Monday, September 30, 2019

Classical Music Criticism and Judgment Essay

Classical music is one kind of the art music from various style of music. On Oxford Dictionary give the meaning of classical music as serious music following long-established principles rather than a folk, jazz, or popular tradition, and even give more specifically meaning by the period of music(since the music has 6 periods; middle age, renaissance, baroque, classic, romantic and contemporary) that classical music is the music written in the European tradition during a period lasting approximately from 1750 to 1830, when forms such as the symphony, concerto, and sonata were standardized. How do we judge the classical music, and what is the musical value of classical music? I think this is the hard thing to critics about the good or bad of the things that we call it as one kind of art. We could analyze music by their elements such as the musical form, the harmony, the rhythm, orchestration, register of that piece etc. But also the problems is everyone has different taste and also some have the same taste too such as one composer love the way dominant chord run to sub median chord and then resolve to dominant again then end with tonic chord but another one like the way to begin the phrase with sub median then dominant for two bars to extend the dominant longer (could call it as dominant prolongation) until tonic in the last bar. The question is what is the best chord progression of those two ideas? , and how do we judge what is the best chord progression? And interesting question is how do we judge that one piece copy from any other pieces? Another example is if we judge one of the phrases in symphony no. 9 by Beethoven â€Å"Ode to Joy† as the best phrase that compound with many good melodies, best chord progression and orchestration and great idea to add choir to that movement but there is also a question that who judge that this phrase is the best. How do they judge? , and what is the material that they use to judge this kind of classical music to make it the best of Beethoven’s pieces? The Best music in all kind of area not only includes by best music by creativity composers but also has to have best performers that can perform the best performances too. In classical music the performers have to do analyze and interpretation the music that they will perform, have to know the period of that music so they could play as the style of each period, have to practice in the right way to gain more techniques to their muscles to control their musical instrument, have to perform as natural as possible like they are speaking, eating or walking. The best performers have to bring all emotions and energy from the music that is just a music note on the paper to touch their audiences’ heart. The problems are what is the best performance? , and how do we judge the performance? As a classical guitarist I used to compete in one competition. All juries have to fill in the form for all competitors there topics are Technique, Dynamics, Balancing, Precision and Rhythm, Style and Expression, and Stage Performance. Maybe those topics could judge the best performance but the problem I could see was one song that I performed called Marley’s Ghost by Andrew York the main part of first section was the melody on the bass line. One of jury wrote on the Balancing blog that I played too loud but another on said I played too soft so I got the question that who is correct? This could show that it is hard to judge the best performance. It is depend on what do you like? What is your feeling? What are the things that you used to experiences. At last the way we critic and judge classical music could be judge from both quality of pieces and the quality of performance. The performers should know the aesthetic of composers who composed the songs that they will perform so they can perform in the way right way from performers’ interpretation. And definitely the listeners will judge it by their experience and feeling.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Categories of Music Essay

1. What is a symphony? A symphony is an elaborate musical composition for full orchestra, typically in four movements. 2. What is a sonata? How is it related to the sonata form? A sonata is a large-scale composition that is played rather than sung. 3. What is a coda? A coda will use music from the movement, typically doesn’t does not add anything to the â€Å"argument†. 4. What are the three different parts of the sonata form? Describe each part. The three parts off sonata are Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation. Exposition is the first part of the sonata, where the composer will bring in or â€Å"expose†all of the music ideas. Development is the second part of the sonata, it is where the composer builds on the two themes from the exposition. Recapitulation is the third part of the sonata, it is where exposition is repeated. 5. What are the three different periods of Beethoven’s work? Describe each part. Critical Thinking Questions 1. What are the characteristics of the music of the Classical period? 2. How does the music of the Classical period differ from the music of the Baroque period? Baroque music tends to be for small chamber orchestras and is usually very  intricate, with many layers. Classical music tends to be for larger orchestras and for showing off virtuoso talents or entertainment rather than for praising God or presenting solemn tunes to kings, as much Baroque music was. 3. Choose one of the composers discussed in the lesson and listen to some of his work. Which pieces did you listen to? How would you describe these pieces of music? What makes the music characteristic of the Classical era? 4. What social and cultural influences impacted the music of the Classical period? Do you think today’s music is influenced by social and cultural factors? Why or why not? Both art and politics were great composers who knew what they were doing and their composings had amazing hits. 5. What was important about Vienna during the Classical period? Vienna was important during the Classical period because great civilization was developed in the past and actually in classical period.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Short Run and Long Run

A2 Markets & Market Systems Short Run and Long Run Production|   | As part of our introduction to the theory of the firm, we first consider the nature of production of different goods and services in the short and long run. The concept of a production functionThe production function is a mathematical expression which relates the quantity of factor inputs to the quantity of outputs that result. We make use of three measures of production / productivity. * Total product is simply the total output that is generated from the factors of production employed by a business.In most manufacturing industries such as motor vehicles, freezers and DVD players, it is straightforward to measure the volume of production from labour and capital inputs that are used. But in many service or knowledge-based industries, where much of the output is â€Å"intangible† or perhaps weightless we find it harder to measure productivity * Average product is the total output divided by the number of units of the variable factor of production employed (e. g. utput per worker employed or output per unit of capital employed) * Marginal product is the change in total product when an additional unit of the variable factor of production is employed. For example marginal product would measure the change in output that comes from increasing the employment of labour by one person, or by adding one more machine to the production process in the short run. The Short Run Production FunctionThe short run is defined in economics as a period of time where at least one factor of production is assumed to be in fixed supply i. e. it cannot be changed.We normally assume that the quantity of capital inputs (e. g. plant and machinery) is fixed and that production can be altered by suppliers through changing the demand for variable inputs such as labour, components, raw materials and energy inputs. Often the amount of land available for production is also fixed. The time periods used in textbook economics are somewhat arbitrary because they differ from industry to industry. The short run for the electricity generation industry or the telecommunications sector varies from that appropriate for newspaper and magazine publishing and small-scale production of foodstuffs and beverages.Much depends on the time scale that permits a business to alter all of the inputs that it can bring to production. In the short run, the law of diminishing returns states that as we add more units of a variable input (i. e. labour or raw materials) to fixed amounts of land and capital, the change in total output will at first rise and then fall. Diminishing returns to labour occurs when marginal product of labour starts to fall. This means that total output will still be rising – but increasing at a decreasing rate as more workers are employed.As we shall see in the following numerical example, eventually a decline in marginal product leads to a fall in average product. What happens to marginal product is linked directly to the productivity of each extra worker employed. At low levels of labour input, the fixed factors of production – land and capital, tend to be under-utilised which means that each additional worker will have plenty of capital to use and, as a result, marginal product may rise.Beyond a certain point however, the fixed factors of production become scarcer and new workers will not have as much capital to work with so that the capital input becomes diluted among a larger workforce. As a result, the marginal productivity of each worker tends to fall – this is known as the principle of diminishing returns. An example of the concept of diminishing returns is shown below. We assume that there is a fixed supply of capital (e. g. 20 units) available in the production process to which extra units of labour are added from one person through to eleven. Initially the marginal product of labour is rising. * It peaks when the sixth worked is employed when the mar ginal product is 29. * Marginal product then starts to fall. Total output is still increasing as we add more labour, but at a slower rate. At this point the short run production demonstrates diminishing returns. The Law of Diminishing Returns | Capital Input| Labour Input| Total Output| Marginal Product| Average Product of Labour| 20| 1| 5|   | 5| 20| 2| 16| 11| 8| 20| 3| 30| 14| 10| 20| 4| 56| 26| 14| 20| 5| 85| 28| 17| 20| 6| 114| 29| 19| 20| 7| 140| 26| 20| 0| 8| 160| 20| 20| 20| 9| 171| 11| 19| 20| 10| 180| 9| 18| 20| 11| 187| 7| 17| Average product will continue to rise as long as the marginal product is greater than the average – for example when the seventh worker is added the marginal gain in output is 26 and this drags the average up from 19 to 20 units. Once marginal product is below the average as it is with the ninth worker employed (where marginal product is only 11) then the average will decline. This marginal-average relationship is important to understanding the nature of short run cost curves.It is worth going through this again to make sure that you understand it. Criticisms of the Law of Diminishing ReturnsHow realistic is this notion of diminishing returns? Surely ambitious and successful businesses do what they can to avoid such a problem emerging. It is now widely recognised that the effects of globalisation, and in particular the ability of trans-national corporations to source their factor inputs from more than one country and engage in rapid transfers of business technology and other information, makes the concept of diminishing returns less relevant in the real world of business.You may have read about the expansion of â€Å"out-sourcing† as a means for a business to cut their costs and make their production processes as flexible as possible. In many industries as a business expands, it is more likely to experience increasing returns. After all, why should a multinational business spend huge sums on expensive research and development and investment in capital machinery if a business cannot extract increasing returns and lower unit costs of production from these extra inputs? Long run production – returns to scaleIn the long run, all factors of production are variable.How the output of a business responds to a change in factor inputs is called returns to scale. * Increasing returns to scale occur when the % change in output > % change in inputs * Decreasing returns to scale occur when the % change in output < % change in inputs * Constant returns to scale occur when the % change in output = % change in inputs *    A numerical example of long run returns to scale| Units of Capital| Units of Labour| Total Output| % Change in Inputs| % Change in Output| Returns to Scale| 20| 150| 3000|   |   |   | 0| 300| 7500| 100| 150| Increasing| 60| 450| 12000| 50| 60| Increasing| 80| 600| 16000| 33| 33| Constant| 100| 750| 18000| 25| 13| Decreasing| In the example above, we increase the inputs of capital and labour by the same proportion each time. We then compare the % change in output that comes from a given % change in inputs. * In our example when we double the factor inputs from (150L + 20K) to (300L + 40K) then the percentage change in output is 150% – there are increasing returns to scale. In contrast, when the scale of production is changed from (600L + 80K0 to (750L + 100K) then the percentage change in output (13%) is less than the change in inputs (25%) implying a situation of decreasing returns to scale. As we shall see a later, the nature of the returns to scale affects the shape of a business’s long run average cost curve. The effect of an increase in labour productivity at all levels of employment Productivity may have been increased through the effects of technological change; improved incentives; better management or the effects of work-related training which boosts the skills of the employed labour force. |

Friday, September 27, 2019

Budget Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Budget Analysis - Essay Example The budget can be used as a policy document, a financial plan, and even as a way to communicate to all departments. 2. There are many types of budget systems such as the zero-based budget, target budget, and management by objective. The zero-based budget is based on the idea that each year’s budget begins fresh. You start off each budget from scratch and work your way through it by going through each and every department. The target budget is a budget that is based on a goal. If you want to have a certain amount left in each account you basically work your way backwards. For example, if you want 200,000 in the capital budget account at the end of the year and only have 1,000,000 of revenue coming in then you would need to base all of the other expenditures on the difference or 800,000. The 800,000 would be the money left over to budget with since you want to have a certain amount left in the account at the end of the budget year. The management by objective is based on results . Management attempts to align the objectives and goals of their employees with the company’s overall goals and then measure their goals based on feasibility. Zero-based budgeting is used because it makes the most sense. Each year the city would analyze the prior year’s budget and come up with a variance report. ... The budget cycle is basically the process that each department goes through to make sure they have included everything in their budget. This may include preliminary meetings with the city manager and budget director to determine what is needed or necessary for the year. The budget cycle and calendar interact in tune with one another because the calendar basically dictates how much time each department has to go through their budget cycle. 4. The city’s budget process is greatly affected by the economic backgrounds of their citizens because the backgrounds determine what is needed within the city. If the city is primarily made up of individuals who drive all the time then it might determine how much money in street repairs are needed. If the city is constantly seeing an increase in children then it might determine that another school is needed. . 5. Revenue is any money coming into the city. The city has various revenue streams such as taxation, the sale of public services and property, transfers, borrowing, funds from other sectors such as grant giving foundations. The major source of income for most if not all cities is taxation. Taxes come in the form of sales tax and property tax. For the most part, the revenue from taxation can be predictable if there is little fluctuation in the population. If citizens are not homeowners then the property taxes would decline. 6. A fixed expense is an expense that does not change. This can be almost anything within the city’s budget such as equipment maintenance, salaries, etc. This fixed expense must be addressed before any other expenditures are added to the budget. Regardless of how much the other expenses are, the fixed

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 12

Business Ethics - Essay Example Along with this the management accountants also use the financial statements and the statements like cash flow, fund flow (which are not published in the annual reports) and they formulate a plan about the further steps that should be taken by the management so that the company can use the available resources optimally and can perform better. If the accountants doing fraudulent while preparing the statements then the objective of the company can be hampered. The external stakeholders would fail to take the right decisions and the management accountants can’t plan successfully. So protecting the interest of the stakeholders it is necessary to maintain the accounting ethics properly by the company management. The accounting bodies has prepared some rules, the companies are bound to maintain those rules for protecting the interest of the stakeholders. The paper describes the issue of ethics in accounting; the importance of the ethics rules of AICPA is also discussed. A case study will also be discussed by the researcher for depicting the importance of ethics in accounting. Doing fraud in the financial statements is an intentional activity for making the balance sheet stronger, for showing higher profit of the company in the financial year. For showing higher profit than the actual the accountants shows higher value, higher revenue. Enron, the company in the energy sector started its business in 1985. In the 1990s the company’s growth was fine. The growth of the company made it one of the best companies in the world. In Standard and Poor 500 index the growth of the company was also good. But the lack of transparency was the cause of the downfall of the company. Their business model was complex and they used to do unethical practices. The company used to recognize the revenue even when the deal was signed between the two parties. Government deregulation was also a factor for their downfall. Enron used the Special Purpose Entities for accessing

Effectiveness of the War on Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Effectiveness of the War on Drugs - Essay Example The purpose was to create a central office for waging the war on drugs. Upon its establishment, the DEA was comprised of 1,470 Special Agents with a US$75 million budget. The DEA currently has 5,200 Special Agents with an operating budget of US$2.6 billion.3 Both sides of the argument have merits. In other words it is equally arguable that the War on Drugs is ineffective and that the War on Drugs is effective. Therefore the best that can be deduced is that it is virtually impossible to measure the effectiveness of the War on Drugs. To start with, it is difficult to devise a benchmark for measuring the War on Drugs. For instance, is the War on Drugs measured by reference to the expenditure and the prevalence of drug use and exploitation? Or is it fair to measure the effectiveness of the War on Drugs by identifying the percentage of non-users? Each of these methods of measurements raise significant questions relative to their validity. For instance, if the expenditure were less would t he problems of drug use be greater? If there was no War on Drugs would the percentage of users be greater? Regardless, the US government and a majority of governments are determined to control drug use and production. Meanwhile, drug users and drug producers are just as determined to continue producing and using drugs. In measuring the effectiveness of the War on Drugs both of these factors are significant. The main question is whether or not drug users and producers’ determination to use controlled substances is matched by governments’ determination to control the use and production of illicit drugs.... n question is whether or not drug users and producers’ determination to use controlled substances is matched by governments’ determination to control the use and production of illicit drugs. In this regard, the US drug policy and its War on Drugs’ agenda is approached from a supply side initiative. In other words, the US government expresses its determination to control drug use and production by primarily focusing on interdicting drugs and thereby preventing its entry into the US. Given the extent of the drug problem in the US this interdiction oriented scheme is for the most part ineffective. Boyum and Reuter report that: Drugs are as accessible as ever as inflation-adjusted prices for cocaine and heroin have fallen by more than half.4 In other words, despite its best and most expensive efforts to prevent illicit drugs entering the US, these drugs continue to be available on the streets of the US. In fact Stokes reports that despite the War on Drugs, increasing ly, the street price of heroin and cocaine in the US has fallen and yet at the same time has improved in its quality and content.5 It would therefore appear that the supply side approach to the War on Drugs expresses a determination to cut off the supply of drugs to the US and by doing so curtail production and use. However, this determination is not matched by the determination to produce and use illicit drugs since all indications are that drugs are not only continuing to enter the US, but they are continuing to be used excessively. What these outcomes reveal is that the primary technique of taking a supply side approach to the War on Drugs is ineffective. The US government must therefore look at alternative methods for fighting the War on Drugs and expressing its determination to control illicit drug

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

According to Give me liberty by Eric foner, explain why he thinks the Essay

According to Give me liberty by Eric foner, explain why he thinks the Civil Rights Movement challenged the very idea of freedom - Essay Example Foner (95) asserts that freedom at the time meant; being equal to the white race or not being enslaved. This freedom is contrasted with the other kinds of freedoms such as the freedom of speech, movement, among others that are already guaranteed by the American Constitution. Since the idea of freedom is narrowly focused, the author moves on to detail that even after the slaves are freed, they might still not have equal access to opportunities in life. In this case, the pursuit of freedom would change form so as to respond to the new realities. Then the focus would be on freedom with respect to economic power, or even freedom with respect to employee rights (Foner 100). According to the Foner (45), these changing social conditions are primarily responsible for the change in the meaning of freedom. They keep shifting its boundaries so that in the end, the idea of freedom is extremely amorphous. The author believes that instead of asking for freedom, civil rights activists were better off demanding liberties. This could have made their pursuit more focused and could have resulted in greater gains (Foner

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Application of Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Application of Theory - Essay Example Thus, Maslow’s hierarchical theory of motivation can be most valuable in explaining human behavior, which has the alternative in Freudian theory of psychoanalysis. Similarly, ballistic theory can be used in dealing with measurable factors. In short, there are several types of theories which may be used in the general human activities. It is most relevant to notice that a theory is a coherent set of general propositions and the term proposition has vital significance in the understanding of theory. It is also important to differentiate between propositions and hypotheses and both these terms help one in understanding a theory. Though concepts are the basic units of theory development, it is the relationship among different concepts which interest the scientists who make a theory. â€Å"Propositions are statements concerned with the relationships among concepts. A proposition explains the logical linkage among certain concepts by asserting a universal connection between concepts.† (Zikmund, 43). According to a proposition, all concepts about an event or thing have some particular properties and they stand in relation to each other. Abstract thinking is essential part of theory which is an abstraction from observed reality and propositions require one to analyze concepts at abstract level. In short, theories may be comprehended as networks of propositions which work at abstract level. â€Å"A hypothesis is a proposition that is empirically testable. It is an empirical statement concerned with the relationship among variables.† (Zikmund, 44). Hypotheses are used in testing the validity of a proposition empirically and both have significant differences, though they are parts of a theory. Concepts and variables are fundamental aspects in a theory development and they differ greatly from each other. Theory development is a process of describing a phenomenon at the abstract level and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Trade Secret Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trade Secret Case Study - Essay Example Miller’s employer based on the law has the right to sue him and obtain an injunction because of exposing his clients’ information to other parties (Battersby & Grimes, 2013). This is evident in the manner Miller keeps clients’ files not indicating they are confidential. Therefore, Miller has no legal backing to either claim or sue anybody of intruding â€Å"his customers’ lists†. Since, he stole them from his former employer and it is unethical to use them in his second place of employment. Therefore, the court’s verdict in this case would hold Taborsky accountable for having infringed the sponsoring institution’s trade secret rights (Stim, 2010). This is because what he did was just an extension of what the institution sponsored and even utilized pricy resources to have the entire project come to a completion (Stim, 2010). Taborsky has infringed Florida Progress’ trade secrets by taking the entire research’s idea to advance what has caused the contracting party expensive resources. Taborsky’s claims do not have any backing evidence because if it were not for that research, he would not have an idea of making similar product (Stim, 2010). Based on the IP law, trade secrets belong to the corporation/company but not employees, contractors or investors who are contracting with the institution for a specified duration (Battersby & Grimes, 2013). Therefore, in ensuring patient list qualifies to be a trade secret the owner ought to have prepared a deal with the physicians before the commencement of their contract. This is concerning handling and keeping of patient lists and penalties involved suppose there was an infringement of trade secrets’ law (Battersby & Grimes, 2013). However, the Pollack’s case does not relay this but cites how he mobilized costly resources to compile patient list. Therefore, doctors in this case did not steal his trade secrets

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Assess the view that what participant observation lacks in terms of reliability Essay Example for Free

Assess the view that what participant observation lacks in terms of reliability Essay Assess the view that what participant observation lacks in terms of reliability representativeness, it more than makes up for in terms of validity. Participant Observation is where the researcher infiltrates themselves into a certain group or gang to study them from within. The researcher usually puts themselves in a position where they are in the main part of the group, and they usually study the activities and attitudes of the different gang/group members. The observation is usually carefully thought through, it is usually recorded in field notes, and can often take months, even years to complete. Participant Observation usually doesnt start with a definite hypothesis, so new ideas and thoughts about the group or the way that an idea may turn out usually come through when the observer is part of the group. You can either do overt (people know you are doing it) or covert (undercover) observations, or even a combination of both. Although this may seem like a very kosher method to use, there are quite a few disadvantages of doing this; Bias is a concern because if the observer starts being drawn into the group, their own views will be abandoned because they may start seeing things through the groups eyes, and may blind the researcher to other views that may be available. The influence of the researcher may also be a problem, because if a group know that they are being studied, they may alter their behaviour, and so the research is pointless. For example, with James Patricks study of a Glaswegian Gang, he was suspected of holding back in fights and being reluctant to participate in some of the activities of the Gang, and this was pointed out by a member of the gang, but thankfully, the leader of the Gang stood up for Patrick, because he was the only one who actually knew that the gang was being studied. Ethical Issues are also a problem, because if the researcher goes in really deep with the group, then they may have to illegal or immoral activities, which may go against the researchers own values. The actual proof of the study is also a problem because you have no way of replicating the exact study, and so have no way of knowing if the research is true or not. This kind of study is also on too small a scale, and so you cannot repeat it again. Also, due to the micro-ness of it, you cannot make generalisations for the whole population based on one group, or if you were studying gangs and their motives for committing crimes or something like that, you cant assume that all other gangs will have the same motives. And finally, most researchers like to study the less powerful groups in society, and there has been a debate over whether this is right or not because we can possibly miss the important issues that are going on. However, there are some advantages to using this method, and so we cannot just assume that all sociologists see this as a bad method to use; By joining a certain group, the sociologist would be able to gain knowledge of certain subjects from that groups point of view, and they would be able to fully understand the sorts of things that were going on, and gaining different perspectives. Also, you can generate new ideas from being in a new group, and this can lead you to new perspectives and ideas. You also get more of the truth and honesty if you are doing overt participant observation, so you can quite easily prove or disprove any hypotheses you have come up with. You are also to dig deeper into the group so to speak, because if you are a part of the group, then you can uncover issues that may normally remain hidden or are secretive. Participant observation is also dynamic because if you are with a group over time, you understand how they work and how attitudes and behaviour change over time. Lastly, you can dig deeper into areas that you arent typically able to reach, for example, with young offenders or religious groups. It is, however, simplistic to assume that participant observation will automatically produce valid results, as there are many threats to this validity.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Concept of Figuration: An Analysis

Concept of Figuration: An Analysis Figurational Sociology The concept of figuration grew out of Norbert Eliass best-known work, The Civilizing Process (Elias, 1939/1994). This work provided an analysis of how the European nation state emerged. It analysed social behaviour in modernity, and particularly social interactions. Split into two parts, the work first focussed on an analysis of manners to provide a description and understanding of the way in which modern norms underlying social interactions had developed. The second part of the book looked at how the nation-state had been built in the twentieth century. What Elias was most interested in, the central thesis of the book, was that it was possible for forms of social discipline manners and social norms to be translated into aspects of individual self-discipline (Olofsson, 2000). For Elias, then, there is a clear connection between a tendency towards state centralisation and the development of modern social manners. This is what he called the civilizing process. This essay, therefore, examines the concept of figuration, its theoretical roots in the study of court society, its modern form and the criticisms that have been levelled against it. As will be seen, the argument over the usefulness of the concept of figuration has been highly contested and strongly polarised (Featherstone, 1987). At the heart of Elias work are a number of concepts figuration is best understood within these. The concepts are interdependence, functional differentiation, self-control and power differences. Social change for Elias mostly results from the effects of functional differentiation. This is an idea shared with writers like Marx who placed the division of labour at the centre of his theory. For Elias, though, this functional differentiation leads to increasing levels of interdependence (Olofsson, 2000). Elias argued that the coercive power of societies emerges out of increasing interdependence. This brings the discussion to the concept of figurations. In order to explain these, Elias uses the example of court society (Olofsson, 2000). He argues that in court society calculation is an important process which individuals must engage in to negotiate with each other as the king communicates with his aristocracy. Because of changes in economic factors, many courts in Europe saw a shift of power from the aristocracy to the king. The power each member of the aristocracy had, therefore, depended on their relationship with the king. In order to survive, aristocrats had to play by certain rational rules that developed. These were based on the complex interdependency between the individuals and the fact that they were playing long-term power games with each other. An important component in playing these long-term power games was being able to control impulses. Because of the number of people in the court, the chains of interdependence were long and complicated. This required planning, attempting to predict the future and saving. Elias called this complex relationship between the king and the court a figuration. A figuration is characterised by asymmetrical power relations amongst a network of individuals. The court situation can, therefore, only be understood in terms of how the individuals relate to one another. Four critical propositions about the figurational approach are extracted from Elias work by Goudsblom (1977). These are firstly that human beings inevitably exist in relationships of interdependence with each other. As a result of this interdependence, complex dynamics emerge which shape many aspects of development and change the ways in which peoples lives develop. The second proposition is that these figurations are constantly changing and being transformed. The third is that these social figurations are not essentially planned but emerge from the interdependencies. Fourth, figurations provide an important cause of the development of human knowledge. In order to better understand the idea of figurations, Elias used various metaphors from games (Olofsson, 2000). Games are useful to analyse because the interactions between the players are not just a result of the absolute strength of each player, but of the relationship between the strengths of the two players. One example is two chess players pitted against each other. If one of them is significantly stronger than the other, then she will be able to control the manner of the victory as well as the actual victory itself. If, however, the levels of skill are much closer then the manner of victory will be much more uncertain and emerge from the interaction between the individuals. What this metaphor shows is that the power differences between two individuals have an important effect on the relationship. Chess only normally involves the relation between two players, but society obviously involves the relations between many more players, all with varying levels of power. Shifts of power differences in society can be seen in the way the upper and lower classes interact. The lower classes have, for example, increased their level of organisation in order to increase their level of power in negotiating with the upper classes (Olofsson, 2000). One of the questions Elias wanted to address was how people continue to interact in generally peaceful ways when there is so much animosity in, for example, power relations (Loyal Quilley, 2004). Models used to answer this question should have a number of characteristics. These are firstly that social processes cannot be analysed in terms of aggregations of components. Secondly the models work to both mould and constrain the behaviour and habitus of individuals. The strength of the idea of figuration for Elias was that it was able to access ideas of what society was about more effectively than other methods in sociology (Krieken, 1998). Specifically it tends not to emphasise the dichotomy often present in sociological literature between the individual and society. Instead it places the emphasis on how human beings are interdependent. Society was not most usefully thought of as a totality or a whole system of individuals. Society for Elias was the way in which people interweaved with each other (Krieken, 1998). The advantage of this view was that it didnt downplay the agency of the individual at the expense of societys control and helped to show how peoples individuality melded together to form networks of interdependence. One important theoretical aspect of figurations that Krieken (1998) points out is that they can continue without the existence of the same individuals but they completely cease to exist if there are no individuals at all. Krieken (1998) argues that Elias concept of figuration has been extremely important for sociology. One of its major strengths is the avoidance of the dichotomy between structure and agency. Although the distinction has been questioned many times in sociology, it is often still treated by sociologists as though it were real. Krieken (1998) points out that some have argued Elias concept of figuration should be placed alongside of the idea of structure. Mouzelis (1993) argues for avoiding abolishing this distinction. He argues for designating relations between actors in terms of figurations, relations between institutions as institutional structure and plain structure when analysing the interaction between institution and individual. Krieken (1998) does not, however, agree with this three-way distinction. Krieken (1998) argues instead that Elias used the concept of figuration to subsume all these categories of analysis. This means that figuration includes the analysis of what is traditi onally called the structure of society. Habitus is also an important concept in Elias theory of figuration. Habitus refers to the idea that each individual has their own set of personal preferences, attitudes, beliefs, expectations and rules. Habitus comes from a persons community and family experience and through their own experience of life as they grow up. For Elias, though, this habitus develops in an essentially shared manner (Krieken, 1998). Individuals grow up in society and their personal characteristics are, to a certain extent, moulded by those around them. Through this collective moulding of individuals, the nature of collective behaviour is formed. The ideas of habitus and figuration lead to a further important concept in Elias theory. That is that the way in which a persons habitus is formed is called psychogenesis. This, then, can only be properly understood when it is considered in relation to social relations or sociogenesis. Theoretically and methodologically, therefore, Elias was arguing against the separ ation of sociology from psychology. Each has important complementary effects on the other, so it is hard to get a clear picture of the full human being if both are not considered together. Elias ideas have vital implications for the way in which sociologists carry out their research. Krieken (1998) identifies two particular characteristics of Elias theory that are a challenge to some types of sociology. First is the focus of figuration on social relations which points to the fact that an individual cannot be analysed in isolation. Individuals can only be understood, even in isolation, argued Elias, in terms of how they relate to other people, as that is how people are formed. Thinking about humans without the relational element has a huge array of possible associated mistakes. For Elias, the analysis of power especially fell foul of the tendency to see power as a thing in itself rather than as arising from social relations (Krieken, 1998). This led, he thought, to all sort of misunderstandings. To be understood effectively, power should be seen in reciprocal terms. Elias argued that power was often analysed as though it only flowed down from above. A figurational analy sis, however, also points to the reciprocal effects flowing up from below. The second major characteristic of Elias theory is that it focuses on processes (Krieken, 1998). Figuration, therefore, cannot be seen as a static phenomenon, but as something that evolves and emerges over time. What had happened in sociology, however, argued Elias, was that there had been a reduction of social phenomena to particular states. Communities, families, individuals, all should be analysed as though in a state of flow, rather than statically. The use of figurations could be used to analyse these flows as long as there was not a reduction to a simple argument of causality. For example, Elias argued that a particular figuration made other, later figurations possible although it did not guarantee they would happen. Analysing society using a series of static conceptual categories, therefore, was precisely what Elias did not agree with (Rojek, 1986). Instead a process theory of sociology encourages analysis in terms of movement. This type of approach has a character quite oppos ed to many in sociology. Figurational sociology can be seen as extremely useful as a reaction to six dominant paradigms in sociology (Arnason, 1987). First Marxs work is limited by its concentration on the economic areas of life, whereas Elias figurational sociology is applicable to all areas. Against Durkheims idea of norms, Elias argued these do not represent fundamental units but rather the question should be asked in terms of power relations. For Elias, these questions should be addressed using a long-term analysis. Examining the functionalist approach, Elias found that trying to explain social structures in terms of the needs of the system was ineffective. The functionalist account is lacking because it finds it difficult to account for the fact that systems are interlinked at all levels. As has already been seen, Elias argued against a structuralist approach. The reductionist approach also had problems for Elias as society, he believed, could not be understood at this level. Finally, Elias took issue w ith individualism, the idea that it is possible to analyse society in terms of individual behaviour (Arnason, 1987). This is replaced by Elias with a focus on power relations and the analysis of figurations. A number of methodological injunctions develop naturally from Elias theory of figurations; these are examined by Loyal and Quilley (2004). The first is that sociologists should not think about either individuals or society as in any way static or fixed. An effective analysis emerges which sidesteps arguments over macro- or micro- level explanations. A further dichotomy which Loyal and Quilley (2004) present as being avoided by Elias work is that of mind-body duality which has crept into sociological work. The idea of figuration draws attention to habits of language in which processes are often reduced to states. The focus of figuration, however, is on using language that has the meaning of motion and flow built into it. The danger for sociologists of automatically adopting the available language of states is a misunderstanding of the processes occurring in society. This view was influenced by the work of Whorf (1956) who argued that language fundamentally affects the perceptions of t he members of the society that speak it. Finally, Elias believed that some measure of distance was required from society in order to be able to analyse figurations effectively. A Critique of Figurational Sociology While much of the commentary on Elias figurational approach discussed so far has been complimentary, his work has a number of critics. Layder (1986) argues that many of Elias claims about the benefits of his approach to sociology are vastly exaggerated. As a result, argues Layder, Elias tends to focus on trying to solve problems that dont actually exist. Layder (1986) starts by considering Elias focus on the static categories used in language as well as the idea that positivistic notions of causation are inadequate. The concept of figuration is used to challenge these ideas by Elias. In addition, underlying Elias concept of figuration is the idea that it transcends long-running arguments in the philosophy of the social sciences such as that between induction and deduction and rationalism and empiricism. Layders (1986) first criticism is that Eliass figurational approach does not transcend previous approaches. One reason for this is that Elias uses only the worst examples from disciplines so that he can easily demolish their explanatory power. Elias critique of social psychology and psychiatry assumes that all its approaches are atomistic. It doesnt, for example, take into account the wide variety of approaches such as those which do, indeed, focus on the effects of society on the individual and are not so atomistic. Symbolic interactionists, for example, highlight the way in which the ordinary, everyday processes of social interaction build to create what is called society. Mead (1934), an important theorist in this approach, emphasised the importance of socialisation and social interaction. For Layder (1986), then, the concept of figuration does not provide any additional explanatory power. Layder also argues that Elias does not demonstrate exactly how the idea of figurations provi des a better explanation of society. In criticising the concept of figurations, Layder (1986) argues that Elias makes a number of philosophical mistakes, some ontological and some epistemological. Layder describes figurations as generalised depictions of the social ties between individuals that Elias argues cannot be analysed outside of individuals. Figurations, though, must have some meaning outside of the interactions of individuals; otherwise it would not be possible to talk about them in an abstract sense. This is not, of course, to suggest that figurations only have meaning outside of actual interactions. For Layder, then Eliass mistake is to argue that a figuration does not have both a manifestation as a social practice as well as existing as an idea about that particular social practice. If the ideas did not exist it would be impossible to talk about the things themselves in an abstract sense. For Layder, then, the very discussion of social practices as figurations proves that they exist outside of the actions th emselves. What Layder allows Elias concept of figuration is that it does provide a useful descriptive tool. Although it doesnt transcend alternative explanations advanced by those working within structuralist and functionalist models, it can provide a useful way of examining interrelations between people. These analyses would, however, in Layders view, be useful in addition to those insights from structuralist or interactionist perspectives, they wouldnt supplant them. The weakness of using the concept of figuration is that it tends to ignore actual people, in deference to their networks of social relations compared to, for example, the analysis provided by interactionism which is very much focussed on social actors themselves. In this sense, it is again difficult to argue that figuration provides an approach transcending interactionism and other schools of thought. The second major criticism that Layder (1986) makes of Eliass concept of figurations relates to their rejection of objectivist structures. As discussed, figurational sociology sees social processes as fundamentally fluid and avoids reductionism Elias claims that this is an insight that helps the figurational analysis transcends other approaches. Against this idea, Layder (1986) argues that many phenomenological and interactionist schools of thought are based on the idea of social relations as a process. But, Elias does not compare his theory to these approaches, preferring to pretend they dont exist. Instead, figuration is compared with the theory of Talcott Parsons as an example of an objectivist theory. Elias takes Parsons idea that society is essentially in an unchanging equilibrium and states that this is the way society is seen from an objectivist viewpoint as a static system. In this analysis one of the mistakes Layder (1986) thinks Elias has made is to create a false dichoto my between static and fluid analysis as though there is no intermediary point. In doing this Elias claims that theories such as Parsons cannot explain processes, which, argues Layder, they can. Indeed, in concentrating on long-term processes, Elias does not allow an effective analysis of short-term processes. The third major criticism which Layder (1986) levels at Elias is that the concept of figuration lacks explanatory power. Rather than helping to explain what lies behind social changes, Layder argues that it merely provides a description of what is happening. When looking for the causes of figurations, Elias presents more figurations. Criticism of the concept of figuration has also come from Rojek (1986). In particular Rojek (1986) examines the way in which Elias talks about the accumulation of scientific knowledge. As briefly noted earlier, Elias argued that the quest for knowledge was not immune to the power of figurations. Indeed he thought it was a mistake that philosophers of the social sciences tended to make that assumed there was one model of the way science should be conducted. One particular claim that has been made for the usefulness of figurational sociology is that it provides a link between micro and macro approaches (Mennell, 1980). Layder (2006) argues, however, that using figurations as the linking between the macro and micro approaches just serves to blur the differences between the two. The character of social relations is quite different depending on its manner for example a face-to-face encounter is different from sending and receiving an email. Within Elias approach each of these would be considered aspects of figurations. Layder (2006), however, argues that each of these creates different levels of reflexivity and therefore requires a different analysis. For Layder (2006), Eliass figurational approach deflects attention away from a number of important factors. Institutions, for example, have important effects on the behaviour of people but this is difficult to analyse by thinking in terms of networks of connections between people. Further, when analysing social organisation in the form of groups, a figurational approach can deflect attention away from the nature of the ties between people, preferring instead to focus on their actual existence and their particular form. A false criticism that Elias makes of sociology generally by way of his figurational approach is that not enough emphasis has been given to the interaction between society and the individual Layder (2006) argues that this interaction is practically the founding idea of sociology. The challenge for sociology is in working out where to split the society from the individual. A problem which Elias work shares with sociology more generally is that a socially constructed model makes it difficult to understand the uniqueness of an individual. A complete lack of barriers between individuals leads to the conclusion that people have no individuality themselves. While it is not helpful to focus too much on the individual, it is also problematic for a complete understanding to give too little focus to the individual. Layder (2006) argues that, like extreme social constructionists, Elias theory of figuration is in danger of completely eradicating the individual as a legitimate object of study. Figurational Sociology and Sport In order to further assess the usefulness of the concept of figuration and see the benefits and criticisms in action, it is instructive to examine an example of its practical application. The principles of figurational sociology have been applied in a number of different areas, but one particularly popular area is that of sport. Figurational sociology has been used to try and understand football hooliganism, the growth of professional sport, the globalisation of sport and finally initial process of sportization (Murphy, Sheard Waddington, 2002). To take one example in this line of analysis, Dunning and Sheard (1979) examine the development of rugby. They explain the increased professionalism of the sport in terms of a societal move towards functional democratisation. This process leads to greater levels of competition, so that rugby players can no longer play just for fun. Instead, it is necessary to be highly committed to the sport in order to be recognised as successful. Because of the increased interconnectedness of individuals, it is no longer possible for athletes to play for themselves; instead they have to play for their countries (Dunning Sheard, 1979). This analysis helps to explain professionalism in rugby and the advantages of a figurational approach can be seen. Societal changes are examined here in terms of figurations and this provides a useful analysis and explanation of changes. In contrast, Murphy et al. (2002) point out that one of the criticisms of the figurational approach to sport is that it has ignored gender issues. Hargreaves (1992) argues that the figurational obsession with detachment has meant the analysis of sport has readily accepted a notion of sport as dominated by men. Even while Murphy et al. (2002) argue that this absence of the analysis of gender in figurational sociology is not a result of its theoretical limitations, from the criticisms already described the opposite can be argued. Particularly, as Layder (2006) points out, the figurational approach is weak on the analysis of the individual. Conclusion Elias made many claims for his concept of figuration. He claimed that it transcended previous approaches to sociology, rose above false dichotomies and helped sociologists focus on human beings as fundamentally involved in a network of interrelated relationships. Methodological injunctions also flowed naturally from Elias theory: e.g. focussing on processes rather than categories or states and establishing a distance between the researcher and the subject. Considering the criticism levelled at Elias work by Layder, however, it is difficult to see that these claims for a transcendent sociology are justified. Elias frequently misrepresented or ignored the work of sociologists he was apparently transcending as well as making serious epistemological and ontological errors. While both the advantages and disadvantages of the figurational approach can be seen in the area of sport sociology, it is hard to argue that Elias work stands up to Layders criticism. Perhaps the strongest criticism i s that figuration is merely a descriptive rather than an explanatory approach. For that reason, the usefulness of Elias concept of figuration is limited. References Arnason, J. (1987). Figurational Sociology as a Counter-Paradigm. Theory, Culture Society, 4(2), 429-456. Elias, N. (1939/1994). The Civilizing Process: The History of Manners and State Formation and Civilization. Blackwell. Dunning, E., Sheard, K. (1979). Barbarians, gentlemen and players: a sociological study of the development of rugby football. London: Martin Robertson. Featherstone, M. (1987). Norbert Elias and Figurational Sociology: Some Prefatory Remarks. Theory, Culture Society, 4(2), 197. Goudsblom, J. (1977). Sociology in the Balance: A Critical Essay. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Hargreaves, J. (1992). Sex, gender and the body in sport and leisure: Has there been a civilizing process? In E. Dunning C. Rojek (Eds.). Sport and leisure in the civilizing process: Critique and counter-critique. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Krieken, R. (1998) Norbert Elias. London: Routledge. Layder, D. (1986). Social Reality as Figuration: A Critique of Eliass Conception of Sociological Analysis. Sociology, 20(3), 367. Layder, D. (2006). Understanding Social Theory. London: Sage Publications. Loyal, S., Quilley, S. (2004). Towards a central theory: the scope and relevance of the sociology of Norbert Elias. In: S. Loyal S. Quilley (Eds.). The Sociology of Norbert Elias. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Mead, G. (1934). Mind, Self and Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Mennell, S. (1980). Sociological Theory, Uses and Unities. London: Nelson. Mouzelis, N. (1993). On Figurational Sociology. Theory, Culture Society, 10(2), 239. Murphy, P., Sheard, K., Waddington, I. (2002) Figurational sociology and its application to sport. In: J. Coakley E. Dunning (Eds.). Handbook of sports studies. Sage Publications. Olofsson, G. (2000) Norbert Elias. In: H. Andersen, L. Kaspersen (Eds.). Classical and Modern Social Theory. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Rojek, C. (1986). Problems of Involvement and Detachment in the Writings of Norbert Elias. The British Journal of Sociology, 37(4), 584-596. Whorf, B. (1956). Language, thought and reality: Selected writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. J. B. Carroll (Ed.). Massachusetts: MIT Press

Friday, September 20, 2019

Mission Vision Values

Mission Vision Values Mission, Vision, and Values Paper Strategies for Competitive Advantage Mission, Vision, and Values Paper A mission, vision, and values are an essential part of a company and its success. These contribute to the companys ability to reach its goals and objectives. Once these things have been put into place, the organization can develop a strategic plan to guide them in the decision making process. Company Background- General Motors Corporation General Motors Corporation (GM) was founded in 1908. Based in Detroit, it is the worlds largest automaker, and has been the global industry leader in sales for 76 years (General Motors, 2008a) with the United States being its largest national market, followed by China, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany years (General Motors, 2008a). Today, the company employs about 284,000 people worldwide and manufactures cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, the company sold 9.1 million cars and trucks globally under its many brands, which include Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, to name a few (General Motors, 2008a). GM has ventured into partnerships with many automobile manufacturers around the world. The company is currently the majority shareholder in GM Daewoo Auto Technology Co. of South Korea (General Motors, 2008a). GM has collaborated with Suzuki Motor Corp. and Isuzu Motors Ltd. of Japan with product, powertrain, and purchasing (General Motors, 2008a). The company has also collaborated with DaimlerChrysler AG, BMW AG of Germany, and Toyota Motor Corp. on advanced technology and ventured in vehicle manufacturing with several automakers, such as Toyota, Suzuki, and Renault SA of France years (General Motors, 2008a). GM currently sells its genuine parts and accessories under many brands including GM Goodwrench, and ACDelco brands (General Motors, 2008a). With all of GMs success in the past, the company is facing challenges during this time of economic hardship. The companys market valuation has decreased to $5.9 billion and its stock prices are at its lowest in 50 years (Lowenstein, 2008), which is evident with a closing price of $9.69 on July 10, 2008 (Yahoo Finance, 2008a). The skyrocketing price of oil seems to be the immediate cause of GMs problems, decreasing the sale of its sport utility vehicles and trucks (Lowenstein, 2008). The automaker is potentially looking at more layoffs and speculation of a possible sale of Buick and Pontiac (Lowenstein, 2008), however GMs vice president states that Hummer is the only brand the automaker is considering selling at this time (Yahoo Finance, 2008b). Mission/Vision Statement The mission/vision of GM is â€Å"to be the world leader in transportation products and related services† (General Motors, 2008b). Through continuous improvements driven by teamwork, integrity, and innovation, the company has earned its customers trust and enthusiasm. With all the competition and the advancement of hybrid and alternative fueled vehicles, GM should look to being a leader of innovation. With this in mind, the mission statement could read GM will become the world leader in quality, innovative, and cost efficient products. The mission is for GM to become the auto industry leader in sales and market share in the global market. Company Values GM has six core values in which employees are to use in conducting daily business practices (General Motors, 2008c). These core values consist of continuous improvement, customer enthusiasm, innovation, teamwork, and individual respect and responsibility (General Motors, 2008c). These values must portray an image to the companys consumers that it values their needs and wants. With this said GM should add customer value and thinking green to its core values. This measure would show the company is focused on achieving high levels of customer satisfaction by providing innovative products that offer customers more choices with alternative fueled vehicles. Thinking green will show the company is concerned with doing right by the environment How Mission, Vision, and Values Aid in Reaching Desired End State Mission/Vision In order for GM to achieve its vision, the company understands that many issues must be addressed in order to attain its many goals. In order to become a more sustainable company, GM recognizes the importance of integrating economic, social, and environmental objectives into its daily business objectives and future endeavors. The future success of the company partly depends on technology, innovation, and partnerships (General Motors, 2008b). With technology, GM can efficiently address climate changes and fuel efficiency through its products. By accelerating the development and deployment of new technology, GM is able to improve its existing technology. Innovation provides the company with the tools needed to develop new ways of operating as a company. With increased competition in the global industry, innovation is critical in the future success of the company. In order to continue being responsive to the stakeholders needs and concerns and create a sustainable future, GM understands the importance of continuing to build strong relationships its employees, industries, governments, markets, and communities (General Motors, 2008b). Values GM is based on is six fundamental values.  With these values, the company has adopted and endorsed principles, such as the GM Environmental Principles and the Global Sullivan Principles (General Motors, 2008c). These principles are consistent with the companys values and serve to inform its strategies. The company states, â€Å"These strategies drive our behaviors and actions, which produce the results that matter† (General Motors, 2008c). Components of the Strategic Management Process Needing to be Analyzed Strategic planning involves the decisions and actions needed to formulate and implement plans designed to achieve the companys goals (Pearce Robinson, 2005). It encompasses long-range planning, with an increased emphasis on environmental forecasting and external considerations in formulating and implementing plans. There are multiple opportunities available to GM to deal with the current trends and threats in the automobile industry. In order to deal with them, the company must clearly identify its strengths and weaknesses. The auto industry as a whole faces issues with the rising fuel costs, as well as political and environmental issues with the rage of going green. As competition increases, there will be an even greater demand for oil. Although GM has a global presence and continues to expand in other markets, the company can reduce more operational costs by eliminating vehicles that are to similar and brands that are not selling. The company can use the savings to invest in furth er development and production of alternative vehicles that are more fuel-efficient. Strategy Effects on Leadership, Culture, and Stakeholders There will be numerous affects on the GMs leadership, organizational culture, and stakeholders after implementing the new strategy. Leadership will have to devise an effective method of getting the work done effectively and efficiently to make the new strategy work (Pearce Robinson, 2004). This will entail a plan to organize and educate all staff throughout the organization about accomplishing the mission, roles of leadership, and specific values that will guide the everyday activities. Leadership will also have to assess the competition and address the needs of their customers. In addition, commitment must be gathered amongst the organization and stakeholders to embrace change and implement strategies that allow the organization to be competitive. The stakeholders will face the decisions to accept or reject the new strategy. The organizational culture should be established to provide meaning, direction, and a basis for action (Pearce Robinson, 2004). The organization would benefit if leaders promote and identify key themes and dominant values within the organization to reinforce competitive advantage they seek to maintain and build (Pearce Robinson, 2004). Conclusion GM and the automobile industry as a whole is experiencing tough times, however, there are many opportunities available to GM. The company now has an opportunity to expand market share and once again be the leading automotive manufacturer. The company must look at the trends and threats as new strengths and opportunities by developing and implementing a strategic plan that best positions GM to deal with the threats within the auto industry. References General Motors. (2008a). About GM: Company profile. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://www.gm.com General Motors. (2008b). Sustainability and GM: Vision and Strategy. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://www.gm.com General Motors. (2008c). 2005/06 corporate responsibility report. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from http://www.gm.com Lowenstein, R. (2008). Siphoning G.M.s future. New York Times, p. A.21. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from ProQuest database. Pearce, J. Robinson, R. (2005). Strategic management: Formulation, Implementation, and control (9th ed.).[University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. New York: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from University of Phoenix, rEsource,  MBA/580- Strategies for Competitive Advantage Web site. Yahoo Finance. (2008a). General Motors Corporation (GM): Historical prices. Retrieved July 12, 2008, from http://finance.yhoo.com/ Yahoo Finance. (2008b). GM reassures dealers only Hummer brand is for sale. Reuters. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://biz.yahoo.com

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Romeo And Juliet: The Theme Of Death :: essays research papers

Romeo and Juliet: The Theme of Death Slash, cling, clank these are the sounds that are heard in a sword fight as a man is killed. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare the theme death is portrayed many times by the characters Marcutio, Romeo, and Juliet. The first instance of the theme death was in act 3 when Marcutio challenged Tybalt to a sword fight. "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find a grave man."(Act three, scene 1, line 104.) Also as Marcutio is dying he says "Help me into some house, Benvolio, Or I shall Faint." (Act 3, scene 1, line 113.) Both these quotes show how Marcutio portrayed the theme death. Second, Romeo is the next to portray the theme death. Now in Act 5, this is the time that Romeo shows the theme death. He has heard of Juliet's death and is so heartbroken that he goes to an apothecary to get poison so he can join Juliet in heaven. "To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee." (Act 5, scene 1, line 93). Second when Romeo is about to drink the poison he says, "Here's to my love! [Drinks.] O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. [Falls.]" (Act 5, scene 3, line 122). These quote show how Romeo loves Juliet. So much he will die to be with her." The next quotes show how Juliet's feelings are mutual to Romeo's. After Juliet wakes up from her death like coma she sees Romeo's dead corpse and notices that he had never got the message from the friar. "O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop to help me after? I will kiss his lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them. To make me die with a restorative." The next quote shows how the poison has no effect on Juliet, and how she is so desperate to be with Romeo she will stab herself. "O happy dagger! [Snatches Romeo's dagger.] This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die. [She stabs

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Weight Loss and a Well Balanced Diet Essay -- Health Nutrition Diet Ex

Weight Loss and a Well Balanced Diet When choosing a diet, more than just weight loss should be considered. In addition, other health factors should be looked at as well. The Atkins diet, being a low carbohydrate diet, does not take into account factors other than weight loss and puts participating subjects at risk for long and short-term health problems. In contrast, the most healthy and effective way of losing weight is to reduce fat and simple carbohydrate intake. Instead, a healthful diet should consist of complex carbohydrates, and good proteins, to include fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. By eating these foods that are low in fat and simple carbohydrates, weight loss, healthy circulation, and overall health can be achieved. Diets consisting of a balance between complex carbohydrates and good proteins bring the best results in weight loss, despite a slower result than low carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins diet. Weight loss is accomplished by burning more calories than one consumes. With regards to calories, there are two approaches between the two diets being examined that lead to weight loss. The logic behind the Atkins diet is that by eating fewer carbohydrates, insulin levels remain at a steadier degree and cravings are subsided, thereby causing people to consume fewer calories and in turn lose weight. Despite the loss in weight however, the substitutes for these simple carbohydrates recommended by the Atkins diet are high fat, high protein foods such as butter, cheese, and meats. These foods although when eaten exclusively can lead to weight loss, there are other health problems associated with this method of dieting. An alternative to substituting simple carbohydrates with high ... ... foods are encouraged. In addition to these very serious, life-threatening diseases, a study, funded by the Atkins Center for Complimentary Medicine was conducted that showed constipation in 70% of the people on the Atkins diet, headaches in 54%, and hair loss in 10% of the subjects. These health problems are due to the lack of nutrients and balance in the Atkins diet. In contrast, a diet low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates provides fiber to help with healthy digestion, and other nutrients to promote healthy growth in all areas. There is more to dieting than losing weight. Diets such as the Atkins diet that is high in fat and protein may drop poundage, but ultimately lessen one’s health. Whereas by practicing a low fat, high complex carbohydrate diet, more balance is achieved nutritionally, which leads to long-term health advantages.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Vitro Corning

Identify and discuss Corning's strategic predisposition toward a joint venture with Vitro. Because of long histories of successful joint ventures and had been an innovative leader in foreign alliances for over 73 years, Corning's strategy of establishing the joint venture relationship with Vitro seems to be a ideal combination and will lead to success. However, the joint venture became subject to a series of cultural and other conflicts that began to undermine this vision. According to company officials and external analysts, cultural differences were a principal cause of the alliance's failure. Therefore, lack of fully understanding Mexico culture is the key predisposition of Corning's strategy. What is culture? One of the well-accepted definitions is given by Goodenough (1971), who has defined culture as a set of beliefs or standards, shared by a group of people, which help the individual decide what is, what can be, how to feel, what to do and how to go about doing it. The main cultural clashes between two companies are discussed as follow: Different decision-making style between Mexican and American: Vitro and other Mexican businesses are much more hierarchical, with loyalty to fathers and patrons somehow carried over to the modern corporation. As a matter of loyalty or tradition, decisions are often left either to a member of the controlling family or to top executives, while middle level managers are often not asked their opinions. As a result, Corning managers who work in the joint venture were sometimes left waiting for important decisions about marketing and sales. Refers to a Corning executive: â€Å"If we were looking at a distribution decision, or a customer decision, we typically would have a group of people in a room, they would do an assessment, figure alternatives and make a decision, and I as chief executive would never know about it. † My experience on the Mexican side is that someone in the organization would have a solution in mind, but then the decision had to be kicked up a few levels. ‘ Different working efficiency: The Mexicans sometimes saw the Americans as too direct, while Vitro managers, in their dogged pursuit of politeness, sometimes seemed to the Americans unwilling to acknowledge problems and faults. The Mexicans sometimes thought Corning moved too fast; the Americans felt Vitro was too slow. Other difference in culture: America is a advanced country in modern society with only 227 years history, traditional culture has far less important position than fashion in most Americans' mind, contrarily, traditional culture plays a significant role in Mexico, most Mexican are conservative even in large companies. For instance, Corning's offices in upstate New York are in a modern glass enclosed building, while Vitro's headquarters in Monterrey, often thought of as Mexico's Pittsburgh, are in a replica of a 16th century convent, with artwork, arched ceilings and antique reproductions. To sum up, attitudes, orientations, emotions, and expressions differ strongly among people from American or Mexican. These differences are fundamentally cultural. According to Hofstede's culture dimensions, we can get the conclusion as the table demonstrated below: As shown in the table, although culture of both countries has masculinity characters, there is still a large culture gap in other aspects between American and Mexican. Therefore, without fully understanding Mexico's culture leads to the failure of Corning's alliance strategy with Vitro. Cultural clashes among partners in joint ventures are not a new issue. Discuss why an MNC, and specifically Corning, would be interested in fully understanding the culture of a potential before deciding on an alliance. Culture clash – the cultures of the companies are not compatible and compete for dominance. The businesses of both companies suffer while attention is diverted to the contest and it may destroy the key element of prior success. (Jeff Jacobs 2001) Although there is evidence of increasing cultural convergence between countries around the world, cultural differences among countries will persist. It is widely recognized that cultural differences between the partners of a merger are one of the most common reasons for failure in mergers, this may happen during pre-merger negotiations or during post-merger integration. Thus, fully understanding the culture of a potential can help managers anticipate problems in negotiating mergers and prevent them from disrupting what can be an attractive and mutually beneficial market entry strategy. In this case, as an innovative leader in foreign alliances, Corning has formed approximately 50 ventures over the years. Only 9 had failed (dissolved), an impressive number considering one recent study found that over one-half of foreign and national alliances do not succeed. With this proud record, Corning was confident of being succeed in the joint venture of Vitro, however, the joint venture became subject to a series of cultural and other conflicts that began to undermine this vision. Culture is about shared assumption, beliefs, values and norms. Each organization has its own culture developed from its own particular experience, its own role and the way its owners or managers get things done (Hellard, 1995). Since culture may affect the MNC in many aspect of its international development, even like Corning, which has rich foreign alliance experience, cannot ignore the effect cause by culture clash. It is unalterable principle for Corning to fully understanding the culture of its partner before it decides on an alliance. International alliances are an ideal setting within which to explore cultural differences in negotiations because they involve not only up-front negotiations over the initial structure of the relationship, but also constant and ongoing negotiation to manage what can be an inherently unstable and continuously evolving organizational form. If Corning and Vitro still want to remain in the alliance, understanding and accepting the other part's culture is the precondition. According to there is large culture gap between America and Mexico, how to narrow this gap or create an agreement of new value concept is the possible solution. The specific method advised as follow: 1. Managers from USA and Mexico who will work together in the alliance should meet and negotiate the detail of establishing the new company in each country before they carrying out the merging plan. 2. Employees from both companies should learn about how to minimize the breakage of culture clash. There should be a particular training for the employees who will work together in the new merger. The skills to overcome an embarrass situation are indispensable for them. 3. In order to get used to working in a new environment with different culture, Corning and Vitro can implement a manager-exchange program before new company established. Managers participated in the program will be assigned to the partner country and pursuit as probation period for the purpose of experiencing the local culture. 4. After new company established, localization is a important key to keep it operating properly and performing well, which mean among employees of the new company, local residents should have larger proportion. In addition, the final decision of the new company should be made by the local manager, and manager from the other part just take the responsibility of supervision and report the current operating situation to parent company. 5. In the early days of the alliance, executives from both companies should gather frequently to summarize the new company's performance of the previous period, exchange the information they collect from the operation of local company. Till the new companies enter into the right path, they can meet quarterly for further strategies. Discuss why both companies would continue to distribute each other's product after the joint venture failed. What impact might the public statements about the failure have on the relationship? Both Corning and Vitro remain in the situation of distributing each other's product even after the joint venture failed. The main reason is they still can make profit from counterparts' market. We can understand it easier from the first purpose of why Corning enters into joint venture: to gain access to markets that it cannot penetrate quickly enough to obtain a competitive advantage. In addition, both companies were globally oriented, and both had founding families still at their centers, Corning specialized in cookware and Vitro in tableware. Corning was accomplished at melting glass, while Vitro was expert in molding it. The companies intended to combine product lines based on where each company had technical leadership, and they began to swap technology to enhance their respective capabilities. Even though the alliance had been failed, both of them still can get competitive advantages from each other. Furthermore, if the culture clash problem can be solved or minimized, they still have opportunity to merge. Someone might consider the impact of public statement on the failure of their partnership negative. In fact, it might be a good thing; there is a famous saying in China: a loss may turn out to be a gain, a blessing in disguise. As we know, no company's development is plain sailing on their way to success, frustration is inescapable, what can you learn from the frustration is more important. In this case, the joint venture dissolved illustrate there is a culture gap between both companies, but not the quality of products or managing skills and something else. The failure can provide a clear orientation to Corning and Vitro's further positioning, once they can acknowledge and face bravely to the failure, and analyze the reason lead to the failure, the rare experience they gain is much larger than they lost. In future operation, they will consider more cautiously and more comprehensively before they decide to establish a new joint venture. Certainly, culture clash factors included. Reference: Goodenough, Ward H. , 1971, Culture language and society , modular publications, 7, Addison- Wesley: Reading MA Hellard, R. B. (1995), Project Partnering: Principle and Practice Hofstede, G. 2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations (2nd ed. ). Jackson, T, (ed), (1995). Cross-Cultural Management, Jeff Jacobs. (2001). How Culture Affects Mergers and Acquisitions X. Zhang, Y. Wang, J. Wrathall &amp; M. Berrell, 2002, International Management–Managing in the Era of Globalization, P eople's University Press, China Available: http://www62. homepage. villanova. edu/jonathan. doh/CORNINGcase. rev. doc Available: http://www-edocs. unimaas. nl/files/mer95011. pdf ;/pre;;/body;;/html;

Monday, September 16, 2019

Demo: Wrap a Present

Demo Speech: How to Wrap a Present Introduction I. Open with Impact: At some point in your life you have probably either received or given a gift that looked something like this. (Hold up poorly wrapped gift. ) Nobody wants to be that person at the party with the gift that gets mistaken for trash. When giving a gift to someone it is important to put just as much thought into the gift wrapping as the gift buying. II. Connect with Audience: You may be thinking, but I don’t always have time to make my gift look professionally wrapped. Or, I don’t have the money to go out and buy the supplies I need to wrap a gift.III. Establish Impact: I am guilty of giving the ugliest gift at the party before and I know how it feels. Thankfully, I have changed my ways and learned that gift wrapping is not as intimidating as it seems. IV. Thesis: With just a little extra effort, your gift can be something you are proud to present. V. Preview Main Points: Today, I am going to show you how t o find inexpensive wrapping materials, properly wrap your gift with ease, and complete the look with some finishing touches. Transition: Now before we start, we are going to need some basic materials. Body I. Picking out the paper A.We want to be as cost effective as possible, but we still need enough materials to wrap for all those random family members and friends. 1. The most inexpensive paper can be found at your local discount store. 2. Go to your local dollar tree and pick out your favorite print or solid color wrapping paper. B. Other useful materials 1. You will want to pick out a spool of ribbon for the finishing touch. 2. You are also going to need scissors and clear tape. Transition: Now that we have all of our materials together, let’s get to wrapping. II. Wrapping the present A. Measure your paper 1. Place the gift in the unrolled paper. . Bring the paper up around the gift until you have enough paper to cover the gift. 3. Cut the paper so that you have about an inch of wrapping paper overlapping. 4. Move the box to the edge of the paper so that both sides will reach about halfway up the sides. Repeat this on the other side of the box as well then cut off any excess paper. B. Time to tape 1. Wrap the paper around the box until the paper overlaps and secure with the clear tape. 2. Make sure the box is centered inside the paper then fold the sides until the paper overlaps. Tape the flaps using the clear tape. C. Finishing Touches 1.Measure your ribbon by wrapping it around the present and leaving about 6 inches in excess and cut it. 2. Hold the middle of the ribbon at the top of the gift and wrap the ends around the bottom of the present. 3. Bring the ends through the loop and tie your best bow! 4. Turn the gift over and tape the ribbon to avoid it slipping out of place while being moved around. Transition: Once your gift is perfectly wrapped, you can also add other personal touches such as a decorative name tag or extra ribbon. Conclusion I. I hope that I have shown you that wrapping a gift does not have to be intimidating.There are many inexpensive ways to wrap your gifts and add unique touches. With just a little practice, you can soon become a gift wrapping pro. Don’t be that person with the trash bag gift. Impress everyone with your new gift wrapping skills! Works Cited Banner, Chrissa. How to Perfectly Wrap a Present. 2008. Web. 9 Nov 2012. http://crafts. slides. kaboose. com/105-how-to-perfectly-wrap-a-present/2 Alissa, . â€Å"Christmas Wrappings. †Ã‚  33 Shades of Green. Pinterest, 16 2009. Web. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. .

Sunday, September 15, 2019

4 Reasons Chinese Companies Ipo in America Essay

Reasons Chinese Companies IPO in America Why do so many good Chinese companies go public in foreign markets rather than let domestic investors share in the profits of growth? Chinese investors often complain about why would â€Å"good companies†, like Tencent (0700. HK), Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) and Sina (NASDAQ: SINA), choose to list in the US and Hong Kong instead of on the Chinese A-shares market. There are four main reasons: 1. If a ‘Chinese’ company takes foreign investment using a VIE structure, it can only list abroad 2. Many companies don’t meet the strict financial standards for a Chinese listing 3. China’s listing process takes a long period of time and not very transparent, a torturous examination compared with America’s speedy registration 4. China’s regulatory agencies perpetually overregulate, rather than letting the market decide 1) If a ‘Chinese’ company takes foreign investment using a VIE structure, it can only list abroad The core reason is simple. These companies aren’t at all eligible to listed on the Chinese A-Shares Market, which restrict the overseas-funded enterprises severely. To receive foreign investment, a great number of Chinese companies set up a corporate structure called the  VIE or Sina structure, because some industries such as internet info & services and financial services are restricted or even prohibited in foreign-funded investment. This structure is especially common for technology companies that raise financing early and often, frequently from foreign investors. State-owned enterprises aside, most ‘Chinese’ companies in the US are not legally Chinese at all. They’re Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, etc. ompanies that control Chinese entities. Chinese regulators have raised the idea of allowing foreign companies to list on the A-Shares Market, but at present that’s still speculative. A worry for foreign investors is that the entire VIE structure, which largely serves to circumvent Chinese laws barring foreign ownership, has been  called into question  by Chinese regulators  in recent months. 2) M any companies don’t meet the strict financial standards for a Chinese listing In August 2005, when Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) listed in US, Chinese asked this very question. Let us review. Baidu didn’t reach profitability until 2003. When it went public, it had been profitable for just 2 years. The company’s profit was only $300,000 (2. 4 million RMB) in the quarter prior to its IPO. This is far from the minimum IPO criteria for the Chinese Small and Medium Cap A-Shares Market, where â€Å"net profit in the recent 3 fiscal years must be positive and the sum exceeds 30 million RMB; aggregate cash flow from operational activities in the recent 3 fiscal years exceeds 50 million RMB, or aggregate operating revenue in the recent 3 fiscal years exceeds 300 million RMB. Baidu didn’t even live up to the standards for listing on the Chinese Growth Enterprise Market: â€Å"Profitable for the previous 2 years, with aggregate net profits of not less than 10 million RMB and consistent growth† or â€Å"profitable in the previous year, with net profits of no less than 5 million RMB, revenues of no less than 50 million RMB, and a growth rate of revenues n o less than 30% over the last two years. † Nor may capital be less than 20 million in the year prior to the IPO. )  China’s listing process takes a long period of time and not very transparent, a  torturous  examination compared with America’s speedy registration Going public is like going through a round of torture. In the prolonged process of waiting for review, they have not only to be upset by countless uncertainties, but also incur high costs off the balance sheet. 4)  China’s regulatory agencies perpetually overregulate, rather than letting the market decide Chinese regulatory agencies are actually most concerned about investors. They fear that investors will buy low-quality stocks and they therefore spare no efforts to set up strict review processes for IPOs. They are also concerned about investors losing money in the secondary market and therefore set up â€Å"protection measures† like downward limits and upward limits and make adjustments to the â€Å"IPO rhythm† to stabilize the secondary market. But these ‘good intentions’ only end up leading everybody astray from the original  market intention. The quality of companies listed on the A-Shares Market is far from satisfactory, while most of the companies with the best growth potential and highest returns to investors list abroad. Moreover, the A-Shares Market remains one of the capital markets with the largest fluctuations in the world! The conclusion should be fairly simple: regulatory agencies should not and cannot be held responsible for a company’s quality through an IPO review. The operational risk of a company does not move in lock step with static indicators like financial data. Regulatory agencies should not and cannot be responsible for the luctuations in the secondary market. Fluctuations of the market can never be contained by up or downward limits, nor can the regulator effectively set the â€Å"IPO rhythm. † Chinese companies will continue to list abroad, despite sky-high A-Share Market valuations To be fair, under the elaborate care of regulatory agencies, A-Shares do have their own magic, that is, a super financing power. Especially in the fiery Growth Enterprise Market over the last year, PE ratios frequently shoot up to 100x. Every single listed company has been overjoyed to get more funds than planned. With such â€Å"stupid wealthy people† circumstances, will companies still want to list in foreign markets? I believe so. Again, there are many companies that will never meet the standards of the A-Shares Market. For growth companies that really desperately need funds, even the listing threshold of the Growth Companies that list abroad don’t have to worry that investors will criticize them for a broad definition of â€Å"misappropriation. † For them, going public is not just a one-time IPO sale, but also a sustainable financing platform. In Conclusion To sum up, the pre-IPO review and post-IPO trading have made A-Shares Market a different ecosystem from foreign markets. It is hard to say which is better. But companies themselves have preferences. Therefore, I don’t think fewer companies will list in foreign markets despite the high valuations of A-Shares. It’s hard to tell if â€Å"quality Chinese companies† will give A-Share investors a chance to invest. Article by Simon  Fong ( ),  Founder & President of Snowball Finance, iChinaStock’s parent company. The original Chinese article was published in the October edition of The Founder.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Hca 322 Week 5 Assignment

A Deeper Look into Ethics and Laws Regarding Surrogacy HCA 322: Health Care Ethics and Medical Law A Deeper Look into Ethics and Laws Regarding Surrogacy When one or more persons contract with a woman to gestate a child than relinquish that child after birth to the person or couple is known as surrogacy. It is a course of action that goes outside of natural reproduction. For some, it is the only method of having children, extending family. Surrogacy has been stirring up many controversies over the years. Ethics, morals, laws, religious views, etc. ave played a major role in the issues that follow the topic of surrogacy. Laws and regulations pertaining to surrogacy vary from state to state. Some states have no enforceable laws towards surrogacy, while others only permit surrogacy contracts that are uncompensated arrangements and gestational agreements (Trimarchi, 2011). Some states prohibit same sex couples from entering into any form of surrogacy contracts. In this paper, I will be a ddress the legal and ethical issues involved and other aspects of surrogacy. History of Surrogacy and Case Study Surrogacy was assumed to have been around since the Babylonian times.Alternatively, the most credible records to date allocate managing legal passivity and the public responses during the middle of the 20th century. Surrogacy did not become public in 1976, when Attorney Noel Keane negotiated the first ever surrogacy agreement (â€Å"History of surrogacy,† 2011). Attorney Noel Keane and Dr. Ringold created the first ever fertility clinic (surrogacy clinic) in the United States. Many laws and regulations were not implemented until the case of Elizabeth Kane and the case of Baby M. Elizabeth Kane was the first woman to enter into a compensated surrogacy agreement in 1980.She was to be compensated with $10,000. She, however, was unwilling to leave the surrogacy agreement without the baby. It was the decision of the court to not grant custody of the child to Elizabeth K ane due to her signing a legal contract. This is the case known for starting the implementation of some laws in some states. In 1986, Mary Beth Whitehead (surrogate mother) and the Stern family entered into a surrogacy agreement. This is the notorious case of ‘Baby M. ‘ It was agreed that Whitehead would receive $10,000 if the child were born healthy, and the surrogate maintained the guidelines and restrictions stated in the contract.However, if there was a case of miscarriage or still born, Whitehead would only receive $1,000. Also, once the child was born Mrs. Stern could legally adopt the child. Once the child was born, Whitehead decided she did not want to give custody of the child to the Sterns. She fled the state and was soon taken into custody. Judge Sorkow, ruled that custody of Baby M would be given to the Stern family, enforcing the surrogacy contract. Whitehead was also deemed an unfit mother. Mrs. Stern was given permission to adopt Baby M. Whitehead appealed the court's decision.New Jersey's Supreme Court overturned Judge Sorkow's ruling, invalidating commercial surrogacy contracts as a disguised form of baby-selling (Tong, 2011). Whitehead was granted visitation to baby M. Cases like ‘Baby M' assisted in triggering some but not many regulations on surrogacy. Ethics and morals, and forms of discrimination against women arose after the case of ‘Baby M. ‘ Some believed that the ruling was justified, whereas others felt that it exploited financially unstable, young, minority women searching for an easy way to earn cash (Tong, 2011). The case of ‘Baby M,' had some thinking that if Mrs.Whitehead were financially stable, like the Stern Family, she would've been granted full custody of the child. On the other hand, those favoring the decision stated that most surrogacy advocates chose women who are 20-30 and have had a child. They also noted that majority of surrogates chosen are Caucasian women. Surrogate agencies now seek women who are unselfish and are financially ready to be the role of a surrogate. Legal Issues A contract is considered to be an agreement, written or verbal, outlining terms and conditions (legally binding obligations) between two parties.Contracts are legally enforceable. In regards to surrogacy, contracts are drawn up with terms and conditions for the surrogate as well as the intended parents. While a majority of the population feels this is a legally enforceable contracts others see the contract as null and void. Due to the close resemblance of ‘baby selling,' which is illegal in every state, there has been, and still is a bit of a divide on decisions in legislation in regards to surrogacy. â€Å"Court decisions and legislation in the United States are split on the issue of whether or not to prohibit surrogacy contracts† (Pozgar, 2012).The surrogacy field has some regulations, such as the use of contracts, which are considered to be law binding, as of right now . The topic of surrogacy is a topic, with much needed deliberation. Before any couple may move forward with the surrogacy process, there are certain factors that must be considered. This includes: Is surrogacy permitted in the state? Are surrogacy contracts permitted? Is there the option to transfer parental rights (adoption)? Once one has these questions answered, they have to determine other factors.Such as: costs for both surrogate (if any) as well as intended parents, contract agreement, testing procedures, medical expenses for the surrogate, etc (â€Å"What are the,† n. d. ). If an agreement has been reached, and all aspects of the surrogacy are agreed to, a surrogacy contract can be entered into without any issues developing. However, this does not mean no issues will arise later in the surrogacy. Some aspects may have been over looked, or the surrogate could develop issues once the child is born, hence the case of ‘Baby M. ‘There is nothing in federal legis lation in regards to surrogacy. Laws regarding surrogacy vary from state to state. As of this moment, several states prohibit acts of assisted reproductive technologies. In those states any surrogacy contracts are unenforceable, proclaiming all contracts void (Hansen, 2011). Some of these states consider acts of surrogacy a crime, punishable by law. While some states allow surrogacy by only to married couples or to couples where one of the intended parents is related to the child. A majority of the states allow surrogacy to take place.In fact they have allowed the surrogacy field to prosper (Hansen, 2011). These states do not have any regulations on surrogacy. Surrogacy contracts are binding just as any other drawn up contract. When entering into such a potentially controversial contract, lawyers should be present to discuss any issues, and to witness the agreement. All parties involved in surrogacy have legal rights. Ones that should not be over looked. For instance, all parties in volved in surrogacy have a right to confidentiality. The right to privacy and confidentiality should be underlined in the contract drawn.The intended parents of the child as well as the surrogate mother must keep all information private. While information between the surrogate and the intended parents may be shared, a third party (surrogacy agency) tries to keep all information to a need to know basis. For example, the intended parents may want to know of any mental or physical issues of the surrogate. Otherwise, all information should be kept private. Both parties in the surrogacy contract have the right to an attorney. Due to high risks of controversies, all parties should have legal representation.Lawyers can assist in explaining the contract. They can also give legal advice if the other party has a ‘change of heart. ‘ With legal representation comes attorney-client confidentiality. The attorney hired must keep all information private. Ethics & Morals Surrogacy raises many ethical issues. All too which must be evaluated before entering into a surrogacy contract. The biggest ethical issue pertaining to surrogacy is the mental and physical displacement the surrogate mother endures. The surrogate mother must be capable of releasing the child once she has completed labor. In a surrogate situation, the gestational mother is the woman who carries the baby to term. This can be a very taxing process both physically and emotionally – and unique in that after the surrogate mother physically carries the baby throughout the pregnancy, she needs to physically and emotionally detach herself from the child once it is born† (The ethical issues,† n. d. ). For some women this issue is effortless, they simply see their body as a temporary home for the child, a ‘womb for rent'. While others form an attachment with the child while in the gestational period.This attachment presents difficulty for the surrogate mother once the child is born. à ¢â‚¬Å"After the child is taken, the surrogate mother may be negatively impacted as her feeling of isolation is felt along with the reality of the sale of her body † (Pozgar, 2012). This, in the long run, could cause more negative impact for the surrogate mother than positive. Women's values in liberty and autonomy need to be weighed against other values like exploitation, health and welfare. When entering into a drastic contract, the fear of infidelity weighs heavy on all parties.Trust in one another is a major characteristic that must be displayed. â€Å"It is easy to praise a successful arrangement in retrospect, but the danger always exists that an arrangement one is planning would cause moral harm to the surrogate and/or the commissioning parents† (van Niekerk ; van Zyl, 1995). If the surrogate mother were to change her mind after the child were born, it could cause an emotional impact on all parties, including the child. In the case of ‘Baby M,' Whitehead gre w attached to the child. At first, she was considered to be unfit as a mother and lost all rights.However, she continued her efforts to custody of the child. After two years, she was awarded visitation to the child, and the intended mother was unable to adopt the child. The emotional devastation felt had to have been overwhelming. The child was subject to the custody battle and confusion of ‘who is my mommy? ‘ While the Stern family (intended family) had to endure in sharing a child too which they would have full custody. What about the rights of the child? This is a question stirring around controversy. The child is usually never considered when people decide assisted reproduction technologies.The child is not given the option of knowing his/her gestational mother, or of any other details pertaining to her (unless otherwise stated, like in the case of ‘Baby M'). The child is also denied the ability to know if his/her biological parents (if sperm donation and/or eg g donation is used). â€Å"Transferring the duties of parenthood from the birthing mother to a contracting couple denies the child any claim to its â€Å"gestational carrier† and to its biological parents if the egg and/or sperm is/are not that of the contracting parents† (â€Å"Surrogacy: A 21st,† ).Also, the baby may have identity issues upon being informed of the nature of his birth, that is if the intended parents decide to disclose this information to the child. Awkwardly, there has been deliberation that surrogacy is close to resembling prostitution. Commercial surrogacy (paying a surrogate mother for gestation of a child) is said to be considered a form of prostitution because the woman is selling her body for someone else's contentment. Although surrogacy is not for intimate purposes, people feel it is the same concept.They feel it is immoral. However, those favoring surrogacy argue that ‘we live in a society where physical labor is compensated wit h money or material items. ‘ They feel that this argument is invalid (van Niekerk & van Zyl, 1995). . Lastly, ‘baby-selling' is the issue surrounding surrogacy. Selling a child is illegal and unethical in any state. Infertility clinics and surrogacy agencies are growing more popular in the United States. These clinics and agencies do take a portion of the money involved in the surrogacy.This little fact gives more power to the argument of ‘baby-selling. The agency or clinic is considered to be the third party in the process, assisting with finding probable surrogates for intended families, drawing up a contract, what each party is responsible for throughout the gestation period of the child. An infertile couple pays an agency $10,000 to find a surrogate, and another $10,000 to the surrogate for any expenses she made covered while carrying the child. The infertile couple also pays the medical expenses, prenatal and postnatal care.So some like the state of Michigan, this is unethical and illegal. It is classified as ‘baby-selling. ‘ However, if a woman who bears a child gives the child to a infertile couple for free, this is completely legal and ethical. In my opinion/ Conclusion In the future, the topic of surrogacy will still be controversial. However, with technology becoming so advance, I foresee a solution to infertility for couples coming to an end. States have their different opinions on the subject, and because of those opinions laws and regulations have been placed on surrogacy.Some states laws will change, as the issue of surrogacy arises. † As surrogate/contract parenting arrangements are normalized and routinized, the U. S. public will probably press federal and state authorities to pass clear legislation governing surrogacy† (Tong, 2011). Woman are given the gift to bare children. However, some are incapable due to some form of medical issue. If a family wants to extend their family by having children (legal ly) that is their given right. Of course this varies from state to state. Surrogacy does cause many ethical and legal issues.However, these are issues that all surrogate mothers and intended families take into close consideration before pursuing. It is important that all parties involved weigh in liberty, autonomy, fidelity, ethical and moral values against all other standards and values. Many issues are bound to arise when entering into such a highly drastic contract, but with close monitoring, fidelity and understanding, the contract should be capable of being carried out with no issues. References Hansen, M. (2011, March 01). As surrogacy becomes more popular, legal problems proliferate.Retrieved from http://www. abajournal. com/magazine/article/as_surrogacy_becomes_more_popular_legal_problems_proliferate/ History of surrogacy. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. findsurrogatemother. com/surrogacy/information/history Pozgar, G. (2012). Legal and Ethical Issues for Health Professio nals (3rd ed). Jones ; Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved from http://online. vitalsource. com/books/9781449685065/id/ch02lev1sec10 Surrogacy: A 21st century human rights challenge. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. cbc-network. org/issues/making-life/surrogacy/ The ethical issues of surrogacy. n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. modernfamilysurrogacy. com/page/surrogacy_ethical_issues Tong, R. (2011). Surrogate parenting. Retrieved from http://www. iep. utm. edu/surr-par/#H4 Trimarchi, M. (2011). Surrogacy overview. Retrieved from http://health. howstuffworks. com/pregnancy-and-parenting/pregnancy/fertility/surrogacy3. htm van Niekerk, A. , ; van Zyl, L. (1995). The ethics of surrogacy: Women's reproductive labour. Journal of Medical Ethics, 21(6), 345-345. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/216336102? accountid=32521 What are the