), enabling employees to have a better standard of living. Furthermore Primark is working towards suppliers increasing wages to give employees a â€Å"living wage† and to improve working conditions (Siegle, 2013). Conclusion Having evaluated and analysed Primark’s responsibilities and ethical considerations regarding their contribution to the Rana Plaza disaster, primarily based on a lack of due diligence in the supply chain, using a wide  variety of ethical theories, that presented a variety of perspectives. These have highlighted that Primark’s ethical standards were deficient and questionable, however subsequently Primark has identified its poor practice and is working towards sustainability, via a variety of ethical considerations, improving overall standards for its employees in the supply chain, demonstrating positive CSR. Although to what extent Primark may achieve and sustain these goals in the future, whilst still focussing on profitability may be uncertain.