Love at the Cornhusk

Love at the Cornhusk – Aida Rivera Ford Tinang stopped before the Senora’s gate and adjusted the baby’s cap. The dogs that came to bark at the gate were strange dogs, big-mouthed animals with a sense of superiority. They stuck their heads through the hogfence, lolling their tongues and straining. Suddenly, from the gumamela row, a little black mongrel emerged and slithered through the fence with ease. It came to her, head down and body quivering. â€Å"Bantay. Ay, Bantay! † she exclaimed as the little dog laid its paws upon her shirt to sniff the baby on her arm. The baby was afraid and cried. The big animals barked with displeasure. Tito, the young master, had seen her and was calling to his mother. â€Å"Ma, it’s Tinang. Ma, Ma, it’s Tinang. † He came running down to open the gate. â€Å"Aba, you are so tall now, Tito. † He smiled his girl’s smile as he stood by, warding the dogs off. Tinang passed quickly up the veranda stairs lined with ferns and many-colored bougainville. On landing, she paused to wipe her shoes carefully. About her, the Senora’s white and lavender butterfly orchids fluttered delicately in the sunshine. She noticed though that the purple waling-waling that had once been her task to shade from the hot sun with banana leaves and to water with mixture of charcoal and eggs and water was not in bloom. â€Å"Is no one covering the waling-waling now? † Tinang asked. â€Å"It will die. † â€Å"Oh, the maid will come to cover the orchids later. † The Senora called from inside. â€Å"Tinang, let me see your baby. Is it a boy? † â€Å"Yes, Ma,† Tito shouted from downstairs. â€Å"And the ears are huge! † â€Å"What do you expect,† replied his mother; â€Å"the father is a Bagobo. Even Tinang looks like a Bagobo now. † Tinang laughed and felt warmness for her former mistress and the boy Tito. She sat self-consciously on the black narra sofa, for the first time a visitor. Her eyes clouded. The sight of the Senora’s flaccidly plump figure, swathed in a loose waist-less housedress that came down to her ankles, and the faint scent of agua de colonia blended with kitchen spice, seemed to her the essence of the comfortable world, and she sighed thinking of the long walk home through the mud, the baby’s legs straddled to her waist, and Inggo, her husband, waiting for her, his body stinking of tuba and sweat, squatting on the floor, clad only in his foul undergarments. â€Å"Ano, Tinang, is it not a good thing to be married? the Senora asked, pitying Tinang because her dress gave way at the placket and pressed at her swollen breasts. It was, as a matter of fact, a dress she had given Tinang a long time ago. â€Å"It is hard, Senora, very hard. Better that I were working here again. † â€Å"There! † the Senora said. â€Å"Didn’t I tell you what it would be like, huh? . . . that you would be a slave to your husband and that you would work a baby eternally strapped to you. Are you not pregnant again? † Tinang squirmed at the Senora’s directness but admitted she was. â€Å"Hala! You will have a dozen before long. † The Senora got up. Come, I will give you some dresses and an old blanket that you can cut into things for the baby. † They went into a cluttered room which looked like a huge closet and as the Senora sorted out some clothes, Tinang asked, â€Å"How is Senor? † â€Å"Ay, he is always losing his temper over the tractor drivers. It is not the way it was when Amado was here. You remember what a good driver he was. The tractors were always kept in working condition. But now . . . I wonder why he left all of a sudden. He said he would be gone for only two days . . . .† â€Å"I don’t know,† Tinang said. The baby began to cry. Tinang shushed him with irritation. â€Å"Oy, Tinang, come to the kitchen; your Bagobito is hungry. † For the next hour, Tinang sat in the kitchen with an odd feeling; she watched the girl who was now in possession of the kitchen work around with a handkerchief clutched I one hand. She had lipstick on too, Tinang noted. the girl looked at her briefly but did not smile. She set down a can of evaporated milk for the baby and served her coffee and cake. The Senora drank coffee with her and lectured about keeping the baby’s stomach bound and training it to stay by itself so she could work. Finally, Tinang brought up, haltingly, with phrases like â€Å"if it will not offend you† and â€Å"if you are not too busy† the purpose of her visit–which was to ask Senora to be a madrina in baptism. The Senora readily assented and said she would provide the baptismal clothes and the fee for the priest. It was time to go. â€Å"When are you coming again, Tinang? † the Senore asked as Tinang got the baby ready. â€Å"Don’t forget the bundle of clothes and . . . oh, Tinang, you better stop by the drugstore. They asked me once whether you were still with us. You have a letter there nd I was going to open it to see if there was bad news but I thought you would be coming. † A letter! Tinang’s heart beat violently. Somebody is dead; I know somebody is dead, she thought. She crossed herself and after thanking the Senora profusely, she hurried down. The dogs came forward and Tito had to restrain them. â€Å"Bring me some young corn next tim e, Tinang,† he called after her. Tinang waited a while at the drugstore which was also the post office of the barrio. Finally, the man turned to her: â€Å"Mrs. , do you want medicine for your baby or for yourself? † â€Å"No, I came for my letter. I was told I have a letter. † â€Å"And what is your name, Mrs.? † He drawled. â€Å"Constantina Tirol. † The man pulled a box and slowly went through the pile of envelopes most of which were scribbled in pencil, â€Å"Tirol, Tirol, Tirol. . . .† He finally pulled out a letter and handed it to her. She stared at the unfamiliar scrawl. It was not from her sister and she could think of no one else who could write to her. Santa Maria, she thought; maybe something has happened to my sister. â€Å"Do you want me to read it for you? † â€Å"No, no. † She hurried from the drugstore, crushed that he should think her illiterate. With the baby on one arm and the bundle of clothes on the other and the letter clutched in her hand she found herself walking toward home. The rains had made a deep slough of the clay road and Tinang followed the prints left by the men and the carabaos that had gone before her to keep from sinking mud up to her knees. She was deep in the road before she became conscious of her shoes. In horror, she saw that they were coated with thick, black clay. Gingerly, she pulled off one shoe after the other with the hand still clutching to the letter. When she had tied the shoes together with the laces and had slung them on an arm, the baby, the bundle, and the letter were all smeared with mud. There must be a place to put the baby down, she thought, desperate now about the letter. She walked on until she spotted a corner of a field where cornhusks were scattered under a kamansi tree. She shoved together a pile of husks with her foot and laid the baby down upon it. With a sigh, she drew the letter from the envelope. She stared at the letter which was written in English. My dearest Tinay, Hello, how is life getting along? Are you still in good condition? As for myself, the same as usual. But you’re far from my side. It is not easy to be far from our lover. Tinay, do you still love me? I hope your kind and generous heart will never fade. Someday or somehow I’ll be there again to fulfill our promise. Many weeks and months have elapsed. Still I remember our bygone days. Especially when I was suffering with the heat of the tractor under the heat of the sun. I was always in despair until I imagine your personal appearance coming forward bearing the sweetest smile that enabled me to view the distant horizon. Tinay, I could not return because I found that my mother was very ill. That is why I was not able to take you as a partner of life. Please respond to my missive at once so that I know whether you still love me or not. I hope you did not love anybody except myself. I think I am going beyond the limit of your leisure hours, so I close with best wishes to you, my friends Gonding, Sefarin, Bondio, etc. Yours forever, Amado P. S. My mother died last month. Address your letter: Mr. Amado Galauran Binalunan, Cotabato It was Tinang’s first love letter. A flush spread over her face and crept into her body. She read the letter again. â€Å"It is not easy to be far from our lover. . . I imagine your personal appearance coming forward. . . . Someday, somehow I’ll be there to fulfill our promise. . . .† Tinang was intoxicated. She pressed herself against the kamansi tree. My lover is true to me. He never meant to desert me. Amado, she thought. Amado. And she cried, remembering the young girl she was less than two years ago when she would take fo od to Senor in the field and the laborers would eye her furtively. She thought herself above them for she was always neat and clean in her hometown, before she went away to work, she had gone to school and had reached sixth grade. Her skin, too, was not as dark as those of the girls who worked in the fields weeding around the clumps of abaca. Her lower lip jutted out disdainfully when the farm hands spoke to her with many flattering words. She laughed when a Bagobo with two hectares of land asked her to marry him. It was only Amado, the tractor driver, who could look at her and make her lower her eyes. He was very dark and wore filthy and torn clothes on the farm but on Saturdays when he came up to the house for his week’s salary, his hair was slicked down and he would be dressed as well as Mr. Jacinto, the schoolteacher. Once he told her he would study in the city night-schools and take up mechanical engineering someday. He had not said much more to her but one afternoon when she was bidden to take some bolts and tools to him in the field, a great excitement came over her. The shadows moved fitfully in the bamboo groves she passed and the cool November air edged into her nostrils sharply. He stood unmoving beside the tractor with tools and parts scattered on the ground around him. His eyes were a black glow as he watched her draw near. When she held out the bolts, he seized her wrist and said: â€Å"Come,† pulling her to the screen of trees beyond. She resisted but his arms were strong. He embraced her roughly and awkwardly, and she trembled and gasped and clung to him. . . . A little green snake slithered languidly into the tall grass a few yards from the kamansi tree. Tinang started violently and remembered her child. It lay motionless on the mat of husk. With a shriek she grabbed it wildly and hugged it close. The baby awoke from its sleep and cries lustily. Ave Maria Santisima. Do not punish me, she prayed, searching the baby’s skin for marks. Among the cornhusks, the letter fell unnoticed.

An Overview of Altruism from Darwin to the Present

Altruism itself is considered a virtue in today’s society and is present in many religions, humanitarian and philanthropic causes. This selfless concern for others of helping behaviour is not something that is only found in humans but can be found in most species and is actually a type of behaviour that has evolved with species. Though Charles Darwin first made note of com/common-core-ela-9-2014-ela3009-a-ic/">altruistic behaviour in his seminal work, The Descent of Man, the actually theory of altruism was not recognized until the early 1900s (Darwin, 1871, Kropotkin, 1902).Altruistic behaviour is difficult to understand and its evolution has proven to be interesting as the reason for behavioural changes cannot completely be defined. Additionally pure altruism is rarely found in nature, as those noble animals tend to die before they can pass down their genetic traits. Though Darwin did not completely understand altruism his work, the Descent of Man, is one of the first scienti fic published works that describes altruistic behaviour.His observation of animals helping others actually opposes his evolutionary theory of the survival of the fittest because in order for an individual to survive they need to take care of themselves and not sacrifice for others. According to natural selection theory, benevolent behavior should not evolve because it, technically, costs or even harms the doer’s fitness. Darwin did attempt to explain this phenomena by including it in group selection, as in order for groups to survive natural selection may actually favour groups of individuals and in this case the altruistic behaviours would be passed down to the next generation.(Darwin, 1871). This phenomenon of cooperation was not completely described until Kropotkin published a book, a collection of essays, dealing with mutual aid (Kropotkin, 1902). This work was a direct response to social Darwinism. Kropotkin was able to build a more satisfactory tie to individual natural selection and cooperation, displaying that mutual aid selection directly benefits individuals own struggle for personal success, so that cooperation between species will actually be the best path for individual success (mutual aid, 1955).Altruistic behaviour has since been researched and discussed by many scientists since its recognition in evolutionary biology. Scientists have thought that altruistic behaviour may be instinctual and that helping behaviour survives because it makes the individual feel good, particularly in humans (Wilkinson, 1988). There is also the theory that if an animal helps another then they may have the favour repaid back in the future, which can be found in human society (Kreb, 1952).Much research delving into altruistic behaviour and evolutionary biology cannot find a firm fit for altruism in general evolutionary terms. Inclusive selection or kin selection, in which species display behaviour that selections for those in their family to reproduce, cannot co mpletely explain altruism as it does not attempt to explain why differing species help each other (Hamilton, 1964). Symbiotic relationships, in which both species benefit, are based on specific conditions such as long-lives, dependence for food, performing a necessary service etc.(Trivers, 1971). In symbiotic relationships the help is eventually repaid by the species even if it takes a long time as the species my loss a little fitness at the current time but in the end the long term benefit will far outweigh any previous problems or disadvantages, known as reciprocal altruism. Much work has been done to investigate reciprocal altruism and inclusive fitness, particularly as evolutionary biology has evolved to include theories such as the game theory and predictive behaviour.Game theory points out that reciprocal altruism can also include negative behaviour, such as a cheater can expect to be punished in the future for its behaviour to others. (Trivers, 1971) It has been argued that t hese two types of behaviour, inclusive selection and reciprocal altruism are not truly altruism, as with altruism the species providing help does not get anything in return; much of research is devoted to study these evolutionary ideas (Rothstein and Pierotti, 1980). In the 1980s altruistic behaviour began to be investigated in Primates particularly with grooming behaviour.Primatologists noted that an individual’s status in a hierarchy seemed to be related to their relationships with others. Aiding dominant members seemed to be favoured. Juveniles needed to ingratiate themselves in the group and aiding a dominant female is a means of securing status in the hierarchical society of bonobos. (de Waal, 1989) Certain primates will chose to groom other primates and later they will gain some sort of benefit. A more recent study has shown a different aspect of reciprocal altruism as dominant female primates were found to groom subordinate primates, a type of grooming-down which had n ot been observed yet (Parr, et al.1995). Current altruism research is based around game theory and includes behavioural manipulation, bounded rationality, conscience, kin selection, memes, mutual aid, selective investment theory, sexual selection, reciprocity, and pseudo-reciprocity. The Price equation was developed to redefine Hamilton’s work on kin selection and describes natural selection and evolution. In this mathematical equation altruism is defined as a behavioural genetic predisposition that increases the fitness of the group which in turn causes the individual that belongs to that group to benefit.(Frank, 1997). A fantastic example of this is with slime mould. Slime mould live as individuals until they are starving when the aggregate and form a multicellular organism and some cells sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the group. Altruism in humans has begun to be investigated and shown that specific regions of the brain will trigger charitable or helping behaviour . It was found that altruism does not suppress selfishness but actually very basic to brain function and triggers a pleasurable response (Moll and Grafman, 2006).The theory of group selection has re-emerged when looking at aboriginal lifestyle in Africa. Individuals of groups were found to be more closely related then previously believe suggesting that the nicest really do survive. Those that shared food and other goods would reproduce and pass on their genes as individuals would ban together during difficult times (Fischer, 2006). Interestingly it is through religion that altruism is spread throughout the human population. Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism all place particular importance on altruism.There are many individuals that oppose altruism saying that it is a morality, more of an ethics branch than evolution, as individuals do not need to be altruistic to survive. Though as social beings an altruistic natural may make you more social it will not ul timately cause your death or the inability to pass on your genetics. Most of the controversy with altruism today revolves around the factor that altruism may not apply to humans, though humans do have symbiotic relationships with other species, (think of the bacteria in your digestive tract).There is a split between real altruism and psychological altruism though most will agree that those individuals that care for others, such as parents for their children will be able to survive in society much easier than those that do not care for anyone. Most of altruism in humans is psychological and not due to a selfish gene. Also due to advances in technology ands science natural selection has taken a bit of a turn or slowed down so understanding altruism in humans is possible quite different then observing altruism in other species. References;Darwin, C. (1871). The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, New York: Appleton Fischer, R. , (2006), â€Å"Why altruism paid off for our ancestors† (NewScientist. com news service) Frank, S. A. , (1997), The Price Equation, Fisher's Fundamental Theorem, Kin Selection, and Causal Analysis, Evolution 51 (6): 1712–1729 Hamilton, W. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behavior. J. Theor. Biol. 7 I: 1–16. Moll and Grafman, (2006), Human fronto–mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation, PNAS, 103 (42);15623-15628Parr, L. , Matheson, M. , Bernstein, I. & de Waal, F. (1996). Grooming down the hierarchy: allogrooming in captive brown capuchin monkeys, Cebus paella. Rothstein, S. & Pierotti, R. (1980). Reciprocal altruism and kin selection are not clearly separable phenomena. Journal of theoretical biology, 87(2), 255-261. Trivers, R. (1971). ‘The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism’, Quarterly Review of Biology, 46: 35-57. Wilkinson, G. (1988). Reciprocal altruism in bats and other mammals. Ethology and sociobiology, 9(2), 85-100. Ã'‹

Ethical Issues in International Software Development Essay

International software development is generally defined as the software work undertaken at geographically separated locations across national boundaries in a coordinated manner. As a distinctive strategy to save on the costs by relocating some of the software developing units in other countries/ regions, outsourcing has gained momentum during the last two decade or so. Globalisation has made it possible for companies to easily gain access to markets and resources around the world. With countries like India and China adopting liberal policies in order to attract investments from abroad, it has become quite convenient for multinational companies to tap the pool of resources at very low costs as compared to the costs in US, Germany, UK, France etc. While analysing the growth of outsourcing during the last 10-15 years, Farrell (2006), the Director of McKinsey Global Institute, states that the vast majority of the offshore service jobs have gone to a limited few locations in India, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Outsourcing: Intensely debated and discussed on many forums The issue comes into sharp focus during the recent presidential elections in US when both the rival groups led by Barack Obama and John McCain started assuring the people about saving their jobs and putting a ban on outsourcing to cheaper destinations. It’s been quite a while since the elections are over and President Obama took over, but the pressure from influential lobbies did not allow new administration to pursue any far reaching policies in this regard. Economic slowdown around the globe, with its severest impact on the developed nations, also became a deciding factor in favour of continuing the prevailing outsourcing policies. These are the indicators towards the inevitability of outsourcing in present day world order. The market dynamics, which makes it mandatory for the companies to go for quality and value addition at least possible costs, has been the key driver favouring the phenomenon of outsourcing. Information technology has been the backbone supporting the processes or functions, with the help of next generation outsourcing, aimed at providing the companies with robust cost containment and more revenue-generating tools. NASSCOM, a reputed trade body and the chamber of commerce of the IT-BPO industries in India, indicates in one of its recent reports that worldwide the BPO spending in 2008 grew by 12 percent, which happened to be the highest amongst all the segment (NASSCOM, 2009). In one of its recent reports the Economist (2010) indicates that technology has been the main culprit behind job losses in US, as automation and outsourcing have claimed a whole class of jobs. This includes routine but vital tasks in the category of labour intensive as well as highly paid manufacturing and number crunching jobs. The report points out that, ‘the US economy now needs workers to do what cannot be by machines or call centres in Bangalore’ (The Economist, 2010). But the irony is, despite having fullest knowledge about the job losses and increasing restlessness amongst the youth in the country, the US administration in not in a position to take any concrete action to halt the flight of jobs to outsourced destinations. Software development is one of the key areas where outsourcing has acquired newer dimensions. Outsourcing the software development task to countries like India and China has benefitted the economies of these countries to such an extent that outsourcing and providing IT enabled services has become an industry in itself. The Economist (2008) enlists three main advantages of outsourcing; i. Realisation of greater economies of scale by a third party in a position to pool the activities of a number of companies ii. A specialist outsourcing firm can keep itself abreast of the latest developments in the related fields iii. It becomes easier for companies to get works done, which are one time in nature, and for which it becomes difficult for the company to justify recruitment of specialist workforce. This trend has certainly benefitted the concerned companies and the economies of the offshore locations. But, there are quite a few instances, which have raised questions marks about the efficacy of outsourcing decisions. Conflicting situations on account of difference in working conditions, social and cultural perceptions, job losses etc. have highlighted the negative sides of outsourcing. Some of the issues which have come to light as a result of outsourcing are; i. Difference in cultural values and beliefs often leads to communication gap amongst the parties concerned. For example, an Islamic nation would like to have a day off on Friday’s or the workers might also like to have couple of hrs away from work to offer the prayers. But, for a company in US or Germany, this is not a priority and they’d like to see that work be done even during these hours. Similarly, the period around Christmas happens to be a solemn occasion and holiday period for Western companies, but not so much in countries like China and India. Though in general, the companies are supposed to take into account these factors, but at times, such things lead to differences of opinion. ii. Harland et al (2005) contend that international outsourcing of finding software solutions involving some policing and security operations to a country having different culture and approach to social issues could cause conflict with citizens’ traditions and beliefs. This in turn would mean that in view of financial and economic concerns, the host country too often continues to ignore the cultural excesses. But, in case of any dispute arising out of such excesses, the issue gets highlighted in the media, which brings bad publicity for the multinational corporation as well as the host country. iii. When companies entrust the important details about their clients to BPOs in some other countries, that decision runs the risk of exposing those clients to people in other countries. This could result in trampling on the privacy of the customers. A study cited in the Washington Post has pointed out that BPO employees who are laid off or leave their jobs for better opportunities, quite often secretly take along proprietary data as well (Krebs, 2009). The report indicates that about 60 percent of those leaving the job steal the important data of the company and its clients. The data being taken included e-mail lists, non-financial business information, customer contact lists, employee records, and financial information. iv. There have been instances, when credit card details of a customer were misused by the BPO workers. A report by KPMG on ‘data security and privacy in the Indian industry’ indicates that the top management in a number of BPO companies are finding it challenging to ‘drive the importance of security and privacy of information down to every level of the organization’ (KPMG, 2009). Such concerns often lead to question marks on the decisions of multinational corporations’ to outsource the data and records of their customers to untrustworthy people. This presents ethical challenge for the Indian IT industry as well, as the IT industry has to allay the concerns of their clients on two counts. First, by providing technologically advanced and updated services, and second by ensuring that the all important data is in safe hands. v. Outsourcing to emerging economies is also believed to be resulting in international exploitation (Harland et al, 2005). In order to attract business from abroad, some economies resort to softer legislations which taking due precaution about the human rights, child labour concerns, dumping of toxic waste etc. When a company wishes to have the software development task to be completed within a very short period of time, or when the task requires daily interaction between the parent company and the outsourced destination, then the workers in outsourced destinations are supposed to work round the clock, in order to meet the deadline. From the perspective of business and profitability, such arrangement work fine till the time such issues are highlighted in the mainstream media and become source of political embarrassment for the concerned economies. vi. Outsourcing software development to critical functions like systems used in nations’ security runs the risk of compromising nations’ security. The manner in which 14 year old hackers often break into the highly guarded computer systems of agencies like NASA etc. indicates towards the vulnerability of handing over the development of such software development into the hands of people who are remotely connected to the nation’s integrity, social and cultural values. Theoretically it might be possible that the software developer company leaves some software code in the programme and starts receiving updates about the security apparatus of the country, once the system starts working on closely guarded secrets. This will result in compromising the security of the country. vii. As per a study conducted by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), one out of ten well-educated Britons is opting to move abroad (CIPD, 2008). This study indicates how the outsourcing phenomenon has altered the equilibrium. There was a time, when educated youth from developing economies used to make a beeline for seeking an opportunity to serve in US, UK or Germany, but now the jobs are shifting to their countries. It has also come to light that the trend of people going out for jobs is prevalent in Germany as well, but to a lesser extent. The study shows that 1. 1 million well-educated Britons are moving out for better job opportunities to other countries as compared to 860,000 from Germany. This sort of reverse brain drain indicates among other things that there are regions which are more attractive from the HR perspective. If the tense industrial relations persists for longer time period, this might result in political upheavals in countries outsourcing the jobs. viii. Entrusting the task of software development to outside locations certainly enables a company to focus more on the core competency and reduce costs, thus helping the company in showcasing a healthy balance sheet and increased flexibility to reconfigure the resources. But at the same time, such decisions often lead to conflicts with the trade unions as a number of jobs get exported to outsourced destinations. In order to look for low cost alternatives, a number of companies resort to steps like retrenchment, job cutting etc. which has adversely affected the working middle class society. Straining of industrial relations in turn reflect poorly on the welfare initiatives undertaken by the company or in upbringing the brand equity of the concerned company. ix. While outsourcing the software development requirements to destinations outside the country, the company has to make huge efforts in developing an understanding with the BPO Company in order to work out a design appropriate for the requirements. Conclusion Outsourcing has indeed become a popular trend during the last decade. While on the one hand this helped in increasing the ability of multinational corporations to meet the changing marketing requirements, and focus more on core competencies, at the same time, it has resulted in creating number problematic situations like altering the political equations at home, job losses and confrontation with trade unions. No doubt the companies come in a position to leverage the economies of scale, but at the same time such decisions result in exploitation of human rights in the countries of outsourcing destination. When the workers in a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) unit in India or Philippines are entrusted with a task to be completed as per the deadline from the company in US or UK, then the workers are pressed into service for very long hours. During such period, the welfare measures of the workers take a back seat and only thing concentrated upon is the completion of the task and financial aspects. Violations of human rights, cultural and social sensitivities are seldom taken into account while the BPOs attempt to meet the deadlines. Security of the data and the privacy of clients also come in the danger of being compromised by the decision of outsourcing the software development and other such routine jobs. The debate is still going on and as of now the trend of outsourcing is nowhere near reversal. Part of the reason for this unabated growth in outsourcing is the ongoing recession in most of the developed part of the world. Once the economies bounce back and regain the momentum of growth rate, then only the debate will restart. References: 1. CIPD (2008). Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, UK. Britain’s brain drain. Available online at http://www. cipd. co. uk/default. cipd (March 1, 2008) 2. Farrell, Diana (2006). ‘Smarter Offshoring’. Harvard Business Review. Jun 01, 2006. 3. Harland, Christine; Louise Knight; Richard Lamming; and Helen Walker (2005). ‘Outsourcing: assessing the risks and benefits for organisations, sectors and nations’. International Journal of Operations & Production Management. Vol. 25 No. 9. pp. 831-850. Emerald Group Publishing. 4. KPMG (2009). ‘State of Data Security and Privacy in the Indian Industry’. DSCI- KPMG Survey 2009. Available online at http://www. dsci. in/images/stories/data_security_survey_2009_report_final_30th_dec_2009. pdf (May 27, 2010) 5. Krebs, Brian (2009). ‘Data Theft Common by Departing Employees’. The Wasington Post, February 26, 2009. Available online at http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/26/AR2009022601821. html (May 27, 2010) 6. The Economist (2008). Idea-Outsourcing. The Economist, Sep 29th 2008. 7. The Economist (2010). ‘The middle-class task- force – As jobs fade away’. May 6th 2010, Washington, DC. Available online at http://www. economist. com/world/united-states/displaystory. cfm? story_id=16060939 (May 27, 2010) 8. NASSCOM (2009). ‘The IT-BPO Sectors in India’. Global Industry Trends available online at http://www. nasscom. in/Nasscom/templates/NormalPage. aspx? id=56966 (May 27, 2010)

Strategic Management & Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Management & Marketing - Essay Example We focus on, satisfying our clients’ demands, for the benefit of our employees and shareholders, thus fulfilling our corporate social sensitivities and commitments† (Tsakos Group-b, 2010). Owing to its scale and efficiency of operations that are controlled from Bermuda, Panama, Uruguay, England, Romania, Ukraine, Ghana, South Korea, Japan, Philippines and of course Greece (Tsakos Group-c, 2010), and through a commendable fleet of seventy eight ships (Tsakos Group-d, 2010) that consist of tankers, LNGs, dry cargo vessels and containers, the company currently enjoys a position among the top three Greek companies that are involved in ship management. Moreover, Tsakos is globally significant by being counted among the ten leading tanker companies. It has been observed that the political environment prevailing in Greece is largely stable, albeit â€Å"Greece has long been at odds with its close neighbour, Turkey, over territorial disputes in the Aegean and the divided island of Cyprus† (BBC, 2010). Despite the fact that in terms of per capita GDP Greece ranks globally 26th, the recent financial crisis has taken a toll on the nation’s economy and â€Å"Greece continues to face a large competitiveness gap which has been accompanied by a marked deterioration in the external current account balance† (Honjo & Chua, 2008, pp.2). The social tenets of Greece are quite strong and its people are mostly religious. High rates of literacy make the nation competent enough to make forays into the global arena in terms of trade and economy. It is a noteworthy fact that there has been a strong and almost inseparable association between Greece and the art and trade of shipping, since time immemorial. Owing to this fact, mar itime trade has remained a key component of the Greek economy since ages. The significance of shipping to Greece can be appreciated from the words of Capt. Panagiotis N. Tsakos, who himself hails from a family associated with this business

A Small Scale Sample Survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Small Scale Sample Survey - Essay Example The sports centre should have modern amenities such as spacious gyms and air conditioned dance studios, several swimming pools and instructional pools, all aimed at facilitating it to offer Health and Fitness services to its clients (Bowers, 1970). It should therefore act as a place where the public can visit especially in the evenings, not only to improve health, but to make friends and to get fit with one's family as well as allowing their children to have fun (Bowers, 1970). Because of the foregoing, the researcher finds it necessary to investigate the sports centre to find out if it really satisfies these obligations. This survey therefore aims to investigate whether the Sports Centre carries out its mandate as stipulated in its manifesto. The objectives of this survey will thus be to investigate whether the sports centre operates within its mandate of offering sport and leisure courses to staff and students as well as the public. It will also attempt to find out whether the sports centre is capable of inspiring its members and non-members alike, sharing information with them about how they can become fitter and feel great at the centre. Finally, the survey will set out to investigate whether the sports Centre is an inclusive leisure facility offering competitive, instructional and leisure exercise opportunities to all who visit it. Discussion Since this is a small scale survey, the researcher proposes to come up with a questionnaire that will be used as the instrument of data collection. It is therefore the intention of the researcher to use a sample size and a sampling strategy that will best suit the purpose of this study. The Target population In this survey, the researcher wishes to target three categories of subjects in sampling his population. These include the staff, students and the public of the sports centre under investigation. These subjects are going to be selected because the researcher believes that they are better placed in giving the information that will help him to best investigate the sports centre. The staff and students will be involved in the study particularly because they are constantly in the sports centre and are thus able to learn the problems, if any affecting the sports centre. The public on the other hand will participate in the study because they are basically the ones who are the recipients of the bulk of services offered by the sports centre. They spent their money for the services offered. They may also decide whether to take their children to the sports centre or not, pay their fees or not, all depending on the satisfaction of the services they get. Thus this makes the public very decisive in their children's participation of the sports activities. The sampling strategy Through stratified random sampling, the researcher intends to select his sample population of about two hundred and ten subjects. In each of the three categories from which the sample population will be drawn, the researcher proposes to randomly select seventy respondents, that is seventy staff members, seventy students and seventy members of the public. Half of these respondents in

Unit 3 Public Health in my backyard Research Paper

Unit 3 Public Health in my backyard - Research Paper Example The programs on public health will surely develop the individual’s interests, career and goals in life. One of the famous program on psychiatric unit is the AA—Alcohol Anonymous Program, which follows a twelve-step recovery model treatment program. The program assists the person with substance abuse problem. In addition, AA does not involve any monetary obligations but would make a contractual requirement with the treatment agencies respectively (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 3-4). Alcohol Anonymous is distinctive, unique and voluntary mutual aid organization. Community Assessments is important in determining the population who is at risk of disease or health disparities. In doing an assessment and to identify the problem, they use qualitative and quantitative measures. For example, the community organizer uses techniques to solve the problems easily such as doing surveys, interviews, and even questionnaires. As a result, the organizer can assess the population who is most affected, the factors that contribute in exacerbating the problem. Public Health Programs are assessed, diagnosed, planned and finally implemented based on the community assessments and the resources available in the area, which will potentially lead to change and improvement of the community (Harris, 2010, p. 3). I remember one of my cousins named Kaye who weighs 120 pounds (57 kg.) at the age of 11. By merely observing Kaye, I can tell that she is overweight. Kaye always asked the school nurse why she is always included in the list of malnourished children when she believes that she’s not. Learning this, Kaye’s grandmother decided to join the health program in the community—the healthy dieting program, weight monitoring, and exercise program to solve Kaye’s problem. The case of Kaye involves five (5) stages of behavioral change: (Riegelman,

Answers question based on case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answers question based on - Case Study Example Card is done using digital signatures that accurately verifies whether a certain user has an existing electronic document (Farhoomand & McCauley, 2008, p. 6). TradeCard is very strict never to disclose private information, confidential transaction data, or business details to external parties without permission from the users. Members’ personal identifiable information and confidential transaction data are only shared with other participating business partners and with TradeCard’s coalition partners. TradeCard uses a Global secure site that ensures the client browsers are highly confidential. The server certificates in this site have a strong (a 128-bit) encryption on all transactions between a client’s browser and TradeCard system servers (Farhoomand & McCauley, 2008, p. 7). Data integrity in any transaction is very important to people involved. That is the reason TradeCard system provides a high-level of assurance that unauthorized person cannot alter any data in a transaction. Digital signatures protect integrity of user’s documents in the system. The Global site system can prove the integrity of a document in future by passing the document information and public key into a digital signature verification algorithm. In case of any type of data manipulation, the verification process will be unsuccessful (Farhoomand & McCauley, 2008, p. 11). In its effort to provide secure means of conducting global transactions, beside from the strict application procedures and verifications followed via Thomas Cook and Coface, TradeCard has created a complex security system. The architecture of the system has three built levels of security; these are, 2-factor user authentication, server authentication, and digital signatures The Global Secure Site Certificate secures TradeCard system, where by the Secure site ID ensures the user’s browser is encrypted with the communications encryption of 128 bit for US web browser and 40 bit for an exportable Web browser. Each

English Comp.- Adapting a Writing Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English Comp.- Adapting a Writing Style - Essay Example Rather than referring to the Kinetic Theory of Matter, it would be more useful to say that all matter is made up of very small particles and their make-up and energy determines whether it is a solid, liquid, or gas. In addition, highly technical vocabulary, jargon, and buzzwords need to be eliminated and replaced by more generally understood terms. For example, instead of referring to the C level employees (CEO, CFO), it would be more informative to refer to them as executives. These simple modifications pave the way for an easily understood article. Writing is also a process where we try to inform by creating a written connect the dots article. Specialists, with a large body of knowledge, may be able to make inferences and connections that are not available to the general audience. Paragraphs need to be carefully constructed with a logical flow that can easily be followed. Paragraphs should have a transition to let the audience know when the topic is shifting and the direction that it is taking. Statements must be constructed that offer enough explanation without becoming so complex that the reader gets lost. This usually involves shorter statements that are supported with short explanations. This helps guide the reader through the complexities of the material. The complexities of the technical information can also be presented by the use of metaphors and similes. Instead of telling your audience that the new cable modem has a bandwidth of 30 mega bits per second, it would be more picturesque to say that the modem transfers 2,000 pages of written text per second or as many as six complete novels. While few readers will understand Mbps, everyone knows how big a novel is. The audience is not interested in the technical specifications; they are simply looking for comparisons to the things they know. In conclusion, adapting a technical article for a general audience is really just a matter of putting it into plain English.

Analyse Hills Like Elephants and Everyday use Essay - 1

Analyse Hills Like Elephants and Everyday use - Essay Example The stories take different paths to achieve the delivery of the main message, as is mentioned above. Hemmingways tale relies heavily upon inference from the reader to account for brevity, but the short length is also a benefit as it helps to intensify the quick process of tension development to deliver the maximum impact. Walker has more time to establish and support the conflict, and utilizes it quite effectively though there is a noticeable drag at moments that weakens the sense of urgency. Luckily the loss of immediacy is countered by the benefits that time presents for character investment. Readers may find it easier to connect to the characters in Walkers story given the extra development time, but this is a necessary measure to account for the relatively benign symbol of focus. This is an observation and not a judgement. Quilts are great, symbolism is great, but the extra thought that can be associated with the technique can sometimes prove to be a distraction. There are two nameless characters in Hemmingways brief story, making it easy to feel cold toward them, but empathy is almost guaranteed to materialize as soon as the conversational topic becomes apparent to the reader. Overall, both approaches to character development provide a suitable vehicle for delivery of the main theme. Two cultural divides are explored within these stories. In Walkers story, the issue is an African American woman losing touch with her slavery-connected roots. Not only does she reject her heritage, she eventually returns to unwittingly mock it by disrespecting the quilt after adopting the culture of the modern (at the time) African American activist. Hemmingways two subjects can be interpreted as discussing a pending abortion, and the conflict lies not in the decision to abort, but in the males inability to connect with the females cultural perspective. He cannot seem to comprehend the biological, social, and psychological implications of the experience or to

Answer question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Answer question - Essay Example The teachings by Moishe the Beadle are similar to Buber’s Hasidic teachings. Moishe teaches that there are a thousand and one ways that lead to the orchard of truth and each man has to find his own way to get there (Wiesel, 2006). Buber shares the same views as he argues that all men can access God, but each through his own way (Buber, 1958). During his various experiences, Wiesel was once in a situation where they had to celebrate the Day of Atonement by fasting. Wiesel went against traditional believes of fasting both as a symbol of rebellion against God’s silence as well as a necessary means of keeping up strength in the face of adversity and torture. Buber explains that in Hasidism, one can serve through learning, prayer, fasting or through eating (Buber, 1958). Accordingly, one should choose depending on what they view as right and avoid imitating others. On entering Auschwitz, Wiesel and his group of prisoners were greeted by a young pole with Hasidic inclination. He argues that by driving despair and through camaraderie, they will be able to overcome their hardship. Hasidism according to Buber shares a similar view as he argues that while the world is an irradiation of the Divine, it is described by independence of existence and striving and that man is to affirm the world and transform both him and the world at large to the image that God would approve. The notable difference between Buber and Wiesel accounts is the latter’s conclusion that man and man alone is the master of the universe. Buber argues that a divine spark exists in all men and that it can either be perverted or liberated and re-joined with the Origin (God) (Buber, 1958). Personally, I do not agree with Wiesel conclusion that we live in a world without God and that man alone is the master of nature and of the world. I however sympathize with

Prevention of Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections Through Research Paper

Prevention of Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections Through Education - Research Paper Example CLABSIs have been estimated to occur in the United States hospitals in the range of 250, 000-500, 000 cases annually. This has resulted in high costs of care for patients who have been hospitalized. The need to cut down the costs associated with CLABSIs resulted in research aimed at developing a feasible solution. Research has yielded a mechanism that will see nurses educated on best practices that will them take an active role in the prevention of CLABSIs. This paper will focus on implementation of a plan to prevent central line associated blood stream infections by way of educating nurses. Problem Identification and Importance According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), every year an estimated 41,000 Central line associated blood stream infections occur in hospitals in U.S. The infections are typically serious and result in protracted stay in hospitals with increased costs. These infections also come with an increased risk of mortality (CDC, 2012). CLABSI (central line assoc iated blood stream infections) are typically prevented by proper management of the central line. CLABSIs are considered to be part of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) and have been reported to responsible for mortality ranging from 12-15%. In a study conducted by CDC, the findings revealed that approximately 43,000 CLABSIs occurred in hospitalized patients in ICU in U.S hospitals. There was a reduction in the number of CLABSIs by approximately 18000 in the year 2009. CLABSIs resulting from Staphyloccocus aureus represented the greatest decrease than even the gram negative rods like Candida spp and Enterococcus spp. In the same year, 23,000 CLABSIs occurred among inpatient individuals in the inpatient wards of U.S hospitals. In the year 2008, approximately 37, 000 CLABSIs occurred in outpatient clients receiving outpatient hemodialysis (CDC, 2011). These statistics serve to underscore the importance of CLABSIs in U.S hospitals. CLABSIs have resulted in an increased cost of med ical treatment. Hospitalized persons are paying huge amounts of money for their medical costs (Moe, 2012). It is this CLABSI associated costs that created a need for research activities that would see the CLABSIs kept to a minimum. The research activities have resulted in current evidence based guidelines that when executed, the incidence of CLABSIs will reduce. The mechanism requires that nurses be educated on prevention of CLABSIs. CLABSIs are not only responsible for high medical cost but are also responsible for morbidity and mortality in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units (Bizzarro, 2011). According to Bizzaro (2011), although implementation of evidence based catheter care bundles has reduced the infection rates, CLABSIs remain a fundamental problem in the pediatric and neonatal critical care units. CLABSIs are responsible for both pediatric, neonatal and adult morbidity and mortality in U.S citizens. Costs According to a study conducted by Shannon, et al (2006), the i nfections that are acquired while in hospital add considerable mortality and morbidity to patient care. A detailed economic analysis of the hospital expenses and revenues in 54 patient cases who had contracted central line associated blood stream infections over a period of three years in two intensive care units was conducted. The financial data was compared to data of other patients who were of

The Victorian Age in Literature Essay Example for Free

The Victorian Age in Literature Essay The Victorian Age is roughly delimited by the reign of Queen Victoria, who ascended the throne of Great Britain on 1937, and died in 1901. For the sake of convenience the Victorian age of literature is bracketed by the period 1830 to 1901. Both in terms of literature and culture the Victorian period is highly distinctive. For such a characteristic period to correspond to the reign of a monarch, and considering the inordinate length of it, suggests somehow that the character of the monarch has left its imprint therein. But this is very far from being the case. In theory Britain was a constitutional monarchy, which meant that the queen was supreme ruler, and was aided by an executive arm, which was a Parliament that is democratically elected. This was, however, only on paper. In practice the bourgeoisie were entrenched in the Parliament and ruled the land as an oligarchy. The entrenchment of the middle classes in England was a process begun with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, in which the nobles wrenched significant powers from the crown, then in the form of the unpopular King John. Both the nobles and the crown, however, met a new challenge in the form of the merchant and middle classes after the Protestant Reformation, which was the basis of the English Civil War, fought in the seventeenth century. The result of this war was a monarchy thoroughly emasculated and in the hands of the bourgeoisie, who began to appoint their kings from abroad, beginning with William of Orange, from Holland, who ascended the British throne as William III in the â€Å"Glorious Revolution† of 1688. In 1714 George Louis, Elector of Hanover, was invited to sit on the British throne, which began the long lineage of the House of Hanover, of which Queen Victoria was descended. In this wise the queen was barely English, and had hardly any inclination to become one, evidenced by the links continued to be held with the continent. She became merely a sentimentalized figurehead, as Britain forged ahead, during her reign, to become the economic and imperial power of world. She was ultimately conferred the title of Empress of India, at the time when India was the Jewel in the Crown of a world empire. But she identified little with the aspirations of the age that she labeled. The emancipation of woman was a central tenet of Victorianism, which she opposed vehemently. She called it â€Å"mad, wicked folly†, and thought that these ladies â€Å"ought to get a good whipping† (qtd. in Strachey 409). The advance of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution forms the backdrop to the Victorian age. The prelude to this was the rise of science and rationalism at the expense of faith. The Enlightenment is the name given to this movement in the initial phase, especially in relation to the conscious intellectual movement in this direction inspired by the likes of Bayle and Voltaire in France. It venerated reason, the experimental method of Bacon, the mechanics of Newton, and the ideals of the Classical world of ancient Rome and Greece. This movement eventually bred a reaction in Germany, through the likes of Herder, Schiller and Goethe, who emphasized passion and spontaneity, as against cold reason. The movement came to be labeled Romanticism, and found a vigorous growth on English soil too through Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats and others. Many have characterized the Victorian ethos as a compromise between these two extremes, and found expression in a philosophy known as Utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham and James Mill were the advocates of this philosophy. Bentham coined the motto â€Å"the greatest good of the greatest number† to encapsulate the philosophy (qtd. in Parekh 62). It is what Chesterton describes as the â€Å"great Victorian compromise†. But Victorian literature, as a whole, is not a reflection of Utilitarianism, but is rather a protest against it. Chesterton compares such a protest with the popular uprising of the French Revolution. If the stifling effects of science and industry caused the people to revolt in France, in Britain it was the poets and wordsmiths who did so. In fact this was the only avenue of protest left open in Britain, where the captains of industry has already seized all other social institutions, which is the very reason why the Industrial Revolution took place in Britain and not anywhere else. The â€Å"enclosures† had taken land away from the people, leaving them just as powerless as the queen on her throne. Industry herded them into the cities and made them captive to Smith’s â€Å"division of labor†. Literature was the means to revolution, according to Chesterton, on which he elaborates: This trend of the English Romantics to carry out the revolutionary idea not savagely in works, but very wildly indeed in words, had several results; the most important of which was this. It started English literature after the Revolution with a sort of bent towards independence and eccentricity, which in the brighter wits became individuality, and in the duller ones, Individualism. (5) In this way the revolution is said to have succeeded, because it was able to mould the modern character so that it is able to deal with modernity. This is a triumph not to be belittled, and so, continues Chesterton, â€Å"Verbally considered, Carlyles French Revolution was more revolutionary than the real French Revolution† (Ibid). EARLY PERIOD (1830-1848) Though coming well before the Victorian period, the novels of Jane Austen must be considered as a beginning, and a forerunner to proper Victorian literature. They seem to be merely unassuming domestic dramas, written from the very limited perspective of a provincial lady. In fact, Jane Austen had very little experience of life beyond the confines of rural England, and her works are unencumbered by the great philosophies that were then vying with each other for the domination of the world. She was neither a rationalist, nor a Romanticist. For her heroines, life’s one concern is to secure a good match, one that combines a good income with social esteem. The overriding message of her novels seems to be that to obtain the ideal match the woman must possess both sense and sensibility, i. e. both reason and passion. In fact, Sense and Sensibility is the title of her first novel, establishing her mode. As such we are able to identify it as a precursor to the Victorian compromise. This is not to call her heroines Utilitarian, in the sense of being scheming social climbers. Austen’s novels must be seen as celebration of domestic life, as standing opposed to the insidious infiltration of ideas, in which sense both the rationalists and the Romanticists are guilty. Such a resistance to rational frameworks characterizes nearly all of Victorian literature, and Oscar Wilde and the Aesthetes were still engaged in the same towards the end of the Victorian period. From another point of view, it is the imposition of the woman’s perspective into a world that is otherwise overburdened with the male. Austen must also be credited with inventing the modern novel, which Chesterton describes as a â€Å"feminine art†, and the function of which is to distinguish character, rather than tell a story (39). All the great Victorian novelists follow Austen in this sense. Thomas Babbington Macaulay is another writer who cannot be left out in any consideration of Victorian literature, even though he clearly comes before. He is the true prophet of progress, and thus the harbinger of the Victorian ethos. As a historian the overriding task of Macaulay is to delineate â€Å"progress†. He tackles history with an overwhelming bias towards the Whiggish faction, the party that upheld the liberal tradition and allied itself to the moneyed middle classes. He upheld Bentham’s Utilitarianism, but was by no means cold and calculating. Instead he promoted a vision that is broad, captivating and awe-inspiring. He is the undeniable single influence behind Victorian literature, even though not all his influence was wholesome. Of him Chesterton says: The chief tragedy in the trend of later literature may be expressed by saying that the smaller Macaulay conquered the larger. Later men had less and less of that hot love of history he had inherited from Scott. They had more and more of that cold science of self-interests which he had learnt from Bentham. (12) Those who practiced the hard school of science, and advocated Utilitarianism, were usually beyond the fray of literature. The leading light among them, John Stuart Mill, was an exception among them, however. He championed Smithsonian economics, and attempted to provide polish to the philosophy of Utilitarianism, yet he did so as an artist, and with profound common sense. His father was one of the founders of Utilitarianism, and Bentham was his godfather. He was educated at home under his father’s punishing regime, one that was cause of a near breakdown of the youthful Mill. It was meant that he imbibe as much classical and scientific education as possible, and Bentham was also instrumental towards this end. Mill, however, survived and went on to redefine the philosophy of Utilitarianism in a more human way. It was the wont of the Utilitarians to circumvent the truism that the freedom of one comes in the way of that of the other. If they did consider it, it was only in the larger numbers, along the principle of â€Å"the greatest good of the greatest number†. But, in his seminal essay â€Å"On Liberty†, Mill advanced the â€Å"harm principle†, in which the act of liberty is said to be virtuous only when there is no immediate harem discernable to the next: The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign. (28) The philosophy of Mill was suspect. Nevertheless, he is heartfelt and genuine, and therefore he succeeds as a writer, and his works succeed as literature, which was highly influential in taming the hard edges of Utilitarianism. He meant it that the philosophy be not cold-headed, but warm-hearted. He points out that there is a difference between ‘happiness’ and ‘contentment’, and that Bentham confused the latter with the former. One may be content with numbers, but not happy with a guilty conscience. It is happiness that is to be sought, and cannot be had with numbers. So he says: It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. (Mill, Utilitarianism, 281) Many commentators tend to classify Thomas Carlyle as a Romanticist, and indeed his introduction to the world of letters is through his translations of Goethe, whose Romantic ideals he championed. But Carlyle will be found to be eminently Victorian, and should indeed serve as the ideal representative of Victorianism in its early phase. The most marked characteristic of a Victorian author is that he knows instinctively something to be wrong, and gives vent to this mood in his writing. It is a remark that wholly applies to Carlyle. He is never as logical as Goethe and the Romantics. He does not insist on passion, he is merely passionate. The things that he is passionate about are derived, as if, from the sixth sense. He was impatient of all forms of speculation. â€Å"Our grand business undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dimly at a distance,† he says, â€Å"but to do what lies clearly at hand† (Carlyle, Critical, 462). He distrusts history in any form whatsoever, which might seem hypocritical seeing that his major works are predominantly history. But reading the French Revolution does not give us the impression of having read history. It is narrated as if the events were in the present, and we are supposed to be moved as if the revolution is happening, not as a report of a past occurrence. He had no rapport with the mob: â€Å"Democracy is, by the nature of it, a self-canceling business; and it gives in the long run a net result of zero† (Carlyle, Chartism, 33). Neither the mob, nor the ossified â€Å"isms† of the philosophers partake in history. Instead it is the heroic individual, moved by the immediacy of duty, who is the real author of history. â€Å"The history of the world is but the biography of great men,† he avers in On Heroes and Hero Worship (29).

Muslim Commercial Bank Limited

Muslim Commercial Bank Limited MCB Bank is the abbreviation of Muslim Commercial Bank Limited and it was established by the Adamje group on 9 July 1947, under the Indian company Act, Vll of 1913 as a company limited. This bank is established in view to provide the banking facility to the business community of the South Asia. This bank was nationalized in 1974 and at that time president of Pakistan was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. This was the first bank to be privatized in 1991 and the bank was purchased by the Nishat Group. In the 2008, the Nishat Group holds the majority of the shares of this Bank. At that time MR. Atif Bajwa is the president of the Bank and that person is previously working with the Citi Bank. Nishat Group was founded in 1951. Nishat Group is the leading and most widely separated business Groups in Pakistan. The presence of Nishat Group in the important business sectors of the country like Banking, Textile, cement and insurance. Mian Muhmmad Mansha is the owner of the Nishat Group. The company has fixed and current assets of over 300billion and this company were included in one of the top five companies of the Pakistan. Mian Mansha played a very important role in the success of the bank. The Govt. of the Pakistan gave him Sitara-e-imtiaz and this is the most prestigious civil award of the country. If we take a look on the total asset of the bank that is 72,052,258 in March 2010 and if we take a look on the previous assets that was 69,740,013 we estimate that the bank is really working with a fast pace. And the profit after taxation of the company in March 2010 is 4,141,151 and at the end of the 2009 it was 4,134,971. Muslim commercial Bank agreement to buy the Royal Bank of Scotland but it fails to acquire proper license from State Bank of Pakistan. Profitability of MCB MCB is the Pakistans fourth largest bank in term of assets base 5.9 billion US dollar. The bank has the almost 1082 branches including 11 Islamic banking branches and over 300 ATM machines. During the last Fifteen year bank has concentrated on growth through improving service quality, investment in technology and people, utilizing its extensive branch network and managing the risk management. MCB has established business in SriLanka and Bahrain and newly established Rep. Office in Dubai. The bank has also formed a private company in Hong Kong in partnership with the Standard Charter bank, handling trade transactions in Asian-Pacific region. MCB also incorporated a leasing company in Azerbaijan in 2009. Fully owned Subsidiaries of MCB are; Muslim Commercial Financial Services (private) Limited MNET Services (private) Limited MCB Trade Services Limited MCB Asset Management Company Limited MCB Leasing Company Business Strategy of MCB The business strategy of MCB is to provide financial solutions in major segments for its customers. The bank has also established an Islamic Banking unit to offer Shariah complaint products and services, in six cities and the future plan is to establish more branches of Islamic banking and its branches is as much as the traditional banking branches have in the country. Nishat Textile Nishat Mills limited was founded in 1951. He has one of the largest Textile setup in the country. They have following production facility; 270,000 Spindles 740 looms Dying and printing capacity of 7 million meters Cement D.G Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKCC) is a unit of the Nishat Group and it is the largest Cement manufacturing company in the Pakistan with the capacity of 5500 tons clinker per day. They distribute their product in both nationwide and as well as internationally due to his consistent quality. This company is listed on all the stock exchanges of the Pakistan. Nishat Group also setup a new Cement manufacturing plant with a capacity of 6700 tons per day near kalar kahar, Distt. Chakwal. After the completion of this plant this will be the largest plant of the country. Financial Services MCB is the largest private bank in the country with a 1200 branches in Pakistan and they operate internationally. MCB was also the first bank of the country that is listed on the London stock exchange in October 2006. Values of MCB Bank Following are the vales of MCB Bank: Integrity Innovation Excellence Customer Centricity Respect Integrity We are the trustee of public fund and serve our community with integrity. We believe in being the best at always doing the right thing. We deliver on our responsibility and commitment to our customer as well as our colleagues. Innovation We encourage and reward people who challenge the status quo and think beyond the boundaries of the conventional. Our team work together for the smooth and efficient implementation of ideas and initiatives. Excellence We take personal responsibility for our role as leaders in pursuit of excellence. We are the performance driven, result oriented organization where merit is the only criterion for reward. Customer Centricity Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We thrive on the challenge of understanding their needs and aspiration, both realized and unrealized. We make every effort to exceed customer expectation through superior services and solution. Respect We respect our customer values, beliefs, culture and history. We value the equality of gender and diversity of experience and education that our employees bring with them. We create an environment where each individual is enabling to succeed. Online services Following are the online services that offer by the MCB Bank. Million of Branches ATMs Call Center Bill Payment Funds transfer MCB Limited Announcing his Million of Branches in the Country MCB Limited has announced Mobile Banking facilities for its customers in July 2009, first time in Pakistan. Speaking on the event, Mr. Atif Bajwa, Head CEO of MCB Bank said that MCB Mobile was a first step in ensuring the cost effective delivery of financial service. He added that when the State Bank of Pakistans advent the Branchless Banking procedure, development of many new financial products and services were already in progress at MCB. These products is not developed only for the MCB customers, but they also watch that most of the people have mobiles nowadays but they have no access to the banks through the mobiles so MCB Bank Limited introduce that system that help their customers to access their accounts easily He further added, users of MCB Mobile are just not restricted to watching account balances or requesting mini-statements, they easily manage mass of payments, like pay utility bills, recharge their both pre paid and post paid connections and make payments of post paid numbers through their mobile phones, they can even transfer the amount from one account to another in few minutes. Mehreen Ahmed, Group Head of Consumer Banking, also speaking on the event, that MCB Mobile was developed to offer customers different facilities to access their account throughout a week from their mobile phones MCB Bank initiate the Wide Mobilization Mobilization has been started in MCB Bank at 5 April 2009. The objective of the team is together bank and makes ensure that maximum number of members of MCB login and use MCB Mobile. Remote banking team trained the peoples of MCB and how to use the MCB mobile to ensure that this is very successful across the country wide branches. MCB Limited sponsors 2nd Mobile-Commerce Meeting in Karachi MCB is the sponsors of the 2nd Annual Mobile Commerce meeting held in Karachi at 11 March 2009. The discussion was attended by a number of different Banks, Telcos and Technology. Mr. Atif Bajwa, Head of MCB Bank Limited, delivered a key note that is the Banks and Telecommunication Companys work together and to bring revolution in that field. He gives offer to the telecommunication companies come to join the hands of MCB mobile banking to produce something new that no longer exist in Pakistan. MCB meets the Chairman PTA A team of the bank that lead by Mr. Qasif Shahid Head of the remote banking system met with Dr. Yaseen the chairman of Pakistan Telecom Authority in February 2009. The meeting was attended by many of high ranking officers of PTA and members from all 5 Telecommunication Companies. Key issues about the successful development of Mobile Banking in Pakistan were discussed in that meeting. All the 5 Telecommunication companies are agreeing to make a task force that made a road map for Mobile Banking. These task forces have been created and complete their tasks under the supervision of PTA. MCB link up with Fundamo Mobile Banking MCB Bank has linked up with Fundamo for its Mobile Banking solutions in January 2009. Fundamos: Fundamo is the Enterprise financial services platform. Fundamo is the worlds largest mobile financial service provider; they have the expertise to build technologies, and they have experience and vision as well. Vision: Fundamo is the global mobile financial solution provider. The company was established in 2000 and looking towards providing financial services through mobile phones in both developing and developed countries. Leadership: The company has created its leadership position due to the history of innovation and successful development. This knowledge ensures that its customers will always hit their target markets. With over 30 successful development projects in over 20 countries Fundamos technology and development strategy is proven. Expertise: Fundamos leadership team has strong background knowledge in the financial services industry and has the strict design principles required for secure banking system, and they also taking advantage of its unique character in mobile phone. This new style of financial system represents a powerful banking system due to its simplicity and uniqueness. Collaborating for success: An important element of Fundamos is to collaborate with the specialist organization to effectively and efficiently meet the need of the client in the rapidly moving mobile financial service market. Global coverage: Fundamos is now a global company with a 20 clients in different countries. Fundamos has a direct business as well partner business operations in many other countries. Fundamo Solutions: Enterprise Edition. Mobile wallet. Mobile Banking. Mobile Money Transfer. Fundamo is working in Pakistan through their official partners Access Group (Pvt) Limited. Bottom of Form Loading Loading What can u do with the MCB mobile service? Account Balance Mini Statement Transfer of funds Purchase mobile Top-Ups through MCB Mobile service Pay your Mobile Bills Pay utility Bills Make Visa Credit Card payments Donation Services Balance inquiry You can check your account balance any time. Mini-Statement You can access the transactions of last six months from your bank account at any time, making it easier for you to manage your account. Fund Transfers You can send money to anyone through MCB Bank account. The receiver of the money does not have to be a registered with the MCB Mobile user. You can receive money by giving the complete number that contain 16-digits or the ATM card number of the receiver. Purchase Airtime for Prepaid Connections Now you can easily purchase prepaid airtime from these mobile companies: Mobilink UFone Zong Warid Zem Telenor Pay Postpaid Mobile bills Now you can forget to pay your bill to the franchise because MCB gives you the opportunity to pay the bill through MCB Mobile at any time without any difficulty. Mobilink UFone Zong Warid Telenor Pay the amount of Bills MCB Mobile gives you facility to make payments of utility bills. Like Electric city Sui Gas Water Charges Tele phone bills Make payments of MCB Visa Credit Card You can now easily pay your Visa Credit Card payments through MCB Mobile. Now you can pay minimum payment or the full amount. Report a Lost ATM card If you lost your ATM card during the usage you can inform to the bank immediately and the bank will deactivated that card. And issue new card on the demand of the customer but this is only for the register customers. Donations You can make donations to any charity through the use of MCB Mobile service within a second. Donations to the Prime Ministers Fund are being accepted through this service. More charities will be added. Questions that mostly people asked Following question asked by the people. Who is eligible to register for the services? Do I need a special mobile connection? Is number portability supported for MCB Mobile? Do I need special mobile phone (handset)? Can I still register if I dont have Internet on my phone? How can I activate GPRS/Internet? What is bank charging for it? Are there any other charges? Is this service safe to use? How do I register? What happens after I register? What are the payment limits? If I forget my Mobile PIN? Where do I find the terms conditions? Where can I get more information about the MCB Mobile? ATMs Service MCB ATM smart card works anytime, anywhere in Pakistan abroad. MCB smart card is accepted over 4000 ATMS nationwide. MCB enables you to access fast cash, account balance inquire, transfer of funds etc through 450 ATMs in the country. MCB bank offers different type of ATM cards: ATM Regular Card ATM Gold Card ATM Regular Card ATM Regular or classic card allow you to withdraw 15000 per day and minimum three withdraw in a day. ATM Gold Card ATM Gold card allow you to withdraw up to 25000 per day and minimum of six withdraw in a day. The other condition is that the cardholder has to make two transactions to withdraw the 25000 amount. Call Center MCB provide the call center facility to their customer through which you can take help from representatives. Those are available at any time. They can help you as well as give guidelines. You can all so take help about their credit card problems. MCB offers following services: General Inquires Financial Services Non- Financial Services General Inquires Following are the general inquires; ATM locations Account opening procedures MCB Bank Charges All MCB Product related information MCB Merchant locations Financial Services Following are the different Financial Services; Inquiry of account balance Request for transfer of funds Details of Debit Card transitions Detail for last five transitions Request for all Credit Cards Blocking Service of ATM Card throughout the day Payment for all the Bills Purchase vouchers Non Financial Services Following are the Non Financial Services; Request for Credit Card address change Virtual Banking activation Complaint registrations 24 hours a day Mobile Banking activation Call 111-000-MCB (622) Bill Payments MCB give you the services through which you can pay your bills and recharge your mobile accounts. So we save our time through this and pay our bills easily. MCB smart card holder can also pay their bills easily. Bills Payment Features Following are the Features; Pay your Bills throughout the week Make full or half payment. Full payment is required only for PTCL Recharge your prepaid account Pay as a register or non register user. This will help you to avoid the time delay. SWOT ANALYSIS Strength Long Establishment Long establishment is one of the strength of MCB over private banks. Due to this it earn a name in the market, The biggest Infrastructure MCB has the biggest infrastructure among the entire private bank. So it is making business from one corner of the country to another corner of the country. Other factors are: Brand image because of Muslim word in the name in an Islamic country. In a growing economy of Pakistan. Has strong market presence. Mainly operating by Mansha Group. Offers a wide variety of services to its customer and has a customer bank of round about 4 million. The bank has efficient IT infrastructure and network of online services. MCB is working in Pakistan over 60 years of success. MCB fall under the big 5 domestic banks of Pakistan. Bank is continuously focusing on developing new and innovative products to attract the target market. Asset utilization is very good. GPRS enable banking. Weaknesses In the changing environment where MCB has some strength it has some weaknesses also, some of the weak factors are; None Professional staff MCB keeps non professional staff even on higher post who is promoted from the typist and clerical area after a long time. Nationalization Effect When MCB was nationalized by BHUTTOs Govt. it was the glooming period of MCB. During that period, MCB suffered a lot. Govt. Influence Non-professional and bureaucratic people were placed at the top mgt level who knows nothing about the banking and they damage the repute of the bank in the markets as well. Lack of dynamism When a newly person employed in the bank they want to leave the bank very soon. Because the promotion period of the bank is so late till you retire. So lake at dynamism comes to the personality. He is no further creative in his life. So increasing age of the staff is one of the weaknesses of the bank because banks needs young and creative person who have the ability to meet the changing response of the environment. Advances to non productive units During the nationalized period, a lot of amounts are forwarded to the non productive unit just on political bases. Most of the advances are not still paid and not even written off. Other factors are: Political instability Internal political issues Less job satisfaction of employees. Customers facing problems of NADRA verification while opening their accounts because its process is time consuming. To give everyone equal protocol is lacking among employees customers having account with small amount and not giving same services like dealing to others who have high account. Lack of organizational loyalty among employees. Promotion is generally on seniority bases. External Environment Opportunity Having an edge over the other commercial banks, MCB has greater profit, greater growth rate and market share than other commercial banks. Privatization After privatization bank deposits has accelerated tremendous speed because it gave the opportunity to get rid of critical influences and to put the bank on the professional root. Other factors are: To go global Low exposure to consumer banking providing opportunity to explore the segment. Emergence of Islamic banking in the country and MCB is increasing its Islamic banking operations. SBP police to allow Islamic banking business separately. Free staff training facilities offered. Greater profitability can be achieved through strong internal control. Elimination of risk of fraud through professional training. Opportunity to open a branch in rural area to increase its branch network and gain more profit. New schemes for deposit and finances should be introduced regularly. Threats Private Banks Like citi bank and ABN amro are entering in the market with a greater power and strength in terms of brand name. Govt. Policies MCB faces the great threat from the Govt. policies like as finance the non productive units housing etc. so the bank does not feel the freedom in operating on its own view point, which is a threat for the bank. Because the bank is purely commercial so it should have autonomy to make its own decisions. Other factors are: Increasing competition in banking sector of Pakistan. Strong competition. Rising deposit rates. Foreign banks in the market having more marketing budget. People losing trust in banks. Participation of foreign banks in local market that can hurt the market share. Restructuring of privatized banks. PEST ANALYSIS Political Political instability in Pakistan can lead to changes in laws and policies which can be in favor or against the banking sector. Economic Economy of Pakistan is facing issues about employment, inflation, illiteracy, which hinder business growth. Social Cultural issues can be there but still as there are multinational companies there, therefore, cultural issues are not prominent. Technology People are highly skilled and MCB can introduce new technology to increase competencies. Porters Model The basis of much of the thinking on competitive advantage has been the writing of Michael Porter. Porter in his book COMPETITVE STRATEGY: techniques for analyzing industries and competitors (1980) introduced his model of competitive rivalry. Competitor rivalries are: Competitive rivalry Threat of potential new entrant to the sector Threat of substitution product or services to the existing trade The Bargaining power of buyers The Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of potential entrants Competitive Rivalry Bargaining power of buyer Bargaining power of supplier Threat of substitution Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrant relates to the ease with which a company can enter a given trade sector. Barrier to entry into a particular market include the need for capital, knowledge and skills. The barrier to entry, for example, in banking industry if a bank is working in particular area where any other bank is exist or any other branch is exist in the same city. Then the competition is exit and threat is exist for the bank that already exists. With the entrants of competitor your business is really suffer to overcome their competitor you have to introduce new strategies and make plans. IT can be a barrier to enter to a given market place. Existing players in the sector may well have a substantial in IS / IT, including for instance the use of EDI to co ordinate their supply chain. This experience and investment can be difficult for the new entrant to match. The converse is that development in IT and e- commerce may leave existing players with a heavy investment in expensive, old technologies giving the new entrants the opportunities to enter the market with fresh ideas and a business plan facilitated by a new generation of IT provision. Internet e- commerce is a technology that can facilitate new entrants to existing markets without the need to match the IT and infrastructure investment of the existing players. Threat of Substitution Substitution is a threat to existing players where a new product becomes available that supplies the same function as the existing product or services. If we take the examples of banks if any commercial bank is not providing good services to their customers are not giving proper care to the customers then the customers go for the substitute where they find good services and where bank provide or give values to their customer as a priority. The IT industry has itself substitute many products previously used in business with the replacement of the typewriter by the word processor being but one example of the e- commerce technologies, internet e- commerce has the potential to make significant inroads in the traditional retail sector with online banking. Bargaining power of Buyers For a business to be profitable the cost of producing and distributing its product has to be less then price it can fetch in the market place. Where there are a number of competitors in the market or the surplus of supply the buyer is in a strong position to bargain for a low price and for other favorable conditions of trade. Over recent years the large retail chains have developed a strong bargaining position. The bargaining strength of the buyer is of least threat to the low cost producer that organization can agree to tight terms of trade that competitor firms could not profitably match. The other defence is to have a branded product that the store will feel obliged to stock because their customers expect it. Bargaining power of suppliers The organization whilst trying to get an adequate price from its buyers will be looking to get favorable terms from its own suppliers. The organizations ability to get a good deal is the mirror image of its positions with the buyers. If the supply is plentiful or there are several suppliers it should get a good price. If the product is scarce or the number of suppliers that are able to meet its needs is limited then the supplier is in a more favorable position. Competition between Existing Players The final force is the competition between existing players in the market. The competition is to get the buyers and to trade at a price that produces an acceptable profit. That competition is won on the basis of the generic competition advantage of price, differentiation or focus. The competitive position of each organization is determined in part as least by the deal it is able to make with its suppliers. The competitive position of each organization is not absolute; in most markets the factors that lead to a successful deal in one place at a given time will not necessarily be replicated in the next bargain that is to b struck. Impacts of E- Business Following are the impacts that E- business have o the bank: New sales channel Cost leadership Reduced entry cost New opportunities Information System Efficient quality controlling Easy fraud detection in transaction Easy data saving Easy data recovery Easy management of business transaction New sales channel E- Business is the new way of sale channel in the market. You can introduce any kind of your new product on your official website. The internet completely changes the selling process for both the buyers and sellers. Electronic commerce users found that they can reduce the cost of sale through the internet. Internet is a very well media to advertise their product because if you launch your own site this is very help full for you because it is easier to buy anything from the site rather to go there and then decide. You can easily access the site and it is helpful for customer point of view because it takes less time and your required thing is at your door. Last many years advertising through internet is increased very rapidly manufacturers put every information about the product on the site so you can read it easily and you get familiar with the new product features. Amazon.com is the retail store for selling books through internet. Amazon is the most successful internet business launc hes ever. In MCB as they launch their mobile banking service customer feel much satisfaction because before launching this service or before online banking customers have to go to the bank for balance inquire are for any other service. After this service customer can check and access their account at their home and can send their money anywhere in the country easily. MCB mobile banking is the new way of doing business and they can send SMS to their users for the latest services that they introduced in the market. C:UsersTahirDesktopmarketing.jpg C:UsersTahirDesktopresearch2.jpg Cost Leader Ship Cost leadership is a concept used in business strategy and it is developed by Michael Porter. It describes the competitive advantage in the firm. Cost leadership means reducing the cost of operation in the industry. The cost leadership is often determined by company efficiency, size, scale, scope, and cumulative experience. A cost leadership means to increase the level of production well defined scope and other economics and producing high quality products by using high technologies. In the last few years many companies used strategy mix to achieve market leadership. Companies that wish to follow the cost leadership strategy must maintain constant efforts to reduce the cost. Cost reduction strategies include: Establishing tight control of production Minimize the cost of sale Like the multinational bank MCB launched their online services like mobile banking. This is launched to reduce the luxuries and to introduce the branch less banking that mean it reduce the cost of branches for example if they remove the branches that mean saving of cost in term of removing employees and cost of electricity and many other expenses of branches. C:UsersTahirDesktophourglass-703070.jpg Reduced Entry Cost Reduced Cost of entry means introduce the new product to the market. Cost of entry includes the cost of all research, development, production, testing, marketing, advertising and distribution of the new product. Developing a website is reduced all these cost because internet provide you an easy access to every information so if you want to increase the production capacity you can find the new production techniques on the net. And you can adopt that according to your need. If we take advertising websites and online other sources like newspapers, magazines reduced the cost of advertising very much. In traditional way of doing advertising like print the papers and join the local media this will charge you high cost at limited area coverage. But the internet is away that give you an opportunity to advertise the product on a larger scale. If we talk

The Essentials That Plants Need To Survive Environmental Sciences Essay

The Essentials That Plants Need To Survive Environmental Sciences Essay Gods creation is full of many wonderful creations. Most of these wonderful creations are living things. Three broad groups of living things are animals, humans, and plants. There are many different types of creatures and living things in each group but thats another topic. Humans and plants have quite a few basic components in common. In this paper, one will learn about how plants grow, what they need to grow, and the processes plants use to grow larger and survive. Humans need food and water to live. Plants need food and water as well but they also need sunlight to create energy in a different way that we use sunlight for our bodies. Humans, animals, and plants need to breathe, but animals and humans breathe in a gas called oxygen and breathe out a gas called carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a mixture of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms per molecule which forms the chemical CO2. Plants are just the opposite; they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. So together we complete each other; we need each other to breathe which we need to do to survive. Another essential for plants is a chemical called nitrogen, which is found in soil. Nitrogen is also found in our bodies but we do not need it so it is disposed of. Its disposed through our feces and urine. The reason farmers and even people like you and me use manure is because it contains nitrogen to help the plants grow. Manure is a form of fertilizer. The beginnings of fertilizer started in the early to mid sixteen hundreds, invented by a man named Johann Glauber. The first ingredients in fertilizer were; saltpeter, lime, phosphoric acid, and potash. Later added was phosphate, which boosted the fertilizer industry so they moved into bomb factories after world war one ended. The idea to add phosphate was by a man named Sir John Lawes from the early eighteen hundreds to the beginning of the nineteen hundreds. The three main ingredients are; nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium but there are many other ingredients that change between each different type. Nitrogen is the key exponent i n syntheses in plants involving proteins, nucleic acids, and hormones. There are other things that plants need but less of because soil already contains small amounts of them. The other materials are; calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Some ingredients can be found naturally like seaweed, bones, guano, sodium nitrate, potash, and phosphate rock that form things that plants need. (Gale, 3) The way plants produce food is though photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is where the plant uses water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and glucose. When we get hot we sweat but when plants get hot they evaporate water to their leaves to cool themselves down at their main heat receptors. The reason plants will wilt sometimes in heat is because they do not have enough water at that time to cool their leaves down and create food. A reason plants need water is to move their nutrients around through their roots, stem, leaves, and flower or fruit, depending on what kind of plant it is. First photosynthesis happens. Photosynthesis is the process of turning light energy into chemical energy. There are two parts of photosynthesis: light and dark reactions. The light reaction occurs in the thylakoid membrane. This makes the light energy into chemical energy. The chlorophyll and other pigments like a beta carotene group together to create the reaction. The energy created by the reaction makes a chemical called ATP, (adenosine triphosphate). The dark reaction happens in a stroma inside a chloroplast which turns carbon dioxide into glucose (sugar). Light is not necessarily needed for a dark reaction. It does need some things that make a light reaction though, like ATP and NADPH. This dark reaction goes through a cycle called the Calvin cycle, which combines Carbon dioxide and ATP to make glucose. Very quickly some of t hese chemical combine to form glucose. Then the water travels through the plant in a dew form in a part of the plant called the xylem into something like capillaries. (Carter, 5-7) We also need water to do pretty much the same thing, move nutrients around our bodies. Our bodies are made up of mostly water, about fifty five to sixty five percent water, so we need to replenish it many times a day by drinking water or we will begin to become dehydrated, like plants begin wilt from lack of water. How much water a plant needs depends on the climate, how old the plant is, and what type of plant it is. Water is also needed to maintain how much water there is in the plant cells. The water in the plant cells is in charge on how large and fast the plant grows. Too much water though will drown the plant. Too little will not fill its needs and it will cause it to wilt. Three ways to tell if your plant has the right amount of water for the plant to maintain its life: one, stick your finger in the soil of the plant about an inch and if its dry and hardened it needs water, if its soaked and watery it has to much water but if it is moist it is perfectly fine and should be continued to be watered the same amount of water. Two, hold the plant and pot in your hand, if it feels lighter in weight then usual it needs water so you should increase the water amount, if heavier in weight there is too much water in the plant so you should decrease the water amount. Three, if the soil is starting to push away from the sides of the pot the plant is in need of more water. Water also helps maintain the plants temperature through the evaporation of the water in the plant. When the water on the surface area evaporates in takes in more water into its roots. It all works as a circulation system just like our breathing and plants breathing circulate. At the beginning of the water cycle the water goes through another circulation process. This process also involves evaporation. It starts with a body of water, then the water in that body of water evaporates. Then the water turns into clouds. Clouds are made up of water and air. In the cloud a process called condensation happens. After that the water comes back down in a process called precipitation. Just like all cycles, this cycle repeats and repeats and repeats many times a day all over the world. The main reason it is more likely to rain during cold weather is because the cold air in clouds cannot hold as much water as in clouds with hot air. Earth is approximately seventy one percent water. Only about thre e percent of that water can be used for drinking and watering plants. Water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom per molecule to form H2O (dihydrogen monoxide). Plants have almost the exact same essentials to survive as other living things such as humans and animals. One thing every living thing has in common is its need for water to maintain its life. Work Cited Page Armstrong, Shari. How Does Water Affect Plant Growth?. www.gardeningknowhow.com. 10/6/09. 10/7/09. Carter, J. Stein. Photosynthesis. http://biology.clc.uc.edu. 11/2/04. 1/11/10. . Gale, Thomson. Fertilizers. http://www.bookrags.com. 2005-2006. 1/11/10. . Jeffery. What do Plants need to Grow?. http://kidscientist.com. 11/3/07. 10/7/09. . Whitehead, Cathryn. Plants Need Water to Grow. http://www.ehow.com. 9/4/05. 10/7/09. .