Absenteeism 2

Absenteeism is a serious workplace problem and an expensive occurrence for both employers and employees seemingly unpredictable in nature. A satisfactory level of attendance by employees at work is necessary to allow the achievement of objectives and targets by a department. Employee Absenteeism is the absence of an employee from work. It is a major problem faced by almost all employers of today. Employees are absent from work and thus the work suffers. Employee’s presence at workplace during the scheduled time is highly essential for the smooth running of the production process in particular and the organization in general. Despite the significance of their presence, employees sometime fail to report at the work place during the scheduled time, which is known as â€Å"Absenteeism†. Labour Bureau, Simla defined the term ‘absenteeism’ as â€Å"the failure of a worker to report for work when he is scheduled to work. † Labour Bureau also states that â€Å"absenteeism is the total man-shifts lost because of absence as a percentage of the total number of man-shifts scheduled to work. According to Webster’s Dictionary, â€Å"Absenteeism is the practice or habit of being an ‘absence’ and an absentee is one who habitually stays away. † Types of Absenteeism: Absenteeism is of four types viz: 1) Authorized Absenteeism, 2) Unauthorized Absenteeism, 3) Willful Absenteeism and 4) caus ed by circumstances beyond one’s control. 1) Authorized Absenteeism: If an employee absent himself from work by taking permission from his superior and applying for leave, such absenteeism is called authorized absenteeism. ) Unauthorized Absenteeism: if an employee absent himself from work without informing or taking permission and without applying for leave, such absenteeism is called unauthorized absenteeism. 3) Willful Absenteeism: If an employee absents himself from duty willfully, such absenteeism is called willful absenteeism. 4) Absenteeism caused by Circumstances beyond One’s Control: If an employee absents himself from duty owing to the circumstances beyond his control like involvement in accidents or sudden sickness, such absenteeism is called absenteeism caused by circumstances beyond one’s control. Features of Absenteeism: Research studies undertaken by different authors reveal the following features of absenteeism: * The rate of absenteeism is the lowest on pay day, it increases considerably on the days following the payment of wages and bonus. * Absenteeism is generally high among workers below 15 years of age and those above 40. The younger employees are not regular and punctual, presumably because of the employment of a large number of newcomers among the younger age groups. While the older people are not able to withstand the strenuous nature of the work. The rate of absenteeism varies from department to department within a unit. As the size of the group increases, the rate of absenteeism goes up. This difference in the rate of absenteeism is believed to be due to the peculiar style and practices of management, the composition of the labor force and the culture of the organization. * The percentage of absenteeism is generally higher in the day shifts * The percentage of ab senteeism is much higher in coal and mining industries than in organized industries. * Absenteeism in India is seasonal in character It is the highest during March-April-May, when a land has to be prepared for monsoon saving, and also in the harvest season, when the rate goes as high as 40 percent Causes Of Absenteeism: The following are the general causes of absenteeism 1) Maladjustment with the Working Conditions: If the working conditions of the company are poor, the workers cannot adjust themselves with the company’s working conditions. Then they prefer to stay away from the company. 2) Social and Religious Ceremonies: Social and religious functions divert the worker’s attention from the work. ) Unsatisfactory Housing conditions at the workplace. 4) Industrial Fatigue: The industrial fatigue compels workers to remain outside the work place. 5) Unhealthy Working Conditions: The poor and intolerable working condition in the factories irritates the workers. Excess hea t, noise, either too much or too low lightening, poor ventilation, dust, smoke etc. cause poor health of the workers. These factors cause the workers to be absent. 6) Poor Welfare Facilities: Though a number of legislation concerning welfare facilities are enacted, many organization fail to provide welfare facilities. This is either due to the poor financial position of the companies or due to the exploitative attitude of the employer. The poor welfare facilities include poor sanitation, washing, bathing, first-aid appliances, ambulance, rest rooms, drinking water, canteen, shelter, creches etc. the dissatisfied workers with these facilities prefer to be away from the work place. 7) Alcoholism: Workers mostly prefer to spend money on the consumption of liquor and enjoyment after getting the wages. Therefore the rate of absenteeism is more during the first week of every month. ) Indebtness: The low level wages and unplanned expenditure of the workers force them to borrow heavily. The research studies indicate that workers borrow more than 10 times of their net pay. Consequently, workers fail to repay the money. Then they try to escape from the place in order to avoid the moneylenders. This leads to absenteeism. 9) Maladjustments with the job demands: The fast changing technology demands higher leve l skills from the workers. Some workers fail to meet these demands due to their low level education and/or absence of training. 0) Unsound Personnel Policies: The improper and unrealistic personnel policies result in employee dissatisfaction. The dissatisfied employee in turn prefers to be away from the work. 11) Inadequate Leave Facilities: The inadequate leave facilities provided by the employer forces him to depend on E. S. I. leave which allows the workers to be away from the work for 56 days in a year on half pay. 12) Low level of Wages: Wages in some organizations are very poor and they are quite inadequate to meet the basic needs of the employees. Therefore, employees go for other employment during their busy season and earn more money. Further, some employees take up part time jobs. Thus the employees resort to moonlighting and absent themselves from work. The Cost to Co. Turnover As most HR managers know, the cost of turnover adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to a company's expenses. While it is difficult to fully calculate the cost of turnover (including hiring costs, training costs, productivity loss), industry experts often quote 25% of the average employee salary as a conservative estimate. For example, if the average salary is $20,000/yr the cost of one employee turnover is $5,000. If you have 30 employees terminating per month, the cost to the organization equals $150,000/month. Mulitiply that by 12 months and you have $1,800,000 in added annual expense. Loss of Company Knowledge When an employee leaves, they take with them valuable knowledge about your company, your customers, current projects and past history (sometimes to competitors). Often much time and money has been spent on the employee in expectation of a future return. When the employee leaves, the investment is not realized. Disruption of Customer Service Customers and clients do business with a company in part because of the people. Relationships are developed that encourage continued patronage of the business. When an employee leaves, the relationships that employee built for the company are severed, which could lead to potential customer loss. Turnover spirals into more turnover When an employee terminates, the effect is felt throughout the organization. Coworkers are often required to pick up the slack. The unspoken negativity often intensifies for the remaining staff.

The Road to Perdition

The most appealing thing about Road to Perdition is its over-arching theme of redemption. Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks), an Irish mafia heavy, wants more than anything to keep his son from following in his criminal footsteps. Even though father and son will eventually drive to a place called Perdition to lay low, the story’s title suggests that Michael has for many years been traveling the road to hell.He understands as much, and wants his son to avoid the same highway, a road with no off ramps. Then there is John Rooney (Paul Newman in his last feature film role) who is the embodiment of Satan in the film, the pitiless head of an Irish crime family. If his actions weren’t clear enough, he includes the devil in a toast, and late in the film in a conference with Michael below a church tells his younger protege, â€Å"there are only murderers in this room,† and â€Å"there is only one guarantee, none of us will see heaven. †Early in the movie, at a wake in hi s home for Danny McGovern, a foot soldier he has had killed, Rooney ominously acts the charming father to the Sullivan boys, Michael and Peter, one his son will soon murder, and the other he will personally order a contact on. He playfully tosses dice with the boys in a kind of gangster pastoral, in reality gambling with their very lives. With a disarming charm, reminiscent of the Prince of Darkness, he establishes an early connection with the youngsters, so that later when they are older they’ll feel taken care of by the family.By the time they learn the truth about the business, they will be less horrified, and will be drawn into the web of sin just like their father. Rooney also functions as the surrogate parent to Michael Sr. (Hanks), but whereas it’s usual or a father to protect his child from sin and danger, Rooney has molded Michael into the ruthless enforcer for his evil organization. The story heads in another direction when Rooney’s son Conner (Daniel Craig) slaughter’s Michael’s wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and his youngest son Peter to hide his own corruption within the corrupt world he inhabits.But if there is any good in Rooney, it’s his refusal to give up Connor, even though the son has betrayed his father and put him in a mortally precarious position. Thus, the plot becomes increasingly parallel as the two fathers face each other and certain death to protect their offspring like so many lionesses. With the Rooney’s demonic hit man (Jude Law) on their trail, Sullivan goes to see the powerful Frank Nitti with the vain hope of obtaining mafia justice.But when Nitti tells Michael that he will not give up Conner because of the crime connections with Rooney, Michael realizes that his only recourse now is to eliminate his boss before Rooney kills his remaining son. In the great scene when Michael guns down Rooney and his intimates with a Thompson sub-machine gun that lights up the dark, it is a toss up o f whether Michael is revenging himself, giving into his darkest, most vengeful lust, or that he is redeeming himself by saving Michael Jr. the only way he can.The interweaving stories of the two fathers, combined with the closure of the main plot in which Michael Jr. abandons the mafia road to be raised on a farm and never hold a gun again, leaves the viewer with a sense of hope: amazing considering the film’s dark themes. This spirit of hope is brought home by the film’s musical score, the most appealing aspect of the movie for me. Thomas Newman—my favorite film composer—wrote the soundtrack, and the one for this film is my favorite work of his.Newman’s patented swelling strings and simple but central piano motifs drive every important scene in the film. The despair of the Midwest’s great depression era, the tension of carrying out a job accomplished with guns, the absolute peace of completing life’s final task, these along with ever y shot in the movie are underscored by beautiful music, which itself functions as an actor in the film, every bit as important as Tom Hanks or Paul Newman. My favorite example of the music’s effectiveness is the scene when Rooney nd his gang leave a pub one evening and walk out into the rain to their car, only to find that the car’s driver is dead. For me, it is the most powerful scene in any movie I have ever seen. The song that plays at this moment is called â€Å"Ghosts. † Sam Mendes, the film’s brilliant director, decided that even though what we are seeing is an action scene, he was not going to make it about action. For Mendes, it is a scene about emotion, and so we hear no sound other than Newman’s score, save for a couple of transitions where the rain can be lightly heard.The five gangsters are looking around when one of their cronies gets shot up from behind. They all turn and start firing hopelessly into the darkness, at the end of the st reet where the muzzle flash is coming from. Only Rooney remains rooted, with his hand on the car door and his back to the mysterious gunman. The camera then moves into a mid shot of Rooney looking downward, and the mostly ambient score now adds a low string that slowly increases in volume as recognition dawns on Rooney’s face. He now realizes the killer is Sullivan, and he knows he is going to die.He remains frozen as his henchmen are picked off one by one, but not one sound of gunfire is heard, no cries, no footsteps, no shouts. As the last body falls to the street, some sparse piano notes are heard traveling down the scale, which seems to echo the ease in which Sullivan drops Rooney’s bodyguards, like fingers traveling down the piano, ending a life on every key. The sound impresses on us how alone Rooney is now, standing in the rain before his final judgment. Next, we see a long shot of the dark end of the street, and after a time a figure appears out of the darkness walking towards Rooney’s back next to the car.At this moment, the sound of the rain drifts back in. Now a similar shot from a reverse angle, then an over the shoulder shot where we see Rooney beside the car, facing away from Sullivan, and over his shoulder, Sullivan moves towards him. As Rooney lifts his head and his gaze from the ground to camera level, every element in the soundtrack fades away and we understand why Thomas Newman owns this scene, for we are presented with five of the most powerful chords that a string section has ever played. They can’t be described in words so I won’t try.As the 5th chord fades, Rooney turns to face Sullivan, whose face is set in unhappy determination, which we see in an over the shoulder shot from behind Rooney. Again, there is no sound except the rain falling around them and the water dripping from their drenched fedoras. Now the camera moves in on Rooney’s face as he delivers his signature line, â€Å"I’m g lad it’s you. † Then the camera cuts to a close up of Sullivan, and we see he is shaken by Rooney’s statement; he is near on the verge of tears, but in spite of his emotions raises his Thompson to the firing position in steady resolve.After Rooney’s coda, the chords play again but end on a different, more conclusive chord, which adds closure to Sullivan’s act before it even happens. This scene was Paul Newman’s final theatrical screen appearance, and I think it does justice to him. It is uncanny how many fine actors died in life not long after they died on screen. This is the scene that proved to me that Thomas Newman was the master. In many ways, Road to Perdition is the coming together of many film masters.Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, two of the most highly acclaimed actors of the last 2 generations, Thomas Newman, a 10 time academy award nominee, and Cinematographer Conrad L. Hall, who won an Oscar for his moody and contrasted lighting. Road to Perdition was also Hall’s last film before his death, and Mendes dedicated this, perhaps his greatest film, to him. A long time ago, I gave up on the gangster film. I just didn’t like the subject matter.And although Perdition is one of the greatest examples of the genre, surpassing in my mind the celebrated Godfather films, it is arguably much more than a mob picture. It is a film whose writer and director were tantalized less by the sensationalized lives of the thieves and murderers of organized crime, and more with the idea of how one conducts and makes meaning of life under extraordinary conditions. Like Hamlet, Shakespeare’s greatest hero, Michael Sullivan is also turned into a scourge who might have cried, â€Å"Oh cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right. †

Canopic Stopper of King Tut

A lot of different statuettes, busts, vases, elements of decorations, etc. from those times were presented at the exhibition in Los Angeles County Museum of Arts. But I was especially fascinated with a little bust from the canopic chest of King Tut, made of delicately patterned transparent calcite. This elegant bust reproduces King Tut himself wearing the nemes head-dress. The creators of it used subtle black and red paints to underline facial details of good-looking Egyptian king: his big eyes, eyebrows and lips, demonstrating feminized nature of this person. Traditionally, the face of King Tut is presented with decorations of protective cobra and vulture, appearing from his head-dress. This small statuette is typical exemplar of Egyptian ancient art, which is characterized with features of early frontalism: every picture (in painting) or figure (in sculpture) was presented in rigid and formal posture. This bust was found in a shrine of King Tut, on a magnificent canopic chest made of alabaster and gorgeously decorated with golden staples. There were, actually, four of such busts, which were located in every corner of the chest and served as stoppers. These stoppers were sealing four compartments of the chest, in which four miniature anthropomorphic coffins, containing mummified inner organs of the king, were stored. King Tut (Tutankhamen) is one of the most known and recognizable pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. He was the Ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egyptian Kings, who started his reign in the age of 9 and died at the age of 19. Certainly, he ruled under supervision and control of his adult advisers: in particular, his vizier and future successor Ay. The main social reconstruction, made by King Tut, is conversion of heretical Atenism, launched by his predecessor King Akhenaton, to previous traditional ancient Egyptian religion. Causes of his death still remain unknown, and there are some suggestions on this issue. Some specialists consider him to be murdered; the others consider his death to be accidental. After watching this sculpture of young pharaoh for some long period of time, first of all, I started paying more attention on its divine material. This transparent calcite is called Egyptian alabaster, which was, probably, enriched with some phosphoric materials. That is why the bust looks so lucid and shining, as if time did not touch it at all. I noticed that in this magic shining the representation of King Tut looked exceptionally graciously, and he seemed to me to be very calm and friendly as a person. The more I watched, the more I could realize, how different it is to see figures and statues in real dimensions, not as reproductions in the books. This way so many details, like features of the face, head position, profile line, vivid natural colors, and so on, can be better observed and considered. There is no printed picture, which can properly show the light, color, shape or delicacy of ancient artworks. So, if we want to receive some good idea about such treasures, we have to see them live. That is why such exhibitions are extremely popular and always crowded. There are many known representations and images of King Tut, which remained from ancient times. Recently the revolutionary event took place, when the team of Egyptian, American and French specialists managed to receive a new facial image of Tutankhamen. It was presented in three-dimensional CT scans of the Pharaoh’s skull, but the only uncertainty was left, which is the tone of King Tut’s skin. Of course, such researches are priceless. But, to my mind, there is no better imagination of a historical personage, than the one, which can be received from observing original artworks and genuine historical materials. After visiting this exhibition, I have formed my own clear picture of this Egyptian legendary king in my mind, which, I suppose, is not very different from his real appearance and character. Bibliography: â€Å"Canopic Stopper of King Tut.† King Tut. King Tut Exhibition, Los Angeles County Museum of Arts. 8 Nov. 2005 ;http://www.kingtut.org/gallery/Gold_57.htm;. â€Å"Tutankhamen.† Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia Online. 6 Nov. 2005. 8 Nov. 2005 ;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Tut;. ; Canopic Stopper of King Tut A lot of different statuettes, busts, vases, elements of decorations, etc. from those times were presented at the exhibition in Los Angeles County Museum of Arts. But I was especially fascinated with a little bust from the canopic chest of King Tut, made of delicately patterned transparent calcite. This elegant bust reproduces King Tut himself wearing the nemes head-dress. The creators of it used subtle black and red paints to underline facial details of good-looking Egyptian king: his big eyes, eyebrows and lips, demonstrating feminized nature of this person. Traditionally, the face of King Tut is presented with decorations of protective cobra and vulture, appearing from his head-dress. This small statuette is typical exemplar of Egyptian ancient art, which is characterized with features of early frontalism: every picture (in painting) or figure (in sculpture) was presented in rigid and formal posture. This bust was found in a shrine of King Tut, on a magnificent canopic chest made of alabaster and gorgeously decorated with golden staples. There were, actually, four of such busts, which were located in every corner of the chest and served as stoppers. These stoppers were sealing four compartments of the chest, in which four miniature anthropomorphic coffins, containing mummified inner organs of the king, were stored. King Tut (Tutankhamen) is one of the most known and recognizable pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. He was the Ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egyptian Kings, who started his reign in the age of 9 and died at the age of 19. Certainly, he ruled under supervision and control of his adult advisers: in particular, his vizier and future successor Ay. The main social reconstruction, made by King Tut, is conversion of heretical Atenism, launched by his predecessor King Akhenaton, to previous traditional ancient Egyptian religion. Causes of his death still remain unknown, and there are some suggestions on this issue. Some specialists consider him to be murdered; the others consider his death to be accidental. After watching this sculpture of young pharaoh for some long period of time, first of all, I started paying more attention on its divine material. This transparent calcite is called Egyptian alabaster, which was, probably, enriched with some phosphoric materials. That is why the bust looks so lucid and shining, as if time did not touch it at all. I noticed that in this magic shining the representation of King Tut looked exceptionally graciously, and he seemed to me to be very calm and friendly as a person. The more I watched, the more I could realize, how different it is to see figures and statues in real dimensions, not as reproductions in the books. This way so many details, like features of the face, head position, profile line, vivid natural colors, and so on, can be better observed and considered. There is no printed picture, which can properly show the light, color, shape or delicacy of ancient artworks. So, if we want to receive some good idea about such treasures, we have to see them live. That is why such exhibitions are extremely popular and always crowded. There are many known representations and images of King Tut, which remained from ancient times. Recently the revolutionary event took place, when the team of Egyptian, American and French specialists managed to receive a new facial image of Tutankhamen. It was presented in three-dimensional CT scans of the Pharaoh’s skull, but the only uncertainty was left, which is the tone of King Tut’s skin. Of course, such researches are priceless. But, to my mind, there is no better imagination of a historical personage, than the one, which can be received from observing original artworks and genuine historical materials. After visiting this exhibition, I have formed my own clear picture of this Egyptian legendary king in my mind, which, I suppose, is not very different from his real appearance and character. Bibliography: â€Å"Canopic Stopper of King Tut.† King Tut. King Tut Exhibition, Los Angeles County Museum of Arts. 8 Nov. 2005 ;http://www.kingtut.org/gallery/Gold_57.htm;. â€Å"Tutankhamen.† Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia Online. 6 Nov. 2005. 8 Nov. 2005 ;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Tut;. ;

Manage Your Health Inc - Work Breakdown Structure Case Study

Manage Your Health Inc - Work Breakdown Structure - Case Study Example This is a project that aims at applying various concepts that one has learned in the course of study. I have considered various, several methods when selecting this project to ensure that it is sufficient and reliable. One criterion that has enabled led to a selection of this project is the financial analysis of various projects. One must consider the one that is most beneficial and valuable. Project scope management has also been tremendously useful in its development. The weighted scoring model presents the weighted scores that each project earns when implemented using various different criteria. There are several criteria Manage Your Health can use in implementation and running of the projects. The company has emerged with the desired results by adopting the average weighted score that each project makes by taking the average score. This will ensure that the company adopts a reasonable project that will derive high benefits for the company. Analysis of this project clearly indicates that the company can reduce its operating costs, increase its cross-selling of product, and advance new web-based technologies. The project is, therefore, viable to implement since it will ensure that the organization derives reasonable benefits from it. The company can achieve this with the introduction of this project that will ensure that it will improve its interaction with customers and employees and thus achieve exemplary results. The project demands cooperation from workers and administration for it to be successful. Health Coverage Costs Business Model project emerges as the best project that the management should consider implementing. This is because it registers the highest weighted project score of 76.1. The project, therefore, emerges as the best the company should consider implementing to ensure that the organization meets the given targets. Despite the efforts of the company in changing insurance carriers several times, health care premiums continue to increase.     

Germany is the largest European consumer goods market Essay

Germany is the largest European consumer goods market - Essay Example The social market economy of Germany has made it very favorable since the formation of the federal republic. The policy makers have continuously pursued the parallel national goals of export driven economic growth as well as a national social cohesion that will ensure even the foreign investors are treated well and with respect just like the nationals of that country. This has been done through the robust system of social welfare programs. There are many government funded programs which in due time reduce economic disparities and affect every person who is in Germany. The result of this is that the citizens in Germany will be well to do and their incomes are going to be higher resulting to increased consumption and sales. When the investors from the different countries have a variety of products like the consumer goods which are not in Germany, the consumers will tend to try the new products as they have the finances. The law of demand applies here in that the higher income will increase the demand of the goods and will also go for the new products which are in the market the political leaders have shown a greater concern for the economy of the country by sacrificing to see to it that the social cohesion is obtained. Germany is the largest European consumer goods market. It has a very large population that ranges beyond 82 million people. This offers a wide market for the new goods in the form of clothe as the higher population creates a greater demand for the goods. The retail trade is the third revenue generator in Germany. The high population is in the higher proportion with the young generation who has high money volatility. They have a high definition of the new clothes and will there for favor the investments in that place. Their spending is very high especially on new things and will therefore consider taking the new consumer goods and therefore this can be a very good market. Germany is experiencing a low inflation rate. This ensures that the living standards are moderate and that the goods are not that expensive from the outside world and investments in that country. The living standards are therefore very low as compared to many other countries and therefore the spending power is very h igh. The domestic purchasing power in the recent years has experienced a stable growth even considering the economic crisis in the past few years that has seen the euro go down and some economies like that of Greece suffer but Germany has remained intact and has in fact ended up being the savior to these economies. The consumption level decreased by 0.5% in 2010, from the previous year. It is this that has made Germany one of the worlds thriving private consumer markets. [Andreas Falke, 2009] There are very many retail industries. In 2009 only, the retail revenue in the country was 398 billion which brings it at the top three retail markets in Europe together with France and UK. This has made it a home to a rich and diverse market surrounding. The small and medium sized enterprises have become part of this environment and there are more than 400,000 companies and 2.9 million employees thus making the retail sector among the most

Critical Anaysis of The Stranger by Albert Camus Essay

Critical Anaysis of The Stranger by Albert Camus - Essay Example The sun is the motif of the novel, where it affects the personality of Meursault and his reaction to his setting and conditions in life. The sun represents the existentialist philosophy of Meursault, where the natural absurdity of the setting and its plot are designed to illustrate that detachment is a natural response to the meaninglessness of human existence. The sun stands for the existentialist philosophy of Meursault, a philosophy that Camus himself believes in. Christian argues that Camus believes in an existentialist philosophy of â€Å"the Absurd† (92). He stresses that for Camus, the world and man per se are not absurd, and instead, the relationship of man with his environment is absurd (92). He maintains that people demand things from a world that cannot fulfill them, and so to exist with true hope for the fulfillment of dreams is â€Å"absurd† (92). Meursault lives life like a sun, where to exist is to accept whatever happens without any attachment to them. H e has an extremely disconnected attitude towards his mother’s death, for instance. He says at the beginning of the novel: â€Å"MOTHER died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure† (Camus 4). He does not care for details when it comes to death. He values his mother enough to attend her funeral, but he does it out of duty, as a son. He does not even peek into his mother’s coffin, which people in the funeral find troubling. Strangers cry for her, while her own son does not even shed a tear. In addition, Meursault is not overly concerned of the prospect of dying himself. Death is not something that can stir him from his realization that nothing in life is worth pouring his passion over. His existence has come from nothing and will end up as nothing and that is the way life is. The sun heats up the setting and melts away any possible meaning in human action and agenda. The sun is a natural element of life’s natural cycle. The blackness of the fune ral of Meursault’s mother is distinguished because of the sun. Meursault, nevertheless, finds no meaning in these rituals and beliefs about the dead. The black colors of the hearse and horse and the noxious scents of the environment only serve to dull Meursault’s senses. In short, the funeral makes him want to sleep it away. Blackness means nothing, while sleeping is something that is more directly experienced. Furthermore, the sun also increases the temperature enough to make people live without concern for their actions. Meursault tumbles in his life in a state of coma and existence, because he always feels hot and uncomfortable. He wants to hurry up the funeral, because he feels the physical discomfort of standing under the sun. The Marengo landscape is illustrated as â€Å"something inhuman, discouraging† (Camus 11). Camus indicates that Meursault cannot be completely blamed for his absurdist approach to life, because his environment is disconcerting too. Vo n Dehsen calls it the â€Å"unreasonable silence of the world† to people who want to find meaning in life (39). Meursault realizes that his boss dislikes the fact that he will have several days off. His boss is only after making more money from his employees and is not truly concerned for him to attend his mother’s funeral and go over his grief. The society is not concerned of meaningful human existence too. Meursault’s relationships are important events in his life, as the plot reveals, but he

International Marketing final term paper on any brand from 'Interbrand

International Marketing final on any brand from 'Interbrand top 100 brands'. Walmart cannot be chosen - Term Paper Example This has hugely contributed to success of the company. McDonald’s first international venture was in Canada and then it had proceeded into the European and Asian markets. In all these places, the company has successfully positioned itself as a major player in food retail (Bonanno and Constance, 2008). The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first section will focus on marketing strategy that has been adopted by McDonald’s while venturing into foreign markets so as to comprehend whether it has used standardization or adaptation policies. The second part of the paper focuses on Internationalization process theory that had been adopted by McDonald’s in its foreign ventures. It has been observed that when multinational companies venture to foreign markets, they either use globalization strategies or localization strategies to promote their products. When a company pursues globalization strategy, it promotes standardized products in all places of operation. Multinationals, following this strategy, use standardized products, prices and distribution channels and promotional campaigns. Companies tend to adopt this marketing mix because standardized products are easier to brand and label. Most importantly, it helps to reduce operational cost of the company. Internationalization marketing strategies, on the other hand, are related to customization of marketing strategies for different locations in which the company operates. The rationale behind adopting this strategy is that cultural, national and regional preferences of the target market are incorporated in the marketing strategy so as to maximize probability of product acceptance (Vignali, 2001). Taylor (1 991) had pointed out that in order for a company to attain competitive advantage, both globalization and internationalization strategies must be employed. A large number of organizations have adopted â€Å"Think

Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analysis - Essay Example To begin with, it is not safe to love someone too much. It is neither safe to kiss the person one loves. Besides, it is dangerous to declare that one loves someone. The author mentions that everyone is a murderer. In this case, the girl is susceptible to murder. It is crucial for the girl not to venture outside at night. Furthermore, she should inform her mother about her whereabouts and the time she will come home from a night out. More essentially, such a person should not sleep so deeply. In the end, the author warns the girl to protect herself by carrying a knife, pepper spray, mace, and a gun. The author urges the teenage to spontaneous. In the last line, however, the story surprises the readers by saying that the teenage girl will die anyway. It is essential to highlight that this text does not read as a short story. Instead, it reads as an instruction manual that is indispensable for maneuvering a complex life. All the same, the story uses a mild flashback as the author conceals the subject in the second paragraph. Before that, the audience is not aware of the direction of the short story. It, therefore, occurs that the subject is a vulnerable person of whom the society poses danger from all fronts. The text thrives on contradictions. In the first paragraph, the protagonist receives a warning not to venture outside. The audience expects that once the subject receives a warning not to go on dates she may be allowed to go outside for other activities. In addition, the author warns the subject neither to go on dates with men who drive nor drive herself to date (Monson 64). In this case, the subject is torn between these two extremes of advice since she cannot choose. Besides, the author warns the girl to spend time neither with men friends nor with any friend at all. In the end, the girl will lack any friend. The author also tells the girl neither to stay home alone nor to venture out in public. The audience,

Policing in Contempoary Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Policing in Contempoary Society - Essay Example The basic reasoning behind having a police force has not changed, bu the methods that at uses and the tools at its disposal have. Thus "policing" in the late Nineteenth Century implied a much greater degree of one-on-one human contact than many police functions today (Holdaway, 1979). The "bobby on the beat", often a member of the community who might be on first name terms with many of its inhabitants has often been replaced by the much more 'efficient' (and yet more isolated) surveillance camera. Modern day policing is essential an attempt to balance conflicting forces of technology versus traditional techniques. An interesting attempt to return to the idea of a very visible police force was the creation of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) early in this century to support the actual police. The PCSO was introduced within the Police Reform Act of 2002 in response to increasing calls for a more approachable and accessible police force. Some confusion has occurred regarding the actual duties and powers of a PCSO, as their role is essentially defined by the Chief Constable of the area they are working within. Thus many PCSOs may detain a person for up to thirty minutes but may not use force to prevent them from escaping. In what precise sense the person is then "under arrest" is thus uncertain (Tameside, 2006). A series of powers that nearly all PCSOs possess include issuing Fixed Penalty Notices for various traffic, littering and animal offenses; the seizure of alcohol from minors and general powers to keep the peace. In many ways they represent an attempt to return to the role previously held by foot-patrol police officers. One reason that such a new position is needed is the increasing numbers of police who are now assigned to serious crime and anti-terrorism activities. In a sense the anti-terrorist activities are an extension of policing into an area normally occupied by the armed forces and various "secret" (and officially non-existent) groups such as MI5 and MI6. Thus the police are being used not only to enforce British laws but to protect the population from attack from both foreign and domestic groups. For example, on 22nd of July 2005 (the day after the London bombings) a Brazilian electrician called Jean Charles de Menezes was shot and killed by police officers while boarding an underground train. He was thought to be a potential suicide bomber. It turned out that he was nothing of the kind. Sir Ian Blair, the head of the Metropolitan Police, stated a few days later that police did indeed have a "shoot-to-kill" policy regarding suspected suicide bombers. He said that the head was the only place that a terrorist could be effectively stopped: There is no point in shooting at someone's chest because that is where the bomb is likely to be. There is no point in shooting anywhere else if they fall down and detonate it. (Blair, 2005) This is a remarkable change from the old ethos of British policing, but one that can be seen to reflect a new situation. Before the existence of the IRA there were few terrorist threats to Britain, and the new threat is greatly different because the people involved with it are quite prepared, and