Culture of Portugal

The country of Portugal has many rich cultural facets in food, music and sports. Situated on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula that it shares with Spain, Portugal’s culture was shaped by the influences from the Latin, Visigoth and Muslim cultures. Many men in Portugal go into the Atlantic to catch fish while the women are homebound doing chores like house work or cleaning the fish. The men are the bread winners while the women are the housewives who take care of the home. The kids are free to make their own decisions outside of their home. It is mandatory for children to go to school until 6th grade but after that they are free to choose to carry on in school or help out in the working society. Even though the children have freedom outside their homes, it is within the culture for children to not leave the house until married and have their own children because of the strong family ties. Divorce was not an option in Portugal for many years. After the revolution of 1974, divorce was finally allowed into the Portuguese culture dominated by the Roman Catholic religion. Portugal has been known to be a very homogenous society over the years with mainly one language and one religion, Portuguese and Roman Catholic respectively. The Do’s and Don’ts of the Portuguese Culture are quite simple but different from the way of life that we know here in the States. For example: each time you meet someone new, you take time to get to know them; do not use first names unless you know them very well, the Portuguese have a lot of respect for academic titles for doctors and engineers and are addressed accordingly; upon meeting for the first time, the Portuguese can be quite reserved and formal if they do not know you well; don’t write in red because it is considered rude; if invited to someone’s house, do bring flowers; do not stretch in public because it is also rude; tip taxis 10% on each ride and by just using common sense and smiling at all times you will not go far wrong. The food of Portugal Varies by the region you visit. In the north, there is caldo verde and sardines. Caldo verde is a type of kale & potato soup flavored with a spicy sausage. This soup is eaten with broa, which is a grainy corn bread with thick crust. The traditional wine that goes with this food in this region would be the vinho verde. This is a young wine made from grapes that grow on arbors that often serve as property markers. In the northeastern region a popular dish is the Tras o Montes, which is fresh and cured pork used in many meals. A stew consisted of mixed meats and vegetables called cozida a portuguesa originated in this region has become a national dish. In central Portugal Cheeses are a very important part of the meal and fish like octopus, squid and eel. And finally in the south, a soup called gazpacho with bread and smoked pork. Overall as a nation, Bacalhau, or codfish, has been the most popular fish sine the 15th century. The Bacalhau croquettes are popular appetizers and for dessert cinnamon on top of rice pudding. Port wine which is the symbol of the city Porto, is a major export and is only used in rural households during ceremonial occasions or offered to celebrated guests. The annual killing and preserving of the pig is an important ceremony in the culture of Portugal. The event which last two days, usually occurs in late December or January. This process involves making sausage, smoking ham and salting other parts of the pig, including the stomach area. On the first day of this celebration called Sarrabulho, the noon meal consists of rice, innards and the blood of the pig. The country of Portugal observes fourteen holidays throughout the calendar year. The major days include the following: Freedom day (25th April), day that Portugal went from a dictatorship to a democracy in 1974; Portugal day (10th June), celebrates 16th century epic poem that brought fame and fortune to Portugal; Assumption (15th August), day Mary was taken into heaven; restoration of independence (1st December), celebrates the end of the Iberian Union. Many of their holidays fall are shared and fall on the same days as the US holidays like new years day, Good Friday, Easter, Labor Day and Christmas day. Clothing is a huge essential aspect of the culture in Portugal. The people of Portugal are very particular about their clothing attire and dressing styles. Like in many countries clothing ranges from the modern to traditional dressing patterns. The clothing industry plays a very important role in the economy of the country. The clothing ranges from the urban to the rural region. Usually the city people are extremely well dressed. They bear the resemblance of the western influence with western pattern clothing. In the rural areas, clothing is in tune with the traditional pattern of dressing. Men’s traditional outfits include stocking caps, berets that are teamed with trousers and baggy shirts. Women wear black shawls and long dresses. Black or dark colors are usually worn for carrying out daily chores, however brightly hued clothing is usually worn on special occasions. The music of Portugal was influenced by Ancient Rome’s traditions. The genres music include classical to popular. The history of the music can be divided into music production from the middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic and Modern times. The music in Portugal offers a rich history and privileged geographical location which despite its European roots, reflects the intercontinental interactions with Portuguese discoveries. Despite all the rich culture in music, Portugal and more specifically the city of Lisbon is better known for the birth place of Fado. Fado is a melancholy urban genre of music that was believed to date back to the 15th century when it was believed that women would cry for the longing of their husbands who sailed the seas. Even though Arabs left the region in the 13th century, the instruments like the Portuguese guitar have Arabic imprints that are heavily used in the singing of Fado. In the year 1939, Fado became an international popular genre with Amalia Rodrigues. A Singer and actress, she made stylistic adjustments to Fado that have made her the most influential fadista of all time. Amalia Rodrigues revived the Fado tradition. She was followed by many new, young musicians who have contributed to the social/political revival of the music adapting and blending it with new trends. The new artists walk a fine line of adapting and carrying the old traditions while trying to bring in a new audience. Portugal takes a huge liking to the most popular sport in the world, football. Three major clubs that come out of Portugal are Sporting and Benfica both in Lisbon; and FC Porto based in Porto. The big three as they are known in Portugal not only compete in football but also in basketball, handball, futsal and volleyball. The Portuguese national team is one of the finest in Europe and the world and it evokes tremendous passion on its people. In studies it was proven that during the days of the National team games held throughout Portugal while hosting the Euro 2004 Championships, heart attacks increased by 46% for males with cardiovascular problems. With past players like Eusebio, Figo and now Christiano Ronaldo, Portugal has produced some of the best world class players in the game. Bullfighting is another popular sport. Unlike their Spanish compatriots, the Portuguese do not kill the bulls in the ring. The bullfighters come out usually dressed in an 18th century style coat and three-cornered hat. The horns of the bull are sheathed to protect the horse. The bullfighter, which is always on the horse, is followed by Forcados who are young men that take on the bull bare handed. And finally since Portugal is situated along the Atlantic Ocean, it is a popular destination for aquatic activities. It has become over the years a center for the activities the long seacoast and mild climate make for popular sailing, surfboarding and scuba diving. From the early 1990’s the Portuguese entrepreneurs along with the tourist board have heavily promoted the coastline for these popular sports and have been a revelation for the economy. From it’s vast array of food, including the ever so popular Bacalhau, to it’s most cherished music in Fado; Portugal has a unique mixture of cultural brilliance that’s sets it apart from it’s neighbor Spain and, for that matter, any country in Europe. With its pleasant climate along the coastline, it is not a surprise that they are hosts to many aquatic activities and produce a fine wine in Port. With Football being the hands down most popular sport in the country that drives the passion of the people, there is also an uprising of other sports through the big three clubs (Sporting, Benfica and Porto). Most importantly, family values and the cultures they create for the country of Portugal is still the core to most of the society who continue to live and have deep roots in their society modeled by their Catholic faith. References http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Portugal.html https://www.britannica.com/place/Portugal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal

Later Adulthood Development Essay

During our life time it is inevitable that we will grow older. People 65 an older are living longer lives. This age group has been increasing over the years with the help of new technology. During this stage in life we will go through many life transformations. First we will change not only physically, but mentally, and emotionally, and socially. Our roles in life will change drastically and if not prepared it will not be a smooth transition. If a person was once very independent in their younger years and now will need to be dependent on others for assistance it could become a big problem. They may need help with basic daily health needs such as bathing, cooking or may need help getting around town. There are many assistant living facilities that will assist them if needed. Another issue in aging is they may become victims of crimes. Elderly people have physical limitations that will make it harder for them to defend themselves. Discrimination will now become another issue that they will have to face. It may be hard for them to land a job at this age because many companies might be worried that they will constantly be out of work or can’t physically do the job. Compare living accommodations such as accessibility and the need for health care: There are numerous nursing facilities for the elderly to live in. In the past these facilities were ran like institutions and less like a home. The new facilities are well equipped with everything they would have in their own homes. Facilities provide entertainment, social gatherings, everything you would need to enjoy your elderly years. Many elderly people would prefer to live and maintain their own households with their spouses and not have to resort to facility living. Health care is important to the elderly generation because they are more apet to have health problems. Because of the increasing cost of health care Medicare and Medicaid programs were put in place to reduce the cost of health care for this age group. Another medical issue for the elderly is that Physicians are primarily  trained in treating young people and the elderly does not receive the quality care they need. In that age group medical care is crucial for their survival because they are more frail and sick than the younger generation. The transition from work to retirement is a major part in anyone’s life. Mandatory retirement was once created for people age 65 an older, it was meant to abolish the oversupply of available workers. Congress eventually stopped this law because it was discriminating towards the elderly. Retiring is a major adjustment in life for those who worked there whole lives. One of the many adjustments are living on a smaller income, and no interaction from fellow coworkers. Social Security benefits is a financial assistance program for retired people 65 and up but it was never intended to make a person financially independent. It is impossible to live comfortably just off of social security checks alone. About 95 percent of older adults receive Social Security; for 18 percent of them, Social Security is their only income. Americans who did not prepare themselves finically will need to work for the rest of their lives. Those who did not prepare themselves for retirement will have to worry about money and possible have to rely on government assistance. Those who did prepare themselves financially will not have to worry about money an can enjoy their leisure time and enjoy the many things that they weren’t able to do while working such as traveling, golfing, etc. Many people at this stage will get bored an unfulfilled without a job to go too. Volunteering their time and possible a part time job are a few ways an elderly couple can do to stay productive and be a contributing citizen. Older people volunteering their time can also lead to a higher feel of worth and self-esteem. Many changes go in in marriage, family, and peer relationships when we grow older. Older people are married they are happier than the non-married ones. When we age we will have to understand that one spouse will have to take care of their spouse. The caretaking spouse will get frustrated, angry, overwhelmed with caring for their spouse. When a spouse is ill this can drain the family savings and add more stress over finances. When a spouse dies it can be very emotional for the spouse that is left behind they will begin to experience loneliness’, depression and will have more things to take care of on their own. The surviving spouse will have to be emotionally ready to move on with life without their mate. Peer relationships will also change beca use  friends are sick and dying and reminds them that the end is near. This can lead to elderly people staying in the house and distancing themselves from other people and family. Some elderly begin to live with family and like the idea that they are around their loved ones. Others do not want to put a burden on to their family and decide to move into a nursing facility instead. Living with someone else can become a major shock because they are used to living on their own. The social policies that affect the older adults are Medicaid, Medicare, social security benefits, and the older Americans act of 1965. Medicare was created to assist older people with the cost of health care. Everyone 65 and older will be eligible for this service. Everyone in the United States is eligible for some sort of social security benefit after retirement age if they worked. This Money is paid into the social security system from taxes from employees and employers. It is a certain amount of money given every month to offset the cost of living. Some elderly people live off just social security alone because they did not plan correctly for the future. If a person does not have any pensions, savings and other income it will not be enough to live comfortable off of. . The Americans Act of 1965 is a law and its amendments and they are the basis for federal aid to states and local communities to meet the needs of the older generation. This law assists with an adequate income, physical and mental health, housing, employment opportunities. The final service made for the elderly is Medicaid. It provides services for low income families, and those who need public assistance. Each state is different with the Medicaid benefits. When we age we will all change mentally, physically, physically and socially it’s all a part of this life cycle. With proper planning and research growing older can be a smooth transition in life. Financial planning, family support, resources are all positive can contributions to everything an older adul t needs. References Dale, O., Smith, R., Norlin, J. M., & Chess, W. A. (2009). Human behavior and the social environment: Social systems theory (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Building consumer demand by using marketing

Marketing munication can be increased by using social media sites. This assignment will describe about the chosen article â€Å"The use of social media: an exploratory study of usage among digital natives†. The objectives of the study will be mentioned in this assignment. Electronic word of mouth and web 2.0 has appeared as an event of significant interest to marketers.   The article will be critically analysed in this assignment to get better understanding about the chosen article. Individual reflection shows the work advance knowledge of subject which can be utilized in real life by marketing practioners. The main object of the article is to analyze the importance of social media in the academic life of students. The research report has described about the knowledge of students regarding social media platforms and in depth notion of customer generated contents. Next section explains the digital natives in terms of age and behavioural characteristics. Another objective of the article is to understand about web 2.0 and word of mouth munication. The explicit theory framework is used in this research to describe the master phenomena. The description about the web 2.0 and electronic word of mouth is made under this theory. It has been analyzed that the term of web 2.0 defines the platforms that are connective and offer users with the ability to incorporate various media within their content creation. Analytical technique, instructional instruments, social media platforms, consumer generated message viewership and customer generated message creation are used in this article to analyze the article (Steyn, Wallstrà ¶m and Pitt, 2010). The central concept of this article is word of mouth in marketing munication. This concept is clearly defined in this article. It has been said in this article that word of mouth is mature exercise as are people municating with one another. They have b e the major part for the marketing mix for panies (Li & Bernoff, 2008). The discussion has been made about the web 2.0 world of marketing in which word of mouth happens on all municative digital media sites. It has been estimated that more than 85% firm in united states are applying the word of mouth strategy. The word of mouth strategy es out in the business when the orientation provider has no risk in the business (Li, 2010). The main argument has been made on digital natives and it has been argued in this article that a higher educating marketing firm defined that technology has b e so advanced and as recognizable as a knife to this college age market segment. On the other side it has been argued that customers gradually more use digital media not for researching the products and services but for engaging with organizations they buy along with other customers who may have effective insights (Williams, Crittenden, Keo and McCarty, 2012). The specific hypothesis of this assignment is that Generation C who born after 1990 is truly digital natives. The key attributes of Generation C is that they how to live in an adequate manner and they are much involved in the puters and latest technology. The main strength of this assignment is used methodology. The sample has been collected from millennial aged undergraduate college students of United States of America (Packaged Facts, 2010). The minimum age is considered as 19 years old and the eldest age is 21 years old. It is the strength because the selected age is perfect to analyze the tentative study of usage among digital natives.   It would encourage them to encourage the campus events or they can use consumer produced content as a need of their jobs. The weakness has been found in this article is that there are so many students in selected sample who utilized their social media ecosystem for the reason of promoting their goods and services for those panies for which they are working. The risk has analyzed that the credible power in this the network of word of mouth will be eliminated for the extended time if the orientation provider lose the chance of the growth in the business. The hypothesis of this article is defined below: Qualitative research has been chosen for this article in regarding content analysis which permits the examination of the experience of social without unambiguous prospects.   Sample, analytical technique and instructional instrument are used in the article for researching on digital natives. In the context of sample, data has been collected from a convince sample of the undergraduate students who were studied in the marketing class. 74 students were selected for sample in which the youngest student was 19 years old and the eldest student was 21 years old. Content analysis is being used in the analytical technique in mass munication research which was considered as appropriate analytical technique for surveying the descriptions of process within the phenomenon of culture of social media. Instructional instrument is a written assignment which was given to all enrolled students. The main concept of this written assignment is to get the response of students about the usage of social media for marketing. It was the big approach to motivate students for using the social media by sharing their experiences. Evidence is provided in this article to define the social media platforms and providers. The table has given which shows the social media platforms used by students. There are various digital social media platforms available which is helpful for marketing. It has been found that 50% students are engaged with blogging and 96% of the students are active on Facebook and twitter. 70% of the students were connected with text messages because text messaging was in the content prompt. Another table has been reflected in this assignment which was categorized in segments and number of students. Segments have divided into spectator, creator, joiner, collector and critic. 73% of the students answered to more than one of the five segments. For instance, an individual can have seen himself in the condition of critic as well as spectator. The literature is the description about the chosen topic which describes the scope of the topic. The article has defined the digital natives and electronic word of mouth which includes the web 2.0. It defines the stages that are extremely interactive and offer the aptitude to put together dissimilar media in their content formation. On the other hand web 1.0 was defined by one way and unreceptive munication. It is characterized by a process in which people are continuously the provider and giver of information. The social media platforms enable the opportunities for attract that did not survive a decade ago. For instance, it has been analyzed that more than 700 billion minutes are used by so many users on Facebook (Trainor, 2012). There are approximately 30 million stories, images, videos and contents are being shared by people on Facebook (Facebook Statistics, 2010). You Tube is another social media where the number of uploaded videos are high and the views has increased by two bill ion per day (YouTube, 2010). It has been found that millions of people building trillions of bonding by social media each day. In that scenario, the role of Web 2.0 has made the electronic description of unfounded information munications. The digital native is the person who born during the age of digital technology and so well known with internet and latest technology from an early age. The article has described the Generation C consumers who love content creation and mashing. Generation C consumers prefer to municate in an adequate manner. The tendency of generation C students is to work more creative industries (Gil-Or, 2010). Consumer generated content is not encouraged mercially but it is a form of electronic word of mouth (Muà ±iz and Schau, 2011). Essentially, the opinion of customer is about the product and services and after satisfying with the services and products, customers share their views, experience and beliefs with other people by using web. The ou e of this articl e is fit in to the wider literature. According to Hansen, et. al., (2011), there is numerous different social media platforms that provided to students as instance to quick their thinking in the term of text messaging, podcasts, and social networking and discussion groups (Zahay & Fredricks, 2009). Moreover, to discriminating the platforms utilized by this group of college student customers, the description about the particular providers were asked to respondents. The article is aimed at universities’ students of USA. The research shows that student should judge the true suggestions of liberty of speech (Crittenden and Klepper, 2010). Another audience of this article is Generation C who born after 1990. The credibility of author is trust worthiness because the authors David L. Williams, Victoria L. Crittenden, Teeda Keo and Paulette McCarty are professors of top USA universities. â€Å"The use of social media: an exploratory study of usage among digital natives† is credible as it has been published in Journal of Public Affairs (2012). This journal article is published online in Wiley Online Library which shows the credibility of the journal article. The credibility of this article can be judged by viewing the number of references which is authenticated. The used language of author is clear and concise which can be understood by readers. The predominate mode of this article is analytical as author used qualitative research to explore the research topic. Sample, analytical technique, instructional instruments, social media platforms and customer generated message formation are being used in this research to show the involvement of people in social media. It can be r mended that further research should evaluate the statistics and search for disparity between and among a multiple characteristics of demographics. The texts can be improved by using the more analytical data because it has been found that the study of this article was unable to connect different countries of source in the shown data. The analytical source has been chosen for collecting data in which the written assignment and content analysis were considered. These approaches and sources did not enable the pilation of the data. It has been r mended that further research should report for the effects of national so it can see if there are differences in country majorly in the utilization of the specific platforms and providers. The implications of the article for marketing practioners would be effective because it has described the use of different social media platforms for encouraging the market growth. This article assisted me to expand my knowledge regarding web 2.0 and electronic word of mouth which has huge contribution in the growth of market. I can use these social media platforms in my business as marketing practioner. The limitations and future research have been described in this article which assists me that the ment of personal social media should not be posted from any internet sources until and unless it is private. It concurs with my own experience because people has b e advanced and give preference to online marketing instead of going outside. By using these marketing munication techniques, marketing practioner can attract the customers towards the provided services and products. It has been concluded that the entire objective of this investigative research is to evaluate the multiple of electronic word of mouth in the context of Generation C market segment and this segment is generally defined as digital natives. The critical analysis of the article has been done by evaluating the objectives, methods, evidence, credibility, style and audience. Individual reflection has shown the position of social media sites in the life of marketing practioners. Crittenden, V. and Klepper, K., 2010, Social media and the b-school.  BizEd, pp.72-73. Facebook Statistics, 2010, Facebook statistics, accessed on 26 th February 2018, from: https://www.facebook / press/info.php?statistics.   Gil-Or, O., 2010, Building consumer demand by using viral marketing tactics within an online social network.  Advances in Management,  3(7), pp.7-14. Li, C. & Bernoff, J. 2008, Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Harvard Business Press: Boston. Li, C., 2010, Groundswell. Winning in a world transformed by social technologies.  Strategic Direction,  26(8). Morrison, M. and McMillan, S., 2010, January. Oh, user, who art thou: an examination of behaviors and characteristics of consumers in the context of user generated content. In  American Academy of Advertising. Conference. Proceedings (Online)  (p. 77). American Academy of Advertising. Muà ±iz Jr, A.M. and Schau, H.J., 2011, How to inspire value-laden collaborative consumer-generated content.  Business Horizons,  54(3), pp.209-217. Muà ±iz, Jr, A.M. and Schau, H.J., 2007, Vigilante marketing and consumer-created munications.  Journal of Advertising,  36(3), pp.35-50. Packaged Facts, 2010, Millennials in the U.S.: trends and opportunities surrounding Gen-Y adults. accessed on 26 th February 2018, from: https:// www.marketresearch /product/display.asp? productid=2661911. Steyn, P., Wallstrà ¶m, Ã…. and Pitt, L., 2010, Consumer-generated content and source effects in financial services advertising: An experimental study.  Journal of Financial Services Marketing,  15(1), pp.49-61. Trainor, K.J., 2012, Relating social media technologies to performance: A capabilities-based perspective.  Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management,  32(3), pp.317-331. Williams, D.L., Crittenden, V.L., Keo, T. and McCarty, P., 2012, The use of social media: an exploratory study of usage among digital natives.  Journal of Public Affairs,  12(2), pp.127-136. YouTube . 2010, Youtube, accessed on 26 th February 2018, from: https://www.youtube /t/press. Zahay, D. & Fredricks, E. 2009, Podcasting to improve delivery of a project-based internet marketing course. Marketing Education Review 19(1): 57–63.

Marketing service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing service - Essay Example Attempts need to be made by the companies to bridge the gap. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Service Encounter 1 5 Service Encounter 2 7 Service Encounter 3 9 Service Encounter 4 11 Service Encounter 5 13 Conclusion 15 References 16 Appendices 18 Introduction Services are the economic activities rendered by one party to another party. The heart of service is considered to be the encounter taking place between the server as well as the customer. It is during this phase when the emotions tend to come into contact with the economics in real time and hence people evaluate the quality of service (Chase & Dasu, 2012). The chief objective of the report is to evaluate the service encounters from one’s perspective as a customer and hence to analyze the recorded situations by making use of the relevant theories and concepts. Service Encounter 1 While having a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) internet connection with Dodo Company in the year 2012 with a contract of two years, I found that the company disconnected my internet within a month of the contract. I tried to fix the problem with the company and despite several attempts made by the company to resolve the issues faced by me, it was not capable of coming out with a feasible solution. Hence, I experienced a negative service encounter with the company. ... It can be mentioned that the disconfirmation of expectations paradigm has been considered as most accepted model that can be successfully applied for examining the issues related to consumer satisfaction/ dissatisfaction (Fisk & Young, 1985). Customer experiences with the product causing negative emotions can lead to substantial damages to the companies in relation to their reputation as well as their association to their customers. When a customer experiences a negative service encounter, the result of such experience is generally anger or frustration which has been the case with me in relation to Dodo Company. Although the company realized the problems that I have been facing with the services and tried to fix it up however, it had not been meeting up to the expectations (McGrawHill, 2012). One of the underlying facts related to services is that satisfaction tends to have an impact on usage continuance intentions. A customer is most likely to continue using a product only if he/she is satisfied with the product or service. It can be observed that since the service rendered by the company was not up to my expectation, I planned to discontinue using the services of the company. Hence, such circumstances reveal the fact that the companies must make all the attempts to satisfy the customers so that they do not stop consuming the services. Discontinuation might lead to several damages to the company in the form of decline in revenues and retardation of the brand image as well. Dodo needs to ensure that they do not breach the contract that they make with the customers and try to fix all the problems within the stipulated time (Miao, 2008). Service Encounter 2 While visiting McDonald’s, I ordered for a coffee and banana bread

Mergers and Acquisitions History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mergers and Acquisitions History - Essay Example This paper seeks to explore mergers and acquisitions as well as their inherent benefits and drawbacks. These business practices will also be examined in the context of foreign interaction. There are some sensible reasons for executing mergers and acquisitions (M&As). The most obvious reason is profitability. "Deals can be worth hundreds of millions, or even billions, of dollars. They can dictate the fortunes of the companies involved for years to come. For a CEO, leading an M&A can represent the highlight of a whole career" (http://www.investopedia.com/university/mergers/, 2007). Another sensible reason is the gain of power by way of absorption. Absorption involves the securing of a competitor's resources which, in turn, increases the absorbing company's clout and influence. The final reason, for purposes of this analysis, is for companies to gain more appeal in the international market. If foreign investors can be persuaded to contribute to a particular company, that company's economic success can be significantly enhanced. There are also some dubious reasons that come with the M&A game. One major obstacle is the time factor. The process of securing M&As can take considerable time to complete. Negotiations may fall through and/or companies may not be willing to engage in tedious legal wrangling. Another dubious reason is the inadequate protection from the law. Depending upon the state in which the companies operate, the law may or may not fully protect either one in terms of unfair business practices or hostile takeovers. Cash transactions are one way to effectuate a merger or acquisition. In these types of transactions, a company can seize some or all of another company's assets. This can be beneficial in that tangible property can be assimilated into a company's operation. However, "a cash purchase will be a taxable merger, whereas a stock exchange will not be taxable. In a taxable merger, there are capital gains effects and asset write-up effects to consider" (highered.mcgraw-hill.com, 2007). Stock transactions are another way to effectuate a merger or acquisition. In these types of transactions, the interest of shareholders comes in to play. In stock transactions, shareholders still retain their interest; it just gets transferred to the absorbing company. One glowing, positive benefit of these transactions is the tax consideration. "Certain exchanges of stock are considered tax-free reorganizations, which permit the owners of one company to exchange their shares for the stock of the acquirer without paying taxes" (www.referenceforbusiness.com, 2007). The major disadvantage of this arrangement is that there is usually no transfer of tangible assets which, in turn, will not yield a transfer of title. When merging with or acquiring an organization in another country, there are some risks that must be strongly considered. Arguably, the most significant risk encompasses this consideration: "A short history of precedent M&A activity and minimal financial disclosure pose various valuation issues; this is often compounded by unrealistic valuation expectations on the part of vendors" (www.ey.com, 2007). Companies that are interested in immersing themselves in foreign markets must thoroughly research economic trends and general business practices. Another serious risk is the

Illustrating your answer in reference to Chocolat (1988) and secondary Essay

Illustrating your answer in reference to Chocolat (1988) and secondary reading, answer the following question. Give reasons for - Essay Example The substance of this prose will examine the role of the non-mainstream media in dealing with these issues in the light of Claire Denis’ movie titled Chocolat. Chocolat provides an interesting insight into the dynamics of race and colonialism. It is set in the remote region of Cameroon and tells the story from the perspective of a European child, whose father is the colonial administrator. The story is slow paced and has no real elements of a commercial film. There is hardly any exchange of dialogues between the characters and most of the actions and events in the story are left open-ended for the viewers to interpret. The narrator’s mother and her servant weave the main conflict of the story; the latter being a well-built Cameroonian with integrity and moral fibre that goes unnoticed because of his race, while the former is a lonely housewife. The movie incorporates visual elements that seek to explain the West’s sexual fascination with the inhabitants of their colonized territories; the African people in this case. It is understandable that the African culture is indeed exotic, but it is not just a sexual preference but depicts a greater need to dominate the people that they now own. The Africans were just seen as slaves but the attitude of their colonizers continues to mould their perception of contemporary Europeans and the non-Mainstream media often shows a glimpse of it from time to time. I. Claire Denis’ Chocolat (1988) The movie is set against the backdrop of French colonialism of the West African region. The plot is propelled forward through the flashbacks of a woman named France travelling around the outskirts of Cameroon, who manages to get a lift from an African American man passing by. While on the road, she is flooded with the memories of her childhood and reminisces about the time when her father was the Colonial Administrator of Cameroon, which forms the subsequent parts of the story. The entire story is told from the perspective of young France, who is befriended by their handsome African servant, Protee. France has a beautiful companionship with the houseboy, but unbeknownst to her, her young, attractive mother harbours romantic feelings for Protee, which are hinted to be mutual and serves as the prime complication in the story. Her desire for Protee is further escalated by the fact that her husband, France’s father is scarcely present around the house. The house is set in a remote locale, in order to fully focus on the emotional development of a handful of characters. The sexual tension between Aimee and Protee is a fundamental theme throughout the story, because Aimee cultivated such desires for a man who was not anywhere close to her race. She was the colonist, whereas Protee was the slave; in the eyes of the society, any kind of courtship or romance was completely out of question and was tabooed by the then-society. The African slaves were reduced to a status of a sub-human form and were denied privacy, whilst their Colonial Lords had every single ounce of that luxury. Protee often bathed in the open, while he was being silently watched by Aimee. It is ostensible that Aimee developed her sexual desires for him because of these minor occurrences and the absence of her husband led to the mounting of her sexual frustration. Even when

Ethics on computing with reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics on computing with reflection - Essay Example Hence, moral and ethical attitude of the consumer of this website plays a major role in sustaining the records of this service. The people who browse this site are worried about the protecting their privacy not only while accessing the web service but also in their normal routines lives as the risk of incursion of personal privacy is very high in this website as in any other website that deals with the client’s personal information. In area of healthcare, the primary code that forms the foundation of any sort of treatments is chiefly the deference for the patient’s dignity. Respecting dignity also involves dealing with ultimate care with a patient’s info. Trust is an integral part of this project as it is the service’s responsibility to provide its users optimum dependability in terms of keeping their info safe from any sort of spasm or stalkers. Therefore protecting the personal information of the patients, which is collected from the hospital, is the foremost priority of the firm that maintains this website. If a situation arises in which it is necessary to share the info with an outsider, this should not be done before getting complete approval of the individual involved or the patient’s relatives (if the patient is not in a condition to give his/her consent). Only under two conditions such information should be shared i.e. if the management changes or the hospital is collaborated with another firm. In such a situation, information should be made available to the new administration as well. The idea of the website is to give quality health care services via internet. The various facilities provided by this website comprises access to doctors of personal records accessible online and allowing the patients to be able to seek advice regarding a particular medical state from other online members of the same forum. All the points

Maquilapolis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Maquilapolis - Essay Example This allows tackling of successive challenges within the women group alongside a replacement of pity and hopelessness by determination and uplifting faith. The moment of activism is from collaboration of three sweatshops employees with Funari, her co director and De La Torre the artist photographer. ‘Maquilapolis: city of factories’ takes us to Tijuana where Mequiladoras takes advantage of cheap labor and low taxes. Most of The workers are women who take the mental of championing for justice and necessary changes. Social, environmental and economic changes from industrialization results to pollution, joblessness and poverty in Mexico, that is sentimental in the film. Carmen and Lourdes are the women at the centre of the film. Manufacturing and assembly plants are full of women who make consumer goods for long hours in unsafe conditions and low wage. Horrors of industrialization get some expression through self-confession. Workers face exposure to chemicals that damage skin, lungs, and nasal passage. Kidney complications are not exception here as in most places of work drinking and urination is illegal. Apart from factories, home environment is also a delicate this makes most of the workers and their families to be abreast with pollution. A shantytown is their home where the waste products from factories are eminent. The lack of union representation, laxity in dealing with problems of workers and fight for women to develop their work environs is a centre of attention. Millions of workers weave the consumer nation’s fabric of life through productions of television, electric cables, toys, clothes, batteries and IV tubes. In the due process, Carmen and her colleagues reach the optimum struggle and organize for a change. Carmen takes to task a major TV manufacturer for the violation of her labor rights and gets a pay to improve her life. Lourdes and her associate group pressurize the authorities for a cleanup of

Hand Washing Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hand Washing - Literature review Example Petersburg, Russia. ?METHODS.Prospective surveillance of HH compliance, nosocomial colonization, and antibiotic administration was performed from January until June 2000. In February 2000, alcohol?based hand rub was provided for routine HH use. Eight weeks later, a quality improvement intervention was implemented, consisting of review of interim data, identification of opinion leaders, posting of colonization incidence rates, and regular feedback. Means of compliance, colonization, and antibiotic use were compared for periods before and after each intervention. ?RESULTS.A total of 1,027 events requiring HH were observed. Compliance was 44.2% before the first intervention, 42.3% between interventions, and 48% after the second intervention. Use of alcohol rose from 15.2% of HH indications to 25.2% between interventions and 41.5% after the second intervention. The incidence of nosocomial colonization (per 1,000 patient?days) with Klebsiella pneumoniae was initially 21.5, decreased to 4. 7, and then was 3.2 in the final period. Rates of antibiotic and device use also decreased. ?CONCLUSIONS.HH may have increased slightly, but the largest effect was a switch from soap and water to alcohol, which may have been associated with decreased cross?transmission of Klebsiella, although this may have been confounded by lower device use. Alcohol?based antiseptic may be an improvement over current practices, but further research is required. Girou, E., Loyeau, S., Legrand, P., Opein, F., & Brun-Buisson, C. (2002). Efficacy of handrubbing with alcohol based solution versus standard handwashing with antiseptic soap: randomised clinical trial. BMJ, volume 325, p. 362 Objective: To compare the efficacy of handrubbing with an alcohol based solution versus conventional handwashing with antiseptic soap in reducing hand contamination during routine patient care. Design: Randomised controlled trial during daily nursing sessions of 2 to 3 hours Setting: Three intensive care units in a Fre nch university hospital Participants: 23 healthcare workers Interventions: Handrubbing with alcohol based solution (n=12) or handwashing with antiseptic soap (n=11) when hand hygiene was indicated before and after patient care. Imprints taken of fingertips and palm of dominant hand before and after hand hygiene procedure. Bacterial counts quantified blindly Main outcome measures: Bacterial reduction of hand contamination. Results: With handrubbing the median percentage reduction in bacterial contamination was significantly higher than with handwashing (83% v 58%, P=0.012), with a median difference in the percentage reduction of 26% (95% confidence interval 8% to 44%). The medianduration of hand hygiene was 30 seconds in each group. Conclusions: During routine patient care handrubbing with an alcohol based solution is significantly more efficient in reducing hand contamination than handwashing with antiseptic soap. Mody, L., McNeil, S., Sun, R., Bradley, S. & Kauffman, C. (2003). Int roduction of a Waterless Alcohol?Based Hand Rub in a Long?Term–Care Facility. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, volume 24, number 3, pp. pp. 165-171 ?OBJECTIVE.To examine the impact of introduction of an alcohol?based hand rub on hand hygiene knowledge and compliance and hand colonization of healthcare workers (HCWs) in a long?term–care facility (LTCF). ?METHODS.Two floors of an LTCF participated. Ward A used the hand rub as an adjunct to

The Syrian conflict through the theories of constructivism and realism Essay Example for Free

The Syrian conflict through the theories of constructivism and realism Essay This essay aims to delineate and elucidate the Syrian conflict through the theories of constructivism and realism. Particular attention will be paid to the origin of the Syrian Civil War, along with the major actors involved in this regional, and now international, conflict. â€Å"The people want to topple the regime!† was the anti-government graffiti on the wall of a local school in Daraa city painted by a group of Syrian children on March 2011. Those children were arrested and tortured by the local security authorities (Diehl, 2012: 7). This act eventually led to an anti-governmental uprising due to the outrageous reaction of the community over children’s mistreatment after incarceration by the local security authorities. The uprising demanded the release of children, justice, freedom as well as equality for all people. At the core, these peaceful demonstrations were considered to be against the sectarian and family dictatorship because the political power was mainly held by the Alawite elite (Diehl, 2012). In response to these demonstrations, the Syrian government planned to enforce security forces for the protestors to suppress them. The deadly aggression used by the government to oppose dissent led to protests across the country calling for the president to resign. Violence soon escalated as the government battled hundreds of rebel brigades. This rebellion further turned into a full-fledged civil war between the Free Syrian army and the Syrian regime (Thompson, 2016). The main allegation that the Syrian r egime associated with the protestors was that they were Islamic Al- Qaeda’s extremist terrorist gangs who were supported and funded by the various countries such as Turkey, Qatar, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as the United States of America which they try to seek peace with Israel (Sommier, 2014). Similarly, the same Syrian regime who was supported by Russia, China and Iran, was present in the front fire line with Israel (Fisher, 2012). Since then, the regional and international intervention has proven to be a key factor in the power struggle as the government and opposition have received financial, political and military support. This has directly intensified the fighting and allowed it to continue; Syria is effectively being used as a proxy battlefield (Wimmen and Asseburg, 2012). The death toll as recorded and presented by the Syrian center for policy research approximately totaled at 470,000 as a result of ongoing conflict until February 2016. Due to the intensification and spread of fighting, a dire humanitarian crisis was evident since 4.8 million people tried to take refuge abroad and 6.1 million people were internally displaced as per the records of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. It has also been reported by the Syrian Network for Human Rights that since 2011, more than 117,000 people have been either disappeared or detained by the governmental forces. In the detention, ill-treatment and torture are two rampant things that have also resulted in the death of thousands of people in detention. In addition to all the crisis events going on, ISIS (Islamic State) made more complications by the widespread and systematic violations. This was achieved by ISIS through targeting civilians with artillery, kidnappings, executions, using child ren as soldiers, and torture (Human Rights Watch, 2016).

Southern Chesapeake and Northern New England Colonies

Southern Chesapeake and Northern New England Colonies   Cody Palladino The Colonial Paper During the end of the 16th century into the 17th century, European nations briskly colonized the freshly discovered Americas. One country we know of today as England back then sent out massive amounts of groups to the North Americas, this was then separated into two regions known as new England and Chesapeake areas. Later in the 1700s the new England and Chesapeake areas would unite to become a single nation. From the very begging these two areas had many different ways of settling but struggled in similar ways. This essay will go through and explain what there many different methods were and also compare the historic process of settlement and developments were. These similarities and differences that is going to be talked about during this essay is the very reason why the settlers came to the new world such as for land, labor and religion. The colonies were affected in many ways including socially, economically, and politically. The northern New England colonies and the Southern Chesapeake colonies had very different way of settling one of the differences were the land that they had settled on. For the Chesapeake colony, their major interest was in large lands that covered a vast area, including Plymouth, Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island and many more. These areas were in which the Chesapeake were mainly interested in. For the New England settlers were interested in mining mainly of gold and silver. They had hoped that in finding these riches that it would help them in their trading actives. The Chesapeake wanted to find a passage to northwest Asia so it would promote better trading. They were also on a hunt to find a cure for the disease syphilis on the mission in the land. Anything that the Chesapeake found meaningful and possible valuable on the land they would gather and put up for trade in Europe. For the New England settler, they had  a different approach for settling of the land. There concerns were for the artisan industries which included printing, carpentry and shipbuilding. As for their concerns, they wanted to find material on the land in which could help them develop the artisan industry better. They also had some similarities when they settled on their land. First when both the Northern New England and the Southern Chesapeake colonies had settled and their land they were both populated by the English, this also meant that both colonies had counited to retain dominance in English culture. Another way they both colonies struggled in similar ways were due to the Powhatan Indians in the book Visions Of America a History of the United States by Jennifer D. Keene she states once the Indians realized that the English were not temporary visitors merely interested in trade, but were intending to settle permanently in the region, relations between the two peoples deteriorated(36). Both colonies faced conflict with Native Americans in their areas leading to the Pequot war for New E ngland colony and the Powhatan Confederacy fot the Southern Chesapeake colony. Labor was also a major mission for both the New England and Chesapeake settlers in America. For the Southern Chesapeake region, their land was merely all swampy and not good conditions at all for growing crops. But five years later after settling they caught on to the discovery of tobacco. This crop did extremely well in the condition of their land and flourished in the swamp lands. They used cheap labor in the crop fields, they also made and new type of work service where if and person wanted a free passage to America than they offered them to work for them for free for about five or so years and after your term is complete than you got a bonus of usually a 50-acre plot of land which they could use to produce their own crop usually tobacco. For the New England colony, their region did not consist of huge farm lands, most settlers of New England mainly relied on moderately small farms and also other types of industry  work for example printing and carpentry. Since the New England c olony were a home based industry they had no need to hire labor because the family was usually sufficient enough to provide the labor needed to complete the work. As a contrasting point the New England colony does not care for slavery being developed as such for the Chesapeake region they relied heavily on the people who wanted a free passage to America and slavery from the Spaniards and later form African Americans. Both the colonies also brought groups of people from all over England in spite for a better life in the North Americas. Religion was also another difference among the Northern New England and Sothern Chesapeake area, but there was also some similarities with religion as well between the two colonies. For the New England settlers, there religion was mainly composed of puritan separatists in which they were seeking religious freedom. The church of England did split from Catholicism the main religion at the time of Henry VIII. This resulted the major religion to be Protestantism. For the Chesapeake region in the book Visions Of America a History of the United States by Keene she states although he envisioned his colony as a haven for catholic, Calvert knew that its economic success depended on attracting laborers, so the colony would need to be equally hospitable to Protestants. Maryland therefore afforded religious freedom to all Christians(41). This basically explains the reason why there was so much religious freedom for the Chesapeake area due to the labors need to farm their land. Most of their simi larity fall under how they did not have one religion no matter how much New England was trying to converge everyone over to a single religion. All in all, the southern Chesapeake colonies and the Northern New England colonies had many different way of settling and running their colony. Both of these colonies also had a similar goal looking for land with better social, economic, and political freedom. As we could see the  differences was in which each colony used their land to grow and have a strong economical stands. Both they ran into some similarities with the Native Americans and also with diseases they and encountered and were trying to cure. Their religion was also noticeable different as well due to one colony wanting no diversity in religion and the other having religious freedom. It can also be noticed that both colonies had similar missions but were opposite in which the land they settled on. Work Cited Keene, Jennifer D., et al. Visions of America: a History of the United States. 3rd ed., vol. 1, Boston, Pearson, 2017.