Morality - Ethics Essay Example for Free

Morality Ethics Essay 1. What are the fundamental questions which ethics tries to resolve? Ethics seeks to resolve questions dealing with human morality—concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. 2. Distinguish a human act from act of man. The difference between human acts and man acts is that human acts are a free will decision. This includes knowledge, freedom and voluntarism When modifiers come into play, then it makes the act become the act of man. The elements are ignorance, passion, fear, violence and habits. You act simultaneously with your feelings. A human act is an action that is considered to be carried out voluntarily, whereas an act of man is an involuntary action. The distinctions and nuances between an act of man and a human act are often a focus of philosophical debate. 3. What is morality? Morality is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good orright and those that are bad, evil or wrong. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosophy,religion, or culture, or it can derive from a standard that a person believes should be universal. 4. Distinguish moral, immoral, and amoral. Moral concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. Immoral actions or events: those areas of interest where moral categories do apply and of are such a kind as to be evil, sinful, or wrong according to some code or theory of ethics. Amoral actions or events: those areas of interest exhibiting indifference to and not abiding by the moral rules or codes of society. 5. How will you determine the goodness and badness of human act? An event which is caused solely by the effect of nature or natural causes and without any interference by humans whatsoever. 6. What qualities of human act have ethical in form? The qualities of human act that have ethical in form are the actions that are free and deliberate, those that proceeds from the free and conscious acts of man and the act that is always done for a purpose. 7. What are different connotations of the term moral? The term â€Å"morality† can be used either 1. descriptively to refer to some codes of conduct put forward by a society or, a. some other group, such as a religion, or b. accepted by an individual for her own behavior or 2.normatively to refer to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons. 8. Why is Ethics important? Ethics is a requirement for human life. It is our means of deciding a course of action. Without it, our actions would be random and aimless. There would be no way to work towards a goal because there would be no way to pick between a limitless number of goals. Even with an ethical standard, we may be unable to pursue our goals with the possibility of success. To the degree which a rational ethical standard is taken, we are able to correctly organize our goals and actions to accomplish our most important values. Any flaw in our ethics will reduce our ability to be successful in our endeavors. 9. Why should ethics always be treated a way of life? Ethics, sometimes known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophythat involves systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The superfield within philosophy known as axiology includes both ethics and aesthetics and is unified by each sub-branchs concern with value. Philosophical ethics investigates what is the best way for humans to live, and what kinds of actions are right or wrong in particular circumstances. Ethics may be divided into three major areas of study. Meta-ethics, about the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions and how their truth values (if any) may be determined. Ethics seeks to resolve questions dealing with human morality—concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. 10. How is responsibilities entaill in a human act? Responsibility for own existence is grounded on self-awareness and personal freedom to make choices. By exercising freedom to choose man becomes totally responsible for himself. But his responsibility does not stop there; it extends to other people so that at the end it assumes the form of universal responsibility. There are at least three circles in the extension of our responsibility. The Individual responsibility, if existence precedes essence man is responsible for his own actions. Total Responsibility, If man is free to choose what he is going to make of himself, he is entirely responsible for what he is becoming. Universal Responsibility, If man is fully responsible for what he is presenting as the image of man, he is responsible for all men. 11. What are the different approaches in dealing with the problem of moral principles? ?The Utilitarian Approach Utilitarianism was conceived in the 19th century by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill to help legislators determine which laws were morally best. Both Bentham and Mill suggested that ethical actions are those that provide the greatest balance of good over evil. ?The Rights Approach The second important approach to ethics has its roots in the philosophy of the 18th-century thinker Immanuel Kant and others like him, who focused on the individuals right to choose for herself or himself. ?The Fairness or Justice Approach The fairness or justice approach to ethics has its roots in the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who said that equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally. ?The Common-Good Approach This approach to ethics assumes a society comprising individuals whose own good is inextricably linked to the good of the community. Community members are bound by the pursuit of common values and goals. ?The Virtue Approach The virtue approach to ethics assumes that there are certain ideals toward which we should strive, which provide for the full development of our humanity. These ideals are discovered through thoughtful reflection on what kind of people we have the potential to become. 12. Research on the following: a. The problem of Moral Principles Now, such principles come in two distinct forms: formal principles (i. e. moral principles without specific action-guiding content) and substantive principles (i. e. moral principles with specific action-guiding content). In what follows, I consider substantive principles first, then formal. Both forms of principles, I argue, are incapable of providing the sort of moral guidance necessary to achieve mature moral judgments (i. e.judgments that are appropriate to the situations they are judgments of). The problem is that such principles are unable to provide information about what actually would, in a given situation, uphold justice or maximize utility. That is, formal principles fail to provide moral agents with the tools necessary to evaluate the complex details particular situations confront them with, or to develop appropriate moral solutions. b. The problem of Scope Morality Scope of morality are moral concept which are mixed modes, are transparent, we cannot reduce the descriptions of our moral life, that is the descriptions using our moral vocabulary, to some substantial residue or some real objects. c. The problem of Moral Obligation Moral obligations are standards that do not merely advise or recommend our conformity, but demand it. Moral obligations come from the demands or expectations of society d. The problem of Freedom Freedom naturally occurs in nature, but only becomes an issue in the way that humans view themselves, their surroundings and others. Freedom grants one the right to behave without fear or punishment i. e. go anywhere they wish, do anything they wish or say anything they wish. Of course there are always limits imposed on freedom. We are all born free, but as we grow we learn the physical limits of our surroundings. We learn about the limits imposed on us by gravity or by our physical surroundings such as walls. The thing is, freedom can only exist if you recognize its existence and then exercise it while at the same time acknowledging and tolerating others freedom. e. The problem of Moral Practice Since cultures and individuals differ in certain moral practices, there are no objective moral values. Several objections can be made to this argument. First, the fact that people disagree about something does not mean there is no objective truth. If you and I disagree about whether or not the earth is round, for example, this is not proof that the earth has no shape. In moral discussion, the fact that a skinhead and I may disagree about whether we should treat people equally and fairly is not sufficient evidence to say that equality and fairness have no objective value. f. The problem of Casuistry. A bias is an unwarranted inclination or a special perspective that disposes us to mistaken or one-sided judgments. The potential for bias arises at each stage of a case method of reasoning including in describing, framing, selecting and comparing of cases and paradigms. A problem of bias occurs because to identify the relevant features for such purposes, we must use general views about what is relevant; but some of our general views are biased, both in the sense of being unwarranted inclinations and in the sense that they are one of many viable perspectives. 13. Is it right to say that â€Å"What is right for me to do is what I really want to do† and why? No,it’s not right to say it that way because you are only thinking about yourself. And sometimes even it is right for you its not what you really want to do because you’re also thinking about the others, what will be the effect of this to them and whatsoever. 14. What is basic substanceof the problem freedom. Freedom is one of those slippery words, difficult to define because it is an ambiguous and abstract man-made concept. It naturally occurs in nature, but only becomes an issue in the way that humans view themselves, their surroundings and others. Freedom is only an issue in the presence of oppression, and oppression only exists among humans as a result of their perceptions of the world around them. The thing is, freedom can only exist if you recognize its existence and then exercise it while at the same time acknowledging and tolerating others freedom. 15. Distinguish between moral principles and moral rules. Moral principle the principles of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or a social group; the Puritan ethic; a person with old-fashioned values. Moral Rules- they come out into the open only when the person is questioned. Very often one of the rules contradicts another, thus enabling the user to resort first to one and then to the other to suit his convenience or to accord with his pre-existing prejudices. These rules are usually those they have been taught to believe.

Scope And Limitation Of The Study Environmental Sciences Essay

Scope And Limitation Of The Study Environmental Sciences Essay For a country facing recurrent drought, with severe consequences for development, the need for irrigated agriculture cannot be overlooked. But the countrys capacity to support agriculture through development of irrigation has been weak (Mengistu, 2000). Ethiopia cannot hope to meet its large food deficit through rain-fed agricultural production; the country could still face millions of tons of cereal deficit for decades to come (Desta, 2004). The Government of the Republic of Ethiopia in the Ethiopian Water Resources Management Policy (1999) states that Ethiopia endowed with relatively higher amounts of rainfall in the region and has a surface runoff of about 122 billion m3 of water and 28,000 Mm ³ ground water. A number of studies made in the field confirm that if the countrys water resources are developed to cater for irrigation, it would be possible to attain agricultural surplus enough both for domestic consumption as well as for external markets. The abundant water resources have earned Ethiopia the name the water tower of East Africa (United Nations Development Programme 2006). However, even had this estimated water potential, the country cannot meet its food security. Although, water resource potential is said to be abundant in Ethiopia, it is clear that even by the low standard of African countries, Ethiopias use of its water resources is limited. Cognizant to this fact, the government has taken initiatives towards developing irrigation schemes of various scales (Desta, 2004).The government of Ethiopia as stated in its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), has recognized the importance of water and increased its focus on water resource development and utilization to achieve food security (FDRE, 2000). Irrigation is one means by which agricultural production can be increased to meet the growing food demands in Ethiopia. Irrigation can also stabilize agricultural production. Ethiopia indeed has significant irrigation potential. Realizing the potential irrigation development can contribute towards food security and improved welfare, the Government has embarked on wide range of water development efforts throughout the country. Since 1950s there are mixed experiences with promoting irrigation and other modern agricultural technologies in the effort of intensification. In the last decade, small-scale irrigation and rainwater harvesting are central to Ethiopias new policy and strategy on agricultural and rural development. In some parts of the regions, where there are scarce and erratic rainfall, there is evidence that irrigation has achieved positive impacts: better opportunity for production, better income, reduction of risks, and hence generated benefits for poor rural communities. The importance of intervening irrigated agriculture in the economy of developing countries results from the fact that rain fed agricultural system is not capable of supplying the desired amount of production to feed the increasing population. Irrigation is not needed for any inadequacy in the total supply of water by rainfall only, but because of the inadequacy of this supply at certain times of the year. This inadequacy of moisture will surely lead to the reduction of plant growth (Briggs and Courtney 1989 as cited by Mintesinot, et.al, 2004). Therefore, Irrigation is used in order to combat periods of moisture stress so as to fulfill the crop moisture requirement and increase the production. Irrigation practice is an expensive one in case of if we construct huge dames or high river diversions, and in many cases can only be applied with profit to high value crops. But it can be cheap for areas having high ground water potential and the water is easily accessible through hand dug wel ls. The country has highly-diversified agro-ecological conditions which are suitable for the production of various types of crops. The crops are produced under rain fed and irrigated condition. Cereals dominate Ethiopian agriculture, accounting for about 70 per cent of agricultural GDP (Ethiopias Agricultural sector policy and investment framework, 2010-2020). Over the past decade, cereal production has more than doubled to nearly 15 million tons, as a result of horizontal expansion and increased yields (Ethiopias Agricultural sector policy and investment framework, 2010-2020). Nevertheless, food security remains a critical issue for many households, and for the country as a whole. Moreover, expansion of the cropped area to more marginal lands has led to severe land degradation in some areas (Ethiopias Agricultural sector policy and investment framework, 2010-2020). To alleviate the challenges of food insecurity in the country promotion of irrigated agriculture was given priority (Mekuri a, 2003). Thus, hand dug well construction has become one of the activities both by the individuals as well as the government. Agriculture and rural development has been the central pillar of successive national development and poverty reduction plans and remains so under the new five year growth and transformation plan (FYGTP) announced in August 2010. There is a need, however, to increase development efforts and resources targeting high-potential rain fed areas and irrigation development, in order to accelerate productivity growth, agricultural led industrialization and long-term food security. Thus groundwater has become an important source for irrigation and it has become an integral part of the irrigation strategy to overcome food scarcity in many developing countries including in Ethiopia. Such efforts have helped to expand irrigation with time particularly from 1950s the expansion has been rapidly increasing (Rosegrant et al., 1999). Most agricultural production is used to meet household consumption needs and, for a very large number of households, there is a prolonged hunger season during the pre-har vest period. In all increasing productivity in smallholder agriculture is Governments top priority, recognizing the importance of the smallholder sub-sector, the high prevalence of rural poverty and the large productivity gap. Productivity enhancement however, must be complemented by efforts by introducing effective practices towards the farmer to help farmers from purely subsistence farming to semi-subsistence/ semi-commercial status practicing farming as a business and to adopt more sustainable natural resource management practices in order to arrest and reverse environmental degradation. But this may not achieved only by using rain fed agriculture, rather by conjunction use of surface water and ground water without affecting the environment. Therefore In order to achieve these far-reaching and ambitious objectives, Irrigation development perceived as one of the strategies with the potential for solving this problem and to be food self-sufficient. The government of Ethiopia has an irrigation development strategy, which aims to develop over 470,000 ha of irrigation by 2016 as promulgated in the Water Sector Strategy of 2001. Of this development, 52% will be large and medium scale schemes while the remaining 48% will be small-scale schemes (Government of the Republic of Ethiopia 2001). Because of the ambitious government plans to expand small scale irrigation in Ethiopia, and in view of increasing demand of water for various purposes like agricultural, domestic, and industries, a greater emphasis is being laid for a planned and optimal utilization of water resources. Even if Ethiopia has high surface water potential, due to uneven distribution of rainfall in both time and space, the surface water resources are unevenly distributed coupled with increasing water user sectors, may lead to conflict among water users, especially agricultural sector. To narrow this gap and increase productivity per drop of water, surface water alone is not the best solution. Considering this issue; giving emphasis on development of ground water resources for those areas having high ground water potential is crucial. Problem Statement Water for agriculture is increasingly recognized as a major constraint to improving the lives of the rural poor and is an important component of rural livelihood programs that need to be yet strongly established in Ethiopia. Irrigation has contributed significantly to poverty reduction, food security, and improving the quality of life for rural populations. The majority of existing traditional and modern irrigation schemes are micro level in size. Many of these schemes are based on stream and river diversions but some may be dependent on small dams and perennial springs which show ground water potential for irrigation did not get emphasis. Fogera is one of Blue Nile basin area in Ethiopia and known by flooded plain. The woreda has high ground water potential. Now a day there is irrigation practice in the area for production of vegetables, horticulture (onion, tomato and purple) and in some extent maize. Even if there is such practice in the area, beside high ground water potential al most all farmers are used two perennial rivers called Rib and Gumara as a water source for their irrigation crop production using motorized pump. But the beneficiary farmers are those having farm land near or around streams, while those farmers bounded with these rivers and have not farm land around the stream waiting until the rainy season to cultivate crops. Recently increasing in number of water users for crop production and other uses; the stream flow become drying the downstream especially starting from February to April. This leads to crop failure and reduction in production plus conflict among the up- stream and downstream water users. To solve this problem and participate in irrigation those farmers have not farm land around the streams and bounded by two streams, conjunction use of ground water and surface water for irrigation crop production is important. However, to assure these identifying opportunities and major constraints of the community that makes passive on ground water uses for irrigation crop production is primary task to the area having high ground water potential. Researchable Questions For a specific study of ground water constraints linking with issues of the use for irrigation crop production, a number of questions can be raised. The study tries to address the following major research questions: What are major constraints of the community to use ground water for irrigation crop production? Are the communities aware about their ground water potential for crop production? What types of practices were implemented in the area to promote ground water uses for irrigation crop production by different Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations? General and Specific Objectives In the Fogera plain groundwater is important source that can be used for irrigation crops year around. Reducing dependency on rainfall and stream water for crop production little has known about the potential use of ground water in the area. Rain fed agriculture alone cannot be insuring food self-sufficiency for the country having uneven distribution and erratic rainfall. Rather in addition to rain fed, implementing irrigation schemes according to water source potential weather surface or ground water is important. For those areas having high ground water potential, ground water may serve as a water source for irrigation crop production and increase income. But to use this precious natural resource actively and efficiently tackling obstacles related to ground water use for irrigation crop production is the primary task. This paper will investigate constraints in the Fogera Woreda on ground water uses for irrigation crop production. In particular it will:- Identify major constraints why farmers are not used ground water for irrigation crop production. identifying major constraints of the community on ground water use for irrigation crop production, makes easy to decision makers to solve communities problem on ground water irrigation using different approach and makes the community fear to use ground water for irrigation. Evaluate communities awareness about the area ground water potential uses for irrigation crop production. It is important to community to make them self-confident about their natural resource. If they are sure about their resource, they will remove their doubt and cultivate any perennial (chat) or seasonal crop which makes them profitable. Assessing best practice if there is, to promote ground water use for irrigation crop production in the area by different Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations. Assessing best practice done in the area on ground water use for irrigation is important for the community to scale up from one kebele to another. Significance of the Study Ethiopia has developed a 15-year water development project for the period 2002-2016 in order to enhance the appropriate and comprehensive water use policies. It ensures multiple uses of this vital resource among various users. Among the water sectors agricultural water use has got the most attention through the strategy called Agricultural Development Led Industrialization (ADLI). The intervention of the plan is to address most of the supply-demand gap within 15 years time through increasing the number of large, medium and small-scale irrigation schemes. In addition, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) recognizes, community managed small-scale irrigation water schemes as viable alternative to privatization and state ownership of the resource. To see this intervention on stand and to use available water sources; identifying major opportunities and constraints of irrigation water sources is milestone for beneficiaries, thus contributing to increased productivity. Water management policies are also important to avoid and manage conflicts and ensure the participation of low level communities. In this regard, the findings of this study will contribute to narrowing the information gaps regarding the organizational and institutional context, management practices and collective action regarding ground water use for irrigation, and the major problems of ground water irrigation development at the grass-root level. Therefore, the outcome of this study may serve as a source of additional information for policy makers and planners during the design and implementation of irrigation development programs and prospects. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study is based on a cross-sectional data for the time period of 2010/2011 aimed at assessing major constraints of ground water use for irrigation crop production in six kebeles of Fogera Woreda, i.e. Nabega, Kideste Hana, Wagetera, Shena, Shaga and Kokit. The major limitations of the study relates to the unavailability of secondary data needed to supplement the primary data. Secondary data on detailed soil type for each kebele, specific type of training they took on irrigation, yield of previous production seasons, soil type of the area, amount of water they apply to the crop and others were needed. In response to this limitation, we used triangulation data collection method, while we were collecting the data. Due to resource and time limitations, the study had to focus on only a few most important questions.

Timeline :: essays research papers

TIMELINE Timeline by Michael Crichton, was a very exciting book about time travel and what the 'Dark Ages'; were like. Timeline also taught about the basics of quantum physics that would make it possible to achieve such a spectacular feat. Be prepared as you read this book to leap into the horrible, dangerous would of the year 1387.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Timeline started out with a group of scientists/archaeologists digging at an ancient castle site. This site was in a French valley with two main castles, Castelgard and La Roque, a monastery, and a mill. This was the site that ITC, a quantum research facility, picked to go back into time to research. Through quantum physics, ITC was able to make a machine that sent objects and people to a parallel universe that was different from this one. This was the basis of the whole story. Professor Johnston, the leader of the digging group, got curious as to how ITC knew more about the site than he did. Robert Doniger, the owner of ITC, decided that he would show the professor how they knew so much about the site. While the professor was back in time, he wandered out into the open field and got trapped inside the medieval world by the Dordogne River. Doniger then got the brilliant idea of sending back some of the other archaeologists to try and find Professor Johnston becaus e they would know the spots where he would most likely be. The group of four, Andre Marek, Chris Hughes, Kate Erickson, and David Stern flew to the New Mexico site to find the professor. During the pre-tests to see it they were physically capable of going back through the machine, David Stern decided that he was not going to go because he did not trust the machines. The five of them, the three other archaeologists, and the two guides went back to the Dordogne valley in 1387. Right off the bat when they got there, a group of knights saw the futuristic people and chopped off the head of one guide and shot the other guide full of arrows. That left the archaeologists on their own to find the professor. Right away they were astonished by how the castles looked and by how quiet it was. Facing many problems, they soon found out who the professor was in the medieval world and found him. This was a time of war, however, which presented many difficulties in getting out, not to mention the fac t that the machines had broken back home and the ITC crew did not think that the shields would hold up.

Artemis :: essays research papers

Artemis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Artemis was born of Leto and Zeus, on the island of Delos, later helping with the delivery of her twin brother, Apollo. Some sources state that her actual birthplace is not Delos, but an island called Ortygia. Although the two islands could be one and the same, it is not clear. In helping with the birth of her brother Artemis fulfilled her role as a goddess of childbirth (which she shares with Eileithyia and Hera). She is the goddess of chastity, the hunt and the moon, too. But I'll get more into those later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Artemis was closely linked with her brother. For example, sudden death, particularly of the young, was often attributed to them (Artemis killing the girls and Apollo the boys). In fact, a rather famous legend involves both Artemis and Apollo. The story is told at length by the poet Ovid, in his Metamorphoses. The women of Thebes gave Leto great honor, often offering generous gifts and hymns to her which upset Niobe. After all, She had seven daughters and seven sons, whereas Leto merely had the twins. Besides, she was rich and beautiful, and the queen of Thebes. So Niobe claimed that she deserved the attention and honor more then Leto. Upon hearing this Leto was infuriated. She couldn't believe such blatant hubris, and complained to her two children. To avenge their insulted mother, Apollo and Artemis went to the palace of Thebes and with their unerring shafts, they shot down all 14 of Niobe's children (Artemis the girls and Apollo the boys). Niobe was turned to st one and placed atop a mountain. It is said that tears continue to trickle down her marble face, with the grief of her dead children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the goddess of chastity, Artemis is modest, pure, and virginal. One famous story depicting her chaste nature is the story of Actaeon, also told in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Actaeon was a passionate hunter. Out on his hunt, one day, he found himself lost, and stumbled upon Artemis bathing with her nymphs in a stream in the forest. Without her arrows at hand, she flung water over the surprised Actaeon. To ensure that he could never tell of seeing the modest goddess nude, she turned him into a stag. He fled but was hunted and killed by his own hunting hounds. Though severe, Artemis protected her virginal nature (even if it may have been an accident to begin with).

A Modest Proposal For Making Driving More Entertaining, While Creating

A Modest Proposal For Making Driving More Entertaining, While Creating The Same Risks For Everyone On The Road It was suggested to me that we â€Å"†¦kill all [the] dumbasses [who choose to drink and drive],† but I felt this too harsh (Holzbach). Why not let them kill themselves? The nation, as a whole, would be more pleasant, happier and more carefree. It is a melancholy object to those who often frequent the bars in this great country to see those who do not currently share in their fortunate state of being. They are usually alone, observing those around them with great envy, holding the car keys, but worst of all, sober. It is the inopportune being who is unluckily chosen to be the designated driver for the evening. It is always an enjoyable experience to spend hour upon hour pounding back the drinks in a bar. Why limit the fun? Why choose someone to be a designated driver and make his or her night miserable? Why not take the fun onto the road? I think that it is agreed by all parties that the prodigious number of sober drivers in our neighborhoods, city streets, and country roads is at present deplorable to the state of our great nation. Currently, a whopping ninety-eight percent of Americans of driving age feel threatened by those who drive under the influence of alcohol, which means that only two percent of Americans are able to fully relax and enjoy themselves while on the road, and with the growing awareness, this number could be on the rise (MADD Online: General Statistics 1). What a travesty! All drivers, and passengers alike, should be put at the same risk for danger, be it damage, injury, or death. But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for those driving the cars: it is of a much ... ...ed American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. 18 September 2002 . Brown, Meg. Personal interview. 18 September 2002. Holzbach, Wyatt. E-mail interview. 18 September 2002. Licensed Drivers – Our Nation’s Highways – 2000. 26 April 2002. U.S. Department of Transportation. 18 September 2002 MADD Online: General Statistics. MADD Online. 18 September 2002 . MADD Online: Government Survey Shows Troubling News On Drunk Driving, Underage Drinking. 5 September 2002. MADD Online. 15 September 2002 . Reed, Kim. E-mail interview. 18 September 2002. Santo, Beth. E-mail interview. 18 September 2002.

United Cereals

In general, every firm is confronted with some basic issues such as. ; – in which markets to operate what products to offer and – how to distribute these products The â€Å"standard way† united Cereal used to enter the European market consisted of three main steps, namely acquisitions of companies in deferent European countries (1), introduction of products from the United Cereal US product line (2) and promoting organic growth through the adoption of these products to local market conditions by a respective country manager In charge (3).The advantages of establishing national subsidiaries by acquiring laid primarily In an effective and fast way of gaining market share in a particular market. Thus, in 2009 the market share of US in Europe amounted to 20%, only 6% below the market share of its main competitor Kellogg. Considerable benefits could also be achieved due to local expertise and reputation of the established companies in respective countries in terms of marketing focus, local tastes, targets, competitors, brand loyalty as well as legal framework.Other advantages were realized from already existing distribution networks, providing access to local logistics companies as well as cooperation with local retailers and wholesalers. However, there also were certain risks concerning the suitability of the distribution partner to the Introduced products as the exploitation of particular sales channels varied considerably across countries (e. G. Germany with 80% vs.. Italy with 17% as mentioned above).Further rolls/dilettantes of this strategy (although not stated in the text explicitly) might be associated with the integration and implementation costs, caused by adoption of the foreign business to the united Cereals business and its values concerning the â€Å"US Way†. The next step of he United Cereals' standard way was the introduction of products from the existing product line, which comprised more than 100 brands. Thus, the compan y profited from the possibility to launch its successful US brands also in the European market.This strategy was enforced especially by high demand for US products which were very much in vogue at that time, especially in ass and ass. Furthermore, as there was no need In developing a completely new product line this fast and cheap access Into local competition enabled united Cereals to achieve a solid organic growth. However, due to differences across European markets there still were costs, associated with customization of products and adjustment of manufacturing processes when US brands did not correspond to the local market tastes.Introduction of US line in each decisions and determining, which products from United Cereals could succeed and make profit in that country. With a broad understanding of the market the country manager was able to adjust products perfectly to local market conditions, while respecting the â€Å"US Way'. Such country level approach coupled with high susc eptibility and flexibility led to a very high motivation of country managers as well as profit minimization in most national markets. However, over time inconsistency in positioning the products, e. . Positioning a product as high-end in Germany, but as a low-end in I-J, became a matter of concern. Redundancies due to individual marketing campaigns in separate countries for different products led to expenses 25% higher than in the U. S. Operations. Especially, in the light of a global recession in 2008-09 and more competitive markets, forcing market participants to provide lower- ricer products cost reductions and cost efficiency, became a major focus of United Cereals.Further risks were associated with country managers, preferring product extensions rather than new product introductions in order to reduce costs and maintain profits in their country. Reasons for this behavior were above all lack of resources and too high costs of launching and developing new products. Thus, the â₠¬Å"US standard way' is not sustainable anymore and new market strategy combined with cost effective and more efficient processes should be considered.

Leonardo Da Vinci Essay

Leonardo da Vinci was inarguably a great mind of the Renaissance, a period of European civilisation where revival of classical learning and wisdom took place after a long period of cultural decline and stagnation. He was an Italian painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer whose talents reflected the diversity of achievements of the Italian Renaissance. With his outstanding versatility, Leonardo has often been described as a universal genius of the Renaissance, the fame that has remained undimmed as a result of his great desire for knowledge. His Last Supper and Mona Lisa are among the most widely popular and influential paintings of the Renaissance, and they gained worldwide fame only after his death. However, he was far from prolific, as only 17 of his paintings, many of which remained unfinished, have been identified. In addition to art, Leonardo studied a wide range of scientific topics including anatomy, geology, botany, hydraulics and aerodynamics. His science was expressed through art, and his drawings and diagrammes show how he understood the world. Leonardo used an observational approach to study science. In this approach, he considered his eyes to be his main avenue to knowledge, and sight alone could convey the facts of experience immediately and correctly. Leonardo also considered a painter as the person best qualified to achieve true knowledge because he could closely observe, understand and then carefully reproduce the world around him through art. Leonardo once said, â€Å"Whatever exists in the universe, a painter has first in his mind and then in his hands.† In addition to Leonardo’s unique approach and concept, his superb intellect and mastery of the art of drawing to study nature itself allowed his dual pursuits of art and science to develop. Leonardo’s scientific and technical observations are found in his handwritten notebooks or manuscripts, the greatest literary legacy he left to the world. The notebooks also equal the importance of his paintings as the pages reveal his inventions of machines such as the bicycle, airplane, helicopter and parachute. His findings of anatomy, which were among the most significant achievements of the Renaissance science, are also portrayed in the famous anatomical drawings in the notebooks. Leonardo also shared his thoughts on the nature of painting which has become a contribution to later generations of artists. More interestingly, what he wrote and sketched also gave an insight into his approach to life because in these notebooks, he also wrote his grocery lists and even the names of his debtors.One special feature that makes Leonardo’s notes and sketches unusual is his use of mirror writing. The handwriting is so peculiar that the task of deciphering the notes would requi re great effort. The aid of a mirror in reading reversed handwriting appears to be available only for the first experimental reading. The persistent use of it is impractical, considering the enormous mass of manuscripts to be read. Leonardo’s handwriting, which runs from right to left in inseparable writing, is illegible, and this unusualness in the writing is not the only obstacle in mastering the text. Leonardo also joined several short words into a long one or divided a long word into two short words. This arbitrary way of writing is not aided by punctuation to regulate the division and construction of the sentences; therefore, it is not surprising that some attempts to understand Leonardo’s handwriting would fail. Why was such odd handwriting used by Leonardo? Although a popular belief is that Leonardo intended some amount of secrecy, it might also be due to Leonardo’s left-handedness. Another unusual feature in Leonardo’s manuscripts is the relationship between words and pictures. As Leonardo emphasised, drawings are superior to words. Leonardo strove passionately for a language tha t was clear yet expressive. The wealth of his vocabulary was the result of intense study on his own and represented a significant contribution to the development of scientific terms in the Italian language. Despite his articulateness, Leonardo gave absolute preference to the drawing over the written word in his own approach. The drawing does not illustrate the text; rather, the text serves to explain the drawing. Leonardo’s work was a pioneer of modern scientific illustration. His notebooks reveal a spirit of scientific inquiry and a mechanical inventiveness that were centuries ahead of their time. However, he neither taught nor published his findings, and almost none of his inventions were built during his lifetime. If his work had been published in an intelligible form which others were able to understand, Leonardo’s place as a pioneering scientist would not be questioned. If his inventions had been built, they might have revolutionised the history of technology. The wealth of Leonardo’s anatomical studies that have survived also shapes the basic principles of modern scientific illustration. From observing the static structure of the human body, Leonardo continued to study the role of individual parts of the body in mechanical activity. He drew parts of the human body in three-dimensional diagrammes. He became the first person to accurately draw a child in the womb. His aim was to record the birth, life, and death of man in his Treatise on Anatomy which begun in 1489. However, his work was never published. Adapted from Heydenrejch, L.H. (n.d.). Leonardo da Vinci. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/leonardo-da-vinci.| 1510152025303540455055606570|