Indwelling By Tim Lahaye And Jerry B. Jenkins Is God Vs. Satan Essays

Indwelling By Tim Lahaye And Jerry B. Jenkins Is God Vs. Satan Thesis: The major conflict in the novel The Indwelling by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins is God vs. Satan. The Indwelling is the seventh book in the Left Behind series written by the fiction writer Jerry B. Jenkins and biblical end-times scholar Tim LaHaye. The Left Behind series is about a post-Rapture end-times battle between the believers, the Tribulation Saints, and the Antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia. The conflict is God versus Satan. The major theme of the story is that good always wins in the end. The first example of conflict in The Indwelling is in Tsion Ben-Judah's dreams of the war in heaven and the falling away of Lucifer 242-248. Lucifer is pleading with God to let him have complete control of mankind so he could form an army like none other: 'Abandon them to me, who can fashion them for profit. Even after being called by your name, their natures reek with temporal desires. Allow me to surround myself with these enemies of your cause, and I will marshal them into a force unlike any army you have ever assembled.' From the throne came a voice of such power and authority that volume was irrelevant: 'Thou shalt not touch my beloved!' 245. Lucifer evolves his pleas into threats, threatening to ascend to a throne above that of God's. This is the moment in which Archangel Michael chooses to step in. In this fashion, the war in heaven is waged and Satan with a third of the heavenly host is cast down to the earth. The second example of the God vs. Satan theme is in the killing by incineration of the three regional potentates that oppose Carpathia by Fortunato 350. The reason Fortunato kills the three potentates is that they refuse to bow down and worship the idol of Nicolae Carpathia. The three potentates are believers, which is why they will not bow. The third example of the major conflict is the resurrection and indwelling of Nicolae Carpathia by Satan himself 366. Everything that Satan does is done to further his cause, which is destroying God. By resurrecting the antichrist and indwelling his body, Satan has the ability to directly project his power onto mankind. Nicolae appoints himself as the object of worship of the Enigma Babylon One World Faith and even goes so far as to quote and claim to be Jesus Christ. The subject of The Indwelling is spiritual warfare. Throughout the whole Left Behind series, Satan is continually trying to succeed the throne of God. Book Reports

How Much Does It Cost to Buy an Essay Online

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Afghanistan Country Facts and History

Afghanistan Country Facts and History Afghanistan has the misfortune of sitting in a strategic position at the crossroads of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Middle East. Despite its mountainous terrain and fiercely independent inhabitants, the country has been invaded time after time throughout its history. Today, Afghanistan is once more embroiled in war, pitting NATO troops and the current government against the ousted Taliban and its allies. Afghanistan is a fascinating but violence-wracked country, where East meets West. Capital and Major Cities Capital:  Kabul, population 3,475,000 (2013 estimate) Kandahar, population 491,500Herat, 436,300Mazar-e-Sharif, 375,000Kunduz, 304,600Jalalabad, 205,000 Afghanistan Government Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic, headed by the President. Afghan presidents may serve a maximum of two 5-year terms.  Ashraf Ghani was elected in 2014.   Hamid Karzai  served two terms as president before him. The National Assembly is a bicameral legislature, with a 249-member House of the People (Wolesi Jirga), and a 102-member House of the Elders (Meshrano Jirga). The nine justices of the Supreme Court (Stera Mahkama) are appointed to terms of 10 years by the President. These appointments are subject to approval by the Wolesi Jirga. Afghanistan Population The population of Afghanistan is estimated at 32.6 million. Afghanistan is home to a number of ethnic groups. The largest is the Pashtun, 42 percent of the population. Tajiks make up 27 percent, Hazaras  8 percent, and Uzbeks 9 percent, Aimaks 4 percent, Turkmen 3 percent and Baluchi 2 percent. The remaining 13 percent are tiny populations of Nuristanis, Kizibashis, and other groups. Life expectancy for both men and women within Afghanistan is 60 years. The infant mortality rate is 115 per 1,000 live births, the worst in the world. It also has one of the highest maternal mortality rates. Official Languages Afghanistans official languages are Dari and Pashto, both of which are Indo-European languages in the Iranian sub-family. Written Dari and Pashto both use a modified Arabic script.Other Afghan languages include Hazaragi, Uzbek, and Turkmen. Dari is the Afghan dialect of the Persian language. It is quite similar to Iranian Dari, with slight differences in pronunciation and accent. The two are mutually intelligible. Around 33 percent of Afghanis speak Dari as their first language. About 40 percent of the people of Afghanistan speak Pashto, the language of the Pashtun tribe. It is also spoken in the Pashtun areas of western Pakistan. Religion The overwhelming majority of Afghanistans people are Muslim, around 99 percent. About 80 percent are Sunni, and 19 percent Shia. The final one percent includes about 20,000 Bahais, 3,000-5,000 Christians. Only one Bukharan Jewish man, Zablon Simintov, remained by 2005. All of the other members of the Jewish community fled when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Until the mid-1980s, Afghanistan also had a population of 30,000 to 150,000 Hindus and Sikhs. During the Taliban regime, the Hindu minority was forced to wear yellow badges when they went out in public, and Hindu women had to wear the Islamic-style hijab. Today, only a few Hindus remain. Geography Afghanistan is a land-locked country bordering on Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, a tiny border with China at the northeast, and Pakistan to the east and south. Its total area is 647,500 square kilometers (almost 250,000 square miles). Most of Afghanistan is in the Hindu Kush Mountains, with some lower-lying desert areas. The highest point is Nowshak, at 7,486 meters (24,560 feet). The lowest is the Amu Darya River Basin, at 258 meters (846 feet). An arid and mountainous country, Afghanistan has little cropland; a scant 12 percent is arable, and only 0.2 percent is under permanent crop-cover. Climate The climate of Afghanistan is very dry and seasonal, with temperatures varying by altitude. Kabuls average January temperature is 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit), while noon temperatures in July often reach 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit). Jalalabad can hit 46 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in the summer. Most of the precipitation that falls in Afghanistan comes in the form of winter snow. The nation-wide annual average is only 25-30 centimeters (10 to 12 inches), but snow drifts in the mountain valleys can reach depths of over 2 meters. The desert experiences sandstorms carried on winds moving at up to 177 kph (110 mph). Economy Afghanistan is among the poorest countries on Earth. The per capita GDP is $1,900 US, and about 36 percent of the population lives under the poverty line. The economy of Afghanistan receives large infusions of foreign aid, totaling billions of U.S. dollars annually. It has been undergoing a recovery, in part by the return of over five million expatriates and new construction projects. The countrys most valuable export is opium; eradication efforts have had mixed success. Other export goods include wheat, cotton, wool, handwoven rugs, and precious stones. Afghanistan imports much of its food and energy. Agriculture employs 80 percent of the labor force, industry, and services 10 percent each. The unemployment rate is 35 percent. The currency is the afghani. As of 2016, $1 US 69 afghani. History of Afghanistan Afghanistan was settled at least 50,000 years ago. Early cities such as Mundigak and Balkh sprang up around 5,000 years ago; they likely were affiliated with the Aryan culture of India. Around 700 B.C., the Median Empire expanded its rule to Afghanistan. The Medes were an Iranian people, rivals of the Persians. By 550 B.C., the Persians had displaced the Medians, establishing the Achaemenid Dynasty. Alexander the Great of Macedonia invaded Afghanistan in 328 B.C., founding a Hellenistic empire with its capital at Bactria (Balkh). The Greeks were displaced around 150 B.C. by the Kushans and later the Parthians, nomadic Iranians. The Parthians ruled until about 300 A.D. when the Sassanians took control. Most Afghans were Hindu, Buddhist or Zoroastrian at that time, but an Arab invasion in 642 A.D. introduced Islam. The Arabs defeated the Sassanians and ruled until 870, at which time they were driven out again by the Persians. In 1220, Mongol warriors under Genghis Khan conquered Afghanistan, and descendants of the Mongols would rule much of the region until 1747. In 1747, the Durrani Dynasty was founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun. This marked the origin of modern Afghanistan. The nineteenth century witnessed increasing Russian and British competition for influence in Central Asia, in The Great Game. Britain fought two wars with the Afghans, in 1839-1842 and 1878-1880. The British were routed in the first Anglo-Afghan War but took control of Afghanistans foreign relations after the second. Afghanistan was neutral in World War I, but Crown Prince Habibullah was assassinated for purported pro-British ideas in 1919. Later that year, Afghanistan attacked India, prompting the British to relinquish control over Afghan foreign affairs. Habibullahs younger brother Amanullah reigned from 1919 until his abdication in 1929. His cousin, Nadir Khan, became king but lasted only four years before he was assassinated. Nadir Khans son, Mohammad Zahir Shah, then took the throne, ruling from 1933 to 1973. He was ousted in a coup by his cousin Sardar Daoud, who declared the country a republic. Daoud was ousted in turn in 1978 by the Soviet-backed PDPA, which instituted Marxist rule. The Soviets took advantage of the political instability to invade in 1979; they would remain for ten years. Warlords ruled from 1989 until the extremist Taliban took power in 1996. The Taliban regime was ousted by U.S.-led forces in 2001 for its support of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. A new Afghan government was formed, supported by the International Security Force of the United Nations Security Council. The new government continued to receive help from  US-led NATO troops to battle Taliban insurgencies and shadow governments. The US war in Afghanistan was officially ended December 28, 2014.

Brave Software Companys Main Rivals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Brave Software Companys Main Rivals - Assignment Example Also, most of these firms were founded long before Brave Software Company came into being. Therefore, their brands are better positioned in the market than Brave Software Company’s brands. Also, most of the Brave Software Company’s competitors have a bigger workforce than that of the Brave Software Company. Nevertheless, Brave Software Company’s competitors have weaknesses too. Most of these firms have been perceived as being less ‘technologically conscious’. Also, these competitors charge a relatively higher price on the software-based products and rely more on the traditional methods of advertising to reach out to their customers in the market. This is a plan aimed at reaching out to a particular segment of the market by developing a unique product that is more appealing to the customers (Simons, 2000). Different firms may, therefore, produce a similar item but they cannot sell exactly the same product in the market. Each of these firms has to package, price and even quantify the product in such a way that it looks different from the similar products on the market. In this case, Brave Software Company has embarked on a low-price strategy. Following the fact that most of the other companies in the industry charge a relatively high price on the software-based products, Brave Software Company has embarked on producing similar products at relatively lower prices. Further, these products have been developed in a way that they target a specific market and not the entire market. The company has also capitalized on specific advertising mechanisms to reach out to the specific group of customers in the market. Further, the company ha s a strong brand positioning statement. Having been established in the year 2010, Brave Software Company has worked towards providing the best software solutions to its respective customers. The company also aspires to grow beyond the geographical borders of the international market.

Application of Pricing Strategies in Marketing Activities Assignment

Application of Pricing Strategies in Marketing Activities - Assignment Example In the second situation, a new company is manufacturing a dishwater detergent similar with other competitor’s detergent.   Mainly, for such a company, their objective would be to make sales in a highly competitive environment. Due to the increased cost of manufacturing the detergent, the company also intends to generate enough money to recover this cost as fast as possible. With such a case scenario, marketers may decide to use full cost pricing. With this strategy, the company intends to recover all cost of production, both valuable and fixed cost. Marketers only determine cost of goods and services after calculation of all the cost, hence may not mind so much on the generated profits. Another strategy relevant for this case would be penetration pricing strategy.   With strategy the company reduces prices for their products with the intention to penetrate a competitive market, where companies may be selling similar products for the same markets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the third case scenario, determining how much to sell for a new product in area where competitors are likely to sell the same product requires proper decisions by marketers. In this case, as new business in a competitive environment, the company must firstly be in a position to get valuable market share.   In order to have this company make sales for the new iPhones, marketers may decide to use promotional pricing. In this strategy, companies set prices lower than the normal price list temporarily in order to attract new customers.

Individual Final Project Essay Example for Free

Individual Final Project Essay When it comes to the topic of diversity and what is has taught me I really think of a few things. Diversity has really taught me a lot about myself as well as tolerance to others around me. Really there is nowhere in the world today that diversity is not present or has not had some sort of effect on our society as a whole. All in all I think that diversity really just means being different than others in various ways. I think if the United States never had any instances of diversity we would be a pretty boring and simple society. Many of our great minds of today as well as the past where very unique and diverse individuals. Without any type of diversity we would be exactly alike there would be nothing different about each other. The world would be plain and boring as well. I like to think that without any type of diversity the world would be without any type of color or texture as if we were in a 50’s TV show. We are different in race, gender, age, sexuality, religion and a whole lot of other things. There will be certain things that we have in common and some things that we don’t have in common. In order to understand someone I believe you need to get to know them better. You need to understand what makes them happy and what really works their nerves. There are so many cultures out here that we really don’t know anything about. It is good to learn about the different cultures that are out here. By learning from the different cultures we are able to see the things that we do that are in common with our culture and the things that are done differently from us. Some things that we do for fun might be something that they don’t approve of. Nowadays people take certain things for granted while in another culture they enjoy it and not abuse it. There are a lot of different things that I have found out about my race. As I was reading back over some of the chapters I see that â€Å"the marriage of a White person and an African American would have been illegal in 22 other states† back in the 1960’s. (Chapter 1 Racial and Ethnic Groups) That is something that I really did not know and was really shocked to find out as well. I did learn an interesting fact about African Americans however. It was interesting to lear n that not all African Americans were brought over here to the United States as slaves or that they were the only slaves. It is a common mistake made that America had only Black† slaves. There were many Europeans sent here as indentured servants. They had to work off the trip to America and also some were sent here because of debts and had to work them off. Irish Immigrants were also thought of as lower than slaves. The Japanese and Chinese were both used as slaves and many lost their live building our railroad system. You also must remember there were Blacks who owned slaves. One of the largest Plantation houses in the South was owned by a Free Black Woman. Not all blacks were slaves it is just the way it has been portrayed in History books. As far as trends in the area of immigration I would have to say I agree with the info in the reading material. After looking over the reading material from Chapter 1 there is a pie chart of the population for the years 2010 and 2050. In the chart the prediction for the U.S. population for 2050 states that there will be more Hispanics than there was in the 201 0 chart. There will be a decrease in the White Non-Hispanics and the African Americans stays about the same percentage. Although the United States is heavily populated I say that the Hispanics will have overpopulated many of the other races. The United States really has a lot to deal with in the area of diversity and its people. Discrimination is one of the major challenges that we will face because we can’t seem to get along and treat others like we are supposed to be or want to be treated ourselves. I think that the United States will be a lot better if we could all get along and really have a better understanding of the others around us and those who came before us. Like I stated earlier the United States was built on a premise that we are the ultimate dream and welcome people from all over the world. Hopefully maybe one day that will come true but that remains to be seen today and in the future years as well. Prejudice is another challenge that the United States faces due to the diversity of the people and those set in their ways. Stereotyping is another challenge that we face today as well as the past years as well. These things are in my opinion very much taught and passed down from generation to generation. All three of these challenges are serious and need to be stopped because they are all inappropriate in many ways and just plain mean and spiteful. There are plenty more challenges out here that we face on a day to day basis but we have to start somewhere. When it comes to having a diverse society I think there are really several benefits. There really are so many different benefits that we can have. Being that we are so diverse we will inherit a lot of things such as the different foods that all the different cultures have to offer. Each culture has something different than what the other cultures have. Each individual has something different to offer to our society. Being diverse is something special because we can each learn something new from one another. There are different dances, music; we all celebrate different holidays and a whole bunch of other things. The society that we live in has so much to offer and we are too blind to really see what is happening. At times I think the media does a good job of portraying people wrongly and it teaches us to stereotype them as well. We are so quick to judge others rather than getting to know them based on what we have seen or have heard from others. We really need to do a better job and find the best way to foster a good climate of acceptance for those around us and different than we are. It all starts with simply acting in a good civilized manner at all times. â€Å"Cultural pluralism is a term used when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities, and their values and practices are accepted by the wider culture.† I think as long as we treat everyone they way that we want to be treated then we would be better off. It is really as simple as that and there is no better way to put it. We mainly need to learn to get along and stop all this bickering in addition to the other altercations that are currently going on in this world. The media can be a great to ol when it comes to teaching about diversity as well as a way to portray people in the wrong sense as well. The media perpetuates stereotyping and prejudice a lot sometimes whether it be on the radio or on the television set as well. An example of stereotyping would be portraying all black males as being in different gangs or some type of hoodlum. In Reality the percentage of blacks that are in gangs is not as high as told. In fact not all young black males are in a gang or even gang affiliated for that matter. Take the Treyvon Martin case for example. The thing was so blown out of proportion due to the fact he was a young black male walking around at night with a hoodie on. The media portrays this as a gang member and to some degree it could be the reason he was killed. The hysteria created simply caused Mr. Zimmerman to overreact thus causing him to shoot this teen and cause outrage in the black community. Usually when the television portrays blacks or even Hispanics for that matter it is usually a story about either murder or. You hardly see them advertise anything about a Caucasian doi ng anything unless it is some sort of celebrity or perhaps some weird random story taking place in Alabama or any of the southern states. You really have to do a search for them because I assume they don’t think it is important. It is so much prejudice going on out here in this world until it really doesn’t make any sense. I wish we could all get alone but sometimes that seems impossible. The media really needs to do a better job of providing a better sense of diversity and how we perceive others. I think that the media should help the viewers to understand that not everything you hear or see is really true. If there was a course for everyone to take to let them know that they need to investigate on what they hear or see. Television stations and radio stations need to start appreciating diversity. Diversity is beautiful and needs to be recognized more often. If it was not for diversity we would be all plain and boring. We as a country really need to do better when it comes to the topic of diversity. I wish that we could all get along and be treated as equals but that is simply not going to happen anytime soon. There are still a lot of prejudiced people out here in this world and sadly not a lot has changed over the years. I have had the displeasure of being around some people that were prejudice and it really makes me sad for them. To think that people are so single minded and set in their ways is pretty sad. I don’t really know how we as individuals and the United States work together to reduce prejudice but we need to start somewhere. I think classes such as cultural diversity are a good way to start but there is no way to make people think outside the box. We need to have more educational television shows that will increase the appreciation for diversity. We also need more television shows that can help us to reduce prejudice because it is a serious subject that needs to be addressed. I think when it comes to changing my ways or my behavior there is a few things I can do. I think that if I change my behavior to be more inclusive and pluralistic I would need to think about certain things before I act on them. By simply putting a little more thought into things can simply create a better outcome. I think that I need to get to know other people in different cultures and learn more about what they do and how they function. By getting to know other people in the other cultures will really help me to understand them rather judging them before actually knowing what they are about.

Negotiating a Starting Salary Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Negotiating a Starting Salary With internet access available to nearly everyone, job seekers are armed with more information than ever before. Information can be obtained for job openings, job descriptions, and even salaries. Sometimes when filling out an application, a box will ask for a salary desired. Some advertisements ask to send your resume with salary requirements. These are sometimes tough questions to answer. How much does that job normally pay? Is the job applicant worth the top pay? This paper will explore the various factors involved when attempting to negotiate a starting salary. Topics such as helpful internet sources will be introduced, along with salary ranges, and helpful interview techniques will be discussed to better position one self to obtain the salary desired. Some basic concepts should be understood before attempting to negotiate a starting salary. First of all realize that a job in New York City will most likely pay more than the same job in rural Ohio. Geographic locations and cost-of-living play a major role when determining salaries. For example, comparisons were made for an entry level job as a bank teller in Elyria, Ohio and New York, New York. The results were interesting. The median expected salary for a typical Teller in Elyria, Ohio is $20,913; with the 25th percentile being $19,642 and the 75th percentile at $22,645. The median expected salary for the same job in New York City is $24,274; with the 25th percentile being $22,799 and the 75th percentile at $26,284 (www.Hotjobs.com). Supply and demand also play a part. If job candidates are plentiful then negotiating power is limited. However, some fields are in high demand and college graduates in those fields will find they have their choice of employers. For instance, according to The American Almanac Of Jobs And Salaries, the occupations with the largest job decline are sewing machine operators. This data covers the time period from 1996 to 2006 and they are in decline by 26 percent (xxviii). Conversely, according to Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook, the fastest growing jobs are computer related. From 1998-2008 computer engineers, computer support specialists, computer systems analysts, and database administrators are expected to grow by 108, 102, 94, and 77 percent respectively (18). A third concept to remember is that ev... ... appeal to their power and position in the company. Say something like, â€Å"If you have the power†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Most managers will enjoy the positive comment and if they can get it done for you they will (www.collegegrad.com). These negotiating techniques highlight just some of ways a job applicant can better position themselves for a better starting salary. Salary wizards on the internet will give you a pay range. Various articles at career related web sites can give you some valuable insights. And of course your local library will always have books on hand to guide you through your job and salary search as you prepare yourself for the challenges of the working world of the 21st century. Works Cited Farr, Micheal J. and LaVern L. Ludden, Ed.D. Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook 2000-2001 ed. Caroline Levchuck. â€Å"How to Determine Your Salary Range†. 10-30-2004. Lussier, Don Job Search Secrets. Lincolnwood: NTC/Contemporary,1998 Wright, John W. The American Almanac of Jobs And Salaries 2000-2001 ed. â€Å"The Unacceptable Offer Negotiation Technique†. 10-31-2004. . â€Å" 10 Tricks for Negotiating a Higher Starting Salary†. June 20,2004. Employment Digest. 10-24-2004.

Human Resource Management on Sheraton Hotel Surabaya

Human Resource Function: Sheraton Hotel and Tower Surabaya Alex Chandra 3104009 Raymond Kurniawan Tjiadi 3104010 Kevin Krisnadi 3104802 Julian Giovanni 3104812 Anastasia Santoso 3114701 IBN – Fundamental of Human Resource Management Universitas Surabaya 1. Overview The origins of the brand date back to  1937  when  Ernest Henderson  and  Robert Moore  acquired the Stonehaven Hotel in  Springfield, Massachusetts. The chain got its name from another early hotel that the pair had acquired, which had a lighted sign on the roof saying â€Å"Sheraton Hotel† which was large and heavy and therefore too expensive to change. Instead, they decided to call all their hotels by that name. Henderson and Moore had opened three hotels in  Boston  by 1939, continuing with their rapid expansion opening properties along the entire East Coast. In the 1940s, Sheraton purchased the famousHotel Kimball  of  Springfield, Massachusetts, and transformed the 4-star hotel into The Sheraton-Kimball Hotel, attracting guests like President  John F. Kennedy. In 1945, it was the first hotel chain to be listed on the  New York Stock Exchange. In 1949 Sheraton expanded internationally with the purchase of two Canadian hotel chains. The 1960s saw the first Sheraton hotels outside North America with the opening of the Tel Aviv-Sheraton in February 1961 and the Macuto-Sheraton outside Caracas, Venezuela, in 1963. By 1965, the 100th Sheraton had opened its doors. The multinational conglomerate  ITT  purchased the chain in 1968, after which it was known as ITT Sheraton. In 1985 Sheraton became the first Western company to operate a hotel in the People's Republic of China, assuming management of the state-built Great Wall Hotel in Beijing, which became the Great Wall Sheraton. In 1994, ITT Sheraton purchased a controlling interest in the Italian CIGA chain, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, or Italian Grand Hotels Company, which had been seized from its previous owner, the  Aga Khan, by its creditors. The chain had begun by operating hotels in Italy, but overexpanded across Europe just as a recession hit. These hotels formed the core of what came to be the ITT Sheraton Luxury group, later Starwood's Luxury Collection. In April 1995, Sheraton introduced a new, mid-scale hotel brand Four Points by Sheraton Hotels, to replace the designation of certain hotels as Sheraton Inns. In 1998, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. acquired ITT Sheraton, outbidding Hilton. Under Starwood's leadership, Sheraton has begun renovating many existing hotels and expanding the brand's footprint including their management contracting partnership with Pakuwon Jati Tbk to build Surabaya Sheraton Hotel and Tower. 2. Field Report Q: How important are the function of HRM and the contribution towards the performance of company as a whole? In the recruitment process, what method is used by Sheraton Hotel in choosing and selecting the new employee? What competence / requirement is the major concern? A:As important as the others. Human resource in nowadays has a role as a business partner rather than only recruiting agency that only need sharpness for recruitment. Skill can be taught. But behavior is more important. Sharing about their past (know people from the past. Not a formal interview but make the condition as comfort as possible). Q: About the training and development program, how Sheraton Hotel implement in training and developing the competence from the new and existing employee? What objective that Sheraton Hotel want to achieve? A: Not only work but also study. Training for 48 hours, the orientation is about brand and etc. Have it’s own culture. Service culture needed and built for years and become loyal. We can see from their will for change and develop. We have 4 kinds of training, in our own hotel, in the department training (refreshing the previous training), training analysis (according to appraisal), and the last is training abroad or seminar. Every month they send report and attendance. Q: Human Resource Department of course inseparable from the process of giving motivation both moral and materially. In the motivation of materially or incentive, what is your view about the role of incentive towards the performance of the company? What kind of criteria that awarded that kind of incentive? We have many kinds of motivation, like promotion, associate of the month, associate gathering, care share (can be redeem), president award (star of the month will be registered to the regional), and incentives for sales. We also have two kinds of incentives, cash incentives (quarterly) and trip incentives (yearly). Q: How Sheraton Hotel respond to the violation from rules that happen by the employees? What kind of approach that the Sheraton used? Department and Supervisor manage them. Light warning (discussed) and will be given to the employee a written warning. In relation to the safety function and health care of company to the employee, what implementation that Sheraton use? How Sheraton see that benefits? Is it only as a cost or expense that arise from obligations solely or as an investment in improving company performance? We have safety and security certification (checked from the third party). We also have training for new comers. Once in 3 months, there will be a evacuation practice without any announcement. We also have an emergency response team to ensure safety. We give 4 kinds of insurance that are jamsostek, old age insurance, inpatient, and life insurance. Q: Towards the rules for giving day off compensation that Sheraton give, is there any specific regulations? We give our employee 5 working days in a week. 9 hours per day (8 hours working, 1 hour for rest). We also have some rules for day off. For those who have work for 5 years or above, that will be 12 days off + 8 days. For those who have work for 10 years or above, that will be 12 days off + 20 days. For those who work more than 15 years, that will be 30 days off + 12 days. We treat associate like we treat our consumers. 3. Perception The Human Resources Department is responsible for employee compensation and benefits, policy development, recruitment, affirmative action, employee relations, training and development, administration of the Sheraton’s automated human resources/payroll system and maintenance of employee records. Sheraton Human Resources strive to: Maintain consistency across the organization with regard to human resource issues †¢ Ensure that the workforce reflects the diversity of the community it serves †¢ Ensure that all employees are treated with equal respect and dignity; †¢ Ensure that all employees understand the Sheraton's pay-for performance merit system †¢ Provide departmental support to ensure that Human Resource is an integral partner of every dep artment’s operations. A top priority for the department is to implement a corporate wide training and development program to enhance leadership skills among Sheraton’s employees and managers. Human Resources is also dedicated to meeting the highest level of customer service by providing prompt and accurate service in employee relations, recruitment, compensation and benefits. And lastly, the department is committed to make the service culture better and better among Sheraton Hotel employees to make them loyal. From the interview side we can see an interesting way that they interview them from their past. And we think their recruitment system as something unique. It’s very rare to see an interview like their system. They also respect their employee, by giving a good treatment from insurance, day off and incentives. They also consider the career of their employee by giving some promotion or president award that will make them registered to the regional. 4. Summary After conducting the interview to assess the human resource function in the Sheraton Hotel and Tower, we can conclude that Sheraton had been running the whole Human Resource Function that a company should have. The Sheraton’s HRM Function consists as follow: Staffing According to the Sheraton’s management, we could conclude an excellent performance that they had been conduct. Eventhough they said that their function is more than only recruiting, in reality they had been doing an effective yet proper staffing’s system in light of the type of the industry that they’re dealing. The high customer contact that they must face everyday had made them must modify their recruiting system into a system that emphasizing their behavior and attitude which is an important element in the service industry. Furthermore, they also make a strong highlight in the company’s culture that they always put into every associate’s mind. All of those strategies is conducted by Sheraton Hotel and Tower because in the service industry, technical advantages can be copied instantly by the competitors whereas an advantage in company’s culture can only built by years of improvement. Training and Development Sheraton Hotel and Towers treat their employee more than just an hourly labor or a machine to generate revenue. Moreover, they call the employee as â€Å"associate† that refer to their principle to treat employee as a business partner that can grow together as one entity. For this reason, they also said that they want to hire a F;B waiter that can be a F;B Director. It means that they had a very big concern in the development of their associate. Their commitment of 48 hours of training and development also show their leading advantages in the training and Development aspect because they saw Training and Development as an investment to achieve Higher Company’s performance through the improvement of their associate as the front line of their services. Empowerment In giving a motivation to their employee, Sheraton Hotel and Towers focuses not only in a narrow aspect but moreover they focus on every aspect that employee had achieved. For example, if other company only consider their employee achievement in the business aspect, such as sales performance, profit earned, market share, etc. , Sheraton also appreciate the achievement in other aspect such as internal relationship, social relationship between employee, etc. Furthermore, in line of their HRD’s goal to improve the performance of their associate, they make the incentive more frequent through giving cash incentive quarterly and also yearly trip incentive. The incentives also using the immaterial empowerement using associate recognition system such as romotion, associate of the month appreciation that made the employee focus on the performance and not the material. Safety and Healthcare Unlike manufacture company that rely on the machine that had 100% Performance Rating, high customer contact firm such as Sheraton rely mostly on their associate. Therefore, any absenteeism that caused on many factors to their employee will cause a severe loss to their company. Thus, they set a high standard on the safety and healthcare regulation, such as double the insurance from the Jamsostek standard and also give a full health benefit.

Euthanasia Outline

Euthanasia:  the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. (The key word here is â€Å"intentional†. If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia)   †¢ Voluntary euthanasia:  When the person who is killed has requested to be killed. †¢ Non-voluntary:  When the person who is killed made no request and gave no consent. †¢ Involuntary euthanasia:  When the person who is killed made an expressed wish to the contrary. Assisted suicide:  Someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill themselves it is called â€Å"physician assisted suicide. †Ã‚   †¢ Euthanasia By Action:  Intentionally causing a person's death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. †¢ Euthanasia By Omission:  Intent ionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water. 1. Unbearable pain as the reason for euthanasiaProbably the major argument in favor of euthanasia is that the person involved is in great pain. Today, advances are constantly being made in the treatment of pain and, as they advance, the case for euthanasia/assisted-suicide is proportionally weakened. Euthanasia advocates stress the cases of unbearable pain as reasons for euthanasia,  but then they soon include a  Ã¢â‚¬Å"drugged† state. I guess that is in case virtually no uncontrolled pain cases can be found – then they can say those people are drugged into a no-pain state but they need to be euthanasiaed from such a state because it is not dignified.See the opening for the slippery slope? How do you measure â€Å"dignity†? No – it will be euthanasia â€Å"on demand†. The pro-euthanasia folks have already started down the slope. They are e ven now not stoping with â€Å"unbearable pain† – they are alrady including this â€Å"drugged state† and other circumstances. Nearly all pain can be eliminated and – in those rare cases where it can't be eliminated – it can still be reduced significantly if proper treatment is provided. It is a national and international scandal that so many people do not get adequate pain control. But killing is not the answer to that scandal.The solution is to mandate better education of health care professionals on these crucial issues, to expand access to health care, and to inform patients about their rights as consumers. Everyone – whether it be a person with a life-threatening illness or a chronic condition – has the right to pain relief. With modern advances in pain control, no patient should ever be in excruciating pain. However, most doctors have never had a course in pain management so they're unaware of what to do. If a patient who is und er a doctor's care is in excruciating pain, there's definitely a need to find a different doctor.But that doctor should be one who will control the pain, not one who will kill the patient. There are board certified specialists in pain management who will not only help alleviate physical pain but are skilled in providing necessary support to deal with emotional suffering and depression that often accompanies physical pain. 2. Demanding a â€Å"right to commit suicide†Ã‚  Probably the second most common point pro-euthanasia people bring up is this so-called â€Å"right. † But what we are talking about is not giving a right to the person who is killed, but to the person who does the killing. In other words, euthanasia is  not about the right to die.It's about the right to kill. Euthanasia is not about giving rights to the person who dies but, instead, is about changing the law and public policy so that doctors, relatives and others can directly and intentionally end ano ther person's life. People do have the power to commit suicide. Suicide and attempted suicide are not criminalized. Suicide is a tragic, individual act. Euthanasia is not about a private act. It's about letting one person facilitate the death of another. That is a matter of very public concern since it can lead to tremendous abuse, exploitation and erosion of care for the most vulnerable people among us. . Should people be forced to stay alive? No. And neither the law nor medical ethics requires that â€Å"everything be done† to keep a person alive. Insistence, against the patient's wishes, that death be postponed by every means available is contrary to law and practice. It would also be cruel and inhumane. There comes a time when continued attempts to cure are not compassionate, wise, or medically sound. That's where hospice, including in-home hospice care, can be of such help. That is the time when all efforts should be placed on making the patient's remaining time comforta ble.Then, all interventions should be directed to alleviating pain and other symptoms as well as to the provision of emotional and spiritual support for both the patient and the patient's loved ones. 14th through 20th Century English Common Law (Excerpt is from the U. S. Supreme Court ruling in the 1997 Washington v. Glucksberg – opinion written by Chief Justice Rehnquist. ) â€Å"More specifically, for over 700 years, the Anglo American common law tradition has punished or otherwise disapproved of both suicide and assisting suicide. † [pic] 19th Century United States (Excerpt is from the U. S. Supreme Court ruling in the 1997 Washington v.Glucksberg – opinion written by Chief Justice Rehnquist. ) That suicide remained a grievous, though nonfelonious, wrong is confirmed by the fact that colonial and early state legislatures and courts did not retreat from prohibiting assisting suicide. Swift, in his early 19th century treatise on the laws of Connecticut, stated that â€Å"[i]f one counsels another to commit suicide, and the other by reason of the advice kills himself, the advisor is guilty of murder as principal. † 2 Z. Swift, A Digest of the Laws of the State of Connecticut 270 (1823). This was the well established common law view, see In re Joseph G. 34 Cal. 3d 429, 434-435, 667 P. 2d 1176, 1179 (1983); Commonwealth v. Mink, 123 Mass. 422, 428 (1877) (â€Å"`Now if the murder of one's self is felony, the accessory is equally guilty as if he had aided and abetted in the murder'†) (quoting Chief Justice Parker's charge to the jury in Commonwealth v. Bowen, 13 Mass. 356 (1816)), as was the similar principle that the consent of a homicide victim is â€Å"wholly immaterial to the guilt of the person who cause[d] [his death],† 3 J. Stephen, A History of the Criminal Law of England 16 (1883); see 1 F. Wharton, Criminal Law  §Ã‚ §451-452 (9th ed. 1885); Martin v.Commonwealth, 184 Va. 1009, 1018-1019, 37 S. E. 2d 43, 47 (19 46) († `The right to life and to personal security is not only sacred in the estimation of the common law, but it is inalienable' â€Å"). And the prohibitions against assisting suicide never contained exceptions for those who were near death. Rather, â€Å"[t]he life of those to whom life ha[d] become a burden–of those who [were] hopelessly diseased or fatally wounded–nay, even the lives of criminals condemned to death, [were] under the protection of law, equally as the lives of those who [were] in the full tide of life's enjoyment, and anxious to continue to live. Blackburn v. State, 23 Ohio St. 146, 163 (1872); see Bowen, supra, at 360 (prisoner who persuaded another to commit suicide could be tried for murder, even though victim was scheduled shortly to be executed). [pic] 1828 – Earliest American statute explicitly to outlaw assisting suicide (Excerpt is from the U. S. Supreme Court ruling in the 1997 Washington v. Glucksberg – opinion writte n by Chief Justice Rehnquist. ) The earliest American statute explicitly to outlaw assisting suicide was enacted in New York in 1828, Act of Dec. 10, 1828, ch. 20,  §4, 1828 N.Y. Laws 19 (codified at 2 N. Y. Rev. Stat. pt. 4, ch. 1, tit. 2, art. 1,  §7, p. 661 (1829)), and many of the new States and Territories followed New York's example. Marzen 73-74. Between 1857 and 1865, a New York commission led by Dudley Field drafted a criminal code that prohibited â€Å"aiding† a suicide and, specifically, â€Å"furnish[ing] another person with any deadly weapon or poisonous drug, knowing that such person intends to use such weapon or drug in taking his own life. † Id. , at 76-77. [pic] 20th Century United States (Excerpt is from the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the 1997 Washington v. Glucksberg – opinion written by Chief Justice Rehnquist. ) Though deeply rooted, the States' assisted suicide bans have in recent years been reexamined and, generally, reaffirmed. Beca use of advances in medicine and technology, Americans today are increasingly likely to die in institutions, from chronic illnesses. President's Comm'n for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research, Deciding to Forego Life Sustaining Treatment 16-18 (1983).Public concern and democratic action are therefore sharply focused on how best to protect dignity and independence at the end of life, with the result that there have been many significant changes in state laws and in the attitudes these laws reflect. Many States, for example, now permit â€Å"living wills,† surrogate health care decisionmaking, and the withdrawal or refusal of life sustaining medical treatment. See Vacco v. Quill, post, at 9-11; 79 F. 3d, at 818-820; People v. Kevorkian, 447 Mich. 436, 478-480, and nn. 53-56, 527 N. W. 2d 714, 731-732, and nn. 53-56 (1994).At the same time, however, voters and legislators continue for the most part to reaffirm their States' prohibition s on assisting suicide. [pic] 1920 The book â€Å"Permitting the Destruction of Life not Worthy of Life† was published. In this book, authors Alfred Hoche, M. D. , a professor of psychiatry at the University of Freiburg, and Karl Binding, a professor of law from the University of Leipzig, argued that patients who ask for â€Å"death assistance† should, under very carefully controlled conditions, be able to obtain it from a physician. This book helped support involuntary euthanasia by Nazi Germany. [pic] 935 The Euthanasia Society of England was formed to promote euthanasia. [pic]1939 Nazi Germany (From â€Å"The History Place† web site) â€Å"In October of 1939 amid the turmoil of the outbreak of war Hitler ordered widespread â€Å"mercy killing† of the sick and disabled. Code named â€Å"Aktion T 4,† the Nazi euthanasia program to eliminate â€Å"life unworthy of life† at first focused on newborns and very young children. Midwives and doct ors were required to register children up to age three who showed symptoms of mental retardation, physical deformity, or other symptoms included on a questionnaire from the Reich Health Ministry. â€Å"The Nazi euthanasia program quickly expanded to include older disabled children and adults. Hitler's decree of October, 1939, typed on his personal stationery and back dated to Sept. 1, enlarged ‘the authority of certain physicians to be designated by name in such manner that persons who, according to human judgment, are incurable can, upon a most careful diagnosis of their condition of sickness, be accorded a mercy death. ‘† [pic]1995 Australia's Northern Territory approved a euthanasia bill It went into effect in 1996 and was overturned by the Australian Parliament in 1997. [pic] 1998 U. S. tate of Oregon legalizes assisted suicide [pic] 1999 Dr. Jack Kevorkian sentenced to a 10-25 year prison term for giving a lethal injection to Thomas Youk whose death was shown on the â€Å"60 Minutes† television program. [pic] 2000 The Netherlands legalizes euthanasia. [pic] 2002 Belgium legalizes euthanasia. [pic] 2008 U. S. state of Washington legalizes assisted suicide Arguments For Euthanasia: †¢ It provides a way to relieve extreme pain †¢ It provides a way of relief when a person's quality of life is low †¢ Frees up medical funds to help other people †¢ It is another case of freedom of choiceArguments Against Euthanasia: †¢ Euthanasia devalues human life †¢ Euthanasia can become a means of health care cost containment †¢ Physicians and other medical care people should not be involved in directly causing death †¢ There is a â€Å"slippery slope† effect that has occurred where euthanasia has been first been legalized for only   the terminally ill and later laws are changed to allow it for other people or to be done non-voluntarily. Places in the World Where Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide are Leg al Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg , Oregon and Washington ORGANIZATIONS AGAINST EUTHANASIA Canada Compassionate Healthcare Network (BC, Canada)†¢ Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (Ontario, Canada) †¢ First International Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide (2007) US †¢ International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide †¢ ADAPT (People with disabilities) (Illinois, USA) †¢ Nightingale Alliance †¢ The Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics †¢ List of Disability Groups Opposing Assisted Suicide †¢ The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund †¢ True Compassion Advocates †¢ Californians Against Assisted Suicide (2007) †¢ CURE (Citizens United Resisting Euthanasia) †¢ Views on Euthanasia (Sponsored by CURE) Pro-life Movement Increasingly Takes on Assisted Suicide †¢ Black Americans for Life †¢ Wisconsin Right to Life Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia Page †¢ Pro-Life Colleges and Seminaries †¢ Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund †¢ TASH's Resolution Opposing the Legalization of Assisted Suicide †¢ Disability Groups Opposing Physician Assisted Suicide †¢ List of Some Groups Opposing Physician Assisted Suicide †¢ Largest U. S. Organization of Latin Americans Opposes Assisted Suicide (2006) †¢ Symposium on Opposing Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia (2007) †¢ Lifeissues. net's Euthanasia Articles (2008) †¢ Life TreeUK †¢ Care Not Killing †¢ First Do No Harm (By Doctors in the UK) †¢ ALERT (UK) †¢ British Section of the World Federation of Doctors Who Respect Human Life World †¢ World Youth Alliance supports the Duke of Luxembourg’s Decision to Veto Euthanasia Legislation (2008)   †¢ International Euthanasia Symposium Held in Virginia, USA (2009) †¢ Second International Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, Virginia, USA (2009) †¢ First International Symposium on Euthanasia an d Assisted Suicide, Toronto, Canada (2007) World Federation of Doctors Who Respect Human Life †¢ ORGANIZATIONS FOR EUTHANASIA-Right To Die Organizations †¢

The Battle of the Alamo

The Battle of the Alamo Introduction The Alamo battle is a historical event that marked Texas revolution. In the early 19th century, tension begun to grew between Texans and Mexicans when Mexican president Santa Anna increased his imperial powers and planned to conquer and rule Texas. Alarmed by his imperial powers, federalists in Texas revolted and rebelled against Santa Anna and his government.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Battle of the Alamo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mexican authorities attributed rebellion of Texans to a great number of American immigrants who lived in Texas. Angered by external support that Texans received from Americans, Santa Anna classified foreigners as pirates and vowed to execute them during battles. Santa Anna executed all war captives, for he wanted to annihilate Texans and American immigrants. On the other hand, Texans led by James Bowie, William Travis, and Davy Crockett prepared troops to defen d Texas from aggression of Mexican troops. Eventually, the series of battles culminated into Alamo battle that revolutionized Texas and earned them independence. According to Hutton (2011), during the battle of Alamo, Santa Anna troops killed over 200 rebels plus their commanders, Davy Crockett, William Travis, and Jim Bowie (26). Texans ultimately avenged and conquered Mexican army in the battle of San Jacinto and gained their independence Therefore, had it not been for the battle of Alamo, Texas could still be part of Mexico. Background of the Alamo Battle During early 19th century, Mexicans and Texans had no enmity since they respected each other. Both Texans and Mexicans had federalism form of government that gave them freedom to exercise their rights. Hence, there were limited chance of any tension between them to ensue. Then, Texans and Mexicans coexisted peaceful since there was no enmity that existed between them. However, events that culminated into battle of Alamo created tension between Mexicans and Texans. Mexicans felt threatened by Texans and thus planned to conquer and rule them. Led by Santa Anna, Mexicans saw that they were more powerful than Texans were, and therefore, planned to conquer and rule them. Santa Anna saw that conquering Texas would give him an opportunity to expand Mexican territory. Realizing that Santa Anna was gradually gaining imperial powers that he intended to use them against Texas, Texans became rebellious and begun to prepare for defensive battles against the Mexican army who were ready to attack and conquer them. Hutton (2011) argues that Texian rebels under Crockett, Bowe, and Travis prepared their army to war against Santa Anna army (p27). Therefore, imperial powers of Santa Anna precipitated rebellion of Texans and subsequently led to Alamo battle. Moreover, building of Alamo complex, which later acted as a Texans’ fortress of Texian army alarmed Santa Anna because he viewed it as a military training ground th at seeks to empower Texas. Alamo complex acted as a hospital, mission, and military post, which seemed to boost growth of Texas relative to Mexico.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Santa Anna attributed increasing dominance of Texas to a high number of American immigrants who supported building of Alamo complex. Therefore, Alamo complex increased tension between Mexicans and Texans because it alarmed Santa Anna to prepare his army and conquer it before Texas overturns Mexico in political, military, and social capacity. Santa Anna termed American immigrants as pirates who need annihilation for they have triggered and created rebellion in Texas against Mexicans. According to Turner (1988), while Mexicans were fighting to expand their territory by conquering Texas, Texans were busy fighting to achieve free, peaceful, and just society (Para. 2). Thus, such difference culminated int o Alamo battle. Therefore, had it not for differences that culminated into Alamo battle, Texas could still be part of Mexico. Alamo Battle The Alamo Battle marked the climax of enmity between Mexicans and Texans as Santa Anna made a deadly attack on Texans. Santa Anna prepared his army and mobilized them to attack and conquer Alamo, which was a fortress of Texian army. Mexican army made a tactical approach of Alamo on 23 February 1836 and caught Texian army when they were entirely unprepared. Ambushed by the Mexican army, Texian commanders, James Bowie, William Travis, and Davy Crockett made desperate attempts to mobilize their army but it was too late. Mexican army attacked Alamo fortress, conquered it and killed about a third of Texian army. Among those killed were the three commanders, Bowie, Travis, and Crockett. The Alamo battle cost Texas substantial number of soldiers as about 500 soldiers died and thousands of Texans maimed while thousands were displaced from their homes. Ac cording to Groneman and Ross (2011), the Mexican army defeated and conquered Texian army because they outnumbered and ambushed them (p.39). The Mexican army caught Texian commanders when they were unprepared for the battle and killed them mercilessly together with their army. The Mexican attack demonstrated that Santa Anna wanted to annihilate Texans and expand his territory in favor of Mexicans. Hence, Texans decided to emancipate themselves from tyranny government of Santa Anna. In addition, during the battle, Santa Anna enforced no prison policy in that all captives underwent execution. All war captives including women and children faced execution because Santa Anna was so angry with rebellious Texans. Santa Anna accused United Sates of assisting Texans in rebellion and spiting his supremacy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Battle of the Alamo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ultimately, Santa Anna ordered Me xican army to pile up all death bodies of Texans and burnt them. According to Lev (2008), Santa Anna managed to kill a large number of Texian soldiers because he went against military norm of giving quarters (p122). Failure of Santa Anna to take captives as prisoners according to quarter giving norm indicated his enmity against Texans. Statistics shows that about 600 to 2,000 soldiers died in the battle of Alamo, but would have been much less if Santa Anna obeyed quarter giving norm. Thus, battle of Alamo was a painful experience of Texans that led to irreconcilable enmity, which saw Texas separate from Mexico. Legacy of Alamo Battle The Alamo battle stirred up greater enmity between Mexicans and Texans. Having suffered and lost the battle of Alamo, Texans planned to avenge the loss of their army and ultimately gain their independence from tyrannical and imperial influence of Santa Anna. Texans saw that they would only achieve freedom and advocate for their rights if they cease bein g part of Mexico. Hence, Alamo battle prompted Texans to separate from Mexico since the loss of prominent persons like James Bowie, William Travis and Davy Crockett with thousands of soldiers and civilians was a total loss. Although Texans were weak, Sam Houston salvaged soldiers that remained and recruited more to rebuild Texian army. Driven by passion to avenge and separate from Mexico, Sam Houston led his army and ambushed Santa Anna at San Jacinto. Brannon (2009) argues that Texian army attacked and outsmarted Mexican army, taking Santa Anna into captive where they forced him to sign a treaty that recognized Texas as an independent state (Para.1). Thus, San Jacinto battle, which was a revenge battle, earned Texas independence meaning that the Alamo battle caused Texans to agitate for their independence. Moreover, the battle of Alamo have become a historical event in Texas since it did not only lead to independence, but caused enormous loss of heroes, which have made Texans hold annual commemoration for a period of 175 years now. Alamo battle reminds Texans of ordeal experiences they underwent due to tyranny of Mexican rule. It means that, had the battle of Alamo been just an ordinary battle, Texans would not have separated from Mexico. Thus, the annual commemoration of Alamo battle reminds Texans of Mexicans tyranny and gain of independence.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Turner (19988) argues that Texans have preserved Alamo complex for their children and future generations to view and understand how Texans suffered for their independence (Para.5). Currently, Alamo complex is attracting many tourists from different parts of the world who come see its fortification and memories that it gives to Texans. Hence, Alamo battle is a landmark battle that reminds both Texans and Mexicans their secession. Conclusion Alamo battle transformed history of Texas and Mexico because it did not only lead to secession by also loss of many lives. Historically, Texans and Mexicans lived harmoniously, but differences that culminated into Alamo battle compelled them to fight constantly for supremacy. The Alamo battle did provide an exigent circumstance that prompted Texans to agitate for their independence. Since Texans lost many lives of soldiers and civilians in Alamo battle, they planned a revenge mission to attack Mexicans and capture Santa Anna, who signed independen ce treaty for Texas. Thus, Mexico and Texas separated because of Alamo battle. References Brannon, M. (2009). San Jacinto Day: A Texas Holiday. American History. Web. Groneman, W., Ross, T. (2011). Misremembering the Alamo: Ten Things About the 1836 Texas Battle Every American Knows – Whether They Happened or Not. Wild West, 36-43. Hutton, P. (2011). The Alamo, Well Remembered: The 1836 Battle of the Alamo, Immortalized by Texans, Also Remains in the National Memory 175 Years Later, Thanks to Travis Line in the Sand, Croeckett’s Death and Some Lesser Battles That Ensued There. Wild West, 26-33. Lev, D. (2008). Why Following the Rules Matters: The Customs of War and the Case of The Texas War of Independence. Journal of Military Ethics, 7(2), 116-135. Turner, K. (1988). Alamo Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction. The History of  Alamo. Web.

Bao Viet Insurance

In 2007, Bao Viet launched its Initial Public Offering and became a multi-business financial group. I.The mission, values and objectives of Bao Viet enterprise and the influences of stakeholders: To have a successful business, all companies have to have their own strategies. The first element is that the firm has to show the answer for the question â€Å"why do we exist?† or â€Å"what do we want to become?†. In other words, each company must have their missions or visions which are considered as a magnetic needle for all the people of company such as manager, workers or officers, etc to follow up. As a result, Bao Viet also has their own vision: â€Å"Bao Viet’s vision is to be o-ne of the leading financial groups in Vietnam in life and non-life insurance, investment, securities and other financial services† (Anon., 2008). To achieve this mission, the company wants to set up the high standard in every services that they undertake by innovations in productions and knowledge. In addition, by these activities, Bao Viet will also build up their reputation in Vietnam and have a long-term relationship with the customers, clients and business partners. All the enterprises need to identify their values which they can believe on it to secure their businesses. There are some values of Bao Viet for their goals and aims which is â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Principal of innovation for this company can be set up by receiving customers’ comments or feedbacks. After that, the company can renew their products or provide for customers a higher standard of service. Whilst, growth and efficiency can be assessed by basing on the business’s profits. For example, total revenue of the company in 1989 was VND 76 billion, after seven years, in 1996, this number increased rapidly at VND 970 billion. Bao Viet also should have some obvious objectives to follow. Bao Viet improves their standards of products and services to satisfy the demands of the clients and hope to have more customers and make more profits. For example, due to the success in the first six months of 2008, Bao Viet’s firm has their objective for the last six months: the business will strive to reach the total revenue of VND 3,150 billion in the whole of 2008. Next, the company should know and recognize the importance of stakeholders towards their business. There are three types of stakeholders. Firstly, we have internal stakeholders such as managers and employees who have immediate influences on the activities of the business. Managers will control all the management of the business, they decide to do or not a project so this position is very important for all the enterprises. Employees are also an major part of a business. They are the people who have the main influences on the success of a company. Employees join in the process of production directly, so if they are received high wages and bonuses to motivate them, the quality of products will improve enormously. On the other hand, if managers or employees do not do their works well, the business may get some loss of profits. The second one is connected stakeholders. Shareholders invest in the business in return of their dividends. In some cases, their investments can make them become the owners of the company if they have the largest ordinary shares of public limited company. In other words, shareholders can affect on the business by raising capital and even becoming the owners. Another part of connected stakeholders is banker who can lend the firm large amounts of cash to increase the capital. However, if the company does not make profits to repay their interest, bankers can confiscate the assets and make the enterprise go bankruptcy. Next, Suppliers who supply equipments for the company will expect to be paid and a long term relationship with suppliers can help the business to have more benefits. The last one is customers who need the products or services. For many enterprises, customers are people who decide what is produced or what price is charged. Their behaviors, feedbacks or complaints will influence on the success of the company directly. Thirdly, we have the external stakeholders. Government has a big position for the success of a business by making the laws and regulations which all the firms have to follow to do the businesses. Local authorities also can affect the business by changing local environment such as increase in road traffic. The next one is professional bodies, who want to ensure that the members of the company comply with professional ethics and standards, also affect the business. II.The extent to which Bao Viet company achieves the objectives of three stakeholders: For internal stakeholders such as managers, they are interested in the company’s continuation and growth. They also have some individual interests and goals, for example, a safe and comfortable working environment and skill and career development, etc. Therefore, to achieve the objectives of internal stakeholders, the company needs to increase the revenue and improve the standards of working environment. Bao Viet was held up in 1964, they have 43 years of foundation and growth. In some first years, their revenue only raised a little, turnovers at that time was VND 800,000 with total assets of VND 900,000 because they only served for some state-owned customers. Now, Bao Viet has widened their nationwide network and developed the business to overseas market. In addition, the income also increase enormously: Its investment income in 2003 reached VND 512 billion from a total portfolio of VND 8,114 billion. These great advances make the company become one of the biggest 25 enterprises in Vietnam. Moreover, on 31st May 2007, Bao Viet was listed on the stock market to sell their shares to the public. After this, the chartered capital of Bao Viet increased at VND 6,800 billion. Bao Viet has 40,000 dedicated agents and 5,000 employees with experienced experts and young, well-trained staff so this company always has a good environment for people to work. Bao Viet also achieves in the services for customers who represent for the connected stakeholders. Customers always want to receive the best products or services for their demands. They can complain or give comments to the business about the products and their satisfaction is very important for the company’s success. As a result, the firm always needs to listen to the customers’ opinions, this will make major influences on the new products or services in terms of quality or price. Firstly, Bao Viet strategy bases on the customer orientation which means the customers will become the centre of all activities. The company has taken over the feedback of customers and pay a large amount of money for the customers who bought their insurance. For example, Anh N of Vietnamnet (2004) said that Bao Viet had paid VND 1,000 billion for people who had got accidents or disasters in 2003. Bao Viet also issued more types of insurance such as personal insurance, river boat insurance or fishing boat insurance, etc to serve the customers’ demands. These types will help the customers in many careers to have more choices and make more benefits for the company. Secondly, because of a huge system of nationwide network over the country, Bao Viet has some difficulties to keep contacting with the clients in some parts of Vietnam. Therefore, the company decided to establish more offices and more officers to improve the quality of services for the customers : â€Å"Bao Viet Da Nang built four regional offices in Thanh Khe, Lien Chieu, Hoa Vang, Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son and a line-up of 120 people who are willing to guide, provide insurance services for the clients everywhere at every time.† (Ha T., 2004). Moreover, Bao Viet associated with some company to develop the quality of services for the customers such as HSBC Vietnam company. By this communication, Bao Viet might provide products for their customers through branch houses of HSBC Vietnam company. Overall, Bao Viet is improving more and more their system of products and services to serve the customers. Besides the benefits for internal and connected stakeholders, Bao Viet also satisfies the requirement of government, an external stakeholder. Government has some main roles such as passing laws to protect workers and customers, collecting taxes or subsidizing activities, etc. Mr Hoan, Chief executive officer of Bao Viet headquarter stated that in 2003, Bao Viet paid VND 189 billion for the government, increased by 8.2% in comparison with the amount in 2002 (Anh N., 2004). Therefore, Bao Viet achieved the responsibility with the government. Meanwhile, the expansion of Bao Viet will increase the chances for people to have jobs, this activity will help the government to solve the problem of unemployment. In conclusion, Bao Viet succeed to achieve the objectives of all the stakeholders which includes internal stakeholder, connected stakeholder and external stakeholder. III.The responsibilities of the company and strategies employed to meet objectives of stakeholders: The first responsibility of the company is social responsibility. Bao Viet has some responsibilities for the government. For example, Bao Viet must pay tax for their income, in other words, the company must follow all the regulations and laws which the government have issued. Besides, they also make benefits for the local communities such as reducing the ratio of unemployed people in the area. Secondly, we have the ethics and business. Obeying the law is that the company must follow the laws and regulations to do the business. Furthermore, the company has to respect the rights of competitors. The firm has not to criticize or attack the rights of competitors or do everything which can harm the competitors. Business ethics also includes that the organization should protect the employees and consumer from danger of the business. In addition, the company also must not do some illegal activities such as bribery or gifts. The next one is the management responsibilities. The company should have good relationship with all their stakeholders. Now, Bao Viet has their IPO, so they will have more shareholders. In addition, the business has the responsibility to maximize the profits for shareholders. As a result, they will continue to invest in the company and the business will make more benefits. Second one is the employees who keeps the organization in operational existence. They contribute for the company by joining in the production directly so their position is also very important and they should be received a suitable treatment in terms of wages or salary, bonuses, etc. Moreover, the firm also should give the employees a coherent career and a training structure to make them become better and work more efficiently. Meanwhile, the company needs to make a good environment for workforce’s lifestyle and make a good condition for them to express all their talent. Next, I will talk about the responsibility for customers. For Bao Viet, the enterprise has to listen to every feedbacks of the customers, develop the quality of services and keep contacting with them to provide enough information which the customers want to know. For the suppliers, the firm must not delay payment or use the power unscrupulously. In addition, having a long-term relationship or giving new supplier the chance to win new business also makes benefits for both sides. The business also have some responsibilities for the competitors such as the laws of competition about fair trading, monopolies or mergers, etc. The last one is responsibilities for the Community. Each area has their own social and ethical values, so that the firm has to respect these values. Moreover, when the Community needs more capital to hold up an event or charity, the business also should sponsor for them. This way will also make benefits for the company because they have a chance to spread their brand. In addition, the last one is that the enterprise has to respond to complaints for local residents. In this part, I will give some strategies which Bao Viet has followed to meet the objectives of stakeholders. The first strategy is to become o ¬ne of the leading financial groups which has an ability of international competitiveness, providing a wide array of financial services from life and non-life insurance, securities, investment to financial services. This expansion will help the business to widen the market for more consumers. The second one is to become the corporation which is the most popular in Vietnam towards the customers. This strategy will be useful and important for a customer orientation company. Next, the company wants to â€Å"become an organization that can maintain and enhance the â€Å"Prestige† â€Å"Reputation† and â€Å"Honesty and Integrity†, having the â€Å"Loyalty† of customers, and BAOVIET members† (Business Environment textbook, 2008). All of the strategies are based on three gold principles of â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Reference http://www.vietnamnet.vn/xahoi/doisong/2004/10/340859/ Bao Viet Insurance In 2007, Bao Viet launched its Initial Public Offering and became a multi-business financial group. I.The mission, values and objectives of Bao Viet enterprise and the influences of stakeholders: To have a successful business, all companies have to have their own strategies. The first element is that the firm has to show the answer for the question â€Å"why do we exist?† or â€Å"what do we want to become?†. In other words, each company must have their missions or visions which are considered as a magnetic needle for all the people of company such as manager, workers or officers, etc to follow up. As a result, Bao Viet also has their own vision: â€Å"Bao Viet’s vision is to be o-ne of the leading financial groups in Vietnam in life and non-life insurance, investment, securities and other financial services† (Anon., 2008). To achieve this mission, the company wants to set up the high standard in every services that they undertake by innovations in productions and knowledge. In addition, by these activities, Bao Viet will also build up their reputation in Vietnam and have a long-term relationship with the customers, clients and business partners. All the enterprises need to identify their values which they can believe on it to secure their businesses. There are some values of Bao Viet for their goals and aims which is â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Principal of innovation for this company can be set up by receiving customers’ comments or feedbacks. After that, the company can renew their products or provide for customers a higher standard of service. Whilst, growth and efficiency can be assessed by basing on the business’s profits. For example, total revenue of the company in 1989 was VND 76 billion, after seven years, in 1996, this number increased rapidly at VND 970 billion. Bao Viet also should have some obvious objectives to follow. Bao Viet improves their standards of products and services to satisfy the demands of the clients and hope to have more customers and make more profits. For example, due to the success in the first six months of 2008, Bao Viet’s firm has their objective for the last six months: the business will strive to reach the total revenue of VND 3,150 billion in the whole of 2008. Next, the company should know and recognize the importance of stakeholders towards their business. There are three types of stakeholders. Firstly, we have internal stakeholders such as managers and employees who have immediate influences on the activities of the business. Managers will control all the management of the business, they decide to do or not a project so this position is very important for all the enterprises. Employees are also an major part of a business. They are the people who have the main influences on the success of a company. Employees join in the process of production directly, so if they are received high wages and bonuses to motivate them, the quality of products will improve enormously. On the other hand, if managers or employees do not do their works well, the business may get some loss of profits. The second one is connected stakeholders. Shareholders invest in the business in return of their dividends. In some cases, their investments can make them become the owners of the company if they have the largest ordinary shares of public limited company. In other words, shareholders can affect on the business by raising capital and even becoming the owners. Another part of connected stakeholders is banker who can lend the firm large amounts of cash to increase the capital. However, if the company does not make profits to repay their interest, bankers can confiscate the assets and make the enterprise go bankruptcy. Next, Suppliers who supply equipments for the company will expect to be paid and a long term relationship with suppliers can help the business to have more benefits. The last one is customers who need the products or services. For many enterprises, customers are people who decide what is produced or what price is charged. Their behaviors, feedbacks or complaints will influence on the success of the company directly. Thirdly, we have the external stakeholders. Government has a big position for the success of a business by making the laws and regulations which all the firms have to follow to do the businesses. Local authorities also can affect the business by changing local environment such as increase in road traffic. The next one is professional bodies, who want to ensure that the members of the company comply with professional ethics and standards, also affect the business. II.The extent to which Bao Viet company achieves the objectives of three stakeholders: For internal stakeholders such as managers, they are interested in the company’s continuation and growth. They also have some individual interests and goals, for example, a safe and comfortable working environment and skill and career development, etc. Therefore, to achieve the objectives of internal stakeholders, the company needs to increase the revenue and improve the standards of working environment. Bao Viet was held up in 1964, they have 43 years of foundation and growth. In some first years, their revenue only raised a little, turnovers at that time was VND 800,000 with total assets of VND 900,000 because they only served for some state-owned customers. Now, Bao Viet has widened their nationwide network and developed the business to overseas market. In addition, the income also increase enormously: Its investment income in 2003 reached VND 512 billion from a total portfolio of VND 8,114 billion. These great advances make the company become one of the biggest 25 enterprises in Vietnam. Moreover, on 31st May 2007, Bao Viet was listed on the stock market to sell their shares to the public. After this, the chartered capital of Bao Viet increased at VND 6,800 billion. Bao Viet has 40,000 dedicated agents and 5,000 employees with experienced experts and young, well-trained staff so this company always has a good environment for people to work. Bao Viet also achieves in the services for customers who represent for the connected stakeholders. Customers always want to receive the best products or services for their demands. They can complain or give comments to the business about the products and their satisfaction is very important for the company’s success. As a result, the firm always needs to listen to the customers’ opinions, this will make major influences on the new products or services in terms of quality or price. Firstly, Bao Viet strategy bases on the customer orientation which means the customers will become the centre of all activities. The company has taken over the feedback of customers and pay a large amount of money for the customers who bought their insurance. For example, Anh N of Vietnamnet (2004) said that Bao Viet had paid VND 1,000 billion for people who had got accidents or disasters in 2003. Bao Viet also issued more types of insurance such as personal insurance, river boat insurance or fishing boat insurance, etc to serve the customers’ demands. These types will help the customers in many careers to have more choices and make more benefits for the company. Secondly, because of a huge system of nationwide network over the country, Bao Viet has some difficulties to keep contacting with the clients in some parts of Vietnam. Therefore, the company decided to establish more offices and more officers to improve the quality of services for the customers : â€Å"Bao Viet Da Nang built four regional offices in Thanh Khe, Lien Chieu, Hoa Vang, Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son and a line-up of 120 people who are willing to guide, provide insurance services for the clients everywhere at every time.† (Ha T., 2004). Moreover, Bao Viet associated with some company to develop the quality of services for the customers such as HSBC Vietnam company. By this communication, Bao Viet might provide products for their customers through branch houses of HSBC Vietnam company. Overall, Bao Viet is improving more and more their system of products and services to serve the customers. Besides the benefits for internal and connected stakeholders, Bao Viet also satisfies the requirement of government, an external stakeholder. Government has some main roles such as passing laws to protect workers and customers, collecting taxes or subsidizing activities, etc. Mr Hoan, Chief executive officer of Bao Viet headquarter stated that in 2003, Bao Viet paid VND 189 billion for the government, increased by 8.2% in comparison with the amount in 2002 (Anh N., 2004). Therefore, Bao Viet achieved the responsibility with the government. Meanwhile, the expansion of Bao Viet will increase the chances for people to have jobs, this activity will help the government to solve the problem of unemployment. In conclusion, Bao Viet succeed to achieve the objectives of all the stakeholders which includes internal stakeholder, connected stakeholder and external stakeholder. III.The responsibilities of the company and strategies employed to meet objectives of stakeholders: The first responsibility of the company is social responsibility. Bao Viet has some responsibilities for the government. For example, Bao Viet must pay tax for their income, in other words, the company must follow all the regulations and laws which the government have issued. Besides, they also make benefits for the local communities such as reducing the ratio of unemployed people in the area. Secondly, we have the ethics and business. Obeying the law is that the company must follow the laws and regulations to do the business. Furthermore, the company has to respect the rights of competitors. The firm has not to criticize or attack the rights of competitors or do everything which can harm the competitors. Business ethics also includes that the organization should protect the employees and consumer from danger of the business. In addition, the company also must not do some illegal activities such as bribery or gifts. The next one is the management responsibilities. The company should have good relationship with all their stakeholders. Now, Bao Viet has their IPO, so they will have more shareholders. In addition, the business has the responsibility to maximize the profits for shareholders. As a result, they will continue to invest in the company and the business will make more benefits. Second one is the employees who keeps the organization in operational existence. They contribute for the company by joining in the production directly so their position is also very important and they should be received a suitable treatment in terms of wages or salary, bonuses, etc. Moreover, the firm also should give the employees a coherent career and a training structure to make them become better and work more efficiently. Meanwhile, the company needs to make a good environment for workforce’s lifestyle and make a good condition for them to express all their talent. Next, I will talk about the responsibility for customers. For Bao Viet, the enterprise has to listen to every feedbacks of the customers, develop the quality of services and keep contacting with them to provide enough information which the customers want to know. For the suppliers, the firm must not delay payment or use the power unscrupulously. In addition, having a long-term relationship or giving new supplier the chance to win new business also makes benefits for both sides. The business also have some responsibilities for the competitors such as the laws of competition about fair trading, monopolies or mergers, etc. The last one is responsibilities for the Community. Each area has their own social and ethical values, so that the firm has to respect these values. Moreover, when the Community needs more capital to hold up an event or charity, the business also should sponsor for them. This way will also make benefits for the company because they have a chance to spread their brand. In addition, the last one is that the enterprise has to respond to complaints for local residents. In this part, I will give some strategies which Bao Viet has followed to meet the objectives of stakeholders. The first strategy is to become o ¬ne of the leading financial groups which has an ability of international competitiveness, providing a wide array of financial services from life and non-life insurance, securities, investment to financial services. This expansion will help the business to widen the market for more consumers. The second one is to become the corporation which is the most popular in Vietnam towards the customers. This strategy will be useful and important for a customer orientation company. Next, the company wants to â€Å"become an organization that can maintain and enhance the â€Å"Prestige† â€Å"Reputation† and â€Å"Honesty and Integrity†, having the â€Å"Loyalty† of customers, and BAOVIET members† (Business Environment textbook, 2008). All of the strategies are based on three gold principles of â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Reference http://www.vietnamnet.vn/xahoi/doisong/2004/10/340859/

Will GM's Strategic Plan Lead to Future Success Case Study

Will GM's Strategic Plan Lead to Future Success - Case Study Example The third strategy that GM has implemented is the premium pricing strategy that has led to higher margins and prices thus ultimately leading to higher profits per unit sales. GM has cut the incentives for the dealers in order to attain higher margins. The fourth strategy linking the executive compensation to company performance through ensuring the executive bonuses are dependent on the margins posted by the company. The company has also carried out staff rationalization in order to reduce the boated wage bill. Based on the case study, GM’s vision is to become the most profitable automaker in the world. The company is not interested in expanding its market share, but its strategies aim at reducing the operating costs and increasing the unit margins in order to improve the profitability of the company (Daft 183). The vision is realistic since it managed to regain from Toyota as the largest automaker in term of sales figures and has increased its profit margins. The company has also controlled costs. In this case, higher margins and sales volumes will make GM the most profitable automaker if the measures implemented in controlling costs are successful. The first SMART goal is to raise profit margins by 10 percent. This goal is specific and measureable since the current profit margin is 6 percent and this could go up to 10 percent after restructuring the company and improving operational efficiency. The reduction in engineering and manufacturing costs through downsizing the auto platforms will significantly reduce the manufacturing costs. Use of standardized plants and assembling will also improve efficiency of operations and lower costs. Other companies that have few auto platforms have managed to attain a return of 10 percent of sales and this goal is realistic and time-bound since GM will have only 14 auto ‘platforms’ by 2018. The second SMART goal of GM is to make more than $ 10