Question Paper

COMMON GUIDELINES FOR MODEL QUESTION PAPER PATTERN In view of current challenges in imbibing quality in MBA education, the following changes are proposed by the Board of Examination in the Evaluation pattern of I Semester MBA from Jan/Feb 2012 examination on wards. Construct of Question Paper All 8 Modules should be given importance and questions need to be jumbled from all modules. No question should be set from practical component part of the syllabus. Theory based courses Subjects Knowledge based questions 1.Any 3 questions to be answered by setting 6 questions. 2. All modules must be given equal importance 12MBA11, 12MBA12,12MBA15 and 12MBA16 Q1- 3 + 7 +10 Q2- 3 + 7 +10 Q3- 3 + 7 +10 Q4- 5+5+10 Q5- 5+5+10 Q6- 5+15 or 10+10 Note: In 12 MBA 12, : One full question (all parts) consisting of simple problems from Mod 3 (Except Demand forecasting) and Mod 8 only to be set. Q7- a. b. c. d. 5X4 = 20 marks Q8. a. Theoretical model for analyzing case b. Sub question 1 c. Sub question 2 d.S ub question 3 5X4=20 Marks Theory+ Problem based courses (40% Theory + 60% Problems) 12MBA13& 12MBA14 Q1- 3 + 7 +10 Q2- 3 + 7 +10 Q3- 3 + 7 +10 Q4- 5+5+10 Q5- 5+5+10 Q6- 5+15 or 10+10 Note: One full question (all parts) must be full of theory only Skill based questions 1. One question Compulsory 2. Equal importance must be given for all modules Ability based question(s) Case let Compulsory Q7- a. b. c. d. 5X4 = 20 marks Q8. 10+10 or 5+15 or 5X4=20 Problem and / or theory combination. Content of Question Paper Part-A: Knowledge based questions (Q1 to Q6 – Answer any 3) A. Mark questions Short questions which demand answer not more than a paragraph and which test the understanding of concept of the contents prescribed in the syllabus. Answering this should not take more than 4 minutes by an average student. B. 5 Marks questionsSemi-descriptive questions which demand answer not more than two paragraphs and which test the understanding of concept and / or scope of the concept or short problem. Answering this should not take more than 7 minutes by an average student. C. Marks questionsDescriptive questions which demand answer not more than 0ne page which test the understanding of the scope and description of the contents or moderate problem of the syllabus. Answering this should not take more than 10 minutes by an average student. D. 10 Marks questionsEssay questions which demand answer not more than 3 pages which test the understanding of concept with practical illustrations of the contents or long problem of the syllabus. Answering this should not take more than 15 minutes by an average student. E. 5 Marks questionsNarrative Essay question which demands answer not more 4 pages which test the narrative ability of student related to the concept and its scope with practical illustrations or a very lengthy problem of the syllabus. Answering this should not take more than 22 minutes by an average student. Part-B: Skill based questions (Q7 Compulsory) 5 Marks X 4 QuestionsThis question tests the degree of skill acquired by the student in the subject area of prescribed syllabus. This should cover the application part of the contents of the syllabus. Answering this should not take more than 30 minutes by an average student.Part-C: Ability based questions (Q8 Compulsory) 5 Marks Question – This question is to test the selection of theoretical model used in case analysis. 5MarksX3 Questions – These questions are to test ability acquired by the Students to analyze the case and to provide the trivial solutions to the case situation. Answering this should not take more than 30 minutes by an average student. Note: Refer Question Bank and model question paper(s) for more clarity. 12MBA11 MANAGING THE ORGANISATION Model Skill based questions 1. †An employee is dissatisfied as he was reporting to two bosses†. ow do you solve this problem? —-Fayal’s Principles 2. â€Å"An Honest individual is made in charge of marketing department. In due course he developed negative job efficacy† how do you address this problem? —-Role disability 3. In the sky the clouds take the different shapes of imagination. Why? ——Perception 4. Sham got his double increment in salary of Jan 2012. His motivational graph turned down by July 2012 after settling his proposed budget for that month. Describe why? —–Maslow’s 5. â€Å"Defense people are more effective than civilian† substantiate——-Leadership style 6. Modern Indian management is more powerful rather than traditional† Substantiate–Theory X and Theory Y 7. â€Å"The out punch time of a boss will be first out punch in an organization† Substantiate. — Organization Culture 8. â€Å"While reworking the defective product, more mistakes will happen† Substantiate. —Work stress 9. â€Å"The CEO is thinking of uniformity of production, where as the marketing e xecutive focus for high production to match the demand† Who is correct? Why? — Strategic and operational decision making Managing Organisations-12MBA11 Model Question paper PART- A Answer any three full questions 1 (a) Define Personality. b) What are the different types of Control? Give an example for each. (c) Explain the managerial roles expected by modern organizations. 2. (a) What is empowerment? (b) Differentiate between groups and teams. (c) Explain the personality attributes influencing OB. 3. (a) What is Esprit de Corps? (b) â€Å"Planning and Controlling are inseparable†. Comment (c ) Explain the perceptual process with suitable examples 4. (a) What is an ideal span of control? Why? (5marks) (5 marks) (3 marks) (7 marks) (10 marks) (3 marks) (7 marks) (10 marks) (3 marks) (7 marks) (10 marks) b) â€Å"Too many controls in an organization declines creativity†. Comment. ( C) An employee is extremely productive, but has been showing signs of work str ess and is facing problems adapting to organization culture. As a manager how would you handle this employee? (10 marks) 5. (a )State the techniques used in decision making? Which technique will you adopt? (5 marks) (b) Write a note on contribution of Peter F Drucker to the evolution of management thought. (5 marks) (C)State the different types of organization structures in use? Explain any one 6. (a) What are the dimensions of emotional intelligence ? b) State any five principles of Henry Fayal. (c ) Explain the role of emotions in the formation of attitude . (10 marks) (5 marks) (5 marks) (10 marks) PART- B ( compulsory) 4X5 Marks=20 7. (a). Abnormal features always have long perceptivity. Why? (b) Setting objective in advance and chasing is good for Individual and organization. Substantiate (c) It has often been stated that most work within an organization is done informally. Comment (d) In modern organization, the employee and employer relationship is mandatory. However, the con flicts arise. How do you resolve this? 8. Case Study PART- C (compulsory) Mr.Ranjan Kumar is the Managing Director of a soap manufacturing company. To increase sales, the Board of Directors wanted to start a full fledged marketing department; Mr. Kumar is entrusted with the task of finding a suitable candidate to head the proposed marketing department. After considering a number of candidates, he has narrowed down his choice to two persons: Vishwanath Dutt and Rajnarain. Mr. Vishwanath Dutt has excellent track record in the company. During his fruitful association with the company, to be precise 10 years, he has always shown a high degree of enthusiasm and initiative in his work.He is still young (35 years) dynamic and aggressive. He is result oriented and he is more interested in ends rather than means. One of the workers testifying his leadership quality remarked thus: â€Å"Though he is harsh at times you will know where you stand when you work with him. When you have done a goo d job, he lets you know it†. Mr. Dutt is willing to shoulder additional responsibilities. He decides things quickly and when action is required. He is „always on his toes?. During his fifteen years tenure in the company, Mr. Rajnarain has endeared himself to all his colleagues by his superior workman ship and pleasing manners.He always believes in the principle of employee participation in the decision making process. Unlike Mr. Dutt, he encourages his subordinates to come out with innovative ideas and useful suggestions. Before arriving at a decision he always makes it a point to consult his subordinate. Not surprisingly, all his subordinates are very pleased to work under him and praise his leadership qualities. Company records also bear evidence for the increase in the production soon after Rajnarain became the head of his department. Questions: a. b. c. d. (5X4=20 marks)State the theoretical model used to analyze this case. Analyze the leadership qualities and styles of Mr. Dutt. Analyse the leadership qualities and styles of Mr. Rajnarain. Whom do you recommend for the position of marketing manager? Why? 12MBA12-Managerial Economics Some Skill Based Sample Questions and Problems 1. Prospective car buyers are sometimes confronted by sales representatives who argue that they can offer a vehicle that is Honda Civic as good as a BMW, but at one-half the price. Use the indifference concept to explain why the claims of the sales representative are not credible. 2.Following a price change for Diet Coke, explain how retailers use sales information to learn if Lays snack chips represent a complement or substitute for Diet Coke. 3. During the past 40 years the average price of a new single-family home has risen by a factor of ten, making the cost of housing prohibitive for many Indians. Over the same time frame, however, the number of units sold per year has more than doubled. Are these data inconsistent with the idea of a downward-sloping demand curve for new housing? 4. What would an upward-sloping demand curve imply about the marginal utility derived from consumption?Why aren't upward sloping demand curves observed in the real world? 5. Forecasting the success of new product introductions is difficult. Describe some of the economic factors that a firm might consider in forecasting sales for a new tooth paste. 6. Individual consumer demand declines for inferior goods as personal income increases because consumers replace them with more desirable alternatives. Is an inverse relation between demand and national income likely for such products? 7. The price a firm receives for its product is Rs. 50 per unit. Its total cost function is 8000 + 10Q. At what quantity do total costs equal total revenues? 8.KSRTC (Volvo Service) have a capacity to carry a maximum of 10,000 passengers per month from Bangalore to Hyderabad at a fare of Rs. 600. Variable costs are Rs. 100 per passenger and fixed costs are Rs. 30,000 per month. How many pass engers should be carried per month to break even? 9. Suppose you are a sales manager of an organization. Explain how the analysis of demand contributes to business decision making, in the light of the responsibilities of a managerial economist/sales manager 10. Mr. Balakrishnan, the research manager for marketing at the Maruti Udyog Limited has specified the following demand function for Maruti Alto K10 in India:Qm= f (Pm,N,I,PH,PG,A P1) Where Qm, is the quantity demanded of Maruti Alto K10 per year, Pm is the price of Maruti Alto K10, N is population, I is the disposable income, PH is price of Hyundai, PG is price of gasoline, A is the amount of advertisement on Maruti Alto K10 and P1 is credit incentive to purchase Maruti Alto K10. Indicate whether you expect each independent or explanatory variable to be directly or inversely related to the quantity demanded of Maruti Alto K10 and the reason for your expectation. 11.Construct a hypothetical cost schedule and bring out the cost ou tput relationships in the short run between output and TC, TFC, TVC, AC, AFC, AVC 12. The demand function for Pepsi in Bangalore city is Q=400-4P Where, Q=Quantity demanded of Pepsi (in „000 bottles per week), P=Price of Pepsi per bottle, Construct a demand curve assuming price Rs. 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25 per bottle 13. A firm manufactures cars at its plant in India. At a capacity of 100 cars per week it knows that it has an assembly cost of Rs. 5,000 per car. It needs to expand production and does a series of design and cost exercises.The results are summarized below. 12MBA12 MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS Time: 3 Hours All Questions carry equal marks MODEL PAPER Max Marks: 100 Part- A Answer Any Three questions 1. a. Define Managerial economics 3 Marks b. Suppose you are a sales manager of an organization. Explain how the analysis of demand contributes to business decision making, in the light of the responsibilities of a sales manager. 7 Marks c. What conditions are necessary before pr ice discrimination is both possible and profitable? Why does price discrimination result in higher profits? 10 Marks 2. a. What is marginal cost? Marks b. Mention the salient features of long run average cost curve. What is its significance in managerial decision making? 7 Marks c. â€Å"Price leadership is an alternative co-operative method used to avoid tough competition†. Comment 10 Marks 3. a. What is Kink Demand Curve? 3 marks b. Critically examine the Cyert and March behavioral theory of the firm. 7 Marks c. What is production function? How does a long run production function is different from a short run production function? 10 Marks 4. a. â€Å"Managerial economics bridges the gap between economic theory and business practice†.Discuss 5 Marks b. Discuss the types of cartels with suitable examples from India 5 Marks c. Describe why Long Run Average Cost (LAC) curve is called as Planning Curve and envelope curve. 10 Marks 5. a. State the Law of Supply. List the f actors which determine the elasticity of supply. 5 Marks b. Discuss various cost concepts 5 Marks c. â€Å"It is believed that a firm under perfect competition is a price-taker and not a price maker† Explain with examples. 10 Marks 6. a. What is the basic objective of a firm? Distinguish between „Accounting Profit? and „Economic Profit? ith the help of an illustration. 5 Marks b. Profit is maximum when the difference between total revenue and total cost is the greatest. How is this equivalent to saying that profit is maximum when MR=MC? 10 Marks Part – B (Compulsory) 7. a. KSRTC (Volvo Service) have a capacity to carry a maximum of 10,000 passengers per month from Bangalore to Hyderabad at a fare of Rs. 600. Variable costs are Rs. 100 per passenger and fixed costs are Rs. 30,000 per month. How many passengers should be carried per month to break even? 5 Marks b. Suppose you are a sales manager of an organization.Explain how the analysis of demand contribute s to business decision making, in the light of the responsibilities of a managerial economist/sales manager 5 Marks c. Construct a hypothetical cost schedule and bring out the cost output relationships in the short run between output and TC, TFC, TVC, AC, AFC, AVC 5 Marks d. The demand function for Pepsi in Bangalore city is Q=400-4P where, Q=Quantity demanded of Pepsi (in „000 bottles per week), P=Price of Pepsi per bottle, Construct a demand curve assuming price Rs. 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25 per bottle 5 marks Part C (Compulsory) 8.Case Study 20 Marks The Times of India is one of the leading newspapers in India. In September 1972, it reduced its price from 45 paisa to 20 paisa per paper while the prices of its rivals remained unchanged. The number of news papers sold by TOI and its rivals was as follows: Paper August-1972 May-1973 3,55,000 5,18,000 TOI 10,24,000 9,93,000 Statesman 3,92,000 4,02,000 The Hindu 2,77,000 Hindustan Times 3,25,000 a. Analyze the case and summarize usi ng appropriate concepts studied 5 Marks b. Based on the above information, find out the price elasticity of demand for TOI state whether it is elastic or inelastic. 5 Marks c.Whether the cross elasticity of demand between Statesman and TOI positive or Negative? 5 Marks d. Find possible reasons why demand for Hindustan Times decreased? 5 Marks Quantitative Methods – I (12MBA13) Model Skill based questions for Q 7 1. â€Å"Colgate toothpaste sales in Banashankari zone have dipped in last three weeks†. Design Research method for analyzing this. (— Management problem + Exploratory research+) 2. â€Å"The training effectiveness extended to employee has to be tested† suggest the type of research? Why? (—–Experimental research) 3. Define the target population for the research problem† Employee absenteeism† 4.Diesel price is hiked by 7 pm. On the same day by 9 pm news the opinion on hike has to be telecasted. Suggest the process of resea rch design. (Non-probability sampling +Diesel vehicle owners + Interview technique) 5. The impact of Advertisement on sales is to be analyzed suggest the tools used. Why? ( Correlation) 6. The bus arriving at a terminal is to be forecasted. Suggest which method is used? Why? ( Probability) 7. The past sales records are available is it possible to forecast the future sales? How? ( Regression) 8. Is it possible to test the opinion given by the gender mix? How? ( Chi Square Test) 9.An opinion is collected between two strata employee on Dissatisfaction. How do you test the difference in opinion among the group and between the groups? Explain( Two way ANOVA) 10. In the research output the value of deficiency of data validation is 0. 25. Then how this value is calculated? ( Multi variate Regression( 1- R Square )= 0. 25 ) Quantitative Methods – I (12MBA13) Model Question Paper Duration: 180 Minutes Max Marks: 100 Part – A Answer any 3 questions 1. a) Differentiate management problem with research problem. b) State the Characteristics of good measurement c) State and explain the contents of report writing in detail. 3 M) (7 M) (10 M) 2 a) Define sampling? b) State the procedure of hypothesis testing. c) The sales and advertisement expenses of a firm is given below; Firm: Sales (Rs. Lakhs) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (3 M) (7 M) (10 M) 10 50 50 55 60 65 65 65 60 60 50 Expenses (Rs. Lakhs) 11 13 14 16 16 15 15 14 13 13 Calculate the co-efficient of correlation and comment 3 a)Differentiate between census and survey. ( 3 M) b) The median and mode of the following wage distribution are known to be Rs. 33. 5 and 34. If the total number of workers is 230, find the missing frequencies. (7 M) Wages (in Rs) No. f workers 0-10 4 10-20 16 20-30 X1 30-40 X2 40-50 X3 50-60 6 60-70 4 c) The marks scored by set of students are given below; Marks (Economics) : 25 28 35 32 31 36 29 38 34 32 Marks (Statistics) : 43 46 49 41 36 32 31 30 33 39 (10 M) Construct the regression equatio ns. Calculate the most likely mark in statisticswhen mark in economics is 30. 4 a). â€Å"After settlement the average weekly wage in a factory had increased from Rs 800 to Rs 1200 and the standard deviation has increased from Rs 100 to Rs 150†³. Comment on the uniformity of the wages before and after the settlement. 5 M) b). An aero plane flies around a square the sides of which measure 100 km each. The aero plane covers at a speed of 100km/hr the first side, at 200 km/hr the second side, at 300 km/hr the third side and at 400 km/hr the forth side. What is the average speed of the aero plane around the square? (5 M) c). A company maintains two regional offices. It is interested in knowing whether or not there are significant differences in the proportions of smokers in two offices. In regional office A, a random sample of 70 employees was taken and it was found that 40 percent were smokers.In regional office B, a random sample of 100 employees indicated 55 as smokers. Is the difference between the proportions of smokers in the two regional offices significant? 5 a). State the steps carried out in ANOVA test b). Substantiate the power of literature review (5 M) (5 M) (10M) c). Three machines A, B and C produce respectively 60%, 30% and 10% of the total number of items of a factory. The percentages of defective output of these machines are respectively 2%, 3% and 4%. An item is selected at random and is found defective. Find the probability that the item was produced by machine C. 6 a).Differentiate between Liketr’s scale & semantic differential scale. (5 M) b). An aero plane flies around a square the sides of which measure 100 km each. The aero plane covers at a speed of 100km/hr the first side, at 200 km/hr the second side, at 300 km/hr the third side and at 400 km/hr the forth side. What is the average speed of the aero plane around the square? (5 M) c). Find i) Inter quartile Range ii) Quartile deviation iii) Coefficient of Quartile deviation f or the following distribution. (10M) Class Frequency 0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90 90-105 8 26 30 45 20 17 4 Part – B (Compulsory) 7 a).After applying the correlation test for the Variables Student performance with teacher performance the computed value for r is determined as 0. 9. Suggest your interpretation of results. (5M) b). In Z test, the table value is 1. 96 and computed value is 2. 0. State the result of Hypothesis. (5M) c). † Increase in sales is not due to only advertisements† Do you agree? What type of statistic test is to be applied in this case? (5M) d). The research involves sample of less than 30 . The analysis is done based on categorical data. To test the Hypothesis which type of test is required? Why? (5M) Part – C (Compulsory) 8 (a).Design a questionnaire to the research problem â€Å"Corporate Adaptability of New employee â€Å" (10 M) (b). The unemployment problem in India is increasing. In this background it is required to sugge st the set of remedial measure to reduce the problem. Suggest a research Design for this problem. (10 M) Accounting For Management (12MBA14) Skill Based Questions (For Part-B- Q. No. 7- 5 Marks Each) 1) The gross Total Income of Mr. Raju who is an employee of a private company aged about 49 years is Rs. 295000 for the assessment year 2012-13, he want to reduce the tax liability. How do you assist him to reduce his tax liability? ) If you are a auditor of a company what key elements you look for to assess the accuracy of the financial records? 3) Which ratio, out of fixed assets turnover and net worth turnover, to your mind is more useful for analyising efficiency? Why? 4) Why do you think Liquidity ratio plays a key role in Banking Industry? Comment. 5) „Why capital is treated as a liability?. Justify. 6) A firm purchases 50 furniture worth Rs. 500000. A financial accountant of the firm has recorded only Rs. 500000 in journal & ledger, but not 50 no. s of furnitures. Interpret using suitable accounting concept. ) â€Å"Balance Sheet is a statement, but not an account†. Comment. 8) Bring out the role played by the matching principle in the determination of business performance and financial position. 9) Is accrual basis of accounting is superior to cash basis of accounting in meeting the economic decision making needs of the users of financial statements? Why or Why not? 10) â€Å"Financial statements are the only basis for measuring the performance of a company†. Comment. 12MBA14 Accounting Time: 3 hrs. for Management Model Question Paper Max. Marks: 100 Note: 1. Answer any THREE full questions from Part-A. 2.Part-B and Part-C are compulsory. Part-A 1. a. What is Contra entry? Give example. b. Write a short on role of Forensic Accountant (3 Marks) (7 Marks) c. Give accounting equation for the following transactions of Hitesh for the year 2009. Started business with cash Rs. 18,000. (10 Marks) i. Paid rent in advance Rs. 400. ii. Purchased g oods for cash Rs. 5000 and on credit Rs. 2,000. iii. Sold goods for cash Rs. 4,000 (costing Rs. 2,400). iv. Rent paid Rs. 1,000 and rent outstanding Rs. 200. v. Bought motor-cycle for personal use Rs. 500. vi. Purchased equipments for cash Rs. 500. vii. Paid to creditors Rs. 600. iii. Depreciation on equipment Rs. 25. ix. Business expenses Rs. 400. 2. a. What is MAOCARO? (3 Marks) b. Explain the need and benefit of Corporate Governance. (7 Marks) c. Record the following transaction in three column cash book. (10 Marks) 1/3/2008 opened a Bank account with capital Rs. 1, 00,000 & cash in hand Rs. 40,000. 3/3/2008 paid into Bank Rs. 10,000. 5/3/2008 Bought Goods for Rs. 3,800 and paid by cheque. 6/3/2008 Sold goods for cash Rs. 2,600 & deposited the same into the Bank. 7/3/2008 Sold goods to Mr. X an account Rs. 10,000. 10/3/2008 Paid Mr. A by cheque Rs. 240 receiving a discount of Rs. 10. 5/3/2008 Received a cheque from Mr. Vikas Rs. 1080 and allowed him Discount Rs. 20. 16/3/2008 Rec eived a cheque from Mr. Santhosh Rs. 4000. . 3. a. List out any six items deductible under Section 80C. (3 Marks) b. On 01st January, 2010, the following were the ledger balances of Gopal and Co. : Cash in hand Rs. 900/-; Cash at bank Rs. 21, 000/-; Soni (Cr) Rs 3, 000/-; Zahir (Dr) Rs. 2, 400/-; Stock Rs. 12, 000/-; Prasad (Cr) Rs. 6, 000/-; Sharma (Dr) Rs. 4, 500/-; Lall (Cr) Rs. 2, 700/-; Ascertain capital. Transactions during the month were; Journalize the above transactions. (7 Marks) 2010 Jan 2. Bought goods of Prasad – Rs. , 700/Jan 3. Sold to Sharma – Rs. 3, 000/Jan 5. Bought goods of Lall for cash, paid by cheque – Rs. 3, 600/- Jan 7. Withdraw cash for personal use – Rs. 200/Jan 13. Recived from Zahir in full settlement – Rs. 2, 350/Jan 17. Paid to Soni in full settlement – Rs. 2, 920/Jan 29. Paid to Prasad by cheque – Rs. 2, 650/- and Discount allowed by him – Rs. 50/- c. From the following information prepare Cash Fl ow Statement by Indirect Method. (10 Marks) COMPARATIVE BALANCE SHEET OF EXCELLENT LTD. , Liabilities & As at As at Assets As at As at capital 31. 03. 2008 31. 03. 2007 31. 03. 2008 31. 03. 2007 Rs. Rs. Rs. Rs.Share Capital Reserve & Surplus Secured Loans Current Liabilities 50,00,000 15,00,000 35,00,000 50,00,000 40,00,000 Fixed Assets 31,00,000 30,00,000 Investments 1,50,000 5,00,000 Cash and Bank 40,00,000 Balances 2,00,000 1,25,000 60,00,000 Stocks, Stores, 75,00,000 78,75,000 WIP 40,00,000 35,00,000 Sundry Debtors 1,45,00,000 1,50,00,000 1,45,00,000 1,50,00,000 (i) The net profit for the year after adjustment in respect of provisions for dividends and taxation was Rs. 10,00,000 There was addition to Fixed Assets during the year amounting to Rs. 4,00,000 and Depreciation for the year was Rs. 3,00,000 4 a. What is Qualified Audit Report?State its contents (5 Marks) b. What is direct tax? State the Income tax rates for an individual for the Current A. Y. (5 Marks) c. The following Trial Balance has been prepared wrongly. You are asked to prepare the trial balance correctly. (10 Marks) Name of accounts Debit balance (Rs. ) ——4,000 Credit balance (Rs. ) 2,000 —— Cash in hand Purchases returns Wages Establishment expenses Sales returns Capital Carriage outward Discount received Commission earned Machinery Stock Debtors Creditors Sales Purchases Bank overdraft Manufacturing expenses Loan from Ashok Carriage inward Interest on investment Grand total ,000 12,000 —22,000 –1,200 800 ———8,000 ——28,000 14,000 —-14,000 ,1000 ———1,13,000 ——–8,000 —2,000 —–20,000 10,000 —-12,000 44,000 ——-14,000 ———1000 1,13,000 5. a. State the objectives of IFRS. b. Briefly explain the merit & demerits of Human Resource Accounting. (5 Marks) (5 Marks) c. â€Å"Without accounting concepts & convention s, objective, reliable, consistent and comparable accounts cannot be maintained†. Comment. (10 Marks) 6. a. What is window dressing? How financial statements are window dressed. (5 Marks) b. Mr. A has applied for the the position of Financial Analyst at E&Y Co.Ltd. The Head of Finance wants to assess the basic accounting skill sets of a candidate. The following information is provided in form of ratios to Mr. A to prepare the Balance Sheet given in the under mentioned proforma (15 Marks) Total Assets/ Net worth Sales/Fixed assets Sales/Current assets Sales/Inventory Sales/Debtors Current Ratio Annual Sales = Rs. 25, 00,000 = = = = = = 3. 5 6 8 15 18 2. 5 Balance Sheet Liabilities Net worth Long term Debt Current Liabilities Rs. ————Assets Fixed Assets Inventory Debtors Liquid Assets —-Rs. —————- Assume you to be Mr.A, how will you prepare the Balance Sheet with necessary working notes. Part-B 7. a. Being a p rospective Investor, Interpret the following from the view point of Liquidity. (5 Marks) Particulars Current Assets Bank A (Rs. ) 200000 Bank B (Rs. ) 800000 Fixed Assets Total Assets 800000 1000000 200000 1000000 Following are the income statements of Star Ltd. , Mumbai for the years 2010-2011. Trading & Profit & Loss Account 31. 03. 2011 Particulars 200000 By Sales 550000 By closing stock 80000 By Income from investment 64000 By dividend received 40000 60000 12000 7000 8000 14000 412500 1447500 1217000 1447500Particulars To Opening Stock To Purchases To Wages To salaries To rent & Taxes To Depreciation To selling expenses To discount allowed To loss on sale of Plant To interest paid To Net profit 31. 03. 2010 85000 500000 60000 42000 35000 40000 12000 5000 12000 426000 1217000 31. 03. 2010 31. 03. 2011 1000000 200000 1200000 225000 12000 5000 15000 7500 b. For the above problem analyse the Income Statement using â€Å"Horizontal analysis†. (5 Marks) c. For the above problem analyse the Income Statement using â€Å"Vertical analysis†. d. For the above problem comment on the profitability of the Company. . Part-C 8. (Case Study) (20 Marks) (5 Marks) (5 Marks)The following is the trial balance of Mr. X of Bombay as on 31st Dec. 2009. Prepare a trading and profit and loss account for the year ended 31st Dec. 2009 and the balance sheet as on that data after taking into consideration the following adjustments. Adjustments: i. Stock on 31st Dec. 2009 was Rs. 10,000. ii. Debts worth Rs. 2000 should be written off as bad. iii. Depreciate machinery by 5% and motor vans by 15%. iv. Provision for bad & doubtful debts should be increased by Rs. 600. v. Commission accrued & not received Rs. 500. vi. Goods worth Rs. 500 were used by the proprietor for his personal use. ii. On 20th Dec. 2009, a fire broke out in the shop & goods worth Rs. 2000 were completely destroyed. The insurance company accepted the claim for Rs. 1500 only & paid the amount on 1st Jan 201 0. Trial Balance as on 31st Dec. 2009 Particulars Mr. X Capital Mr. X Drawings Stock on 1st Jan 2009 Purchase & Sales Returns Discounts Commission received Income Tax paid Office Salaries Office Rent Advertising Sundry Debtors & Creditors Provision for doubtful debts Manufacturing Wages Bills Receivable & Payable Carriage Machinery Motor Vans Land & Buildings Office Expenses Cash at Bank Cash in hand TOTALDr 7500 12000 86000 2000 500 700 17300 2000 1700 85000 8600 5000 600 40000 7000 10000 1500 6000 2300 295700 Cr 85000 170000 1000 700 1000 30000 3000 5000 295700 Information Technology for Managers Sub Code: 12MBA15 Question Bank (Skill Based questions) A) The regional director of a marketing company wants to have an emergency meeting with all his sales team members and to show them a new protocol developed by the competitor. But all are at far-away places on sales assignments. Suggest how a suitable technology based method helps him.B) Marketing Managers of a manufacturing firm are planning to increase the sales this year at any cost and they are supposed to prepare a proposal to show the management saying, what-if they increase the advertisement budget this year by 10%, 20% and 30% over the last year’s budget. Suggest a suitable Information system which helps them in their What-if analysis and comment. C) Japan is planning host a football tournament, surprisingly for ROBOTS to showcase their technological supremacy. What branch of computer science will help them in designing the ROBOTS to play the game?Comment. D) A logistics company want to provide up-to date information to their client about their shipment regarding their place or location, movement, and time of arrival at the destination, at any point of time the clients want to know about, in order to have a satisfied customer base. Suggest what technology they should adopt to continuously track the shipments and how can they achieve their goal. Model Papers Information Technology for Managers Sub Code: 12MBA15 Time: 3 Hours Note: 1. Answer any 3 questions from Part-A 2. Part -B and Part-C Questions are Compulsory Max.Marks: 100 3. Draw Diagrams wherever necessary to enhance your presentation PART-A Q. No. 1 a) Differentiate Data and Information b) State the different Components of Information system. (03 Marks) (07 Marks) c) Explain the importance of Information systems from End user, Enterprise and Global perspectives. (10 Marks) Q. No. 2 a) List types Information system serving the needs of end users at various Organizational levels (03 Marks) b) State the advantages of Office Automation system (07 Marks) c) With a neat block diagram explain the functioning of Transaction Processing System. 10 Marks) Q. No. 3 a) What is Prototyping? b) Briefly explain the phases in System Development Life Cycle. (03 Marks) (07 Marks) c) Discuss the Application of Internet/Intranet/extranet technology in efficient & effective business communication. (10 Marks) Q. No. 4 a) What is Enterpris e Resource Planning? Give one example. (05 Marks) b) Discuss the role of CRM in maintaining a satisfied and loyal customer base for today’s business firms. (05 Marks) c) Give an innovative, conceptual design for online conduction of examination, evaluation and result announcement in your own institute. 10 Marks) Q. No. 5 a) Define e-business, e-commerce, with suitable examples. (05 Marks) b) Explain the different types of e-business models classified based on producer/supplier-customer /client relationship. (05 Marks) c) Explain in detail the nine essential categories of e-commerce processes with a neat block diagram (10 Marks) Q. No. 6 a) IT enabled services improve the effectiveness and efficiency of businesses in comparison with non-IT enabled ones. Discuss with suitable examples. (05 Marks) b) Discuss the social and ethical dimensions of IT in Business activities. (05 Marks) ) Explain the important security measures that are part of the security management of information system. (10 Marks) PART-B Q. No. 7 a) Design a Hospital Management system, with relevant contents as much as possible (05 Marks) b) Assume that you own a mobile retail sales business and decide to have online web-store for the same. List and explain the contents of your web pages for carrying out the business efficiently. (05 Marks) c) Explain IT involvement in BPOs. Do you feel â€Å"there is no BPO without IT†? Justify your views. (05 Marks) d) Too much dependency on IT may pose a threat to national business interests and security.Give your views. (05 Marks) PART-C Q. No. 8 CASE STUDY (Compulsory) Marks) (20 12MBA16 Managerial Communication Model skill based questions 1. You are a fresher and you have been interviewed for the job of a management trainee at Britannia industries Ltd. the following questions are asked by the interviewer: give your response to each one of them. i. What do you consider your greatest attributes? ii. Name a few weaknesses in you. iii. What are you r long term goals and how do you think you can achieve them in this organization? iv. What experience do you have in problem solving? . Justify your candidature for this job. 2. A fellow student says, â€Å"So I? m not a good writer. But I? m a management major. I? ll have secretaries to handle my writing for me. † Give this student your best advice, including the reasoning behind it 3. Explain your prediction. Will hard-copy letters diminish in importance as email remains a standard form of business communication? Become obsolete? Vanish? 4. Discuss the reasons for social networking? s phenomenal growth. Is this growth likely to continue? 5. Some authorities say that concerns about correctness inhibit a person? email communication. Does this stand have merit? Discuss. 6. Some authorities say that shortcuts in text messaging will lead to users? inability to spell properly in more formal contexts. Do you agree? Why or why not? 7. How would you write a message to a close friend who works for you but: a) Needs to be disciplined b) Is to be congratulated c) Is to be relocated to an equally attractive location within the same city? 8. . Criticize and re-draft the following thank-you message from a college student to a professor who has sent her a job lead. Subject: Thanks Dear Prof.Smith, Thanks for the hot tip on the job! I? m interviewing there tomorrow! Sarah Model Question Paper 12MBA16 Managerial Communication PART-A Answer any 3 full questions 1. a) b) c) Distinguish between Hearing and Listening. What is Grapevine and why is it important? Explain elaborately the Crisis Communication process. 3m 7m 10m 2. a) What do Empathy and Reflection mean? 3m b) What are the Barriers to Communication? Give a brief on any seven of them. 7m c) Explain briefly the concepts Chronemics , Proxemics ,Oculesics ,Haptics and Kinesics 10 m 3. ) b) What is a Dangling Modifier? Give an example. What are the principles of effective writing 3m 7m 10m c) . Discuss the 3*3 writin g process. 4. a) b) c) What is a Business Letter? Explain the formats for writing a business letter. Define Memo and briefly explain its types. 5m 5m Motilal & Co. , a leading garment manufacturing and exporting firm has received a letter of complaint from one of its U. K. clients stating that none of the materials client is in the most important and profitable list of customers for Motilal & Co. 10 m 4. a) Draft a letter to the U. K. lient, pacifying them and assuring the best of services in the future. b) Also prepare an internal communication to the Manager of the concerned department asking for an immediate explanation. 10m 10 m 5. a) Briefly discuss the Styles of Negotiation. 5m b) c) Discuss the various visual aids used to enhance the quality of a presentation. Explain the electronic writing process 5m 10m 6. a) What are the five important aspects that should be considered for a media interview? 5m b) Prepare a press release of your college to gain publication on the just conc luded national level management fest. m c) Apply for the position of Management trainee at ITC Ltd considering you are a fresher. 10m PART – B Compulsory 7. You have been asked to deliver an extempore speech on „How to improve the functioning of your company?. Quickly jot down some points for the speech. a) b) Prepare an advertisement of a new mobile hand-set. Write a creative copy As the GM, you are going to address the Annual General Body Meeting of your garment manufacturing company. Draft your speech. c) Point out the shortcomings in this message granting a claim for a fax machine received in damage condition.Inspection of the package revealed that the damage did not occur in transit. Dear Ms. Orsag: Your May3 letter in which you claim that the RigoFAX391 was received in damaged condition has been carefully considered. We inspect all our machines carefully before packing them, and we pack them carefully in strong boxes with Styrofoam supports that hold them snugly. Thus we cannot understand how the damage could have occurred. Even so, we stand behind our product and will replace any that are damaged. However we must ask that first you send us the defective one so we can inspect it.After your claim of damage has been verified, we will send you a new one. We regret any inconvenience this situation may have caused you and assure you that problems like this rarely occur in our shipping department. Scott Hilderbran PART- C 8. (Case Study) compulsory Barry and Communication Barriers – Effective Communication as a Motivator One common complaint employee? s voice about supervisors is inconsistent messages – meaning one supervisor tells them one thing and another tells them something different. Imagine you are the supervisor/manager for each of the employees described below.As you read their case, give consideration to how you might help communicate with the employee to remedy the conflict. Barry is a 27-year old who is a foodservice mana ger at a casual dining restaurant. Barry is responsible for supervising and managing all employees in the back of the house. Employees working in the back of the house range in age from 16 years old to 55 years old. In addition, the employees come from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. For many, English is not their primary language. Barry is ServSafe ® certified and tries his best to keep up with food safety issues in the kitchen but he admits it? not easy. Employees receive â€Å"on the job training† about food safety basics (for example, appropriate hygiene and hand washing, time/temperature, and cleaning and sanitizing). But with high turnover of employees, training is often rushed and some new employees are put right into the job without training if it is a busy day. Eventually, most employees get some kind of food safety training. The owners of the restaurant are supportive of Barry in his food safety efforts because they know if a food safety outbreak were eve r linked to their restaurant; it would likely put them out of business.Still, the owners note there are additional costs for training and making sure food is handled safely. One day Barry comes to work and is rather upset even before he steps into the restaurant. Things haven? t been going well at home and he was lucky to rummage through some of the dirty laundry and find a relatively clean outfit to wear for work. He admits he needs a haircut and a good hand scrubbing, especially after working on his car last evening. When he walks into the kitchen he notices several trays of uncooked meat sitting out in the kitchen area.It appears these have been sitting at room temperature for quite some time. Barry is frustrated and doesn? t know what to do. He feels like he is beating his head against a brick wall when it comes to getting employees to practice food safety. Barry has taken many efforts to get employees to be safe in how they handle food. He has huge signs posted all over the kit chen with these words: KEEP HOT FOOD HOT AND COLD FOOD COLD and WASH YOUR HANDS ALWAYS AND OFTEN. All employees are given a thermometer when they start so that they can temp food.Hand sinks, soap, and paper towels are available for employees so that they are encouraged to wash their hands frequently. Questions: 1. What are the communication challenges and barriers Barry faces? 2. What solutions might Barry consider in addressing each of these challenges and barriers? 3. What Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be helpful for Barry to implement and enforce? 4. What are some ways Barry might use effective communication as a motivator for employees to follow safe food handling practices?

Learning from Mistake, Agree or Disagree

I don't like to make mistake. Everything to me has to be perfect because I felt that if one person made a mistake the first time, how they would be able to do anything. That is why learning from mistake is impossible to me. When you make mistake and try to learn something from your mistake, you will waste lots of things, ruin the way that people look about you. In addition, learning from mistakes will make you regret much. First of all, learning from our mistakes will waste you lots of things. You will waste your time because you have to do again everything that you did in the wrong way.It seems too hard to start something again which is done one time already. By doing again, you will feel bored and tired. Not only doing it over, but also, you have to find where you did it wrong and give yourself a lesson in order to prevent from making that mistake once more. Studying in this school is an example. If you failed, you had to spend 16 weeks in fall or spring semester and 8 weeks in sum mer semester. You have to study again. In addition, learning from your mistake will waste your money. Failing in this school is an instance.You have to spend lots of money on the subject that you failed to study again. Spending 75 US dollar for each subject in ELS program and 150 US dollar for each subject in AAS program is the result. In learning, you always have many chances to fix your mistake but how about in working, will you have any opportunity? In reality, the real world, you will not have second chance. Especially, in the business world, where everything is a competition, you do not have the time to learn from mistakes. So, you are forced to do everything completely.Even though you can learn from your mistakes, you do not have chance to fix them. It means that you will be going to end up your career. That is the reason why I don't like to learn from my mistakes. Secondly, in daily life, learning from mistakes will ruin the way that your friends and family look or feel about you. Everyone will look at you with a strange way if you learn from your mistakes. In addition, they will laugh at you as a silly person. Even though you learn from mistakes, they will make you feel uncomfortable. My cousin is as an illustration.She failed high school exam. She said to me that her old friends looked at her with their curious eyes; her neighbor and her relative always annoyed her with their questions. She seemly lost her hope though she had a lesson from her mistakes and knew how to overcome this hard situation. In life, learning from your mistakes will affect your job and your ability to success. When you work in a company and you always say that I have lots of experience from my mistakes. Then, you continue making mistakes. What will your boss and you co-worker think about your ability?Of course, they will suspect your capability. In addition, does the company want to hire employees that always make mistake and say that they learn a lot from their mistakes? In my point of view, people do not care about if you learn from your mistakes or not. They just look at your mistake because caring about your learning from mistakes dose not bring any benefits to them. In a company, the boss just wants to have perfect employees- hard working and aâ‚ ¬? no-mistakeaâ‚ ¬? employees. More over, your boss may think that if he allows employees to make mistakes, how will they ever learn?They will just keep on making even more mistakes. Further more, when you learn from your mistakes, people who do not like you will know where you are weak. It will be easy for them to let you down. They can seize your status in your company. Everything that you have will not belong to you any more. It belongs to people who want to harm you. So, learning from your mistakes will deteriorate yourself and bring disadvantages to your life. Thirdly, learning from mistakes will make you regret much. You may think that you do not willing to do any things that you face.You have not enough experience to overcome your challenges. Further more, you will be diffident when you face some hard situations. So, you do not concern much about what you are doing. Students who learn from their mistakes will be discouraged because they used to not to pay more attention to their study. They do not prepare any things for their future. In addition, felling ashamed and giving up their goal is the affect of learning from mistakes. The more complicated mistakes they learn, the more shameful they feel. To me, if I do something, you I will do it for a reason and I will not regret.I find that regretting is a bad way. If you know results that will not good for you, why donaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t you try to prevent that? To me, I before doing something will always attempt to think about what Iaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m going to do first. In addition, I usually consider about the result of doing something. I ask myself that if doing some things will bring benefit to me or not. So, I may choose the way that will not make me regret. Right now, we are living in an achievement and success oriented world. So, a popular rule is whenever you do anything, try to do it right.That is why, to me, learning from mistakes is something unacceptable. In conclusion, I do not like learning from mistakes. Everybody can reduce as much mistake as possible. By preparing yourself and hard working, I believe that you can overcome everything in your life. In addition, do not think about learning from your mistakes because it just brings disadvantages to your life. It not only makes you spend lots of things, but also lays down the way that your relative look at you and makes you regret much. Hopefully, you will be strong and confident to overcome every hard situation.

Improving Society: The Goal of Education Essay

From the devastating earthquakes in Haiti, the educational institutions were destroyed. It will take time to rebuild and reestablish the country. This horrible disaster has not only shaken the Haitian nation, but the world. â€Å"Education is at the core of Haiti’s recovery and is the key to Haiti’s development,† said Director-General Irina Bokova of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. The younger generation will become the future leaders of Haiti. They will be responsible for planning, rebuilding, and reestablishing the country. Although classes are not in session, many Haitian students are laying and repairing their nation’s foundation. Marc Lacey describes how students are putting their education to work, in the New York Times article, Education Was Also Leveled by Quake in Haiti. He writes, â€Å"Future doctors are pitching in at field hospitals and helping arrange a major vaccination campaign. Psychology students are talking with displaced people about how they are holding up. Ms. Julme, who studied communication, managed to get a job at the United Nations radio station, although she focuses on music, not news, to get her mind, and the minds of her listeners, off of all the awful things that have occurred.† Students from various fields and career programs are contributing to the relief effort. They are not employing their skills to earn a high salary or to be promoted. They are simply volunteering to help their friends, family, and neighbors recover and rebuild. The ultimate goal of education is to improve society. Martin Luther King Jr. said, â€Å"†¦education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.† Amidst the wreckage and ruined buildings, people make new goals. They may be simply to survive. Many are worried about their future and their families. Those who can and know how to help can step forward. They can teach others how to help each other. There is the old saying that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. This simple declaration is true. Those who are educated, no matter what field or skill, can help society improve. We learn in the classroom not to just land a good job, but to help humanity. The skills we learn in school are life saving skills. You may ask yourself how your skills or your career could help you if you were in their situation. You may think to yourself how  you could help others. Whatever your skills or talents, they are needed. It takes artists to find and create beauty. It takes engineers to prepare and build safe structures. It takes police officers to maintain peace. Education is helping Haiti recover. The Haitian society will be rebuilt. It is our duty wherever we live to develop our skills and use them to benefit humanity. Education is not just the means to advance our careers. It enables us to live and work together as a nation and as a world. How can your education help humanity?

Plato Euthyphro, Aristotle, Hobbes, Hume, Kant Assignment

Plato Euthyphro, Aristotle, Hobbes, Hume, Kant - Assignment Example 3. Socrates explains that the reactions or effects of things are different, as an action loved is said to be loved because someone is loving it. When someone does not love the action then it is not an action loved anymore. 1. Aristotle claims that we gain virtues by adaptation, and this I believe is true. I believe that humans are not naturally good or evil, we just absorb whatever it is that we are socially exposed to. As we mature, we learn to question things so we begin to choose for ourselves which are virtuous deeds and which are not, in our own perception. 2. I agree that there is no fixity with matters concerned with conduct and what’s good for us. As we mature, we, as humans learn how to preserve ourselves by accepting and rejecting beliefs that are beneficial for us. 3. Aristotle explains that virtuous men are only the ones capable of doing virtuous acts. I believe that virtuous men are more important than performing virtuous acts since it is a given that virtuous men will do virtuous acts but those who do virtuous acts may also do non-virtuous acts. 4. I find the premise rather contradictory. Aristotle states that the mean is between extremes but he says that there are some things that are wrong in all circumstances, such as adultery or stealing. According to Aristotle himself, we only adapt to our social environment, that’s how we learn virtues. One’s wrong may be one’s right and the differences in the opinion clouds the premise that some actions is always wrong. So then, wrong actions become wrong only because the social environment rejects the behavior. 1. Hobbes claims that men can be equal when a weaker man conspires with other weaker men or use machineries or such to fight a stronger man, whether it is physical or mental strength. And I agree with this since there are instances, like in wars

Bauhaus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bauhaus - Research Paper Example Bauhaus was a significant school of art started in the modern time. The school had a significant influence in Europe and the United States and even beyond. The designer wanted to rejuvenate the lost glory in the field of art. Furthermore, Walter wanted to show the relationship between society and technology that was advancing at a higher rate. It is the art and craft movement that that shaped the idea of Walter because he wanted to draw a divide between fine arts and applied arts so as to help in bridging the gap between innovation and manufacturing. Further to the above, the key driver towards the creation of Bauhaus was Walter’s fear that the work of art would die and lose its meaning in the society. In addition, in the construction of the Bauhaus, most of the old ways of creation of art was abandoned but it encouraged the curiosity in the pursuit of knowledge. That was the only way that they could maintain the glory of the work of art in the society. The excellent work of B auhaus targeted the upcoming artist I the 20th century. Bauhaus placed a lot of emphasis on the on the work of experimentation. For that case, therefore, testing and solving of the problem-solving bridging the gap between the fine art and the visual and being considered as a standard entity. Furthermore, the philosophical teaching of the teachers at Bauhaus-influenced the younger generation and even shaped their ideas. The book addresses the major reasons as to why the building existed and the events that followed the inception of the idea.

Was Afghanistan Invasion of 1979 and Occasion and not the Cause of the Essay

Was Afghanistan Invasion of 1979 and Occasion and not the Cause of the End of Detente - Essay Example Among these treaties and agreements were the SALT 1, SALT II and the Helsinki Agreement which committed both countries to stop the production of missiles and nuclear weapons4. In 1979, Soviet invaded Afghanistan and this led to the total breakdown of the detente5. However, I consider that Afghanistan invasion as an occasion but not the ultimate cause to the end of detente. This is informed by an evaluation of the causes of Afghanistan invasion and the relations between the two superpowers preceding the invasion. Causes of Afghanistan Invasion In 1779 After the end of the Second World War, United States and Soviet Union were engrossed in arms race. Consequently, the two nations decided to come to start negotiations to limit the number of missiles and nuclear weapons that they could keep. These negotiations were held in two phases; SALT I which ran from 1969 to 1972 which culminated with the signing of Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty6. This was followed by SALT II which began in 1972 but was never ratified by the US Senate7. United States hoped that through detente, they would have a smooth exit from the Vietnam War8. United States History explains that the two countries viewed detente differently where United States expected that Soviet Union had agreed to a worldwide standoff9. On the other hand, Soviets saw it as their obligation to support revolutions in any part of the world where they considered that there was oppression10. According to United States History, these varying interpretations strained the relationship and detente broke down with Afghanistan invasion in 197911. Some people felt that the attack was an unprovoked invasion of a sovereign nation12. Guide to Russia.com describes that Berlin, Hungary, Cuba and Korea had adopted communism and Afghanistan was seen to following the way13. In December 1979, Soviets paratroopers landed in the capital city; Kabul. The country was already in tension following the prime ministers attempt to introduce western po licies and do away with the Muslim belief14. This had therefore infuriated majority of the Afghanistan since they had a strong Muslim tradition. Consequently, many Muslim leaders had been arrested while others had fled Kabul15. Furthermore, the communist government was also opposed to religion. Consequently, thousands of Muslims in Afghanistan joined a guerrilla force known as Mujahedeen which declared jihad war on all the supporter of the prime minister16. They wanted to overthrow the government. The Soviets came in to support the government of the Afghan but on 27th December, 1979; they shot dead the then prime minister Amin and replaced him with Babrak Kamal17. However, the position of the new leader entirely depended on the support of Russians. The war started but the Russian army could not march the power of the Mujahedeen since they had the knowledge of the terrain and were committed to the jihad war18. United Nations was opposed to the invasion and had called for Russian with drawal from Afghanistan in January of 1980 although the motion was vetoed by Russia. Following the invasion, America introduced a ban on export of grains to Russia, stopped further SALT talks and refused to participate in the Moscow Olympic Games that were due to be held in 198019. America did not intervene in the war since they viewed this as a chance to get intelligence on the Russian weapons in addition to the fact that

Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Terrorism - Essay Example Terrorism has become one of the most misused terms since 9/11. There is a need to differentiate between a terrorist and a freedom fighter. Many politicians and scholars combine these two types of militants, depending on their personal positions or views. Freedom fighters use violence and sometimes public panic, but they do not target civilians. Terrorists can sometimes use freedom fighter tactics, but generally prefer to resort to violence, public panic, and civilian targets. For example, is Osama bin Laden a terrorist? Yes, but not all of his acts of violence can be classified as terrorism. Even all the violence on 9\11 cannot be defined as terrorism. The Twin Towers were a terrorist attack. Bin Laden utilized all of three elements of terrorism given in the text; violence, public panic, and the targeting of civilians when the Twin Towers fell. The Pentagon and White House planes were targeted for government and military installations. This ruled out the targeting of civilians, even though they knew civilians would be killed. Civilians have always been causalities of wars, whether on purpose or not. The attack on the USS Cole was not terrorism. It was an attack on the US government and military. War acts are also not classified as terrorism. The difference is civilians are not solely targeted. Civilians will die in conflicts, but there is a difference in a bomb accidentally falling short, killing civilians and targeting a civilian neighbourhood. There is also a difference between bombing a munitions factor that a dictator houses civilians in. The intent is what matters. Terrorists intend to cause the maximum civilian deaths to cause panic. Now that difference between terrorism and freedom fighters have been established, the statement that â€Å"terrorism is never justified† holds true. Terrorism is mass murder. Murder in a civilized society is wrong. Not only is terrorism never justified, it does

Strategic Management College Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Management College - Case Study Example Ryanair uses online booking and ticketing system to lower brokerage fees and ticketing costs, thereby redefining its relationship to its customer markets. They follow differential pricing depending upon availability and demand, they operate on short-haul routes or airports which have competitive cost terms, but these cost-saving techniques do not really add value to the service to the customer. They have reduced services like not allotting seats and provide no frills to the services. They concentrate on outbound logistics, attempting to reduce the turnaround times by opting for secondary airports. This results in fewer terminal delays and more competitive airport access and handling costs. Faster turnaround results in maximizing aircraft utilization but ultimately these are merely cost reduction techniques. They have outsourced the non-core areas like partial maintenance and ground handling activities. Ryanair has been concentrating on process and service but not on its people and ma ximizing utility of technology. Ryanai faces several challenges in its strategy to push down costs. They have not been concentrating on enhancing business communications which reflects in their poor employee and volatile customer relations.

Speach Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Speach - Term Paper Example "Empathy is the key" (Howland, 2007). Please do not put value judgments on your differences and that your diversity is what makes each of you special and unique (Howland, 2007). As close as we may believe we are, in an effort to communicate, you will find at times, barriers that will affect the ability to communicate with one another. I sincerely believe that each of you deeply respects each other and because of that, I will offer the following advice. John and Jane, barriers we find in everyday things that we do. Communications of any kind come from the simplest of things for example what we feel, smell, see, taste, and touch. This interpersonal communication course taught me that people continue to study this. Maslow developed a model of needs in 1968. Maslow said that interactions with others help to satisfy personal needs (Maslow, 1968). Through these needs, we learn to communicate with each other. Continued respect for each other will help each of you determine when the barriers are semantic, emotional, or psychological. Semantic barriers often include symbols that may have different meanings. Because both of you come from different cultures symbols that each of you use frequently may mean different things. Semantic barriers are avoidable. Symbols differences are a fact because of the cultural diversity you share. Discuss these symbolic differences with each other during the process of your engagement to avoid misunderstandings. Semantics errors lead to poor expression of the actual message you wish to share with each other. Semantic errors also lead to faulty and unnecessary translations. Semantic errors will deliver un-clarified assumptions that lead to uncomfortable situations. Emotional and psychological barriers in the process of communication may lead to both of you feeling hurt, acting inattentive or loss of the actual translation (Janasz, 2002). This communication process is a shared equal process. Each of you must always remember that communicatio n is the process of sending and receiving of messages that comes from two very individual people. That each of you continue to recognize that each of you comes from different cultures, backgrounds, education, interests, experiences, attitudes, and that John and Jane each of you need to be cognizant that when you send and receive information from each other do not let barriers interfere with the message. Noise and other distractions are everywhere. If the subject is one that can lead to a barrier, take the time to listen to one another (Janasz, 2002). John and Jane, at times it is a matter of assessing ones personal communications. Conversations with others help us to assess our own personal communication style. Through these conversations with one another is a way to connect with each other and help build on this relationship. In an ability to improve your communication competencies, I offer the following advice. Interpersonal communication is a way to satisfy the social and esteem needs you may each require. It is also a way to give and obtain affection. We all have communication habits. These habits help us to connect and interact with others (Sole, 2011). However, those same habits can be a negative to the relationship. I learned in my intercommunication class that we have four key concepts that it is important to be cognizant of throughout your enjoyed relationship. It is important to recognize and incorporate the qualities that each of you possesses through your confidence,

Moral Obligations To The Poor In The Article by Peter Singer Assignment

Moral Obligations To The Poor In The Article by Peter Singer - Assignment Example According to him, it is essential that human beings bring about a change in their moral conceptual scheme, i.e. the way they perceive moral issues and the commonly accepted way of life. As he remarks, it is commonly accepted at the international level that suffering and death from lack of food, shelter, and medical care are not good. In this background, Singer’s argument has great relevance in wider perspective, i.e. we have moral liability to prevent something bad from happening if it is in our power to do so. Therefore, it is indubitable that Singer’s article â€Å"Famine, Affluence, and Morality† raises some of the essential questions of social and moral concerns, and he provides a very convincing argument about this issue. In the background of the Bengal emergency, Singer proposes his argument that â€Å"if it is in our power to prevent something very bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything morally significant, we ought, morally, to do itâ⠂¬  (Singer, 1972). He also provides convincing evidences and illustrations to support his argument, thereby making the readers agree with his proposition. Significantly, his principle takes no account of proximity or distance; not the distinction based on how many people can offer the assistance. Through his arguments, Singer upsets the traditional moral categories, because, in this case, the traditional distinction between duty and charity cannot be drawn. Thus, he argues for a moral concept of charity which is higher than that of the traditional acts of charity and disagrees with the present way of drawing the distinction between duty and charity, which makes it an act of charity for a man living at the level of affluence to give money to save someone else from starvation. (Singer, 1972). In the course of his article, Singer explains three counter-arguments to his position addressed in the article and offers his responses to those counter-arguments. The first objection to his po sition is that it is too drastic a revision of our moral scheme and they argue that people normally reserve their moral condemnation for those who violate moral norms of society, rather than those who indulge in luxury instead of giving to famine relief. In response to this counter-argument, Singer maintains that the imperatives of duty merely try to prohibit intolerable behavior in the society rather than to cause charity. Therefore, the present division between acts of duty and acts of charity is a valid argument. The second objection to Singer’s arguments arises from â€Å"some forms of utilitarian theory that we all ought, morally, to be working full time to increase the balance of happiness over misery† (Singer, 1972). Singer counters these arguemnts with evidences from writings of Thomas Aquinas and others, and provides practical as well as philosophical arguments. According to the third counter-argument, overseas aid should be a government responsibility. They a lso argue that until there is effective population control, relieving famine merely postpones starvation. However, Singer also makes his arguments to counter these views and suggests that methods of preventing famine should be adopted by us while the other organizations work specifically for population control. In support of his arguments, Singer introduces the concept of marginal utility in order to respond to the question of just how much we all ought to be giving away. Marginal utility is the â€Å"level at which, by giving more, I would cause as much suffering to myself or my

Old Man, Old man Essay Example for Free

Old Man, Old man Essay How do the two poets of the poems Old Man, Old man and Warning present different ways of facing the crossroads of old age? Throughout our lives we encounter many crossroads of life. These could be starting school, getting a new job, moving house or getting married but one of the main crossroads in life is old age. For some people old age is a good crossroads in life where they can make a fresh start and do things they have missed out on in their younger years. For others old age is not something to look forward to as we change mentally and physically, often for the worst and things begin to make less sense to us. Old man, Old man is an example of the disadvantages of becoming older and shows the way we handle becoming less in control of our lives and changing mentally and physically. Warning on the other hand is an example of the advantages of old age and how we often use old age to do things we wouldnt normally be able to get away with or to catch up on things we have missed out on, even just as a long holiday. In Old man, Old man the poem focuses on reality for the old man in a way in which he has very little if any control over his life and he appears to be stuck in his own little world which is no longer mobile. It seems a narrator who appears to have known the old man when he was younger and now is looking at him in old age writes the poem itself. Warning on the other hand is a fantasy of the freedom old age gives from the point of view of a younger woman. Looking at the title of Old man, Old man it shows that he is no longer seen as an individual but just an old man and by calling him old man it is in some ways referring to not just him but also many other old men in the same situation as him. The repetition of the word Old man indicates him having to be told things twice in his old age and is said in quite a regretful tone. In comparison the title Warning is quite up beat and although warning suggests danger in this case it is not for her but for other people and her family. It is different to Old man, Old man in the way that it is a young womans idea of old age and Old man, Old man is reality. The language of old man old man shows the reality of how he has lost the control he used to have over his life physically and mentally. He used to be the man of the house a man who did-it-himself and was very independent but now he needs help even with small things like opening bottle tops indicating arthritic hands. The poet also makes it seem as if he finds it hard to understand the world he is in now when he says shambles amongst clues. The word shambles indicates a physical loss and in some ways shows a loss of mental capacity, the word clues shows he needs clues to help him remember. In contrast Warning is a fantasy and is therefore defined by positive language as she is looking forward. The way she uses the colours red and purple with quite recklessness means that unlike the old man she wont be overlooked. When is used a lot making it seem like it will defiantly happen making it seem more positive as she will be able to enjoy the experience. Old man, old man focuses on the reality of the debilitating factors of old age where as Joseph bases Warning more on the physical pleasures of old age. The poem Warning is written in a reckless way indicating the retreat back into childhood, all the unsuitable clothes, thoughts and behaviour are emphasised in a child like list each prefixed by an and. Both of the poems Warning and Old man, Old man give us insights into the two characters in their prime. Old man, Old man shows us how he used to be the boss and wasnt a man to express his feelings. He used to be able to live his life with physical power and his DIY hobbies but now he is unable to do this once lord of shed, garage and garden, the pause here indicates this has now stopped. Not good with daughters showing us he found it hard to look after his daughters just like an ordinary average man. From this we can see that he is used to being in control both physically and mentally but now he isnt he is finding it hard to get along. Run on lines have been used throughout to show the tedious amount of time in which he began to deteriorate and for things to change. In stanza two a run on line is used to show that he new his eyesight would deteriorate but this shows the time it took. In Warning her prime life is her current life as she is looking forward to the prospects of old age. Stanza three sums up the way she has to live now being sensible, polite and smart, she uses a weary tone to show how society refrains us. The way society has been so strict with the way she has had to behave has led to her wanting to rebel. The pauses after children. and papers. are there to reflect on her life now. The way she describes how we can act when were old in the third stanza makes it seem that she is at the moment frustrated, worried with weight and has had such a sensible upbringing that she is waiting to make up for it. Throughout she uses childish words such as gobble and the things she describes are childish which shows how she has missed out and needs to catch up due to such a sensible up bringing. In comparison to Old man, Old man, warning gives a very positive approach to old age and she seems to think she will just wake up old suddenly one morning. Old man, Old man however gives a very negative view on old age and makes it seem like a long tedious process. In Warning the narrator is her younger self and it is therefore a more positive view on old age as she thinks of all the things she can look forward to and not the more realistic, more negative points. In Old man, Old man the narrator is not someone who is present in the old mans life but someone observing like his daughter who he disinherited. They show us that with old age we change and our experiences change us mentally, making many things not make sense to us any more. Both the poems present different of perceptions of old age. Warning is more of a dream and imaginary view, but Old man, Old man is more realistic.

Look at the opening of Nicolas Hytner Essay Example for Free

Look at the opening of Nicolas Hytner Essay The music gets faster as he finds his way through the trees and bushes, Then he comes close to the area where the girls are though he does not it is them the music changes to a drum beat with Parris footsteps being able to be heard. The camera changes back to the girls with Abigail walking up to Tituba and then Abigail whispers in Abigails ear and Tituba looks scared and shocked as she say no. Abigail then turns around to the pot runs to it and picks up the chicken by its feet and hits its head of a rock breaking its neck the Abigail drinks the blood of the chicken. Then Abigail takes her clothes off, all the girls are screaming then one of the girls sees Parris coming towards them so they all run away except Betty who says that she cannot move. The camera angles through all of this were very fast and furious. Then everything starts to slow down with a picture of Parris on his own looking at the cauldron he lifts up the large spoon inside the pot and drops as if he was scared of it, when he see the chicken as well he gets annoyed though he is a bit scared. The next scene shows Betty in her bed, with a suspicion of witchcraft floating about the place. Only Tituba and Abigail are in the room with Betty there have about eight minutes of filming yet we hear no words spoken. There is obvious tension between Tituba and Abigail over what has happened. More tension is shown when Parris questions Abigail about the incident in the forest. Now music is played again with Abigail saying that they danced but Parris suspects witch craft though Abigail is saying that no spirits have been conjured. The next scene is of Elizabeth and John Proctor who are showing a lot of tension. This tension is raised because John Proctor had an affair with there former servant, and guess who that servant was Abigail Williams. The scene starts of quite pleasant really with John Proctor and his sons working, the music is quite cheerful, the camera angles are quite far of. John Proctor and his go inside with his sons going to bed and him going to have his dinner. Elizabeth gives it to him without speaking but when they do speak it is about how there marriage is falling apart. Then the final scene of tension is in Church with the whole village there when a song is sung the girls go over to Bettys room then Abigail speaks to Betty saying she has told her father everything that happened in the woods. Then like lightning Betty wakes up with her saying I bet you never told him that you drank a charm Abby, a charm to kill Goody Proctor. Then the music gets very loud this is emphasising how important this scene really is. The others girls get quite scared and start to walk away so Abigail threatens them that she would kill anyone who tells on her doings. The camera is only on Abigail, but then Betty jumps up shouting she wants her mom and tries to fly to her out of the window but the girls hold her back and everyone in the church rubs out to them. This causes a lot of tension between all the girls and makes witch craft a better conclusion to what has been happening. In conclusion to Nicolas Hytners film of the play The Crucible was directed extremely well making them beginning of the film already better to the book the film sets the scene better and I believe that it also creates more tension. Also with the plot being so old it was sometimes easier to understand the words better with them being said correctly and with also being able to see what is going on. Nicolas Hytner has used cinematic features to the best they could be in this film there fore making the filming better for all viewers. Matthew Brooke English Coursework 20th Century Drama Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our  GCSE Arthur Miller  section.

Plato on Gender: An analysis

Plato on Gender: An analysis Plato on Gender Platonic advocacy of female public engagement as articulated in Republic V challenges an organizational ethos by which the activities, movement, and behavior of women were severely restricted. Indeed the role of women in Plato’s political philosophy is arguably at odds, not only with the negative and oppressive depiction of women in Athenian philosophical thought at large, but also with the broader Platonic corpus which seems to speak to the natural inferiority of females. Plato advances the radical argument that insofar as the body and soul are distinct, women and men may serve coequally in the guardianship of the state. That is, assuming that the nature of a person is independent of his/her body, and to such an extent as each individual should be assigned work suited to his nature, both sexes will be capable of performing all the functions needed by the city, including philosophy, despite the innate and inevitable inferiority of women (Okin, 1979). Yet however progressive hi s embrace of women in terms of their capacity to assume political, ethical, and intellectual responsibilities alongside men; the evidence suggests that Plato did not stand for a liberationist philosophy that elevates women to the moral status of men. Only by examining the proposals of Republic V with an eye toward the overriding aims and structure of the ideal society do Plato’s apparent contradictions in his views toward women become apparent. While his views on women were no doubt revolutionary for the day, the degree to which Plato was motivated by an egalitarian ethic remains an open question. We must remember that Plato was a product of a society locked into a rigid patrimonial order in which the confinement of respectable women was de rigeur and where upper class women were valued primarily as instruments of reproduction and legitimacy (Pomeroy, 1975). The Athenian woman of citizen class was secluded within the parental home until she became a ward of the matrimonial household, where she was expected to exercise her maternal responsibilities, especially the breeding of sons. She was likewise controlled and deprived with respect to her sexuality, without the compensation of any participation in life outside the domestic sphere (Okin, 1979). Socialization with men at any level, even within the confines of the home, was not consistent with her service to the household and commitment to chastity, frugality, and silence (P omeroy, 1975). In conceptual terms, meanwhile, emotionalism and lack of self-control were seen as products of female nature; reserving bravery, norms of reason, and objectivity for men within the intellectual and institutional structure (Just, 1989). Thus to the extent that women were devoid of moral agency and self-possession, they were subject to the authority and guardianship of men, effectively disqualifying them from the ruling class as a condition of â€Å"natural† dependency. The recurrent theme in the literature is of female subordination and loss of autonomy as a result of excessive physical indulgence: â€Å"women are in bondage to their physical appetites as much as those who are legally bound† (Just, 1989, p. 186). A woman, as such, is unable to subordinate her appetites, desires, and emotions to reason (i.e. higher-order valuations) in pursuit of virtue. A man however, presuming the opportune socio-economic conditions, is free, and hence is arguably considerably less, if at all, inclined to fall victim to akratic action. By this reasoning, men maintain the ability to act in accordance with their decisive better judgments, while women are seen in connection to and dependent upon their appetitive urges (Politics, 1260a2-12). Hesiod’s Theogony, for example, likens the woman to a gluttonous and sexually licentious â€Å"stomach† inflicted on the man to consume the fruits of his labor and weaken his resolve to self-govern, which, as a free man, he is presumed capable of (Just, 1989, p. 164). Aristotle confirms; noting in the Politics that, â€Å"the woman has [a deliberative faculty], but [that] it is without authority† (Politics, 1260a12-14). Correspondingly, he submits that â€Å"to a woman, silence brings refinement – whereas this does not apply to a man† (Politics, 1260a30-31). Hence, as Just comments, â€Å"the opposition between those innately possessed of self-control, and those who lack it . . . ideologically r enders women’s subordinated place within the social structure of the polis a ‘natural’ one† (Just, 1989, p. 166). Against this backdrop, it seems unrealistic to believe that Plato was immune to the influences of the historical and cultural standards that underscore his dialogues. In fact, in the Timaeus, Plato himself explains the inferiority of women in terms of devolution from an original creation consisting of men. Those able to master their passions and live virtuously on Earth are granted passage back to the stars from which they came; cowardly and unrighteous men are reborn as women to account for their failures. â€Å"All male-born humans who lived lives of cowardice or injustice were reborn in the second generation as women† (Timaeus, 90e7-8). Indeed victory of the rational over the irrational was the means by which a debased soul may return to â€Å"his original condition of excellence,† and avoid further degeneration into an animal form appropriate to the evil nature which he had acquired (Timaeus, 42b1-d2).Plato continues to explain that, ultimately, procreation results from the union of the â€Å"woman’s desire and the man’s love;† an explanation that speaks to appetitive/reason distinction discussed above (Timaeus, 91d1). Thus Plato builds a hierarchy of goodness and rationality in which woman is positioned midway between man and beast, a sentiment echoed in the Laws (Okin 1979). The dialogue of Republic V, however, suggests that while human beings can differ in many ways, certain attributes have no bearing on the assignment of different functions to different persons in accordance with their natures. For example, whereas a man with a full head of hair is known to be a good cobbler, the bald man is not necessarily incapable of practicing the same profession (Republic V, 454c1-6). There seems, therefore, to be no reason to consider the difference between the sexes in terms of procreative function relevant to whether they should play equal roles in the guardianship of the state (Okin, 1979). Plato thereby manages to reconcile the dialectical opposition between the belief that different natures ought to accord with different pursuits, and the suggestion that the same pursuits be open to both sexes in spite of female inferiority. Thus although he asserts that women are generally less capable than men, especially in physical strength, he maintains that individual members of both sexes are capable of concurrently performing all the city’s functions, including rule and defense (Okin, 1979). The collective good therefore seems to demand that individual pursuits and education be in keeping with the merits of each, irrespective of sex. That â€Å"women bear . . . and men beget,† Plato reasons, is not tantamount to proof that women ought to be denied the ‘guardian-rearing’ education provided to their male peers (Republic V, 454d5-12). Accordingly, Plato maintains that the guardians of his state, along with their (collective) wives, ought to enjoy the same pursuits. Just as a â€Å"male and female doctor have souls of the same nature,† so to would Plato’s purported male and female guardians (Republic V, 454c10-d1). Plato does, however, prescribe a lighter share of defensive duties to women, in keeping with their relative physical weakness and consistent with their assumed level of strength (Republic V, 455d7-e2). Thus although Plato expands the range of activities open to women, the notion (articulated in the Timaeus) that the female form embodies a wicked soul certainly calls into question Plato’s embrace of the egalitarian ideal as such. To be sure, Plato grounds his emancipation of women in the metaphysical assertion that the body and soul are distinct, such that the body becomes an obstacle to the ambitions and potential of the soul. If a male soul can reside in a female body and vice versa, it follows that a female with a philosophical nature may aspire to re-enter life as a man to the extent that she severs her attachment and dependence on the body in favor of philosophy (Bar On, 1994). In effect, since the desired quality of one’s soul may be incongruous with one’s sexual identity, Plato implies that manliness is not necessarily a function of the body. If â€Å"female† refers to someone connected to the world on a bodily level, and â€Å"male,† to a p erson elevated to a philosophical plane (Bar On, 1994), then anyone of a suitable nature can be considered male as a matter of statecraft. In this vein, Okin argues that Plato shared his fellow Athenians’ contempt for women, suggesting the emancipation of female guardians was a necessary byproduct of the dismantling of the family: â€Å"The most important consequence of Plato’s transformation of the guardian class into a single family is the radical implication it has for the role of women† (Okin, 1979, p. 37). Sensing the antagonism between the state and the family, Plato seeks to disengage the guardians from all connections and motive which may undermine their dedication to the state, thereby extending the primary ties of kinship throughout the ruling class (Okin, 1979, p. 37). Thus Rousseau points to a causal link between the abolition of the family and the granting of equal opportunities to women, such that â€Å"having dispensed with the individual family in his system of government, and not knowing any longer what to do with women, [Plato] finds himself forced to turn them into men† (Ok in, 1979, pp. 37-8). Indeed the need for unity within the ruling class – which eliminated private property and the wifehood, and minimized the role of maternity – is critical to the involvement of women in the administration of the city. â€Å"If for the female guardians the relationship to particular men, children and households has ceased to be crucial, there seems to be no alternative for Plato but to consider women as persons in their own right† (Okin, 1979, p. 38). Thus the utilitarian ethic by which Plato’s seeks communal â€Å"happiness† (eudaimonia) is not built on modern notions of liberty, justice, or equality of the sexes. Plato appeals to the efficiency, harmony, and moral goodness on which his politics rest – the oppression of women notwithstanding. â€Å"Excellence, not liberty, is his goal, and he rejects liberty as the enemy of excellence† (Vlastos, 1994, p. 22). The discharge of women from the confines of their traditional domestic role – absent a suitable outlet for the excesses of female nature – would constitute a threat to civil accord, leaving Plato no choice but to rethink the matter of woman’s role and her potential abilities (Okin, 1979). Allen, who explains Plato’s acceptance of women in the context of a political agenda that does not tolerate any manner of civil discord, and which thereby aims to eliminate potential sources of disorder in the city, also shares this in terpretation (Okin, 1979). Arguably then, Plato intends to foster harmony and unity of purpose by resolving the problem of selfishness and contentious interests through the elimination of private property. Thus where property, inheritance, and marriage are reintroduced – as prescribed in the Laws of Plato’s second best city – the proprietary status of women renders immaterial Plato’s frustration with the â€Å"irrational† maintenance of rigid sex roles (Okin, 1979). â€Å"Given these basic features of the social structure of the city, it is not surprising that Plato, in spite of general pronouncements to the contrary, is not able to treat or use women as the equals of his male citizens† (Okin, 1979, p. 46). Further, and of importance if one is to fairly evaluate Plato’s concern for all women, though Republic V validates the notion that female talents may extend to other crafts under the rubric of maximum efficiency, it proffers nothin g toward applying this notion to any but those fortunate enough to be of aristocratic decent.Hence, even if we were to absolve Plato of his (perhaps more subtlety) biased inferences observed in conjunction with his emancipation of the female-elite, a comprehensive feminist portrayal of the great philosopher demands that one reconcile his violently opposed views on feminine potential as a function of class. What emerges is a Platonic distinction between similarities in the potential range of men’s and women’s talents and similarities in ability, with the related distinction between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome. Whereas â€Å"women share by nature in every way of life just as men do,† there exists no pursuit of mankind in which the male sex maintains not the gifts and qualities to a higher degree than the female, save for absurd examples of household production (Republic V, 455c4-d7). This distinction helps to explain why Plato defines male guardians as the â€Å"best of the citizens† and the female guardians as less-than, i.e. the â€Å"best of the women† only (Republic V, 456e1-5). By extension, Plato asserts that the female-guardians – despite their having been educated in tandem with the males – will serve as assistants (i.e. ‘secondary companions’ of sorts) to their male compatriots (Republic V, 471c2-d 4). His description of the optimal brigade arrangement, whereby the guardians would be â€Å"less likely to desert each other†¦if their woman joined their campaigns†¦.positioned in the rear to frighten the enemy, and in case their help should ever be needed† indubitably indicates this much, while further implying that men harbor greater capability and potential in warfare than do women (Republic V, 471d1-4). Therefore, in constant reference to the â€Å"wives† of the guardians, and by defining female guardianship in terms of its value to men, Plato betrays the cultural predispositions embedded in language throughout his work. Unsurprisingly, the notion that ‘a woman can do what her fellow man does, but is nonetheless incapable of doing it as well,’ lies at the heart of feminist objections to Platonic thought. Some suggest that Plato’s apparent hostility toward women can be explained by appeal to an elitist contempt for a corrupt and inefficient social order under which women fail to meet their potential. Vlatos, for example, adopts a minimalist and conservative conception of personal rights that intends to reconcile the equality Plato provides for women with the philosopher’s negative portrayal of women elsewhere (Vlastos, 1994). On Vlastos’ account, if Plato’s policies reflect a belief that â€Å"equality in the rights of persons shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex† – a claim that bears contrary to the norms governing the status of Athenian women at the time – then Plato is aptly characterized as a feminist (Vlastos, 1994, p. 12). On attempting to reconcile the emancipation of the female-elite in Republic V with the reproachful remarks targeted at women – as evidenced throughout the broader Platonic corpus – Vlastos suggests that the â€Å"‘womanish’ traits [Plato] denigrates are those of the great mass of women, not of those brilliant exceptions from whom the guardians would be recruited; and, moreover, they are the traits common to women now [i.e. Plato’s time], under conditions [then] prevailing which [did not] foster the development of energetic minds and resolute characters† (Vlastos, 1994, p. 18). Arguably, Vlastos’ explanation does not merely ‘explain away’ Plato’s irreverent tone toward women; a tone persistent throughout his works and, notably, targeted at the general female body. Ultimately, Vlastos’ approach fails to satisfy those who subscribe to a liberationist ethic that values women’s preferences and needs for thei r own sake (Annas, 1976). On this account, Pomeroy calls attention to contempt for women throughout the Platonic texts, either expressed directly, or implied through images and metaphors; and points to a proprietary canon that positioned women as property, prizes, and slaves under the custodial care of men (Pomeroy, 1975). Moreover, noting that Plato’s liberation of women resides within a metaphysical framework in which a woman’s opportunity to pursue â€Å"knowledge of the good† depends on the intrinsic value of the soul, Annas poses a consistent hostility toward women throughout Plato’s dialogues. Accordingly, she argues against the feminist thesis; namely pointing to the facts that Plato does not reject inequality between the genders as such, nor does he suggest, in any way, that he genuinely cares for the desires of women, as women (Annas, 1976). Clearly, the broader Platonic corpus fails to transcend the gender stereotypes and sexist notions that circumscribe its time. However, in so much as Plato gives voice to a class of citizens that remained mute for ages – barred by the values of a rigid societal construct – some may deem Plato a revolutionary proponent of female-actualization. While his overall presentation may offend modern feminist sensibilities, Plato’s policies are attuned to the potential of females in the face of a disparaging cultural opposition. And, although the evidence suggests that Plato does not consider women as the moral equals of men – by any measure – he nonetheless deserves credit for being among the first to promote the equality of women in meaningful aspects of social status and function. References Annas, Julia. (1976). Plato’s â€Å"Republic† and Feminism. Philosophy, 51, 307-321. Aristotle. (1995). Aristotle Politics: Books I And II. (Trevor Saunders, Trans.). New York: Oxford University Press. (Original work written 350 B.C.E.). Bar On, B. (1994). Engendering Origins: Critical Feminist Readings in Plato and Aristotle. New York: State University of New York Press. Just, R. (1989). Women in Athenian Law and Life. New York: Routledge Press. Okin, S. (1979). Women in Western Political Thought. Princeton: Princeton University Press Plato. (1997). Complete Works: The Republic. (J.M. Cooper D. L. Hutchinson, Eds.). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Plato. (1997). Complete Works: Timaeus. (J.M. Cooper D. L. Hutchinson, Eds.). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Pomeroy, S. (1975). Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Random House, Inc. Vlastos, Gregory. (1994). Was Plato a Feminist? In Nancy Tuana (Ed.), Feminist Interpretations of Plato (pp. 11-23). University Park, PA: Penn State Press. Walmart: Everyday Low Prices Strategy Walmart: Everyday Low Prices Strategy Wal-Mart is the worlds largest retailer stores emerged in Arkansas, USA since 1962 by Sam Walton with his belief that the future of retailing lay in discounting, focusing on value drivers: price and service, convenience and a wide rage of product all in one store. The successfully of implementation is to adapt innovative practice selling the brand with slogan Every Day Low Prices (EDLP) mixed with other philosophies into its pricing. In early days, One of the key strategy was concerned on small town locations: open discount stores in small town and spread out its stores and filling un-served gaps avoiding from competition radar. As, Wal-Mart saturated its market and effectively barred new competition. With the prospect of low price policy, Wal-Mart is relentless cost control. Non-stop of reducing of their price parallel with cost control. Including of being the partnership with suppliers, they claimed that it helped the suppliers improve inventory management and efficiency as win-win partnership. Another core competence is logistic management. Wal-Mart very early demonstrated commitment to technology in the industry. Being the earliest to adopt satellite technology connection the chain to one big network. Moreover, Wal-Mart has been seeking for the continuing development by adoption RFID in the system. In term of service, Wal-Mart understands the art of motivating its employees from all level to perform their best. For instant, under the ten-foot rule, any member of staff within ten feet of a customer must offer them assistance. Its labor relations are exceptional. Workers are not plain employees but associates, eligible for a share of the profits and stock options in the company. This has created a famously loyal and highly competitive workforce. Now, Wal-Mart is facing a change to their business in China. Over the past few years Chinas retail industry and its distribution and logistical infrastructure have opened up significantly with decreased government regulation. For Wal-Mart this will mean a large change in its business strategy and it will now look to profitably expand with Chinas booming economy. In order to set a new strategy Wal-Mart will need to identify what issues it will face in the short and long term. One such issue is the fact that the business model used in America will not directly transplant to China. For example, in the U.S., Wal-Mart places stores in small towns to gain a competitive advantage. China, on the other hand, will not support such a structure. In China, the economic growth has been concentrated exclusively in coastal regions supporting urbanites. The U.S. business model also uses Wal-Marts distribution, logistics, and IT networks to gain economies of scale and competitive advantages. China does not have the infrastructure for Wal-Mart to gain the same scale economies and advantages. Instead, Wal-Mart China will need to find alternative ways to turn core competencies into competitive advantages. Other issues Wal-Mart China faces are differences in consumer preferences habits between American and Chinese consumers, increasing competition among foreign and domestic firms, and overcoming local protectionism obstacles. SWOT Analysis of Wal-Mart (S)trengths Wal-Mart is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation for value for money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store. The company has a core competence involving its use of information technology to support its international logistics system. Wal-Mart has a lot of suppliers, since the company claimed that it had always treated its supplier as partners and also helps suppliers improve inventory management and efficiency. Wal-Mart has a competitive strategy. For example everyday low prices (EDLP) or Always Low prices, this helped to drive the concept of EDLP and drew a million customers to its door. (W)eakness The biggest obstacle Wal-Mart faced in Mainland China was lack of an information-technology network with suppliers making the purchase and distribution difficult. (O)pportunities To take over, merge with, or form strategic alliances with other global retailers, focusing on specific markets such as Europe or the Greater China Region.   The stores are currently only trade in a relatively small number of countries. Therefore there are tremendous opportunities for future business in expanding consumer markets.   New locations and store types offer Wal-Mart opportunities to exploit market development. They diversified from large super centres, to local and mall-based sites.   Opportunities exist for Wal-Mart to continue with its current strategy of large, super centres. (T)hreats Very high competition in china market, especially the local brand. The Buying behavior of Chinese consumers, Chinese consumers always compare the different of the price before they make a purchase. Regulatory restrictions, in china the constraints on a foreign retailers operation directly limited the regional expansion of Wal-Mart stores and the efficient use of distribution centers. Local protectionism, it is serious problem faced by many multinational firms trying to expand operations through china. The Infrastructural Deficiency, Wal-Mart distribution system depended on transportation, but china transportation were no well connected and were serious fragmented. Case Questions: Why is Wal-Mart successful in the US? What are Wal-Marts competitive advantages and its sources? Wal-Mart has the critical strategy such as Every Day Low Prices (EDLP) to capture demand of consumers and brand reputation and trust of customers make Wal-Mart become outstanding firm. Two key developments made the success possible: Distribution: Wal-Mart set up highly automated distribution centres, cutting down on delivery time and costs. Inventory flow: The companys computerized inventory systems gave managers real-time information on their stocks, speeding up the re-ordering of goods. The competitive advantages of Wal-Mart are technology, being the earliest to adopt satellite technology connection the chain to one big network. Besides, Wal-Mart has been seeking for the continuing development by adoption RFID in the system. Using the inventory management over the competitors and a lot of suppliers that deal with Wal-Mart. Also, the main successful of Wal-Mart is cost-control. Wal-Mart can control and avoid unnecessary cost very well, therefore Wal-Mart can offers a low price than competitors to consumers as a result of economic of scale. 2. Should Wal-Mart replicate its domestic model in its original form in China? Why? Can it build the same competitive advantage in China through its successful domestic model? Wal-Mart should not use the same strategy form in china. Because it is different in culture , environment, legal and politics. The original might be success in US but the characteristic of Chinese people is totally differently from USs people. It is hard to build the competitive as the same as in United state because due to local supplier, distribution or supply chain is not the same as in USA. Also, Wal-Mart might lack of technology in china, so I think the original model might not work in china 3. Provide suggestions on potential strategies that Wal-Mart China should consider in going forward. Creating Guanxi Conducting marketing expansion research: a critical role in global success. It permits the company to take into account different environments, attitude and market conditions and hence to minimize risks. To get information for possible business expansion To monitor the political climate To review various ways of market To evaluate the business partners Alternatives Wal-Mart has many options when determining what strategy to set going forward in Chinas newly deregulated market.    One such option is to accept defeat.    Wal-Mart has attempted to transplant its American business model in other countries such as Germany, South Korea, and Japan and realized huge failures.    Japan is consistently a loss making operation for Wal-Mart, and Wal-Mart has already completely retreated from Germany and South Korea due to its inability to.. http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/297.aspx http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/325922.stm