How to Choose Your Topic Essay Essay

Good evening Ladies and Gentleman , my name is Adam Maljan. Before we proceed , I would like to ask all of you a simple question . Have any of you had any difficulties on choosing a topic when you are asked to present to an audience ? If your answer is yes , then Do Not Worry . Because you see i. Choosing a topic for a speech is no easy thing to do . Especially if you are a student preparing a speech for your subject . ii. I myself had a hard time in choosing a topic for a public speaking event when I was in my 2nd semester as a diploma student . It took me days just to find the right topic which everyone can understand and relate to easily. Today , I would like to talk to you about how to choose or at least narrow down your choices of topic using the simple criteria of Knowing your theme , Listing and narrowing Down and researching and gaining confidence. The first criteria in order to choose your topic is that you should know your theme. For example , the seminar you were invited to talk to is about Health . But Health, as we all know, is a general topic , there are multiple subtopics that you can relate to with health ,some are maintaining a healthy lifestyle , how to reduce the risk of heart disease, effects of obesity and many more . So if this situation happens to you . Please do not panic , because once you identify your theme or topic using the general topic given to you, you can now look at your audience and use them to determine your decision on which topic to present . For example, if your audience is mostly teenagers , then you can choose the topic on maintaining a healthy lifestyle topic , but if it is mostly senior citizens , then it is better for you to choose the topic on how to reduce the risk of heart disease. The same goes with women or children .

Low Fat Cheese Market †Global Industry Analysis Essay

Low fat cheese contains lesser amount of saturated fat and reduces the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol which is responsible for an increase in the risk of heart disease. Normal cheese has 30-40% saturated fat whereas low fat cheese, produced from skimmed milk contains 7-15% saturated fat. Commonly available cheeses such as cheddars, mozzarella, provolone and others, depending on the process and the country where they are produced, are easily available in the market today. Low fat cheese is also available in various forms as a healthy alternative to regular cheese. Low fat cheese has almost all the applications that normal cheese has. Some of the products where low fat cheese is used are pizzas, sandwiches, hotdogs, and salads. The geographical market segments are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW). Highest cheese consumption is seen in Europe while North America’s consumption is comparatively less. One of the key drivers for the growth in the demand for low fat cheese is the growing health consciousness among the people. Normal cheese is said to have higher amounts of fat as well as sodium. Moreover, much attention is given to the diet of children keeping in mind the adverse affects of cheese on the body in the long run. Also, cheese is a part of the culture in many countries, where it is consumed on a daily basis. One of the restraints to the low fat cheese market is its taste after the reduction of fat and sodium as the flavor of cheese depends on these two components. Some types of cheese like mozzarella, cottage cheese (paneer), and Swiss cheese have low salt and fat content naturally, compared to other cheese that contain artificially reduced salts. The major players in the market are now focusing on reducing fat and salts from cheese such as in American cheese which has a high amount of these components. Some of the major producers of low fat cheese are the Lactalis Group, Kraft Foods Group Inc., Fromageries Bel S.A., Bongrain S.A., Arla Foods and others. This report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porter’s five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis. This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth It provides a technological growth map over time to understand the industry growth rate It provides a seven-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments It provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segments About us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company providing global business research reports and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers. TMR’s experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources along with various tools and techniques to gather and analyze Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information Our Approach †¢ Our research reports cover global markets, present analysis and forecast for a period of five years. Respondents are led through a questionnaire to gather quantitative and qualitative inputs on their operations, performance, strategies and views on the overall market, including key developments and technology trends.

Water Scarcity & The Importance Of Water Essay

Clean, safe drinking water is scarce. Today, nearly 1 billion people in the developing world don’t have access to it. Yet, we take it for granted, we waste it, and we even pay too much to drink it from little plastic bottles. Water is the foundation of life. And still today, all around the world, far too many people spend their entire day searching for it. In places like sub-Saharan Africa, time lost gathering water and suffering from water-borne diseases is limiting people’s true potential. Education is lost to sickness. Economic development is lost while people merely try to survive. But it doesn’t have to be like this. It’s needless suffering. WHAT IS WATER SCARCITY? More than just a lack of water†¦ Simply put, water scarcity is either the lack of enough water (quantity) or lack of access to safe water (quality). It’s hard for most of us to imagine that clean, safe water is not something that can be taken for granted. But, in the developing world, finding a reliable source of safe water is often time consuming and expensive. This is known as economic scarcity. Water can be found†¦it simply requires more resources to do it. In other areas, the lack of water is a more profound problem. There simply isn’t enough. That is known as physical scarcity. The problem of water scarity is a growing one. As more people put ever increasing demands on limited supplies, the cost and effort to build or even maintain access to water will increase. And water’s importance to political and social stability will only grow with the crisis. WHY IS WATER IMPORTANT When water comes, everything changes†¦ Education When students are freed from gathering water, they return to class. With proper and safe latrines, girls stay in school through their teenage years. Health Safe water, clean hands, healthy bodies. Time lost to sickness is reduced and people can get back to the work of lifting themselves out of poverty. Hunger Access to water leads to food security. With less crop loss, hunger is reduced. Schools can feed students with gardens, reducing costs. Poverty Access to water can break the cycle of poverty. The communities we serve are ready to grow. We can’t wait to see how they choose to do it. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP? See how we’re working to address the water crisis in Africa In some places, it is simply dry. Water is hard to find. In others, this most critical need is literally only a few feet below ground waiting to sustain life. The Water Project, Inc. is a non-profit organization working to provide access to clean water to people in developing nations who suffer needlessly without it. With our team of supporters we’re funding clean water projects like water wells and rain catchment systems. â€Å"The old water source gets salty in rainy season and people could not drink it. The new water well is good, it has clean water and is located closer to the community.† Edison N – Farmer The Water Project: Kinama II The new water is very clean compared with the old one because people were getting diseases due to the bad water. Now this is helpful to the people in this village we are happy and many thanks to God and the people providing water for us. Water scarcity From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia â€Å"In Meatu district, Shinyanga region, Tanzania, water most often comes from open holes dug in the sand of dry riverbeds, and it is invariably contaminated.† Physical water scarcity and economic water scarcity by country. 2006 Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region. It already affects every continent and around 2.8 billion people around the world at least one month out of every year. More than 1.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water.[1] Water scarcity involves water stress, water shortage or deficits, and water crisis. While the concept of water stress is relatively new, it is the difficulty of obtaining sources of fresh water for use during a period of time and may result in further depletion and deterioration of available water resources.[2] Water shortages may be caused by climate change, such as altered weather patterns includingdroughts or floods, increased pollution, and increased human demand and overuse of water.[3] A water crisis is a situation where the available potable, unpolluted water within a region is less than that region’s demand.[4] Water scarcity is being driven by two converging phenomena: growing freshwater use and depletion of usable freshwater resources.[5] Water scarcity can be a result of two mechanisms: physical (absolute) water scarcity and economic water scarcity, where physical water scarcity is a result of inadequate natural water resources to supply a region’s demand, and economic water scarcity is a result of poor management of the sufficient available water resources. According to the United Nations Development Programme, the latter is found more often to be the cause of countries or regions experiencing water scarcity, as most countries or regions have enough water to meet household, industrial, agricultural, and environmental needs, but lack the means to provide it in an accessible manner.[6] The reduction of water scarcity is a goal of many countries an d governments. The UN recognizes the importance of reducing the number of people without sustainable access to clean water and sanitation. The Millennium Development Goals within the United Nations Millennium Declaration state that by 2015 they resolve to â€Å"halve the proportion of people who are unable to reach or to afford safe drinking water. Physical and economic scarcity Around one fifth of the world’s population currently live in regions affected  by Physical water scarcity, where there is inadequate water resources to meet a country’s or regional demand, including the water needed to fulfill the demand of ecosystems to function effectively.[6] Arid regions frequently suffer from physical water scarcity. It also occurs where water seems abundant but where resources are over-committed, such as when there is over development of hydraulic infrastructure for irrigation. Symptoms of physical water scarcity include environmental degradation and declining groundwater as well as other forms of exploitation or overuse. Economic water scarcity is caused by a lack of investment in infrastructure or technology to draw water from rivers, aquifers or other water sources, or insufficient human capacity to satisfy the demand for water. One quarter of the world’s population is affected by economic water scarcity. Symptoms of economic water scarcity include a lack of infrastructure, causing the people without reliable access to water to have to travel long distances in or fetch water, that is often contaminated from rivers for domestic and agricultural uses. Large parts of Africa suffer from economic water scarcity; developing water infrastructure in those areas could therefore help to reduce poverty. Critical conditions often arise for economically poor and politically weak communities living in already dry environment.

Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example The top executives like any other person have a right to appreciate other persons and give comments on their physical appearances, as well as their conducts. Since people do not look alike it normal for another person to compare a person with others especially if they are living together (Solotoff & Kramer, 2006). It is not right to assume that when someone is comparing two or more persons is doing so to seduce them or harass them sexually. For the top executives in an organization, they may compare the appearances and the conducts of female workers for the sole purpose of marketing their company. This may work well for the company if the most attract ladies is located where they can interact with the clients for the purpose of marketing the company. According to Solotoff and Kramer (2006) the "United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sexual harassment is gender discrimination in violation of title VII Civil Rights Act 1964." The employers are held accountable for the sexual harassment of their employees while at their workplace. The conducts of the top executives of the accounting firms in the case study amounts to sexual harassment because result of their conducts was demeaning to the female workers in the organization. There were previous claims of sexual harassment in the same companies and some workers had sued the company successfully against sexual harassment. Furthermore, it was against the company’s culture because there are requirements that physical appearance was a requirement for employment. The top executives conducts were immoral and ill intended because it may lower the work moral of the female workers rated low and may even affect their social interactions with other employees. In conclusion, the conducts top executives of the accounting firms were unethical and were tantamount to sexual harassment of the female employees. The

The Internet is having a negative effect on the quality of social life Essay

The Internet is having a negative effect on the quality of social life - Essay Example Culture refers to the arts, habits and customs that characterize a society’s way of life. Culture dictates a society’s way of life since it includes the values, behaviors and beliefs that a society considers acceptable. Before the development of the internet, most societies had independent cultures, which safeguarded their morality and ethics. Such encompassed the modes of dressing, religions, dietary and interactions among others. Any of such cultures sought to develop peaceful interaction among members of the society. They thus upheld decency of behavior and set out clear behavioral patterns in every group in the society. In short, most of the cultures developed peaceful societies. With the advent use of the internet, people have intensified interaction as the internet overcomes the physical and geographical barriers. This implies that people readily traded cultural values by abandoning those they consider retrogressive and adopting those, they consider better. (Nayar, 2010). In this respect, the internet has availed numerous sets of cultural features with negative consequences on the contemporary society. Among such features is the use of violence among the youth. The youth constitute the most active population on the internet. They interact on the numerous platforms especially the social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, the internet provides cheaper modes of entertainment through films and video games. Most of such modes of entertainment glorify violence, which often constitute the central theme. The users of the internet adopt most of these qualities thereby opting to violence as the most effective way of solving interpersonal dif ferences. Most people borrow dressing patterns from the internet often copying hose adorned by celebrities and established western designers. The two groups have turned culture into a product, which they manipulate and sell to their esteemed customers. The consumers of such cultural products on the other hand assimilate the products without questioning a feature that has progressively degenerated the societal norms and values of decency and privacy as more people continue to wear revealing clothes which the celebrities and designers claim fashionable. Attire in most societies has thus change and continues to portray sexuality that the celebrities and the designers have established through their increased market researches to sell better. Most clothes that the youth among other internet population wear thus portray sexuality often revealing some of the sexual features of humanity. Some even glorify in nudity. In the glorification of nudity and the conversion of every cultural feature into a commercial product, the internet community has successfully turned sex into commercial product a feature that has increased the infiltration of pornography into most modern day societies. Numerous cultures respected sex and the human nudity terming such as very private and confidential issues. Pornography is not just a social ill but also a criminal offense in most countries. However, producers of such contents prefer the internet since it offers them anonymity thereby perpetuating their

An examination and Investigation of the UK Construction Industry Essay

An examination and Investigation of the UK Construction Industry skills shortage crisis. What strategy is being adopted to combat the current skills shortage A - Essay Example found that 1,602 people currently work within the built heritage sector in London, preserving some 891,000 pre-1919 historic buildings, including 19,096 listed buildings. However, with 27 per cent of local contractors having outstanding vacancies and the workload ever increasing, the industry needs to recruit almost 550 people at a local level in the next one year just to meet immediate demand. It includes such a diversified group of workers like carpenters, speciality bricklayers and slate and tile roofers, lead-workers and stonemasons and joiners to work in construction industry estimated to be worth over  £3.5billion across England every year. It was also felt that there will be severe shortage of different construction workers involved with skills such as drystone walling, thatching, millwrighting, earth walling, and flint-knapping in coming 15-20 years in United Kingdom. In England today, there are currently only around 270 professional members of the Dry Stone Walling Association, under 1,000 thatchers and about 50 firms who work on cob and earth buildings. In the next one year alone, there is a need for almost 200 lime plasterers, around 140 wattle and daub craftspeople, over 100 glaziers, over 80 clay dabbins craftspeople, and almost 60 cob builders and dry stone wallers. It reflects the fact that not only does the report produce yet further evidence that heritage conservation skills1 are at risk, but uniquely it puts forward an action plan to tackle specific problems. Hence it is high time for all policy makers and enterpreneurs for joined-up thinking and concerted action across the construction industry, the built heritage sector, educational establishments, careers organisations, funding bodies and government departments to tackle a vital issue that is at the heart of sustaining two In case of private buildings, almost two thirds of public and commercial stockholders and private home dwellers expressed a high level of satisfaction with the work done

Is there a right to self-determination outside of the context of Essay

Is there a right to self-determination outside of the context of decolonisation - Essay Example The United Nations has created the rights of self-determination as a privilege of peoples under alien and colonial dominations. The right of self-determination is not available to peoples who live in an organised form of a State, which is neither under the control of alien or colonial influence as the UN resolution 1514(XV)4 bar any initiative intended to disrupt either partially or totally the national unity or territorial integrity of a nation. Thus, self-determination means that states and their subjects have the privilege to liberate themselves from foreign domination. If any state is under foreign domination or controlled by foreign powers can exercise the right to self-determination and thus, they have the right to oust the invaders and reinstate independence. However, self-determination may occur outside of the context of decolonisation in situations like human rights violation, oppression of minority and indigenous people’s rights5. This research essay will analyse in detail the circumstances in which determination may occur outside of the context of decolonisation in detail. ... Thirdly, the privilege of people to secede. Fourthly, to decide their constitution, this includes their autonomous status. Finally, the privilege to persue democracy. The first three categories mentioned above will fall under external feature of self-determination whereas the last two are known as the internal aspect of self-determination6. The two Covenants to the Self-determination (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESC) 7, and the UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 and 26258 , acknowledged the right of all peoples to self-determination, which is restricted to colonial scenarios or only to colonial people. However, there are situations where self-determination has been acknowledged as applicable outside the background of decolonisation9. Despite the fact that UN General Assembly lacks the authority to enact any laws , legal experts accept that its resolutions can become customary inte rnational law.It is to be noted that Article 73 (Declaration Regarding Non-Self-Governing States) of the UN Charter is regarded as ascertaining self-determination as a principle of international law. Thus, by virtue of Article 73, UN resolutions 1514 and 2625 attain Customary International Law status10. The right of self-determination should be acknowledged outside the colonial background also. Self-determination as a basic right is to be applicable to all people and should not be restricted to those people with the historical background. It would be irrational to grant the rights of self-determination to some groups and to refute it to others. Thus, to acknowledge the privilege of secession for group of people with the colonisation background and to refute this

Digital graphics for interactive media Assignment

Digital graphics for interactive media - Assignment Example They are in game poster production, packaging, in game graphics, overall it may be said that the entire game development process relies on interactive media graphics for game production. Rollover buttons, navigation bars and navigation menus enable easy navigation around digital media. The simpler and comprehensive the navigation is, the more it compels visitors to come back again. Instead of having to search through heaps of information the interactive graphics enable users to reach to get to the point search results thus saving their time and effort. â€Å"overall, a main navigation supports a variety of user tasks and modes of information seeking, including known-item seeking, exploration, and even re-finding. From a user’s standpoint, the main navigation plays a critical role in using the site: Animated images can be used in almost every form of digital media. May it be web portals or Chat Interfaces, Social Networking interfaces or Stock software, the embedding of animated images into each of these digital media enhances their usefulness by often replacing a large amount of words. This is often said in relation with: â€Å"A picture is worth a thousand words.† An entire process can be described with the help of embedding step by step animation levels into a diagram instead of the readers reading a large amount of text to decipher it. Applications of web banners are mainly in every website. They are the online means of advertising. A large number of viewers get attracted to the often animated banners that promote a certain product and click on the banner. Clicking on it opens the website of the advertiser. The image on the Web Banner can be made in PNG, JPEG or GIF. Logos are images that are specifically associated with an entity. That entity may be an individual or a company. It is with respect to that graphics image, known as a log, that the defined entity is often recognized.

CIS Management Information System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CIS Management Information System - Assignment Example With nearly one percent of the kanban cards lost per day, the net result is that the inventory runs dry and the overall production efforts suffer or get delayed. Considering the fact that Danaher has acquired a number of small companies, the application of the information technology can really go a long way in helping the firm under consideration in enhancing its efficacy, so far as the objective of reducing its inventory levels is concerned. The application of information technology can help Danaher to purchase supplies from the overseas vendors by making the purchasing process more streamlined. The usage of electronic kanban system can do away with the fragilities and flaws of the manual approach. This will also allow the key employees in the procurement system to focus on the core tasks like discovering new sources and developing supplier relationships. E-kanban system will also improve and fasten the communication between Danaher and its suppliers. The introduction of bar codes and electronic scanners will do away with the old and cumbersome processes that were prone to grave errors and thus delays. This will also delegate the responsibility of verifying the order notifications to the suppliers. Thus the key staff will be left with ample time to concentrate on the supplier procurement goals. The application of the information systems has already reduced the non-productive time at Gurnee by 57 percent. This has also e nabled Danaher in sourcing smaller suppliers to take an advantage of better services at lower costs. However, the introduction of information systems makes it imperative for Danaher to effectively deal with the unprecedented challenges like technical glitches and employee resistance. Overall, the information systems are sure to help Danaher run leaner. Q2. Can Blockbuster stand up to Netfix Ans 2. When Blockbuster ventured into the video rental business in 1985, it primarily relied on its traditional mom-and-pop style stores that were simple enough to blend with the underdeveloped digital technology and humble consumer expectations of those days. The biggest blunder that Blockbuster made was to fail to keep a keen eye on the latest developments in the digital technology and information systems, despite having an obvious competitive advantage in the market, to the extent of being a virtual monopoly. With the advent of DVDs, the consumer were left with the option of buying their own movie DVDs at competitive prices without having any need to rent movies from any outside provider. In the meantime, Netfix, which happened to be a new player in the market took ample advantage of the recent developments in the digital technology and e-commerce and engineered its strategy accordingly. Thus Netfix succeeded in establishing a cost conscious virtual vending system, thereby relievi ng customers of the botheration of venturing out of their home s to seek entertainment. Obviously, Netfix enjoyed a booming growth and success. For Blockbuster, the onerous task of responding to the new competition was a complicated matter, in which it miserably failed. It failed to discern that Netfix's strategy was obviously being backed by astute e-commerce specialists, which was very streamlined and lean. In response, Blockbuster came out with its own internet

Masculine and Feminine Qualities in Each Individual Research Paper

Masculine and Feminine Qualities in Each Individual - Research Paper Example SpongeBob and Patrick found a clam, depicted as an infant, and nurtured it together. Well, it wouldn’t have created such an outrage except that SpongeBob acted as the doting, stay at home housewife while Patrick pretended to go to work to be the breadwinner for the family. The supposed couple quarrelled on their roles in rearing the baby with SpongeBob nagging away on the toll of doing every single household chore while Patrick asserts the workload he had to endure (â€Å"Rock-a-Bye Bivalve†). Needless to say, this episode enraged certain groups, especially religious ones, claiming that it promotes homosexuality and advocated for the boycott of the Nickelodeon staple. The show’s creator, Stephen Hillenburg, was quick to answer that SpongeBob is asexual. The show’s creator, Stephen Hillenburg, was quick to answer that SpongeBob is asexual (The Week Staff, para.2). What exactly that meant? It leaves much to the imagination, but, simply that he is neither mal e nor female. Hillenburg may as well just have found a way to get out of the mess but the androgynous quality of his characters resonates to reflect the blurring of the lines of gender identity. When you think about it, this cartoon is able to encompass a wide audience that does not limit according to sex. It is entertaining to both girls and boys where even the age brackets are often irrelevant. Strauss found that its viewing audience includes ages between 5-49 (qt. in Tarr and Brown 21). The main character, despite his name, is Bob, is a yellow sponge who has pretty straightforward goals in life.

Individual report 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual report 2 - Essay Example This site has vast information about the company. The challenges that were experienced in the process of collecting information about the company was separating relevant information from irrelevant information. This is mainly because of the amount of information which is accessible in this site. Because of the amount of information, I experienced challenges in time management. This is because I found myself taking most of the time looking at the amount of information instead of starting the project. In the future projects, I would improve on the time management issue by developing and following strictly a personal timetable. I would also try to read severally the requirements of the project in order to ease my ability locate key points for the project. Time management would also help save time that can be useful in case of any unexpected delays. The general information about the decision making process that mainly looked at the decision making process was retrieved from published books. Although the information on this section is straight forward from the published books, it was crucial to read a huge amount of information and write the section in my own opinion while avoiding using direct quotes (Lunenburg, 2010). This was crucial so as to relate the theoretical part of the paper and the topic being discussed. In future research that I will work on, I will gather all the information in time in order to have enough time to look at all the document. In normal cases, just like any other student, I assumed that there is plenty of time to complete the project. Even though there is enough amount of time provided by the lecturers, there is always the tendency of postponing the assignment until the last minute because of other engagements in the university. In order to make improvements, it is crucial to develop a personal time ta ble indicating the timeliness of

Human experience Essay Example for Free

Human experience Essay Star I thought it was a big coincidence that I ended up babysitting for a cancer patient with the same name as mine, Stephanie. Star, as she was fondly called, was a picture of hope when I first met her. I was a student then at a university near the hospital where she was confined. Her mom was a friend of my sister’s and one day, she took me with her to visit Star. That visit marked the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Every day I would visit her and she will be waiting by her window. I would bring her gifts, mostly toys and books I bought from a bookstore beside our school. We would often read the books together or play with her dad. One time, we also decorated her room with paper flowers and dolls. Star shared her dreams with me. She told me she wanted to become a doctor someday and help children like her. She wanted so much to get well that seeing her fighting for her life everyday sent tears to my eyes. But I never showed her my weakness for fear that that will bring her to her end. She taught me in her own little way to remain brave and hopeful despite the trials that come my way. It was in the afternoon of August 7, 2001 that she finally bid us goodbye. She knew it was her time to go back where she belonged, among the little angels of God where there is no pain, no tears, but only joy. That experience in my life made me wonder if God really exists and if He does, how come He didn’t answer my prayers. On the other hand, I knew that it was for the best. I myself didn’t want Star to suffer any longer. I realized God works in mysterious ways and we have to pass by many significant experiences to keep our faith and love for Him strong.

History of Abstract Art Movement

History of Abstract Art Movement In order to explore the best way to present abstraction in works, I will review almost a hundred year history and theories, which developed during those periods, then I will analyze the detail of a couple of abstract artists who have had significant influence on me. Through this review and analysis of abstract art, I believe I can find a factor for successful abstract art works, and a fundamental element on which abstract will be kept alive and achieve further development in the future. These fundamental elements and criteria of abstraction are also the issues I am trying to explore and present in my own works. I want to start with the definition of abstract art, Herbert Read gave the following definition in practice we call abstract all works of art which, though they may start from the artists awareness of an object in the external world, proceed to make a self-consistent and independent aesthetic unity in no sense relying on an objective equivalent (Read, 1936: 150). From the point of view of the definition above, abstract art first emerged between 1910 and 1920, evolving throughout the 20th, there is no particular moment when abstract art was born, and the form of the abstraction can be found in the earliest peoples with symbolic or present objective by signs in pottery, picture in textiles and rock, it is made of line and circle, It is showing the certain communication of abstract. The abstraction in aesthetic could also be traced back to Plato, who in his dialogue philebus said I do not mean by beauty of form such beauty as that of animals and pictures but understand me to mean straight lines and circles, and the plane or solid figures which are formed out of them by turning-lathes and rulers and measures of angles; for these I affirm to be not only relatively and absolutely beautiful.'(Jowett,1907: 191). However, the element of abstraction applied in painting was found in the painting Grainstack by Claude Monet, founder of French Impressionism. Between the mid-nineteenth century and early twentieth, France was the undoubted art centre of the west, French impressionism was the origin of initial abstraction, the subject became less important than before, As Paul Gauguin said, Do not paint too much after nature. Art is an abstraction; derive this abstraction from nature while dreaming before it, and think more of the creation which will result than nature.'(Gauguin,1888: 60). Vincent van Gogh was inspired about by abstraction from music, he regarded music as a self-contained language without reference. This point may help me understand the application of colour in painting, a more general development of abstract art, an art that should deal with colours as music does with sound. (Santayana, 1955: 47). Those practices by the impressionist artists had a comprehensive impact on 20th centur y art, which broke the rules of academic painting, and focused on visual effects instead of details, this led to the advent of abstraction in art. Impressionism was reinforced by symbolism and other art movements, and this developed abstraction. Maurice Denis, a French symbolism painter, he is also a writer he said in his proposal: Remember that a picture, before being a battle horse, a nude, an anecdote or whatnot, is essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order (Chipp,1968: 94).His theories have fundamental contribute to the cubism and fauvism. Those art movements also took the process of abstract art further. There are other new models among the other arts not just the form of art traditional painting and sculpture, which affect the development of abstraction in this period. I have mentioned music above, which was respected by visual artists and critics. Architecture can also be seen as a model of application and abstraction in Bauhaus. Poetry, in particular is worth mentioning in relation to abstraction, Arthur Rimbaud and Stà ©phane Mallarmà ©, the symbolist poets are well known for finding relationship between the linguistic sign, reality and coded meaning. Those two symbolism poets have common ground in abstraction with the pioneers of abstract art Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian who will be discussed later, all four poets and painters in respective art forms provoked awareness of the problematic nature of the relation between sign and object (Reynolds, 1995: 1) The pioneers of abstraction were Wasily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich and Piet Mondrian two Russians and a Dutchman. They relied less on the form of the uncertain, and more on universal values, based on philosophical or mystical doctrines. It is worth mentioning before talking about those pioneers that the German historian Wilhelm Worringers doctoral dissertation Abstraction and Empathy was published in 1907 by the publisher, Reinhard Piper. Abstraction and empathy were two opposing poles, this counter-pole to the need for empathy appears to us to be the urge to abstraction. My primary concern in this essay is to analyse this urge and to substantiate the importance it assumes within the evolution of art (Worringer, 1907:14) For Worringer, empathy relates to three-dimensional space while abstraction is a flat, crystalline. Empathy is individual; abstraction is collective. Where empathy is curves, abstraction is the direct and straight line. Such abstraction does not make use of any natural object as a model, and the geometric line is distinguished from the natural object precisely by the fact that it does not stand in any natural context. (Worringer, 1907:20). Additionally, empathy is like ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy, while abstraction is like ancient Egypt and medieval Europe. For Worringer, Greek temples are about empathy, and the pyramids are the sum of abstraction. Worringer was influential to abstract art because he thought abstract art is not secondary or lower than realist art, and worthy of respect. His theories lift up the application of abstraction in pre-war European art. Although the abstract art pioneer Kandinsky did not refer to Worringer in his books, he was familiar with Worringers work, and their books were published by the same editor, Reinhard Piper, because Kandinsky had a very strong personality, he did not owe anything to Worringer. From 1910 to 1914, Kandinsky broke through traditional art ever more than before both in practice and theory, he started art forms based on the nature; and then he transformed those to the completed abstract form. He was the first artist to publish theories about abstraction, in Concerning the Spiritual in art and for him, it seems, abstraction is synonymous with symbol. Kazimir Malevich is another pioneer Russian abstract artist, and he is also the founder of the Avant-garde Suprematist movement, which focused on fundamental geometric forms. In 1916, he supposed his art was pure and without any trace of the objects found in nature. Piet Mondrian had significant influence to the De Stijl art movement, and he seems to be different in development from Kandinsky and Malevich, not only in forms but also in style of composition. He had started to use the words abstract and abstraction since 1915. He wanted art to be a high reality which was beyond nature and would help viewers to reach the greatest understanding and knowledge. Nevertheless, Mondrian shared the same inspiration with other two pioneers Kandinsky and Malevich, and they all have their ideas in the teaching of Theosophy, which was founded by Madame Blavatsky in modern society in New York 1875. Theosophists insist that those activities such as the philosophy, science, arts, commerce, religion and philanthropy, make people much closer to the Absolute. Kandinsky and Mondrian intended to use the painting to help people to get a spiritual revival. They have other similar points as well, firstly, Kandinsky and Mondrian found a certain connection between painting and music, which is the nearest art form to abstraction; it can convert the emotion purely without any external references. Secondly, they all use colour as language, representing certain meanings, for instance Kandinsky defines red as blood, blue as heaven, Mondrian named red as outward, and blue as inward. Finally, they all wanted to utilize abstraction to achieve freedom of expression. After World War I, Constructivism was a major postwar abstract movement in Europe, which had utopian and political implications for abstraction, and new technology and new media also had an effected like as radio and cinema. As a result, a much wider range of public could be reached and affected by abstract art. There were three groups of constructivism in different countries, De Stijl in the Netherland, Bauhaus in Germany, and the Constructivists in Soviet Union respectively. De Stijl was a Dutch movement founded by Van Doesburg in 1917, and artists shared certain ideas about geometric abstraction. As Van Doesburg said: we speak of concrete and not abstract painting because nothing is more concrete, more real than a line , a colour, a surface (Balj, 1974: 181) They used pure abstraction to make the objective to basic pattern and colour; and simply visualised them to the vertical and horizontal directions, coclour h black and white were basically applied. De Stijl was of great importance in spreading abstraction throughout Europe during that period. Walter Gropius, A German architect set up the Bauhaus in 1919 in the city of Weimar. The teaching program was seen to unite all relevant arts, which are including architecture, painting, weaving and stained glass. Abstraction was clearly the language of all aspects of the Bauhaus. Kandinsky was one of the teachers, and during this period, he developed his theories in arts, he emphasized that the resounding triad: Romantic, Germanic, Slavic would be the basis for all future developments in abstraction.( Lindsay, 1982: 514). The most important influence on Bauhaus is modernism, which can be traced back to the later 19 century and early 20 century. Modernism are whose who think in different and board way compared to traditional way in many fields such as religious faith, literature, social organization, architecture, and daily life. Modernism has appeared in Germany before world war †¦Ã‚ ¡, though conservatism was still dominant. The design innovations commonly in Bauhaus is the mu ch more simplified patterns, functional architecture, and the idea about reconciliation of massive production. The Bauhaus style was one of the most significant trends in modern design and Modern architecture in the United Sates, Western Europe and Canada in decades. Constructivism in Soviet Union was fund in Russia from 1919 onward, the artists hoped that abstract art would became a function of a socially approved goal and was utilitarian. Vladimir Tatlin was the most important artist of Russia constructivism, he attempted to build The Monument for the Third International, which functioned symbolically as a sign of the new government, but was never built. During the 1920 and 1930, lots of artist refugees moved to Paris due to abstract art being banned in German and Russia by Hitler and Stalin. Paris became the center of abstract art, dedicated here by some abstract groups flourished, such as Cercle et Carrà © and Abstraction-Crà ©ation. Abstraction-Crà ©ation published its journal at this same time, and in the first of issueà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’Abstraction-Crà ©ation pointed out the meaning of the title; Abstraction represented the artists who arrived at the concept of non-figuration by the abstracted form of nature. Crà ©ation showed that artists came with a pure geometric order. Abstraction became an acceptable and even popular art choice in that period. However, there are also problem with abstraction in Paris, because Paris was part of too many difference abstract tendencies, there were certain disagreement between them. During the Second World War, many Europe abstract artists moved to the United States, the world centre of art shifted from Paris to New York. At the end of the Second World War, Picasso became the artistic hero of France, so abstract painters were ignored, such as Klee and Mondrian whose exhibitions were closed by authorities. Nevertheless, a range of abstractions flourished in Paris supported by a small group of critics and gallery owners. The major branch at that time was geometric art, shown by Tachisme which is often thought be similar movement as abstract expressionism. In Paris, the expressive tendencies were partly inspired by Roger Bissiere, as a teacher at the Academie Ransom during the 1930s. He encouraged so many younger artists such as Jean Le Moal, Maria Elena Vieira da Silva. The ideas were to create the abstract works which original from the expressive qualities of nature. During the 1930s and 1940s, abstract art was often attacked in the United States. Through the 1930s, abstract art was connected with Communism. Especially at this time, some artists thought that abstraction was suitable for decorative use, it did not meet the requirement of other art forms, the abstracts was thought to be too subjective. During this period, there were many Jewish à ©migrà © living in NY after Nazi occupation. Among them, Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg were in the leading position of critics in the new American painting; they were Jews, Marxists, anti-Stalinists. As Marxists, they looked forward to the revolution that would usher in socialism, as modernists, they supported the most advanced art in that period, There are connections between Marxism and Modernism, Marxism aim to make better life, Modernists strive to make things better in art. During the 1930s, the Communist party was dominated by leftist circles. Art was supported and promoted by Stalinists in America, dictated by Soviets who showed the art as ivory-tower escapism and tied to make the artist follow Social Realism styles. Greenberg and Rosenberg were in the opposition, they debated Social Realism as academic and banal. After that, Greenberg and Rosenberg lost the interest in Socialism and focused on Art-Modernism, abstract Expressionism was firstly used in Rosenbergs essay American Action Painters published in ART news of1952 December issue, Call this painting abstract or Expressionist or Abstract-Expressionist, what counts is its special motive for extinguishing the object, which is not the same as in other abstract or Expressionist phases of modern art.'(Rosenberg,1952:22). Greenberg also supported the abstract expressionist movement and was one of the first critics to appreciate Jackson Pollock art works. Greenberg compared abstract and representational art in his essay, he first pointed out that What counts first and last in art is quality; all other things are sec ondary. (Greenberg, 1961:133). He then said the image did not add value in the quality of art, recognizable image will add conceptual meaning to a picture, but the fusion of conceptual with aesthetic meaning does not affect quality. (Greenberg, 1961:132), and more and less in art do not depend on the intensity and depth of such significances, be they few or many , as are present. (Greenberg, 1961:132). So he claim the representational painting did no achieved major quality in recently , and abstract art was getting important, And if the abstract is indeed improve, such improvement has now become necessary to important art. (Greenberg, 1961:135). Abstraction was rescued by expressionism, with all of its visual and thematic diversity, would certainly remain one of the most widely discussed of any artistic movement in the United States. Simultaneously heralded and disputed both nationally and abroad, its deep radicality and reinvention of modernist forms would indelibly mark the history of post-World War à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¡art.'(Balken, 2005: 76) There were different European movements to influence the new generation of American abstract artists in 1940, Surrealism had the greatest impact. Arshile Gorky can be seen as the last of the great Surrealists and the first of the Abstract Expressionists. Abstract Expressionism can be divided into two branches in American, Gesture Painting represented by Jackson Pollock, De Kooning and colour-field painting and colour-field painting including Josef Albers, Barnett Newman. Jackson Pollock was described as breaking the ice' in terms of creating the new American painting, he showed the new art technique; drip paintings after 1947. And his large-scale paintings were to achieve a fuller, environmental impact. Unlike earlier abstract work, such painting had no geometric or grid construction (as in Cubism); no biomorphic references (as in Surrealism or Gorky); no premeditated form (Kandinsky); no illusion of spatial recession ( Matta) .(Moszynska,1990: 151) De Kooning was alone among the American abstract expressionists in his persistent confrontation with human figure, from images of men in the thirties and forties to women whose embrace unfurls into a cross in the sixties. Between the late 1950s and the early 1960s, De Kooning started a new phase, and he moved the focus from pure abstractions in landscape to the human figure. Both Pollock and De Kooning are not only for the abstraction, they did representational paintings as well, which was unlike the early abstract artists. De Kooning utilized figuration with his Woman series, and Pollock had the return of imagery in his late works such as Lavender Mist and Autumn Rhythm. Color was abandoned by some gesture painters such as De Kooning, contrasted to this, the colour-field painters focused on chromatic values and discovered the effects of colours as opposed to the expressive impact of line. Barnett Newman tried to seek an original model of abstract terms, reducing his compositional elements to a large field of uninflected colour with narrow vertical column. In his first works featuring zips, the color fields are not pure, but later the colours are pure and flat. By the 1960s, abstraction was moving away from the subjective and the expressive to a cooler sensibility. Most abstraction works were restricted to straight lines and minimum colour. In the mid-1960s and after, Minimalism are those who described movements in different forms in art and design, particularly visual art and music. Major artists are considered as the leader in this movement include Donald Judd, Agnes Martin; Robert Morris. Minimalist sculptures avoid the challenges about illusionism due to its inherent material literalism, which the abstract painter who attempted to show the spiritual or emotional possibilities had to confront. The Minimalists wanted their work to become a part of the environment, like every day work, and artists want the viewer to move the attention from the works themselves, and concentrate on the relationship between them and environment. Conceptual art was an extension of Minimalism, idea was fundamental point of the whole object, even an idea can be the work of art without an object, Sol Lewitt describes conceptual art as In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art. (Lewitt, 1967: 80). In that period, abstraction started to attract the attention of artists who wanted to explore the basic premises, including a pure form of world appearances, compositional unity and balance and freedom. The latter was attacked as an impossibility that no art can ever completely evade worldly references and no artist can remain free of the influence of their cultural environment. At the beginning of 1970s, lots of artists were affected by certain development links to structuralist philosophy, part of a trend now commonly referred to as Postmodernism. One of the most fascinating postmodern artists was Gerhard Richter, Richter made his paintings in a multistep process, and most of them begin with a photograph, and the art works present both natural but illusionistic space and the physical activity and material painting which are mutual interferences. For him, the most important features of abstraction were its deliberate lack of meaning, and subject is essential. Richer said that abstra ct art provides a better possibility of approaching what is non-visual and incomprehensible, because it portrays nothing directly visually, with all the means available to art.'(1991) Abstract art now seems to have entered into a new era -pluralism, and there is no certain representative style, made of diversity modes, digital art, pop art, op art and so on. The attitude of an anything and everything going on are popular, which means artist tried as possible much as art forms to present their work, but this lead to a nothing going on. Contemporary artists now no longer make a clear distinction between abstraction and figuration. In the works of Chris Ofilli for example he used decorative motifs and abstract patterns sometimes with a reference to OP art alongside grotesque figurative image. Peter Doig uses technique developed by colour-field painters such as flatness and large area of colours stained into the canvas to produce his landscape. In the following paragraph, I will analyze three abstractionist works and theories in detail, Wasily Kandinsky, Jackson Pollock and De Kooning respectively. Kandinsky Kandinsky can undoubtedly be described as the most significant founder of abstract art, he studied economics and law before becoming a painter in age of thirty. In the book On Spiritual in Art which I have mentioned in the history of abstract art, Kandinsky for the first time systematically expounded the theory of abstract painting. He explored the possibility of abstraction in another very important essay called On the Question of Form. (1912) Kandinsky set up art work which was made of an inner and outer form, outer form was less important in the art works, the content of the work was determined by the inner feeling of artist, soul (inner sound). Kandinsky may well have absorbed and concurred with the Theosophists belief in the mysticism of colour and form. Kandinsky believed that painting was like music, abstract painting is in the use of colour analogy music notes, in his view, and the colour also has the effect of sound and melody, and even has a symphony of shock strength. Using colour in arts seems to the music effects of shocks to soul, and directly reaches the depths of the spirit. Colour is a power which directly influences the soul. Colour is the Keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, and the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul (Kandinsky, 2004: 32) Kandinskys work can be divided into three period, his residence in Munich (1896-1921), at the Bauhaus (1922-1932) and in Paris (1933-1944). The styles of painting during those three periods are not same. The works in Munich were influenced by Symbolism and Fauvism. The Bauhaus work is more geometrical and paintings in Paris were much more organic and have a mark of return to the decorative detail of his early years. Jackson Pollock In 1936, Pollock inspired by David Alfaro Siqueiros, a Mexican muralist and started to use liquid paint at an experimental workshop. After this, he used the dripping painting technique which was one of his techniques; the represented works are Male and Female and Composition with Pouring I. At the late stage of his painting, Pollock removed the canvas from the frame and put it on the floor; he then dripped black and blue-white paint on the surface of canvas with a arcs controller. This drawing technique challenged the traditional drawing function. By 1950, this action of pouring and dripping became mature, as shown by Lavender Mist, the whole painting was operated on the floor and all surface covered by interlacing trails. This new technique of drawing was known as all-over painting, because his unique painting style, Jack the Dripper appear in Time magazine- Pollocks finest paintingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ reveal that his all-over line does not give rise to positive or negative areas: we are not made to feel that one part of the canvas demands to be read as figure, whether abstract or representational, against another part of the canvas read as ground. There is not inside or outside to Pollocks line or the space through which it movesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Pollock has managed to free line not only from its function of representing objects in the world, but also from its task of describing or bounding shapes or figures, whether abstract or representational, on the surface of the canvas.'(Karmel, 2002: 132) De Kooning In 1938, when he in his thirties, De Kooning focused on images of men, including Two Men Standing, Man, and Seated Figure (Classic Male), he often use his own image in the front of mirror, I took my trousers, my work clothes . I made a mixture out of glue and water, dipped the pants in and dried in front of the heater I made a little plaster head. I made drawings from it m and had it for years in my studio. (Kooning, D. 1976. ) In 1946, he turned his style to only black and white painting a series of large abstraction such like Light in August (c. 1946) and Black Friday (1948). These are essentially black with white elements and these abstracts of feature were by a forceful and energetic approach. The feature of de Koonings style focuses on complex figures with a background which overlaps other figures causing them to appear in the foreground, which in turn might be overlapped by dripping lines of paint. He considered painting an experience, expression, the process of the realization of freedom. In 1953, he gained attention from the public with his theme of woman, those works were representational paintings. So De Kooning kept to both abstraction and representational paintings through out his career. Between the late 1950s and the early 1960s, De Koonings works entered a new period, his style is back to the nearly pure abstractions, he made more landscapes than the human figure. These paintings showed brushstrokes and calligraphic tendencies, such as Bolton Landing (1957) and Door to the River (1960) I have been looking over the past hundred years about abstraction in art both historically and theoretically, and I also analyzed some abstractionists which have large influence to me, and so I come to a conclusion. When a abstract work is successful, the language of abstraction is achieved by form and content which is consistent or one, and the form can carry a specific meaning, From Kandinsky to Pollock, artists created their own style and through which they present their personal belief, abstract art has been around almost a hundred years, it still continues to produce a new form and style, and has a leading position in art. It also affected and developed in other areas such as science, and technology. It proves that abstract art can have a large capacity to absorb meanings, so it can be assumed that it will emerge in a new form in the future. Abstract art needs to have freedom from the outside material world, the abstraction is about mind and it is about spirit, I dont mean that the abstract artist should completely eliminate representational paintings, which early abstract artist such as Kandinsky and Mondrian did, but Pollock and De kooning did not, what I am try to say is that artists need to focus on heightening emotions, and freedom must be a primary element for abstraction. However, those freedoms seem to have conditions, it depends on whether the artists are popular, if the artists are not popular, they may not able to live in that situation. Abstract art can not be only sensuous without relevant meaning, if the abstract art just wants get the attention from the public; it will lose the audience who demand culture. Abstraction can not get an instinctive response like music from viewer, and it must set up a connection between the works and audience and have the ability to deal with a viewer who does not wish to make the effort. The new generation artists have to take risks to create a new style of abstraction, there is no kind of universal language of art which can be utilized for long. In this age , we are living in a varied society, and abstraction belongs to high level art, any high level art is easily to be overwhelmed by advanced and popular culture if it remains the same. Successful abstraction can be achieved by artists who confront and create their own time, and this will keep abstract art alive and continue going.

What Is The Human Capital Management Commerce Essay

What Is The Human Capital Management Commerce Essay The concept of human capital has nowadays emerged and its importance is increasing daily. As Chatzkel(2004) rightly stated ,it is effectively the human capital that is the differentiator and the actual basis for competitive advantage. Human Capital refers to the right combination of intelligence, skills and expertise owned by an organizations employees. Essentially, this encapsulates: Intellectual capital the knowledge individuals possess Social capital derived from both internal and external relationships between employees; and Organizational capital the knowledge stored in organizational manuals and databases. Employees own abilities, behaviours and talents and only they have the power to decide how and in what ways to apply them. This capital will only be made available for as long as the life and blood of our organization gain value in return for the investment. It is up to organizations and human resource executives to create the right mix of performance incentives to motivate and empower employees whilst building a constructive labour-management relationship. Collins and Porras (1994) proved that a strong and emerging company culture is significant for both survival and corporate organisational success. However, this is ineffective unless an alignment between people and company-value characteristics exists. The long term survival of the organization can only exist if there is the correct link between HR practices and the organizations strategic vision. This is what human capital management strives to achieve. Human capital management is in itself a journey; it tries to implement the purposeful measurement and use of metrics to establish the importance of each individual as a value-added intangible asset in the organisation. Organisations may start by collecting basic information regarding their employees such as employee turnover and absence, which is then analysed to draw up conclusions on trends. Decisions are then taken based upon this analysis. Methodologically collected and analyzed human capital data can effectively help managers in defining the factors direct impacting their subordinates. The 3 Stages of Development in People Management Through decades, theorists tried to find the best ways for people management. In Classic Personnel Management, the main focus was on how to manage, recruit and acquire people on the basis of job description, with an authoritarian and top-down approach. Employees were simply a cost to be minimized and training them was provided to suit organizational needs. The change to human resource management brought a paradigm shift in the organizations perception of its employees. Employees were now seen as resources to be expended in pursuit of organizational goals, whilst training was aimed at multi-availability. In human capital management, employees take a central role in corporate life. It is no longer a question of exploiting employees but rather investing in these intangible assets. As with any investment, the goal is to maximise value through talent management, retention and personal training and development plans. Human Capital Management introduces the strategic and people-centred approach, linking it with the organizations strategic vision for itself and for its people. It aims to determine the impact of the human factor on business performance and their effect upon shareholders value. It is not enough to have the right talent at the right time in an organisation. It is now vital to nurture employees by educating and enriching their jobs to contribute towards organisational needs. The biggest challenge organizations are now facing is choosing the best people who will drive up the organisations enterprise value and create sustained commercial advantage. Challenges in HCM The Need for Metrics Neil Roden, the Group Director of the Royal Bank of Scotland, rightly stated: Human capital is often represented as both an opportunity and a challenge. A challenge to identify relevant measures and meaningful information to be acted on, and an opportunity to both evaluate and maximise the value of people. Researchers have demonstrated that motivated human capital results in improved accounting profits; however, HR professional and line managers have sincere difficulty in translating this into practice. Trying to justify investments in people, in training and innovation, knowledge management and leadership development is difficult with the absence of proper metrics. The starting point in properly valuing human capital is to understand how to measure the contribution of human capital to organizational success. Human resource lacks the science and tools to describe and measure human capital and without measurement, organizations cannot manage human capital. The process of identifying suitable measures together with collecting and analysing related information will focus organizations attention on what needs to be done to use human capital to its maximum potential. Approaches to Human Capital Measurement The most popular approaches in measuring human capital are those developed by Mercer HR Consulting, the organizational performance model, and Andrew Mayo, the human capital monitor. The organizational performance model focuses upon key elements, explicitly: people and work processes; organizational management structures; decision making; reward strategies. Conversely, the human capital monitor portrays human asset worth as a product of employment cost and individual asset multiplier where the IAM is the weighted average of: Capabilities; employee growth potential; personal performance; alignment to organizational values. Rather than the actual measurement process, what is important is the result. This implies identifying whether human capital is sufficiently meeting our needs. Metrics chosen for human capital measurement rely upon the type of organisation and the business organisational goals and what actually drives these organizational goals. Human Capital Measures and their Uses Organisations may opt to use different data, categorized as: HCM Data Measures and Possible Uses Demographic data e.g. job category, sex, age Work Force Composition Analyze the extent of diversity and extent to which the organization relies on part-timers Absenteeism/Sickness rates- Recognize the need of a sound attendance management policy Average vacancies per % of total workforce- Identify probable shortfall problematic areas Total payroll costs Outcome of Equal Pay Review Human Development and Performance Data learning and development programmes, employee skills and qualifications Skills Analyses/Assessment:Match skills to job requirements and identify areas of shortfall Training Hours per Employee- gives an indication of the amount of training activity Perceptual data relating to attitudes and believes Cost Savingas a result of employee suggestion schemes highlights the value generated by employees Emerging Measurement Techniques of Human Capital An organizations employees are by far the best source of information about practices and management processes. New systems can easily be developed by applying the HR tool creatively designing an effective employee survey and applying the six sigma techniques to analyse and draw up conclusions. The six sigma technique is used to link variations from one end the quality of processes and practices used in managing employees to business outcomes across different units (sales productivity, profit margins,etc)The survey should be designed in a way so as to strike the right balance between employee commitment and satisfaction and organizational capabilities. Questions should be focused on identifying the extent to which best practices in managing human capital are effective within the organization. The six sigma-type analysis is a simple provider of a leadership assessment serving as a catalyst for improvement whilst providing significant input for an organizations balanced scorecards. The Balanced Scorecard has emerged as an important tool in identifying the missing link between human resource and enterprise. By using balanced score cards, Human Resource Professionals can define the impact of human capital on the organizational strategy. This specifies how Human Resource can be transformed from a sideline player to a business partner. As managing human capital by instinct is no longer effective, the faster an organization adapts to their methodologies and metrics, the more it gains significant competitive advantage. Human Capital Internal Reporting The analysis and reporting of human capital data to both top and line management leads to better decision making and to the taking of rapid actions. It allows a better ability to recognize problems in demonstrating the effectiveness of HR solutions and thus, supporting the business case for greater investment. Management report should be simple, credible and accurate and provide guidance as to what actions should be taken. Human Capital External Reporting External reporting should unveil the necessary information for understanding the development in the performance and position of the organization. Information should be narrative and quantitative as well as available and relevant. Human capital external reporting should offer information on possible barriers and be future-oriented to draw attention upon the contribution of human capital to the organizations future performance. Human Capital Management Techniques in Practice Human capital Management should have the optimization of the flow, deployment and development of human talent within an organization as one of its primary objectives. Future human capital needs should be projected to ensure a good balance of quality and skills, including an appropriate number of future employees and key competencies required for mission accomplishment. These human capital decisions allow managers to spot areas of particular attention before crisis develop. Talent Management and Employee Motivation In managing talents, organizations may choose either to align people with the roles they should fill in the organization or else retain people as the fixed element and adjusting their roles upon their character and personal skills. In choosing to align people with roles, organizations try to recruit good learners who will respond best to development opportunities and organizational succession development. Conversely, when roles are built around people customizing rewards and compensations according to the employees individual preferences and needs employees will feel more involved in the organization, hence maximising their job satisfaction and motivation. The use of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators can also help in retaining good quality staff and encouraging them to give their maximum potential while at work. Training, Development and Succession Planning Training and development of employees should be high up on the organizations agenda. This helps in meeting the changing needs of individuals and organizations. After training employees, an effective organization should try to build up an inventory including knowledge, skills and employees competencies and updating it according to changing needs and organizational training patterns. Organizations may choose from a wide variety of development techniques: courses, seminars, on-the-job-training and a diversity of training resources interactive, internet based etc. An even better approach to development would be the introduction of a mentor-apprentice relationship that can assist in meeting specific performance needs. In light of this, truly effective deployment transferring staff to different units to help them gain further knowledge and skills requires an extensive strategic process to ensuring this transfer is to the best benefit for both the organization and the individuals. Moreover, the policy of the enterprise should incorporate planning for the entire organization as well as career planning for individual employees. By developing a culture in which investment and learning is encouraged, organizations would indirectly be working towards reducing resignations and turnover. This minimizes hiring replacement costs and creates an internal brand facilitating the recruitment of new talents. Organizations can evaluate organizational culture in light of reasons given for employee departure by analyzing exit interview response. Leadership Organizations should cultivate a steadfast leadership team to steer the ship of the company and provide reasonable continuity through succession planning. HCM in this area encourages effective teamwork and ensuring continuity through executive succession and development planning. In todays labour market, it is essentially important to focus on developing excellent leadership skills, especially trust building. An effective strategic human management approach would not be possible without the sustained attention of a competent senior leadership team in valuing and investing in their employees. This leadership is crucial for an organization to overcome its resistance to change, organize the necessary resources and create an organization-wide commitment to improving business operations. Effective leaders have the authority to offer recruiting bonuses, retention allowances and skill-based pay in addition to investment in training and professional development. Performance Culture/Management and Reward Management Accountability and fairness at the workplace is essentially important in empowering and motivating employees through recruitment bonuses, retention allowances and improved working conditions. An organization needs to assess its workforces performance and incorporate strategies to reward professional and ethical behaviour, integrity and employees loyalty whilst promoting teamwork and customer focused-performance. Information Technology and the introduction of a Diversity Policy in favour of Inclusiveness makes the organization a better place to work for. Knowledge workers and the best talents in the industry rest within an organization for as long as it is capable of providing a challenging and stimulating environment; hence, organisations should strive to meet this objective. Industrial Relations Effective Industrial Relations also contributes effective capital management. An organization loaded with industrial conflicts gives an indication of an ineffective management style. Sound industrial relations schemes should be built upon tripartism: namely the participation of the government, employers and employees. Provision of Employees Services Organization should cater for their employees welfare in terms of their mental and physical well-being. The forms this welfare can take are many and can vary from financial needs such as loans to counselling in respect of personal employees problematic circumstances. Best Approach to Human Capital Management Human Capital Management will not reach its full potential unless all processes within the employee life cycle are fully integrated and automated. For example: the same job profile used by recruiters to aid them in hiring employees should be utilized to develop the performance of the individual. The first generation of HCM catered for business needs through the assimilation of recruitment, learning and succession planning. Organizations have realised that software such as Enterprise Resource Planning and Human Resource Information Systems are only part of the puzzle the remaining parts content and services will be the major focal points of the next generation of HCM solutions. The main components of a good human capital management solution include: Learning Management Systems courseware, testing instruments and evaluations; Applicant Tracking System interview guides, screening aids and job profiles; Performance Management System goal templates and mentor guides; Succession Planning proficiency profiles and career paths. Contents and services should no longer be a late addition clients and solution providers should collaborate to provide a fully fletched system to complete the necessary HCM functionalities. The Future of Human Capital Management The Future of Human Capital management is thought to revolve around: task-based automation for jobs which are repetitive in nature; Vendors should deliver solutions which allow the systematic measurement and improvement of employee performance in a variety of tasks; project based HCM for task which are dependent upon teamwork and individual creativity. This will allow organizations to spot potential flaws relating to incongruity or inconsistency beforehand. The use of online metrics for gaining continuous employee feedback Essentially, organizations should try and think ahead of the curve in the utilization of the latest technological developments to maximize their human intangible assets. In retrospect, human capital management requires a transformational manager to develop a group of employees with high capability and commitment. This approach can achieve returns-on-investments discernibly higher than other assets, enabling managers expectations to meet employees realities.

The Criminal Justice System Essay examples -- Restorative Justice, Me

The criminal justice system views any crime as a crime committed against the state and places much emphasis on retribution and paying back to the community, through time, fines or community work. Historically punishment has been a very public affair, which was once a key aspect of the punishment process, through the use of the stocks, dunking chair, pillory, and hangman’s noose, although in today’s society punishment has become a lot more private (Newburn, 2007). However it has been argued that although the debt against the state has been paid, the victim of the crime has been left with no legal input to seek adequate retribution from the offender, leaving the victim perhaps feeling unsatisfied with the criminal justice process. Furthermore can formal social control institutions such as the criminal justice system and the government provide the best aspect of producing conformity and law abiding behaviour? Hirschi’s (1969) social control theory is concerned with what effect formal institutions have on conformity in individuals and in particular, how law abiding behaviour is produced due to these institutions (Walklate, 2005). However Wilson (2007) argues that formal methods of social control such as the criminal justice system are merely there to control and segregate delinquents and offenders who have not had adequate socialisation, which is where social mores are learnt and when conformity is produced, and that an alternative form of social control such as restorative justice might produce more effective results. The concept of restorative justice was heavily shaped by the work of John Braithwaite (1989) who in turn was inspired by indigenous practices in New Zealand and Australia, whereby the significance of family value... ...apabilities to deal with this which is not the case so much nowadays as Tony Marshall (1999) argues. There are criticisms over procedures, loss of rights such as an independent and impartial forum as well as the principle of proportionality in sentencing. There is also an unrealistic expectation that restorative justice can produce major changes in deviant behaviour, as there is not enough evidence to support this claim (Cunneen, 2007). Levrant et al (1999) on the other hand suggests that restorative justice still remains unproven in its’ effectiveness to stop reoffending and argues that its appeal lies in its apparent morality and humanistic sentiments rather than its empirical effectiveness. He continues to argue that it allows people to feel better within themselves through having the moral high ground rather than focusing on providing justice to the offender.

Its Time to Lower the Drinking Age :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

In the United States, it is illegal to consume alcohol until the age of twenty-one. At the age of eighteen people are considered adults. â€Å"The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen-years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age (Amendment 26, Section 1 of the Constitution). At the age of eighteen, a person can get married, vote, drive, take out loans, pay taxes, buy tobacco, have sex, be tried as an adult, have children, use credit cards, buy real estate, act independently of parents and be in the armed forces and die for their country. If we look at Vietnam War, half of the soldiers that fought in that war were under the age of twenty-one, and a lot of them were 17 to 19 years old. Yet that person still can not drink alcohol. Also we can smoke when we are eighteen. Smoking kills just as many people if not more than drinking. Smoking causes cancer, and many more conditions compared to drinking that causes liver problems only after sever abuse of it. Smoking has many chemicals including carbon monoxide which is so poisonous that we have alarms in our house that detect it, but we can smoke and not drink. We can vote when we are eighteen. We vote for bills and bonds that change our lives. We can vote for the senators and the entire Congress that propose laws that govern our society. We vote for the President who is the commander of millions of troops whom he can send to their deaths in a minute’s warning. It is imperative that the drinking age be lowered to the age of eighteen. The drinking age must be lowered t o the age of eighteen because this age would be consistent with other responsibilities that the government ____ grants eighteen-year-olds. For instance, at the age of eighteen, a person is liable to be in the armed forces. If a person is being trusted to fight or even possibly die for their country, it seems a lot less crucial to trust them with an alcoholic beverage. To add to the fact of dying for their country, these people are being counted on to kill other humans. This seems unreasonable that a person is liable to take on an adult’s job, that involves the future of the country, and still be unable to enjoy an activity that other adults are allowed to participate in.

Analysis Of Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston English Literature Essay

All through literature and narratives, words and characters will ever stand for different significances and symbols. Readers will go on to venture deeper and deeper into the significances of the words a author puts on paper. The author of the narrative may non even have a deeper significance to the authorship but we as worlds have a demand to research. The short narrative known as â€Å" Sweat † by Zora Neale Hurston may besides be one of those types of narratives. The short English literature narrative â€Å" Sweat, † written by Zora Neale Hurston, shows Sykes as the hubby of the taking character Delia in the narrative. During the narrative it seems as though Sykes gets easy upset and angered at his married woman Delia.A A Sykes takes his defeat out on Delia all throughout the narrative by aching her physically, rip offing with another adult female, and badgering her with one of her biggest fears, which are snakes.A A Even though Sykes ‘ behaviour should non be a ccepted or followed, he perchance could demo marks of a mental job that is non to the full addressed or delve into during the narrative. Sykes may besides experience threatened because Delia is the exclusive supplier of the house. He wants to experience as if he still has the â€Å" adult male † power and control over the matrimony. More frequently than one time he tries to take Delia and do her feel lesser to him as he feels it should be. A During this clip many adult females may hold backed down after being yelled at or threatened by their hubbies but Delia did non back down nevertheless. She took a base against Sykes by stating to him, † Mah bath of lather is filled yo ‘ belly with vittles more than yo ‘ custodies is filled it.A A Mah perspiration is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin maintain on sweatin ‘ in it † ( Hurston 408 ) . In the narrative the reader can about state and experience that Sykes besides does non desire to be reminded that he was unsuccessful in doing a complete household or the fact that he has failed to take attention and supply for his household. Betty Nosam writes in the book, â€Å" Perspiration, Looking for a Man`s topographic point † , â€Å" In Sweat, the hubby named Sykes is often exposed to his allow down and failures to supply for his household, his married woman by her repeating negotiations of ‘her ‘ passenger car, pony, o ther physical points † ( Nosam 66 ) .A Hollering, shouting and shouting all seem to neglect, which will do Sykes experience the demand to fall back to other agencies of doing Delia listen, violence.A A All Through the narrative Sykes will be endangering Delia and informing her that he will hit her physically in one manner or another. Writer of the book, A organizing a Straight clout with a curving fist, Loren Bruckheimer, will explicate how, â€Å" Zora Neale Hurston uses descriptions of the whip to suggest a people of manfulness expressed in an over powering nature and deeply seeded in cultural dictatorship † ( Bruckheimer 44 ) .A A This would connote that Sykes hits Delia merely because the lone manner of manfulness that he has known is the sort that the white townsmen seem to portray.A A During the times when white males beat African Americans, the white males would hold complete control and would look better. This in return would do the black work forces want the exact same feeling of power and entire control, so they demanded regard, power and authorization within their ain houses.A A In society the black work forces would be rejected regard which in return would do them demand it more and more in their places to reassure themselves of their control, domination, power and most of all manhood.A A A A A A A A A A A A A Over clip though, like anything that sub comes to suppression over a period, the adult females and married womans would get down to allow their voices be heard back to their hubbies, like Delia started making to her hubby Sykes, which would take to enormously surprised ideas and inquiries by their hubbies. The work forces at first would believe that because that because they were aching and conveying force toward their adult females or married womans, the adult females should conceal, cower and be wholly loyal to them at all times.A A Debbie C. Hallace goes on to state in her bookA Forming our ain Thoughts, â€Å" It shall be that motion of verbal communicating that ‘talking back, ‘ will be no mere signal of hollow letters and characters that is the visual aspect of our association from thing to publish † ( Hallace 11 ) . Delia cognizing her importance and existent power in the relationship needed to allow Sykes understand how much in world he truly needed and survived on her. So in return she took a base and allow her sentiments fly in response to the menaces and response`s Sykes let out. A A A A A A A A A A A A Later on in the narrative Sykes will develop a relationship or better yet a kept woman who is called Bertha who he will lavish with gifts and nowadayss alternatively of his ain married woman. One would believe that by holding another relationship it would do him experience manlier because he sees himself as more desirable and wanted if he has two adult females around him. Sykes will get down to take Bertha out on the town and lavish her with everything she asks. Sykes will state her, â€Å" Everything b'longs tuh me an ‘ you sho families have it.A A You kin git anything you wants.A A Dis is mah town an ‘ you sho ‘ families have it † ( Hurston 411 ) . By supplying for Bertha and giving her every privation and desire that she requires, it will in return make Sykes feel like a adult male and in control once more. A A A A A A A A A A A A Sykes will experience like he has gained most of his power back when he does something unexpected to Delia. He will travel approximately by utilizing her biggest concern and fright against her, inside their ain house. As we are told earlier in the narrative, Delia is a really strong adult female but like most anyone, has a fright of something and that fright is of serpents. Sykes will utilize that fright against his ain married woman in full caput on force. He will continue to convey a serpent into their place inside of coop to utilize against Delia to presumptively set her dorsum in line as a house married woman. Moments after Delia has seen the serpent a fire that has been easy firing within her will turn a small more and Delia will state to Sykes, â€Å" Sykes, Ah wants you tuh take digital audiotapes snake ‘way fum heah.A A Ah put up widcher, you done crush me an Ah took digital audiotape, but you done kilt all mah interiors bringin ‘ dat verm in heah † ( Hurston 413 ) .A A By conveying this serpent into the house Delia has felt the ultimate treachery and hatred that Sykes must hold for her. Delia feels that Sykes has now sunk to low and will get down to alter indoors, non merely her feelings about Sykes but her feelings as woman.A A Sykes being the manner he is has a casual attitude and will state Delia, â€Å" A whole batch Ad keer 'bout how you feels indoors uh out. Dat snake aint goin no darn wheah boulder clay Ah gits ready fuh ‘im tuh go.A A So fur as beatin ‘ is concerned, yuh aint took near all digital audiotape you gointer take ef yuh stay ‘roun me † ( 413 ) .A A This will about immediately allow the reader know that Sykes will travel to any lengths or steps to acquire Delia out of the house. This will do the reader admiration if Sykes has realized he will no longer hold the domination or control he one time had over Delia and has wholly lost his power as a adult male over her. In Return, one would presume that his kept woman Bertha would continue to travel into the place with Sykes so he may one time once more relive and recover his sense of manfulness.A A A A A A A A A A A AIn the terminal Sykes will carry through his mission of frightening Delia to the nucleus when she is making her wash merely to vilify that the serpent is in the basket with the wash. Bruckheimer explains in her Hagiographas that, â€Å" The hubby Sykes fruitfully frightens Delia, aˆÂ ¦his beginning of manfulness is finally negative and lifelessly for him † ( 102 ) . Sykes will finally happen that he has gotten the upper manus and it is merely a affair of clip before he can get down over with Bertha and recover his lost control over a family. In the terminal of class, his program will return to stalk him and blowback. Sykes will return to his place one eventide without any marks of Delia and finally be bitten by the serpent and Sykes will decease. Readers will about immediately feel that Sykes got what he deserved after this event and they have good ground for this. Sykes treated Delia incorrect for many old ages and she put up his mistreatment and maltreatment, even though after he does she does experience a sense of commiseration for him. Believing Sykes got what he deserved makes the reader think that his decease was the moral of the narrative but, Betty Nosam says â€Å" a individual ought to incorporate sympathy after a male, whose whole life signifier is formed by the way in which he is meant to provide for a household, is non capable to d raw together the demands of their household, the general populace, and most significantly what he wants out of himself † ( 56 ) .A A A A A A A A A A A A A † Perspiration † showed that it was non merely a narrative about a individual harming his married woman to derive power and normal stableness in his place, but a relation of a battle about a individual, a adult male, to hold his ain rightful topographic point in an mean, normal society at the clip. In a unfavorable judgment article written by Stephanie Calcker, â€Å" Zora Neale Hurston had the belief that the resist with racial favoritism is sufficient for inkinesss powers to the idea that the concluding and last object wanted by black work forces at that clip was to set below and deeper down by the black adult females † ( Calcker 201 ) .A So in decision one can see that Hurston non merely wanted us to see battles in African American adult females ‘s lives but besides in work forces ‘s by demoing us that society as ever has outlooks. Sykes was turned by the society of his clip so he felt unacceptable and non in his right mentality or proper topographic point during that clip. So it is safe to presume that Sykes along with many other African American work forces were trapped by the societal outlooks of what they should be in that clip period and had to come to their ain realisation of it.A

Legal, Social and Cultural Environment of Ecuador Essay

The Republic of Ecuador is a country in South America, which is known worldwide for its bananas and cocoa. It has a unique ancient history, beautiful mountainous landscapes and amazing nature, as well as all necessary modern facilities for active rest, sports and recreation. Despite long periods of political instability, Ecuador remains the only country in the continent which has never had a serious domestic military conflict. Finally, Ecuador, with its qualified workforce, developed infrastructure and promising industrial outlooks, is a country of great opportunities for modern businessmen and investors. The population of Ecuador is expected to exceed 14 million people in summer 2008 (CIA, 2008). Modern social and cultural environment of Ecuador has a great deal of ethnic, social and regional distinctive features. Ethnic composition of the country’s population is the following: 65% are mixed people of Spanish origin (mestizo), 25% are Amerindian indigenous population, 3% are black African American population and 7% are people belonging to other ethnic groups (mainly of European origin) (CIA, 2008). Also, active migration is a factor which impacts social development of Ecuador to a great extent. The Northern coastal regions of the country are called â€Å"black provinces of Ecuador†, which are inhabited by the population of African-American origin (the descendants of African slaves) and considered to be among of the most crowded African cultural settings in South America. People living in these regions of Ecuador are mainly occupied in agriculture, farming, trade and commerce, and the higher social classes of these regions consist of rich immigrants and plantation owners. The Northern Sierra is dominated by mestizos and cholos, mixed groups of Spanish and local origin. For long period of time Sierra was controlled by white Hispanic elite and, due to enormous discrimination against indigenous population, aborigines had very limited opportunities for developing own social traditions and cultures. Now, Sierra is a famous tourist destination, where local population is employed in services or trade and is well-adopted for international cultural patterns. The Southern Sierra is a mixture of rural and urban cultures, which is an artistic center of the nation. Finally, the eastern Amazonian regions, known also as El Oriento, are inhabited by unassimilated ethnic groups of indigenous Amerindian population, including Cayapas, Colorados and other cultures. Also, several local tribes with primitive social culture, (including Aucas, Cofanes, the Jivaros, Secoyas and others) occupy the lowlands of the Amazon Basin (Herrera, 2002). This region was traditionally isolated from economic and cultural European influence and massive exploration of some distant areas of the Amazon Basin stared only in the late 1960s. The country’s cultural traditions and heritage are very rich. Numerous archaeological evidences prove that the representatives of early human settlements, such as Valdivian or the Vega cultures, had some sophisticated aesthetic taste, as well as created various advanced technologies of pottery, ceramic and textile works. The traces of social traditions and customs of early pre-Hispanic cultures can be found in modern lifestyle, ceremonies, handcrafts or other cultural components of Ecuadorian social life. A great contribution in cultural and social development of modern Ecuador was made by famous Inca culture, which was developing in the thirteenth-fifteenth centuries. The Inca Empire was one of the most advanced world’s civilizations, population of which could achieve high level of social welfare and organization, technological and scientific advancement, industrial and cultural development, etc. Therefore, a number of modern forms of arts, architectural ideas and technological innovations (for example, mummification and others) were borrowed from this early culture. The period of Spanish occupation of South America had quite controversial impact on cultural development of the nation, because some historians consider this period of time to be dominated by oppression and tyranny, but other specialists point on cultural progress and integration of local cultures into global society (Herreira, 2002, 22). Nevertheless, Spanish colonizers influenced social, economic and cultural development of the country to a great extent. They established urban culture, opened a number of silver and gold mines, started exporting various industrial products overseas, and so on. Family is one of the most important social values of Ecuadorians. Traditionally, men are the heads of the family and important role models for their sons, but women run the household and play major role in the process of upbringing and educating the children. Family ties in local societies are traditionally very strong; nevertheless, every member of the family tends to have some personal independence. For example, it is quite common for husband and wife to spend leisure time separately. In addition, such institution as compadrazgo (having or becoming godparents) is very important in social order of the nation. Urban population of modern Ecuador is mostly represented by middle-class and working elites: businessmen, officers, teachers, managers, etc. Overwhelming majority of middle and upper social classes are white people, who demonstrate a certain level of social discrimination against other ethnic groups, especially indigenous societies. Ecuadorian elites can enjoy numerous social benefits and high living standards. Lower middle social classes are ethnically more diverse at the expense of immigrants. Modern life of rural people is quite difficult. Amerindians live in small cabins with small windows or without any windows. Women cook in special separated places outside of their houses, and the food is prepared mostly from plants and fruit. Many families can not afford eating meat every day. Usual dress-code of male Amerindians includes short trousers and poncho, and women wear white long shirts and long skirts. Both men and women like wearing hats of different styles. Women frequently wear strings of beads, necklaces, bracelets or earrings, made of different inexpensive metals. Prevailing religion in Ecuador is Roman Catholicism and more than 90% of population is adherents of this branch of Christianity, which is traditional for Spanish culture. Over 2% of population is Baptists and Protestants, around 5% are the followers of local beliefs (including Inti and others). There are also people who combine several religious traditions and ideologies. It is estimated that there are more than 1,300 various religious societies and groups exist in Ecuador (Nations Encyclopedia). Catholicism and Catholic religious practices are less popular in the countryside, that is why different missionary activities are important part of social life of local population. The Gospel Missionary Union is an organization which promotes the ideas of Christianity and there are societies promoting Evangelism and Protestant ideology. In the end of the twentieth century, a great deal of indigenous people became Christians, and this conversion seriously impacted their social life, helping to establish closer relationships with other ethnic groups and especially with the groups of immigrants. The efforts of the members of local societies are directed on preserving their cultural traditions, including their languages. Traditional Spanish is widely spoken in Ecuador, but a great number of people speak Amerindian languages, including Awa, Quechua, Shuar, Chapalachi, Paicoca or Tsafki dialects. These dialects are very similar in their linguistic structure because they all originate from the speeches of ancient Incan groups. However, each dialect has different accent, specific terms and idiomatic expressions. Visual arts are very important elements of modern culture of Ecuador, because art helps to achieve harmony of social urban life with environmental or spiritual needs. Painting, sculpture, literature, theater and music are in great demand not only among the country’s intellectual elite, but also among the less advanced population. There are a lot of museums and galleries throughout the country, where a variety of artworks is exhibited. Photography and filmography are new modern trends in national art. Education plays an important role in national culture, as well. Ecuador has very high literacy rate, which exceeds 85% and is one of the highest in South America. Recently, several important reformations were made in educational sector, including, in particular, launching of bilingual education (Spanish and English) starting from secondary academic level. There are more than 50 universities in the country, which are provided with up-to-date learning facilities and offer a lot of academic programs on such popular fields as business administration, management, finance, economics, tourism, ecology, and so on. Besides, national cuisine is an important element of Ecuadorian culture. It varies from one region to another, but generally can be characterized by spicy meals and a great deal of agricultural products used for cooking. Typical dishes include a special potato soup Locro, special meals made of meat called Cuy, Mammey and Seco de Chivo, a sort of pancakes filled with potato Llapingachos, banana desert Chifles, as well as an assortment of drinks (Chicha, Naranjila, Canelazo, and many others). Finally, like all the nations of South America, Ecuadorians are found of sports and leading active and healthy life-style. Soccer attracts huge public attention and Ecuador National Soccer team has several achievements on the world’s stage. Other popular sports are tennis, boxing, shooting and swimming. Such activities as rafting and beach-volley are extremely popular among the tourists and local youth. In addition, Ecuadorians enjoy an old Spanish traditional entertainment called bullfight and the world’s most known toreadors regularly participate in annual bullfighting festivals in Quito and other cities. Ecuador is a Unitarian state and its higher legislative branch is unicameral Parliament (Congresso National). The members of the Parliament are elected by direct public vote for a 4-year term. Usual laws can be adopted by simple majority of the present members of the Parliament; organic (constitutional) laws can be adopted only by the majority of total number of the Parliamentarians. The President of the country has the right to veto the laws adopted by the Parliament, which can be overruled by 67% of the Parliament members. Legal environment of the country can be characterized by a great deal of imperfections and conflicting regulations. Current legal structure of Ecuador is shaped by more than 50,000 various decrees and laws, which frequently contradict each other or can not serve effectively for protection of civil and other rights of the population. Judicial system is currently under the influence of serious corruption and such factors as outside pressure on judges, bribing, unavailability of the courts or delays in processing, are very common practices in Ecuador (BDO International, 2002). Generally, the legal system of Ecuador belongs to American group of Latin traditional system of laws. It is based on the principles of civil culture of former dominating nation – Spain. Constitutional law is similar to the one of the U. S. and civil and criminal laws were influenced by French analogs of the codes. Since the times when the country gained its independence, legal development of Ecuador has been typical for this region. In 1860 a copy of Chile Civil law was adopted, and in 1957 current Code of Commerce was adopted. Current Constitution of Ecuador came into effect in June, 1998. According to Article 272 of the Constitution, it has the highest juridical power and dominates any other legal norm. All the laws, decrees, regulations, statutes, resolutions, orders, declarations and other legislative acts have to be correspondent to the effective constitutional norms. However, constitutional law in Ecuador, as well as the ones in the majority of the countries in this region, can be characterized by serious lack of stability. It is also important that the latest Constitution granted special rights to indigenous Amerindian ethnic groups. Labor code of the country was greatly reformed in 1991 in order to make it â€Å"more flexible† in regulating labor relations. A series of innovations, unfortunately, limited the rights of the employees of small enterprises to join unions, because minimal number of founders of such unions was increased from 15 to 30. However, a new labor code granted them the rights for collective negotiations or for strike. In 1964 the first law of agrarian reform was adopted, which limited latifundist property and granted the right for private property to peasants. In 1977 a decree stimulating exploration of the lands in the Amazon Basin (â€Å"colonization†) was adopted as an alternative one for land redistribution law. Other agrarian laws limit the prices for renting the lands for share cropping, stipulate minimal wages for seasonal agricultural laborers, etc. Criminal Code of 1938 is the main set of criminal laws. It is based on â€Å"neoclassic† Belgian and French codes. Crimes and penalties are differentiated depending on the type of punishment envisaged in the Code. The capital punishment was abolished in Ecuador in 1906 and this is stated in Article 1 Clause 23 of the Constitution. According to the constitution, every citizen of Ecuador must be provided with typical democratic guarantees of criminal justice, including judicial review of lawfulness of the detainment, etc. However, not all the guarantees and regulations are strictly observed. Finally, in terms of modern tendency to globalization, the majority of legal aspects of international activities, such as export-import relations, barriers for foreign trade, establishing international enterprises, as well as all the issues connected with standardization, certification, labeling, etc. are regulated by the norms of laws and national standards. Special laws also regulate property relationships, including the issues of copyrights, patents, trademarks and know-how (Trade Representative Office, 2005). Works Cited: â€Å"Doing Business in Ecuador. † BDO International. Brussels, Belgium: Romero Arteta Ponce, 2002. â€Å"Ecuador. † Country Studies. The Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. 18 Apr. 2008 . â€Å"Ecuador. † Office of United States Trade Representative. Washington, U. S. , 2005. Herreira, Pedro Saad. â€Å"Ecuador: Un Pais en Imagenes, a Country in Images. † Quito, Ecuador: El Conejo Editorial, 2002. â€Å"Republic of Ecuador. † Nations Encyclopedia. Advameg Inc. 18 Apr. 2008 .