Ethical and Socially Responsive Business Ruby Tuesdays free essay sample

Ruby Tuesday’s vision is to provide great value to their guests and a great working environment for their team members by reflecting their core values of Quality, Passion, and Pride in everything the company does. The company adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to confirm its commitment to conduct business with the highest integrity. Compliance with Laws, Rules, and Regulations is, to me, the most important area in a company’s code of conduct. Complying with laws, rules, and regulations includes preventing harassment and discrimination, improper payments, and environmental compliance. When companies are in compliance they are not putting themselves at risk of huge fines, lawsuits, and negativity towards their company. In 2007, the Rosen family filed a lawsuit against Ruby Tuesdays, Inc. for discrimination against their religious beliefs. They believed that an employee that worked in the restaurant in Athens, Ohio had intentionally burnt a swastika into the bottom of the bowl that their food was served in. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical and Socially Responsive Business: Ruby Tuesdays or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They believed that the intent stemmed from one of the cooks seeing the Rosen daughter, whom wore a necklace displaying a Star of David, on the way to the bathroom. They believed that in knowing that they were Jewish, the cook intentionally discriminated against their religious beliefs. This family suffered emotional distress due to this instance. That is just an example of what can happen if a company does not train their employees to be ethically responsible. This also means complying with the rules for any form of harassment or discrimination against your co-workers. Improper payments refers to taking bribes or kickbacks as a payment for a service within a company. To me, this is just morally and ethically wrong. Environmental compliance refers to being committed to eliminating hazards within the workplace and providing a safe and healthy work environment. These are significant to their company because they don’t want the negativity that can come from lawsuits and fines. The negativity could ruin the company and force them to close. Financial and Accounting Integrity is also an important aspect in a company’s code of conduct. Ruby Tuesday Inc. ’s code of conduct prohibits all fraudulent activity that involves; dishonest acts, embezzlement of the company’s funds, forgery or alterations on checks or drafts, conversion of funds for personal use, unauthorized handling or reporting transactions, and falsification of the company’s financial statements or records. This is significant because again it could result in unwanted fines, lawsuits, and negativity towards the company. If companies are not properly funding their organizations or if employees are embezzling money for personal uses, it is not going to look positive for the company. This could ruin their business in a whole because customers will not want to do business with people that are unethical. Confidentiality is also an important aspect in a company’s code of conduct. Ruby Tuesday Inc. ’s code of conduct states that the protection and proper use of confidential information or trade secrets in its possession are fundamental to its ability to conduct the company’s business. This is significant to business because if workers go around telling people about their secrets and confidential information, they are then telling people how the company runs business, giving the competitors when they need to compete. Some key steps that Ruby Tuesday’s should use to ensure that employees are following the code of conduct are training and continued training, consequences for not following them, and management presenting themselves as morally and ethically responsible. Training of their codes of conduct should start in the training process and should continue throughout their employment with the company. They could hold monthly meetings that stress one of the factors of the code, eventually all of them would be covered. They could also discuss unethical issues that they are facing or that others are facing to stress that unethical behavior will not be allowed in their company. The employees also have to know that there are consequences if they act or perform unethical tasks. If there are not consequences, I feel that employees are more apt to act unethically, feeling that they can get away with it or not get into trouble. Managers presenting themselves morally and ethically responsible proves to the employee that they are serious, and that they are not just being told to act that way, but that their bosses also act that way. If a company has a manger that is acting unethical or morally wrong, I feel that the employee will see this as the right thing to do and follow in the boss’s footsteps. Three ways that I feel that Ruby Tuesday’s could engage in socially responsive activities in their communities is by contributing to a local charity and becoming thoroughly active and interested in the charity, creating a loyalty program, and by starting up applications for smartphones. By contributing to a local charity and being active in it, they are showing the community that they are concerned about the people in the community. They are showing that they are empathetic and that they are willing to help the community in need, when they are able. They are also showing that they are willing to support the community that is supporting their business. Creating loyalty programs they are showing their customers that they want them to return and that they are willing to offer something for continuing to do business with the company. These could be as simple as buy so many of one product and receive one for free or it could be something more like having dinner with the chef. Starting up applications for smartphones is the latest way to stay in contact with customers. This enables the company to get information out to their customers who want to hear from them due to them downloading the application. Applications also get information out there to customers who are trying to make the decision as to where to eat. Applications can also be used in conjunction with the loyalty programs as a way of tracking their loyalty points. It is expected from customers that companies perform in ethical and moral ways. Every company should have a code of conduct that is given to, explained and trained to all of their employees. This training should not only consist of one session, but many sessions as they continue their employment with the company. References: Hansen, S., et al. Helicobacter pylori infection and risk of cardia cancer and non-cardia gastric cancer: a nested case-control study. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology 34.4 (1999): 353-360. Dorneich, Michael C., et al. A task-based reach-zone analysis of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle controls. Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC), 2011 IEEE International Conference on. IEEE, 2011. Danesh, John, et al. Chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydia pneumoniae, or cytomegalovirus: population based study of coronary heart disease. Heart 81.3 (1999): 245-247. Johansson, Ann†Katrin, et al. Eating disorders and oral health: a matched case–control study. European journal of oral sciences 120.1 (2012): 61-68. Mà ¥nsson, Mattias, et al. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are often depressed or anxious—a case control study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 33.8 (2008): 1132-1138.

Free Essays on The Hobbitt

and a knife the trolls were carrying. The travelers come across the Secret Valley. There they stop at Elronds’ Last Homely ... Free Essays on The Hobbitt Free Essays on The Hobbitt Hobbit The book begins with Biblo Baggins enjoying a pipe after breakfast. This is one of his favorite pleasures and he feels quite content in doing so. He is middle-aged, and resides in a burrow in the ground. One morning Gandalf, a wizard stops by to talk with Biblo. He tells Biblo that he is looking for someone to go on an adventure with him. Although Biblo is tempted he declines, but not before inviting Gandalf for tea the next morning. The next day Biblo hears his doorbell and he remembers inviting Gandalf for tea, but instead of the wizard at the door, there is a group of dwarves, thirteen in all. Thorin son of the dwarf king starts to outline a plan on how to regain the treasure stolen by the dragon Smaug. Biblo is shocked to realize these plans involve him. He then realizes that Gandalf has tricked him by inscribing on his door that he was a burglar seeking a job with lots of excitement. With all this talk of quests and glory Biblo decides to join the party after al l. Gandalf reveals a key and a map of their journey, which ends at the Lonely Mountain. It is there that the treasure of Thorins’ ancestors is guarded by Smaug. The quest begins and the party meets at the Green Dragon Inn. From there they venture into the Lone-lands. As heavy rains begin to fall, Biblo notices that Gandalf is missing. When it starts to pour they stop to investigate a light. Their Biblo finds three trolls grumbling about food. Biblo decides to live up to title of burglar and attempts to pick one of the trolls’ pockets. However they quickly capture him. The dwarfs see what's going on and try to save Biblo but all of them except Thorin are caught. Thorin formulates a plan to free them but fails. Gandalf returns and occupies the trolls till dawn, and then they turn into stone. The group takes the two swords and a knife the trolls were carrying. The travelers come across the Secret Valley. There they stop at Elronds’ Last Homely ...

Project monitoring nd control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Project monitoring nd control - Essay Example Project control t the senior mngement level consists of evluting nd responding to forml Project Sttus Reports prepred by the project tem. These reports detil the overll progress of the project with specil ttention pid to production delys or budget overruns tht might jeoprdize contrctul greements. The reports ssist senior mngement in determining when expenditures on prticulr project re no longer profitble nd should be terminted. Depending on the level of mngement control, sttus reports my prompt senior mngers to provide dditionl funding, direction, or clrifiction to the project tem. In contrst, project control t the opertionl level is driven by need to determine how successful the tem hs been in chieving specific plnned objectives nd by need to ssist in the coordintion of complex nd interrelted ctions. The project tem monitors the progress of ech ctivity, tking corrective ction when ctivities re shown to be delyed or drifting (Spinner, 1992). Knutson nd Bitz (1991) list five stges of the opertionl project control process: Time, cost, nd performnce form the bsis for the operting chrcteristics of project. These fctors help to determine the bsis for project control. Project control is the process of reducing the devition between ctul performnce nd plnned performnce. Mesurements re tken on ech of the three project constrints of time, performnce, nd cost. Cost Control. Cost Control. Tking the process one step further, cost control reports compre scheduled expenditures to ctul expenditures. The purpose of these reports, which re usully prepred by finncil plnners, is to identify or predict possible cost overruns. If cost overrun is likely, request for dditionl funds should be forwrded to senior mngement s soon s possible. If dditionl funding cn not be obtined quickly, nd the overrun is beyond the project's finncil tolernce, no further finncil commitments should be mde pending complete project cost nlysis. lthough this lck of finncil commitment my seem somewht hrsh, it is the best course of ction since it prevents the project from going bnkrupt, which would mke completion impossible (Spinner, 1992). There re certin techniques tht cn ssist mngers in controlling nd monitoring the project. To mny mngers, the costs ssocited with project my be considered more importnt thn the schedule; t minimum, senior mngement will require timely cost sttus reports. During the plnning stge, this will tke the form of developing project cost estimtes for inclusion in the initil project budget. Once the project hs begun, this informtion my be forwrded s prt of cost schedule or cost control reports. If the tem is considering ccelerting or "crshing" the project, the tem my develop cost minimizing reports (Spinner, 1992). Cost control hs received extensive coverge in the literture. Numerous ccounting nd reporting systems hve been developed over the yers for project cost monitoring nd control. Some of the strtegies suitble for controlling project cost include: Reducing lbor costs Using competitive

Marks & Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marks & Spencer - Essay Example Internal analysis is concerned with providing management with a detailed understanding of the business, how effective its current strategies are and how effectively it has deployed its resources in support of its strategies (Johnson, Scholes, 1998). Marketing strategy provides firms with the framework for planning their business activities to develop and sustain competitive advantage. A large number of tools and systems have been developed by marketing managers and theorists to assist this process, these falling into three main generic categories: defining market opportunities, fitting the capabilities of the firm to the identified opportunities and the 'marketing mix' - the strategies adopted and implemented by the firm including product, price, promotion and distribution issues. Form the environmental perspective, the end of 1990s was marked by the changes on the European market which altered many of the parameters of competition and thus enforced a period of reassessment and adaptation. The opening up of the market and the resultant increased competition has widened the perspective of the planning framework with profound implications. The threat was that the removal of physical barriers to trade and the new-found freedom of movement around the European market have served to catalyse European expansion and in so doing raise the degree of European trade. According to the market servey 2000, M&S faced decline in its operations during this period, and had to close some retail store in Europe and aroud the country. To explore the results of decline McKinsey 7-S Model can be used. This model was proposed by Robert Waterman and explained: "it is not enough to think about strategy implementation as a matter only of strategy and structure" (McKinsey 7-S Model, n.d.) Taking into account the McKinsey 7-S Model which is based on the interrelationship of strategy formulation and implementation, it is possible to say that a strategy developed by agers of M&S was a effective for world's integration failed at the stage of implementation. The 7-S views culture as correlation of: strategy, structure, systems, style, staff, skills and shared values. According to Waterman "If a 7-S analysis suggests that strategy implementation will be difficult, managers either can search for other strategic options, or go ahead but concentrate special attention on the problems of execution suggested by the framework" (McKinsey 7-S Model, n.d.). In general, corporate culture is the pattern of values, norms, beliefs, attitudes and assumptions that may not have been articulated but shape the ways in which people behave and things get done. Values refer to what is believed to be important about how people and the organizations behave. Norms are the unwritten rules of behaviour (Cole, 1990). Communication, employed by M&S, is affected by internal and external environment, by the nature of the task and technology. For example, difficulties in communication arose with production systems where workers were stationed continuously at a particular point with limited freedom of movement. Even when opportunities exist for interaction with colleagues, physical conditions may limit effective communication. The term organizational climate

The rising cost of health care in the united states Essay

The rising cost of health care in the united states - Essay Example With this type of healthcare cost the average person whether they are single or within a family will not be able to afford healthcare unless something is done to help them. Ginsberg cites several key factors in the rise of healthcare: This information is significant because of the many healthcare problems that are creating denials from insurance companies for the average American if they have a condition that the insurance company does not want to cover. Merrill Matthews, Executive Director, Council for Affordable Health Insurance, states that there are many reasons why healthcare is expensive. He states that the high cost of technology is one of these reasons. Many doctors upgrade their equipment and the more they do this the more expensive the healthcare is for the individual who needs it. In many cases like LASIK or bariatric surgery patients have to pay out of their pockets to get care. When they pay out of their pocket they expect more but when they are receiving healthcare that someone else pays for they tend to use more of it (par. 6). Reinhardt suggests that the administrative overhead that most hospitals and clinics have is really what is driving the cost of healthcare higher. In his article he quotes The McKinsey Global Institute study that found that administrative cost and health insurance was 21% of this higher cost; this translates in 2008 to $150 billion (par. 4). This report also said that 85% of the higher cost can be attributed to private insurance companies. The New York Times had a different opinion about the high cost saying that it was none of the regular things that people think like the aging of baby boomers or the high cost of drugs to treat disease: it is because the United States is wealthy. This editorial states that Americans use more specialists than other countries and that the specialists overuse some things like CAT scans and M.R.I machines ("The High Cost of Health

Project cost management

Project cost management Introduction The successful design, development and implementation of projects are very complex and at times daunting tasks for many project managers. The sum of growth in competition and globalization, institutionalization of innovation-based economics, rapid development of technologies, the uses of outer resources, increase in the significance of customers focus and the shortening of products and services cycles means that projects cost management has become a multifaceted issue for majority of businesses today. In essence, this has resulted in the need for the adoption and focus on project based on cost management of business activities. Indeed a lot of researchers emphasis the need for a multi-project environmental management of projects that pays cognizance to the key ingredients that will ensure for the success in projects. This paper will synthesis, analyze and dissect the key attributes that are seen to be inherently important for ensuring effective project cost management. Towards this, an insightful and succinct discussion of the following key factors for successful projects shall be done; appropriate senior management levels commitment to the project, adequate project funding, project requirements analysis and specifications, stakeholders involvement, risks management and presence of a contingent plan. While several dimensions could be pursued under each element only few will be highlighted Ensuring for effective project cost management Phillips (1) illustrates that From IT to construction, most projects have to purchase materials: routers and cables, shingles and cement, and so on; we must always buy some things to complete the project work. Without even underlining the scope or schedule of a given IT project, funds must be availed and properly managed and appropriated to achieve the goals of the project. In the cost management of IT projects, there are three major estimates cost techniques that project managers should make use to effectively manage their projects. These include the Ballpark estimate, the budget estimate and the definitive estimate. According to Barkley (68) Ballpark estimate is also known as the rough order of magnitude (ROM)which is based on high-level objectives, provides a birds-eye view of the project deliverables, and has lots of wiggle room in that most ROM estimates are dependent on the industry and have a range of variances from -25% all the way to +75%. The budget estimate that is also known as the top down estimate is more accurate than the Ballpark estimate and is always formulated at the beginning of the projects life. It includes a number of conditions just like the Ballpark estimate in that it takes into consideration a range of variances and assumptions that are characteristics of any projects estimation. The definitive estimate or bottom up estimate is the real opposite of the budget estimate (Haughey, 29). In effective cost management of an IT project, it is imperative that all the estimate methods are used to mitigate the effects of overhead costs on the project. Baldwin, Rose-Anderssen, Ridgway, Allen, Lopez, Strathern, and Varga (1), clearly demonstrates that The definitive estimate requires a work breakdown structure (WBS) and a WBS is not a list of activities, it is a detailed description of deliverables-oriented decomposition of the project scope. The attention to the creation of goods and services and technologies has significantly increased over the last few years that have prompted and preconditioned the need for better and more efficient projects cost management. This call for paying cognizance to the following key factors; Senior management support The success of projects will to a large extent rely on the interests, support and commitment of the senior management. This is in order to ensure that everybody in the project team and indeed the whole employees are focused and committed. Most projects in organization are sometimes conceived, funded and developed without appropriate senior management involvement or approval. Armstrong (25) has for example noted that some projects go forward without the management clearly conceptualizing what the project entails. A distinction between mere approval and commitment should be clearly discerned so that the projects run smoothly. According to Dennis (87) and Blair (13), most projects fail when the senior management lacks a clear understanding and a paucity of the projects perceived benefits, risks and difficulties. This is fundamental because the management plays a central role in costs appropriations and budget allocations for project activities. This means that while the projects approva l may actually have been acquired, in the euphoria of getting the projects approved; some of the risks may be ignored or glossed over. Efficient project cost management especially in the field of IT should however ensure that projects approvals are not based on hype and unrealistic calculations but on a framework that encapsulates a realistic assessment of the projects benefits, risks and costs. Adequate financing or funding for the project This forms the fundamental groundwork for the achievement any IT related projects objectives and goals. Most IT projects being initiated will require some substantial funding and resources deployment because they are always characterized by abnormally huge overhead costs. However, Kerzner (11) and Loosemore, Raftery and Reilly (161), have noted that ample project funding is not in itself a panacea to projects success. It has been advanced that inadequate project funding will most invariably result on delivery of less than promised. The realization of projects success has been positively correlated with efficient resources management and budget controls. According to Armstrong (32) effective resources management as well as its impact on the compatibility between the costs management and project value accumulation has been empirically proved in literature. Researchers show that in order to avoid the gap between the organizational strategies and the limited resources, it is purposive that available resources are reviewed and aligned to the budget in a seamless manner. This means that a lot needs to be arranged before and also during projects executions. A clear delineation of all the resources that are essential to the successful running of the project and a formulation of a budget that captures all the needs and requirements is therefore important. Armstrong (33), succinctly state that A project funding should be seen as a continuing and flexible process in that while a reasonable estimate of project expense must be made to obtain initial approval, this figure should not be considered as the final project cost. This point is further buttressed by Meyer (172) in illustrating that As the true scope of an IT project is revealed, the project manager can more accurately identify project expenses and recalculate the costs at several checkpoints in the project life cycle so that the new figures are communicated to senior management. Requirements analysis Requirements analysis should be carried out in order to develop the architectural design or frameworks of the specific IT project for the initiation and inception of the project. This calls for a thorough discussion between the clients and/or the stakeholders in order that all the salient issues are brought to the fore and the project is set off on a sound footing. According to Armstrong (27), client consultation at all the stages of an IT project development should always be done in order to avoid situations where repeated references to the project requirements are the case or projects are discontinued entirely. Requirements analysis should be detailed and the analysis or the project manager should visit, communicate and discuss the project requirements with the clients on a conclusive and comprehensive manner. A clear delineation of what will be delivered or not within projects scope should ideally be done. Project managers will attest to the fact that taking a thorough requirement analysis ahs the benefit of arriving at an accurate estimate on a project. This will reduce the effects of time wasted in search of more funds and convincing clients and other stake holders to increase funding after its initiation. In addition to the above, it comes with the added advantage of taking due care of crash programs and thus protects the projects from the effects external factors (Meyer, 171). Development of a comprehensive project plan and its cost components Basically, there are three main benefits to be realized through the development of a clear, comprehensive and elaborate project plan. One such benefit is that through adequate planning, the planners are able to present a clear and well documented or properly focused understanding of project. Secondly, adequate planning ensures that all issues are raised to help avoid instances of overlooking some issues that may later prove problematic. Finally, adequate planning reinforces and helps build confidence in the success of the project. Jiang and Gary (20) elucidates that project planning should never be viewed as a waste of time. This point has been buttressed by Armstrong (29) who has advanced that a very strong correlation between the lengths of time allocated to the project planning and the ultimate projects success abides. Stakeholders involvement The attainment of all the stakeholders involvement has been cited as an important ingredient in the success of IT projects in organizations. This means that every stakeholder in the organization is seen too own the project. This ensures that there are no complains about the project contents and performance when it is completed. This becomes more poignant when it is noted that projects warrants large investment of resources such as time, efforts and money. The involvement of the employees, internal customers and other important stakeholders should therefore be paid utmost cognize (Raz, Erez, 48). Frequent project status reporting should accompany the progress of the project and this should be done on as a regular interval in as far as is soundly possible. As early as the projects life, frequent reporting should help spot and identify adverse issues, as well as how these can be overcome. Jiang and Gary (31) have noted that it is not important that regular updates are provided but the accuracy of such reporting be the case so as to ensure that the status of the projects progress are accurate, realistic and timely. Risk assessment in an IT project It is important that a detailed risks assessment is carried in an IT project so as to ensure for the success of a project. Essentially, risks assessment may fall into two categories, i.e. the more usual and obvious risks and the risks that may be generated from the functions and requirements of a particular problem (Raz, Erez, 53). A businesslike approach to project management requires carefully considering and addressing these risks with internal customers and senior management as part of the projects approval process and if the risk analysis leads to a decision not to move forward, it is much better for everyone involved that the decision is made sooner, rather than later (Raz, Erez, 55). Armstrong (34) has advised that it is prudent to consider the possibility of some failures in the projects that would call for the development of contingent plans to overcome difficult situations should they arise and a project may have to incorporate items that were overlooked, or changes in the business needs associated with the project. This may result in delay of some projects that were dependent on this project or indeed some other business activities. Successfully and efficient project cost management will therefore entail the development of contingent plans to mitigate against such occurrences. In the course of an IT project development, a lot of issues and difficulties may arise. Thus, while some problems may have been anticipated, some occurrences, the need to clear to meet deadlines among others may create insurmountable pressures and tensions. These must be mitigated through the adoption of sound cost management approaches that ensures that issues and matters arising are addressed and mitigated. In some instances, continued top management support must be continually sought so that commitment to the project remains true, and un-anticipated funding requirements are met or delays in operations are understood. In obtaining senior management support, project managers must be willing to present an accurate picture of the potential difficulties inherent in the project in that insofar as is practical, senior management must be given a realistic assessment of the potential for difficulty and be willing to stay the course if things go wrong (Dennis, 95). Conclusion Effective project cost management is a multifaceted issue especially in an IT related project and difficulties abide in the identification and management of all potential difficulties and the ramifications that are associated with the successful development, budget appropriation and implementation of projects. This will depend to some extent on the size of the project where it is seen that the larger the size, the greater the probability of unseen contingencies. In large IT projects for example, the task can prove overwhelming and massive to coordinate. Organizations attempting to find and resolve all IT project difficulties and potential difficulties may not find the issues presented here as all inclusive as there are a lot more issues that must be paid cognizance for the efficient project cost management. However, while the draft does not strive for perfection, it can nonetheless be adjudged that paying attention to the issues raised, a project manager will be better prepared and k nowledgeable enough that undoubtedly greatly enhances the likelihood of a successful project and cost management strategies. WORKS CITED Armstrong, Mark. 2007. Simplified Risk Assessment. Engineering management journal.10, 1: 19-24. Baldwin, James, S., Rose-Anderssen, Chris., Ridgway, Keith., Allen, Peter, M., Lopez, Alvaro.,Strathern, Mark and Varga, Liz. (2006). Management Decision-Making: Risk Reduction Through Simulation. Website: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/rm/journal/v8/n4/pdf/8250020a.pdf Barkley, Bruce. 2004. Project risk management. McGraw-Hill Professional. Blair, Gerald, M. 2007. Planning a Project. http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/Management/art8.html?http://www.ee.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/Management/art8.html Dennis, Lock. . 2007. Project management. 9th edition. London: Cooper Lybrand Haughey, Duncan. 2000. Planning a Project using a Work Breakdown Structure Logic Network. Website: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/planning-a-project-using-a-work-breakdown-structure-and-logic-network.html Jiang, James, J. and Gary, Klein. Software project risks and development focus. Project management journal, 32, 1: 4-9. 2001. Kerzner, Harold. Project management: A Systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. 9th edition. New York: John Willey Sons. 2006. Loosemore, Mark, Raftery, Justin and Reilly, Chris. Risk management in projects. Taylor Francis. 2006. Meyer, Brad, C. Project Costs and Crashing. 2002. Retrieved on February 22, 2010 from Website: http://www.cbpa.drake.edu/bmeyer/webm120/PPT_Crashing.pdf Phillips, Joseph. Project Cost Management. 2010. Retrieved March 15th, 2010 from Website: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/project-cost-management.html Raz, Tzvi and Erez, Michael. Benchmarking the use of project risks management tools. Proceedings of the project management Institute Annual Seminars and Symposium.1999.

Ancient Egyptian Religious Architecture :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History

Ancient Egyptian Religious Architecture One of the greatest cultural achievements of Ancient Egypt was undoubtedly in their architecture associated with religion. "Temples, tombs and pyramids - all have witnessed this earth for thousands of years. What better than to say that these architectural achievements show us that Egypt's greatest virtue lay in its architecture" (Fumeaux:11, 1964) When one travels to Egypt, what does he/she see - pyramid after temple after tomb, each standing the test of time. One stands out - they are all associated with religious beliefs, they all have stood unmoving for thousands of years, and they all involve mechanical genius- the moving of colossal stones without the use of the wheel. The finest example such mechanics is shown in the construction of the revered pyramid. These three factors, all belonging to the religious architecture of ancient Egypt, do nothing else but prove its greatness. Egypt's grand architectural design was a result of the religious values and beliefs that were in place at the time. Thousands of years ago, 'Ancient Egypt accepted the challenge of reeds and swamps, hot sands and floods, and build the 'first' nation' (Romer:75, 1982). There were few things to impress themselves upon the Egyptian mind; their psychological impact however was immense. There was the Nile itself, source of all life, there was the mysterious regularity of the Sun, Moon and stars; there was fertility and death. It was out of fear and mystery of these things that "...the Egyptians made their complex heirachy of Gods, and their strange religion. In the service of that religion they made their architecture" (Romer: 75,1982). Thus, the art and architecture of Ancient Egypt stemmed directly from their religion. Egyptian theology, with its deified pharaohs and strange animal-headed gods, was complicated, but the most important belief was that survival after death depended upon the preservation of the body. This belief would influence the architectural design of the tomb, where the corpse was ultimately sealed (Silverman:142, 1997). Immortality was only for privileged royal and priestly beings (Stierlin:54, 1983).This implies that their tombs would be somewhat prestigious and not just and ordinary burial site. At the day of resurrection the Ka or soul would re-enter the dead body; this meant that it must be there, intact, ready for that moment. It followed logically, that 'once the corpse was embalmed or mummified, it must be preserved in an impregnable tomb.

Denmark vs America

In this essay I would like to tell about the differences and similarities in Denmark and America. I will tell good stuff and bad stuff, and you will be able to hear my opinoin as well. Denmark and America are way different from each other, but at the same time we’re a bit alike. We see a lot of teenage movies, and about 95 percent of them are from the states, the other 5 percent are from our own country. We see a lot about the teenage lifestyle through these movies, and no matter if we want or not, then we all create an image in our heads about how the lifestyle is. Now I’m so lucky that I’ve actually tried to live the real teenage life in America, and yes, I would say that the image that I had about the American life, was very true. But there is this thing called drama, which teenage movies love to use as exaggeration. So thank goodness that there’s not all that drama in real life. The coolest thing about high schools in the states is that high schools love to have dances, and they spend a lot of energy into planning them, and they spend a lof of money on them, and high school kids love these dances. Prom, for example, is the most important dance of the year, and everybody is talking about it all year. Here in Denmark we just have a random school dance where everybody drinks their brains out, and can’t remember anything the next day and people is only thinking about wearing the smallest outfits that they can find. I’m tempted to say that the exact opposite is the case in in the states, because in the states they are trying to find the biggest dresses, and they don’t drink. This brings me to the next subject that I want to talk about, alcohol. In America you can’t drink untill you’re twenty-one, where as here on the other side of the world, you can drink when you’re sixteen. I think both these ages are a bit ridiculous, the one in Denmark is too low, and the one in America is too high, it should be around eighteen. One thing that I don’t like about the U. S is all the crime; I know that crime is starting to escalate here in Denmark, but it’s still much worse in the U.  S. People are walking around with guns on them; children get kidnapped daily, which is the worst when that happens. When a child gets kidnapped, it’s all over the news and media, and this is called an Amber Alert. I tried that when I was in America, it was terrifying, police men everywhere, helicopters, news people reporting live twenty-four seven. Unfortunately they didn’t find the kid alive; they found the kid only a few blocks away from its house. America has a ton of fast food restaurants which of course cause all the really fat people, who can barely walk. Here in Denmark we don’t have that many fast food restaurants, but we have the most famous ones, and we’re acyually not skinny anymore. So my conclusion is that Denmark and America are different because of the rules and laws we have in each country, here I’m thinking of the drinking age and drivers license. We like to do the same things, such as school dances and parties, but it will never be the same because of the way we’re raised.

Commentary- Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker Essay

Imtiaz Dharker’s poem describes rain as its blessing to a dry place, as the short direct sentences in the first stanza suggests there was no hope on that land: â€Å"There never is enough water.† The line shows the desperateness of rain as it sets a negative tone to start the poem. However, as the poem progress, there was an increase in hope and energy, seen from the energetic and positive language such as, â€Å"rush†, â€Å"bursts†, â€Å"crashes† and â€Å"roar†. These are used to associate with the action and the liveliness brought by the rain. The poet is trying to compare rain to a god-like blessing as it says from the title, and also from the word â€Å"congregation† as the word is related to religious. It described rain as a god-gifted blessing to the land without hope, describing the echo of rain to: â€Å"the voice of a kindly god.† We can see the importance of water to the people from the land as water is described as precious items such as â€Å"silver†, â€Å"fortune† and â€Å"liquid sun†, suggesting it’s importance to these people. We can see further illustration of this idea through the celebration as children celebrates and â€Å"sings† after being given water. The excitement of people can also be seen from the structure of the poem, seen from the enjambment which ran from the third stanza until the end of the poem, we can see the tone being very exciting that there wasn’t a pause, contrasting with the first stanza where the short and slow lines reflects the lack of energy. The most noticeable example is: â€Å"every man woman child for streets around butts in† We would expect commas being used between man woman child, but there isn’t, showing the excitement and the hurry. The poet also cleverly uses the stanza length to reflect the amount of water and excitement, with the 3rd stanza being the pinnacle of the event, there are and it differs from the short 1st stanza which suggests The use of onomatopoeia and oxymoron also highlights the importance of water: â€Å"Imagine the drip of it, the small splash, echo† The poet describes a small drip of water having a echo, which is usually associated with large items, and it gives us an idea of how a small amount of water can be seen as a huge importance to these people.

Free Essays on Hypocrisy Is A Feminist Virtue

Hypocrisy is a feminist virtue. Consider one of the most popular television show, â€Å"Ally McBeal†. Ally first appears to be a feminist’s model of the 1960s; she’s an attractive Harvard-educated attorney trying high-profile cases at a leading Boston firm. Yet what makes her character and the tales of her work so popular is that this package contains a (amusingly, of course) neurotic woman who longs for a serious relationship, leading to marriage, leading to children. Ally has turned to the TV audience to confide, in hushed tones: â€Å"I want to change the world; I just want to get married first.† Embracing motherhood as well as other feminine virtues can be regarded as hypocritical to the feminist ideology; for a feminist, to replace the role of an independent career woman with the dual orthodox role of virtuous wife and mother is similar to a Catholic priest discarding all his knowledge and faith in God and preaching the teachings of Hinduism. It is repudiation to the complete equal ity – defined as attaining the same degree of social, political, and economic power that men have, even going so far as to demand equality of experience as well as opportunity – that feminists have pushed so hard for. However, current forms of feminism have taken the wrong course; instead, it should towards social harmony rather than gender equality and endear femininity. We believe, for the most part, that the feminist movement is a deserved success. The United States passed several laws during the 1960s and 1970s, aimed at providing equal rights for women. Complete social, political, and economic equality for men and women is an unquestioned ideal. In this modern era, very few of us were raised by stay-at-home moms (about 70% of all mothers today are in the labour force), and virtually all women see careers as the overarching concern of their futures. As far as sex is concerned, many people perceive women as being no different than men, ex... Free Essays on Hypocrisy Is A Feminist Virtue Free Essays on Hypocrisy Is A Feminist Virtue Hypocrisy is a feminist virtue. Consider one of the most popular television show, â€Å"Ally McBeal†. Ally first appears to be a feminist’s model of the 1960s; she’s an attractive Harvard-educated attorney trying high-profile cases at a leading Boston firm. Yet what makes her character and the tales of her work so popular is that this package contains a (amusingly, of course) neurotic woman who longs for a serious relationship, leading to marriage, leading to children. Ally has turned to the TV audience to confide, in hushed tones: â€Å"I want to change the world; I just want to get married first.† Embracing motherhood as well as other feminine virtues can be regarded as hypocritical to the feminist ideology; for a feminist, to replace the role of an independent career woman with the dual orthodox role of virtuous wife and mother is similar to a Catholic priest discarding all his knowledge and faith in God and preaching the teachings of Hinduism. It is repudiation to the complete equal ity – defined as attaining the same degree of social, political, and economic power that men have, even going so far as to demand equality of experience as well as opportunity – that feminists have pushed so hard for. However, current forms of feminism have taken the wrong course; instead, it should towards social harmony rather than gender equality and endear femininity. We believe, for the most part, that the feminist movement is a deserved success. The United States passed several laws during the 1960s and 1970s, aimed at providing equal rights for women. Complete social, political, and economic equality for men and women is an unquestioned ideal. In this modern era, very few of us were raised by stay-at-home moms (about 70% of all mothers today are in the labour force), and virtually all women see careers as the overarching concern of their futures. As far as sex is concerned, many people perceive women as being no different than men, ex...

Deming & Quality Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Deming & Quality - Term Paper Example Gitlow &Gitlow (1987), points out that in determining customers’ needs, it is important that the future be brought into the equation, because such needs can change, and companies should be well prepared for it. The need for the prototypes to fit certain specifications, are also worth considering, especially with regards to the suppliers of the raw materials (Gitlow & Gitlow 1987). According to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987), the extent to which a firm and its suppliers are able to surpass the design specifications and meet the customers need, is really what quality conformance is all about. However the quality of performance can only be determined through research and sales, and service call analysis to determine how well the firm’s goods and services are doing in the market place (Gitlow & Gitlow 1987). Feedback from the quality of performance surveys, may lead to changes in design and in redesigning, thereby facilitate the continuity of the quality cycle. The 14 point method of Deming incorporates the use of statistical tools, and significant changes in the corporate culture of organizations intent on achieving a quality program, according to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987); it provides a framework for action as well as giving management bases from which they can formulate plans for which they may even lack the necessary experience. Organization leaders who embrace the 14 point system of quality have to back up that strategy with a commitment to change in their thinking and behavior patterns. The 14 Points entails, according to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987), A motivated worker is one that is doing his or her job willingly and well. However, for this to happen, managers must provide both intrinsic and extrinsic forms to their workers. Most of our behaviors according to Jung, are evaluated or judged on some criterion of quality and excellence of performance, and some of the incentive for the dedicated pursuit of achievement comes from social

Renewal of the USA Patriot Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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