Hewlett Packard Essay Example for Free

Hewlett Packard Essay HP Introduction Hewlett-Packard Company officially called HP is an American multinational company initially created for electronic and instrumentation which has evolved towards computer software and multimedia. It is one of the 40 biggest companies of the world. Its main products are printers and peripheral devices, computers of any sizes (pocket computers, laptops, home computers as well as servers and services to other companies. The company has its headquarter at Palo Alto in the Silicon Valley in California. In 2008, the annual turnover was about 118 billion dollars and HP was the first computer maker of the world, before IBM and Dell. HP produces approximately half of the printers in the world, which represents a quarter of its turnover. Creation January the first of 1939, the company Hewlett-Packard was founded in Palo Alto by two friends, engineers in electronics from Stanford University, William Hewlett and David Packard. The company was created in a garage, a few kilometers from San Francisco, in California. They first began with 585 dollars. For the story, the two entrepreneurs flipped a coin to choose if the company will be named Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett, Bill wan. The beginning At first, Hewlett-Packard devised, make and commercialize trial and measure instruments with their new product which is an audio precision oscillator with prices lower than the concurrence. Their first client was Walt Disney Pictures which served to synchronize the sound effects in the film Fantasia. 1940 to 1970: from instrumentation to computer devices Little by little HP finds out that the acquisition of data is essential when we possess numerous machines of measurement. From that point, HP develops its first microcomputers and home computers dedicated to data treatment. This will be done in two parts: In 1966 HP produces its first microcomputer. In 1968, HP produces programmable calculators. Informatique, pà ©riphà ©riques et services des annà ©es 1970 In the 1970’s, HP develops different ranges of computers, technical just as well as management and personal. Computers Since 1972, HP develops a range of  « micro-computers  » dedicated to management in  « real time  »,  « multi task  »,  « multi-user  » whereas most of the other constructors where doing information technology in â€Å"differed time†. The company will also commercialize graph plotter (ancestor of the printer). HP will continue to increase its competitiveness with innovation concerning calculators, micro-computers, mini-computers, printers etc. Micro-computing and peripheries from 1980 to 2000. To complete the range, HP expanded the range of peripheries, micro-computing, and workstation. In 1984, Hewlett-Packard commercializes: Its first personal computer Its first ink printer (Thinkjet) Its first laser printer (LaserJet) In March 1986, Hewlett-Packard recorded the domain  « hp.com  »; at that time it is the ninth company in the world to own internet domain. In 1989, HP buys the company Apollo. In 1993, HP threw itself into general public of PC. In 1994, it is the launch of printers Officejet, personal printer-fax-photocopier. Acquisition and restructuration in 2000’s 1999 – 2005 From 1999 to 2005, CEO Carly Fiorina buy and merge with Compaq Hewlett-Packard and reorganize the company reducing the number of 15,000 employees. 2005-2010 In May 2008, HP bought EDS which is the largest buyout of a services company in computer engineering ever made so far with a total of $ 13.9 billion. November 11, 2009, Hewlett-Packard announced the acquisition of 3Com for $  2.7 billion U.S. dollars, operation materialized 12 April 2010. June 1, 2010, HP announced a dismissal will take place over several years to lead to the elimination of 9,000 employees. On 6 August 2010, Mark Hurd was forced to resign. Cathie Lesjak, the chief financial officer, has been acting as CEO. 2010-2011 On 2 September 2010, HP announced the acquisition of U.S. manufacturer 3PAR after a battle with Dell for $ 2.4 billion. The new CEO, Leo Apotheker, took office on 30 September 2010. Since 2011 September 22, 2011, HP announced the replacement of Leo Apotheker with Meg Whitman, former eBay boss. May 23, 2012, HP announced a social affecting 27,000 employees. September 27, 2012, this social plan is reviewed on the rise and affects 29,000 people. November 20, 2012, HP announced a loss of $ 12.6 billion for the year 2012 including $ 8.8 billion related to the acquisition of Autonomy Corporation in 2011 In August 2011, HP announced the end of production for the PC end of the year, after the failure of its tablet but October 28, 2011, HP announced that it keeps its PC division because of the value it represents. In the third quarter of 2012, HP has lost its position as the worlds number one PC for the benefit of Lenovo, HP, however, disputes this Research and development, manufacture and distribution Computer server Networks, storage solutions, electronic document management Professional microcomputers and large public Scanners and digital cameras and printers Printing CD and DVD recorders, DVD TFT LCD, video projectors HP Calculators. Digital music player

A history of social policy changes

A history of social policy changes With reference to changes in government policy and ideologies of welfare, debate the significance of the shift from Victorian Pauper to 21st century service user and its impact on social work practice and values. This assignment has used a timeline of government changes and policies as a background to debate the shift from Victorian pauper to the 21st century service user. The divide between poor and rich has always been an issue that all governments have tried to diminish using different policies and laws. However there is still that divide that seems to be increasing. Has much changed since the Poor Law was implemented? Are individuals given more choice and rights now? Will there always be stigma attached and social exclusion that comes from using these words, do they still have the same meaning? This assignment will attempt to answer these questions using references to policy and ideologies of welfare. The definition of a Pauper according to the Collins dictionary is someone who is extremely poor or historically eligible for public charity. The definition of a service user is someone who uses or receives health or social care services. (General social care council) According to Sen, 1999 the term service user was introduced because of gained strength of powerless people during the 1980s. This term indicates an acknowledgement of the government and public, understanding that service users have a positive role. They still have capabilities and can realise their potential, they are not just individuals who are entitled to help via the services we offer. Although this term was produced by the individuals who use the services it still highlights that they work with professionals and that the power still resides with them. (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 2009) The National network of service users: Shaping our lives believe that the term service user is positive, its an individual who uses the services, they confer power creating a stronger voice and having a greater ability to shape services. (Levin 2004) The changes in policy from Pauper to service user have been vast. British social policys foundation is from the Poor Laws, the first one passed in 1598 the last 1948. The Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 provided a compulsory poor rate and helped set the poor onto work. However as the Parish was the basic area of administration laws were enforced differently in that area, meaning the operation of the Poor Law was inconsistent between areas, the beginning of the postcode lottery. The Poor Law amendment act of 1834 modified the existing system that was in place, it was implemented at a higher stage not just at Parish level ,Poor Law unions were introduced the development of the workhouses was encouraged, one workhouse in each union to give poor relief. This act stated that no able bodied person was to receive any other help other than in the workhouse. This laws primary problem was to make life inside as bad as outside of the workhouse, this was difficult as some would have had to be starved to meet what they met outside. There was a stigma attached though and it was that reputation that stopped everyone from using a workhouse, they produced jail style segregation men and women and even families had to be separated. As the government thought this was the best way to help the neediest families they saw no problems with this Act. In fact the neediest families still werent using the help and going into a workhouse because they didnt want to be separated. Not unlike families today that still dont ask for help because of the stigma or because they dont know or understand the system implemented to help them as much as possible. It was in 1869 that The Charitable Organisation Society was formed to make charities more effective, they understood that charitable assistance was needed but believed that their aim was to reach all families, they were also unsure of how the money from charities had previously been spent. They set out financial help introducing local committees, these then raised funds and distributed to families in need. Also very similar to many charities today, there are still many families who dont ask for help because of religion, language, pride or just werent told. (Family action) COS found that it wasnt just financial help that people needed, so they started to offer emotional and practical help too. When they had many families needing help they knew there volunteers would need training, this became the pioneer in the profession of social work, something that our foundations are based on today. The main foundation of COS was to change policy to help the people suffering the effects of poverty, something that social workers do now, the general council of social workers are still working to help those suffering the most and work towards giving help to those who have unable to find help elsewhere and give social work support as well as signpost to other services that may help them further. From this time more acts were introduced including the Public health act of 1872. During this time poverty was never really defined they understood what brought it about like unemployment or illness, if they had defined poverty it may have helped introduced different acts to prevent it. In the 1900s poverty was ever increasing, the settlement movement started its idea was to establish settlement houses in poor areas with the idea that the middle class would volunteer to live with them, sharing their knowledge and help alleviate the poverty of their poor neighbours. From this movement many initiatives emerged and helped to improve conditions of all poor areas of society and help all individuals. This movement focused on the causes of poverty providing a number of services including education and health services. This settlement movement is another foundation of social work practice today, no we dont live with the individuals in need, but the whole reason of social work is to use our education and knowledge to alleviate the problems they have and help them emotionally, practically and financially, which is just what these volunteers did. Although some argued that this was normative because some wanted the divide between the poor and higher classes. (Laybourn, 1995) Al though this movement was important the more powerful COS submerged as the controversial nature of social work, there was individuals that were not eligible for help these were still at the workhouse, and most of these individuals were women who bore children out of wedlock. Although the settlement movement was also necessary in society in focusing on poverty, it focused on a more structured analyses of poverty and its impact on human behaviour by practising interventions at a community level, which is needed now to help small communities help each other as well as individually. The nature of social work practice then focused on individuals and a significant element of this time is the elimination of hearing clients voices and the incomparable knowledge of the professionals working with them. Only now is the service users voice being recognised again. (Adams et al, 2009) The Poor Law was the basis of the development of services for the 20th century, including the national insurance act, these new services were introduced to avoid having to rely on the Poor Laws. (Alcock, 2003) The government laid the basis of the future social services, the major concern was that all areas should be given the same services, these new services were provided away from The Poor Law to evade the association. Even though these new ideologies were introduced to provide services to all individuals there was still a stigma attached, even now there is still a stigma attached to the term service user, although governments have changed their policies to use different terms some still have the same meaning. A major report produced regarding the welfare of individuals was the Beveridge report. This report focused on how Britain could be rebuilt after the war. In 1945 labour was elected and promised to introduce a welfare state. The welfare state involved introducing new services these included family allowances, the national health services and housing acts to name a few. The welfare state was produced to encourage the provision of services for the public not as a response to poverty. (Laybourn, 1995) this is where a major criticism lies within debates regarding the welfare state within current governments. In the 1950s the provision of welfare state services became problematic, government interventions at the time didnt help and caused further problems so the Conservative government took over and cut the help given to the poor and sick. This then made the distribution of income more imbalanced and although attempted to make the poor more hardworking and self sufficient it didnt work. One report that impacted policy and practice during the 1960s was the Seabohm report 1968, this report re-introduced poverty. This paper was tasked to review the organisation and responsibilities of the local authority personal social services in England and to consider what changes are desirable to secure an effective family service. (Seebohm, 1968, pg11.) Prior to this report social work was spread across various local authorities and different government sections, because of this the report found that there was inadequacies in the quality of provision and access was very difficult. The report recommended a new local authority department providing a community based and family orientated service, which will be available for all When this recommendation was brought into action new social services department were formed. Seebohm did foresee problems which were highlighted in the report, it stated that having separate departments for children and adults would make it difficult to treat the familys needs as a whole. Another important Report was the Barclay Report, 1982 that looked into the role of a social worker, in its opening line it states that too much is expected of social workers. It found that it was a profession that was confused about its role and because of intense media scrutiny was struggling with its work load. It found that there was an ongoing need for social workers to fulfil many functions including promoting community networks, working with other services and acting on clients behalf and to act as resources for all individual who need help. The report did criticise social work departments for taking a reactive stance towards social problems, dealing with those needs which are forced upon their attention but failing to develop overall plans which link the voluntary, volunteer, statutory and private services in an area into a coherent plan (p.38) which is still a problem today. Although these reports have all highlighted how good social work is and how much its needed there are so many problems involved in the profession. Firstly because every government have changed the way the work as soon as they get used to it, it changes again, yes the changes could be for the better but are these just changes for changes sake? The labour government have imposed new policies and directives for social work but after 8 years there are still problems within social work some which could be easily acted upon. We will only know if these new policies and new social work task force works over time. As its been highlighted earlier in this assignment there is still an implication involved in being a service user just as there was being a pauper. Whilst researching the different acts and welfare ideologies that have been introduced throughout the timeline Ive used Ive realised that there are more similarities than comparisons between a services user and pauper. They still have problems accessing help and there are many families who still dont ask for help because of the stigma. However new approaches have introduced service user involvement by defining what help they want and defining the quality of help they receive. A recent report by Beresford, Shamash, Forrest and Turner, 2007 research service users vision for adult service they found that the process of accessing social care was frequently negative for service users, the assessments were very dependent on the quality of the staff carrying it out, which shouldnt be happening all social workers should work to one high standard it shouldnt be a lottery of if you get a good one or not. Access to communicating with the social worker was low and that many of the service users questioned had gaps in their services making them feel insecure. A major problem through history has been a struggle to get good support for these individuals. Whilst researching this topic I realised that service users know what they want and can easily highlight the problems at the minute one report found while welfare bureaucracy has been condemned by governments for a long while service users still identify problems. One individual said that we shouldnt have to fill out forms to be made to feel like beggars, not unlike The Poor Law and paupers opinions. There is still social exclusion, the poor will stay poor because they have just enough to get by so they wont stop, think and revolt. But do social workers maintain this, because they help them just enough, finding the quickest thing they can do to help them not necessarily the best way in the long run. New Labour has had so much time to make improvements and rectify social exclusion but child poverty is getting worst. How much have rights helped service users, many reports have found that they feel more responsible and confident about the help they are receiving when they have been more involved in the decision processes. Although some still feel like they are hidden away from society and when they have more experience of their disability they need to be acknowledged. The report by Beresford et al, 2007 also found that service users would like a watchdog with service users and professionals and they should be the judges of quality. One dilemma that social workers face is working towards anti discriminatory practice, equality should be the core of provisions of service, and it needs to take into account religion and backgrounds. Yes some progress has been made involving diversity for example the race equality act, still lots of progress needs to be made. There are many barriers when considering the major historical events that brought about social work and the values it has now. We see that welfare state is a necessary condition of social work flourishing and to defend it or is it temporary in which internationally social work will then erupt from something else. One barrier when understanding which major events affected what social work is today is our understanding of the history of social work, the history isnt concrete it changes daily. Most of the history of social work comes from COS as its origin and its methods are still used today. However Laybourn, 1997 has found other methods that were used that have yet to be examined this may have been because COS was used in London and this would have an effect on the history, power will always influence history. To conclude social work has changed significantly and is still very important and we will progress to help all individuals, we need a larger voice though to talk about the problems we face as a profession to ensure that service users and pauper have fewer similarities. I believe that service users have shifted from paupers as they have much more freedom and rights now, yes there are still similarities which need to be focused on to improve our system and we could probably be a better service if problems hadnt occurred along the way to affect how we work, we also need to refuse to let policies be imposed on us when they dont improve on what were already doing. Rights are now benefiting service users but we need to ensure it stays like this. Whilst working towards anti discriminatory practice and equality for all we need to ensure our values are the same that we contribute to a fairer society by reducing disadvantage and exclusion and promoting fair access to resources. Many policies a nd acts have been the bedrock of what social work is today and without them social work would be very different.

Effects Of A High Carbon Footprint

Effects Of A High Carbon Footprint High carbon emissions in the last two decades are slowly leading to excessive climate change. Some already visible consequences are warming of the planet, radiative warming, shift of Earths natural balance towards warming, and depletion of natural resources. Due to global warming, the last decade was recorded to be the warmest ever (Jaines, 2010) Earth is slowly turning into a different planet which is evident by the changes in average temperatures. Scientists say that high carbon emissions will cause rise in sea levels across the globe, and extinction of various species. Furthermore, they have an impact on the greenhouse effect which causes the reduction of the amount of sunlight and heat that is reflected back into space. This increases the average temperatures globally, especially the Arctic temperatures which causes the melting of ice. Melting ice releases methane in the atmosphere, which is 20 times more dangerous as a greenhouse gas than CO2. (Kage, 2007) Due to high temperatur es and rise in sea levels, there is a danger that many species of plants and animals will extinct. For example, world oceans are currently absorbing 1/3rd of excess carbon dioxide emissions, and therefore, becoming acidic and threatening sea species. This will cause a shortage of fish stocks and coral reefs which will eventually alter the worlds food chain. Similar things will happen to any other food sources. The indicated will have an effect on the economy since the food is going to be scarce and its prices are going to be rising. Moreover, due to increases in temperatures, the world is within 70 years going to be facing frequent storms, floods, and tornados. (Fraser, 2006) It is predicted that by 2050, temperatures are going to increase by 2.1-2.8 à Ã‚ ¦C compared to the historical average, and by 2100, the Earth is predicted to be 4.3-5.3 à Ã‚ ¦C warmer. Globally, sea levels could rise by 59 cm within the next century. (The Problem, 2012). Lastly, greenhouse effect causes de pletion in ozone which further leads to global warming. If there are ozone damages, then there is a higher chance of skin cancer, burning skin due to the direct contact with the sun. These changes in climate will also affect human health in sense of the increase of various disease carrying insects due to warming. (MOFA) National level Studies and predictions for UAE say that the rises in its sea levels by 1 meter could affect almost up to 1,155 square kilometers of land. This would cause, even in lesser numbers, terrible effects on UAEs islands, infrastructure, marine life, health, tourism, business, and economy. (The Problem, 2012) With already high temperatures, a bigger rise in the upcoming decades will cause a bigger need for energy production and cooling systems infrastructure causing a raise in carbon emissions if new energy sources wont be used. Scarcity of food caused by damages to marine and terrestrial life will boost prices of food, causing an even bigger need for import. This will directly affect UAEs economy and business as food and water prices rise. Scarcity of water might impact the region even more intensely, causing problems in many segments, such as households, industry, import, export, tourism, and economy. Even now, desalination of water is the only source of drinking water in UAE and requires a lot of energy. Even bigger scarcity of water would terribly affect the region. Infrastructure will either be destroyed by rising sea levels or natural disasters, or it will have to be adapted to the new situations. Both scenarios will make for a big loss of money and resources; therefore, it will cause a big damage in economy, and eventually on every individual living in the country. Individual level The biggest impact high carbon footprint has on the citizens of UAE are on their health and safety. All these emitted gases pollute the air which humans inhale; the gases penetrate deep into their respiratory systems and therefore, affect both respiratory and cardiovascular systems causing asthma, heart diseases, and premature death. Using fertilizers can also damage peoples health, as well as the sun impact and higher temperatures, which often cause heart failures and temperature shocks. Besides health issues, scarcity of food and water obviously affects peoples lives, causing them to spend more and more. Using more air conditioners with the rise of temperature often causes viral and bacterial diseases. Current Efforts of UAE Government Renewable Energy Even though UAE lacks most of the widespread renewable energy sources, such as biomass, tidal power, and water, one thing that UAE has more than enough is solar energy. In 2010, Abu Dhabi has started working on one of the worlds largest solar power plants. The development of the geothermal cooling in Masdar City has also started recently. (MOFA) Peaceful Nuclear Power It is known that nuclear energy has a nearly zero carbon footprint. Therefore, replacing the current ways of producing electrical and other types of energy with nuclear energy would contribute significantly to less carbon emissions. Currently a huge nuclear energy sector is being developed in UAE, consisting of 4 nuclear power reactors, which are believed to be finished and ready for full work by 2017. (MOFA) Transport Trying to increase the participation in public transport, the UAE has increased the number of buses, and still planning to implement more of them. Besides that, the Dubais Metro has been the newest, successful addition to UAEs public transport. Future plans include new transit light systems all over the country, and a high speed train. (MOFA) Carbon Capture and Storage (clean fossil fuels) Building storages underground to capture the emitted CO2 from plants and burned fossil fuels without releasing it further in the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says CCS could contribute between 10% and 55% of the cumulative worldwide carbon mitigation effort over the next 90 years. (MOFA) Al Basma Al Beeiyah Intiative Launched in October 2007 by the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, the Emirates Wildlife Society, and the Global Footprint Network, its initiative is to better understand UAEs ecological and carbon footprint, and monitor consumption patterns in the country. Measuring carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions, the project is evaluating and implementing solutions for a better future. Researches and scientists from Masdar Institute have been leading this project with the aim to inspect how the development of power and water might affect UAEs carbon footprint up to 2030, and accordingly develop alternative energy productions. (UAE Ecological Footprint Initiative) Campaigns UAE government made some campaigns in UAE that raise awareness which include Heroes of the UAE, Environment agency Abu Dhabi etc. Heroes of the UAE campaign is designed to make people know about energy shortages and the effect of climate change. This campaign supplies people with easy tips on how to save energy. By making small changes in every days behavior people can easily contribute in the global efforts to reduce consumption. (Abu Dhabi, 2012)Furthermore, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi helps in conservation of water, climate change awareness and improving air quality by running environmental education and awareness courses and programs. Solutions and Recommendations Individual level Turn off home appliances if not used or needed; unplug from the power chord Do not overcharge cell phones and laptops Use compact fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs as it saves 60% of energy, yet providing the same brightness (What Is Carbon Footprint, 2012) Individuals can buy more energy efficient vehicles to help reduce carbon footprint People should use their vehicles only when required and use public transport or consider walking otherwise They should also use energy efficient devices as well as renewable energy sources and insulation at home to prevent the emission of greenhouse gases or heat loss Try carpooling; driving several people in one car can reduce a lot of carbon emissions coming from cars Slow down, try keeping to the speed limit. Driving at 80mph burns 10% more fuel than driving at 60mph. (What action can we take, 2011) Only boil the amount of water you need in your kettle Make sure taps are fully turned off and fix leaking taps. A dripping hot water tap wastes not only water but energy too. (What action can we take, 2011) National level Use sustainable forms of energy like solar energy, and wind energy Creating organizations which could help reduce carbon footprint The government should also make sure that only the necessary amount of cement is being used for the manufacture of buildings The government should also make sure that there are less amount of industries in the country which could be harmful for the environment The government should set up some awareness campaigns and workshops for the citizens to spread more awareness on how to reduce carbon footprint at home or elsewhere Diversification of resources is necessary for saving resources (DUBAI STRATEGY DEVELOPED TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS) Successful implementation of Envitechs Green Buildings Project- development of buildings that require almost no external energy and consume the lowest possible amount of fresh water (Green Buildings Project) Building hydrogen power plants and nuclear power plants in order to develop clean energy and reduce carbon emissions Involve business organizations in reducing their collective carbon footprint in the offices; by doing this these organizations would become more competitive in the market Using biosolids as a fertilizer in agriculture since it is organic and allows the reduction of irrigation requirement (Al Wathba Veolia Besix Waste Water , 2012) Encourage more public transport, more physical activity, and walking Build more green spaces, parks, places for walking where there would a possibility to walk to malls or any other place instead of driving Establish recycling plants and companies Global level Stop deforestation; encourage reforestation in all parts of the world Avoid manufacturing of the buildings and industries which are not required Introduce the concepts of green and clean energy everywhere around the world Encourage the use of solar and wind energy everywhere around the world to produce electrical energy; open more nuclear power plants but with safety precautions and educate people about their plus-sides Encourage business organizations world-wide to start making their business greener; the prospective interest parties should evaluate business companies according to how environmental-friendly they are Financing companies should provide loans to help achieve objectives related to reducing carbon footprint to governments of different countries, especially to those with economic instability or less money Stricter family planning laws should be implemented globally to control the ever growing world population that is one of the major causes of this problem Committees everywhere around the world should be set up to educate the underprivileged people about the harmful effects of high carbon footprint Make laws which would aim towards conserving energy and water, such as putting limits on the usage per person/apartment, or increasing prices which would stop people from over-spending for unnecessary reasons Provide awards for companies that implement eco-friendly strategies Encourage ethanol, biodiesel and hydropower-produced hydrogen as alternative fuel options since they produce less greenhouse gases Recycle water so it can be reused for agricultural and irrigation purposes (Al Wathba Veolia Besix Waste Water , 2012) UN should establish more organizations everywhere around the world to raise awareness and educate people on how to protect our environment Divesting from oil stocks and investing in companies practicing carbon capture and storage (Biello, 2007) Restricting flying to only critical, long-distance trips; trains can replace planes for short- to medium-distance trips (Biello, 2007)

The Character Vasia in Boris Pasternacks Doctor Zhivago :: Doctor Zhivago Essays

The Character Vasia in Boris Pasternack's Doctor Zhivago The character Vasia Brykin, in the novel Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternack, is created and developed as a symbol of the rampant and chaotic times during the turbulent Russian Revolution. His significance in relation to the overall plot is minor because of his only two sub-chapter appearances, but thematically he works to show the breakdown of the Russian economic and social infrastructure in the country, and the lasting effects it has on the generation of lives that were swept up in its political turmoil. Vasia is introduced in chapter seven, on the train to the Urals, where Yurii Andreievich Zhivago learns of his depressing story. Vasia Brykin's father was killed in the war, and his mother had sent him to be apprenticed to his uncle at age sixteen. One day his uncle was called in by the local soviet authorities to answer some questions, and accidentally walked into the Bolshevik's labor recruitment office, where he was conscripted into forced labor and herded off to a train. Vasia and his aunt went to say farewell the next day, and his uncle pleaded with the guard, Voroniuk, to let him out of the car to see his wife for one last minute. Voroniuk, fearing for his own position, allowed him to leave only if Vasia stayed in his place for insurance. Vasia's uncle never returned, and he cried and pleaded with Voroniuk, but it was to no avail. Physically, Vasia appeared "an attractive boy with regular features who looked like a royal page or an angel of God in a picture" (223). He has red hair, and an unspoiled innocent look to him. On the external, he is a very enthusiastic person, full of compassion and emotion, especially when he speaks of his family and life back in his home village of Veretenniki: That's what I say-Buisky-Buisky village. Of course I know it, that's where you get off the main road, you turn right and right again. That's to get to us, to Veretenniki. And your way must be left, away from the river, isn't it? You know the river Pelga? Well, of course! That's our river. You keep following the river, on and on, and away up on the cliff...(224-225)

Group Climate Essay -- essays research papers

Group Climate Group climate consists of the overall sentiment that is displayed within a group. This includes the aspects of honesty, openness, consistency and respect according to â€Å"Teamwork† by Lefasto and Larson. When evaluating the characteristics of group climate in a team, the most prevalent component to examine is trust. Trust yields respect, acknowledgement, cohesiveness, a bridge between cultural differences and above all else, sensitivity to ideas being expressed so a consensus can be reached. However, as pointed out by â€Å"Teamwork†, trust is extremely fragile. If trust can be maintained and not breached, a team has defeated one of the few obstacles that inhibit the team from attaining their ultimate goal. This is because trust breeds belief in other team members, respect in their actions, and efficiency, as the group will not have to spend extra time ironing out problems that may arise when a breach of trust occurs. Due to trust’s fragility, a breaking of trust can come do to a number of seemingly insignificant circumstances. Such circumstances include a member coming late to a meeting, not being prepared, presenting illogical and not well thought-out ideas, inconsistency in behavior, holding back opinions, etc. In order to avoid such circumstances, team members must have a clear vision of their goal and have a certain degree of zeal concerning the purpose of their task. To create these two ideals, it is suggested that the first activity a group collaborates to achi...

El Nino Essay -- Meteorology Weather Climate Essays

El Nino We live on an incredibly large planet. Even broader than the size of the planet are the amount of changes and relationships between humans, animals, environment, weather, and the effects of each. Many times with busy schedules and modern lifestyles we forget the interaction that goes on between any number of concepts or ideas. We fail to realize that a specific weather occurrence in the Pacific Ocean can have an effect on every day life in the United States. El Nino is one of the largest scientific phenomenons that scientists have ever explored. The main concepts of El Nino are very simple and there are many variations, causes, affects, and relationships to study. The main idea behind El Nino is that the wind changes direction across the Pacific Ocean. In a non El Nino year (normal), the trade winds blow from east to west across the ocean, from North and South America towards the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean. In an El Nino year, the trade winds change direction and blow from Asia and the tropical Pacific towards North and South America (NOAA B, 2004). The changes in these winds, commonly called Southern Oscillation winds because the majority of activity happens in the southern parts of the Pacific, produce many other changes. In the final analysis, the winds are the root of this scheme. John Daly (2004) discussed how the winds produce major changes in the temperature of the ocean water. This is the second main concept of El Nino. In normal years, when the wind blows from east to west, the temperature at â€Å"Sea Surface† is about 8 degrees cooler in the west than in the east. During El Nino, the winds blow a certain amount of water towards the west, thus piling it up and making its depth approximately one half meter deeper. Because of the loss of water at either coast, the deeper ocean water rises to replace what is gone. The deeper/cooler water is the source of many incomes in North and South America; however, in an El Nino year, the warmer water sits on top of the ocean, which creates many tribulations relating to both income and weather. The last main point of El Nino is the weather that follows due to the changes in water temperature. Precipitation follows the warmer water, whichever direction it flows. During the normal wind patterns the rainfall in the southern Pacific islands is consistent and creates their tropical identity. Whe... ...lnino/history.asp. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Washington D.C. Last updated April 22, 2004. http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/el-nino-story.html. (A) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA). Washington D.C. Last updated April 22, 2004. http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/faq.html#what. (B) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Washington D.C. Last updated April 22, 2004. http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/impacts.html. (C) Redmond, Kelly. â€Å"El Nino, La Nina, and the Western U.S., Alaska and Hawaii.† June 16, 1998. http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/enso/ensofaq.html. United States Geological Survey (USGS). â€Å"1998 California Flood.† From News Release. Feb. 3, 1998, http://ca.water.usgs.gov/archive/floods/flood98/. University of Illinois, Champaign Illinois. Last updated April, 2000. http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/eln/rcnt.rxml. USA Today, by the Associated Press. â€Å"El Nino found to affect Antarctic Sea Ice.† 2004. http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/cold-science/2002-03-06-nino-ice.htm. Williams, Jack. USA Today. â€Å"Scientists Gather Information on El Nino Impact in Antarctica.† January 8, 2003.

Sme Entry Mode Choice and Performance

Introduction International entry mode choice is considered a critical strategic decision. In an attempt to understand this choice, scholars have primarily focused on transaction cost theory Previous literature have failed to examine how the transactional cost model applies to smaller entrepreneurial firms. † Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are not smaller versions of larger companies, but mainly due to their size they tend to interact differently with their environment.The Authors could identify no studies of SME entry mode choice that have examined the three main causes of transaction costs: asset specificity, behavioral uncertainties, and environmental uncertainties. By examining the entry mode behavior of SMEs, they can determine whether they follow similar patterns as their larger counterparts and whether the strategic decision processes that influence success for larger companies have validity in smaller firms.In this article they hope to make two important contr ibutions to the SME international literature. First, by examining the applicability of transaction cost theory to SME inter- national entry mode choice, we hope to extend the generalizability of transaction cost theory for entry mode choice to this large and growing sector of the global economy Transactional costs and mode choices Transaction cost (TC) theory has been widely used in entry mode research to explain why large companies utilize different modes in expanding abroad.The existing literature suggests that companies adopt a certain organizational structure—markets (non-equity modes) versus hierarchies (equity modes)—when expanding abroad based on how efficient one structure is compared with the alternative structure. Transaction cost theory suggests that asset specificity, behavioral uncertainties, and environmental uncertainties create two main costs: market transaction costs and control costs Asset specificity Asset specificity refers to the physical and human resources, which may lose value in another use, that a company employs to complete a specific task.A firm that possesses unique technology and know-how has to take extra precautions (and incur additional costs) in order to protect its differentiated assets from falling into the hands of competitors. When asset specificity is low, firms will incur few costs in protecting their know-how from competitors. Low asset-specific investments involve the use of generally available knowledge; hence, firms are not concerned about protecting this knowledge from competitors, since competitors already have access to the knowledge.When asset specificity is low, firms tend to use market-based non-equity modes of entry. When asset specificity is high, firms are more concerned with protecting proprietary knowledge or technology from competitors. Hypothesis1: SMEs will tend to prefer non-equity modes of entry when assets specificity is low, but tend to prefer equity modes of entry when asset specifici ty is high. Behaviour uncertanty Transaction cost theory suggests firms face two types of uncertainty: behavioral and environmental.Behavioral uncertainties arise from the inability of a company to predict the behavior of individuals in a foreign country. According to transaction cost theory, behavioral uncertainty may lead to opportunistic behavior involving cheating, distortion of information, shirking of responsibility, and other forms of dishonest behavior. Internationalization theory suggests that firms develop skills at controlling international operations through experience.Through learning, firms develop expertise in managing foreign operations (either independent operations like license agreements or more complex operations like wholly owned subsidiaries). Firms lacking international control-related experience tend to prefer non-equity modes of entry, as a means of controlling the behavior-related uncertainties of foreign expansion. High behavioral uncertainties may discour age SMEs from organizing foreign operations in a hierarchical form Hypothesis 2: SMEs