Political science - Africa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Political science - Africa - Research Paper Example Historical Background to The Situation - European Colonialism As discussed by Sharma (1973), in the beginning European interest was confined to the Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean - the rest was "Dark Continent" fraught with savage cannibals, wild animals and dreadful diseases stalking an inhospitable terrain. By the end of the fifteenth century Portuguese started trading in ivory, pepper, dyestuff and gold dust. This was also the time when Europeans commenced colonisation of the American continent and a very profitable slave trade flourished from Africa to meet the enormous demand of manual labour of the colonisers. By 1870s explorers and missionaries started adventuring into the deep jungles of Africa. With the advent of industrial revolution the demand for raw materials and markets to sell finished products grew in leaps and bounds. This led to rivalry amongst European colonialists to spread their territory, which reached its zenith in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The sharing of the 'African Pie' was amicably settled thro ugh the Berlin Conference of 1884-85 whereby Africa was apportioned by the European powers without any regard to the lie of the land or the psyche of the natives. It is to be noted that in posterity such lacerations presented serious problems of integration at the time of independence of most states. A primitive culture prevailed amongst the tribes in Africa and wars between clans and tribes to settle disputes were very common. Whenever there were disputes amongst the tribes the weaker ones sought outside help. The European traders who had modern weapons and better fighting skills to offer were their first choice. In due course areas that were rich... Africa is primarily a land of ethnic tribes and clans. A tribe does not represent any homogeneity or criterion by which sects of people differentiate themselves from other sects. They are a natural formation of people who get together and affirm their obligations to unite in warfare against outsiders and acknowledge the rights of their members to compensations for injuries. The colonisation of Africa has brutalised the people and vandalised the resources by warlords and despotic rulers. It has left Africans psychologically scarred and scared. Letting loose one tribe against another and creating insecurity and dependency was the most convenient way of subjugating a race. With their better intellect and strength, subjugating large states was not a difficult task for the Europeans. Here one must remember that Africa was not the only country that Europeans colonised. Large parts of Asia, Australia and America were also once under their occupation for centuries. Today many of them are env iable economic powers, technological marvels and military superpowers. Therefore, one cannot escape an accepted wisdom that Africa has wrought self-destruction on themselves unable to overcome the unique racial and social inadequacies. To gloss over Africa as a puzzle that cannot be solved or explained is simplistic. The happenings in Africa lead us to assume the Africans have some inherent ethnic shortcomings that keep them as underdogs on this planet earth. The historical fact file encourages one to accept such a presumption.

EGT1 †Economics and Global Business Applications Essay Example for Free

EGT1 – Economics and Global Business Applications Essay Elasticity of demand is a measure of responsiveness to a price change of a good or service. When demand is elastic, the percentage of a price change of a product will result in a larger percentage of quantity demanded (McConnell, p 77). It basically means reducing the price of a good service will result in a greater quantity demanded and an increase in revenue for the seller. When demand is inelastic, a change in price will result in a reduction of quantity demanded, which will then lead to a revenue decrease (McConnell, p 77). To demonstrate elastic and inelastic demand results, Company A sells 100 pens at $1.00 a piece each day, making their revenue $100.00. Company A then decides to sell their pens at $.50, which results in a total of 250 pens being sold. The total revenue from the price drop is $125, resulting in an additional $25.00; therefore the demand in this scenario is elastic. If selling the pens at the decreased price of $.50 would result in more pens being sold, but less total revenue, the demand is said to inelastic. According to McConnell, when demand in unit elastic, the percentage change in price and the resulting percentage changes in demand are the same. The change in price will not increase or decrease revenue. Cross price elasticity measures the response of demand to a change in price of another substitute or complimentary good (McConnell, p. 87). Substitute goods are goods that can be purchased in place of another good. Examples of substitute goods are soda (buying Coke vs. Pepsi), computers, and potato chips. A positive cross elasticity of demand means the increase of price in one good, for example Coca-Cola, will increase the demand of a substitute good, for example Pepsi. As the price for Coke increases, consumers are more likely to purchase Pepsi at a lower price, thereby increasing its demand. Complementary goods are items that are typically purchased in conjunction within one another. Examples are ringed binders and notebook paper, pencils and erasers, and potato chips and dip. A negative cross elasticity of demand in complementary goods means that the increase in price of one good, an example being potato chips, will decrease the demand for the complementary product that goes with it, the dip. Income elasticity measures the responsiveness of consumers to changes in their incomes (McConnell, p 88). Demand for normal goods tends to increase as consumers’ incomes increase and conversely, demand for inferior goods tends to decrease as consumers’ income increases. Demand is elastic where there is a large availability of substitutes. The reason for this as the price of a good increases, if there is a large amount of substitutes for this particular good, the consumer will choose the substitute. As discussed earlier, soda is an excellent example of this elasticity. Airline tickets are another example. As one airline raises its cost of a ticket or to even pay for a bag to be checked, a consumer will more likely choose a cheaper ticket or an airline that doesn’t charge for baggage over the original. If there is no (or a very limited) amount of substitutes for a good, elasticity is said to be negative. A price change in medication will not likely change the behavior of a consumer relative to demand since there isn’t a substitute to taking the medication. Household utilities are another example of a limited amount of substitutes. In discussing the proportion if one’s income devoted to a good concept, the household budget comes into play. In a given month, households pay for many different good and services. A change in price may or may not affect the households demand for those goods and services. Often, it is dependant on how much of the household budget is devoted to that good or service. Mobile phone service is an excellent example of a service that will most likely have a large amount of a household budget dedicated to it. A change in price in the cell phone service will most likely result in that family making a decision to change to a cheaper service, since that will have a large impact on their budget. On the other hand, that same household may purchase light bulbs each month. The amount of money dedicated to the purchase of light bulbs is so small, that a price increase will not likely affect the budget, therefore the family will not likely make a decision to change to a cheaper bulb. The concept of time when discussing demand is important. When a consumer has a large amount of time to decide on the purchase of a good or service, the elasticity is positive. Conversely, if there is little time, the elasticity is said to be negative. According to McConnell, and excellent example of this is gasoline for automobiles. Gasoline prices change daily and more often than not, prices rise. A family, who owns a car and is dependent on that car for work, etc, will not likely stop buying gas in the sort-term, because it is crucial to their everyday living. However, that family over a long period of time may decide to find alternate means of travel, decreasing their demand for gas. Using the graphs for elasticity of demand and total revenue, areas of elasticity, inelasticity and unit elasticity have been identified. Demand is elastic between the prices of $80.00 and $50.00, meaning the demand increases as the price decreases, resulting in an increase of total revenue. Between the prices of $50.00 and $40.00, the demand in unit elastic, meaning the percentage of drop in price resulted in the same percentage of increase in demand. Revenue remained unchanged in this price range. Between the prices of $40.00 and $0, the demand is inelastic, meaning the price drop has resulted in an increase in demand, but not enough to over come the decrease. Total revenue has been negatively impacted.

Essay --

Every relationship that we have shapes who we are. As children we had many friends and took advantage of the friendships, not realizing how wonderful they were until we grow up and have to look back at what may have been, had we not taken those relationships for granted. Liesel Meminger has many important relationships throughout the novel The Book Thief. The most significant of these relationships is the one she has with Rudy Steiner, which is like one of our many friendships as children. The narrator of the novel, Death, shows the beauty and brutality of this relationship when he retells Liesel’s wonderful friendship with Rudy, her rude awakening of her love for him, and the strength of both as they divulge secrets to each other. When Liesel first arrives on Himmel Street, she has no friends. However, her quick friendship with Rudy grows strong and fast. Shortly after they become friends, Rudy begins to have romantic feelings for Liesel when he states hopefully, â€Å"If I beat you, I get to kiss you† (53). Unfortunately, she does not see him as anything other than a friend in the beginning. Their relationship is beautiful because it is so filled with love. Liesel learns from a young age what it is like to have someone you love taken away by Death and so it is hard for her to find love for a while in her life. Her relationship with Rudy, in addition to her relationship with Hans, helps her to â€Å"relearn† what love is. She only sees Rudy as the child who covered himself in dirt and called himself Jesse Owens, not a teenager who has always been there for her with love that blossomed early and endured forever. It was only until it was too late that she realizes that â€Å"He was her best frien d.† (518) and she truly loved him. Love comes in... ...ret from him. This helps her to see that she loves him and allows her to further analyze their amazing relationship. Overall Liesel and Rudy’s relationship is so significant because, in a way, it has us rethink own relationships in retrospect. Through their relationship we learn about our own, and their relationship teaches us to have no regrets in love. Their relationship is special in The Book Thief and it is one thing that remains constant in Liesel’s crazy life after her mom leaves her. Death shows the beauty and brutality of this relationship when he retells Liesel’s wonderful friendship with Rudy, her rude awakening of her love for him, and the strength of both as they divulge secrets to each other. Rudy and Liesel have been through many ups, and few downs in their relationship, but it has affected her for the better because Rudy retaught Liesel how to love.

Assignment of Personal Sport

Last year, after summer vacation, I went into my student soccer team kind of sad, my past captain, the person who I had really admired, had moved to another team. I did not really feel down though, because there were many of my friends that were playing with me this year. The greatest thing I had learned about soccer is â€Å"Team Spirit†, which I thought my team was full of. Day by day, we played together, joked in the yard, hung out after tired matches, I was so happy to have them as teammate. In my city, there were many rival teams, and they were always trying to pull pranks on each other. Sometimes nothing really happened, but sometimes something really terrible happened. I remembered the time our team did not have any uniforms because someone has painted them. Luckily, we could have a new uniform which I thought were better, but we also had to pay a lot of money for them. This season was not just like any season before. We had a new captain and we were also playing competitive soccer, which was a lot different than our normal soccer. Instead of playing with other local teams, we got to play in big tournaments and against strange teams from other cities. The game was also more vivid; I remember the first game, against a team from Hue City-the city next to my city. The game we called â€Å"Derby Game†, it was totally different than anything I had seen, we were getting to play at a university, and against a highly ranked team. We had started the game, and man the other team was wild, they played with violence. After the first half with surprise and anger, we started to strike back, and I was sure the referee would hate to be in his position. Whenever he made a decision, he got a lot of bad word from players; it did not matter if he was right or wrong. That game finished with a loss for us, but the biggest disappointment was that two of my teammates were injured. We soon learned to live with this violence, and the funny thing is, we even participated in it more than other teams. After we gained enough points, we entered to the next stage of the tournament, which was called â€Å"Knock Out Stage†. This meant we could be kicked out of the tournament as soon as we lost a game. The tournament was held in Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest city in my country. We stayed in a hotel with three other teams. At the first sight I looked at them, I realized that the rumors about them were true; teams that qualified to this stage were really beasts, they were stronger, faster and even dirtier (in the way they play). We had about two days to practice and get used to the yard. The yard there was much prettier than in our city. The grass was greener, and there was more space for supporters. In the first day of the tournament, we had a game against Thu Do, a team from Hanoi City- our capital city. That team played really well, they ran all around the yard and I never saw any of them stop running. Our goalie was taking a lot of their shots; he looked really exhausted just after 20 minutes. Then as we saw that they were too strong for us, we changed the tactic to â€Å"counterattack†, which was much safer and did not waste as much energy. I had to be withdrawn from the yard because of the change in tactic. At that time, I felt so disappointed but I could contain it. The change in tactic seemed to be good and gave us a positive effect. Thu Do still attacked very hard, they flowed into our yard part like a huge flood, but it was less dangerous than before. Our defense did a very good job; they kept the enemies far away from the goalie as much as they could, they also tried to block every shot from the enemies. I was sitting on the sideline for a bit and my coach asked me how I felt, I said good and asked if I could get back in, he said, â€Å"Sure, but in a bit. † So I started do some exercises to keep my body warm and be ready. A bit later, the referee blew the whistle and the first half came to an end. The result was still 0-0 and we could not expect more. Our team went into the rest room and discussed a lot. My coach told me that I would have a part in second half; nervous thought crossed my mind for a second but was soon gone. At the beginning of the second half, things were not much different from the first one; Thu Do still tried hard to attack and score a goal, but our defense line was really concentrated on to the game. Whenever Thu Do’s player got the ball, there were always two or maybe three of our players standing around him and were able to win the ball back. They kept attacking hard and we kept defending well. After 20 minutes, Thu Do players were starting to get tired, I could see how heavy and exhausted in their running, and you know, that was the time we had been waiting for. The coach told me to pop in. We started to attack them back, and can anyone believe it? We scored at our very first chance; I was the one who crossed the final ball to Vu – our player, and with a genius header, the Thu Do’s net vibrated with our happiness and cheers from our supporters. We had been waiting for this time and it had come. I remembered a saying from a well-known coach that goes: â€Å"If you keep attacking but could not score, then you will be scored. It was true this time. I could not tell you how Thu Do player’s faces looked at that time. It was some kind of disappointed, angry or maybe even shameful. After having a goal, we got back to defense style. The time left was still plenty, Thu Do’ player attacked in hopelessness, and for their honor. But that was it, the referee blew full time whistle and we won that game, a very tough game. We also paid a very expensive price because of that winning moment; our players were exhausted and did not have good form on the next game. We lost on our second game. Although that was not something that really surprised us, we were still. I thought the main reason for our loss was that we were not really ready for this kind of tournament. We were determined to get back to our city and train harder and hope for a successful next year. That was also a lesson for me and my team, so that in next tournaments, we could have a better preparation in health and mental, and could avoid unnecessary injures. Until now, that soccer experience is something that I never forget in my life; that was not only my first soccer tournament, but also the most impressive tournament I have ever had.

Budget Airlines

In both Europe and North America, established airlines are desperately cutting costs in order to compete with the increasing number of budget airlines. However, it is highly unlikely that these airlines will ever match the cost efficiency of Southwest, Jetblue or Ryanair. What opportunities are there for established airlines to improve their competitive position through differentiation strategies? Make specific proposals for how established airlines can differentiate their customer offerings more effectively. Few other industries generate the amount and intensity of attention given to airlines, not only among its participants but from government policy makers, the media, and almost anyone who has an anecdote about a particular air travel experience. Since the economic deregulation of airlines in the United States in 1978 the questions of cost efficiency, operating profitability and competitive behavior have become the dominant issues facing airline management. In early 2001 the combination of reduced business travel budgets and substantial cutbacks in airline passenger service quality led more business travelers to look for alternatives to paying premium air fares – namely low-fare airlines for business travel. Southwest, Jetblue and Ryanair are very efficiently run airlines that offer customers consistently cheap airfares in the mature airline industry. Over the past 10 years, the established airlines have attempted to differentiate their services to compete with these companies in numerous ways. However, while such differentiation has proved critical to competitive advantage in business class, for economy fliers, differentiation initiatives have met limited market response. Attempts to increase legroom, offer â€Å"economy-plus† seats, superior in-flight entertainment and achieving superior punctuality have met little market response from customers. The only differentiation strategy that has proved wildly successful is frequent flier programs and services offered to first- and business-class travelers (Grant text Ch. 13). A critical question for the established airlines is whether any differentiation characteristics are capable of creating more value for customers than their costs to the airline. I think it is important to examine the airline passengers’ value chain of activities to identify opportunities for creating customer value. Creating opportunities are likely to be improvements in the form of time savings and increased convenience. Legacy carriers simply have to maximize efficiency, either by reducing frills or by providing a good value for premium product. They should keep costs at a minimum to reduce price, offer better schedules, service and faster, more reliable reservations and check-in systems.

Old Yeller essays

Old Yeller essays Responsibility is someone who makes decisions is mature and reliable. Responsibility is shown all through Fred Gipsons novel Old Yeller about a family living in the dangerous wilderness in 1860. The young hard working Travis, his loving mother and the loyal dog Old Yeller all show responsibility. Travis has many responsibilities when his father left for the cattle drive and he must work hard to take care of his family. Papa's chores weren't easy. Marking their hogs was a lot of hard work. Old Yeller and Travis work together to mark all thirty hogs. The job gets dangerous when the two get hurt badly from the mad hogs. In addition to marking the hogs Travis also had to supply food to his family. Killing a deer on the run Travis feels proud and important supplying food to his family. Above all Travis had to keep the varmints out of the corn patch. Again Travis and Old Yeller work together staying up at all hours of the night fighting off the varmints in the corn patch. Travis working hard and his responsibility was not enough for the family. Mama also had to work hard for the familys survival. Hard work was a big part of the familys survival but the family also needed loving care supplied by Mama. Mama showed her loving care by keeping her family well fed. When Bud Sanderson comes to claim Old Yeller Mama makes a delicious meal of venison, cornbread, stewed squirrel and fried catfish in trade for Old Yeller. Another way Mama shows her loving care is when she takes care of Travis and Old Yeller when the two are hurt from the hogs. Mama uses her cleverness to sew up Old Yeller using a long hair from their mule's tail. For the next week she waits on them hand and foot doing all their chores. Once more Mama shows her loving care when Old Yeller becomes ill and must be shot died out of his misery. Travis is in shock when he learns he must shot his dog. Mama realizes the pain he must fell and offers to do it for him. Although...

The Importance of Music Nowadays Research Paper Example

The Importance of Music Nowadays Research Paper Example The Importance of Music Nowadays Paper The Importance of Music Nowadays Paper Music has accompanied people from time immemorial. In ancient times, music was part of religious ritual; in the Middles Ages, the first polyphonic compositions were written to praise God, and from the Renaissance, the world has seen an enormous development of different music forms. Today, you can hear music everywhere, at a concert, at home and even in a supermarket. It is difficult to imagine what the world would be like if there were no music. In this essay, I will examine this subject from the point of view of the professional musician and the music teacher, and to make the picture more complete, I will give my views. What, then, is music or how is this concept understood? If you ask a graduate of a conservatoire, or consult an encyclopaedia, you will know that music is the art of combining sounds into a unified whole, usually for an aesthetic purpose. This definition means that any piece of music has to be written by someone. For most of us, however, music is something we take for granted. You can buy a CD for a tiny fraction of your salary, or using your computer, at the flick of a switch, you can get the latest hits for free. Therefore, it is no wonder that the status of music has diminished substantially in the last fifty years. Professional musicians – who, as usual in such cases, should earn fame and fortune – are fighting a losing battle with ever cheaper sound systems. For most of them, it is not easy to get an opportunity to play live, let alone to find a place in a classical orchestra. Only few are lucky enough to make a career and big money; the rest end up as music teachers or have to retrain for jobs which will make them employable. As far as music teachers are concerned, whether retrained or otherwise, they cannot understand why so little emphasis is placed on aesthetic values in education today. They feel very disappointed as they see music giving way to mathematics and foreign languages. They claim that in the long run music can develop children’s creativity and imagination. Another benefit of musical skills, according to teachers, is making new friends. Music, they add, is a universal language which bridges the gaps in human relationships. It is often said that people from opposing factions are on common ground when they play or talk about music. Having presented the views of professional musicians and music teachers, I want to offer my thoughts on the subject. I have attended a music school, and I have to say that those were very important years in the formation of my character, temperament and stamina. On many occasions, being dejected and dispirited, I tried to seek and then I found refuge in my music. Also, through music, I have made a lot of friends and been to many places in the world. Last but not least, playing music is a good exercise for your brain and body and is more enjoyable than listening to it. The status of music would be raised if we made a concerted effort to give it due attention: music lessons as important as mathematics and languages, more financial support to professional musicians, less publicity surrounding the release of a new hit and more programmes about classical music.

US Military Colt M1911 Pistol

US Military Colt M1911 Pistol Colt M1911 Specifications: Cartridge: .45 ACPCapacity: 7 round detachable box magazineMuzzle Velocity: 835 ft./sec.Weight: approx. 2.44 lbs.Length: 8.25 in.Barrel Length: 5.03 in.Action: Short Recoil Operation Colt M911 Design Development In the 1890s, the US Army began searching for an effective semi-automatic pistol to replace the revolvers that were then in service. This culminated in a series of tests in 1899-1900 in which examples from Mauser, Colt, and Steyr Mannlicher were examined. As a result of these tests, the US Army purchased 1,000 Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) Luger pistols which fired a 7.56 mm cartridge. While the mechanics of these pistols were satisfactory, the US Army (and other users) found that the 7.56 mm cartridge lacked sufficient stopping power in the field. A similar complaint was lodged by US troops battling the Philippine Insurrection. Equipped with M1892 Colt revolvers, they found that its .38 cal. round was insufficient to bring down a charging enemy, especially in the close confines of jungle warfare. To temporarily rectify the situation, older .45 cal. M1873 Colt revolvers were sent to the Philippines. The heavier round quickly proved move effective. This along with the results of the 1904 Thompson-LeGarde tests led planners to conclude that a new pistol should, at minimum, fire a .45 cal. cartridge. Seeking a new .45 cal. design, the Chief of Ordnance, Brigadier General William Crozier, ordered a new series of tests. Colt, Bergmann, Webley, DWM, Savage Arms Company, Knoble, and White-Merril all submitted designs. After preliminary testing, the models from Colt, DWM, and Savage were approved for the next round. While Colt and Savage submitted improved designs, DWM elected to withdraw from the competition. Between 1907 and 1911, extensive field testing took place using both the Savage and Colt designs. Constantly improved as the process moved forward, John Brownings Colt design ultimately won the competition. M1911 Design The action of Brownings M1911 design is recoil operation. As combustion gases drive the bullet down the barrel, they also exert a reverse motion on the slide and barrel pushing them backwards. This motion ultimately leads to an extractor expelling the spent casing before a spring reverses the direction and loads a new round from the magazine. As part of the design process, the US Army directed that the new pistol possess both grip and manual safeties. Operational History Dubbed the Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911 by the US Army, the new pistol entered service in 1911. Assessing the M1911, the US Navy and Marine Corps accepted it for use two years later. The M1911 saw extensive use with American forces during World War I and performed well. As wartime needs exceeded Colts production capabilities, an additional manufacturing line was established at the Springfield Armory. In the wake of the conflict, the US Army began assessing the M1911s performance. This led to several minor modifications and the introduction of the M1911A1 in 1924. Among the changes to Brownings original design were a wider front site, shorter trigger, an extended grip safety spur, and a simplified design on the grips. Production of the M1911 accelerated during the 1930s as tensions around the globe heightened. As a result, the type was the principal sidearm of US forces in World War II. During the conflict, approximately 1.9 million M1911s were produced by several companies including Colt, Remington Rand, and Singer. The US Army obtained so many M1911s that it did not purchase new pistols for several years after the war. A highly successful design, the M1911 remained in use with US forces during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In the late 1970s, the US military came under increasing pressure from Congress to standardize its pistol designs and find a weapon that could utilize the NATO-standard 9mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. A variety of testing programs moved forward in the early 1980s which resulted in the selection of the Beretta 92S as the M1911s replacement. Despite this change, the M1911 saw use in the 1991 Gulf War with a variety of specialized units. The M1911 has also remained popular with US Special Forces units which have carried variants during the Iraq War and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. As a result of their use of the weapon, the Army Marksman Unit began experimenting with improving the M1911 in 2004. Designated the M1911-A2 project, they produced several variants for Special Forces use. The M1911 has been produced under license in other countries and is currently in use with numerous militaries around the world. The weapon is also popular with sportsmen and competitive shooters. In addition, the M1911 and its derivatives are in use with law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations Hostage Rescue Team, numerous local S.W.A.T. units, and many local police forces. Selected Source Browning: History of the M1911 PistolOlive-Drab: M1911/1911A1 PistolWorld Guns: Colt M1911 Pistol

Customer Survey Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Customer Survey Assignment - Essay Example They are not limited to the questionnaires, and can freely talk about related matters that could support their answers. Focus group discussions (FGD) usually allow participants to talk about issues that may not usually arise from individual interviews. For example, there may be issues that the individual interviewee may forget during the course of the interview, which other participants in an FGD might bring up. Email survey questionnaires, meantime, may not be able to paint the real pictures since respondents would only be those who have email addresses, and not everyone has one. 3. Respondents may hesitate giving accurate answers depending on who or what group is administering the survey. They may feel more comfortable, or withheld information depending on their level of comfort with the one conducting the survey. For example, if the respondents have had previous unpleasant experience with the surveyor, the tendency is not to provide honest and accurate answers, or maybe even avoiding the survey altogether. On the other hand, if respondent has already established trust towards the person or the group conducting the survey, they would tend to be more engaging or pleasant in their answers. Survey instrument design on the other hand may stem from the manner by which a survey is conducted. For example, absence of an email address for every potential respondent may result to inaccurate results. If the surveyor wants to measure the service quality of a supermarket and only sends the questionnaires to registered email addresses of frequent customers, there would be biased answers. Same goes if the survey is featured in a certain website only. Of course, only those who have accessed the website can participate in the survey. There will be no chance for people who are not internet savvy to share their experiences even if they are actually frequent

Managing Diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Diversity - Research Paper Example Over the years, diversity management has emerged as an essential tool of the management to match the modern business environment where everything is changing. Change is essential to allow matching of present organizational resources to meet unlimited and changing needs through diversification of the various business strategies. Diversity calls for the reorganization of the organizational structures and other components that have an impact on the performance of an organization. Corporate executives seeking to regain a competitive edge need to do more than improve efficiency and tighten control by executing a fundamental change to transform systems firmly along with established inhibitive cultures. The internal, external and organizational components influence the organizational diversity and performance outcome within an organization. Critical Analysis The managers should lead the way for the establishment of improved business practices through interaction with peers in other countrie s. Such managers should establish elaborate audit mechanisms and accounting to enhance professionalism, as well as transparency. Managing an organization that has a workforce from diverse cultures is not easy. ... The idea of behind teamwork and motivation in the company is to increase employee and customer satisfaction while lowering costs. They execute the principle of teamwork by encouraging management team and employees to pool resources across all departments, and with end users and suppliers, to identify areas that need improvement. The control process should take into consideration factors such as code of ethics, standards, and statements of good corporate governance in their business operations and regulations (Bell, 2012). At present, the management team in an organization should be aware that both internal and external environments of the organizations are subject to change at any point of time, and hence the need for strategic management. It is important to have flexible legal provisions have removed hurdles in the regulation of businesses as well as the improvement of business standards. The legal and political frameworks have tried to help in managing business risks through harmon ization of existing regulations. It is important for international business operators have a broad understanding of culture, management styles, and cultural orientations in the country of operation. A manager working in a firm that has employees from diverse cultures should develop prerequisite attributes that will help in meeting business objectives. These qualities include; quality control, interpersonal skills, communication skills, organizational skills among others (Von Bergen, Soper, & Parnell, 2005). Quality control involves measuring the variations of actual performance from the regular performance, identifies the causes of such deviations, and recommends appropriate measures (Lauring &

About me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

About me - Essay Example My first step was to create a timetable for myself with the appropriate timings for all the different tasks. Though the time table did take time but I promised myself that I would stick to it. I allocated a perfect time to all my works according to their importance. Along with this I also bought a small notebook which could fit into my pocket so that I could carry it anywhere with me. This assisted me in the development of the habit of taking small notes so that I did not forget tasks that needed to be performed. The maintenance of a time table was a crucial step since it assisted me in the further steps that I had to take which included reading, memory and concentration. I made it a habit to read two pages of the English newspaper so that my reading could improve. Concentration was always a problem and because of that I could not concentrate on my class lectures. To assist in this, I started allocating an hour everyday to read a book without any break. For enhancing my memory I started writing down things at least thrice that I had to learn. If they were lengthy I would read them more than twice so that I could retain them. Also as soon as a test schedule was received I used to mark it as a top priority on my time table. I also gave my reading time and the time for concentration in this preparation time to read my own text books which would maintain my concentration as well my reading habits. These formulas turned out to be very helpful for me. I excelled in studies with improving grades in every session. Thus proper management and priority of works assists in excelling in one’s studies and it is actually practice that makes one

Young Turks Takeover of the Ottoman Empire 1913 Term Paper

Young Turks Takeover of the Ottoman Empire 1913 - Term Paper Example It is a well-known fact that empires were one of the core elements for the modernization of nations and states. In relation, one of the empires that are considered as essential parts of today’s government is the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire is considered as one of the greatest, long-term, and vast empire in history. The empire depicted stability and strength as it continued to widen its occupation. Moreover, the emergence of the Committee for Union and Progress, or most commonly known by many historians as Young Turks, played a significant role in the last years of the empire. In line with this, this paper will dwell on the takeover of the Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire in 1913. The Ottoman Empire was established during the late thirteenth century and lasted even after the First World War. The territories of the empire were vast, which included most of the eastern Roman Empire, a few parts of the north Balkans, and north coast of the Black Sea. Moreover, the Ottoman T urks were composed of different groups of people who shared the Turkic language. These people were scattered throughout the west area of Central Asia from the ninth to the eleventh century.1 The other states associated with the Ottoman Empire, which include Europe, are tied beyond commercial activities and military crusade. The empire used religion and complimented the laws, tax, and political structure to Islamic ideologies and law. It is safe to say that the empire mostly banked on the central-Asians tradition, along with incorporating Persian and Arab legacies. These different legacies allowed the Ottoman Empire to stand strong for half of a millennium. The convergence of laws and religion in the empire was seen as a resurrection of the Byzantine Empire, though it was perceived as deformed.2 In retrospect, the Ottoman state was considered as one of the small states in Turkey. These states came into being during the fall of the Seljuk Turks. The small Ottoman state then started to create a link with other states, which brought all other dynasties to merge into one during the reign of Muhammad II. Furthermore, most of the parts of the Ottoman Empire were successors of the Byzantine Empire, which became a crucial part for the success of the empire. The Ottomans advantageous hold with the Bosporus and the Dardanelles became their buffer between the Latins in the West and Muslims in the Middle East. Nonetheless, the Byzantine was already weakened by the Fourth Crusade and the Western invasion.3 During the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, the leaders were Osman I, followed by Orkhan, next was Murad I, and Beyazid I. During the expansion, Bursa fell into the hands of the Ottoman Empire along with the Adrianople, which both became a capital of the empire. Furthermore, the triumph over the Nikopol and the Kosovo Field by the empire stirred danger on the part of Europe.4 On the other hand, before the start of the World War I, the Ottoman Empire was already facing con flicts within its governance. One of the most prominent conflicts was the emergence of the Committee for Union and Progress, or group who is best known as the Young Turks. Furthermore, along with the emergence of the Young Turks is the development of nationalism in the countries and states of the empire.5 During the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II in the Ottoman Empire, he was considered as hard ruler. For this reason, the dispute between the Turks and the Armenian ignited. In 1877, Russia fought the Ottoman Empire in order to take hold of the Balkan Peninsula to be able to access the Mediterranean Sea for trade and transport. However, in the course of transaction, the Treaty of San Stefano, which allowed the Russian to gain access to a few parts of the Balkan Pen

I Was There Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

I Was There Paper - Essay Example You might not know much about this time period within the history of our society because there is less written information on the same. Still, you can go through our pictorial writings and know more about this time period. So, I am starting with the I Dynasty. Before the establishment of this dynasty, my nation was divided into two. But our king was that much influential and powerful enough to unify the divided nation into a single unit under a centralized authority. The United States Department of Defense stated that â€Å"The Archaic or Early Dynastic Period of Egypt immediately follows the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt c. 3100 BC† (n.pag). During the time of unification, the Upper Egypt was the axis of power because our king was from the Egyptian province known as Thinite. Besides, the unification was a tiresome effort because the people of the Lower part of our nation fought bravely. Still, our king became victorious because his aim was noble. He contributed so many innovative ideas to our society. For instance, he helped artisans like me by creating trade links with other nations like Phoenicia. Within the context of our society, our new king is the mastermind behind the establishme nt of an important city named as Crocodilopolis. Similarly, our king did not neglect our gods because he constructed a big temple dedicated to our god named as Ptah. But there are so many stories related to the death of our first king because some people say that the king was killed by dogs and some other say that he was killed by a wild animal. His name as Scorpion King derives from his family sign of scorpion. But one can see that the death of our first king did not end the influence of the royal family within our society. For instance, the queen named as Neithotep ascended the throne and began to rule over the vast nation. To be specific, the queen decided to do so because her aim was to help her young son named as Djer, to be the

Young Turks Takeover of the Ottoman Empire 1913 Term Paper

Young Turks Takeover of the Ottoman Empire 1913 - Term Paper Example It is a well-known fact that empires were one of the core elements for the modernization of nations and states. In relation, one of the empires that are considered as essential parts of today’s government is the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire is considered as one of the greatest, long-term, and vast empire in history. The empire depicted stability and strength as it continued to widen its occupation. Moreover, the emergence of the Committee for Union and Progress, or most commonly known by many historians as Young Turks, played a significant role in the last years of the empire. In line with this, this paper will dwell on the takeover of the Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire in 1913. The Ottoman Empire was established during the late thirteenth century and lasted even after the First World War. The territories of the empire were vast, which included most of the eastern Roman Empire, a few parts of the north Balkans, and north coast of the Black Sea. Moreover, the Ottoman T urks were composed of different groups of people who shared the Turkic language. These people were scattered throughout the west area of Central Asia from the ninth to the eleventh century.1 The other states associated with the Ottoman Empire, which include Europe, are tied beyond commercial activities and military crusade. The empire used religion and complimented the laws, tax, and political structure to Islamic ideologies and law. It is safe to say that the empire mostly banked on the central-Asians tradition, along with incorporating Persian and Arab legacies. These different legacies allowed the Ottoman Empire to stand strong for half of a millennium. The convergence of laws and religion in the empire was seen as a resurrection of the Byzantine Empire, though it was perceived as deformed.2 In retrospect, the Ottoman state was considered as one of the small states in Turkey. These states came into being during the fall of the Seljuk Turks. The small Ottoman state then started to create a link with other states, which brought all other dynasties to merge into one during the reign of Muhammad II. Furthermore, most of the parts of the Ottoman Empire were successors of the Byzantine Empire, which became a crucial part for the success of the empire. The Ottomans advantageous hold with the Bosporus and the Dardanelles became their buffer between the Latins in the West and Muslims in the Middle East. Nonetheless, the Byzantine was already weakened by the Fourth Crusade and the Western invasion.3 During the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, the leaders were Osman I, followed by Orkhan, next was Murad I, and Beyazid I. During the expansion, Bursa fell into the hands of the Ottoman Empire along with the Adrianople, which both became a capital of the empire. Furthermore, the triumph over the Nikopol and the Kosovo Field by the empire stirred danger on the part of Europe.4 On the other hand, before the start of the World War I, the Ottoman Empire was already facing con flicts within its governance. One of the most prominent conflicts was the emergence of the Committee for Union and Progress, or group who is best known as the Young Turks. Furthermore, along with the emergence of the Young Turks is the development of nationalism in the countries and states of the empire.5 During the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II in the Ottoman Empire, he was considered as hard ruler. For this reason, the dispute between the Turks and the Armenian ignited. In 1877, Russia fought the Ottoman Empire in order to take hold of the Balkan Peninsula to be able to access the Mediterranean Sea for trade and transport. However, in the course of transaction, the Treaty of San Stefano, which allowed the Russian to gain access to a few parts of the Balkan Pen

Separation of church and state Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Separation of church and state - Essay Example "   First coined by Thomas Jefferson in his letter to Danbury Baptists Association in 1802, the phrase ‘separation of church and state’ does not appear as such in the Constitution. But, in the First Amendment to the constitution, it is noted that Congress â€Å"shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof†, which in spirit translates to the sentiment expressed by Jefferson in his letter. Later, when the Supreme Court quoted Jefferson’s original phrase in one of its cases, it got assimilated into American legal parlance. 3- What is the secular or liberal point of view?   This governing principle is celebrated by liberal sections of American society. At the time of the country’s founding a vast majority of its people were believers of Christian faith. So, while separation of church and state was accepted at a nominal level, there was seldom any need to enforce it. But as more waves of immigrant s arrived on the country’s shores, bringing with them their native religious and cultural legacies, this principle found more frequent application in matters of public dispute. To this extent, liberal politicians and commentators much appreciate this separation. 4-What was the intent of the founding fathers   Even among the group of intellectuals now recognized as the founding fathers of the country there were arguments and disagreements.

The Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Development Essay Example for Free

The Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Development Essay European Journal of Business and Managementwww.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)Vol 4, No.8, 2012 100 and support services to accelerate the development and modernisation of MSMEs, SMEDAN badly needed to have acomprehensive understanding and knowledge of the population of MSMEs in the country, their distribution bysectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, services, trade, construction, mining, technology, etc, and their distribution by rural and urban areas as well as the level of vertical and horizontal linkages within and betweenvarious sectors of industry so as to access the level of industrial integration and the incidence of sub-contracting andits potential in giving a flip to industrial development. The census/survey will also enable SMEDAN to determine and assess the major operating difficulties of MSMEsrelating to both market functions (such as demand-pricing factors, supply factors, raw materials, technologyinfrastructure, etc) and policy environment as it relates to regulatory, incentive and support regimes. The overall benefits of the census/survey would hinge on the expected robust data and information, which SMEDAN wouldemploy as a basis for policy formulation, implementation and intervention, effective developmental planning, vitaladvice on new investments, grow and profitable areas, raw materials availability as well as available technology,available markets, available sources of funds and assistance.The survey exercise is also expected to adequately equip and empower SMEDAN to effectively do the following,inter alia:i. Map out effective strategies for revamping and reforming the MSMEs sub-sector through appropriatelyadvising the government on policy formulation and execution.ii. Recommend the right operators for various incentives and support by government including funding, be itloan, equity and grants.iii. Offer relevant advisory services to state governments on how best to support and invigorate MSMEs in their domains bearing their peculiarities and circumstances in mind.iv. Ide ntify viable projects for both local and foreign investors in order to attract foreign investment.v. Identify viable projects with export potentials and also identify and advise on the appropriate foreignmarkets in order to boost foreign exchange earnings.vi. Identify and assess MSMEs critical requirements in the areas of capacity building, skills gap, knowledge,skills and process and liaise with the relevant institutions and agencies of government like the National PovertyEradication Programme (NAPEP), the Centre for Management Development (CMD), the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), etc.vii. Establish a befitting business support centre for each state in the federation.viii. Facilitate the promotion and government patronage of quality local products of MSMEs for either localconsumption or export or both. 4.1 A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN INDIA’S SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES (SSIs) ANDNIGERIA’S SMEs The magnitude of contributions as well as the impact of SSIs on the economic growth and development of India ishighly significant as evidenced by the following figures. The SSIs represent ninety-five percent (95%) of the totalindustrial units in India, contribute forty-five percent (45%) of the total industrial output, account for eighty percent(80%) of all employment in the industrial sector, and contribute thirty-five percent (35%) each of total exports andvalue-added by the entire manufacturing sector respectively in India. Between 1990 and 1991, SSI real growth inIndia recorded between a low of 7.1% in 1993/94 and a high of 11.3% in 1996/97.As a result of commitment and focus on SSIs and driven by their all important role in the economic development, thegovernment of India had as far back as in 1948 put in place, an effective and efficient industrial policy for developing SSIs such that by the year 2000, India had three (3) million SSIs with a production value of US$110billion, export volume of US$ 10billion and staff strength or employment figure of eighteen (18) million. Eventhough SMEs‟ performance in Nigeria shows that technology and fiscal incentives had made little positive impact onthe sub-sector given the obvious lapses in implementation modalities as well as the constraining policy andinfrastructural environment, recent estimates have put the contribution of SMEs to total industrial employment in Nigeria at seventy percent (70%) and to total manufacturing output at 10 – 15 percent. SMEs in Nigeria have beenquite active in promoting the use of local raw materials with many of them also engaged in the processing of localinputs into either intermediate or final products especially agro-allied and solid minerals products. Many SMEs havealso successfully adopted imported plant and machinery for local use and thus positioning themselves as veritable European Journal of Business and Managementwww.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)Vol 4, No.8, 2012 101 tools for promoting technical expertise and development of indigenous entrepreneurship. The Nigerian SMEs aremostly resource-based and dispersed throughout the country (in urban, suburban and rural areas) and hence have tosome extent, facilitated the opening up of the rural areas, mitigated rural-urban drift, and significantly contributed to poverty alleviation.The following represent a brief comparison between Nigeria‟s SMEs and India‟s SSIs:i. Definition†¢ Nigeria‟s SMEs cover enterprises with total cost of N20million excluding land and total employees of between 10and 300 people†¢ India‟s SSIs are defined as units in the manufacturing, processing or preservation of goods with investment in plantand machinery not exceeding Rupees 10million ($210,000).The difference here hinges on the fact that India has no provision for mediu m scale enterprises; their focus is on thereal sector thus excluding trading and services. (ii) Credit Dispensation:†¢ In Nigeria, there are universal banks, development banks, and other special institutions, which provide credit butnot at subsidized rates.†¢ In India, there is a multi-agency system for credit flows; term loans are provided by term lending institutions andworking capital is provided by commercial banks.(iii) Funding Arrangements:†¢ In Nigeria, no minimum quantum of credits to SMEs is mandatory anymore. In the past, a percentage of totalcredits used to be mandatory for SMEs. However, 10% of banks‟ annual Profit Before Tax (PBT) is mandatory for equity investment in SMEs under the SMIEIS program.†¢ In India, 40% of total advances go to the priority sector, and 60% of net bank credit to the priority sector goes toSSIs.(iv) Management of funds invested in SMEs/SSIs:†¢ In Nigeria, the funds can be managed directly, or through a subsidiary or through a venture capital manager.†¢ In India, the credits to SSIs are driven need-ba sed limits on liberal terms with level and profitability as key factorsand not linked to security or collateral. Flexibility is the watchword with each activity assessed on its own merit.(v) Structure of BusinessesIn Nigeria, an SME must be a limited liability company†¢ In India, an SSI could be a limited liability company, or a partnership or a proprietary firm.(vi) Incentives and support to the SME/SSI sector:†¢ In Nigeria, it is mandatory for banks to set aside 10% of their annual profit before tax in support of SMEs. TheBank of Industry (BOI) is expected to provide credits to SMEs but not on soft lending rates. It is only the NigerianExport Import Bank (NEXIM) that provides soft loans to export oriented SMEs.†¢ In India, the incentive and support schemes available to SSIs are much more elaborate and include official generaland organisational support as well as support by other agencies. The nature and levels of key incentives and supportinclude but are not limited to the following:From the above, one can categorically affirm that the incentives and support given to SSIs by the government of India are quite wholesome and formidable. The package of support and incentives provided by the government of Nigeria can in fact, be said to be insignificant when compared with those of India. It is thus less surprising, thedevelopment gap between the SSIs of India and the Nigerian SME sub-sectors and hence the significant role SSIs are playing in the economic growth and development of India. The continuous reinforcement of incentives and support European Journal of Business and Managementwww.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)Vol 4, No.8, 2012 102 to SSIs by the government of India underscores the high degree of appreciation of the importance of the SSIsubsector to the future of the Indian economy.In Nigeria, there are relatively few SMEs in the formal sector and many more in the informal sector. TheInternational Labour Organisation (ILO) has attempted to make some estimates of the contributions made to theeconomy by SMEs, including the informal sector, and believes that they account for over 60 percent of economicactivities and over 35 percent of urban employment 4.2 RESEARCH DESIGN The research design approach adopted in this work is the survey research technique. The survey approach appeared best suited for this work since it is not feasible to interview the entire population. Furthermore, in surveys, there arefixed sets of questions, and responses are systematically classified, so that quantitative comparisons can be made.The sources of primary data were through questionnaires that were administered to the SMEs owner-manager andoral interview held with them. Secondary data were gathered from earlier research work and studies that have beendone. METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS Appropriate descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency distribution and simple percentages were used tocharacterize the responses. The use of percentages analysis enables the figures in the research work which were inabsolute terms to be converted to real terms. The statistical tool facilitated the comparism of figures and standardizesdata, thereby reducing the difficulty of comparing non standardized figures. It uses 100 as its base.An in-depth examination of the responses revealed that SMEs involved in manufacturing/assembling ventures rated poor infrastructure as their greatest challenge. Worst among the infrastructural problems facing the SMEs relates toelectrical energy supply, which is rather hydra-headed. In some cases it is nonexistence in which case theentrepreneur has to provide his own energy supply. In other cases it is either epileptic in supply with incessantoutages with the attendant damages to equipment or the voltage supplied is too low as to support the plant andmachinery in use for the respective operation. The increase in production cost emanating from inadequate electric power supply to SMEs is said to be enormous. These costs relate to loss in output due to down time as a result of power outages, cost of fixing damaged equipment resulting from outages, poor quality of products as a result of bumpy production process, the high cost of fuel to operate own generating plants, costs of maintaining and servicingthese generating sets. Respondents regretted the frustration they encounter daily from power outages adding that the plant and equipment they use, especially the locally fabricated ones, can hardly absorb the shocks they are routinelysubjected to. FINDINGS SMEs have been fully recognized by governments and development experts as the main engine of economic growthand a major factor in promoting private sector development and partnership. The development of the SME sector therefore represents an essential element in the growth strategy of most economies and holds particular significancein the case of Nigeria. SMEs not only contribute significantly to improved living standards, employment generationand poverty reduction but they also bring about substantial domestic or local capital formation and achieve highlevels of productivity and capability. From a planning standpoint, SMEs are increasingly recognized as the principalmeans for achieving equitable and sustainable industrial diversification, growth and dispersal. In most countries,including the developed countries like Japan, USA, UK, etc, SMEs account for well over half of the total share of employment, sales, value added and hence contribution to GDP.A major gap in Nigeria‟s industrial development process in the past years has been the absence of a strong and virileSME sub-sector. With over 120 million people, vast productive and arable farmland, rich variety of mineral depositsand other natural resources, Nigeria should have been a haven for SMEs. Unfortunately, SMEs have not played thesignificant and crucial role they are expected to play in Nigeria‟s economic growth, development andindustrialization.

Company Overview Of Exxon Mobil Management Essay

Company Overview Of Exxon Mobil Management Essay Exxon Mobil, the largest non-government-owned oil and gas company in the world has recently turned to natural gas, a traditionally less profitable resource than crude oil, to replace reserves and help slow the slide in its production output volumes. However, a global gas glut has resulted from the current economic crisis and significant increase in U.S. shale gas production, which presents an uncertain outlook for gas prices and places pressure on the companys future earnings. In December 2009, Exxon Mobil (XOM) announced its largest acquisition in a decade: a $41 billion, all-stock deal to buy XTO Energy Inc., a U.S.-focused gas producer. This transaction places a sizable bet on the future of the domestic natural gas market and positions a super-major integrated energy company as one of the top five players in the field of unconventional natural gas development.   Through this acquisition, ExxonMobil hedges their bets that natural gas, as opposed to coal or renewables, will be the most demanded fuel source needed to meet the worlds ever increasing energy needs.    Many questions remain on whether this business strategy will boost production, and force the rest of industry into a game of catch up, or simply run the risk of consuming capital and management focus without generating substantial profits. The Oligopoly of Domestic Oil and Natural Gas Companies John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil gradually gained almost complete control of oil refining and marketing in the United States through horizontal integration, which provided kerosene, gasoline and other petroleum to a vast number of markets. The organization was eventually broken up into thirty-four separate companies after US government passed antitrust legislation in 1911.   Almost eighty-eight years later, Exxon (formerly Standard Oil Company of New Jersey) and Mobil (formerly Standard Oil Company of New York), were reunited in the largest merger in the industrys history.   By the end of 2006, several other mergers also took place between major players like British Petroleums (BP) purchase of Amoco and Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), the merger between Chevron and Texaco, Conocos purchase of Gulf Canada, Burlington and Phillips, and Anadarkos acquiring of Union Pacific Resources (UPR)   Ã‚  All of this MA activity further consolidated the oil powerhouses of the United States,    and exemplifies the oligopoly that has plagued the oil and gas industry since its inception.   Ã‚   Despite the governments imposed break up in the early part of last century, the industry has experienced a maturation that was not necessarily due to product evolution, but rather to the instability and volatility of oil and gas prices, particularly over the past 40 years. ExxonMobil Big oil got even bigger in 1999, when Exxon and Mobil Oil signed an $81 billion agreement to merge and form ExxonMobil, thus creating the largest oil super-major, with capacity to produce 3.921 million BOE (barrels of oil equivalent) daily. In 2005, ExxonMobils stock price rose with rising crude oil prices, establishing a market capitalization of $312 billion. At the end of 2005, annual income was up 42% with reported record annual income profits of US $36 billion. XOMs 2005 annual income, which included $11 billion in the 3rd quarter alone, was the greatest by any business in recorded history. By 2008, XOM held approximately 3% of world production, and when ranked by its oil and gas reserves, the company is 14th in terms of total reserves. This is less than 1% of the total world reserves held by E P companies, and in some cases, far less than many of the biggest state-owned companies. Nevertheless, ExxonMobil remains the strongest leader in the oil and gas market, with a stronghold in terms of international land position combined with dramatic earnings. The ongoing development of breakthrough technologies, including some pioneered by ExxonMobil themselves, have helped the organization keep pace with rising global energy demand by making additional energy supplies available. Technology is becoming more critical in this industry as time moves on, since much of the worlds oil and gas reserves is located in challenging environments. As reserve replacement has required the super-majors to explore in deep-water basins offshore, extract heavy oil bitumen and oil sands from strip-mining or shallow excavation operations, and remotely isolated Arctic regions of the north, innovative approaches to energy production have become essential to increasing the companys dynamic capability.   Superior engineering talent is available to provide industry-leading technologies that provide the business with opportunities to explore, discover, develop, produce, refine and market oil and gas resources that are not available to many of XOMs competitors. ExxonMobil claims that its competitive advantage in the market is realized through industry-leading project managers that ensure superior return on investment. Their high level of expertise and discipline contribute to a strong track record of timely project completion and their ability to deliver their product within a specified time-frame was a key performance attribute that was always appreciated by its investors on Wall Street. The reputation of ExxonMobil played a significant role in earning the support of suppliers and contractors, which was equally coveted by their competitors and in constant demand, particularly during periods of peak pricing. While seemingly in the same business, Exxon and Mobil did not find many areas of similar technology within the two companies, but did find synergies and complements. When it comes to research and development strengths, for instance, Exxon was very strong in process technology while Mobil had expertise in lubricants as well as catalysts, an RD area that the combined company immediately adopted to strengthen its patent position in converting gases to liquids. ExxonMobil has a very unique recruitment process where they look for individuals that exercise core strengths as opposed to bringing vast amount of industry experience. They  have excellent proprietary capabilities in teaching petroleum science and technology, and therefore do not require new geoscientists to have any prior petroleum course work or experience. There is, however, a requirement for demonstrated leadership, adaptability, teamwork, excellent communication skills in English, and a commitment to high safety and ethical standards. This flexibility in hiring enables ExxonMobil to customize their operations unlike any of their competitors. When an employee joins ExxonMobil, they are taught how to do things the ExxonMobil way. From systems to processes, jargon to policies, employees are essentially engineered and tailored to work effectively in this stand alone culture, so much so, it remains in Exxons best interest to hire straight out of college and mold their people the w ay they want to. Virtually no other energy firm maintains the reputation and capacity to offer such extensive training to new grads or discipline experts as ExxonMobil. ExxonMobil is truly an international player with operations touching almost every aspect of the energy and petrochemical business, and operating facilities or market products in most of the worlds countries with oil and natural gas exploration on six continents. Their geographical reach and breadth of line are extensive and provide a competitive advantage from both a logistics standpoint and integrated producer, which encompasses every phase of petroleum life cycle from Greenfield exploration through to distribution of retail products.   Through control of all the major processes, from exploration to retail, XOM has a good deal of control over its chosen partners in both independent operations and joint ventures. This is due to network externalities that exist in many of its midstream (pipelines) and downstream (refineries) businesses in which other companies are compelled to use these assets out of necessity. Exxon Mobil is also well known for its superior operational practices, which capitalize on their ability to vertically integrate their activities.   XOM has a capacity to distill over 6.3 million barrels a day due to its interest in over 40 refineries in 26 countries.   Combined with their global logistics system with ownership interests in crude oil, tankers, pipelines and major terminals they are able to optimize millions of barrels of crude oil supply and associated petroleum products. Exxon Mobil has long battled a negative reputation as an oil giant with little concern for the environment. Most memorable was the infamous Exxon Valdez spill off the coast of Prince William Sound of Alaska in 1989, an event that carried a stigma that far outlived the environmental impacts of the oil itself. Since then, ExxonMobil has gone on the offensive, spending more than $3 billion in 2006 on expenses related to the environment and its stance on climate change. Exxon Mobil has been attacked as having denied that climate change is occurring as a result of fossil fuel extraction and consumption. Regardless of the environmental reputation, Exxon has somehow persevered throughout the last century with a strong culture and management team, which is responsible for much of its success. As with any large company, there are pros and cons to working with a major corporation. Although they offer excellent salaries, the ability to work with very intelligent coworkers, opportunities for travel and multiple career paths, they are often criticized for their bureaucracy and low employee retention rates.    Figure 2. ExxonMobil Competitive Advantage Several value and cost drivers have led to the continued success of ExxonMobil, creating one of the largest and most powerful energy companies in the world A Changing Market In June 2008, West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) price passed the $145 mark and that same year the Henry Hub Natural Gas Spot Prices peaked at $13.30. These unprecedented prices sparked a frenzy of concern that the world had reached peak oil, which is defined as the point in time when global petroleum extraction is at its maximum rate, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. Subsequently, the high price environment served as a catalyst for research in alternative energies and renewable resource projects. These prices also, however, made more exotic fossil fuel extraction techniques viable. One such technique was the extraction of trapped hydrocarbon in highly impermeable source rocks. Resources found in source rock or parent-rock have traditionally been difficult to extract due to their extremely low permeability. Despite the well known geological knowledge that the rocks are hydrocarbon bearing, the low permeability prohibits oil from entering a well bore at any economic rate once it is tapped. Many experts call Exxons long term strategy into question outside of the volatility of oil and gas prices. The company also faces confrontations from outside forces such as foreign governments. With oil reserves diminishing and becoming more and more rare, thus increasing the difficulty and smaller likelihood of discovery, ExxonMobil has more competition than just the other five other majors. These aforementioned resource laden governments and ruling parties have become much more interested in these type of investment vehicles as they see global demand rise. Another challenge to ExxonMobils future is the rise of more aggressive environmental policies, targeting and limiting green house emissions, thought to be the key component of climate change. Supplemented by the intentions of the Obama administration, whose campaign platform was US energy policy reform, increasing alternative fuel source use, and less dependence on foreign oil, XOM will have to skillfully adjust their policies on environmental stewardship to reflect the demands of a new regulatory environment. Unconventional Resource Plays Technologic Advances Drive Attractive Shale Plays Through XMOs increased research and development, the very expensive well completion techniques including horizontal drilling and multi-staged hydro-fracturing were improved to increase efficiencies and lower costs to the point that the economics warranted broad application throughout the industry.   Hydraulic fracturing is a technique in which fractures are created into rock formations from a borehole through a series of techniques.   Specific chemically engineered fluids are then pumped into the fractured rock at a rate in which there is a sufficient increase in pressure in the formation to crack it further.   Upon completion of the pumping of fluid into the formation, solid man-made or specially engineered proppant (commonly a sand variant) is then injected in as a step to prevent the closure of the fracturing.   This proppant is used because it has a higher permeability that the surrounding rock, and will allow for flow of fluids and gas back into the well. In conjunction with hydraulic fracturing, horizontal (or directional) drilling techniques also have emerged and been improved in the last decade.   Horizontal drilling is when the well bore is kicked off, or sent from a vertical position and drilled into a horizontal trajectory.   This can be used to expose the well-bore to more of the producing formation and is accomplished by using motors and instruments that can measure and direct the drill bit. Exxons Challenge to Grow Through 2008, Exxons reserve replacement was, on average, remaining flat, with many fields on rapid decline. Unfortunately, capital spending was increasing year on year, creating speculation in the markets that Exxon Mobil would have to do something drastic if it expected to continue to show persistent growth.   One component of declining production was a result of state run oil companies taking a larger percentage of production in areas that have been disputed, such as in the Former Soviet Union countries or Northern Africa.   With global politics at play, companies like ExxonMobil had to find was to secure less risky and proven reserves.    Like other western oil majors, aging fields suffer from ever-declining output and the lucrative new fields are primarily controlled by state-owned companies that offer less profit to production partners. In order to maintain its competitive advantage, XOM began to look outside its typical business model and consider acquiring reserve bases with long term production potential in stable countries. This is a result of maturation of product life cycle. The opportunities for smaller companies with lower overhead to aggressively enter into aged conventional fields and following the spike in commodity prices in 2007, unconventional field development became economical and many smaller firms began to fill the wedge with new economically viable shale gas plays. The XTO Story, A Leader in Unconventional Resource Plays In 1986, the Cross Timbers Oil Company was formed as a partnership that would later become the publicly traded company known as XTO Energy Inc. in 2001.   XTO quickly established itself in the domestic gas industry by obtaining both proven and unproven natural gas and oil properties and developing them effectively.   Using increasingly efficient technological advances in exploration and production operations, the company proved that it was more than capable in its oil and gas exploitation strategy.   By the end of the second quarter of 2009, XTO was Americas largest unconventional natural gas producer, with a resource base equivalent to 45 trillion cubic feet of gas that includes shale gas, tight gas, coal bed methane, shale oil and conventional oil and gas production.   They had taken a smaller market niche, US domestic shale gas, and turned it into a full blown success while larger more experienced firms sat on the sidelines. XTO achieved this vast collection of capabilities and resources through critical strategic decision.   As of 1995, the companys asset allocation was roughly fifty percent oil and percent natural gas.   Yet upon the departure of the reigning chair, Jon Brumley, his replacement Bob Simpson decided to move to a two-thirds gas, one- third oil ratio.   This was a major shift in the life of the company, and the decisions rationale was based on cheaper handling costs of gas over oil.   Additionally, the United States natural gas markets vulnerability to the actions of OPEC nations was far less.   Fortunately, the resulting purchases based on this philosophy were timely, as they were made just prior to the market gaining strength, thus increasing profitability for XTO.   This lower buy-in proved to be a significant competitive advantage, as its cost base was far less than the companies that entered the market afterwards.   Aside from lower costs for proven resources, XTO experi enced growth by the way of its own numerous mergers and acquisitions.   In 2007, it paid Dominion Resources US$2.5 billion for 1 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas reserves in the Rocky Mountains, Texas and southern Louisiana.   In 2008 alone, the company acquired Hunt Petroleum Corp. and Headington Oil Co. for $4.2 billion, and $1.85 billion in cash and stock, respectively. In order to build its competitive advantage, XTOs successful strategy has been to buy properties that are otherwise simply cast aside by their prior owners.   With the downturn of the real estate market towards the middle of the 2000s, the company has benefited from significant cost savings.   This, coupled with the increase in the demand within the natural gas market has positioned XTO has a domestic leader in cost.   XTO had built its organization by acquiring aged oil and gas fields and down-spacing well counts with in-field drilling, essentially optimizing production by aggressively extracting late in life reserves with new technology and lower costs.(mention scale economies here p.67 and niche markets p.144) Eventually XTO moved   to capitalize on their and position and begin to target deeper shale zones through the application high-density fracturing technology which had begun to advance following industry fears of peak oil. (mention early mover advantage p.135 and sust aining technology p.149) XTOs hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies became a dominant design. Geography and total real estate position became XTOs greatest value driver.   At the time of the Exxon-Mobil merger, they were the leader in North American shale gas play acreage.   This position was only realized in assuming large risks in the value of natural gas.   While other companies were back peddling, XTOs investors were pleading with the company to reduce its debt and sell its properties.   XTO not only took risk in more land acquisitions, but also bought stock in other companies in which it felt had greater value than their stock price reflected.    All the while during massive buying spree, the company became a leader in development of unconventional shale gas plays.   Gaining a reputation as a solid partner in the development of gas exploitation techniques, XTO worked with the four major service companies, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes and BJ Services Company (which would later be bought by Baker Hughes) to learn and apply technologies in new ways.   Working together though trial and error, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques were improved, XTO customized its activities Growth in acreage position also became XTOs greatest cost driver, as it achieved economies of scale in its own right by having the highest amount of development, surpassing Chesapeake Energy and became the largest shale producer.   By leveraging its previous expertise in oil and pipeline operations, the company was also able to obtain economies of scope. Among the most pronounced of XTOs accomplishments in its short history are the development of new techniques by their engineers and field hands to capture gas reserves from shale, XTO was clearly on the back end of a steep learning curve that provided them with profitable activities, allowing for nearly 70 rigs to work simultaneously.   This coupled with the companys aggressive approach to increased efficiency focus have paid large dividends for the company as a whole. Many of the other major oil and gas companies outside of ExxonMobil have significant land acreage in both the United States and Canada, yet most of these holdings are considered to be overly depleted, not representing high growth potential in the minds of the companies that own them. It is in this part of industry in which niche markets have emerged for smaller, independent exploration and production companies that take the opportunity to develop these assets in areas that are considered mature or uneconomic in terms of feasible production potential. A Better Bet for the Environment Hedging Gas is the Preferred Fuel The past 20 years has seen a growing concern of global warming with the increase release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, many of which are attributable to the production of fossil fuels. Natural gas has a significant advantage as a cleaner burning fuel in its ability to lower pollution and lead to a healthy environment. Consumer preference for gas as opposed to fuels generated from crude oil, such as diesels, heating oils, and LPG (liquid petroleum gases)  is increasing more and more every year. GHG gas discussion- A Marriage in Bliss of a Clash of Cultures? According to XOM, and Mr. Tillerson, the combined company has proven capabilities to develop all resource types, and will seize the opportunity to further enhance financial and operating performance with financial strength and proven project management skills.   Ã‚  Mr. Tillerson also reported in his July 8, 2010 presentation that the company also believes that its research and development resources will be able to capitalize on the advancements in technology used in unconventional plays.   Finally, his last statement when discussing the value added combination was that the new company would be able to develop the most high-quality plays using an accelerated evaluation system.   This remains to be seen as Exxon is known throughout the industry for its meticulous and industry insider dubbed suffocating hierarchy________ However, XTO prided itself on the fact its employees on the front lines were free to execute business strategy without concern for the administrative hurdles that come with being a large, public company. They drew real satisfaction from providing that support. and provide the reliable back office that supports the activities that generate those results. Inevitably, XTO was forced to sell as they began to feel the pinch of sinking gas prices. XTO is known for its meticulous assessment process, reviewing all of its wells at least twice a year.   Its strengths and successes have stemmed from the companys ability to exploit land and resources that other companies have forgotten or overlooked.   It is with this pioneering culture that the company structured the deals that helped it grow to be the formidable target for any number of the major oil and gas companies of the world.   There is a very high potential that a juggernaut like XOM will surely impair XTOs ability to maintain an effective, fast moving, manufacturing model, and remain ahead of the rapid decline curves known to all tight gas plays. However, ExxonMobil believes that their technical expertise will unlock additional XTO resource potential, and XTOs organization will complement Exxons existing unconventional natural gas and oil production worldwide. There is no question that the combined companies of ExxonMobil and XTO have the ability to accomplish the critical tasks that give him superior capabilities, as it has been proven over and over again in that the many arms of ExxonMobil, as a company was able t collectively coordinate its efforts even prior to the acquisition.   On the contrary, the areas of concern in the new emerging company may be more of consistency and fit, in which both need to parallel the specific intricacies of the new domestic shale market in which they have entered.   ExxonMobils role as a part company to the new subsidiary may make way for a convoluted process of gaining authorizations for new projects and expenditures unlike what XTOs management team has experienced.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Rest assured, XOM has many formal control systems that are in place with the intent of simplifying processes in all phases of development, yet until the standardized procedures, planning and joint task force teams have worked out a streamlined process, there is sure to be major growing pains and inefficiencies.   As the speed of production is a prerequisite for shale production, the burden of a cumbersome and less than lean hierarchy of decision makers will no doubt frustrate operations in the early going.   Culturally, XOM and XTO are light years apart, with XOM being an inbred creature of habit, training its people from the ground up.   The question remains on how they intend on assimilating a work force that has not gone through the training regime that depicts how things are done the ExxonMobil way.   All functional organizations will attempt to merge in a way that will not inhibit current operations, yet it will inevitably take longer than expected.   Fortunately, despite the ambiguity of judging the ability for one company to incorporate another, the fundamental conclusion that Exxon came to was that target company can contribute to the core business of ExxonMobil and enhance their value and cost drivers as well as their overall position in the market. Of concern, and what XOM is gambling on, is that the new XTO subsidiary is a market opportunity with high future growth potential, and has a favorable market position, both of which are not guaranteed in the current economic and political climate. Will ExxonMobils Strategy Pay off? We just thought they were the greatest unconventional gas organization from a technical standpoint. -William Colton, Exxons VP for corporate strategic planning talking about XTO By the end of 2008, Exxon Mobil purchased  over 13 trillion cubic feet equivalent (tcfe) of proven reserves, and had an estimated daily average production of 2.87 billion cubic feet equivalent (bcfe)  per day the ensuing year. In keeping with its aggressive and robust domestic strategy, the company was planning intense drilling campaigns that would include development in all the United States major shale plays. Exxon Mobil Corporations purchase of XTO was a major hedge on the US natural gas market and was arguably far too high a price to pay since gas prices have dropped substantially in the past two years and an additional 20% since the acquisition was announced in December. The high level of success shale gas drillers are having from a technical standpoint is evident in their increasing ability to uncover growing quantities of gas from previously impermeable parent rock is having a major affect on supply, which has kept commodity prices depressed. The value drivers, such as innovation in technology, that led largely to XTOs success have spread across the industry and somewhat softens the cost benefits that the subsidiary company continues to enjoy. To his credit, CEO Rex Tillerson has openly admitted to the less than stellar economics of the US natural gas market and the XTO deal.   Ã‚  We dont get a lot of upside, but on the flip-side you get a lot of downside protection, he is quoted as saying in reference to the transaction. Instead he points out that the newly merged company would concentrate on having better returns than its competitors, and that even though this deal may not be as exorbitantly profitable as past ventures, it still is a positive move. Figure 2.   Monthly Change in Crude Oil vs. Natural Gas Fluctuation in natural gas prices traditionally track the market price for crude oil, as seen through 2008. However, since 2009, there has been an unprecedented disparity between the pricing of these two commodities, which has led to a relatively strong oil price currently, while natural gas is at a 10 year low. In the end, a carbon tax might further increase the value of the XTO purchase, as the carbon content of natural gas is considerably lower and thus less expense. However with the potential advancement the of a climate change bill, these benefits may be short-lived as Congress debates the legislative approach going forward. A forecast $30 per ton carbon tax over the next 10 years would demand a major shift to cleaner fuels such as natural gas and some speculate that leading electric utilities have already begun to make the move away from coal in anticipation of a change out of DC. Since December when Exxon closed on the XTO deal however, with unemployment so high, both political parties seem hesitant to push a bill that might be accused of destroying jobs. So it may be years before XTO contributes to Exxons return on equity. Despite its previous stature as the US largest natural gas producer, XTO is still yet a rather a small part of the larger ExxonMobil business picture. Since the start of 2009, which was pre-acquisition, XOM has lost over $200 million in its downstream refining businesses. If a significant price were to be put on carbon, this advent would only add to the liabilities of this core business and thus put the increased profitability of the company in danger. In addition, it isnt necessary that the XTO acquisition produce an immediate return either. Unlike deep-water exploration plays, shale gas wells tend to produce for decades at modest production rates. By retaining leases at as low a cost as possible and drilling in areas with the highest production potential, Exxon can keep shale businesses from being much of a liability while still contributing to the reserve base on the books.

School Violence :: Youth Children Violent essays research papers

There is definitely a problem with school violence today. The last three years have shown us that violence in our schools society is more common today then ever before. Whether the violence has to do with guns, knives, or just a simple fight, school violence is getting a little out of hand. There have been several school shootings in the last few years, and the number of school shootings seems to be growing rapidly these days. When the last figures were taken by the government educators had found more then 2,000 weapons stashed by students in lockers, backpacks and pockets in the 1996-97 school year. These school shooting and the findings of all these weapons makes parents wonder if their children really are safe at school anymore. When parents begin to worry about their children at school, everyone should realize there is far to much violence at school. School violence is a big issue, and the problem seems to be getting worse every year. National statistics show schools are the safest place in children's lives, but are we all so sure that this is true anymore? School violence has been growing rapidly for the past three years. Every time there is an occurrence of violence more kids are afraid to go to school. Every child has the right to an education in a safe and secure environment, and violence in our nation's schools seems to come as a threat to this right. This is one sign that school violence is out of hand, and something has to be done. School violence is probably one of the biggest problems in the nation, this is said due to all the school shootings that have taken place in the past three years. School violence is an issue that everyone may recognize but not everyone is doing something to help prevent it. In the past three years several school shootings have taken place, starting the 2nd of February 1996, in Moses Lake, Washington. Barry Loukaitis opened fire in his algebra class, killing 2 students and a teacher. There was another shooting in the same month, February 19, 1996. This shooting took place in Bethel, Alaska, killing the principal and a student. There were three more shooting in 1997, including the shooting in Pearl Mississippi on October 1, where two students were killed and seven were wounded, by a 16 year old boy.

Analysis of the short story Essay

`This essay will discuss certain reaction to the story ‘Examination day’, as well as reviewing the lifestyle and world Dickie lives in. The Jordan family are not rich but they are part of the working class society. The accommodation is quite small, they’re ‘little apartment’ is described in line 21: ‘The boy †¦ wandered to that part of the living room which had been ‘his’ from infancy. ’ This shows that things have not changed in terms of housing since he was young and probably their wealth has not increased as much as they would have liked. In the ‘little apartment’ Mrs Jordan mentioned ‘the Exam’ which was why the tension was quite high in the room. ‘The Exam’ is the ‘Government intelligence test they give to children at the age of twelve. ’ This examination was to make sure that there is no-one clever enough to overrule the current government. This test shows an example of what a dictator ruled government is like. This government is a totalitarian government in terms of not wanting to lose power or authority of any sort. These citizens are stuck in an unwanted dictatorship. The examination room was just as restricted as the lives they lead. The room was very dim which represents amount of information they know about the world and their current government. Also in Dickie’s eyes the room doesn’t look very inviting or welcoming even if it was an examination room. Although Dickie could not really see the ‘gray-tunicked attendant’ he knew that this was a very serious matter. The dimness of the room also shows the secretiveness of the government and how much they want their citizens to know. On the day of Dickie’s examination his parents’ were very anxious to see whether or not their son was allowed to come home or not; there were ‘†¦ not speaking, not even speculating. ’ They were so apprehensive that when the phone rang they both tried to reach for it. This shows that they had a feeling that things were not going to work out perfectly for them. When Mr Jordan answered the phone to the ‘Government Educational Service’ he was told that his son’s ‘†¦intelligence quotient has exceeded the Government regulation. ’ This information was a shock to Mr Jordan that even his wife had read the expression of disappointment on his face. The government had announced that Dickie was going to die because he had breached the ‘intelligence quotient’. This shows that the government are too scared to let the clever people live their own lives or even work for them at their young age. This shows that the dictator is not as strong as he portrays himself to be. This shows that he is insecure and that if anyone clever was around he would probably crumble from having lack of authority. I think that the Jordan family live in a completely totalitarian world where they have no freedom to do what they like when they feel like it; unless they are in their own home. Their dictator is too worried about anyone overruling him; he feels the need to get rid all of the clever citizens to be secure in his position. This shows that this dictator is too unsecure to be head of the government. He needs to step aside and let someone else do the job properly.

Critical Analysis of Dramatic Irony in Hamlet

Critical Analysis of Dramatic Irony in Hamlet Ophelia loves Hamlet although we believe he doesn’t feel the same way towards her by the way he treats her at certain times in the play, but he truly in the end does show he loved Ophelia. This incident manipulates audience sympathies, develops character and develops the conflict of the play. It manipulates the audience sympathies because it’s showing something that the audience has probably seen in reality.When there’s an incident like this occurring in real life, people will feel sad because of the negative things that are happening to a person. In this incident, the audience knows that she’s been falling for Hamlet, and still the audience would prefer seeing the best outcome happen to Ophelia, though the audience knows the reason for it to not happen, therefore the audience sympathies become manipulated. This incident develops the character because by Hamlet not feeling the way she does towards him, it gives the audience an insight on how Hamlet feels about women.In this case, the audience can see that Hamlet’s disgust of his mother’s sudden marriage makes him become an antagonist towards women. He thinks they’re all alike, easy to persuade like his mother was persuaded by his uncle and in haste too. It develops the conflict of the play because throughout the play, a new negative feeling of Hamlet’s, always becomes expressed, and follows one after another. It builds on to the play, which makes Hamlet say later on, â€Å"to be or not to be. Each time Hamlet feels bad the more he doesn’t value his life and the more he feels like being dead. In conclusion, this is how the incident has an affect. It does so many things to the play, like how it brings out a character, how it reaches out to an audience, and how it builds on the conflict. This incident is one of important parts of the play because without it, we may not see Hamlet the way we see it now.