Sunday, January 19, 2020

Rainforest Cafe, Inc: Outline To Rainforest Cafe Research Report :: essays research papers fc

Rainforest Cafe, Inc: Outline to Rainforest Cafe Research Report CORPORATE BACKGROUND History Formation Rainforest Cafe, Inc. was incorporated in Minnesota on February 3, 1994 to own and operate restaurant and retail facilities under the name of "Rainforest Cafe - A Wild Place to Shop and Eat." Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Election. Lyle Berman was elected Chairman and CEO of Rainforest Cafe at its inception in February 1994. Background. Berman has been Chairman and CEO of Grand Casinos, Inc. and its predecessor since October 1990. He is also CEO and a director of Stratosphere Corporation, and a director of G-III Apparel Group Ltd., Innovative Gaming Corporation of America and New Horizon Kids Quest, Inc. He previously was the President and CEO of Berman Specialty Stores, Inc. ("Bermans") from 1978 until November 1988 when Bermans was acquired by Wilson Suede and Leather, a subsidiary of Melville Corporation. President and Chief Operating Officer Election. Martin J. O'Dowd was elected in May of 1995. He is the first to hold this position. As of November 18, 1996 O'Dowd has taken a 30 day leave of absence for personal reasons. Dennis Nielson, analyst for R. J. Steichen, predicts that if the leave is only 30 days there should not be a lasting impact on the company (Nielson, November 18, 1996). Background. O'Dowd is a director of Elephant and Castle Group, Inc. He was previously the Corporate Director, Food & Beverage Services for Holiday Inn Worldwide from July 1987 to May 1995. From August 1985 to July 1987, O'Dowd was Vice President and General Operations Manager for the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. Management Philosophy. Berman and O'Dowd stated that they are committed to identifying and acquiring the resources that will allow them to continue their high rate of growth. Main Activities Rainforest Cafe has two areas of each facility, the restaurant and the retail area. Restaurant The company believes that its large menu selection is an important factor in the appeal of its restaurants. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner entrees which range in price from $7.95 to $15.95. The theme of the company is mirrored on the menu with all food and beverage selections including a jungle reference (Annual Report, 1995). The restaurant derived approximately 74 percent of the companies total revenue during the 52 week period ending December 31, 1995. Retail Area In order to enter the restaurant, all customers must pass through the retail area. The inventory includes apparel and gifts with the Rainforest Cafe logo and other items with a rainforest theme such as toys and educational games. The retail area derived approximately 26 percent of the companies total revenue

Saturday, January 11, 2020

International Law Essay

International Organizations are attempting to target and eliminate child labour beginning by pinpointing the problem itself and understanding the reasons for it. UNICEF’s latest statistics from 2011 indicate that one in every six children aged five to fourteen are engaged in child labour in developing countries. The International Labour Organization (ILO) says there are over two hundred and fifteen million children working worldwide either part time or full time jobs. Furthermore, seventy percent of them work in dangerous environments. The ILO is leading the fight in eliminating child labour in an organized fashion. Their research suggests the damaging effects of child labour must be systematically eliminated beginning with the worst forms of child labour. The process begins with understanding the problem itself, the causes and consequences, socio-political aspects, and all the variables involved. The hard work of the ILO has helped create Treaties and Conventions banning child labour and â€Å"identifying concrete measures for Governments to take (UNICEF, 2011).† Through socio-legal challenges, the ILO is working tirelessly as they are at the forefront of the fight against child labour. This has resulted in various forms of success as they still have a long way to go. Using labour standards, Conventions, Recommendations, creating organizations, getting member states involved, raising awareness, and stressing basic human rights, the International Labour Organization has created a formula in the fight to end child labour. UNICEF- Convention on the Rights of the Child UNICEF, acronym of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, has a mission to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, â€Å"to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential (UNICEF, 2011).† Just like the ILO, UNICEF is a special programme of the United Nations. This international organization relates to the ILO because of their devotion to aiding children internationally and aiding national efforts to improve health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children (UNICEF, 2012). Although UNICEF’s goals are not based on targeting and eliminating child labour itself, they take a huge part in helping the cause. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (2012), since 1996 UNICEF programmes have been guided by the â€Å"Convention on the Rights of the Child,† which affirms the right to all children to â€Å"the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facili ties for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health (UNICEF 2012).† The Convention on the Rights of the Child is built on various international legal systems and cultural traditions. This Convention is a â€Å"universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations (UNICEF, 2011).† These are basic standards which are also referred to as human rights which set minimum entitlements and freedoms that are expected to be respected by all governments. UNICEF (2011) states that it is founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, color, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability. Therefore, they apply to every human being no matter where they are located. Not only are governments obligated to follow this Convention, but so are all individuals and employers regarding the rights of all humans. Furthermore, UNIFEC (2011) says that â€Å"we cannot ensure some rights without – or at the expense of – other rights.† Many countries including Canada have had to make changes to their common and civil law as a result of ratifying this Convention. However, this has been done for the better because local laws have been created to follow up with this Convention. For example, youth criminal laws in Canada underwent major changes resulting in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) which defines Canada’s different commitments under the Convention. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a legally binding instrument which is the first international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights. This includes civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. This is a special Convention, particularly for that reason that world leaders agreed on the fact that children under the age of eighteen years old often need the protection and care that adults do not. Furthermore, this would be a Convention for the world to recognize that children also have human rights. It sets out these human rights in 54 articles and two optional protocols. The first optional protocol restricts the involvement of children in military conflicts, and the second optional protocol prohibits the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The articles identified by UNICEF (2011) spell out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: The right to survival; to develop to the fullest; protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. UNICEF (2011) states that â€Å"every right spelled out in the Convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child.† The Convention protects children’s rights by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services. National governments have agreed to undertake the obligations of the Convention, therefore have committed themselves to protecting and ensuring children’s rights. They have also agreed to hold themselves accountable for this commitment before the international community. It is the governments’ obligation to make sure they do their part after signing or giving formal consent to the Convention, therefore treating it as a treaty, contract, or agreement and making it officially valid. Both the protocols have been ratified by a hundred and ninety four nations. These nations that have ratified this Convention are bound to it by international law. Furthermore, compliance is monitored by the United Nations committee on the Rights of the Child because it is important to make sure the member states are acting and complying according to the Convention. As far as the child labour topic goes, focusing on the International Labour Organization is far more important than focusing on UNIFIC. As suggested earlier, UNICEF’s focus is on advocating and paying attention to the general welfare of children globally. This includes children that do not work, whereas the ILO focuses on child labour issues among other labour issues of the world. The global importance of both of these international organizations is immeasurable. Therefore, understanding the fact that this topic is on child labour issues, it only makes sense to focus on the ILO. The ILO Structure The International Labour Organization’s work is based on encouraging and promoting the development of social and economic progress. It is important for governments, employers’, and workers’ organizations to cooperate in order for this structure to function. Furthermore, their aim is to ensure that it serves the needs of working men and woman by â€Å"bringing together governments, employers and workers to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes (International Labour Organization, 2012).† In other words, the ILO has created a form of a governing system for the international workforce to ensure safety and to protect all individuals. The ILO structure emphasizes equality where the workers and employers have equal voices with the governments. The ILO also encourages promoting a social dialogue between the trade unions and employers (International Labour Organization, 2012). Where appropriate, they implement national policy on social, economic, and other issues. There is no international organization that is like the ILO because it resulted in the tripartite organization, â€Å"the only one of its kind bringing together representatives of governments, employers, and workers in its executive bodies (International Labour Organization, 2012).† The ILO accomplishes its work through three main bodies which are â€Å"The International Labour Conference,† â€Å"The Governing Body,† and â€Å"The Office.† These main bodies oversee progress and changes in the global fight against child labour. This allows governments’, employers’, and workers’ representatives to settle disput es and reach agreements by mutual concessions. ILO Conventions and Recommendations Conventions and Recommendations are drawn up by representatives of governments, employers and workers and are adopted at the ILO’s annual International Labour Conference (International Labour Organization, 2012). The ILO has its own Constitution which gives them the authority required to eliminate child labour. Member States are required under this Constitution to submit them to their parliament for consideration. Once a Member State ratifies a Convention, it takes a year after the date of ratification for it to come into force. Therefore, there is a process involved and nothing happens overnight in the fight to eliminate child labour. After ratifying, nations must apply the Convention in their national law and practice. Furthermore, the countries must report on its application at regular intervals as required by the ILO. The ILO provides technical assistance if necessary. In addition, â€Å"representation and complaint procedures can be initiated against countries for violat ions of a convention they have ratified (International Labour Organization, 2012).† Fundamental & Governance Conventions The ILO’s Governing Body has identified eight Conventions as â€Å"fundamental,† covering subjects that are considered as fundamental principles and rights at work. The fundamental Conventions include â€Å"freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; the effective abolition of child labour; and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation (International Labour Organization, 2012).† They date back to 1930 and go to the latest Fundamental Convention that was issued in 1999. These principles are also covered in the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998). The ILO launched a campaign in 1995 to achieve a worldwide ratification of these eight Conventions. This would be a huge breakthrough in the fight to eliminate child labour as there would be worldwide support of at least the fundamental princi ples and rights of work. There are currently over 1,200 ratifications of these Conventions, representing 86% of the possible number of ratifications. The ILO’s Governing Body also came up with four Conventions as â€Å"priority† instruments, thereby encouraging member states to ratify them because of their importance for the functioning of the international labour standards system (International Labour Organization, 2012). Since 2008, they are referred to as Governance Conventions. These Conventions were identified by the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization as the standards that are the most significant from the viewpoint of governance. The Governance Conventions include â€Å"Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81); Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122); Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129); Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144).† As the titles suggest, the ILO finds it is just as important to inspect what Member States are doing as it is to create laws. There is no sense in creating a law that is not monitor ed, inspected, or enforced. International Labour Standards International labour standards are â€Å"legal instruments drawn up by the ILO’s constituents and setting out basic principles and rights of work (International Labour Organization, 2012).† International labour standards refer to either Conventions or Recommendations. Conventions according to the ILO are legally binding international treaties which can be ratified by member states. Recommendations are non-binding guidelines. In many cases, a Convention lays down the basic principles to be implemented by ratifying countries. A related Recommendation completes the convention by providing more detailed guidelines on how it could be applied (International Labour Organization, 2012). The intent of labour standards is to establish a minimum level of protection from inhumane labour practices, basic rights, enhancing job security, and improving the terms of employment on a global scale. The workplace globally needs equal basic rights, which must be on ethical grounds according to the ILO. The International Labour Standards consist of twenty three subjects which are further broken down into more specific subtopics. Each topic and subtopic has its own Convention. A Convention is an agreement between states, governments, parties, or military forces, especially an international agreement dealing with specific subjects, such as child labour (Mifflin, 2000). International organizations use these Conventions as their weapons in order to fight child labour. It is their legal instrument to hold governments and partners who agree and consent to them liable if they fail to act according to the Convention. The twenty three international labour standards include freedom of association, collective bargaining, and industrial relations; forced labour; elimination of child labour and protection of children and young persons; equality of opportunity and treatment; tripartite consultation; labour administration and inspection; employment policy and promotion; vocational guidance and training; employment security; wages; working time; occupational safety and health; social security; maternity protection; social policy; migrant workers; HIV and AIDS; seafarers; fishermen; dockworkers; indigenous and tribal peoples; specific categories of workers; and final articles Conventions. Origins of ILO and its Conventions Conventions are a part of the international labour standards and all nations that accept them must apply them to their laws. Many of the Conventions date back to the beginning of the ILO. The ILO was created in 1919, â€Å"as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War 1, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice (International Labour Organization, 2012).† The term peace well describes their goals because they seek a peaceful global workforce where no one is exploited or put to work in dangerous circumstances. The Constitution was drafted in the same year the ILO was created by the Labour Commission set up by the Peace Conference. According to Encyclopedia Britannica (2012), the Constitution signifies â€Å"the body of doctrines and practices that form the fundamental organizing principle of a political state.† Furthermore, a treaty which establishes an international organization is also it s Constitution in that it would define how that organization is constituted. Advocacy for an international organization dealing with labour issues dates back to the nineteenth century. Therefore, the ILO is not the first and only organization who recognized the importance of dealing with worldwide labour issues. However, they are the first organization to take significant actions to make a change. The ILO formed after considering the security, humanitarian, political and economic problems of the world. The ILO Constitution’s Preamble says â€Å"the High Contracting Parties were moved by sentiments of justice and humanity as well as by desire to secure the permanent peace of the world (International Labour Organization, 2012).† The ILO’s mission has remained consistent as most of the areas of improvement listed in the Preamble remain relevant today. For example, regulations of the hours of work including the establishment of a maximum working day, dates back to the beginning of the ILO. International Labour Standards Directly Concerning Child Labour Some international labour standards deal with the issue of child labour directly, while others do indirectly. â€Å"Elimination of child labour and protection of children and young persons† deals directly with the issue of child labour as the title suggests. This is the labour standard number three which has four fundamental Conventions on child labour and related Recommendations. The four Conventions include the Minimum Age Convention created in 1973 (â€Å"No. 138†), Minimum Age Recommendation created in 1973 (â€Å"No. 146†), Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention created in 1999 (â€Å"No. 182†), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation created in 1999 (â€Å"No.190†). The Minimum Age Convention is concerning the minimum age for admission to employment. Convention 138 (â€Å"C138†) was created on the fifty-eighth session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office. The goal of this Convention was to establish a general instrument on the subject, which would gradually replace the existing ones applicable to limited economic sectors (International Labour Organization, 2012).† Previously there had been Minimum Age Conventions for certain industries and areas where people could work. For example, Minimum Age Sea Convention or the Minimum Age Non-Industrial Employment Convention. Instead of focusing on every sector individually, the Governing Body came up with a specific Minimum Age Convention concerning all children and all forms of work. This Convention includes eighteen judicial articles in which the nations that ratify this Convention must follow. The Minimum Age Recommendations include fourteen national policies for which nations can follow but are not bound to by law. The Recommendations mostly explain what countries should do to follow the articles of the Convention itself. For example, national policy one says â€Å"high priority should be given to planning for and meeting the needs of children and youth in national development policies and programmes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This Convention is regarded as being of high importance because in the past, children as young as five years old became child labourers. The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. Convention 182 (â€Å"C182†) was created at the eighty-seventh Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office. The goal of this Convention and its sixteen articles is in a sense created to compliment the Convention and Recommendation concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment. The Governing Body was â€Å"considering the need to adopt new instruments for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, as the main priority for national and international action (International Labour Organization, 2012).† In other words, they needed solutions to the problem and recognizing that child labour is to an extent caused by poverty. Therefore, â€Å"long-term solution lies in sustained economic growth leading to social progress, in particular poverty alleviation and universal education (International Labour Organization, 1973).† This Convention really pushes nations that ratify it to take actions in eliminating the worst forms of child labour. The most notable articles state â€Å"the term child shall apply to all persons under the age of 18,† and â€Å"each Member shall, after consultation with employers’ and workers’ organizations, establish or designate appropriate mechanisms to monitor the implementation of the provisions giving effect to this Convention.† Overall, all the articles of this Convention are instructing the members about what they must do in detail and the processes for these actions are to begin immediately. The second part to the Elimination of Child Labour and Protection of Children and Young Persons labour standard is â€Å"Protection of Children and Young Persons.† This is mostly â€Å"Up-to-date instruments† which means these Conventions were created between 1919 and 1965 and therefore needed to be revised and updated. These Conventions include the Medical Examination of Young Persons, Minimum Age, and Night Work of Young Persons. It is important for the Governing Body to go over previous Conventions and address the changes that need to be made or have been made in order to monitor the progress. Nearly all international labour standards have an impact on child labour in one way or another. For example, â€Å"Equality of Opportunity and Treatment† is an international labour standard that concerns all individuals. If an adult is treated with equality, gets the opportunities and treatment that they deserve, their children will not have to earn a living and can pursue an education. This opens up doors for the following generations of children where they can receive education because their parents have good jobs. Relatively, this connects to the international labour standard of â€Å"Forced Labour† because the ILO’s evidence suggests that children and families as a whole are often forced into labour. The reasons can include unpaid debts, poverty, or any other reason from the list of causes of child labour. Therefore, these individuals face mistreatment and are often neglected from their basic human rights. Since these international labour standards connect wi th one another, it helps the cause because even if one of them is accepted by a Member State, it automatically helps another problem that we may be unaware of.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Evolution Before Darwin - 1590 Words

It is not an astounding observation to say that there exists (or existed at one point in time) thousands, possibly millions, of stories on Earth. Stories that our innocent young selves were subjected to in elementary school that have influenced the way we see ourselves and those around us, more so than we would like to admit. Stories that our parents have read to us late at night willing us with their words of cats in hats and cows jumping over the moon to shut our eyelids and drift off to sleep, and stories that come and visit us in our dreams, usually only for a moment, leaving behind traces of its scent the next morning. We are a species who thrive on this thing called story, much the same way a bee thrives on honey or a poet thrives†¦show more content†¦The Brahmanas of India tell a similar story: In the beginning this universe was nothing but a sea of water. Out of the watery chaos a creative power of heat was recognized and a golden egg was produced. This egg is believ ed to have given birth to all creation (Sproul, 184). Water, chaos, and a single source of creation, are all common themes in the above creation myths, as well as many others that could not be discussed here, and it is hard to believe that these stories developed independently of each other. It is highly likely that these stories diffused to other cultures with the passing of time and resurfaced in myths, songs, and artwork – a sort of universal acid. The origin of these stories, if there is a single origin, will be impossible to ascertain, analogous to Dennetts argument about the universal authorship of jokes. The jokes we hear and pass have evolved, picking up revisions and updates as they are passed along, and its authorship is distributed over hundreds of tellers (Dennet, 99). In the same way, the authorship of these creation myths is collectively shared by hundreds of cultures, including the Darwinian culture. One of the most striking similarities between certain ancient culture myths and Darwins theory of evolution is the idea that humans were, at one point in time, to animalistic. A North American Wyot myth tells a story of a God who, at oneShow MoreRelatedContradiction Between the Theory of Evolution and the Bible947 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Darwin was a British scientist who founded the theory of evolution and changed the way we think about the natural world. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 and lived during the Industrial Revolution. As a child, Darwin initially planned to become a doctor, but his plan terminated when he joined the five year expedition on the survey ship, the HMS Beagle, in 1831. In the expedition, Darwin developed a theory and published a book call The Origin of Species. This book was the beginning ofRead MoreThe Origin of The Species by Charles Darwin Essay994 Words   |  4 PagesDarwinism is a theory developed by Charles Darwin with the help of many othe rs. It states that natural selection is the most common cause of evolution. All species of organisms arise and grow through the natural selection of inherited variations that help increase the individuals ability to survive and reproduce in its environment. 1735 Carolus Linnaeus: He believed that God had created the world in a divine order from the simplest creatures up to human beings. He said God created struggle andRead MoreCharles Darwins Life and Accomplishments784 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Darwin was born in February 12,1809. When Charles Darwin was a little kid he struggled a lot in school. In 1825, Charles become a fortunate person and went to medical school. Darwin was a British scientist who set the foundations of the theory of evolution and converted the way we imagine about the natural world. Charles Darwin was the discoverer of the biological theory of evolution. Charles Darwin was married for 43 years to Emma Darwin who was his cousin. Charles Darwin had 10 childrenRead MoreThe Evolution of Evolution1188 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscovery of evolution. Nevertheless, there was a time before the world did not know the theory of evolution and the theories demonstrated by Sir Charles Darwin. Before the evolution, there were p eople who were subjected to religious ideologies of how mankind was created, they believed that the upper class was known to be â€Å"divine creatures†. However, the introduction of evolution leads the theory to be the base of biology and changes the minds of people all over the world. Firstly, before the theoryRead MoreThe Validity of The Evolutionary Theory Essay1486 Words   |  6 PagesThe evolution theory, one of the most significant theories, laid groundwork for the study of modern biological science. This theory has lead scientists into unending debates due to lack of empirical supports. 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According to history, Charles Darwin is the first scientist to frame the theory of evolution by natural selection. It was publish in his book title On the Origin of Species 1859†. Darwin express the theory of evolution by natural selection as a process by which species change over a period of time. This change take place because of the changes in genetic and behavioral traits. The ability of the organisms to change over time or adjust to fit environmentalRead MoreWhat Is The Evidence For Evolution?1363 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is the evidence for evolution? I will start my essay by briefly describing, what is evolution theory? And also going into more depth of evolution theory such as; who was the first person ratifying theory and so on. 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Due to lack on interest in the medicine fieldRead MoreCharles Darwins Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Essay1027 Words   |  5 Pages Darwin is considered by other people as the creator of Evolution. Darwin was not the only man to arrive at the theory of evolution. Darwin came to his theory of evolution at the same time as an another man who goes by the name of Alfred Russell Wallace came to the same conclusion. Wallace being relatively unknown was not respected for having the same conclusion because the fact that people were so apt to listen to the theory’s of Charles Darwin. After time Darwin published a book On the Origin

Thursday, December 26, 2019

A Brief History of the African Nation of Tunisia

Modern Tunisians are the descendants of indigenous Berbers and of people from numerous civilizations that have invaded, migrated to, and been assimilated into the population over the millennia. Recorded history in Tunisia begins with the arrival of Phoenicians, who founded Carthage and other North African settlements in the 8th century B.C. Carthage became a major sea power, clashing with Rome for control of the Mediterranean until it was defeated and captured by the Romans in 146 B.C. Muslim Conquest The Romans ruled and settled in North Africa until the 5th century, when the Roman Empire fell and Tunisia was invaded by European tribes, including the Vandals. The Muslim conquest in the 7th century transformed Tunisia and the make-up of its population, with subsequent waves of migration from around the Arab and Ottoman world, including significant numbers of Spanish Muslims and Jews at the end of the 15th century. From Arab Center to French Protectorate Tunisia became a center of Arab culture and learning and was assimilated into the Turkish Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. It was a French protectorate from 1881 until independence in 1956, and retains close political, economic, and cultural ties with France. Independence for Tunisia Tunisias independence from France in 1956 ended the protectorate established in 1881. President Habib Ali Bourguiba, who had been the leader of the independence movement, declared Tunisia a republic in 1957, ending the nominal rule of the Ottoman Beys. In June 1959, Tunisia adopted a constitution modeled on the French system, which established the basic outline of the highly centralized presidential system that continues today. The military was given a defined defensive role, which excluded participation in politics. A Strong and Healthy Beginning Starting from independence, President Bourguiba placed strong emphasis on economic and social development, especially education, the status of women, and the creation of jobs, policies that continued under Zine El Abidine Ben Alis administration. The result was strong social progress – high literacy and school attendance rates, low population growth rates, and relatively low poverty rates – and generally steady economic growth. These pragmatic policies have contributed to social and political stability. Bourguiba,  President for Life Progress toward full democracy has been slow. Over the years, President Bourguiba stood unopposed for re-election several times and was named President for Life in 1974 by a constitutional amendment. At the time of independence, the Neo-Destourian Party (later the Parti Socialiste Destourien, PSD or Socialist Destourian Party)—enjoying broad support because of its role at the forefront of the independence movement—became the sole legal party. Opposition parties were banned until 1981. Democratic change Under Ben Ali​ When President Ben Ali came to power in 1987, he promised greater democratic openness and respect for human rights, signing a national pact with opposition parties. He oversaw constitutional and legal changes, including abolishing the concept of President for life, the establishment of presidential term limits, and provision for greater opposition party participation in political life. But the ruling party renamed the Rassemblement Constitutionel Dà ©mocratique (RCD or Democratic Constitutional Rally), dominated the political scene due to its historic popularity and the advantage it enjoyed as the ruling party. Survival of a Strong Political Party Ben Ali ran for re-election unopposed in 1989 and 1994. In the multiparty era, he won 99.44% of the vote in 1999 and 94.49% of the vote in 2004. In both elections he faced weak opponents. The RCD won all seats in the Chamber of Deputies in 1989, and won all of the directly elected seats in the 1994, 1999, and 2004 elections. However, constitutional amendments provided for the distribution of additional seats to the opposition parties by 1999 and 2004. Effectively Becoming President for Life A May 2002 referendum approved constitutional changes proposed by Ben Ali that allowed him to run for a fourth term in 2004 (and a fifth, his final, because of age, in 2009), and provided judicial immunity during and after his presidency. The referendum also created a second parliamentary chamber, and provided for other changes. SourcePublic Domain material, US Department of State  Background Notes.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Teaching Objectivism On The Courtroom - 1509 Words

Teaching Objectivism to the courtroom, Rearden is attacking the Collectivist philosophy by accepting reality; that one must produce for their own self-interest in order to pursue their own happiness. This moral code he is condemning breaks the law of existence: â€Å"A is A (1038)†. If A is not A, a person’s sole motive to live is not for himself, rather, to live for others. This premise of self-sacrifice denies reality, reason, and logic in place of faith, charity, and force. When Rearden declares â€Å"The public good be damned, I will have no part of it!† he condemns this irrational value system that promotes using oneself as a sacrificial animal and its methods of gaining control: by debilitating the producers and general public. The producers, through their guilt and force; the public at large by draining their capacity to think. Even though he is preaching Objectivism, Rearden lives according to this philosophy only partially. An Objectivist believes a person’s highest moral purpose is to pursue happiness through their values. He obtains the virtues, but feels guilt and shame for them. As Francisco D’Anconia tries to make Hank realize this fault, he asks â€Å"Why don’t you hold to the purpose of your life as clearly and rigidly as you hold to the purpose of your mills? (451)†. Hank runs his vastly successful Steel company objectively, mastering the reality of matter, which makes him â€Å"one of the last moral men in the world (451)†, but the distinction between him and D’Anconia,

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Organizational Theory and Design Sports Industry

Question: Discuss about theOrganizational Theory and Design for Sports Industry. Answer: Introduction The main of the study is to shed light on the importance of the leadership and the strategies of a company. For this particular assignment, the Sports industry of Australia have been considered. Further to carry out a detailed study, the Pacific Sports Management company has been chosen. The study includes the structure of the business that the company follows. The leadership style of the company is further discussed that helps to understand the performance level of the company since effective leadership is one of the keys to ensure efficiency in the organisation. Being one of the renowned brands in the market of Australia, the company has been following certain strategies that help the company to perform its business in the home market as well as in the overseas market. Pacific Sports Management (PSM) is one of the leading sports company in Australia. The company is known to provide personalised and exclusive management to the clients both in Australia and in the international market. The objective of the company is maintaining the level of hard work and loyalty. The company offers elite corporate network exposure to its clients and customers, which supports the career and their post career. Structure of the Company The Pacific Sports Management Company follows a line and staff organisational structure within the organisation. The company has a direct and a vertical relationship with the various levels in the organisation. The organization has both line and staff departments where the staff department allows the line people with advice and assistance in areas that are specialise such as quality control advising production department. The company replaced the staff authority of functional authority organisational structure with the staff responsibility (Eden and Ackermann 2013). This helps the company not to violate the principle of unity of command. Pacific sports management has three types of specialized staffs such as the advising, service and the control. The staffs of the company perform either any one or two of the above-mentioned function or all the functions together. The line personnel use the expertise of staff specialist to make the organisational structure of the company effective. Th e capability and the span of the control of the line managers of PSM can be enhanced, as they are relieved of a number of the functions (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2012). The staff people perform these functions in order to assist the line. Figure 1: The organisational structure of Pacific Sports Management (Source: Hendriks and Karsten 2014) Pacific Sports Management uses the line and staff organisational structure for its company as the managers receive many benefits from this organisational structure. The structure offers a direct vertical relationship between the different levels of the organisation that allows higher flexibility and specialization. The higher authority of the company easily identifies the knowledge and the expertise of the specialist. As the organisational structure has three types of specialised staff, the work is divided effectively that improves the organisational performance (Rothaermel 2015). The advisory loos after the management information system of the company, operation research and quantitative techniques, industrial engineering and planning. The service staffs carries out the activities of maintenance, purchase, stores, financing and marketing (Kane and Patapan 2014). On the other hand, the staffs of the control department ensure quality control, cost control, auditing etcetera. However, as argued by Shafritz, Ott and Jang (2015), this organisational structure might create confects in between the line and the staffs. There are chances for the staff officer to resent their lack of authority that creates low efficiency of the company. Nevertheless, the line and staff organisational structure is further advantageous as the Company is able to increase the span of control, relieves the line authority from the task of specialized decision and routine. There is no need for all round executives that supports the business of Pacific Sports Management. Leadership Style of the Company The PSM team is a dedicated team of professionals that have individuals with diverse skills. The team aims to provide service to the unique clients from the sports and entertainment contract, film and television production, sponsorship, publishing etcetera. The company follows a democratic leadership style in which the members or the staffs of the team are allowed to actively participate in the decision-making process. The employees are allowed to participate and freely exchange their views and ideas. This helps to increase the motivation level within the employees of PSM. The managing director and the owner of PSM, Chris Orr had an experience of fifteen years in the sports marketing and management industry before he established his own company. As per his perception on order to increase the efficiency of the company, it is necessary for the company to increase the productivity of the staffs working for the company. The employee productivity can be increased by increasing their motivation level and job satisfaction (Mellahi and Frynas 2015). Therefore, Chris Orr intends to follow the democratic leadership style that allows the employees to participate in the organisational activities. Thus, the director of PSM acts as a democratic leader in achieving the organisational goals. The director of sport of the company, Gavin Orr plays the role of identifying the athletes company into the organization. The director of sports represents the day to day welfare issues of the athlete. The greatest athletes in the rugby game are recruited by the company to assist the clients of the company. In the democratic leadership the workers or the subordinates are able to participate in the decision making process that helps them to feel satisfied with the job. The workers in PSM are aware of the activities happening in the organization, which accelerates the employee production. The subordinates have full opportunity to utilise their individual capabilities (Daft 2015). However, the decision-making is delayed, as a number of individuals are included in the process. The decentralization of the authority restricts the use of less competent executive. Strategies of the Company within Australian Market The Pacific Sports Management company uses different strategies within the Australian market that helps the company to achieve higher revenue and profits. The company implements branding strategy that increases the brand image. The company uses the attitude branding and iconic banding strategies. The company intends to represent larger feelings that is not only connected with the product and consumption of the products (Hill, Jones and Schilling 2014). The iconic branding of PSM represents having aspects that helps to contribute to the self-expression and personal identity of the customers. Moreover, the company uses pricing strategies that helps to reduce the price of the products by reducing the cost of the products. The low price of the products and the services offered by the company supports the company to attract more customers (Goethals et al. 2014). Thus, a higher demand increases the revenue and the profit earned by PSM. Pacific Sports Management sets up comprehensive plan that guides the athletic department to grow and develop in the future. The company uses the PESTLE analysis to carry out a market research of the present markets in Australia. The strategic management helps the managers to understand how the key analytical factors affect the business (Shapiro 2014). The company is further able to formulate missions and goals that help to increase the efficiency of the company. Moreover, the stakeholder valises, powers, interest and the expectation of the company can be increased with the help of the strategies. The company implements strategies that increase the satisfaction level of the employees and the customers (Marion and Gonzales 2013). In addition to these strategies, the PSM uses the resource-based strategies that help the company to use the resources effectively. The strategies used by PSM in the home market that is in Australia, helps the mangers to manage the changing issues in the sports and event industry. The risk faced by the company can be easily accessed by the various strategies used by the company (Slack 2015). The strategy further allows the managers to understand the benefits and the risk related to the leadership styles used by the organisation. Strategies of the Company with Overseas Market The Pacific Sports management considers international marketing strategies as the company deals with the overseas clients. The company not only operates in the market of Australia but also serves the customers in Asia, UK, USA and UAE. The company therefore needs to carry out proper market research of the international market so as to understand the rules and regulation of the market in which it operates (Van de Ven, Ganco, and Hinings 2013). The ethical issues of the economy have to be maintained by the company that supports smooth business of the PSM. In order to run business in the international market of India (Asia), the managers of PSM uses the cost effective strategies that helps the company to reduce the input cost and the manufacturing cost of the company. When the company is able to produce the products and services at a comparatively lower cost, the company achieves a competitive advantage. This allows exporting the products in the international market as the company has a comparative advantage in producing goods (Cummings and Worley 2014). Further, the company uses the advertising strategy that helps the company to attract more clients in the market of USA. The company further uses the merger and acquisition strategies in the UAE and UK market to increase the revenue and the profit. The company achieves significant financial benefits and in case of losses, the companies are able to share the loss. The cost of research and development can be decreased with the help of merger and acquisition. The finds and the valuable assets for new development can be accessed with the help of the merger and acquisition strategy (Lizardo and Pirkey 2014). The market share of the company can be increased as PSM receives wider customer base. Moreover, through marketing budgets, the purchasing power of the company increases while the overhead cost is reduced. When PSM buys up intellectual property, the products and services becomes cheaper. Thus, the company applies these above strategies in the international market that increase the effectiveness and the productivity of the company. Conclusion and Recommendation From the detailed analysis about the Pacific Sports Management it can be mentioned that the company has an effective organisational structure that allows the company to care out all the organisational activities in a systematic manner. The company considers the line and staff organisational structure within the organisation. The company uses the democratic leadership style that allows the company to increase the efficiency of the employees that in turn increases the productivity of the company. The company implements strategies in the market of Australia and in the international market that helps to increase the market share in both local and international market. The company mainly implements the pricing strategies and the branding strategies in the market of Australia. The cost effective strategy, the merger and acquisition strategy is used in the international market to achieve higher market share. However, the managers of Pacific Sports Management of the sports industry needs to uses tools such as PESTLE and SWOT analysis to understand the internal as well the external environment of the company. The proper knowledge about the market helps to establish marketing strategies that can effectively be used to achieve the organisational goals. On the other hand, it is necessary for the company to use the leadership style effectively such that the risk of the style can be easily minimised. The company is able to increase the productivity of the workers when the leaders are able to lead the team effectively. Therefore, Pacific Sports Management Company not only needs to effectively implement the leadership style but also maintain it. As the democratic leadership is time consuming it should be ensured that the managers are able to design a proper activity plan and abide by the plan. The leader of the company that is the owner, director and other higher authority has to guide the employ ee in such a manner that a proper effective teamwork is created. The teamwork establishment is necessary that increases the productivity, revenue, profit and the market position of the company in the market of Australia and in the overseas market. References Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G., 2014.Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Daft, R.L., 2015.Organization theory and design. Cengage Learning. Eden, C. and Ackermann, F., 2013.Making strategy: The journey of strategic management. Sage. Goethals, G., Allison, S., Kramer, R. and Messick, D. eds., 2014.Conceptions of leadership: Enduring ideas and emerging insights. Springer. Hendriks, F. and Karsten, N., 2014. Theory of democratic leadership.P.'t Hart R. Rhodes (Eds.), Oxford handbook of political leadership, pp.41-56. Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., 2014.Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D. and Hoskisson, R.E., 2012.Strategic management cases: competitiveness and globalization. Cengage Learning. Kane, J. and Patapan, H. eds., 2014.Good democratic leadership: on prudence and judgment in modern democracies. OUP Oxford. Lizardo, O. and Pirkey, M.F., 2014. How organizational theory can help network theorizing: Linking structure and dynamics via cross-level analogies.Research in the Sociology of Organizations,40, pp.33-56. Mellahi, K. and Frynas, G., 2015.Global strategic management. Oxford University Press. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. McGraw-Hill. Shafritz, J.M., Ott, J.S. and Jang, Y.S., 2015.Classics of organization theory. Cengage Learning. Marion, R. and Gonzales, L.D., 2013.Leadership in education: Organizational theory for the practitioner. Waveland Press. Shapiro, I., 2014. Judgment and democratic leadership.Good Democratic Leadership: On Prudence and Judgment in Modern Democracies, p.128. Slack, N., 2015.Operations strategy. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Van de Ven, A.H., Ganco, M. and Hinings, C.R., 2013. Returning to the frontier of contingency theory of organizational and institutional designs.The Academy of Management Annals,7(1), pp.393-440.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Moll Flanders Stretegies of Economic Survival free essay sample

Moll and Robinson have the same goal- economic survival but there’s a significant difference in their strategies. The novel shows the tough and emotionally draining journey of Moll Flanders who is born in Newgate Prison and abandoned at about a year-and-a-half. She has several marriages and children that haven’t worked out the way they should, she gets into criminal lifestyle and finally fulfills her greatly desired dream- to gain fortune and economic success. Her vanity and greed are the main focus of characterization. Even as a young girl her desire is to become a gentlewoman which is almost impossible for a lower-class woman because of the rigid class lines in England in that period. In fact, that desire leads her into one misadventure after another throughout her life. According to her theory, a young girl in poor circumstances has the right to find support as best as she can and that motivates her strategies of economic survival. We will write a custom essay sample on Moll Flanders Stretegies of Economic Survival or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Money is the driving source in the book. It becomes more important than class, love, moral and everything else. Moll is determined to prosper without working and the best possible way is to marry a rich husband. She sees people as commodities and her relationship with them as business transaction: â€Å"[†¦] as for their common design, that I understood too well to be drawn into any more snares of that kind. The case was altered with me, I had money in my pocket, and had nothing to say to them. I had been tricked once by that cheat called Love, but the game was over. I was resolved now to be married or nothing, and to be well married or not at all. †(Defoe 52) For the heroine money is equivalent of freedom and men are the means of collecting it. She chooses husbands on the basis of their affluence or social class, takes money for prostitution, steals from children and from people in distress, and only when she is too old to do otherwise does she repent. In Moll Flanders vanity is the force that prevails over virtue. It is vanity that determines Moll’s behavior in the first part of the book. Moll’s vanity facilitates her seduction by the elder brother. It is also a strong motif which runs through Moll’s five marriages and numerous lovers. It is a factor which precipitates her decision to steal rather to remain poor and exist only by the honest labor of her needle. In fact, all her actions are in some way linked to her vanity. Moll’s strategies of economical survival are not to be admired upon as everything she has achieved is thanks to lying, cheating, hurting a lot of people and committing crimes. Robinson Crusoe, on the other hand, has completely different ways of surviving. He learns to manage on his own and everything he has accomplished is because of his courage, faith, abilities and amazing survival skills. Both characters are interested in accumulating wealth. That’s why Robinson embarks on his journey to take part in trade but in contrast to Moll, he depends only on himself. The heroine in Moll Flanders uses husbands for purely egoistical reasons. She lies about her fortune in order that they agree to be betrothed to her. She manipulates people and accomplishes her devious plan. When she’s left empty-handed after all of her victims she begins a career of artful thievery using her charm, beauty, wits, femininity, cold-heartedness and evil mind. Then it comes a time when she finally gets the financial security she has always sought but finds her punishment in the Newgate Prison where she gains repentance. Just like Robinson, who deserted on a lonely island finds redemption and a clearer idea of the meaning of life, Moll also changes her point of view and reunites with the one she has most affection for- her â€Å"Lancashire husband†. She finds a way to avoid the death sentence and lives freely and happily with her husband. But even finding redemption and re-gaining humanity doesn’t cover the significant difference between her and Robinson. After all the time on that desolate island he retains his pure soul and clear mind. He doesn’t regret anything he has done because he has lived with dignity. He gained prosperity on the island thanks to his strong hands and intelligent mind. That’s why Moll, aware of all her sins, can’t be completely happy at the end of the novel. After returning to England together with her husband she says that they are ready to live â€Å"in sincere penitence for the wicked lives we have lived. †(Defoe 296) Unlike Robinson they will spend the rest of their time together contemplating all the wrong paths they have chosen during their robbery days. On the whole, Moll Flanders may be seen as a female version of Robinson Crusoe. Like him, she is obsessed with economic survival and economic success. Unlike him, she prefers to sell her sexual favours or resort to crime- rather than work. The result of the acts she has performed to fulfill her intentions is the transformation of a beautiful innocent young girl into a hardened middle-aged criminal. By illustrating two characters with identical aim but completely different personalities and lifestyles, Defoe makes us think about what is right and what is wrong, how far we would go pursuing our goals and what price we are willing to pay for that.