Learning knowledge and effective performance Essay

Learning knowledge and effective performance - Essay Example Investment is learning is made possible through training and development of individuals and it is quintessential to harness such strengths so that the employees could manifest their truest selves within the workplace settings. On the same token, it is also important that organizations give the employees a choosing policy so that they could opt for the courses which they think are essential for their future training and development needs. However some studies could be made mandatory so that all the employees make sure that they take it for their own betterment. Indeed the organizational regimes would benefit in the long run and this is an important consideration for the top management, who is always enacting policies to suit the needs of the employees at the workplace. This paper takes a keen look at the ways and means through which training and development has assisted the learning quotient; and the methods which are deemed as significant in such activities are also touched upon in m eticulous. As an HRD advisor, it would be my duty to properly align the training and development activities under those methods which bring out the best value. This value is measured through the application of training and development activities towards the employees. The long term benefits are envisaged and the same are manifested in a manner which is close to their tasks and processes that they undertake at the workplace. Learning has taken the front seat in most organizations because the top management understands its due role and thus gives the best possible mechanism for learning to develop within the workplace settings. Learning is deemed as essential as it outlines the strengths within the processes that are held under the aegis of training and development activities (Kraiger 2002). As an HRD advisor, it is of utmost concern to me that I lay the basis for properly attuning the salient aspects which work alongside the

Drugs Are Bad Essay Example for Free

Drugs Are Bad Essay It’s a common known fact that drugs are bad, but yet they are still used recreationally, especially among teenagers and young adults. Some of the most popular drugs used today are marijuana, ecstasy, tobacco, and alcohol. Marijuana has many nicknames. Weed, mary-jane, chronic, hash, etc. It is usually smoked, but can also be made with food or as tea. Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. Users experience slower reaction times, extensive hunger, poor memory, and lack of motivation. In personal experiences, weed has had no worth-while positive outcome on people that I know have used it, especially regularly. Known users have been arrested, expelled from school, suffered with their grades, or made poor decisions. People have told me that the feeling of being high actually does not feel good at all, and that it makes them depressed or that they are being pulled downward. Consistent use of marijuana can lead to addiction, lung cancer, anxiety, depression, and dependence. Ecstasy is a drug that has stimulant and psychodelic properties. It is taken orally as a capsule or tablet. It is also known as X and MDMA. Short-term effects of taking the drug include feelings of mental stimulation, emotional warmth, enhanced sensory perception, and increased physical energy. Adverse health effects can include nausea, chills, sweating, teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision. It is a rumor that exercising, or doing any other activity that would cause the body to heat up such as sex, would cause the body to overheat while on ecstasy and thus would result in death. Personally, I have seen some crazy things while people were on ecstasy. I have heard that taking a shower feels really good, but coming down from a high of mass endorphins is especially painful. A girl I know was coming down from the high so fast and so hard that she was banging her head on the cement in the parking lot because she was feeling so terrible. She then destroyed her phone by throwing it against the wall. Alcohol, although legal over a certain age, is still considered a drug. When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, enters the bloodstream, and goes to all the tissues. The effects of alcohol are dependent on a variety of factors, including a persons size, weight, age, and sex, as well as the amount of food consumed before drinking. The disinhibiting effect of alcohol is one of the main reasons it is used in so many social situations. Other effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness; the immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting. Alcohol, even at low doses, significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Hangovers are another possible effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed; a hangover consists of headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue. Some long term effects of alcohol are liver failure, addiction to alcohol or alcoholism, damage to the brain, damage to the fetus of a pregnant woman, and depression. There are ways to prevent severe hangovers. There is a saying that goes, â€Å"Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear. † A hangover is a result of dehydration because of the effects of alcohol on a person’s system. Tobacco is another legal substance that is considered a drug. Tobacco is typically smoked but can also be chewed and absorbed by way of the gums. When a person smokes a cigarette, the body responds immediately to the chemical nicotine in the smoke. Nicotine causes a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and the flow of blood from the heart. It also causes the arteries to narrow. Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. This, combined with the effects produced by nicotine, creates an imbalance in the demand for oxygen by the cells and the amount of oxygen the blood is able to supply. This imbalance causes a tobacco high, and most of the times, light headedness. It is now well documented that smoking can cause chronic lung disease, heart disease, and stroke, as well as cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder. In addition, smoking is known to contribute to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys. Researchers have identified more than 40 chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause cancer in humans and animals, some including things like rat poison. Smokeless tobacco and cigars also have deadly consequences, including lung, larynx, esophagus, and oral cancer. The harmful effects of smoking do not end with the smoker. Women who use tobacco during pregnancy are more likely to have adverse birth outcomes, including babies with low birth weight, which is linked with an increased risk of infant death and with a variety of infant health disorders. The health of nonsmokers is affected by environmental tobacco smoke, or second-hand smoke. Each year, exposure to second-hand smoke causes many people to die of cancer. The temporary feeling that these drugs give the user does not outweigh the consequences that come with the choice to use these things. Although alcohol and tobacco are legal over a certain age, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t harmful. They still do a lot of damage to the user’s body. Marijuana and ecstasy are illegal in the United States and yet are still widely and popularly used. The word drug carries a negative connotation for these reasons.

Russia vs. China: FDI Analysis for Energy Company Essay -- Social Risks

Introduction A company that is considering investing internationally has to evaluate some important factors that are crucial in choosing the right country. In order to choose the best decision a businessperson has to analyze economic, political, geographical and social factors before entering a new market. This paper will analyze two countries using a fictive sample of Energy Company based in US. This private company wants to enter to a new market in one of the BRIC countries located in Europe or Asia. The energy company wants to build ECO power plants (environmental friendly) and introduce a new concept of sustainable energy source to these two countries (Russia and China). Hydropower, Wind power and solar energy should be used to generate the electricity. The capital investment is quite high in order to build new power plants, but the goal of the company is to become a big competition for already existing companies in this industry. The major advantage of this energy company is that they produc e electricity for a fair price and do not pollute the environment. The company wants to build a chain of ECO power plants in one of these countries and expand to other markets outside the US. Social risks and benefits Russia and China are countries with large population. These states belong to BRIC group, which are countries with fast developing economy. Both are very attractive destinations for foreign direct investments that can benefit whole country. Despite of the prosperity a huge amount of the population live below the poverty line and lack basic needs or education. The average wages in these countries are very unstable because they vary from region to region. While average wages in China are rising those in Russia are ... .... The World Factbook. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html Central Intelligence Agency (2013). The World Factbook. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html Graham, E. M., Wada, E. (2001). Foreign Direct Investment in China: Effects on Growth and Economic Performance. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from Peterson Institute for International Economics website: http://www.iie.com/publications/wp/01-3.pdf The World Bank (2013). Doing Business in China - World Bank Group. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/china/ The World Bank (2013). Doing Business in Russian Federation - World Bank Group. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreecon omies/Russia

Cruesa, his first wife, is lost at Troy Essay

To analyse the character of Aeneas in comparison to the character of Odysseus we must first recognise that they have both been sent away from home, Aeneas by force after the sack of Troy and Odysseus to fight from the Greek side. To analyse them as leaders and â€Å"good men† we must look at their feats and their strengths as well as recognising their flaws as people and warriors. Both characters are extremely respected as heroes. Virgil presents us with the man that founded the greatest empire of all, the Roman Empire. Odysseus had the idea of the Trojan horse, without which the Greeks would not have won the war. Both are primarily good men who serve their countries well. I found though, that they do this in two very different ways. Odysseus’ nostos and Aeneas search for a new home. Scholars continue to disagree on whether or not Aeneas is presented as a good soldier, although the question itself is certainly far from black and white, complicated by the culturally relative nature of terms such as â€Å"conflict†and â€Å"courage†, as well as by the rather oblique definition that â€Å"good† itself holds. Odysseus respectively. I will argue that Aeneas meets the criteria set by neither model and that, ultimately, he is an emotionally unstable, morally dubious and even an incompetent military leader. However, the very fact that he is the protagonist needs to be stressed: his character is necessarily sympathetic, dynamic and intricate. My intention is not to assert that Aeneas is a villain or a coward; he is quite obviously neither of these things and such an interpretation of the Aeneid, a text rich and ambiguous in meaning, would be nothing short of reductive. And in this way he must, and does, have some positive, somewhat redeeming features. Virgil created in Aeneas a new type of Stoic hero, a point that is perhaps most evident in Book Four when Aeneas leaves Carthage. His speech to Dido is indicative of his determination to suffer both silently, Aeneas did not move his eyes and struggled to fight down the anguish in his heart. â€Å", (Book 4) and willing, â€Å"Do not go on causing distress to yourself and to me by these complaints. It is not by my own will that I still search for Italy. † (Book 4) Emotional restraint and acquiescence in regard to one’s own fortunes and torment is intrinsic to a Roman conception of a role model and leader. Equally, the presentation of Aeneas in Book Four can be seen to parallel that of Odysseus in Book Nineteen of the Odyssey, where the reader is told that, in spite of his wife’s tears, the hero’s â€Å"eyes were steady†. Aeneas, then, does conform to both the Roman and Homeric paradigms in his ability to endure the sufferings that Fate has allotted him. And yet his chief characteristic is not his endurance, as is the case with Odysseus, but rather his pietas, a quality essential for a Roman warrior. Time and time again in the Aeneid he is referred to as pious Aeneas, â€Å"famous for his devotion†(Book 6), so the Sibyl states. This devotion is threefold in that it is not only religious and extends to both his family and to his duty as â€Å"Father† of Rome. The latter of these has already been demonstrated by his separation from Dido, in which he subordinates his personal wishes in order to fulfil his destiny, while one can see the first two aspects of this pietas at work quite clearly in Book Five, in which the funeral games, â€Å"held in honour of the divine father of Aeneas†(Book 5), combine a celebration of the familial and of the holy. Like the â€Å"Father† figure that Aeneas, by fate takes on, Odysseus has great affection for his men. When he loses some of his men at Ismarus he tells us how they sailed on â€Å"with heavy hearts, grieving for the loss of our companions†. As well as this, when all the other ships are lost to the Laestragonians, he states, â€Å"We lay on the beach for two days and nights, utterly exhausted and eating our hearts out with grief†. Odysseus risks his life for them. In book 10 when the first half of his men are transformed into pigs by Circe, he goes alone to rescue them. He goes blind into this plan without any forward planning until Hermes helps him. He is so determined to help that he tells an interfering Eurylochus, â€Å"I shall go. I have absolutely no choice. â€Å". He never abandons his men. In Book 9 when his men eat the fruit of the Locus they lose all hope and want for home. Odysseus literally drags them and ties them to benches on the ship so that they cannot escape. In the cave of the Cyclops, after they have blinded the monster, Odysseus ties all of his men to the bellies of rams and they escape leaving him, he is alone and has nobody to tie him on. He does not care because he thinks about his men before he acts as does Aeneas. In this respect they are very similar except Aeneas makes more mistakes than Odysseus does and loses his wife. As a father figure, like Aeneas, Odysseus is very well respected by his men. Near the Cyclops the men divide the goats between the ships. They give nine to all of the ships and ten to Odysseus’ alone as a sign of their respect for him as their leader. Yet this pietas, as much as it appears to pervade Virgil’s characterisation of the leader, might be called into question. Aeneas, on frequent occasions, seems reluctant to implement himself and also uncertain as to the rewards it offers. In Book Five the poet externalises Aeneas’ thoughts as he wonders â€Å"whether he should forget about his destiny and settle in the fields of Sicily† (Book 5), and throughout the first half of the poem he needs to be constantly prompted to continue in his search for his homeland: by his wife’s shade in Book Two, his father’s shade in Book Five, and twice by Mercury in Book Four. Mercury wasted no time, â€Å"So now you are laying foundations for the high towers of Carthage and building a splendid city to please your wife? Have you entirely forgotten your own kingdom and your own destiny? † (Book 4). These temptations are presented to Odysseus throughout â€Å"The Odyssey† but he does not give into temptation whereas Aeneas marries Dido, falls in love with her. Odysseus has a very strict work ethic, which clearly shows his devotion to Ithaca. He is offered immortality by Nymph Calypso if he just stayed with her, but instead the first image that the reader is given of him is knelt on a beach crying for his homeland. He is tempted again by the witch Circe. Odysseus has the weakness of enjoying women. He stayed with Circe for one year before his men reminded him of home. He also stayed with Calypso for seven years. Although we must take into though that there were reasons why he had to stay with her. Even through these periods of extreme temptation and immensely beautiful women, Odysseus wants to return home. He is driven by the goddess Athene but she is not the true reason for his passionate longing for Ithaca. Aeneas is different. He no longing to go home, he has no home. He does long for his promised citadel but is also a cell for the gods to create a new Empire. Venus’ intervention is what points Aeneas towards leaving Dido who he tells, â€Å"I left you against my will† (Book 6). Aeneas seems rather less than devoted to his duty at this moment. He is shown to be quite contented in Carthage and it seems unlikely that he would have left its â€Å"sweet† shores under his own volition. Dido is Aeneas first serious test, and he seems to give way without a struggle (Book 4), and one may see the character here as close to the antithesis of Odysseus who, in his pig-headed determination to return to Ithaca, even rejects Calypso’s offer of immortality. Indeed, Aeneas, â€Å"whose sword was studded with yellow stars of jaspers† (Book 4) is a picture of decadence. Nor is devotion to duty the only aspect of his pietas that can be found wanting, and as much as Aeneas appears to be a truly devoted son it should be noted that he repeatedly fails to protect his family. When one considers those personages in the poem that could be seen as intimate with Aeneas it must be realised that virtually none survive. Cruesa, his first wife, is lost at Troy; Dido, debatably his second, commits suicide and Anchises, his father, dies in the port at Drepanum.

Intercultural Business – Drug Tests in India

Case Study Intercultural Business im Studiengang B. A. International Management Thema: Drug tests in India IContents IContentsII IIList of figuresIII IIIList of abbreviationsIV 1Essential moral standards and norms1 2The practical value of economic ethics concepts3 3The RADAR concept5 4Business activity in India8 5Comparison of the cultures9 6Preperation for the NGO meeting14 IV. BibliographyV Declaration IIList of figures Figure 1:Overview of the different business ethics concepts3 Figure 2:Points of the RADAR concept5 Figure 3:Comparison of the differen cultural dimensions9 ?IVList of abbreviations BVVB AGBacteria and Virus Vaccine Biotechnology CRE Ltd. Clinical Researche Enterprise Limited NGONon-Governmental Organisation WMAWorld Medical Association PDIPower Distance IDVIndividualism vs. Collectivism MASMasculinity vs. Femininity UAIUncertainty Avoidance LTOLong-Term Orientation CfConfer ? 1Essential moral standards and norms â€Å"Humans are more moral than they think and far m ore immoral than they can imag-ine. † Sigmund Freud In general moral standards and norms are always based on a culture. Every culture has got its own definition of morality and ethics.Morality can be defined as the standards that an individual or group has got about what is right and wrong, or good and evil. The pharma industry itself includes some essential moral standards and norms on na-tional and international base. First it is necessary to prove moral standards and norms on a global level. The â€Å"Declara-tion of Helsinki† developed by the World Medical Association (WMA) is: â€Å"a statement of ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects, including research on identifiable human material and data. Furthermore this declaration gives essential moral standards and norms according to the pharmaceutical branch, e. g. â€Å"In medical research involving human subjects, the well-being of the individual research subject must take precedence over a ll other interests. † The second part is the national moral standards. In Germany the ethical standards refer to the principle: â€Å"The health is the highest property of a human being. † These standards are set by statue from the â€Å"Zentrale Ethikkommission†. Furthermore German companies always have to obey the German law.The American ethical standards are saying the same in the â€Å"Declaration of Professional Responsibility: Medicine's Social Contract with Humanity. † from the American Medical Association, e. g. â€Å"Respect human life and the dignity of every individual† The focused standards above exist also in India. They are formed by the Indian Council of medical research. All standards point out what the ultimate principle of medical researches is. : All medical tests shall focus on health and care of every human being. â€Å"Act as if the maxim of your action were to become through your will a universal law of nature. Immanuel Kant by Serafini (1989) The definition of moral standards and norms above should be based on deontological ethics. It says that the background and the consequences or effects that an action takes is irrelevant – only the action itself matters. Roughly speaking, deontologists hold that some choices cannot be justified by their effects, no matter how morally good their con-sequences are. Therefore some choices are morally forbidden. But in reference to the drug tests the moral standards are based on the teleological theo-ry.The teleology is characterized primarily by a focus on the consequences which any action might have. That means if an action (drug tests) might be incorrect, but the con-sequence (effective medicine) is correct and helpful, then it is morally correct. Today we are encouraged to act on the base of different ethical frameworks before we are able to make a clear decision about the ethical correctness of our intended actions. The codes of conduct, which are the ethic al guidelines are based on those frameworks. 2The practical value of economic ethics conceptsThe following discussion deals with the four different economic ethics concepts and their practical values. They are defining how to combine ethics and profit in different ways and with their consequences. Figure 1 The different business ethics concepts Firstly there is the functional business ethics concept. If a company act in agreement with certain known rules and under specific ethical conditions it is allowed to gain the maximum profit. â€Å"Ethic† is a â€Å"factor or rentability† or a â€Å"critical factor of success†.That means: The â€Å"investment† in â€Å"ethics† in terms of acceptance of current opportunity costs has its foundation in the strategic aim to save long-term profit chances. This concept is not used by the BVVB AG, because they are not acting under specific ethical conditions. The second concept to focus is the corrective Business e thics concept which implements ethical standards into the daily business. That means companies are acting in their nor-mal economic way but ethics standards always have the priority over profit gaining ac-tions.It is a voluntarily self-limitation of profit maximisation. For the BVVB AG only the profit gaining process matters. The integrative Business ethic is the permanent process of critical reflexion of business activities. Every possible profit and business success should get the legitimisation of all stakeholders. The consequence is that the company might have to abdicate a profit chance. The action of the BVVB AG shows that they are not acting in reference to what the stakeholders defining as the best way. The last concept is the charitable Business ethic concept.The priority is to gain the maximum profit and afterwards the company starts to donate a part of the money for charitable aims. The morality of a business action does not matter anyway. Due to the descriptions of the d ifferent concepts it is clear that the BVVB AG should act based on the charitable business ethics concept. In the current situation it is the highest priority to gain profit and to be successful (=gain the maximum profit). But after having success the BVVB AG should use a part of the gained money to serve non-economical claims.The practical value of the concept is the possibility to define an eth-ical business aim and the commitment to act in a moral and ethical way. 3RADAR concept The RADAR concept serves to take a decision with the comprehension of ethics. In consideration of ethics in the factoring process it could be more difficult to find an easy solution but it might be more suitable for both parties. In the following paragraph the steps 1 to 10 of the RADAR concept, as seen in the fol-lowing image, will be analysed and discussed. Figure 2: Structure and Points of the RADAR conceptRecognize Step 1 Determine if there is an ethical component The component is the drug tests in In dia. The accomplishment of these tests is not un-morally – it is important – but the way the tests will be carried out is morally questiona-ble. The BVVB AG could hold the tests in Europe or the USA but due to finical prob-lems and the necessity of the reduction of costs the tests will be done in a financially weak area in an Indian hospital. Furthermore the BVVB AG does not know if the health of the patient will be always protected. Step 2Check the ethicalness of the ethical omponent against ethical standards For my own values the conditions under which the tests are carried out are not morally and direct against my ethical values. For the BVVB AG it depends on two points. On the one hand India is the cheapest choice for the realization of the test process and on the other hand the company is not acting illegal but the aim is to develop a new effective medicine against illnesses and to test the agent, subjects are needed. On the basis of the Global Business Standard C odex (GBSC) it is absolutely unmorally.The codex considers the point â€Å"Human Dignity†, which requires the protection of hu-man health and the respect of fundamental human rights. Step 3Conclusion In consideration of the mentioned aspects above the implementation of the tests in India is not illegal but they fulfil not the ethical and moral standards. Assess Step 4Who are the key stakeholders? The main stakeholders of the BVVB AG and the new vaccine are primary the internal stakeholders, especially the managers and employees. Because of the financial situation the members of the BVVB AG are reliant on the success of the tests.The external stakeholders are the subjects, without their help the tests cannot be carried out. Step5What ethical standards apply? The CRE Ltd. and the BVVB AG carry responsibility to inform the respondent about the possible side effects and the probability of their appearance. Furthermore the com-pany is responsible to take care about the state of th e subjects’ health. In turn of these duties the subjects have the right to be treated with fairness and dignity. Step 6 How is the proposed action likely to impact them from an e. g. economic and ethical view?The positive long- and short-term effects are that the habitants from India, especially the majority of people from slums, have never had contact to medical treatments or a simple medical examination. For the people who are part of the tests it could lead to the healing of diseases. Contrariwise there also exist some negative effects in a short-term period – the side ef-fects. The subjects could get negative side effects from the vaccine. But the laboratory has figured out medical therapies to heal the serious side effects either by a special treatment or through hospital stay.Step 7See if there is a specification and quantification of the positive and negative con-sequences which could result from the intended action. The performing of the tests in India could re sult in bad or negative reputation. Too much bad reputation could result in a damage of the company’s image and could end up in the loss of clients and creditors. This would indicate that the BVVB AG takes a financial risk. Step 8What could be done to reduce the likelihood of or at least reduce the negative impact? Due to the necessity of the tests the company has to ensure the reduction of negative reports.To avoid them the only way is to guarantee better circumstances of the tests and the security and wellbeing of the subjects. Furthermore the company could assure that India receives some medicine for free to help infected people after a successful conclu-sion of the test series. Decide Step 9 Take a decision The BVVB AG in connection to the CRE Ltd. has to carry out the tests in India, be-cause of the financial situation. To some people it may create the impression of being â€Å"bad† but the real aim something positive one. The vaccine could help millions of people and also Indians.To reduce the negative aspects the tests have to be carried out under better conditions, considering a higher care for the subjects’ health. Step 10 Correct for self-serving biases If I am asked if I want to read about that in the newspaper I would say â€Å"Yes† because reaching better conditions and to ensure the responsible manners with the tests and the well-being of the persons is positive and could have an effect on the image and make other companies to think about their actions. ? 4Business activity in India This paragraph defines some essential facts about cultural conventions in India.To have success on business in India, in my opinion, the first priority is to be familiar with the cultural conventions because the opinion about business differs a lot between Indians and Europeans. The distinctions may lead to misapprehensions. To be accepted and to show respect it is necessary to learn some basic modes of behaviour and funda-mental cultural d ifferences. It could be helpful to learn some basic phrases of the Indian language for having a small-talk but it is not that important to speak perfectly because the Indians speak over 500 dialects e. . people from the north often talks to someone from the south in English. Furthermore it is good to know that Indians never say â€Å"No† because it is impolite to negate something. It is common to say â€Å"I will try it†. Generally it is important to keep in mind that a personal and polite contact between people from every age is ensured. Indians set a high value on trustworthiness. The first contact could be a handshake but it is common to give a friendly nod. Shaking the head does not mean â€Å"No† it is a gesture of attentive listening.Also the way of dressing is important. Women may never show skin, like naked legs or shoulders. Men are allowed to wear shorter clothes if it is hot outside but it has to be suitable for business. Indians are very hospitable. It is common to get or to make an invitation for dinner. Due to the different persuasion there are some different rule for preparation and consump-tion. But it exists a general rule: â€Å"Peel it, boil it, or forget it. † ? 5Comparison of the cultures The following paragraph deals with the different cultures of Germany, India and USA.The distinctions between the different nations and cultures will be discussed and ex-plained with the help and use of the cultural dimensions of Geert Hofstede. Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. Figure 3: The different cultural dimensions in comparison of their characteristics source: geert-hofstede. com The 1st dimension – The Power Distance (PDI) Power distance is defined as: â€Å"The degree to which the less powerful members of a so-ciety accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The undamental issue here is how a society han dles inequalities among people. People in societies exhibiting a large degree of power distance accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. In societies with low power distance, people strive to equalize the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power. † The comparison of the cultures in the diagram shows that there is a high difference be-tween the USA, Germany and India. The low score of Germany (35) and the USA (40) in this dimension shows clearly the general proposition of â€Å"liberty and justice for all†.It is common that both managers and employees expect to be engaged and information is shared frequently. Also both cul-tures have in common that the communication style is direct, informal and participative. Furthermore in both cultures there is no strict hierarchical order established. But in India on the contrary there is a relatively high power distance (77). The hierarchical structure is hard in organizations as well as in society. Also the real power of managers and control is high and accepted. The communication style differs totally from the western and European style.Someone would never be criticized if there is a 3rd person in the room and the communication is top – down. In contrast to Germany and the USA, where also an employee may criticize a manager, in India an employee would never give negative feedback to someone who is up the ladder 2nd dimension – Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV) Individualism, the high side of this dimension, can be defined as: â€Å"A preference for a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of them-selves and their immediate families only. And collectivism, the low side of this dimension, can be defined as: â€Å"A representation of a preference for a tightly-knit framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular in -group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. † A society's position on this dimension is reflected in whether people’s self-image is de-fined in terms of â€Å"I† or â€Å"we. † As seen in the 5-D-Modell, all three countries and their cultures have different levels of this dimension. The USA, with a score of 91 is highly individualistic.That means it is common that people in general first look and take care for themselves and their families. The Ameri-cans are mostly doing business with strangers and employees are expected to be self-consistent. Germany scored 67 – truly individualistic. In comparison to the USA the bigger family means a lot to the Germans, especially the parent-children relationship. Loyalty, duty and responsibility are common. In business it is common to give someone an advice if there was a mistake to give him the chance to learn from it – â€Å"Be honest, even if it hurts†.In contrast to Germany and the USA India is clear collectivistic with a score of 48. To Indians it means a lot what the social framework is thinking about an action and they are asking for advice. Also in business everything starts with a personal relationship, especially hiring and promotion. 3rd dimension – Masculinity versus femininity (MAS) This dimension is defined as: â€Å"The masculinity side of this dimension represents a pref-erence in society for achievement, heroism, assertiveness and material reward for suc-cess. Society at large is more competitive.Its opposite, femininity, stands for a prefer-ence for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. Society at large is more consensus-oriented. â€Å" The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine). All three cultures are considered a â€Å"masculine† society (scores 56 – 66). Children learn from the early times on that performance is highly valued and the people â€Å"live in order to work†. It is also relevant to be authorial, assertive and decisive. Their behavior stands under the conditions â€Å"strive to be the best they can be. and worldwide known sentence: â€Å"the winner takes it all! † All cultures love to show their success through material objects. For Indians â€Å"work is the center of life† and the workplace serves as symbol of success. 4th dimension – The Uncertainty avoidance (UAI) The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses: â€Å"The degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen?Countries exhibiting strong UAI maintain rigid codes of belief and behavior and are intolerant of unorthodox behavior and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than prin-ciples. † Concerning the Uncertainty avoidance the cultures have differences. Americans accept new ideas and innovations. They are more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression. Indians also have a lower preference for avoiding un-certainty. They have a high acceptance of imperfection and do not follow strict rules.Indians say: â€Å"nothing is impossible†, as long as one knows how to â€Å"adjust†. In comparison Germany scored high (65) and they follow deductive methods. For Germans it is important to have a plan. Every action has to be systematically and de-tailed planned. Germans prefer to compensate for their higher uncertainty by strongly relying on expertise. 5th dimension – Long-term orientation (LTO) â€Å"The long-term orientation dimension can be interpreted as dealing with society’s search for virtue. Societies with a short-term orientation generally have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth.They are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results. In societies with a long-term orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results. † America and Germany have a relatively low score in this dimension. That means they are more short-term oriented.In business people strive for quick results and a strong concern with establishing the truth. The Indians in contras have a long-term orientation, time and punctuality does not matter and they never follow the exact plan, if there is a plan existing. ? 6Preperation for the NGO meeting â€Å"Morality is temporary, wisdom is permanent. † Hunter S. Thompson For the meeting wi th the NGO? s in India it is necessary to know what they are criticiz-ing on the project. They are criticising that the BVVB AG is exploiting the Indian popu-lation due to the tests in India.The need of that meeting is to convince the members of the NGO about the necessity and benevolence of these tests. It is obvious that the BVVB AG in cooperation with the CRE Ltd. is doing the tests in India in order to eco-nomic and financial reasons. But due to the extensive economies it could also be beneficial for India, especially if the BVVB AG decides to act on the charitable business concept. The non-attendance of tick-bourne in India does not matter for testing the medicine. The danger to contract an infection is small and there is also existing medicine and plans how to heal the people in case of an infection.Furthermore it is of a high importance to know everything about the negative media reports. To convince the NGO about the tests it would be helpful to adjust with the BVVB AG manag ement if it could be possible to donate a certain contingent of the profit and also to donate a certain percentage of the vaccine to India to combat the leprosy virus. Furthermore it could be helpful to assure that the CRE Ltd. will care for good circum-stances. The subjects will get a good treatment and the welfare will be ensured.Due to the fact that Panjaa is a Non-Governmental-Organization it would be not effec-tive trying to bribe the organization with money. It would be more effectively to show them the good sides of the tests for the Indian nation. ? 1. Bibliography Literature FREUD, Sigmund (1930), â€Å"Civilisations and its Discontents† KANT, Immanuel, â€Å"Good Will, Duty, and the Categorical Imperative,† ed. Anthony Serafini, Ethics and Social Concern (1989) (New York: Paragon House Publishers) LIPPER RASMUSSEN, Kaspar (2005) „Deontology, Responsibility and Equalityâ€Å" SALZMANN, Todd A. 1995), „Deontology and Teleologyâ€Å" ULRICH, Peter (2008), „Integrative Business Ethics: Foundation of a Civilized Market Econo-my† ULRICH, Peter (1997), â€Å"Integrative Wirtschaftsethik – Grundlagen einer lebensdienlichen Okonomie† Web research Homepage from the World Medical Association: â€Å"The Declaration of Helsinki†. URL: www. wma. net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/ (last downloaded 09. 11. 12) Homepage from the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle fur die Arzneimittelindustrie e. V. , „Verhal-tenskodexâ€Å", URL: http://www. fs-arzneimittelindustrie. e/verhaltenskodex/ivd/ (last downloaded 14/11/2012) Statement from the Arbeitskreis Medizinischer Ethik-Kommission, „Stellungnahme zum Vor-schlag fur eine Verordnung des Europaischen Parlaments und des Rates uber klinische Pru-fungen mit Humanarzneimitteln und zur Aufhebung der Richtlinie 2001/20/EGâ€Å" URL: http://www. ak-med-ethik-komm. de/documents/StellungnahmeEUVerordnungklinischePruefungen. pdf (last down-loaded14/11/2012) Homp age from the American Medical Association, „Declaration of Professional Responsibil-ity†, URL: http://www. ama-assn. rg/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/declaration-professional-responsibility. page? (last downloaded 14/11/2012) Homepage from the Zentrale Ethikkommission bei der Bundesarztekammer, „Prioritaten in der medizinischen Versorgung im System der Gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung (GKV): Mussen und konnen wir uns entscheiden? â€Å" (2000), URL: http://www. zentrale-ethikkommission. de/page. asp? his=0. 1. 24 (last downloaded 14/11/2012) Published paper by the Indian Council of Medical Research, â€Å"Ethical Guidelines for biomedi-cal research on human participants†, (2006), URL: http://icmr. ic. in/ethical_guidelines. pdf (last downloaded 14/11/2012) Homepage from Handelsblatt, FRANK, Sergey „Die indische Kultur besser verstehenâ€Å", (2009) URL: www. handelsblatt. com/unternehmen/management/strategie/weltspitze-die-indische-kultu r-besser-verstehen/3304528. html (last downloaded 10. 11. 2012) Homepage from Geert Hofstede, URL: geert-hofstede. com (last downloaded 12/11/2012) http://www. goodreads. com/quotes/178430-morality-is-temporary-wisdom-is-permanent (last downloaded 12/11/2012)

How to Conjugate Rêver (to Dream) in French

How to Conjugate Rà ªver (to Dream) in French When you want to say she is dreaming or we dreamed in French, youll use the verb  rà ªver. Its a simple word to commit to memory, though youll also need to know its conjugations in order to place it into the present or past tense. A quick lesson will introduce you to the essential forms of  rà ªver  youll need. The Basic Conjugations of  Rà ªver Rà ªver is a regular -er verb, which means that its among the easiest French verb conjugations youll find. This group contains the majority of the languages verbs and applies the same endings to each verb stem. That makes each new word you study just a little easier than the previous one. The stem (or radical) of  rà ªver  is  rà ªv-. Knowing that, you can then use the chart to learn which ending needs to be applied to fit both the subject pronoun and the tense of your sentence. As an example,  je rà ªve  means I am dreaming and  nous rà ªverons  means we will dream. Present Future Imperfect je rve rverai rvais tu rves rveras rvais il rve rvera rvait nous rvons rverons rvions vous rvez rverez rviez ils rvent rveront rvaient The Present Participle of  Rà ªver Like all regular verbs, rà ªvers  present participle  is formed with an -ant  ending. This produces the word  rà ªvant, which may also become a noun or adjective in some situations. Rà ªver  in the Compound Past Tense The  passà © composà ©Ã‚  is a common compound past tense that uses the  past participle  rà ªvà ©Ã‚  to indicate that the act of dreaming has already happened. To form it, you will also need the  auxiliary verb avoir, which needs to be conjugated into the subjects present tense. This will result in short phrases such as  jai rà ªvà ©Ã‚  for I dreamt and  nous avons rà ªvà ©Ã‚  for we dreamt. More Simple Conjugations of  Rà ªver Among the other simple conjugations youll want to memorize for rà ªver are the subjunctive and the conditional. The former says the dreaming may or may not happen while the latter says its dependent on something else. If you do much reading or writing in French,  the passà © simple  and  the imperfect subjunctive  are definitely good to know. These are formal literary tenses that youll want to at least be able to recognize. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je rve rverais rvai rvasse tu rves rverais rvas rvasses il rve rverait rva rvt nous rvions rverions rvmes rvassions vous rviez rveriez rvtes rvassiez ils rvent rveraient rvrent rvassent The French imperative  is where all formality is dropped because its for quick and direct expressions. You also get to drop the subject pronoun when using it. Instead of  tu rà ªve, you can simplify it to  rà ªve. Imperative (tu) rve (nous) rvons (vous) rvez

Understanding Finance Essay Example

Understanding Finance Essay Example Understanding Finance Essay Understanding Finance Essay Finance is the allocation of assets and liabilities over time under conditions of certainty and uncertainty. A key point in finance is the time value of money, which states that a unit of currency today is worth more than the same unit of currency tomorrow. Finance aims to price assets based on their risk level, and expected rate of return. Finance can be broken into three different sub categories: public finance, corporate finance and personal finance. Contents [hide] 1 Areas of finance 1. 1 Personal finance 1. 2 Corporate finance 1. 2. 1 Financial services 1. 3 Public finance 2 Capital 3 Financial theory . 1 Financial economics 3. 2 Financial mathematics 3. 3 Experimental finance 3. 4 Behavioral finance 3. 5 Intangible asset finance 4 Professional qualifications 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Areas of finance[edit] Wall Street, the center of American finance. Personal finance[edit] Main article: Personal finance Questions in personal finance revolve around Protection against unforeseen personal events, as well as events in the wider economy Transference of family across generations (bequests and inheritance) Effects of tax policies (tax subsidies and/or penalties) on management of personal inances Effects of credit on individual financial standing Planning a secure financial future in an environment of economic instability Personal finance may involve paying for education, financing durable goods such as real estate and cars, buying insurance, e. . health and property insurance, investing and saving for retirement. Personal Tlnance may also Involve paylng Tor a loan, or aeot ODIlgatlons. I ne SIX Key areas of personal financial planning, as suggested by the Financial Planning Standards Board, are:[l] Financial position: is concerned with understanding the personal resources available y examining net worth and household cash flow. Net wort h is a persons balance sheet, calculated by adding up all assets under that persons control, minus all liabilities of the household, at one point in time. Household cash flow totals up all the expected sources of income within a year, minus all expected expenses within the same year. From this analysis, the financial planner can determine to what degree and in what time the personal goals can be accomplished. Adequate protection: the analysis of how to protect a household from unforeseen risks. These risks can be ivided into liability, property, death, disability, health and long term care. Some of these risks may be self-insurable, while most will require the purchase of an insurance contract. Determining how much insurance to get, at the most cost effective terms requires knowledge of the market for personal insurance. Business owners, professionals, athletes and entertainers require specialized insurance professionals to adequately protect themselves. Since insurance also enjoys some tax benefits, utilizing insurance investment products may be a critical piece of the overall nvestment planning. Tax planning: typically the income tax is the single largest expense in a household. Managing taxes is not a question of if you will pay taxes, but when and how much. Government gives many incentives in the form of tax deductions and credits, which can be used to reduce the lifetime tax burden. Most modern governments use a progressive tax. Typically, as ones income grows, a higher marginal rate of tax must be paid. [citation needed] Understanding how to take advantage of the myriad tax breaks when planning ones personal finances can make a significant impact. Investment and accumulation goals: planning how to accumulate enough money for large purchases and life events is what most people consider to be financial planning. Major reasons to accumulate assets include, purchasing a house or car, starting a business, paying for education expenses, and saving for retirement. Achieving these goals requires projecting what they will cost, and when you need to withdraw funds. A major risk to the household in achieving their accumulation goal is the rate of price increases over time, or inflation. Using net present value calculators, the financial planner will suggest a ombination of asset earmarking and regular savings to be invested in a variety of investments. In order to overcome the rate of inflation, the investment portfolio has to get a higher rate of return, which typically will subject the portfolio to a number of risks. Managing these portfolio risks is most often accomplished using asset allocation, which seeks to diversify investment risk and opportunity. This asset allocation will prescribe a percentage allocation to be invested in stocks, bonds, cash and alternative investments. The allocation should also take into consideration the ersonal risk profile of every investor, since risk attitudes vary from person to person. Retirement planning is the process of understanding how much it costs to live at retirement, and coming up with a plan to distribute assets to meet any income shortfall. Methods for retirement plan include taking advantage of government allowed structures to manage tax llaOlllty Including: Inalvlaual (IRA) structures, or employer sponsored retirement plans. Estate planning involves planning for the disposition of ones assets after death. Typically, there is a tax due to the state or federal government at ones death. Avoiding these taxes means that more of ones assets will be distributed to ones heirs. One can leave ones assets to family, friends or charitable groups. Corporate finance[edit] Main article: Corporate finance Corporate finance is the area of finance dealing with the sources of funding and the capital structure of corporations and the actions that managers take to increase the value of the firm to the shareholders, as well as the tools and analysis used to allocate financial resources. Although it is in principle different from managerial finance which studies the financial management of all firms, rather than corporations lone, the main concepts in the study of corporate finance are applicable to the financial problems of all kinds of firms. Corporate finance generally involves balancing risk and profitability, while attempting to maximize an entitys wealth and the value of its stock, and generically entails three primary areas of capital resource allocation. In the first, capital budgeting, management must choose which projects (if any) to undertake. The discipline of capital budgeting may employ standard business valuation techniques or even extend to real options valuation; see Financial modeling. The second, sources of capital relates to how these investments are to be funded: investment capital can be provided through different sources, such as by shareholders, in the form of equity (privately or via an initial public offering), creditors, often in the form of bonds, and the firms operations (cash flow). Short-term funding or working capital is mostly provided by banks extending a line of credit. The balance between these elements forms the companys capital structure. The third, the dividend policy, requires management to determine whether any unappropriated profit (excess cash) is to be retained for future investment / perational requirements, or instead to be distributed to shareholders, and if so in what form. Short term financial management is often termed working capital management, and relates to cash-, inventory- and debtors management. Corporate finance also includes within its scope business valuation, stock investing, or investment management. An investment is an acquisition of an asset in the hope that it will maintain or increase its value over time. In investment management in choosing a portfolio one has to use financial analysis to determine what, how much and when to invest. To do this, a company must: Identify relevant objectives and constraints: institution or individual goals, time horizon, risk aversion and tax considerations; Identify the appropriate strategy: active versus passive hedging strategy Measure the portfolio performance Financial management overlaps with the financial function of the Accounting profession. However, financial accounting is the reporting of historical financial information, while financial management is concerned with the allocation of capital resources to increase a firms value to the shareholders. Hnanclal rlsK management, an element 0T corporate Tlnance, Is tne practlce 0T reating and protecting economic value in a firm by using financial instruments to manage exposure to risk, particularly credit risk and market risk. (Other risk types include Foreign exchange, Shape, Volatility, Sector, liquidity, Inflation risks, etc. It focuses on when and how to hedge using financial instruments; in this sense it overlaps with financial engineering. Similar to general risk management, financial risk management requires identifying its sources, measuring it (see: Risk measure: Well known risk measures), and formulating plans to address these, and can be qualitative nd quantitative. In the banking sector worldwide, the Basel Accords are generally adopted by internationally active b anks for tracking, reporting and exposing operational, credit and market risks. Financial services[edit] Main article: Financial services An entity whose income exceeds its expenditure can lend or invest the excess income. Though on the other hand, an entity whose income is less than its expenditure can raise capital by borrowing or selling equity claims, decreasing its expenses, or increasing its income. The lender can find a borrower, a financial ntermediary such as a bank, or buy notes or bonds in the bond market. The lender receives interest, the borrower pays a higher interest than the lender receives, and the financial intermediary earns the difference for arranging the loan. A bank aggregates the activities of many borrowers and lenders. A bank accepts deposits from lenders, on which it pays interest. The bank then lends these deposits to borrowers. Banks allow borrowers and lenders, of different sizes, to coordinate their activity. Finance is used by individuals (personal finance), by governments (public finance), by usinesses (corporate finance) and by a wide variety of other organizations, including schools and non-profit organizations. In general, the goals of each of the above activities are achieved through the use of appropriate financial instruments and methodologies, with consideration to their institutional setting. Finance is one of the most important aspects of business management and includes analysis related to the use and acquisition of funds for the enterprise. In corporate finance, a companys capital structure is the total mix of financing methods it uses to raise funds. One method is debt financing, which includes bank loans and bond sales. Another method is equity financing the sale of stock by a company to investors, the original shareholders of a share. Ownership of a share gives the shareholder certain contractual rights and powers, which typically include the right to receive declared dividends and to vote the proxy on important matters (e. g. , board elections). The owners of both bonds and stock, may be institutional investors financial institutions such as investment banks and pension funds or private individuals, called private investors or retail investors.