The Sun Also Rises Essays (3318 words) - Frankenstein,

The Sun Also Rises According to the Greek poet Hesiod, the Titan demi-god Prometheus was responsible for the creation of men. He manufactured them from clay, from the natural earth. When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, she left little doubt that the creator of the monster, Victor Frankenstein, by making a living creature from inaminate parts was a new Prometheus. But her metaphor extends beyond the immediately obvious. In Hesiod's myth, Prometheus had an inflated sense of self importance and was determined to be adored by men. Because men had no control over fire they were destined to remain mere animals. The forbidden knowledge of fire, the most basic and natural form of energy was the domain of the god, Zeus. The ego-centric Prometheus became obsessed with devising a means by which he could procure fire and with no other motive in mind than glory, he cunningly stole fire from Zeus and gave it to a grateful mankind. Prometheus' trickery was bound to invite catastrophe. Zeus' retribution was swift and twofold. Firstly, with the help of Hephaestus, Hermes and Aphrodite, he fashioned out of clay the first woman, Pandora. Thereafter, men would no longer be born directly from the earth; now through women, they would undergo birth by procreation, and consequently old age, suffering and death. She was given a box which contained all manner of misery and evils and was responsible for letting them escape, to torment humankind forever. Secondly, Zeus caught Prometheus, chained him to a rock, and each day an eagle would visit him and feed on his liver. Prometheus' liver, however, replenished itself overnight, so he was condemned not so much to a single act of punishment but to perpetual torture. This is the price of tampering with nature. Prometheus' ultimate downfall was caused, not by a poorly executed theft, but by the driving force of his own self-interest. By characterising Prometheanism, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a critique of male egoism. Shelley repre sents male egoism through the assertiveness of her glory seeking characters. The attitude of her narrator, Robert Walton, is typified by his belief in his ?God given right' to have ultimate success in Arctic explorations. He writes to his sister Margaret asking, do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose? (Shelley 17) This attitude continues as he tells Victor that he would sacrifice anything, including men's (presumably other men's) lives for the success of his polar expedition and for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race(28). This boast, made in the very midst of vast polar 2. ice fields, impels Victor to tell his story, as both a confession and also as a warning to Walton. If Victor is the ?Modern Prometheus', Walton is certainly his apprentice. Like Victor's knowledge of how to create a living being from dead matter, the knowledge which Walton seeks is forbidden; the secret of nature. By the end of the novel Walton has become awar e of the ominous aspect of the Arctic. Certainly, the cruelty of the Arctic has not been lost on the crew of his ship who threaten mutiny. Their human spirit, in striving for forbidden knowledge, when confronted with the terrifying and mysterious abyss of nature, prefers to retreat trembling from the inhuman and seemingly infinite icy wilds. On his deathbed, Victor asks them, Did you not call this a glorious expedition? ..... You were hereafter to be hailed as the benefactor of your species; your names adored, as belonging to the brave men who encountered death and honour, and the benefit of mankind(214). Despite Victor's rousing speech, the crew resolve to return to the safety and warmth of ?Mother England', no longer able to call themselves ?true men'. Or, perhaps they have some forethought that, in finding absolution in ?Walton The Confessor', Victor's parting words would be, Seek happiness in tranquillity, and avoid ambition...(217). With these last words, Victor is finally able to release himself from his dogma of glory and from life itself but his unflagging egoism will not let him concede that he might have acted in error: I have myself been blasted in these hopes (of discovery), yet another may succeed(218). Another,

Social Security 2100 Act

Social Security 2100 Act Potential Social Security Reforms on the Horizon Recently Congressman John Larson of Connecticut reintroduced a bill to increase Social Security benefits in the future. The Social Security 2100 Act would expand Social Security benefits, while extending future program solvency. There are both proponents and critics of the bill. Let’s take a closer look, and explore how this could impact Social Security Disability benefits.A Problem of SolvencyOne of the most pressing concerns regarding Social Security is ongoing solvency, as the cost of the program is growing faster than workers’ earnings can support. With Americans now living longer, they now collect benefits over a larger portion of their lives. At the same time, a lower birthrate in the U.S. means fewer workers are paying into the system.According to Social Security trustees, repairing the current shortfall would require an increase in the payroll tax rate from 12.4% to 15.2% on all workers. Other solutions indicate a 21% across-the-board decrease in benefits for al l future claimants. Even so, these measures may not be sufficient to sustain the program past 2034- the year Social Security experts predict insolvency.The Larson PlanThe bill would raise payroll taxes for employers and employees by 1.2% over 24 years. It would also cut income taxes on Social Security benefits, raising the income threshold at which benefits would be taxed. According to Larson, some 12 million of Social Securitys more than 63 million total beneficiaries would receive a tax cut.It would also subject any earnings in excess of $400,000 to Social Security payroll taxes. Currently, Social Security taxes only apply to a wage earners first $132,900 of income. Income between $132,900 and $400,000 is not taxed. Over time, the bill would eliminate the cap, subjecting all earnings to tax.Bill supporters believe that lifting the cap on income subject to payroll taxes and raising tax rates could finance generous benefit and cost-of-living adjustments and help ensure program solve ncy for more than 75 years, while reducing income taxes on benefits and closing Social Security’s long-term funding gap.However, critics are concerned the bill would worsen income losses for younger workers by expanding benefits and costs faster than current law allows. They also suggest that the increase in payroll taxes could hurt workers with lower incomes.Another main concern surrounding the Larson bill is a provision to merge the disability insurance trust fund with the retirement trust fund. Under the current policy agreement, the Social Security Disability benefits program  is not allowed to divert funds from the Social Security retirement program.We Can HelpIf you are disabled and unable to work, call Disability Attorneys of Michigan for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the Social Security Disability benefits they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental, or cognitive impairment; call Disability Attorneys of Michigan now for a free consultation at 800-949- 2900.Let Michigan’s experienced Social Security Disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Social Security Disability Lawyer, Social Security 2100 Act, Social Security Reform

CYBERLAW Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

CYBERLAW - Assignment Example Ever since its invention, internet has been largely controlled and governed by common consensus of its users, and the regulatory structure has evolved and co-existed naturally, as opposed to developed deliberately in a structured manner (Acquisti, 2004). However, recently there has been a considerable transformation in the manner in which ecommerce is managed and governed. Due to widespread public concerns, the bodies governing its use, at the national as well as international levels, have been forced to adopt stringent laws, for its healthy development, from time to time. Although, it is quite evident by now, that controlling or regulating the internet environment is not within the scope of any government – local or international. It can only be developed through a healthy co-operation between all states. In the present day world, regulation of the internet assumes a position of immense significance and is inevitable for the smooth operation of all activities and particularly, those related to business practices. Internet has facilitated the foray of even the smallest of firms into a larger public domain, granting them an opportunity to access a wider customer base. In the process, the competitive advantage available at the disposal of firms and individuals has widened drastically, completely transforming the conventional business practices giving rise to various issues related to data protection and security. In order for individuals and firms to operate smoothly and safely in such a high tech environment, it is inevitable for those at the helm of affairs, to afford simple yet effective laws which ensures the protection of their data, and maintains their privacy in this highly vulnerable virtual world. This paper discuss the various aspects of the European data protection directive, with special reference to directives 95/46/EC and 02/58/EC, as amended; in the context of its

The strategy of Cathay Pacific (Customer Loyalty) BA (Hons) in Essay

The strategy of Cathay Pacific (Customer Loyalty) BA (Hons) in Business Administration - Essay Example In order to sustain in the competitive global market, the airline services significantly needed to acquire great proportion of loyalty and satisfaction from the customer. However, this high competition has proved to be an advantage for the travelers as they get chance to travel for low cost. With every airline service offering better product quality, lower price and promotional offers, the competition became even tougher. Since there is numerous number of airlines in the international routes, it gets harder to reap on profits .It is a saddening fact that the event of September 11 attack has impacted the airline industry in a very destructive way. It not only decreased the passenger traffic but also hiked up the airfares to make things worse. Eventually, the global recession made the airline industry struggle to subsist in the market and maintain their profit ratio. Subsequently, the only way to boost the sales was to gain customer confidence and loyalty. In order to gain customer’s satisfaction and loyalty, the airline industry initiated to make use of the marketing mix and its 7Ps.Since only a right marketing strategy can increase the customer’s loyalty and satisfaction; the airline services rested their trust on the 7 ps of marketing mix model. The 7 elements of marketing mix like product, process, price, place, physical evidence, people and promotion was sure the best concept for them. For this reason, the airline companies started to come up with promotions, advertising campaigns, frequent flyer programs and many online services to melt the mind and hearts of customers. They assured the customer that they would not regret for choosing their service as they are the best in the market in respect of price and comfort. Many airline services experienced that the customers definitely responded well to their marketing strategies and this enabled them to at least cover up their operating

The United States African Development Foundation Research Paper - 1

The United States African Development Foundation - Research Paper Example Though US funds many of the international development programs via UN, but USAID (United States Agency for International Development) is one of the most prominent organizations working directly under the US government towards the goal of democracy promotions and economic development of various states. United States African Development Foundation was conceived by the US congress in 1980, as a complimentary organization to USAID and other functional programs directed at similar goals. However, this organization was developed with the focus over the impoverished states of Africa, to empower the marginalized population of the areas under focus. The groundwork for the USADF`s legislation is laid upon the model of the Inter-American Foundation, however the scope and background of both the organizations differ to a great extent. USADF is an independent, though federally run organization committed at the goal of formulating strategies specific to the African communities to assist the marginalized societies by granting economic as well as technical assistance at the grassroots level. Going into the history of the organization, the initiation period was quite shaky as it took almost four years to bring the organization into its functional shape. Right in the beginning the appointment of the board of governors for this organization were delayed and it wasn’t until 1983 that these appointments took place. Later in 1983, most of the high level staff resigned due to some issues which again made the functional capacity of the organization restricted to some extent. The organization again gained momentum when the General Accounting Officer (GAO) was asked to take over the look after the management needs of the organization. In 1984 however, the relevant officers presided over the desired positions and reforms in procedures took place to bring the organization into its current shape (Grassroots Development: The African Development Foundation).

Corporate Social Responsibility Environmental Disclosures Philosophy Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility Environmental Disclosures Philosophy Essay In many nations debates over current global issues such as climate change and poverty are sites of educational, social and political conflict. This paper explores the academic attempt made by Human Development (HD) model, to address Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) environmental disclosures in annual reports. Also this essay seeks to examine the impact of the notion of social contract and legitimacy upon corporate responsibility and Environmental Disclosure Policies. Discussion then shifts to an ecocentric critic on Marx and an ecofeminism critic on Frankfurt school on ecological crisis. As a way forward, an ecocentric outlook is introduced. The paper ends with conclusion. Introduction There is a growing understanding that the current crisis we face is both ecological and social furthermore the global challenges of poverty, that are foreseen to grow in many ways through Climate Change demand constructive, innovative and forward looking approaches between development sectors (World Bank, 2003). In recent years, there has been a proliferation of corporate social and environmental disclosures in business practice (Coles and Murphy, 1999). This study goes further than accepting the achievements in voluntary environmental disclosures in (CSR) annual reports, into actual commitment by the industrialized world in tackling environmental degradation. It critically evaluates the impact of mainstream notion of social contract and legitimacy in (HD) literature upon corporate responsibility disclosure policies theoretical arguments a way forward, an ecocentric perspective is introduced, one that draws leading an ecologically informed philosophy of internal relatedness to narro w the gap between (CSR) environmental disclosures and actual commitment to environmental protection. Description of a New Sustainability view Ever since the Bruntland Commission introduced the concept of Sustainable Development in its seminal report, Our Common Future, (UN, 1987). Governments and their development partners at the national, regional and international level have struggled to operationalize the concept of sustainability in development policies, programs and plans (World Bank, 2003). Part of the reason for this struggle is because sustainability is a highly complex concept that over time has come to mean different things to different people (Pepper, 1996). Sustainability actually describes several different approaches as well these approaches carry with them different visions of society and different political commitments to action (Pepper, 1996). Although, the sustainability defining roots come largely from environmental-economic fields (Constanza et al, 1992) the concept of Sustainable Development incorporated other aspects questioning justice, poverty, inequality, and peoples aspiration for a better life, only to mention a few (Naess, 1990). As a result, cultural, technological, ethical ambits have been most recently introduced in various innovative ways to better picture a multidimensional and integrated perception of the sustainability notion in an attempt to achieve progressively, what has called; a public relation response between business sectors and environmental organizations (Coles and Murphy, 1999). Like many critical theorists, we are strengthening corporate responsibility as fact that must be taken into account when talking of people and their environment, not only on the things that affect them but also on things on which they have an effect (Naess, 1999). Under this idea, sustainability has been recently define d in Human Development model with rather different and new terms and further characterizations demonstrating levels of interaction between business sectors and nature originating thoughts from many authors; such as Coles and Murphy, 1999), who has for instance defined it as: a proactive environmental management. CSR- Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in (HD) has emerged largely since the 1950s, but its origins in the UK can be traced back to nineteenth century and early twentieth century philanthropists, many of whom left a lasting legacy; for instance, William Cadbury, who became a leading philanthropist as a result of successful business endeavors at the turn of the twentieth century (the William Cadbury Trust). Since then Businesses sectors has been engage in (CSR) for diverse reasons, driven by economic, ethical and other considerations. The conception of (CSR) is closely related to the conception of the social accountability in Human Development (Coles and Murphy, 1999). It is evident in this post-modern world that the business (CSR) annual reports have moved away from narrow financial disclosures to the disclosure of a number of broader social issues for a larger audience on a voluntary basis ranging from information about employees, political and charitable donations, environment pollution, social audit and other social information (Coles and Murphy, 1999). Perhaps this is one of the attempts to building what literature now describes as social accountability in Human Development (Coles and Murphy, 1999). The (CSR) annual reports are already advancing future concern for peoples ´ welfare foreseen as a long run problematic issue, but certainly is not yet questioning environmental havoc as one key aspect to analyse within. Most recently though, UNDP ´s Human Development notion began to question the fact that yet through elaborated definition and examination (CSR) is not really focusing enough on people and environment. Defining CSR eco-social unsustainability Defining current patterns of (CSR) and corporations as eco-social unsustainability is one way of making transparent human-nature connections (Williams, 1980). One needs to question the reasons for a sudden increase in these broader disclosures. Some may argue that such procedures on the part of the preparers of corporate annual reports may be nothing but a giant public relations campaign. From a more critical perspective the above may be seen as celebrations by environmentalists and researchers in sustainability. As Coles and Marphy, (1999) point out (CSR) Annual report of corporations these days are filled with information that celebrate successful social accountability actions but negative consequences of their actions such as externalities from pollution as costs to the society are never highlighted, thereby silencing injustices. The difference between voluntary environmental disclosure practices and the actual tackling or commitments to environmental performance of corporations cannot go unaddressed for long. A study by Perlo-Freeman in Nigeria (2002) reports a significant negative relation between sustainable development performance and Shell (CSR) annual reports. The findings support the argument that companies with worst environmental performance records (highest levels of toxic releases) provide most extensive environmental disclosure. Given the widespread variation in social and environmental disclosure, it is not surprising that a number of narrow, human-centred overlapping theories of such disclosure have evolved (for example, social contract, legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory and progressive market) (Pepper, 1996). We argue that a (CSR) approach thorough ecocentric theory on environmental issues is capable of providing a more comprehensive theoretical framework to the (HD) current ecological cris is. A Critique of Social Accountability Mainstream Theoretical Arguments Mainstream theoretical arguments for environmental in (CSR) comprise the Social Contract Theory approach and Legitimacy Theory. Social Contract Theory approach is the base of managerialist school of thought in addiction Social Contract Theory hypothesizes that the foundation stone of morality are uniform social accords that best serve the interests of those who make the agreements. Legitimacy Theory is closely related to the conception of the social contract. The theory posits that businesses are bound by the social contract in which the firms agree to perform various socially desired actions in return for approval of its objectives and other rewards, and this ultimately guarantees its continued existence (Guthrie and Parker, 1989). Legitimacy theory is essentially a systems-oriented theory, i.e. organisations are viewed as components of the larger social environment within which it exists (Dowling and Pfeffer, 1975). As this paper demonstrates these approaches favour an anthropocent ric (CSR) stance and concur with the arguments of the critical school in relation to the limitations of such approaches. Critique of Social Contract Theory approach Firstly, it is evident that the traditional (CSR) model, although dependent upon a range of conventions, has restricted itself to a dominant principle: value of goods and services also non human perception (Ormerod, 1994). This attitude is in line with the concepts of objectivity and profit that enhance shareholders and creditors welfare. They are seen as the primary users in the managerialist model, their needs are known (wealth maximisation), and are paramount, and the needs of other users are secondary. This observation, from an ecocentric (CSR) environmental perspective, ignores the information of the environment impact furthermore is just an ideological cloak to protect corporations. With this line of argument, (CSR) under the managerialist approach becomes important only if it affects the survival and continuity of an enterprise. Critique of Legitimacy theoretical arguments Legitimacy Theory is closely related to the conception of the social contract. The theory posits that businesses are bound by the social contract in which the firms agree to perform various socially desired actions in return for approval of its objectives and other rewards, and this ultimately guarantees its continued existence (Guthrie and Parker, 1989). This theoretical arguments for environmental (CSR) are ineffective according to the eco-socialists school (Pepper, 1996), largely due to the fact that social responsibility and profitability are at odds as a result of the neoclassical economics foundation on which the social accountability model is based. In spite of severe criticisms, legitimacy theorists defends their thought by questioning whether progress could be made under the critical approach by think that is possible to somehow reconcile the destructive tendencies in neoclassical, capitalist economics with radical sustainable development (Pepper, 1996). They state that while it is acknowledged that present practices (CSR) are far from perfect, one must work within the system and slowly refine it to be reflective of social and environmental issues rather than completely accepting or completely rejecting current systems which have been widely accepted for centuries as a decision useful tool in (HD) paradigm (Pepper 1996). Ecophilosophical point of view of Social Accountability From an ecophilosophical (HD) point of view, the most fundamental division in eco-social theory is between those who adopt an anthropocentric perspective and those who adopt a nonanthropocentric (ecocentric) perspective (Pepper, 1996). The distinction could be best understood as representing a spectrum of thought rather than separate and distinct positions. The first approach focuses on human freeing and fulfillment in an ecologically sustainable society, while the second examines the notion of emancipation in a broader context emancipation that also recognises the moral standing of the nonhuman world (Dobson, 1990). We are of the view that an ecocentric philosophical orientation provides the most comprehensive, promising and distinctive framework to study todays environmental problems. This is not to claim that ecocentrism would solve all our environmental social responsibility problems. Instead, emphasis is on providing sufficient details of an alternative model that could improve the present practice of (CSR) for the environment and provide a basis for a sustainable future in Human Development. An Ecocentric Critique of Marxism In this section we present an ecocentric challenge to Marxism and the critical theory of the Frankfurt School. A complete overview of these works remains beyond the scope of this paper, and only key ideas/issues in ecological context have been considered. Pepper (1996) argues that literature is far from clear about the extent to which Marxian analysis can be said to be compatible with or at conflict with environmentalism. Marx focused on capital, labour, surplus value, class conflicts and so on, and this placed him closer to liberal economics than to environmentalism (Pepper 1996). As for Marx, environmental problems, like social problems are traced directly to the exploitative dynamics of capitalism and solution to such problems require revolutionary transformation of the relations of production (Pepper, 1996). Marx was only marginally concerned with environmental degradation with no systematic theory of humanitys relationship to nature. The dominant sense in which Marx characterised nature was as a medium for human labour (Mellor, 1992). The above arguments seek to demonstrate that an ecocentric perspective on environment cannot be wrested out of Marxism without seriously distorting Marxs own theoretical concepts. Social Ecofeminism Critique of Frankfurt School The critical theory of the Frankfurt School is not a single doctrine or a unified worldview. Sharp differences have existed for long time among critical theorists at the Frankfurt School, as evidenced by the increasingly heterogeneous nature of their works. The first generation of Frankfurt theorists focused on different levels and dimensions of domination and exploitation through critique of instrumental reason, which also included critical examination of the relationship between humanity and nature (Mellor, 1992). First, early Frankfurt Schools critical discourse was pessimistic in outlook towards nature romanticism and was increasingly preoccupied with theory instead of practice. Secondly, a more fundamental explanation lies in the way critical theory developed in the hands of Habermas, who has, by and large, focused on social and political rather than personal aspects, thereby marginalizing green movement (Warren, 1990). Critical scholars in corporate responsibility have drawn up on Marxist and Habermasian themes to think and act about environmental (HD) pathways. Yet to date, critical theory has not had a major direct bearing in shaping the theory and practice of the green movement, except in indirect ways (Pepper, 1996). An Ecocentrism Critique of Frankfurt School There are two other problematic aspects of Frankfurt Schools theses that deserve attention. One is that it separates and privileges good life for humans concerning the emancipation of nonhuman world. And the other is the claim that we know nature, through science and technology ignore the reality of biological and ecological (Mellor, 1992) only insofar as we can control it, thus legitimising continued exploitation of the nonhuman world. In this way Frankfurt Schools endorses rather than challenges dominant anthropocentric prejudices towards the nonhuman world. As Eckersley (1992) argued that according to Habermas schema, a norm is considered right if it is achieved via a consensus reached between truthful and rational human agents. Thus the principal objection to Habermas social and political theory has been that it is human-centred, insisting that the emancipation of human relations need not depend upon the emancipation of nature. Alternative Ecocentric Arguments for (CSR) Environment There is no intention on our part to offer a detailed proposal on what an ecocentric corporate responsibility might look like as this will amount to putting the cart before the horse. Instead, we argue in support of a broad, thoroughgoing framework, sensitive to both human and nonhuman world, and one that seeks emancipation which will provide a better and more meaningful theoretical basis for environmental (CSR) and related environmental disclosures. Anthropocentricism and ecocentricism represent two opposing poles on a continuum, with different orientations towards nature, and major streams of modern environmentalism fall between these poles. It is argued that this classification enables an evaluation with regard to the kind and degree of anthropocentricism or ecocentricism that is manifest in green political discourses. Eckersley (1992) discusses at least four positions (resource conservation, human welfare ecology, preservationism, animal liberation and ecocentricism) on the continuum, moving from an economistic and instrumental environmental ethic towards a comprehensive and holistic environmental ethic (Pepper, 1996). The latter conforms to key ecocentric beliefs that recognise human and non-human interests, present and future within a more encompassing framework for human development. Ecocentrism draws upon an ecologically informed philosophy of internal relatedness that advocates that all organisms are not only interrelated with their environment, but also constituted by those environmental interrelationships. Ontologically, under this perspective, the world is an intrinsically dynamic, interconnected web of relations in which there is no absolutely discrete entities and no absolute dividing lines between the living and the nonliving, the animate and the inanimate or the human and the nonhuman (Eckersley, 1992). Ecocentric theorists emphasise on the absence of any rigid and absolute dividing line between humans and nonhumans to point out the logical inconsistency in anthropocentric models that justify exclusive moral considerations of humans and their superiority (for example, language skills, reasoning skills and technological skills). Some may argue that there are countless things that nonhumans do better (see for example, Fox, 1990) and to single out special attributes of human simply tantamount to human prejudice. To criticise ecocentric orientations as anti-science, ecocentric theorists have pointed out how new scientific discoveries have served to challenge long standing anthropocentric prejudices (Eckersley, 1992), and further argue that the philosophical premises of ecocentrism are actually more consistent with modern science than the premises of anthropocentrism. The concept of internal relatedness upon which ecocentrism stands, equally applies to relations among humans, in a biological, psychological, and social sense. In other words, we are all constituted by our interrelationships between other humans, and our economic, political and cultural affiliations (Eckersley, 1992). Since birth, humans are constituted by, and co evolves within the context of such relations and cannot be separated from them. Based on this social interactionist model, which is not new in social sciences, humans are neither completely passive and determined nor completely autonomous and self-determining, rather, are relatively autonomous beings, who by their knowledge, thought and action help constitute the very relations that determine who they are ( Anderson, 1996). Further, it needs to be pointed out that ecocentric theorists are not against the central value of autonomy as depicted in Western (CSR) political thought; they are concerned with the revision of the notion to incorporate into it, a broader ecological framework a framework that incorporates individuals and social aspects in a more encompassing way. Eckersley (1992) argues that while the liberal idea of autonomy as independence from others can be seen as philosophically misguided, socialists tend to adopt a more relational model of self, but both are deeply embedded in anthropocentrism. The ecocentric reformulation of autonomy at no stage implies that the boundary between the self and others is removed, it rather seeks to emphasise the soft and flexible nature of line between them. Ecocentric foundation requires psychological maturity and involves a sensitive mediation between ones individual self and the larger whole with a view to having a sense of competent agency in the world (Ec kersley, 1992). On the contrary, the quest of radical independence from others or power over others leads to an objectification of others, and a denial of their own modes of relative autonomy or subjectivity. What is new and adds strength to an ecocentric perspective is that it extends the notion of autonomy to a broader and more encompassing pattern of layered interrelationships that extend beyond personal and societal relations to include relations with the rest of the biotic community (Pepper, 1996). In this way the nonhuman world is not posited in the background but recognised as having their relative autonomy and their own modes of being. Zimmerman (1988) made this comment: the paradigm of internal relations lets us view ourselves as manifestations of a complex universe; we are not apart but are moments in the open-ended, novelty-producing process of cosmic evolution. Some critiques are cynical of ecocentrism, as it interprets nature selectively, something that is essentially h armonious, kindly and benign, providing and all too convenient framework for human relations (Eckersley, 1992). But there is no need to depict the nature as such, and to judge the nonhuman world by human standards, we will invariably find it wanting, for nonhuman nature knows no human ethics, it simply is (Livingston, 1981, Eckersley, 1992). Conclusion While voluntary environmental disclosures in corporate annual reports throughout the world are on rise, we have argued that these disclosures do not provide sufficient grounds for celebrations. One needs to go deeper and examine the silences in those successful stories in order to understand better the motives for such disclosures and more so, the extent to which corporations are actually tackling the environmental problems. It is the actual commitment to environmental performance that matters the most, for (HD) and (CSR) disclosure of such information will fall into its appropriate place when the former is taken care of. In seeking emancipation an existential attitude of mutuality needs to be adopted simply because ones personal fulfillment is inextricably tied up with that of others. The gap between voluntary environmental disclosures in corporate annual reports and lack of firm decisive actions to protect environmental by the industralised world will continue, as long as environme ntal philosophical enquiry favours human interests over the interests of the nonhuman world. Theoretical contexts: Anderson, E.N. (1996) The disenchanted: religion as ecological control, and its modern fate and A summary, and some suggestions. Extracts from Ecologies of the heart, pp. 161-179. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 19 509010 1 Birch, C and Cobb, B. Jr. (1981) The liberation of life: from the cell to the community, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Coles, D. and Murphy, K. (1999) Social accountability: a new approach to business.Extract from Sustainable Development International, pp. 17-20. ISSN 1 466 4739 Costanza,et al (1992) Goals, agenda and policy recommendations for ecological economics, in Costanza, R. (ed.) Ecological Economics: the science and management of sustainability, New York: Columbia University Press. Dobson, A. (1990) Green Political Thought, London: Unwin Hyman, second edition 1995. Dowling, J. and Pfeffer, J. (1975). Organizational Legitimacy: Social Values and Organizational Behaviour. Pacific Sociological Review. Vol. 18 (1). pp. 122-136. Eckersley, R. (1992) Environmentalism and political theory: towards an ecocentric approach, State University of New York Press, New York. Fox, W. (1990) Towards a transpersonal ecology: developing new foundations for environmentalism, Shambhala, Boston. Guthrie, J. Parker, L.D; (1990) Corporate Social Disclosure Practice : a Comparative International Analysis Advances in Public Interest Accounting, Vol. 3, pp. 159-175 Habermas, J. (1981) New social movements, Telos, Vol. 49, pp. 33 37. Livingston, J. (1981) The fallacy of wildlife conservation, McClelland and Stewart, Toronto. Mellor, M. (1992) Dilemmas of essentialism and materialism. Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, 3(2), 43-62. Naess, A. (1990) Sustainable development and deep ecology . Extract from Engel, J. R. and Engel, J. G. (eds) Ethics of Environment and Development, pp. 87-96. Belhaven Press. ISBN 1 85293 251 1 Ormerod, P. (1994) I see, said the blind man, Independent on Sunday, 13 March, 21, extract from The Death of Economics, London: Faber and Faber. Pepper, D. (1996) Radical materialism: changing the economic base. In Modern Environmentalism: An introduction, pp. 301-305. Routledge. ISBN 0 415 05745 0 Perlo-Freeman, S. (2002) Militarism and Sustainability. A paper for the Education for Sustainability conference, November. The World Bank (2003). Extract from The world development reporter 2003: Global problems and local concerns, pp. 162-173. Oxford University Press ISBN 0 8213 5150 8 Warren, K. (1990) The power and the promise of ecological feminism, Environmental Ethics, 12, 125-46. Williams, R. (1980) Ideas of nature. Extract from Problems in Materialism and Culture, pp. 67-85. Verso. ISBN 0 86091 028 8 Zimmerman, M. (1988) Quantum theory, intrinsic value, and panentheism, Environmental Ethics, 10, pp. 3 30.

Pro-wrestling In The Nineties :: essays research papers fc

Pro-Wrestling In the Nineties   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A worldwidae phenomenon has swept our worlds people. It has sold out huge stadiums every Monday, Tuesday, and once a month Sundays. This phenom is called Pro-Wrestling, and it seems to have a death grip on today’s youth. I for the most part am an avid fan of wrestling and consider myself very knowledgeable on this subject. That is why I feel that I am able to show an unbiased view of wrestling and what happens behind the scenes, and around children’s homes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The company called WWFE (World Wrestling Federation Enterprises) went from a small company into a huge corporation basically overnight, and then drifted into obscurity again. The WWF’s first popularity influx occurred in the mid 1980’s due to a man called Terry Boella, better known as Hulk Hogan. His charisma and basic likeability made people take a liking to his character right away. Hogan was quoted as saying, â€Å"I am happy that I can bring the business that I have put my blood, sweat, and tears into straight up to the top of the world† (Hogan) Unfortunately, Vince McMahon, the CEO of the WWF, was involved in a scandal that shocked the world. He was handing out steroids to his employees, in order to make them bigger and more intimidating. This was certainly a blow to the up and coming corporation, although Mr. McMahon was quoted as saying â€Å"any publicity is good publicity†, this was definitely the wrong type of publicity he nee ded. This scandal drove away many of the WWF’s fans, which were children whose parents didn’t want them to watch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now, over 10 years after those initial scandals, the popularity of the corporation has risen to never before seen heights. Every day they earn millions of dollars on merchandising. Not to mention the amount they get for selling commercial time during their programs, which are the highest rated on cable television. All of this popularity is due to one man, Steve Austin. His hatred for authority and trust no-one attitude brought the federation into its new era. His character appealed to everyone from school children to regular businessmen. Unfortunately for the WWF this newfound popularity has also brought new problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These new problems are lawsuits, brought about by the parents of children who are injured while â€Å"wrestling†. While the shows are rated â€Å"PG14† on television parents still allow their young children to watch.

Conscious Awareness and Brain Processes Essay

A number of scholarly studies on human consciousness identify a close relationship between human consciousness and the brain processes of a human being. This study is an examination of the literature existing on these two areas with an aim of establishing whether there exists a relationship. To achieve this, the study will evaluate consciousness and its functions in a human being, evaluate brain processes and their functions and from the two analyses, make efforts at establishing either a similarity or a distinction exist between them. An evaluation of consciousness Questions about consciousness have been with humans for a long time. According to Pearson (1999), traces of the questioning on the nature of human consciousness were there as early as during the Neolithic period, when burial practices expressed some spiritual belief which had some connotations on some reflections or thought on the nature and existence of human consciousness. The earliest forms of cultures and intimation into human consciousness are therefore only available through historical connotations on the then existing people’s reflection on some aspects of human consciousness. There are those scholars who argue that consciousness, as it is known today’ is a phenomena that arose much later in the development of humans, as late as after the Homeric era as postulated by Jaynes (1974). In this view of the development of consciousness knowledge, earlier humans acted without necessarily correlating their actions and thoughts. As such, they were unconscious of their actions and acted primarily on a response to physical threats as opposed to awareness of need. Earlier scholars who attempted to define consciousness included Rene Descartes in the 17th century and John Locke, in the period of late 17th century (Stanford Encyclopedia, 2006). Their efforts to define consciousness have formed a basis upon which modern human consciousness is constructed from. In Descartes, ‘Principles of Philosophy’, written in 1640, he defined human consciousness as self-awareness. Locke, in 1988 correlated consciousness to both thought and personal identity (Stanford Encyclopedia, 2006). Modern attempts to define consciousness have been attempted by scholars (Gennaro, 1995 and Carruthers, 2000) who postulate that the word consciousness is a broad umbrella term covering a broad range of metal phenomena. In its wide range, consciousness can refer to a state of an organism in its wholeness, also referred to as creature consciousness or to a certain mental process or state also referred to as state consciousness. Since consciousness is a broad term, this section will highlight the meaning of consciousness in different contexts. A person, or a cognitive system, may can be said to be conscious in a number of ways; the first sense is what Armstrong (1981) referred to as sentience. A sentient creature is one that is able to sense its environment and respond to it. In this sense, the ability to sense and respond to an environmental stimulus is equivalent to being conscious. The challenge in this definition lies in making a distinction between the responsiveness portrayed by living and animate creatures such as animals and humans and the responsiveness inherent in inanimate objects such as flowers and trees. This is because a flower responds to physical environmental as evident in withering during the dry season. The other sense of defining consciousness is wakefulness (Cole, 2002). In this sense, an organism is considered conscious not only by possessing inherent ability to respond to the environment but by being in a state or a disposition to actually respond to it. Consciousness in this sense refers to being normally alert or awake. In this definition, an organism would be considered unconscious if it were in a deep state of comma or sleep. In this definition too, there also lies some blurred explanation since by defining consciousness as so, one may need to define it further in terms of levels of consciousness. For instance, it is possible for a creature to be half-asleep, implying that it requires a slight arousal for it to be conscious, as in the definition. Another form of consciousness, identified by Carruthers (2000) is self-consciousness. This is a high level order of consciousness in which the creature is not only aware but also having the correct understanding of the state of its awareness. Among humans, self-consciousness may denote ones ability to differentiate himself from others, in aspects such as language, hierarchy, status etc. One who is unable to make such a distinction would invariably be referred to as self-unconscious. In philosophy, self consciousness is equivalent to self-knowledge, which is used to commonly refer one’s knowledge of particular mental states including beliefs, sensations and desires (Stanford, 2003). A challenge that lies in this definition is that it disregards conscious forms of life, which may still be undergoing growth and development. For instance, a young child may be unaware of his status or privileges and as such, when consciousness is defined in this manner, it may assume that such is not conscious. Features of consciousness As mentioned earlier, consciousness is an umbrella term enveloping a broad range of issues. To distinguish consciousness, it becomes imperative to assess the features that combine to bring out the conscious phenomena. By analyzing these features and later analyzing the features of the brain processes, it will be possible to assess the existence of a relation between the two. The characters of consciousness as identified in literature include; A qualitative character- Siewert (1998) had suggested that there exist some experienced desires or thoughts in all forms of consciousness. These are the ones that form the qualitative character of consciousness but they do not necessarily refer to sensory states. In essence, consciousness embodies some kind of feelings, though it is itself higher than normal physical feeling. When an individual is conscious of something, there is a ‘feel’ attached to it, which happens beyond the physical human feelings. Phenomenal structure- phenomena as applied in both psychology and philosophy denotes how things in the world or the world in general appear to an individual. For consciousness to be complete, this feature ought to be present, that is, there should be an effort deep within oneself that attempts to interpret a certain event or knowledge of the world around an individual. The phenomenal structure of consciousness, as portrayed in theory shows that consciousness is made up not only of sensory ideas but also by complex representations of space, time, body, self and the world (Siewert, 1998). Representational theories of consciousness as published in the Stanford philosophy encyclopedia shows that representation of the world as it is has evolved slowly to become an important theme in the study of consciousness (Stanford Encyclopedia, 2006). Subjectivity- Consciousness is subjective in the sense that what is conscious can only be experienced by that creature in the prevailing condition. Creatures with similar capabilities are the only ones that can understand the’ what-it is like’, a common phrase used to define consciousness (Nagel, 1974). In this sense, consciousness is subjective, that is, it is understood from the creature’s point of view as opposed to being objective where facts would be understandable based on available evidence. Self perspective- According to Searle (1992), conscious experiences exist not as isolated events but as states or modes of a conscious subject to self. For instance, the consciousness of pain is a happening experienced by a conscious subject. The appearance of the sky as blue is a phenomena that appears as so to a subject. This implies that for consciousness to exist, the ‘self’ subject which can be identified by, ‘I think’ needs to be there. The self perspective is a crucial feature in consciousness since for any event to be reflected to the level of awareness; there is need for the intellectual participation of the self through past experience. The requirement for this intellectual part in the subject is an important aspect of this study since intelligence forms one of the brain processes and therefore serves to suggest that there is a close link between consciousness and brain processes. Unity- a conscious system involves some form of unity. Cleeremans (2003) postulate that consciousness has a unity characteristic; this unity is that which arises from the subject’s ability to connect varied information’s and representations and make a coherent judgment. It is this unity in consciousness that can enable an individual to make a relation between past and present interpretations and therefore direct consciousness in a focused direction. Other features that are associated with consciousness include intentionality and transparency, a feature that recognizes the arousal of consciousness about an event due to an individual’s intent to do so (Cole, 2002). For instance, one’s consciousness about the 9/11 attack comes to an individual through an intentional thought. Once the intention matures, the inner self becomes conscious of the event and the individual is said to be ‘aware’. There is also a dynamic flow of information in the conscious state. This dynamic flow is also referred to as a stream of consciousness in which the subject conscious state is active and visualizes events in a dynamic manner, just as in real live (Stanford Encyclopedia, 2003). Through these features, consciousness in a subject performs some functions/ processes, most of which may borrow from both sensory and cognitive aspects. Consciousness plays the first role of flexible control of the physical actions of a subject (Anderson, 1983). When consciousness is defined as self-awareness, it implies that an individual measures and weighs options concerning an issue and as such, all actions are controlled in a state of awareness. In addition, consciousness enhances capacity for social coordination. Humphreys (1982) argues that a subject that is conscious is not only aware of itself and therefore its immediate needs but is also able to extend the awareness to other similar creatures. In a human context, being conscious therefore enables an individual to be conscious of others surrounding him which results to responsiveness to the events occurring in the social arena. Participation and responsiveness to the social environment leads to an integration of the like-subjects so that the social system develops values, beliefs, structures, intentions and perceptions. In addition to social coordination, consciousness presents a subject with an integrated representation of reality. By combining experiential organization and dynamism inherent in consciousness, it presents the world in an easy to understand frame. According to Campbell (1994), the features of consciousness help to constitute a meaningful structure of the world. Additionally, consciousness plays the following functions, all of which are additions, either to physical or cognitive processes; it enhances informational access, enhances freedom of will and intrinsic motivation (Wegner, 2002). Going by these explanations, it is evident that the realm of consciousness is made up of both sensory functions and intellectual processes, implying that a significant part of consciousness is dependent on brain processes. In the section below, a brief outline will be made of what constitutes brain processes and make efforts to establish a correlation between them and the features and functions of consciousness discussed above.

Thorntons Plc Essay Example

Thorntons Plc Essay Example Thorntons Plc Paper Thorntons Plc Paper Thorntons PLC is the UKs largest manufacturer and retailer of specialist chocolates. The company had followed a strategy of in-house manufacture and retailing largely through the companys own shops and to a lesser extent through franchising. This case also describes the companys attempts at Diversification into the US and European markets. Thorntons outline four strategic priorities1 for the business: Driving like-for-like sales and margins Refocusing and reducing strategic initiatives Creating efficient organizational processes Increasing measurability and incentives These priorities were designed to achieve two objectives. Firstly, to stabilize companys performance by delivering positive like-for-like sales and returning to profit growth. Secondly, to put in place the organizational infrastructure provides a firm and robust platform for future growth. PESTLE Analysis Economic High rate of Interest in French economy and devaluation of sterling made huge loses. Downturn of profits due to seasonal demand only on some special events. Social Seasonal events like Christmas, Valentines Day, Mothers Day, and New Year accounted for a further 25 per cent of sales. Technological Installation of EPOS (Electronic-point-of-sale) tills in the shops. E-commerce/mail orders systems New tills system. Environmental Due to Hot weather conditions, the demand of chocolate goes down. Thorntons began to develop sales outside the UK and company decided the US market could offer the best vehicle for expansion. Thorntons believed that there was scope in the UK for further expansion and also the venture into US showing little prospects of profit. But these prospects of Thorntons unfortunately closed. There was an attempt by Thorntons to enter the European market which proved losses for the company. In French market, customer needs, tastes and preferences are different from UK needs, tastes and preferences. There was a market differences between these two countries. The sales and tastes were divided by Thorntons in two: First, UK sales are divided as 80 per cent chocolate and 17 per cent toffee. Second, the French market divided equally between chocolate (with the French consumer preferring bitter chocolate)2, Ice-cream and sugared confectionery. But this divergence of taste brought Thorntons into loses as caused by high French interest rates, downturn in the French economy and the deflation of sterling. Thorntons has divided their sales into UK and French and differences in tastes and preferences. They adopted a short term strategy which indicates less economies of scale as in components of Thorntons. Thorntons suffering loses due to various negative factors such as- Seasonal demand and low production of chocolates. As Thorntons has 1 per cent of daily confectionery market and 6 per cent of confectionery gift market3. So the sales are depends on seasonal events. Difficult to maintain standards in franchisees as customers feel uneasy while shopping for chocolates. Hot weather leading to loses for Thorntons. Differences in working culture makes hard for the company to operate. Thorntons primarily compete in the boxed chocolate market where their continental brand has a 6 per cent share and other players such as Cadburys roses; the leading brand has 15 per cent4. As a retailer dedicated to specialist confectionery, the company has no super markets such as ASDA, Sainsbury, and M S to whom Thorntons is a supplier. Product quality is based on unique product recipes and the use of high quality material (the companys truffle curtains Moet ET Chandon!)5. The chocolate industry is n maturity stage of the life cycle. Within this view Thorntons in-house manufacturing and retailing strategy appears to have a number of benefits in meeting competitive forces. However, Competitive rivalry is not very high because Thorntons main product is made up of hand-finished which distinguish it from its competitors. Thorntons is the largest UK manufacturer of premium chocolate, a product that involves chocolate enrobing rather than the moulding process required by more mass market chocolates. Where the costs were comparatively higher, they often included discretionary aspects that resulted in enhanced product characteristics for those where there was no concern for the retention of knowledge. Competitors can sell chocolates not only in retails and franchisees but also on E-commerce/mail order and Internet. Thorntons shops are developed to achieve Differentiation. Product quality is based on unique product recipes and the use of high quality material. Overall, the threat of entrants is not high but moderate as production cost is high and also Entrants needs experience. Consumers rather than buying solid or boxed chocolates there are many other substitutes available in the chocolate market such as, Cadbury drinking chocolate, Rice milk, Juices, Cakes, Ice creams, bar chocolates. The Threats of substitutes is very high as varieties of substitutes are available in the market. There is a concentration of buyers particularly the volume purchases from the buyers are low. Mostly the purchases is depends upon seasonal events i.e. Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter. Thorntons has large number of suppliers6 such as M S, ASDA and other supermarket stores where Thorntons supply chocolates. Thorntons continually develops the manufacturing aspects of the business, people are often surprised by the amount of hand-finishing involved in the manufacture of Thorntons products. There is not a big threat of backward integration by the buyer. Thorntons supply the best tasting chocolate and confectionery at cheap prices. Thorntons was able to make use of competitive supply market. The company was faced with numerous potential suppliers. Thorntons was reluctant to enter situations where suppliers might achieve power in the relationship or where the leakage of what was regarded as core product knowledge could occur. That is why Thorntons has 70 per cent7 in-house manufacturing and in the area of liquid chocolate, the company was able to follow a buying-in strategy due to the availability of a number of suppliers. Therefore, the power of suppliers is negative. Though Thorntons strategy of vertical integration provides a number of differentiating characteristics, but at the same time avoiding the consequences of market power and value appropriates in product and supply market. Overall, the companys in-house strategy is consistent with the competitive technology and supply context in which the company operates. The specific nature of the manufacturing technology greatly reduces the opportunity for outsourcing from a competitive supply market. The supply alternative is essential to purchase product from other manufacturing companies, a strategy that would erode differentiation.

Circadian Rhythm essay Essays

Circadian Rhythm essay Essays Circadian Rhythm essay Paper Circadian Rhythm essay Paper Circadian Rhythm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article, Circadian clock-protein expression in cyanobacteria: rhythms and phase setting, is an interesting scientific breakdown of a phenomenon that connects a certain type of bacteria to the timekeeping ways of other organisms. The article begins with a basic explanation of the biological evidence that they have gathered, but later goes on to expand its explanation to include lots of data to support the conclusion. In this article, charts, graphs, and unlimited data are presented in an effort to shed a comprehensive light on the circadian rhythms that are present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The basic premise behind the theory presented in this article is that cyanobacteria have a time keeping system that help them run more efficiently than other forms of bacteria. The explanation centers on three different genes, aptly named kaiA, kaiB, and kaiC. These three genes are the primary reasons why the circadian clock system exists within the eukaryotic bacteria. Research within this article indicates that while only a few mutations of these genes exist, any deletion of the entire segment will cause widespread circadian characteristics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many different variables that affect this rhythmic method in bacteria. One of those things was light, as the article is quick to point out. The variances between the different genes are relevant in the data that is presented, especially the two charts that show how the genes reacted to being put in the presence of constant sunlight. In addition, the later part of the article addresses how different variables like different proteins can stop the induction of the gene, KaiC. The article finally came to the conclusion that the KaiC genes were much more rhythmic when not in the presence of constant light. In fact, darkness actually helped promote the clock-protein expression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article closes by stating some conclusions which are up for discussions. The basic premise presented in the conclusion has to do with the conditions under which oscillation is possible. For the three different genes, different constant conditions are necessary, and the article shows that KaiA is different than KaiB and KaiC genes.

ENERGY LOSSES IN BENDS ( Fluid Mechanics for Engineers ) Lab Report

ENERGY LOSSES IN BENDS ( Fluid Mechanics for Engineers ) - Lab Report Example the results have been obtained for three different runs and this will be important in obtained different results that will be crucial for computation of the different values of K loss coefficient. The data obtained will also be used to plot a graph of head loss Versus Dynamic Head. The extent of the errors will then be computed in order to determine the accuracy of the data obtained. Finally, the values computed will be compared against the values given in the textbooks and the observations made recorded. Energy losses in pipes normally result from friction that occurs between the walls of the pipe and the fluid and the internal friction in the particles of the fluid. On the location of the pipe whereby the streamlines are not straight such as the bends, piping junctions, valves contraction and expansion joints and the inlets and outlets of the reservoirs, minor head losses are experienced (Fluid mechanics: Online). In this experiment, we are going to measure the minor head losses through a section of pipe with a number of transitions, fittings and bends as shown in the figure below: The main purpose of this experiment is to study the head losses through common fittings and valves that are commonly found in piping systems. These head losses are referred to as minor losses and can be evaluated in the form of loss coefficient KL and compared with the theoretical values given in the textbook. Where pi is the static pressure in Pascal, is the specific weight of the fluid, z1 is the elevation in meters of point i , Vi is the velocity of the fluid at point i and g is the gravitational constant and hL is head loss. gives the static head of the pipe and gives the dynamic head (Armfield Instruction Manual, 2004). The sum of the static velocity and the elevation result into what is known as the piezometric head. This is measured with a manometer aboard the apparatus of this experiment. The head loss of the piping is the summation

Product Quality Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Product Quality Testing - Essay Example The big question here is how much testing needs to be done, because the testing requires time, which is precious because the clients and users want the product as soon as possible. The paper will include sources that will be used in order to support the question of how much testing needs to be done in order to ensure a good quality product and to show that there is a problem when too much or too little testing is done. A review of literature will be presented to show how we come up with the conclusion. The review includes the study done by Rothman (2001) on release criteria. Rothman (2001) tackles when to release a software/ Also in the article written by Barbara Tallent (2008) she discusses when it is enough for testing and releases it in market. At the end of the paper a conclusion was given and the paper will try to find the best answer on the addressed question. In the article written by Johanna Rothman (2001) "Release Criteria: Defining the Rules of the Product Release Game," he discusses the problems involve in releasing the product early. He also point out that the decision of releasing the product comes from the higher authority of the organization usually the production managers. The article includes the case of Rita who heads the team in developing software. The production manager is being pressured by the customers and needs to release the product as soon as possible. In order to do so Rita and PM releases criteria for the team to decide. The criterion includes; All code must compile and build for all platforms Zero high priority bugs For all open bugs, documentation in release notes with workarounds All planned QA tests run, at least 90 percent pass. Number of open defects decreasing for the last three weeks. Feature x unit tested by developers, system tested by QA, verified with customers A, B before release. All open defects evaluated by cross-functional team. The decision in releasing the product at earlier time should comply with the release criteria. The release criteria objectives are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and trackable. Before releasing the product it should agreed upon by the entire project team and understood by senior management. The reasons for such release should be reasonable enough. Rothman (2001) in the article uses the release criteria to evaluate whether the product can be release or not. This also assesses the entire project and the prediction of an early warning on the incoming problem on the product. Based on the article a product can be released as long as it complies with the release criteria created by the team. Another review on the immature release of the product is shown in the article written by Bernadette Tallent (2008). In this article she presented a case study wherein the VP of marketing for a software company was about to release a new product. The product was incomplete and the team knows it. Extensive user testing on the product has been done and they concluded that the product was missing several key features. Meetings have been done to assess whether or not to release the product in the market. In order to decide in releasing or not releasing the product the group listed trade offs: Reasons to Release The product was stable The product was due to be announced at an Internet World - if we missed the release date we would miss the