Popular Culture: Effects of Big Corporations on Society Essay

The field of business plays an important role in the economies of various countries as well as the financial robustness of the world market. In this realm, big corporations have larger responsibilities in steering the direction of the economy in terms of the decisions that they make and the operations that they do. Their influence is not merely over other smaller corporations or companies because they also have a great impact in the society. These large corporations affect the society in numerous ways especially when it comes to the different means by which they approach their clients in marketing their products or services. However, the impact of these corporations still needs to be analyzed especially on how they shape the society at large. There are observable advantages and disadvantages that big corporations have over the general public that must be given due attention. It is the aim of this paper to identify and discuss the role of large corporations in the society. In line with this, the part that big corporations contribute in the field of business and in sustaining the needs and wants of the public will also be emphasized. Furthermore, the methods that most of these companies use in their business operations like commercials, advertisements, and mainstream media will also be accounted for. Lastly, the impact and effects of large corporations and the means that they use will also be assessed in terms of how it control the trends and fads in the society as well as how an individual view his or her self. Large Corporations Despite the feeling of some people with regards to the behaviour and mode of operation of large corporations, they cannot deny that this institution also have a contribution in the society. These corporations are mainly responsible in the material well-being of most people. It is through the services and products that they render that the public could be able to have their necessities like food, clothing, and shelter. Almost all corporate employees work everyday in order to cater to the needs and wants of the people. This kind of situation is very observable in the current society wherein almost everything in the lives of most individuals involves corporate business. The corporations have its faults and failures but the fact still remains that the corporation is an efficient institution that was created by human beings for the purpose of distributing resources for individual’s usage (Bishop). However, the corporations’ efficiency in doing its purpose comes with a cost. Some people are saying that in order for the corporation to function the society must give this institution the leeway when it comes to societal constraints so that they can pursue material ends. Having the freedom from political, moral, and ethical concerns has largely benefited these corporations but these have been a source of frustration by most governmental and social organizations. Serious concerns have resulted in the leniency that corporations has such as: pollution, environmental degradation, product disposal, natural resource depletion, worker welfare, urban decay as well as the long-term health effects from their improper waste management. According to Bishop Rooke, these issues are indeed important and must be immediately address. However, if the corporations were not given the freedom with regards to societal constraints then this would dampen the development of the modern industrial society. The World of Marketing Baker regards marketing as a field of discipline and an endeavour which existed for a considerable amount of time in the world to date but remains to be something that still brings fascination and wonders to today’s organizations (3). The primary goal and focus of the efforts of marketing is to inform the people with regard to the products and services (Steinberg 1). For large corporations, this is used in launching the products and services that they have and introducing it to their target market with the idea that the population from the said group should be enticed to buy the product that is being presented. This serves as the connection between the companies and the society wherein the former infuses several values to the latter through the use of different forms of media such as that of the television, the radio, the internet, the newspapers, and other print and visual forms so long as it allows them to create an image for the products. In doing so, the companies are able to make their corresponding contribution to the popular culture of the society. As previously mentioned, there are certain values that are sent with the marketing efforts of the companies. In identifying the relationship between popular culture and the different forms of marketing campaigns that affect it, it is important to define what popular culture means. McGowan and Kitson defines popular culture as â€Å"entertainment that is produced by the culture industries, composed of symbolic content, mediated widely, and consumed with pleasure† (138). Popular Culture and Marketing of Large Companies The relationship between popular culture and the marketing of large companies may be seen as two-fold. Popular culture serves as the sources of ideas for the marketing efforts of the large companies. Just the same, the biases that are contained within the marketing activities, such as advertising, commercials, and mainstream media, also affect and revolve back into the popular culture of the society. The latter relationship between the two serves as the focus of the next discussion. Several forms of technological advances today has allowed the large companies to create images within their advertisements, which may or may not reflect what is real. While deception could be seen as an element of the marketing efforts and activities, people could not easily filter this easily. These images created by the large companies easily â€Å"circulate in culture† (Schroeder 7). This is because of the ease that is associated with technological advancements to reach a wider set of audience and deliver their messages with much impact. A classic example of how the media has affected the popular culture is the way the concept of beauty is reflected and perceived by people. For example, companies such as Max Factor and Ponds, large corporations which deal with products related to aesthetics, are giving much emphasis on beauty that adheres to the standards of the white Europeans and Americans (Moreno 137). It is important to note that since these large companies caters to international consumers, they are able to affect the perceptions of people from outside the European and American countries with regard to beauty. The result is a notion created that people need to be white, tall, slim, and adopt the characteristics of people from these countries in order to become beautiful. In a sense, the advertisements and the commercials launched by the large companies have limited the images of beauty and make a limited sense of the values and characteristics that people should accept. Along with this, discrimination is felt by those who are not able to follow the trends set by the marketing campaigns of the large companies. Likewise, the very nature of these companies, wherein they are capable of making big initiatives, are financially stable, and are able to establish their names and credibility, has strengthened their impact with that of the society. To a certain extent, their words are seen as something that people follow because they have created a sense of influence and are seen as leaders in the industries to which they belong. Conclusion Large companies have affected the society in several ways. First, they have made their organizations available and answerable to the different societal concerns. This is brought about by the need for them to abide by the principles of corporate social responsibility. Second, they have affected the popular culture such that their marketing efforts have led them to send messages and images that are accepted by the society. It is important for the people to filter these images. Likewise, it is necessary that a review of the ethical conducts of the companies is maintained.

Cost Cut Theory

Ritter explained. the bigger loss, of course, is the future value of the money, according to the financial analysts. â€Å"if you left the $10,000 in for 20 years and it earned 8 percent, that would have amounted to $46,600,† Ritter noted. Ritter said that taking money out of a 401(k) plan—as either a loan or a hardship withdrawal—can be a false solution that keeps the person in crisis from taking appropriate action, such as selling the house, getting another job, or cutting expenses. You need a systemic solution, something that’s going to change your household cash flow,† he said. liberto said another reason to avoid a hardship withdrawal in the current market is that the employee would be borrowing funds that have dropped in value, with no chance to recoup the loss when the market recovers.Barbara Bird, a management professor and entrepreneurship expert at american university in Washington, d. c. , said that at this time of such dramatic financial upheaval, companies can help employees by providing financial education. a lot of people out there don’t know what diversification means,† she said, or what the difference is between stocks and bonds. Bird said that some people who take hardship withdrawals do not understand the tax consequences until april. companies can set up training classes or communicate through a newsletter or Web page, she added. â€Å"one of the things managers need to do in times of crisis is to communicate,† Bird said, â€Å"to share as much as they can about what’s happening at the company as the financial situation plays out nationally. q MaRcH 2009 COST-CUTTING TIPS, TACTICS & STRATEGIESInTRODuCeHDHPsTOCuTHeALTHCAReCOsTs Issue:in 2005, a business services company sought to cut its health care costs by introducing high deductible health plans ( HdHps) to its employees in hopes of increasing its enrollment. Response:â€Å"along with the HdHp options, we also started offering health savings accounts that included employer contributions to these accounts,† the benefits administrator at the 225-employee firm told us. Result:â€Å"these new plans increased our participation in 2006; 65 percent of our employees who participate in the health program are covered in one of he HdHp plans,† the benefits administrator added. â€Å"due to the increased enrollment in 2006 and the reduced claims experience, we were able to offer our plans to employees in 2007 with no increase in premium amounts. †Issue:a 400-employee transportation company was looking for simple changes to its benefits plan that would keep costs from rising more than 8 percent. Response:â€Å"our principal move was to couple an increase in deductibles with a contribution increase,† the controller told us. Formerly, we also included dental coverage with the cost of medical. now, we charge additional amounts for it. Finally, we increased copayments for our drug program. † Result:increasing the deductibles saved the company roughly $150,000. â€Å"and to lessen the sting of these increases to employees, we supplemented our life offering, which was viewed positively,† the controller added. CHAnGeyOuRCOnTRIBuTIOnTIeRs Issue: the benefits manger at a new York-based hotel, hospitality, and lodging company was looking for a way to change its contribution toward health care coverage to help cut costs.Response:â€Å"We changed from a two-tiered contribution single and family to a four-tiered contribution (single, couple, single with child(ren), and family). it was done during open enrollment for 2007 benefits,† the benefits manager told ioMa. Result:â€Å"it enabled us to reduce costs. Many associates with dual coverage opted out as the family plan went up by 105 percent for a contribution. it went from $22 per week to $46. www. ioma. com/HR 15

Habeas Corpus Essay

Course  Date This essay focuses mainly on the general meaning of the right of habeas corpus according to the U.S constitution, habeas relationship with civil liberties, historical evolution and the American and English traditions of the writ. Sample cases in history of suspension of freedom of habeas corpus and today’s applicability of the writ is also provided. The paper also provides and analysis of the significance of habeas corpus to the current U.S. situation in tackling terrorism. At the same time, it explains interpretation of the right of habeas corpus by the Supreme Court in United States with respect to ‘enemy combatant’ or unlawful combatants. Finally, evaluation of various viewpoints on habeas corpus, expressed by justice of the High Court, Government leaders in other branches and analysts in both popular and academic press is given at the end of the paper. Habeas Corpus is a summon that may be issued to bring a party before a judge or court, having as its function the freeing of the party from illegal control or the citizen’s right to get such a summon. Habeas corpus refers to the legal guide which holds that a prisoner may not be kept in detention without just cause. Habeas writ is a request, issued to the custodian of a person under arrest (prison, official, police, and sheriff). It requires the warden to bring the charged person into court along with whatever evidence the custodian is using to validate continuing the custody (Gregory et al., 2013) The American constitution grants an individual the right to question confinement before a judge. Interestingly; the infringement of the right of habeas corpus has not been the harshest of civil freedoms that have been provided to both citizens in U.S and those of other states. The right of Habeas permits a prisoner to pinpoint the guaranteed that have been during a trial broken upon hence protecting the prisoner. The history of Habeas corpus is ancient. Habeas corpus originated mainly from Anglo-Saxon common law. It came after the 1215 Magna Carta. Since then, the practice  surroundin g the Habeas corpus writ has evolved. The writ from has been obliged to grant an appearance of a detained person to be brought before a judge. Originally the habeas corpus was a ‘privileged writ’ of the King and courts. However, it has evolved over time it has into a prerogative writ started by the person jailed or custodian rather than by the King and courts. The habeas corpus comes from the fact that that the government must either incriminate any accused or set him free. Compared to other civil liberties, the writ of habeas corpus serves the same purpose as freedom of speech. People are provided given the freedom to not only speak the truth, but to also stand in court to provide evidence on some innocence. As well, the entitlement to habeas corpus gives a person privilege to exercise their right to legal representation (Habeas corpus, 2010). The people who founded the constitution knew that the right of habeas corpus was crucial. From personal incidents they had an understanding on how it felt to be viewe d as an enemy combatant, incarcerated indefinitely, and not given the chance to appear before an unbiased judge. In order to eradicate this alarming tool of oppression, the Constitution founders had more resolution to save the Americans from such government abuses. (Rutherford Institute, 2013). The Habeas Corpus was codified by the congress in 1879 in the 14th section of the Judiciary Act. In the U.S history, the habeas corpus has been suspended severally. The habeas corpus has been suspended three times since the Constitution was ratified. In 1861, the first habeas corpus suspension was made. It happened in Maryland state and some regions in Midwestern. It was done by the then President Abraham Lincoln in reply to riots and local militia force action, as well as the threat that Maryland would split from the Union. Through this suspension Lincoln permitted the detention of militia members, war prisoners, and alleged traitors to be kept in captive for the duration of the civil war without trial. The second suspension occurred in the early 1870s during Reconstruction in response by President Ulys ses S. Grant to civil rights violations by the Klan of Ku Klux. It was then restricted to nine counties in South Carolina. President Bush also suspended the right of habeas corpus on 17TH October, 2006. The president passed a given law that suspended the right of habeas corpus to individuals that the government viewed as enemies in the fight against international terror. Several criticisms resulted from this with the law being accused of  failing to determine who is and who not any â€Å"enemy combatant† is (Walker, 2006). The habeas corpus is crucial to the contemporary U.S. situation in the war on terror. In tackling war and terror, people are arrested, and the right of defendants to be charged for war or terror crimes should be put into consideration. The suspects ought to be tried for that crime in a timely manner. The government must justify detention of any person under the right of habeas corpus. They should provide proof of keeping the person under custody. Failure to provide evidence, they must set the captives free. Nevertheless, a controversy occurs on whether the government can simpl y detain the war/terror suspects for long durations of time as â€Å"enemy combatants† without charging them with a particular crime. For years, the importance of the right of habeas corpus has constantly been confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, there exist some disagreements when it comes to how the court makes an interpretation of the right of habeas corpus with consideration of enemy combatants or unlawful combatants. U.S highest court has come into criticism when it comes to the rights of habeas corpus of enemy combatants. First, the court does not provide perfect or standard definition of who is any enemy combatant and who is not. The court has held contradictory analyses of the Constitution and of actions to be pursued in the case of rights of habeas corpus to illegal combatants. The federal and military court organizations have been given a mandate to handle such case. The 5-4 ruling in Boumediane v. Bush provides a clear scenario of how the Supreme Court interprets the right to habeas corpus. From the rulings of cases in this scenario, even the â€Å"illegal enemy combatants† held in Guanta namo had constitutional right to habeas corpus. In the Guantà ¡namo cases, the government was of the opinion that non-citizens as enemy combatants outside the country have no rights of habeas corpus that the Supreme Court opposed. The Supreme Court held that noncitizens detained by American government in territory over which another country have any rights under the American Constitution. The Supreme Court abides with the constitution that; the habeas corpus freedom shall not be suspended, except in cases of revolution or invasion of the safety of the public. The president as the commander in chief has the power to make effectual use of bestowed forces. The Suspension Clause is not applicable to the President. However, for other reasons the policy of incidental powers does in the  Constitution. He can only do so in actual theatre of war. The president does not have the authority of setting up hearings for the trial and sentence of offenders, whether armed forces or ordinary citizens. The only time he/she can do that is through the sanction of Congress and in cases of taking necessary controls. The congress plays a major role in suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. The Constitution predominately gives powers to the Congress to suspend the habeas writ. It has the power to suspend it through affirmative action. The congress can also suspend the writ through an express delegation to the Executive. The Executive is not authorized to suspend the writ of habeas corpus. Such suspension can occur in cases of civil war when state prisoners are held in custody violation of the federal law (Latima, 2011). The Supreme Court plays an important role in the protection of civil liberties, including the judicial philosophy. If the Supreme Court believes that the acts of the elected branches in judiciary violate the Constitution, it has the power to overturn them. By so doing, the Supreme Court can attempt to prevent the selected branches from infringing civil liberties. One such scenario is the Boumediene v. Bush. In this case, through its laws, the Supreme Court suspended the privilege to habeas corpus for persons who were considered to be illegal combatants i n the war on terror. Such actions are the manifestation of the role played by Supreme Court in fulfilling the role of protecting civil liberties. There is a very huge paradox when it comes to looking at civil liberties and harmonization with the state security (Brysk, 2007). For example, detaining a terror suspect for years seems fit for the state but at the same time unconstitutional. In the fight against terror, striking a balance between the liberties of individuals and a call for effective investigation is not easy. It is a very difficult balancing act. In the quest to disrupt and deter terrorism, protection of the civil liberties and the constitutional rights of all Americans is required. One cannot achieve each without the other and they must be done both and do them very well. In summary, there is need of proper understanding of the habeas corpus and the constitution as well. Since the enactment of habeas corpus Clause has been a center of controversies day in day out. It is the high time the issue is taken keenly and solved once and for all. Apart from proper understanding of the habeas corpus, amendment should be done to factor in all stakeholders and reduce  the criticisms. References Habeas corpus: From England to empire. (2010). Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press Gregory, Anthony. 2013. The power of habeas corpus in America: from the King’s Prerogative to the War on Terror Latimer, C. P. (2011). Civil liberties and the state: A documentary and reference guide. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood In Brysk, A. (2007). National Insecurity and Human Rights: Democracies Debate Counterterrorism. Berkeley, Calif: California University Press Walker, R. S. (2006). Habeas corpus writ of liberty: English and American origins and development ; being a reprint of The Constitutional and Legal Development of Habeas Corpus as the Writ of Liberty, together with 2006 revised edition, The American Reception of the Writ of Liberty. S.l.: BookSurge

Sociology. Describe and evaluate the influence of CLASS on life Essay

Sociology. Describe and evaluate the influence of CLASS on life chances in Britain - Essay Example Class analysis can be broadly defined as ‘the empirical investigation of the consequences and corollaries of the existence of a class structure defined ex-ante† (Breen & Rottman, 1995, 453). Based on a definition, the sociologist then finds out the extent to which differences in life style and life chances amongst individuals are formatted according to the class structure, as is perceived within the concerned society. Life chances within a social stratification are dependent on many external factors. These are: â€Å"health, income and wealth; education; life expectancy; infant mortality; housing; consumer goods ownership; access to leisure† (Sociology intermediate 1 and 2, 2006, 16). The presence of classes within the UK social structure was brought into prominence in 1980, after the publication of the Black Report, which showed that there were large differences in the mortality rates amongst the British working classes. It highlighted the fact that inequalities within the UK social structure were very much present. The report dispersed the myth, and the utopian feeling that was so prevalent amongst the pre-80s British mindset, which believed that UK was moving towards becoming an egalitarian society, where class divisions and inequalities based on socio-economic factors did not play much role. In this article I will take up this concept of ‘class’ and examine it from various perspectives (social theories), while analysing the various common notions and annotations associated with the term class. The outward manifestation of the disparity in social classes, like the ‘economic standing (wealth and income), prestige, and power’ will be di scussed, along with the various factors that come under the purview of life chances, which are dependent on this ‘class’ aspect; all the time keeping in view and focussing on the social conditions of UK, as is prevalent in today’s context. What is

Napoleonic Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Napoleonic Wars - Essay Example By the end of 1813 that mythology of invincibility had disappeared, mainly due to the disastrous campaign in Russia. The background to this campaign was the simplification of national borders and the increase of nationalist sentiments that had at least been catalyzed by French ideas that had developed since the French Revolution. Thus Napoleon's own use of nationalistic sentiment was causing resentment against French domination within other countries (Schom, 1998). This was perhaps not the best time to launch a campaign against a formidable enemy that would take Napoleon far from those countries that were starting to stir against French imperialism. But as with many military commanders both before and since, Napoleon had started to believe in his own legend, and it would eventually lead to his downfall (Gengembre, 2003). In the spring of 1812 Napoleon began to mass his troops in Poland, that was currently under French rule. This was clearly an attempt to intimidate Alexander, who had been showing an increasing tendency not to trust he official alliance between France and Russia. By the summer of 1812 about 453,000 men, probably the largest armed force ever gathered in one place up until that time, had been brought together in Poland. Napoleon called it his Grande Armee, and its message to the Russians was quite clear. The Russians, perhaps aware that the hu... 130 years later to Hitler, Napoleon appeared to be advancing with miraculous speed, but in fact the Russians were adopting a "scorched earth policy" in which they destroyed anything of value before retreating in front of the French forces. This meant that the French could not gather together provisions and supplies that would be needed in the coming winter. Drawn to the centre of Russia, with the supposed prize of Moscow, as a moth is to a light, Napoleon advanced through the country until he met the Russian forces at the Battle of Borodino on September 7th, 1812. This was a bloody, violent battle, but was inconclusive as to its result. Even though neither side had gained a clear victory, Napoleon carried on advancing and entered Moscow on about September 14th. The Russians had deserted the city, Alexander would not meet with Napoleon to discuss terms for the Russian "surrender" and much of the city burned down within days of Napoleon's arrival.Napoleon had won perhaps the most Pyrrhic victory of all time: he was faced with a stalemate in which he had taken Moscow, but could not sustain it because his supply lines were desperately strained and he needed to retreat before the full onset of winter. One of the great mistakes that Napoleon had made was having neither enough nor the correct quality horses. In the retreat many of the cavalry had to kill their horses in order to eat them. Many others died of cold, disease and starvation. This meant that Napoleon's forces could receive neither food supplies nor reinforcements nor supplied for their weapons. The French lost about 200,000 horses in the campaign, as well as 1,000 artillery pieces. These were large losses that Napoleon could not really afford considering the various campaigns that were to come. He had also

The lessons for auditors and regulators from Enron fraud Essay

The lessons for auditors and regulators from Enron fraud - Essay Example This paper concerns the auditing as an investigative process performed to verify the reliability and accuracy of a company’s state of affairs for the last fiscal period. A comprehensive and authentic audit report adds to shareholder values and assists the company’s stakeholders to analyse how the management has responded to their financial interests. In addition, business decisions of third party stakeholders such as banks, other lending institutions, and investors are centred on the company’s annual audit report. It seems that even a well structured audit programme may fail to provide desired outcomes unless the whole audit team pays special attention to each and every phase of the audit process. The past decade witnessed a series of corporate scandals including Lernout & Hauspie, Arthur Anderson, Enron, WorldCom, Parmalat, Peregrine Systems, Rite Aid, and Homestore.com. Subsequent investigations have proven that majority of those failures were attributable to a ccounting fraud. However, these incidents greatly increased the significance of audit work and firms nowadays allot more money for developing internal control systems. Many of the economists argue that weaker corporate governance structure also greatly contributed to those corporate failures. As a result, organisations are vehemently trying to improve their corporate governance framework. Evidently, audit firms have made strategic amendments to their processes and procedures to detect frauds and errors in the account books of the client on time. This paper will analyse the lessons that auditors and regulators must learn from Enron Fraud. Enron Scandal: Overview In 1985, The Huston Natural Gas integrated its natural gas pipeline companies with those of InterNorth under the supervision of Kenneth Lay to form Enron. The Enron became the North America’s largest natural gas dealer by 1992 and the company’s gas contracts trading operations significantly contributed to its ma rket dominance. The firm’s stock rose by 311% during the period 1990-1998 and its market capitalisation went over $60 billion by the end of the year 2000. This unimaginable growth assisted the company to be rated as the most innovative huge company in Fortune’s Most Admired Companies survey. Unlike other corporate giants, the Enron had not published its balance sheet along with statement of earnings and this practice persuaded financial analysts to explore the company’s sources of income. Despite the explanations given by the company officials, Enron’ stocks started to fall in 2001 mainly due to its indecipherable nature of business and vague accounting practices. Following the stock level declines, the company faced a series of challenges including restructuring losses, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation, liquidity issues, and credit rating downgrade. The Enron scandal was revealed in October 2001 and it gradually led to bankru ptcy. Reports indicated that Enron scandal was the biggest audit failure at that time. Jeffrey Skilling, the former President, CEO, and COO of the Enron Corporation, misled the company’s stakeholders through special purpose entities, accounting loopholes, and unsupported financial reporting practices and therefore they (stakeholders) were unable to identify debts resulted from failed deals and projects. These deceitful practices assisted the company to exaggerate its profit figures and thereby unfairly retain the trust of its shareholders. Andrew Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer, and other executives misled the Enron’s board of directors and also forced Andersen to neglect the issues. As per reports, the Enron shareholders lost nearly $11 billion when the company’s stock price fell from US$90 per share in mid-2000 to less than $1 in late-2001 (World News Inc, 2012). Following this issue, the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission commenced an investigation to bring out the actual reasons behind this

How active a role did the laity play in the affairs of the Essay

How active a role did the laity play in the affairs of the pre-Reformation parish - Essay Example On the other side of the dramatic plot is the Protestant circle, which included Thomas Cromwell, Archbishop Cranmer, Anne Boleyn and her family. Anne’s outspoken support for protestant reform and her open desire for a break with Rome to legitimize the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine cast her in the center of a bitter contest between those who traditionally held power and those who craved to wrest it. Had Anne born Henry a son and heir the outcome may have been different; however, the deformed son was premature and stillborn, Anne was convicted of high treason and subsequently executed, and Jane Seymour became the new queen. However, though an effort was made, Henry had not been able to make amends with the French, was excommunicated by Rome, and faced the threat of invasion by the combined might of the new alliance between France and the Holy Roman Empire As a result of Henry’s excommunication, the pope absolved all Catholics from obedience to him. Henry thus faced at home a divided populace with the apparent legitimate right to disobey him, as well as threat from outside British shores. Realizing this, Cromwell moved into action. He formed alliances with the protestant German princes, and promoted Protestantism at home, with apparent force and cruelty, by the dissolution of monasteries and by the issuance of injunctions for regulating individual parish churches.1 The laity, thus caught the crux of a religious and political paradigm shift that was to have profound repercussions on the daily lives of ordinary citizens. This discussion seeks to describe the role of the laity before and on the eve of the Reformation, in order to gain a more enlightened understanding of the implications of the day’s political upheavals in the life of the common man. During the period preceding the Reformation, community life, particularly parish

The Handmaid's Tale Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Handmaid's Tale - Research Paper Example Her novel reveals the repercussions of gendered language taken to the extremist end. This implies the sexist structure of the Gilead society seems different and distant out of oppressive language, which is used in modern American society of which it has been accepted to a point of being used in everyday life. Atwood plays with words and analyses symbolic language in order to reveal the power implication and subservience many words have when literally taken. The acceptance of this oppressive language in American society and culture allowed the formation of Gilead. Here, Offired breaks down the vernacular and reveal meanings, which are commonly overlooked: â€Å"I wait for the household to assemble. Household: that is what we are. The Commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds. To have and to hold until death do us part† (Atwood, 81). Atwood’s words show the importance newly found which has come with the new role of handmaid in Gilead. Offired literally takes a symbolic language and reveals how it sounds. Most English speaking people ignore willfully and accept the use of such submissive language. However, Atwood seemingly takes a position, which is neutral in her words such as household and breaks it down, analyses its parts and later turns it into a negative word symbolizing domination of male. By relating the views of hold to the wedding vows that are well known â€Å"to have and hold,† Margaret Atwood makes her readers question how romantic the words used are. The English language that is masculine dominated allows women to grow while being accustomed to the domination of male. Passing the wisdom her husband had given her, the readers are enlightened by Offired word: â€Å"Fraternize means to behave like a brother. Luke told me... He said there was no corresponding word that meant to behave like a sister.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Civil and Environmental Engineering - Essay Example This is trend going to be more so in the future and civil engineers need to know how to deal with this issue (Seracino, 2006). Apparently, the trend is familiar in the modern world as can be seen in Dubai. Dubai, one of the most popular emirates of the United Arabs Emirates has set the trend where buildings are not built to only serve a technical function, but are also a cultural statement (McCuen, Ezzell & Wong, 2011). This aspect of civil engineering has brought with it more challenges to the civil engineers who in the modern world have to execute civil engineering projects that are far more complex than the technical aspects. This trend might not disappear soon. As such, civil engineers in future will be required to be more creative and more resourceful in executing their projects. Civil engineering is going to take a new turn where it will have a more social and cultural aspect. Architects are forever coming up with more complex designs which the civil engineers will have to impl ement and that are becoming a challenge. Modern civil engineers also have to be able to look at the ways they have to control the budget. As a matter of facts, numerous issues make the modern civil engineer to be good financial manager. To begin with, as Fellin (2004) modern customers are more aware of the cost of construction and are likely to offer fewer funds than it was in the early years. When a modern civil engineer gets a project, whether from the government, a firm or an individual, they are likely to get more resistance when asking for the funding of the project. In this regard, the civil engineer must be a good negotiator in order to get things done Hansen and Zenobia (2011). He or she must be able to negotiate with the financiers of the project and must also be able to negotiate with other stakeholders in the industry. Where the civil engineer is involved in the procurement of materials and other resources such

Reaction Order and Rate Law Essay Example for Free

Reaction Order and Rate Law Essay Data, Calculations, and Questions A. Calculate the initial and final concentrations as needed to complete Tables 1 and 2. Data Table 1: Varying the Concentration of 1.0 M HCl | | | | |Concentrations | | |# Drops |# Drops |# Drops |Initial | |# Drops |# Drops |# Drops |Initial |Initial |Final |Final |Reaction Time (sec) |Reaction | |Well # |HCl |Water |Na2S2O3 |HCl |Na2S2O3 |HCl |Na2S2O3 |Trial 1 |Trial 2 |Avg |Rate (sec-1) | |1 |8 |0 |12 |1 M |0.3 M |0.4 |0.18 |18.4 |16.3 |17.35 |0.0576 | |2 |8 |6 |6 |1 M |0.15 |0.4 |0.0045 |37.1 |37.9 |37.5 |0.0267 | |3 |8 |8 |4 |1 M |0.1 |0.4 |0.02 |107.2 |106.6 |106.9 |0.0093 | | B. Calculate the average reaction time for each reaction by adding the times for the two trials and dividing by 2. C. Calculate the reaction rate by taking the inverse of the average reaction time, i.e., 1 divided by the average reaction time. 1. Use table 1 to determine the reaction order for HCl. 2. Use table 2 to determine the reaction order for Na2S2O3. Remember, you want to see what happens to the reaction rate when you double the concentration of one reactant while the second reactant remains unchanged. In Part 1, we varied the concentration of HCl while we kept the concentration of Na2S2O3 the same. In Part 2 we varied the concentration of Na2S2O3 while keeping the concentration of HCl the same. These are  experimental data and results will be different from some of the nice, even numbers you saw on textbook problems. For example, in this experiment you may double the concentration of a reactant but the reaction rate may increase anywhere from 1.7 times to 2.4 times. This still means an approximate doubling of the reaction rate. On the other hand, if you double a reactant concentration and the reaction rate increases by 0.7 to 1.3 times that probably means that the reaction rate multiplier is one (1). D. Write the rate law for the reaction. E. Using the rate law, the rate, and the appropriate concentration(s) from one (or more) of your experiments calculate k. F. What are the potential errors in this experiment? Laura Titus Done in the table Time average=time trial 1+time trial 2/2 HCl reaction is 1.36 Na2S2O3 reaction is 0.84 Rate law = k[HCl]^1.36[Na2S2O3]^0.84 Rate law=k[0.024]^1.36[0.0576]^0.84 Rate law= k[.03264][.048384] K=1/.00158 K= 632.9? Me not fully sure if my numbers are correct or not. Rounding correctly, documenting at right time.

Decentralised Service Provisions: Summary and Evaluation

Decentralised Service Provisions: Summary and Evaluation The value of de-centralised provision of  Public Services Introduction Gordon Brown, likely to become Prime Minister in mid-2007, has been known to consider decentralisation of public services an important factor of local community government (Simon Jenkins 2007). Public services are defined as those goods that are provided for the benefit of the whole community and from which no individual can be excluded. The main question however, is whether these services are more efficiently administered through and decentralised authority and, if so, what size of local organisation is required to achieve these objectives. Efficiency of local public service provision Provision of public services through local authorities in the twentieth century developed because it was not possible for Parliament and its twenty-one ministers to maintain control of these factors (Jones and Stewart 1983, p.10). In recent decades, because of improvement in communication and cost reduction, more responsibility for public services has been decentralised (Doherty and Horne 2002, p.104) because it is seen to be an efficient method. Indeed, Bentham (1973, p.216-20) argues that local and regional levels of government are the only way to ensure that efficient public services can be delivered. Efficiency is measured by two factors, being the perception of the consumers to whom the service is rendered and the cost efficiency of the process. In terms of the consumer, a report conducted by the Lyons inquiry found that the consensus of local communities deemed local authorities to be more efficient suppliers of most public services than central government. For example, as can be seen from graphs 20 and 25 of the report (see figures 1 and 2), the majority felt that local authorities would provide a service more appropriate to local needs, in the latter case relating particularly to the area of local transport. A similar percentage (graph 29) felt that community policing would be managed more effectively and efficiently by local authorities than through a centralised body. The same community response was found with many other areas of public services, including education, with a key element in this efficiency process being measured by the fact that the authority was in a better position to communicate with their local community and understand the local environment. Furthermore, the communities surveyed that local authorities are more appropriate managers of funds than central government and should be able to determine, collect and administer their own revenue, with many of the participants supporting locally raised income taxes or charging for specific services. For example, as can be seen on page 75 of the same report, most were of the opinion that local authorities should set and retain the local business rates, not submit it to central government as at present happens. The summary findings of the Lyons Inquiry (page 2), agreed the above that, in terms of the delivery of public services, local authorities were the most efficient and effective method of ensuring that the needs and requirements of the local community were met. In the past, one of the main criticisms of local authorities was that they had become too bureaucratic and therefore cost inefficient. The levels of employees and other resources used, far exceeded the requirements of the services being provided. Furthermore, the impression was that the organisations were devouring a disproportionate percentage of the funding being raised through rates and grants. This public perception was one of the main reasons for the controversy that surrounded the ill-fated community charge and that has led to concerns over the increasing level of council taxes. Although the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (2001) suggested that the size of local authorities is not an issue, this is clearly not the case. Whilst it is not possible to identify a set size for a particular local authority, as with any other organisation there is clearly a need to for service provider to ensure that the cost of provision does not result in an unacceptable cost attracting to the consumer of the service. Efficiency equally applies to the structure of the authority as well. One way to ensure that the authority remains resource efficient is to implement quality controls, such as the ISO 9000 standard that in 2002 had been introduced into some departments of approaching a quarter of local authorities throughout the UK (Docherty and Horne 2002, p.148). Furthermore, it is the task of the Audit Commission is to monitor the efficiency of both the services provided and the provider. In the case of the latter, it is incumbent upon the commission to ensure that resources are not wasted. The size of the authority can thus be measured by the ability of the authority to deliver the public services and goods to the members of the community through the efficient use of the appropriate level of resources. Conclusion The members of the public and Lyons are agreed that the local authority is the most efficient method of delivering public services. However, it is important that this service is provided by an organisation that is of an appropriate size, as measured by its own internal efficiencies. References Bentham, J (1973). Bent ham’s Political Thought. Croom Helm. London, UK. Doherty, Tony and Horne, Terry (2002). Managing Public Services: Implementing Change. Routledge. London, UK. Jenkins, Simon (2007). Public services with a heart. The Sunday Times. London, UK Jones, George. and Stewart, John (1983). The Case for Local Government. Allen and Unwin. London, UK. Lyons, Sir Michael (2007). Place-shaping: a shared ambition for the future of local government. Final Report. HMSO. London, UK. Lyons, Sir Michael (2006). Lyons Inquiry – Public Deliberation Events. Retrieved 3 May 2007 from http://www.lyonsinquiry.org.uk/docs/061120-consultation-public.pdf Secretary of State for Transport, Local Governments and the Regions (2001). Strong Local Leadership – Quality Public Services. HMSO. Retrieved 3 May 2007 from http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/215/StronglocalleadershipQualitypublicservicesDTLR2001PartOne_id1165215.pdf YOTEL: Analysis of Innovation Practices YOTEL: Analysis of Innovation Practices 1.1 YOTEL YOTEL is audaciously described by its founders as a revolutionary new hotel conceptà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ creating a stir in the hotel industry. The companys concept and execution can be translated into the same entrepreneurial initiative that has been driven many leading organisations in hospitality, tourism and events over the years. Creative entrepreneurs with the vision, courage and knowledge to put their concepts into place dominate the history of tourism. (Middleton et al., 2009). YOTEL was created by YO! Company founder Simon Woodroffe and Gerard Greene, YOTEL current CEO. It is the accommodation brand of the Yo! Company Group founded in 1997 by Simon Woodroffe with the creation of his first brand of restaurants YO! Sushi. The accommodation brand concept was inspired by the capsule hotels in Japan and BA First Class cabins. In 2002, Simon Woodroffe, already interested in the Japanese capsule hotels, was upgraded to a first class sleeper cabin. He decided then to melt luxury airline travel with Japanese capsule hotels and convert them into small but luxurious cabins for implementation at airport locations. Gerard Greene, a former hotel analyst and executive with Hyatt and Marriott hotels, evolved that idea into reality with YOTEL. The concept has the intention to deliver economies of scale within a minimum volume of space and a outstanding and comfortable consumer experience at a relative very competitive price (Middleton et al., 2009) In summer 2007, the company opened a 46-cabin YOTEL in London Gatwick Airport, succeeded by a 32-cabin YOTEL at Heathrow Airport in the winter of the same year. (YOTEL Limited., 2008) YOTEL at Amsterdam Schiphol opened in Summer 2008 and a 669-capsule site will open in New York City in 2011. Since 2005, IFA (International Financial Advisors) Hotels Resorts is the major investor in the company. In 2008, YOTELs CEO acknowledge an affiliation Memorandum of Understanding with ADNH (Abu Dhabi National Hotels) in order to expand YOTEL also in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Two YOTELs are going to be built in the International Airport and in city centre of Abu Dhabi, and other locations are also under negotiation. (IFA Hotels Resorts, 2007). As Simon Woodroffe comprehend the holy grail of retail today is to constantly and never endingly innovate in order to deliver high luxury without the high cost (YOTEL Limited, 2008). Competitors will unavoidability come to the market with innovations or ameliorations of existing products which will change the basis of competition: for this reason the ability to create, evolve and adapt is indispensable for any business to stay alive. The companys concept as well as the founders values and culture, suggests that the company is potentially innovative. 1.2 Report Structure The present report aim to identify and explore past, current and future innovation practices of YOTEL. Since the organisation was not created long ago it will concentrate mostly on the current and future practices. In particular the structure and content of the report is as follows: Part 2 YOTEL Current Innovation Practices. This first part will evaluate YOTELs existing innovation practices and how YOTEL shows signs of innovation in its sector. Evidence of how it appears to be innovative is supported by innovation theory. Part 3 YOTEL Future Innovation Practices. This part will appraise which innovations YOTEL might create and adopt in order to meet its future strategic needs. Propositions for possible ameliorations for the organisations are made here. This section will therefore consider YOTEL objectives, as well as New Product Development theories and WWW innovations in order to make appropriate and logical recommendations for the company. Part 4 Impacts of proposed Innovation upon YOTELs performance. This forth part is where the potential impacts of the recommendations made are considered. Advises and information about the consequences of the changes proposed are given for the attention of YOTELs management team. Part 5 Summary and Conclusions. This final part contains a brief summary of the report, as well as a conclusion based on the arguments presented. 2. YOTEL Current Innovation Practices Innovation is the act of creating a new product or process. This includes invention as well as the work required to bring an idea or concept into final form. An innovation may have various degrees of newness, from very little to highly discontinuous, but that must include at least some degree of newness to the market, not just to the firm (Crawford, 1994, pg. 472). As Crawfords definition suggests, innovation is a complex process which involves organisations effective management of activities such as idea generation, technology development and commercial exploitation. Schumpeter (1934) was among the first economists to recognize the importance of innovation for organisations to obtain long-term economic growth. His evolutionary theory has seen how companies success in the past, present and future lies in their capability to obtain and employ knowledge and apply this to the development of new products. Figure 1.1 Interactive model of innovation Source: Trott, 2008 adapted from B. Rothwell and W. Zegvelt (1985) Reindustrialisation and Technology, Longman, London. Overall innovation is a complex and continuous process which consists in transferring knowledge from different communication paths. These paths include external and internal linkages. In order for innovation to occur, there must be an interaction between the marketplace/customers needs, the latest sciences and technology advances in society and the organisations capabilities. Organisations able to manage this process will have successful innovation practices. In its past three years of life, YOTEL has demonstrate a good capability on managing the innovation process. It has been able to do so, using different types of innovation. As Trott (2008, pg.16) explain, there are seven different typologies of innovation: product, process, organisational, management, production, marketing and service innovation. 2.1 YOTEL Product Innovations 2.2 YOTEL Commercial/Marketing Innovations 2.3 YOTEL Service Innovations This part of the report will evaluate in which of these types of innovation YOTEL gives evidence of being innovative. YOTEL introduced in the hospitality market a new revolutionary concept inspired by the capsule hotels in Japan and BA First Class cabins: guest rooms, which are compact in size and incorporate multi-functional sofa beds and fold out study desks. The cabins have a design feature that means the windows are internal rather than external and through effective reflective lightening look out into corridors. YOTEL product innovation consists in a hotel which needs relatively small volume of space within airports. The type of hotel the company has introduces, was completely innovative in its market. Even if capsule hotels already existed in Japan, YOTEL has been the first hotel located inside a UK airport terminal. Moreover YOTEL differentiates itself from Japanese capsule hotels, sicne it is more luxurious and offers a wider range of comforts. Its rooms are larger than those in capsule hotels but are very small relative to traditional hotel rooms. The positive advance about YOTEL concept, is that it needs basic requirement. A YOTEL does not require space for parking, access on roads which other normal hotel do require. Moreover all the basic requirements for heating, lightening, water and lavatory provision are already immediately available at airports. But YOTEL is not innovative just in the product its offering, but also in its services. stylish yet affordable rooms. The aim of YOTEL is to provide a flexible and convenient business class hotel experience at affordable prices. The company aim therefore to combine luxurious and modern with affordable prices. This is an innovative practice since most of the hotels whicha re perceived as luxurious and modern are usually also very expensive. Moreover YOTEL does not combine luxurious with low prices, but also with small romm environment. The company referes in fact to his rooms with the world cabins. The idea was inspired by 1st class airlines cabins. Which category Lovelock, how would you classify Yotel product? What degree of risk with this NPD>? LUXURY AT LOW COST: magical formula Shower and Nap Combo: At London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Amsterdam Schiphol, Yotel cabins can be rented in four-hour blocks. (No, its not that kind of hotel.) The podlike rooms (from $40/4 hr.) are tiny but comfy, with private baths and storage units. A virtuos circle of innovation (Trott, 2008: 96-98) (Categories of new products, link with innovation practices of YOTEL) [2] Room sizes are Premium (double), Twin (2 large singles, bunk style) and Standard (large single). Each features en suite bathrooms, flat screen televisions, free Wi-Fi, and 24 hour room service.[3] In his study of The Economic of Industrial Innovation, Christopher Freeman (1982) wrote that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦not to innovate is to die. Adaption and change are essential for companies in order to survive. Competitors will unavoidability come to the market with an innovation that changes the basis of competition: for this reason the ability to create, evolve and adapt is indispensable for any business to stay alive. The big dilemma of doing this within an organisation stays in the fact that innovating demands stability in order to be carried out efficiently and flexibility in order to create opportunities for creative thinking. Managing the tension between the need for creativity in a loose and flexible environment and the need for efficiency in a stable and controlled environment is therefore very important for organisations (Trott, 2008). Organisations have also to manage uncertainty and know how to respond to internal and external events, some of which cannot be controlled. Some examples of external challenges facing organisation in the innovation process are customer demands, new purchasing models, falling prices, early supply involvement, collaborative ventures, customer-supplier value chain and post release improvements (Ahmed and Shepherd, 2010, pg. 474). Anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need is considered as a product. (Find another definition of PRODUCT) Yotel products, as any hospitality, events and tourism products, are service products delivering intangible experiences. Hospitality products are very diverse and customers are involved in the production process. Since people are part of the product process, these kinds of products are harder to evaluate. (Write about Scope of Hospitality products Hospitality Business Development) A new product is A good, service or idea that is perceived by some potential customers as new (Kotler et al., 2004, p.215). In simple terms innovation refers to any good, service or idea that is perceived by someone as novel or new (Kotler et al., 2002, p.215). A new product is a product being introduced to the market for the first time as a result of invention, innovation or improvement ( Keegan et al., 1995, p.418) (Change this definition) YOTEL CASE STUDIES http://unicenta.net/casestudy_yotel.aspx http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/feature/1843555/case-study-yotel http://www.lorientuk.com/case-studies/yotel-london/ http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/07/0720_budget_lodging/15.htm

Aravind Eye Hospital, India: Mission and Vision

Aravind Eye Hospital, India: Mission and Vision Aravind Eye Hospital:Â  Improving Lives One Eye at a Time A Brief Introduction Imagine having the world as you know it cease to exist, the things you once saw be erased, and having no hope to gain control of your life. This is how life for many people in India once was, and how it still is for some even today. A cataract, a curable infliction of the eye, has attacked men and women of every age, sparing no one, not even a child. They build up in size over time, and leave many blind. Once struck, the individual in question can no longer work, and has no way to take care of themselves, making them entirely dependent on their family for support. Living in an already impoverished area, blindness has dire consequences, resulting in many cases of premature death. There is a simple procedure that can reverse the effects of cataracts and return sight to the user. However, this surgery is too costly for some to afford. In India, a country with an extremely high poverty rate, cataracts had become a major problem for the inhabitants. Cataracts have left millions to suffer with an unnecessary disability, but one man came about to challenge its hold on the people of India. Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy revolutionized the medical field of eye care, and built a health institution that would allow everyone afflicted to get the help they needed, despite their ability to pay. This case analysis examines that institution, how it came into existence, how it operates, its creator, and the general background of the country of origination. Poverty and Healthcare in India Poverty is one of the biggest social issues in India. According to the Indian government, of its nearly 1 billion inhabitants, an estimated 260.3 million are below the poverty line. More than 75% of these poor people reside in impoverished villages (Azad, 2008). The causes of rural poverty include inadequate and ineffective implementation of anti-poverty programs, and the unavailability of irrigational facilities. The poor irrigation systems result in crop-failure and low agricultural productivity, forcing farmers into a debt-trap. Economic development since independence has been lopsided. There has been an increase in unemployment rates that have forced many people into a state of poverty, and the population continues to grow at an alarming rate (Economy, 2009). Overpopulation of an already scarce job field has kept many individuals trapped by poverty. India has a Universal Health Care System operated by the government, like many other industrialized countries. The governmental hospitals offer health care to the masses at the tax-payers expense. The Indian government set up the health care system to help people who are below the poverty line, but many people have problems using the hospitals. One reason for this is the fact that there are an extremely low number of medical practitioners available for the people. Another reason is that most public hospitals are inefficient, and provide poor quality medical services to their patients. Quality could be better, but public hospitals generally only provide basic treatment, and have lower quality equipment to perform with. Inefficiency in the system is caused by the imbalance between medical providers and the needy population. For example, although India requires more than 74,000 hospitals to satisfy demand, it just has about 37,000 health care centers (Liberty, 2009). Due to the impoverished peoples lack of resources, they cannot afford to go to a private eye hospital to get their cataracts removed. And because of the limited availability and help from government hospitals, and their inability to perform eye surgery, most individuals are left with no choice but to remain blind. This in turn adds to the increasing rate of unemployment, as it is difficult for a blind person to get or maintain a job. And that leads to having even more people below the poverty line, as it is not only the individual in question, but their entire family as well. If there was a place they could go to be treated, it would help stop the cycle of poverty, and give them a fighting chance to live. Enter the Vision, Aravind Eye Hospital Aravind Eye Hospital has risen from its humble beginnings to promote eye health not only in India, but also throughout the world. Doctor Govindappa Venkataswamy, along with his sister and brother-in-law, started Aravind in 1976 (Maurice, 2001). This eye hospital was first opened in a rented house that contained only ten beds. The three founders were the only doctors at Aravind when it first opened. Since then it has grown little by little each year. This hospital has grown into a five-story building that is located in Madurai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This particular hospital now contains 1,900 beds. As of 2001, approximately 1.5 million blind people have left this one hospital with their sight completely restored. In addition to this, Aravind Eye Hospital has now expanded into a total of five hospitals throughout India (Maurice, 2001). The Aravind franchise includes a hospital created specifically to help restore sight to children (Maurice, 2001). The Internationa l Institute for Community Ophthalmology, which is a part of Aravind Eye Hospital, trains eye care workers from low-income countries. There is a medical research foundation as well as an eye bank that handles about 900 corneas a year that are associated with Aravind. Aurolab is a manufacturing facility that makes lenses, pharmaceuticals, and surgery supplies for Aravind (Maurice, 2001). Aravind Eye Hospital later branched out and opened Aurolab, despite disagreements from the Indian government, because imported intraocular lenses, IOLs, were too expensive for low-income patients to afford (Shah, 2004). Aurolab makes approximately 700,000 IOLs each year (Maurice, 2001). These IOLs are then sold, not only to Aravind but to eye care facilities in over eighty countries, for a price that is ten times less expensive than the same quality of IOLs used in western countries (Maurice, 2001). Aurolab also manufactures spectacles, sutures, and medications along with the IOLs, to sell to the hosp itals for reduced costs (Chang, 2004). The Aravind group worked with approximately 1.3 million patients in 2000 (Maurice, 2001). This is about 85-90% more than most other hospitals in India. Also, Aravind holds mobile eye camps throughout the year to raise eye care awareness in India (Maurice, 2001). These eye camps screen villagers on a Sunday, then bus the patients into Aravind in the evening (Chang, 2004). The surgeries are then performed on Monday. There are usually 300-400 cases on Mondays, with the record being 500 cases (Chang, 2004). Most eye surgeons in the world perform less than 350 surgeries each year. At Aravind, the average number of surgeries per doctor is 2000 per year. Aravind looks to multiply its benefits by hiring and training local doctors and surgeons. Even though Aravind pays slightly more than the government hospitals, seven to ten doctors leave each year. The reason is, since Aravind is nonprofit organization, it is unable to compete pay wise with private practice institutions (Maurice, 2001). The Path to Aravind As previously mentioned, Aravind was founded by Govindappa Venkataswamy, who is commonly known as Dr. V (Maurice, 2001). Dr. V does not view his job as work, but rather as something that he is excited to be able to do. According to Dr. V, if there is something you can do, you should do it. Dr. V was born in 1918 and died at the age of 87 on July 7, 2006 (Govindappa, 2009). He received a Bachelors of Arts in chemistry from American College in Madurai in 1938. Then, in 1944, he received a doctor of medicine from Stanley Medical College in Madras. Finally in his education he received a doctor of ophthalmology from the Government Ophthalmic Hospital in Madras in 1951. From 1976 until his death in 2006, Dr. V was the chairman of Aravind Eye Hospital. In 1956 he was named the head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Government Madurai Medical College. At the same time, he was an eye surgeon at the Government Erksine Hospital. He held both of these positions for twenty years until his forced retirement from the government hospital in 1976 (Govindappa, 2009). Dr. V was partly influenced in the creation of Aravind by his mentor, the philosopher and mystic Sri Aurobindo, whom Dr. V was a disciple of for fifty years (Maurice, 2001). When Dr. V was asked about the influence of his mentor into Aravind, he made the following statement: You do your best in your job and higher ideas come to you, and then you try to realize those ideas too (Maurice, 2001). Dr. V was also motivated from his work at the government hospital (Shah, 2004). The government asked him to have four camps a year while he still worked with the government hospital in 1961. This also proved to be a part of his opportunity identification. He saw the number of patients attending rise each time the camp was held (Shah, 2004). The fact that eighteen million people are blind by curable cataracts worldwide is another part of Dr. Vs opportunity identification (Chang, 2004). This number is growing at an alarmi ng, nearly epidemic rate. Blindness causes reduced life expectancy, and productivity is lost for both for the blind as well as for those that care for them (Chang, 2004). Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy: A True Social Entrepreneur Dr. V had entrepreneurial quality, which is one of the four categories used to evaluate Ashoka nominees (Bornstein, 2004). People with entrepreneurial quality seek to change an entire field, not just get something done locally. People with this trait not only want to express their ideas, but they want to go out and be a part of solving the problems by executing their ideas (Bornstein, 2004). Dr. V has shown entrepreneurial quality through his work at standardizing the procedures for cataract surgery because this allowed the change to spread throughout the field, not just at his hospitals in India. Another way he has shown entrepreneurial quality is through the training that Aravind does for doctors in other countries. Finally, the fact that Dr. V did over 100,000 eye surgeries successfully himself shows that he was willing to be a part in executing his idea (Govindappa, 2009). The Six Qualities of Social Entrepreneurship Dr. V has also demonstrated the six qualities of a successful social entrepreneur as laid out by David Bornstein (2004). These six qualities are as follows: the willingness to self-correct, the willingness to share credit, the willingness to break free from established structures, the willingness to cross disciplinary boundaries, the willingness to work quietly, and a strong ethical impetus (Bornstein, 2004). Dr. V asked for help from business schools to on how to keep doctors from falling back into complacency at their own hospitals after completing training with Aravind (Shah, 2004). This shows his willingness to share credit because he publicly sought their help. It also shows his willingness to self-correct because when he saw the problem of doctors becoming complacent, even after receiving Aravinds training, he took active measures to fix the problem. He also shared credit with the other doctors that work with him, acknowledging the fact that Aravind could never have become such a success without the hard work put forth by everyone involved. And as mentioned earlier, the government was against the creation of Aurolab (Shah, 2004). By creating the facility anyway, Dr. V demonstrated his willingness to break free from established structures. Dr. V was able to cross disciplinary fields from medical and into manufacturing when he opened Aurolab. Also, by working privately at creating Aurolab and making it affordable, Dr. V demonstrated his ability to work quietly (Shah, 2004). Dr. V has repeatedly demonstrated his strong ethical impetus. During an interview Dr. V said that the focus of Aravind was on honesty and respecting the patients (Shah, 2004). Also, he said he tries to choose compassion over cost. This is exemplified when they spend more than the fixed charge for a patient because they do not charge the extra cost to the patient. R.D. Thularsiraj, the executive director of Aravind, says that Dr. V instituted a system of values into the hospital that has the effect of guiding their work to wanting to help others and away from focusing too much on money (Maurice, 2001). Finally, Dr. V has capacity building programs that basically work to instill integrity and quality into new hospitals (Shah, 2004). Structuring Sustainability, the Core of Aravind Dr. V wanted to reach those who had not been reached before, and help the poverty stricken individuals, who without his help, would not be able to see. He removed barriers, promoted community involvement, and had a growing market model for healthcare. Even after his death, his dream is still living on. Aravind continues to explore new approaches to the primary eye care market, and continuously seeks new innovations to help the population. When opening the first hospital in Madurai, in Tamil Nadu, his sister and her husband, both eye surgeons, joined Dr. V in his efforts. To cut costs, all three doctors took significant pay cuts since bankers would not finance a clinic that, regardless of ability to pay, gives eye care to the rich and poor. Dr. V even mortgaged his house to get the necessary finances to start the hospital. Within a year, all the efforts paid off and the hospital quadrupled in size. There are now five Aravind Eye Hospitals, and all are self sustaining, thanks to a blueprint copying system that has allowed for easier knowledge transfusion throughout the hospital chain. Dr. V took the unusual step of asking even poor patients to pay whenever they could, believing that the volume of paying business, which amounts to approximately 30% of clients, would sustain the rest (Aravind, 2007). Two thirds of patients receive the free outpatient services, while paying patients receiving additional amenities, such as private rooms for extended recovery, and hot meals. The profit made from every one paying customer covers the costs of two patients that cannot pay. Aravind is famous for its fee structure. The consultations are free for poor patients while others pay 50 Rs (their currency, approximately $1 US). Impoverished patients can be expected to pay as little as nothing, or up to 250 Rs, which is as much as they can spare. A subsidized rate is 750 Rs (approximately $15 US). The regular patient fee, which is aimed for middle income patients, is 3,500-6,000 Rs. For a Phaco surgery, the rate is 6,500-12,000 Rs (Saravana,2002). This is a need based transparent financial system, and it is this kind of trust and care Aravind has built that attracts paying patients. The lower than market cost for even the paying patients, at least 25% lower, attracts them also. The Business Model of Aravind Aravind Eye Hospital operates with a business model unlike that of any other business in the health care industry, bearing striking similarities to the fast food industry instead. Dr. V. was impressed with how a chain like McDonalds could offer the same quality product no matter where you went, and still get it to you quickly (Health, 2007). He became adamant about the fact that a hospital could be run under the same principle, and trained his employees to treat large amounts of people without sacrificing quality. Today, Aravinds network of hospitals has the distinction of being the most productive eye care organization in the world in terms of surgical volume and the number of patients treated. The success of Aravinds business model is dependent on numbers, as it is the high-volume of low cost procedures that offsets the costs associated with delivering such a high quality service. In order to reach more patients, Aravind Eye Hospital advertises its services heavily, and is benefite d by the positive word of mouth that has quickly spread about them. They have also implemented technology that allows his staff to serve people that are not able to come to the hospital; they do this by video conferencing, instant messaging, online patient questionnaires, and through the use of web cams. One example of how they have used technology to help their business can be seen through the internet kiosks the place in remote villages. Here, they have women trained to take pictures of the patients eyes using a webcam, then they send the images to the Doctor along with the filled out patient questionnaire. The doctor then receives the file via e-mail almost instantaneously, and is able to interact with the patient through an online chat program. This is made possible because of collaboration with the University of Berkeley Information Technology center, with a low cost Wi-Fi connection. This provides access to the patient, and a remarkable cost reduction. This also allows the sta ff to provide consultations with people who would otherwise not be able to make it to the hospital, and makes it easier for the team to transfer information between each other (Aravind, 2007). What Makes Aravind Different A core part of Aravinds model is to never turn away a patient due to economic reasons. In fact, it has even been recorded that Dr. V once accepted a chicken as payment for surgery. The goal of Aravind is to help as many people as they can, not to make a profit. Their business model is formatted in a way that provides a level of self-sustainability that allows them to use all income towards expanding their processes, improving their work, and keeping services free to those who need them. Dr. V set up this model believing that people will pay when they can, even if its months after their surgery. Aravinds business model originally focused on just eye surgery and care, but after time it expanded into manufacturing in order to create low cost lenses. This change in the model was necessary because importing the lenses from the West was too expensive, and in order to comply with their vision of providing eye care to the disadvantaged, they needed to come up with a way to lower costs. Anoth er way they have put into their system to help them reach more clients is by using a two tiered pricing structure. Wealthy people are expected to contribute more, and for every one paid surgery, Aravind can afford to do many free surgeries. And because Aravind is the best eye hospital in the region, wealthy people choose to go there. In order to maintain maximum levels of efficiency and resource usage, the hospital staff performs just their specific specialization, and the surgery procedures themselves are standardized. And to make sure that all who want to go to Aravind are able to, the clinic provides buses that pick people up in the morning, and then drive them back to their communities after the day is over (Shah, 2009). Before the patients are brought to the hospital, they must go through an eye screening at their local community, using one of the internet kiosks as mentioned earlier. They are then evaluated, and transported to the hospital if it appears that surgery or a live consultation will be necessary. This process is promoted, organized, and financially backed by local business leaders. In keeping staffing cost low, Aravind recruits locally. The majority of the staff is from local villages. Being trained and having grown up in the same community as they will be working, they share the dream of the hospital. And since local wages expectations and cost of living are low, the hospital can pay these individuals less than individuals coming from out of the country. The medical staff is also trained, not only for a job, but a prestigious life long career. For each surgeon, the hospital has four highly trained paramedics for support. Aravind Eye Hospitals ophthalmologists are linked with video conferencing with their Vision Centers technicians for each patient. Expanding their business model, Aravind ventured into lens production. They now have a factory that can produce parts at low-cost prices. Compared to the $200 for imported lenses, they produce these for about $5 at their home factory (Dan, 2008). Now, because of outside funding they export their products to over 80 countries. Their method to production lens was branched out to produce other products such as blades, instruments, sutures, and pharmaceuticals. They can produce these products for fractions of what the western world can, and make a handsome profit. This also cuts costs on buying them from somewhere else. The income gained from the paying patients contributes to approximately 20% of the budget. The other income comes from the production of manufactured products and the provision of training and consultations. In order to retain a sustainable operation Aravind is constantly looking to improve. Since they adopted many technologies earlier than other hospitals they are remain ing high in breakthrough technology. They utilize their technology to communicate easier with fellow staff members, patients, partners, and other hospitals across the globe. Aravind has regular reviews of their system, and follows up on executive decisions to ensure they stick to their intended model. But they are always looking for new ways to better themselves, and to grow. Scalability of the Aravind Model The Aravind System has a great approach to overcoming obstacles in the cataract surgery industry. The main characteristic of the Aravind model is that they provide quality care at prices that everyone can afford. They are self sustaining, yet still able to provide their services to the poor and rich alike. Their business model stresses a maximum use of all resources. This is all achieved by their high volume quality, and a well structured system. The Aravind model can be replicated in countries with inexpensive labor. For example, the model would work well in Asia or underprivileged areas in Africa. Their model will work well if you have a large population with a social need, and if you can find doctors who are willing to operate many times daily. Also, to be financially stable there must be enough revenue to cover the free services from the paying ones. The cost of the service cannot be too high. In order for the need-based service to work, there must be incentives to paying. The people at Aravind pay because they want to have a bed in a private room with air conditioning, or the other amenities that they offer. Aravind eliminated non-beneficial activities and wait time. By having standardized protocols of clinical procedures, activities, and administrative measures, it cuts down on the error count and makes procedures more efficient. The surgeons do not do tasks such as preparing patients, taking measurements, or diagnostic s testing, this is all done by trained assistants. Letting the surgeons focus on just the surgical procedure itself. It cuts down on transition time between surgeries. The state of the art technology requires surgeons to exhibit less energy, and allows them to operate more times per day. Since surgeons average 1700 more surgeries than the national average, there are many benefits to being an Aravind surgeon. Surgeons here do not only want to make a difference in the lives of the people, but by performing many more surgeries than they would otherwise, they are also bettering themselves. Aravind has reached over 200 hospitals through their consultancy process, and they hope to reach many more in the near future. The Aravind model makes scalability in developing nations limitless through their fee system, management techniques, high aspirations, and quality of care. From the David Bornsteins book example of blueprint copying, Aravind wants to be used as an example. They want their techniques, management protocols, and philosophies to be copied by others, as well as they have in making their hospitals across India. Just as the Grameen Banks idea of Micro-credit has spread to numerous lending programs, Aravinds basic model, a 250-bed hospital was adopted in Mumbai, Kolkata and Nepal hospitals. Also, the Indian government is adopting Aravinds medical protocol doctrine for their training centers around the country. Aravinds goal is to be an example of efficient management and inexpensive care to patients, since any ophthalmologist can provide eye care, but can only sustai n affordability to the masses as long as it is managed properly. This is their new focus called Managed Eye Hospitals. In the long term, according to their website, they want to affect a larger population, by exceeding 100 eye care hospitals spreading to other parts of the world. They want to be an example for other health care hospitals to become more efficient, and to grow and thrive. Aravinds ultimate goal is to join together with others to help eliminate treatable blindness entirely by the year 2020 (Aravind, 2009). A Bittersweet Critique It is hard to critique a social business, as we try to negate or justify the flaws in the system by contrasting it with the good it does for the public. However, a company, no matter how well intentioned, cannot grow to its full potential if not given the criticism necessary to improve their system. In this section, we will first explain the flaws we found within Aravind and how we believe they might negatively affect the company in the future. Then we will explain some of the great benefits or pros of Aravind, and how we believe they will perform in the future. The Bad The business model of Aravind, although scalable, is very reliant upon having a strong client base. In particular, it needs a constant influx of paying customers to negate the costs incurred by offering their services for free or for extremely reduced prices. The location of new ventures is also a factor of success for the model to work, as their structure involves hiring local residents to work in the hospitals. If the quality of workers is diminished in the area attempted, then the Aravind system will not run as efficiently or effectively as intended. Also, it would cost them more to bring in employees from outside the area, which would raise the overall cost level, and reduce their ability to offer their services to the impoverished people of the area. Another flaw in the Aravind system is the high turnover rate they must deal with. Doctors come from all over the globe to train in these hospitals, as they perform more surgeries in a day than they would otherwise perform in a few m onths time. But since Aravind is trying to operate on as small a cost budget as possible, they cannot afford to pay their staff rates that are high enough to compete with private practice firms. One final flaw we saw when examining Aravind, was the fact that they make staff members work even when they are sick. Although this is done to keep production up, it also makes room for errors, and contagion. The dedication seen by the employees is admirable, but when sick, you should not be performing any service in the medical field. The Good Aravind has greatly enlarged the social impact they have on society by not only providing a necessary service to meet one of their healthcare needs, but also by creating jobs and hiring locally. This is seen both with Aravind hospitals and with their manufacturing plant, Aurolab. Aravind could easily outsource to get employees and resources, but instead they choose to continue helping the social sector in their respective areas. And even though Aravind Eye Hospitals treat more patients than any other eye care facility in the world, they continue to advertise their service across the country in order to find and serve more individuals. They are actively seeking out their target market instead of waiting for them to come to them. Eye camps, kiosks, and bus runs have been created by the Aravind system to get them closer to their market, and physically bring their clients in. Their use of technology allows them to consult and share their practices with hospitals worldwide, and increases productivity among staff members, and allows them to reach the population that cannot make it into the hospitals. Aravind Eye Hospitals have created an efficient and effective service that best serves the social sector, and provides much needed help to the economically disadvantaged and blind population. And because Aravind is renowned worldwide for its innovation in the field, technical excellence, and operational efficiency, it attracts new ophthalmologists to the system. Once these new surgeons get trained in the Aravind way, it betters the surgeon himself because of the massive amount of surgeries he will complete, and it also extends the Aravind practice into even more hospitals across the globe. We believe that Aravind is doing an excellent job so far, and has a very sustainable model. They have been critical in their decision making thus far, and we feel confident that they will only become stronger as time goes by. This will hit a cap at some point though, as Aravind gets closer to reaching its vision of curing all the worlds treatable blindness, their market will start to decline. Once demand sinks low enough, the current model used by Aravind will become useless, and they will need to undergo some major revisions to their model. Overall though, it really is an excellent business model, and is doing a great deal of good for the people of India. Work Citations Azad India Foundation: http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/poverty-in-india.html Economy Watch: http://www.economywatch.com/indianeconomy/poverty-in-india.html Reason For Liberty: http://www.reasonforliberty.com/current-affairs/indian-health-care-an-overview.html Bornstein, David. How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2004. Print. Chang, David F. Three programs offer hope. (Cover story). Ophthalmology Times 34.9 (2009): 1-43. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. Govindappa Venkataswamy, MD (deceased). ASCRS: The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. 2009. ASCRS. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. Maurice, J. Restoring sight to the millionsthe Aravind way. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 79.3 (2001): 270. CINAHL. EBSCO. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. Shah, Janat, and L. S. Murty. Compassionate, High Quality Health Care at Low Cost: The Aravind Model. IIMB Management Review 16.3 (2004): 31-43. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. Aravind Eye Hospitals: http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:-V-GZ0L9JZMJ:www.aravind.org/tribute/A%2520Man%2520Who%2520Saved%25202.4%2520Million%2520Eyes.pdf+aravind+eye+hospital+business+modelcd=7hl=enct=clnkgl=us Health Scribe Media: http://health.scribemedia.org/2007/01/03/aravind-eye-clinic/ Saravanan, S., Organisational Capacity Builting- A Model Developed by Aravind Eye Care System http://laico.org, retrieved on 11-29-2009, http://laico.org/v2020resource/files/capacity_build.pdf. Dan, Sorin A.,ARAVIND EYE HOSPITAL:Assignment Public Managementhttp://www.people.umass.edu, retrieved on 11-27-2009. http://www.people.umass.edu/sdan/projectspapers/Aravind.pdf. Last opened 11/29/2009.

Women in Ywain by Chrétien de Troyes Essay -- Papers Essays

Women in Ywain by Chrà ©tien de Troyes In Chrà ©tien de Troyes' Ywain, women represent the moral virtue and arch of all mid-evil civilization. Women of this time had to be an object of love, which meant they had to have beauty, goodness, and be truthful. They had to be a representative of all chivalrous ideals. They also act as civilizing influences throughout the story. Women are put in the story to give men a reason for acting brave and noble. Men become knights in order to demonstrate to women that they are strong and capable of defending themselves against danger. This, they hope, will win the women's heart. In medieval times, the first-born son of a landowner is entitled to his father's estate, while other sons and daughters are not given anything. Knights are usually not the first-born son, and thusly do not receive any grants of land from their father. If a landowner only has a daughter, she becomes an heiress, and inherits her fathers land but has to find a husband to take over this land. A knight's dream is to marry a wealthy heiress, and become a landown...

The Horrors of War in Wilfred Owens Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est Essay e

The Horrors of War in Wilfred Owen's Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est From the earliest records of history, accounts of war have been portrayed as valiant acts of heroism. Children and adults alike have gathered together to hear tales of war and its glory. From the stories of Alexander the Great to recent-day movies like Saving Private Ryan, war has been praised and exalted with words such as bravery, honor, and freedom. However, Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" shows the ugly, horrible side of fighting. By use of gripping words and vivid descriptions, Owen paints incredible pictures of what World War I was really like. He tears away the glory and drama and reveals the real essence of fighting: fear, torture, and death. No longer are we left with good feelings and pretty phrases like "Liberty and justice for all!" Instead, our hearts grieve over what these soldiers had to suffer through. Every line of the poem rebuts the Roman poet Horace's quotation: "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori--It is sweet and becoming to die for one's country." T he poem employs three different devices that work together to refute the belief that war is heroic and glorious: the speaker's descriptions, his similes, and his memories. First, the narrator's descriptions are clear and effective, leaving no dispute about what the soldiers had to endure with trenches and mustard gas. The poem does not use vague descriptions such as "It was terrible and horrible." Instead, the fifth and sixth lines read: "Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots / But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind." Right away, the reader can almost see the weary soldiers heading "towards [their] distant rest." They are so weary that some are sleeping while... ...ys will be a terrible, terrible thing. In conclusion, "Dulce et Decorum Est" is a magnificent tapestry of poetry. By the speaker's descriptions, similes, and memories, Owen weaves reality and memories together to create a masterpiece. Through the speaker, Owen seems to express his grief over those who have died fighting. He sees no glory in men dying horrible deaths from mustard gas, writhing with pain and agony. No, he does not feel that it is sweet or becoming to die for one's country. His opinion is expressed throughout the whole poem. Yet, his poem is not one of beauty. It has no pleasant words or pleasing sounds; it does not bring good feelings or happy smiles. But it is one of truth, the truth about war. Works Cited: Owen, Wilfred. â€Å"Dulce Et Docorum Est.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M. H. Abrams. New York: Norton & Company, 2000.

System Analysis and Design Life Cycle Essay

There are nine parts to the system analysis and design life cycle. The first three stages are about gathering information. The first part of the cycle is initiation. This is when someone identifies a need or an opportunity. The second part of the cycle is the system concept development, which defines the scope or the boundary of the concepts. Next is the planning stage. During this stage the project management plan and other planning documentation is developed. This will be the basis for acquiring the resources needed to achieve a solution. The next three stages are about the actual design. The fourth stage is the requirements analysis. This is where the functional requirements document is created in which user needs are analyzed and user requirements are developed. The fifth stage, which is self-explanatory, is the design stage. This is where the systems design documents are created from the detailed requirements, focusing on how to deliver the required functionality. The sixth stage is the development stage. This is the part where the design is transformed into a complete information system. The final three stages are where everything comes together. During the integration and testing stage the developed system are tested to see if they perform as designed. Stage eight is implementation. This includes the implementation preparation and the implementation of the system into a production environment and the solution to any of the problems found in the integration and testing stage. Everything being discovered has a system in place. Following the steps above, with a little tweaking toward our goal, gives us a template to develop a successful database. When I type â€Å"Resolution Analysis† into the search bar, I get heading such as â€Å"Requirements Analysis – Software To Track All Requirements†, â€Å"Amazon.com: Getting It Right: Business Requirement Analysis Tools†, â€Å"Exploring Alternatives During Requirements An alysis†, and â€Å"Sociotechnical Requirements Analysis for Clinical Systems†.

Blood Imagery in Macbeth

Blood Imagery in Macbeth Imagine a war without guns, missiles, or bombs. A war with swords, daggers, and arrows. A war with blood, gallons and gallons of blood flooding the battlefields. Set in eleventh century Anglo-Saxon Scotland, this would be the typical battle scene in Shakespeare’s bloody tragedy, Macbeth. In Macbeth Shakespeare presents a bloody tale of an age-old struggle for power when Macbeth, the play’s protagonist, and his wife plan to kill Duncan, Scotland’s current beloved king, after hearing a prophecy told by three evil witches proclaiming Macbeth to be the new king.The higher Macbeth rises to the throne the deeper he slips into a bottomless pool of the blood of those who dared stand in his way. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare uses images of blood as a means of symbolism, using multiple recurrences of blood imagery to promote the primary feelings of â€Å"fear, honor, and pain† (Spurgeon 115). As a symbol blood ultimately â€Å"covers ever ything Macbeth has touched† in many ways â€Å"both qualitative and quantitative† that â€Å"real blood† is unable to do (Mack 53).As the play progresses the symbolism changes and transforms from honor to betrayal and ultimately to guilt and revenge. Macbeth begins as a courageous hero in the midst of battle. A â€Å"bloody man† in King Duncan’s court tells a story of a bloody battle in which Macbeth fulfills the role of the hero (1. 2. 1). On the verge of bleeding out the Captain manages to â€Å"paint Macbeth’s valor† despite his blood flooding the King’s court (â€Å"Character Profile† 193). Images of the Captain, a man mortally wounded protecting Duncan’s son Malcolm in battle, smothered in his own blood gives a symbol of an honorable death.While the Captain lay dying, he still goes on about Macbeth unseaming an opponent from â€Å"the nave to th’ chops,† building King Duncan’s trust in Mac beth (1. 2. 18-23). After the three witches visit Macbeth and Banquo, Macbeth tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, of the promises the witches mentioned. Hearing her husband’s prophecy to be king, Lady Macbeth begins plotting the murder of the current reigning king, Duncan. She calls upon spirits to â€Å"make thick† her blood and stop the â€Å"access and passage to remorse,† so that she can murder Duncan without regret (1. . 44-45). Wishing her ability to regret her actions to be replaced with â€Å"direst cruelty† leaves Lady Macbeth believing that she and her husband will be able to kill Duncan with no remorse (1. 5. 44). While Macbeth contemplates his wife’s treasonous plan, he sees a dagger before him covered in â€Å"gouts† of King Duncan’s blood (2. 1. 46). The blood and dagger are not real, though Macbeth believes they are, but instead they are a vision that Macbeth sees before the â€Å"bloody business† (2. 1. 48).These bloo d images convey a symbol of betrayal as well as treason. Murdering Duncan involves Macbeth betraying his trusting cousin and committing treason against Scotland. Immediately after Macbeth kills Duncan, he is â€Å"rigid with horror at his â€Å"blood-stained hands† (Spurgeon 115). The â€Å"endless red of the blood† on his hands is all Macbeth can focus on (Campbell 130). Seeing the blood on his hands begins amplifying the guilt, sending him into shock, forcing Lady Macbeth to smear the â€Å"grooms with blood† (Campbell 130-131).Lady Macbeth plans to shift the light of guilt from her and her husband to the guards who were supposed to keep watch over the noble king. Using Duncan’s blood to â€Å"gild† the guard’s faces Lady Macbeth transforms blood into a physical symbol of guilt (2. 2. 55). Lennox, a Scottish nobleman, reports on the scene of Duncan’s death describing the guard’s faces to be â€Å"badged with blood† an d their daggers â€Å"unwiped† (2. 3. 104-105). Because they are covered in the king’s â€Å"golden blood† the alleged murderers are â€Å"steeped in the colors of their trade† (2. 3. 114-117).Bloody stains of the hands and hearts of Macbeth and his wife and the blood that covers the faces and weapons of the guards becomes a physical symbol of guilt. The guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is hidden from others while the guilt of the guards is painted on their faces. Macbeth is fully aware that he is totally consumed by the blood of his murderous deeds. He states that his hands are stained with blood from the murder of Duncan. As the play progresses, the guilt of Macbeth multiplies as the amount of blood on his hands continues to grow, becoming a symbol of Macbeth’s guilt.Each death at the hands of Macbeth causes the stain of red to expand from his hands and spread all over him, â€Å"from head to foot†, symbolizing his growing guilt that beco mes more inescapable (McElroy 46). As time goes on after the murder, Lady Macbeth begins to slowly unravel into insanity. She is haunted by memories â€Å"deeply etched in fear† (Campbell 131). One of these memories is the scene of Duncan’s death she recalls the shock of the â€Å"old to have had so much blood in him† as well as the idea that her hands will never be clean (5. 1. 42-43).Walking in her sleep, Lady Macbeth finds a spot on her hand that she is unable to wash clean, a symbol of her eternal guilt. Bloody memories push Lady Macbeth into the waiting hands of insanity through the guilt that she feels. Images such as â€Å"the blood upon her hands,† and Duncan â€Å"bleeding so much blood,† feed Lady Macbeth’s guilt, causing it to continue to grow from guilt to deeply embedded fear, and finally to pure insanity (Campbell 132). With the murderous and wicked deed of the evil tyrant and his wife come plans of revenge and vengeance.Malcol m and Macduff, both having had horrid injustices done unto them, plan to take action to seize the throne from the wicked tyrant, Macbeth. With Malcolm’s father’s murder and the massacre of Macduff’s family, the two men have burning passions for vengeance. In the country near Dunsinane, Scottish nobleman, Mentieth, tells that Malcolm and Macduff are coming to Scotland with Malcolm’s uncle Siward and the English powers. He explains that â€Å"revenge burns† in both Malcolm and Macduff and that they come for revenge for Scotland, Duncan, and Macduff’s family (5. . 2). The bloody deeds of Macbeth drive Malcolm and Macduff toward their goal of reclaiming Scotland. Malcolm describes the bloody state Macbeth has driven Scotland to as a country that â€Å"sinks beneath the yoke† (4. 3. 39). He claims Scotland â€Å"weeps†, â€Å"bleeds† and â€Å"each new day a gash / Is added to her wounds† (4. 3. 40-41). The personifica tion of Scotland as a living being adds to the imagery of cuts and bloody gashes, upholding Malcolm’s need to avenge his father’s death and reclaim his father’s throne.The gruesome murder of Macduff’s family provided him with â€Å"the most natural of motives for revenge† and brought Macduff to the â€Å"impersonal role of Scotland’s avenger† (Felperin 104). In the final act of Macbeth blood comes to symbolize a mean for revenge. It is the bloody acts of the evil Macbeth that drive the good men of Scotland to revolt against Macbeth’s rule, and ultimately in the reclaiming of their homeland and the death of Macbeth at the hands of Macduff. The final scenes of Macbeth transform the symbol of blood to one of revenge.It is bloody acts that lead both Malcolm and Macduff to seek revenge against the tyrant along side the noble men of Scotland who wish to regain their homeland. ? Works Cited Campbell, Lily B. â€Å"Macbeth: A Study in Fear. † â€Å"Macbeth. † Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. , 1999. 126-135. Print. â€Å"Character Profile. † â€Å"Macbeth†. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publisher, 2005. 193-197. Print. Felperin, Howard. â€Å"A Painted Devil: Macbeth. † William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth. † Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 91-112. Print.Mack, Maynard. â€Å"Literary and Political References in Macbeth. † â€Å"Macbeth. † Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. , 1999. 45-57. Print. McElroy, Bernard. â€Å"Macbeth: The Torture of the Mind. † â€Å"Macbeth. † Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publisher, 2005. 27-52. Print. Shakespeare, William, and Sylvan Barnet. The Tragedy of Macbeth. New York: Signet Classic, 1998. Print. Spurgeon, Caroline F. E.. â€Å"Shakespeare’s Imagery Heightens Emotions. † â€Å"Macbeth. â €  Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. , 1999. 107-117. Print. Word Count: 1,223