Management of Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Management of Change - Assignment Example The organization ranked fifth in 2013 in the list of Forbes Global 2000. The organization is known as the biggest refineries in the world having 37 oil refineries distributed in 21 countries. It is biggest amongst the super major oil manufactures in the world with regular production of almost 3.921 million BOE. 1) Needs for Change The organization has weak employee management all over the world. It is one of the major concerning issues of the organization. The organization is facing various human rights and legal issues because of which its operations have slowed down to some extent. The oil spills and other environmental hazards have disrupted the efficient operations of the organization. There are cases of fraud and bribery in the global operations. The increasing government regulations are creating barriers in the business operations of the organization. This is an increasing threat of NGC. There exists high competition in the oil manufacturing industry. The organization has high threat from the big competitors in the industry. Among the big competitors of NGC are Royal Dutch Shell, BR, and Chevron. Hofstede Cultural Analysis It is a 5D model for exploring the culture of different nations. The cultural analysis of USA using this model has been given below: Power Distance: This dimension states that every individual in the society are not equal. It focuses on the inequalities among the individuals. The power distance can be defined as the extent till which less powerful individuals in a powerful country expect as well as accept that the power is always distributed unequally. United States scores low in this particular dimension. The country focuses on the equality of rights in every aspect of the American environment or society. In the organizations of this country, hierarchy is developed for the convenience. The superiors are always ready to help and the managers have high reliance on their teams and employees. The communication is participative, direct and very much informal. Individualism: This dimension mainly addresses to the issue about the extent of interdependence that the society maintains amongst all the members. An individualistic society is that society where individuals look after their direct family and themselves. On the other hand, a collectivist society is the one where the people belong to groups and take care of each other in exchange of the loyalty. United States possesses high individualistic culture. The individuals look after their direct families. The Americans are self reliant and do not depend on others for fulfilling their needs. Masculinity or Femininity: High score (Masculinity) is the dimension where the society is driven by success, competition, achievement and the success is defined by the winner or the individual best in any field. Low score (femininity) is the dimension where the society is very much caring for others as well as their quality of life. United States is considered to possess masculine dim ension. The Americans are success driven and they seek for achieving higher success. In the organizations, the Americans focus on attaining higher status or monetary rewards by making good

The personal growth i hope to gain from a college education at Monroe Essay

The personal growth i hope to gain from a college education at Monroe College - Essay Example Currently, I am connected with Delta Airlines as part of the Aviation Operation Department. Although my education was delayed by my job, the working experience taught me discipline and commitment; besides, the jobs were only a means to a higher end- education. These two values are important to me since I can apply them also in my studies here in Monroe College when I get accepted. I learned about Monroe College when they came to the island where my job was located. The school had some seminar and I immediately got interested. Apparently, the school is welcoming even to non U.S. citizens like me which is very comfortable to know. The field of interest that I would like to pursue is Information Technology. I chose this field since I am really interested in how computers work as evident in my first job as a computer technician. Moreover, I believe that knowledge in Information Technology can bring an impact to humanity by discovering more systems that will enhance people’s work productivity. Aside from the interest and some set of skills that would help me in pursuing this field, I believe that Monroe Colleges 75 years of teaching excellence would give me the expertise that I am seeking. The certification examinations that the college of Information Technology can give me a head start once I pass them. Good education involves three players: my parents ( w ho are very supportive), myself ( well-motivated), and the school ( Monroe College). Given these three factors that will probably work together, I am sure that when I become a student of Monroe college, I will seek academic

Major Ingredients Of A Leader Management Essay

Major Ingredients Of A Leader Management Essay Introduction First of all, in terms of the two perspectives-leaders are born and leadership skills can be developed, I support both of them. A successful leader is definitely born with certain and extraordinary talents, which provide the foundation that can be further developed during his/her life (Cyril Levicki). But possession of just the innate traits is not enough to become a leader. A leader also needs the training and development of leadership skills which can be acquired through school, workplace and experience. There are many types of leaders in the world, including the politics leader, military leader, science leader and business leader, etc. In this essay, the leadership in business organisation is mainly discussed. The main body of this essay is mainly divided into four parts. In the first part, the definition of leadership is given. The major nine ingredients concluded by Cyril Levicki is listed in this part, and some of these ingredients will be discussed. I also introduce a leadership when managing the professionals. With the development of technology and society, there are more and more companies consisted with mainly professionals. So this kind of leadership is worth mentioning. Evidences of leaders are born will be provided in the second part. The achievement of Jack Ma, the most successful business leader, will be used as an example to illustrate this kind of opinion. The second part has a great connection with the third part, because the person who is to be leader relies not only on his innate traits, but also the training and development of leadership. So the third part is about why leaders need to develop the leadership skills and how they can develop that. In this part, two types of leadership are introduced, which are charismatic leadership and intelligent leadership. In addition, the steps of developing leadership skills are discussed. The last part is about the implications for the management development. The implications are discussed from three aspects. They are selection of leaders, training for leadership and strategy of leadership development. Because training leaders is a long term plan, so the company should formulate a complete and suitable policy for that. Definition of leadership What is the leadership? Although the type of leadership varies in different contexts, for example, Sir Winston Churchill is the leader in the politics in UK while Newton is the leader in science, a leader is always leading. A leader possesses a good combination of personalities and skills and makes others to follow his directions. An effective leader always makes good judgement and benefits the whole organisation. In this essay, the definition of business leaders includes those senior managers and executives in the company. John Maxwell defined leadership as having influence on others, no matter positive or negative, for example, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Winston Churchill and even Adolf Hitler. Van Home said in his paper that employees pay for the price of leadership, and they also reap the benefits from the successful leader. To be a good leader, one should firstly be a role model, which might exert a great influence on employees (Van Home, B.). In addition, the leader should have broad vision, which enables him/her to better make decisions without vital mistakes. The vision can be broadened with the accumulation of his/her experience. The leader should also have the ability to multi-task, especially for those efficient leaders. The ability to multi-task enables leader to do more things at a limited time. Those abilities mentioned above all can be developed after they were given birth. But some characters, such as calm and persistence, were in most cases innate traits. Major ingredients of a leader Cyril Levicki has concluded nine ingredients of a business leader. They are: Tenacity Stamina Long term wisdom emotional intelligence judgement about what is worth fighting for Equanimity Character Capacity to inspire followership Generalized love for fellow human beings As we can see, among the nine ingredients, some of them are innate traits (tenacity, stamina equanimity and emotional wisdom), and others need developed through out life. Tenacity and stamina mean the ability to stick to the job and task, no matter how difficult it might be. The long term wisdom and judgement about priorities require the leader to have broad vision and forecast the future of the business and make good judgement. The rest four ingredients are all about the influences of leader on others. The great business leader should have positive value and use it to lead and motivate employees. And the leader should also make sure that people enjoy being led by you (Cyril Levicki). Leadership in managing professionals Nowadays, there are many companies consisted of professionals. Managing those professionals could be a big question for leaders. Most professionals would like to describe that they are in a better position that managers, who are here to serve them. Mintzberg thinks that the leadership should be covert when managing professionals. He generated this idea from his friend Bramwell, a conductor. Bramwell leaded an orchestra, among which were all professional musicians. Bramwell did not see himself as a manager, but a lion tamer. What he gave those professionals was not direction, but support and protection. And he ensured that the whole team was in great harmony. So Mintzberg concluded that the leader should not be in complete control nor be entire unimportant. The relationship between the conductor and the orchestra is just like that between senior manager and professional engineers. If the manager acts like a overt leader and let those professionals to fellow his plan, which might be wr ong. The professionals would definitely feel depressed and the interest of company would be damaged. What the manager should do is to provide a good workplace which allows professional to do their best and to give them enough support. So the key point of managing those professionals is to let them appreciate the management, and be willing to corporate with managers. Summary So the leadership is about both innate good traits and skills and knowledge acquired through training and experience. When the potential leader was born, he /she was given the raw material of talent, which can be further developed. Both of them are essential for the leadership. Evidences of leaders are born After working with thousands of leaders, Cyril Levicki said in his book that almost all good leaders are born with a special talent, which is modified as they develop as children. Cyril Levicki had illustrated this point by some evidence. He said from 1960 to 1990, the leadership training and development in business schools in USA and UK increased dramatically, but there were no signs of the same increase in the national growth rates of business and corporations. While in Japan and Germany, where there were not so many business schools, had continuous growth in national economy and corporations. Cyril concluded that the training of leadership showed no significant influence on the growth of leaders. Although this argument is just generalized according to the national context, not individual, it can somehow reflect that not all the people taking the course of leadership in business schools can be leaders. The potential leader was born with some special characteristics, which can be nurtured during his/her whole life. Without those characteristics, the person has nothing to be developed to be a leader. So not all those potential leaders can be leaders, but all l eaders are given the genetic talents where they were born. Examples of leaders are born I think a good example of leaders are born, not made is Jack Ma, the CEO of Alibaba.com Corporation. He was a really born leader. He got the Bachelor degree of English and never received any management education before he set up his company. When he graduated, he became an English teacher. He went to USA one time, and found that the online trade was highly developed in US. Then he made up his mind to do this kind of business, even although he had never got into internet before. Now he is the most famous business leader in China. He runs one of the worlds biggest B2B online marketplaces and becomes one of the worlds 100 most influential people in the Time Magazine in 2009. He is such an effective business leader that his consumer-auction website -Taobao.com defeated eBay which shut down its site in China in 2006. He has not received any education of leadership, but he can lead approximately 5000 employees and get success. What he has got are his courage, confidence persistence and act ive mind, which cannot be trained. But his further success cannot only attribute to his given characters, but also to his working experience and the management education he gets in recent years. Some leaders dont have concentration on classroom and some want to begin their career as soon as possible in stead of staying at university, just like that Bill Gates quit of the University of Harvard. This is determined by his innate traits. He just could not wait to do what he wanted to do and to stick to the business that he thought would make a big different to himself, even to the world. And finally he made it. In a Food Manufacture HR Forum (Green Rebecca), HR experts from different companies gathered to discuss whether leaders are born or nurtured and how they justify the investment to the board. Most of them agreed that leaders were born not made. The HR manager in Kerry Ingredients said that leaders cannot be trained, what you can do is to provide the culture to allow them to develop by themselves. But I dont quite agree with what he said later you cannot train competence, vision and drive. Clearly, competence can be trained, for example, the management skills and technical knowledge. The vision of a person can be broadened with the accumulation of his/her experience, especially the time during a crisis in the workplace. Summary All those leaders were born with special talents, which formed the foundation of their future leadership characters. Those talents become more and more obvious and sound when the person grows up. Those traits play a significant role when the person tries to become a leader in the future. But it does mean that relying only on the innate talented traits one can become a leader. He/she also needs to get training and development in the classroom and school, and accumulate experience in the workplace. The next section will talk about this. Development of leadership skills Scott M. Reithel, and David M. Finch pointed out that: The very idea of developing leaders suggests there are existing skills and abilities to be developed. It is the right mix of traits, skills, experience and the organizational environment that makes great leaders. They admitted that innate traits were essential for the better and further development of leadership, but the technical knowledge were acquired through school, university, experience and other sources. Some of the innate traits could not be changed, but might be able to be improved through training and development. Reithel and Finch had given an example that an introvert could not be changed into an extrovert, but the introvert could be trained to get along well with peers. The needs for nurture of leadership There are some interesting nurture-influencing factors concluded by Cyril Levicki: being the eldest child in the family and having a father who achieved high levels of success. That is because the family factor might exert great influence on the development of the person, especially during his/her childhood. The treatment and education from parents would have impacts in different aspects. The child would learn from and follow his/her parents. A father who achieves great success usually wants his child to follow his steps and carry on the business. He would do what he can do to nurture his child, especially the eldest boy. The effective leadership needs rich experience. Dov Frohmans experience as a leader of Inter Israel in crisis is a very good example. During the Gulf War, Dov had to make a hard decision which was whether to close the operation of Intel or to keep Intel open. The government had warned that Iraqi missiles which might carry chemical weapons would fall in Israel. It would be easy close the business, just like other companies, and the senior executives would not blame Dov on this issue. Dov had a belief that a leader should ensure the survival of the organization. If he closed the business, that meant he agreed that Israel was not suitable for investment. So he finally decided to keep Intel open. In the first day of the war, most of the Intel employees attended the operation. Because of their continuous working during the six weeks of war, the Israel Intel won a great reputation which allowed Israel Intel to be the largest private employer and the mainstay of high-tech economy (Frohman D .). Just as Dov said, My experience in the Gulf War taught me a lot about responding to crisis situations. He had accumulated rich experience during the Gulf War. Dov concluded three big rules for the leader during a crisis -focus on long-term survival, go against the current and trust your instinct. I do think that Dovs instinct, belief and judgment were not born, but gradually formed with the increase of experience. Types of leadership Leadership can be developed. There are several types of leadership. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, I will talk about the charismatic leadership. A charismatic leader is able to let workers to listen to his, follow his order and complete tasks as soon as possible. He seems to be glamorous and respectful to all the employees. However, the bad thing is that he might sometimes persuade workers to do some of his bad plans. And creative workers might stop thinking of their own plans but to follow the leaders policy. Charisma is superficial, which can be felt by employees through the leaders clothing, manner of speech, and behaviour. All of these can be developed. Clothing can be brought in the famous branded shops. Good manner of speech can be practiced over and over again. Polite and suitable behaviour can be learnt through classes or from other people. Second is the intelligence of leaders. Take the example of Jack Ma again. Jack Ma was born with special characteristics which potentially enabled him to become a good leader. But if he didnt learn the knowledge of internet and business, if he didnt go to USA to contact the on-line business, he cannot manage to success. After he found the Alibaba.com Corporation, he never stops learning both professional PC skills and management. Bill Gates has got great innate traits, but he was not born to know how to create Windows. He came out of beginning his career in the field of PC after years of learning and experience. So the intelligence should be developed. Development of leadership abilities Defining the task is a major ability that a leader should possess. As a leader, you cannot do everything all by yourself. You mush define the task and arrange people to complete the task together with the least turnover. However, task is a general meaning, so it has to be specified into objectives, aims and purpose (Adair, J.). The leader should always be clear about the task and be able to answer all those questions relating to it. In addition, the leader should also be good at communication. The leader does not have to talk fluently and endlessly. What the leader has said should be brief, simple, yet effective. This kind of simple activity also needs to be developed. When leading a team, the leader should formulate the plan after define the objects they are going to achieve. So planning is the second ability that a leader should develop. In order to make a good plan, we should keep five W and one H in our mind: When, What, Why, Who, Where and How. Those six factors are the essential components of a plan. The leader should also prepare for both plan A and plan B, even plan C. When emergency happens, the team and the company can have alternatives to choose. So making the contingency plan is crucial for a leader. The third important ability might be the use of control. Here the control from leaders is not the completely dominant control that a leader uses his/her power to force every employee to follow his/her plan which sometimes might be wrong. And the type of control differs from different companies. In the company consisted of mainly professionals, as I mentioned in the form section, the leader should not have complete control of them, who need support and protection (Mintzberg). But in this case, the leader should not be absolute powerless, and he/she needs to balance the power of control. Another thing is that the leader should learn to be self-controlling. If the leader cannot control himself/herself, how can he/she controls others? The ability of organising needs development. A leader should not only organise his/her own work, but also the business of the organisation. Organising is to arrange different parts into a right order. The leaders priority is to organise the company well and lead his/her team in a right direction. Also, the leader needs to organise his/her own time, thinking about the future. Organising the time can gradually becomes a very good habit of leadership. There are still many other abilities that need to be developed, such as motivating and evaluating (Adair, J.). The development of leadership skills is really a long-term plan, which needs the persistent endeavour from both the potential leaders and the company. Implications for management development Most companies, especially those large corporations, have to prepare leaders for their future needs. When there is a vacancy, someone is able to take the job. Due to the importance of nature (innate traits) and nurture (leadership development), organisations should create certain conditions for the potential leaders. Just like a plant need light, warmth and water, a leader needs fruitful source (Adair, J.). Selection Not everyone can become a good leader, so the selection of the right people for the leadership and management development is very important. How to get to know whether the person has the potential to become a leader or not? Scott Reithel, and David Finch suggested that 360-degree feedback technique can be used. 360-degree feedback is an efficient tool, with which feedbacks gathered from superior, colleagues, subordinate and customers can be analyzed. From the feedbacks, the persons work, communication and leadership skills can be judged. And this tool can also improve the persons self-awareness, because he/she must do his/her best to prove his/her ability. Some people might say that 360-degree feedback would cost plenty of time and money, but I think the wrong choice of the potential leaders might lead to more waste of time and money. However, there is another opinion about the selection for management development. In the HR forum mentioned in the former section, Blackburn argued that the selection should not only focus on the successful employees, but also concentrate on those struggling workers, who might make big impacts on the company as well. Matthews had made a very good description, Like a gardener, you nurture all the plants but weed out the ones that wont grow. Her point of view was to nurture most of the employees, and wash out some who are thought to be unqualified to become leaders during the management development. Training for leadership A leader cannot effectively manage the complex organizational business without possessing enough technical skills, knowledge and savvy (Scott M. Reithel, and David M. Finch). Those skills and knowledge are acquired through training and experience. What the company can provide directly is the training, in terms of training them internally or sponsoring them to go to business school or both of the two. The company can also provide the experience indirectly by letting those people working in the workplace. For example, many companies send their managers to Action-Centred Leadership course or run this kind of course inside the company (Adair, J.). The most difficult question might be the investment and return. The investment on leadership development is a long term project. It is not like the retail and manufacture that you can see the benefits in a short time after the investment. So the managers, especially HR managers, should be cautious when taking the leadership development plan. HR managers should take the responsibility of making good use the money invested in the plan. To be a leader requires a spirit of life-long learning. There is an old saying in China, one is never too old to learn. On the whole, the development of human society is getting faster. If the leaders do not enrich themselves with knowledge all the time, they might be washed out of their role as leaders, and somebody else will take their positions. Being a leader does not mean that one person does not need to learn anymore. Instead, he/she should learn continuously. So no matter the senior managers or leaders in the company, they should be arranged to receive the training and development regularly. Strategy of leadership development The leadership development is a long-term plan, so the organisation should formulate a specific policy which might be amended with the change of industry environment. Leadership development should be seen as an important activity in management. Most of the sections in the organisation will take part in the plan. Line manager, for example, can be the leadership mentor, who will inform the future leaders during the training program. So the company should formulate a career management development policy for leaders. The leader should have the experience of the business in company as a whole. A specialized sales manager cannot be the general managing director, just because he has no ideas about the finance or manufacture of the company, so that he cannot make decisions relating to these. He cannot see the company as a whole, because he is just a professional in sales. This example can also be seen on the financial manager. That is why the company needs the long-term policy. John Adair has used an example to illustrate this opinion: in a bottling company, a managing director had moved his finance director to the sector of marketing and distribution. He said that the finance director did a very good job in financial sector, but lack of experience in other sectors. He needed to learn from the different sector and other people, such as line managers. Most organisations would train more leaders that they really need, so some of them might go to other companies. Why we should train leaders for other companies? Some managers might complain. Indeed, training one leader could cost a lot of money and time, let alone training more leaders. Most of the successful business leaders, including those senior managers, had worked for more that one company. From another angle, just as Adair said, the training of more leaders would benefit the industry as a whole. Conclusion Leadership is nature or nurture? The answer is both. Without the innate traits, one has no raw material to develop. And an extraordinarily talented person would know nothing if he does receive any education or training. Both of nature and nurture are important for one to become a leader. Since we cannot change our nature, we should make good use of nurture. The development of leadership skills requires the endeavours from both individuals and companies. Individual should firstly be the right person to become a leader, and then begin to work hard for it. The company should formulate the long term plan for the leadership development and then provide a good culture for the training of leadership skills. Managers should be cautious when implement the plan of leadership development, ranging from selection and training, because they have to make full use of the investment. Every leader has the remarkable innate traits, but not everyone who has those traits can become a leader. To some extent, the determinant is the management development.

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Transparency and exchange of information – No place to hide Over the years, the focus of the international community has been on transparency and the exchange of information. These have become more urgent in the aftermath of the global recession which has strained public revenue flows in both developing and developed countries. Transparency is important on a local and global scale because it is a means to mitigate financial crimes. It protects investors, as well as public revenue. Transparency also generates public trust in our systems and increases confidence and stability in the business environment. The drive towards global transparency and automatic exchange of information has gained new impetus after the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) was rolled out by the US and following the relevant intergovernmental agreements which are being signed in this respect. The ultimate aim of FATCA is to make it more difficult for persons liable for US taxation to evade payment of those taxes by concealing assets and income in non-US institutions. It is an attempt to lift the veil of privacy in the financial services worldwide and to utilize the financial institutions as reporting and enforcement agents on behalf of the US tax authorities which would be both time consuming and costly for the financial institutions. Furthermore, tax evasion and transparency were the themes of the latest G8 summit which was held in Ireland in June, 2013. During that meeting, the G8 nations consented to tighten rules on corporate tax that sometimes allow companies to shift income from one nation to another in order to avoid taxes. They agreed that companies and legal arrangements should have to disclose their true owners and that this information shoul... ...tions received will be assessed and form the basis of appropriate policies which will, in turn, contribute to the revision of their AML / CTF regulation regimes. Finally, the FATF, the global standard-setter with respect to anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), recognises the importance of UBO information and the access to it. Recommendations 24 and 25 state that countries must take measures to prevent the misuse of legal persons and legal arrangements for AML/CFT by ensuring there is adequate, accurate and timely information on beneficial ownership. This information needs to be accessible in a timely fashion by competent authorities and therefore all countries should consider measures to facilitate access to beneficial ownership and control information from financial institutions and Designated Non-Financial Business Providers.

The women in Othello are presented by Shakespeare as victims

This question requires knowledge of how women were treated during the period ‘Othello' was written and how they are treated during modern days. When this play was written, The Jacobean era, an overwhelming amount of evidence suggests that women were treated as inferiors to men. Women would usually be viewed as pure and divine before having sexual intercourse, but afterwards, they were often treated as low down human beings. In general, they were allowed to be beaten, forced into labour and most did not have the right to an education. So the church would play an important role in everyday life for women, it was an occasion to look forward to. Every female church-goer would learn about the two biblical stereotypes for women, Mary and Eve. Mary was worshipped for being pure and flawless but Eve was castigated for her impurity and deceitfulness towards God. At the beginning of the play, Desdemona was apotheosised especially by Roderigo. She was named a white ewe in Act I, which highlighted her gentleness and purity. But similar in the way Mary and Eve are contrasted, Emilia is reified and treated as an object by Iago; this was the usual treatment for women during Jacobean times. In ‘Othello' Desdemona is introduced as a woman that contradicts the stereotype of women during Jacobean times. She is described like a goddess by many men during the play, ‘She is indeed perfection' is how Cassio describes her in Act I. Othello begins to think of her as his trophy and prized possession, but despite all the attention and praise she receives, she does not become arrogant or boastful and remains eloquent and lady-like, showing how she is worthy of being deified. Even when Othello is strangling her, he comments on her soft, white skin, he says it feels â€Å"as smooth as a monumental alabaster† This very surprising for the audience because at the point of nearly killing her he still treats her like a goddess. However, Emilia is treated as an object of no value by Iago. He often rejects her and He refuses to treat her with even a semblance of kindness. She is treated like a whore because Iago believes she has slept with another man without any hard evidence. She completes a mischievous deed for Iago, displaying her loyalty and desperation for any sort of love shown back to her. Desdemona seems to be praised a lot during the first act. But in fact, she is treated like an object. Iago says to Brabantio â€Å"Zounds Sir, you've been robbed. † This is reifying her because he is describing her like an item. Iago then mentions â€Å"The wine she drinks is made of grapes,† which is showing the audience that he has a strong belief that there is nothing special about her and she is just another possession. Desdemona is then called â€Å"A Land carrack,† which Othello has boarded. This further proves that Iago has a condescending attitude towards Desdemona and women in general. When Othello and Iago are in Venice, Iago pounces on this opportunity to tell Othello of the fallacious women of Venice. He says â€Å"In Venice they do let Heaven see the pranks they dare not show their husbands. † He says this to make Othello think of how he and Desdemona compare to this statement, preying on Othello's ignorance. Shakespeare uses a lot of animal imagery during the play, sometimes in a complimentary fashion but most often, in a degrading manor. Audience from modern times will be shocked at the amount of sexist and racist animal imagery used. Iago calls her a â€Å"White Ewe† which many will probably view as a compliment, reflecting on her innocence and gentleness. But some might view it as an insult, saying that she is common and nothing special. Even Othello uses abusive terms towards women, he says to Desdemona â€Å"thou art false as hell† highlighting his complete lack of trust for Desdemona, both as his wife and as a woman. Yet Desdemona does not say anything of an abusive nature to Othello. In ‘Othello' many people do not think of Cassio as the sexist type, he is portrayed to be well mannered and respectful up until he calls Emilia a ‘common thing'. This surprises many of the audience who thought of Cassio as the sole man in the play who respects women. But Shakespeare was obliged to do this if he wanted to show the audience that Cassio was a ‘normal' Jacobean man. This suggests that he thought it was standard for men to call women such belittling phrases. Emilia is portrayed as naive and desperate when she is first introduced, she is so distant from her husband that she has no idea of what Iago has been trying to do. The most astonishing example is that after he steals the handkerchief for Iago, she still appears to have no idea of what he is trying to do, she just wants to do â€Å"nothing but please his fantasy. † Despite being made out to be the most naive woman in the play, she is the only woman to show signs of courage and feminism in her words. One of the first moments to do this is when she refers to men as ‘stomachs'. Even more significant is when she says â€Å"husbands fault if their wives do fall. † This is one of the earliest signs of feminism, or at the very least defiance in Shakespeare's play. Bianca is the only other woman in ‘Othello' along with Emilia and Desdemona. She is at first portrayed to be a prostitute and whore, although there isn't any evidence that this is indeed her profession. The men in ‘Othello' treat her like a ‘strumpet' and a stereotype of impure women during the Jacobean times. She is able to prove her stereotype wrong by standing up to some of the abuse she takes from Iago. In a manipulative fashion, Iago tries to use the condescending view towards Bianca to his advantage. He assumes nobody will believe her or take her seriously because many of the male characters believe she is a lying and deceitful whore. So he blames the injury of Cassio and death of Roderigo on her. When talking about the incident he says â€Å"this is the fruit of whoring,† which is referring to the fact he wants people to believe it was her. This statement is about whether Shakespeare has written a misogynistic play by presenting the women as victims'. Having established how the women are treated differently and similarly in the play, we can look at a very important scene which shows how the women in the play talk about their husbands. This scene is the willow scene where they talk about events that have happened and how their husbands are behaving. Emilia says that she would do something impure and evil if it would lead to her earning money. This is because Emilia has come from a poor background where money was scarce and very precious. But in Contrast, Desdemona says she would never do such a thing because money is not so important to her due to a wealthy background, this shows She uses morals as motivation rather than money. Then, to confirm to any doubters in the audience, she says she would rather die than cheat on her husband Othello. This is a very bold action that Shakespeare uses to highlight her purity and faithfulness. Desdemona has proved many stereotypes for white, wealthy women in Jacobean times wrong; she has married a Black man and firmly stated that she believes in strong morals. This proves that she is strong enough to stand up for herself despite the abuse and criticism she receives. It would be very unusual for this to be true, not that a woman would do these things, but that she would be able to stand up to the racism and sexism of those around her. Shakespeare is very quick to use the derogatory nature of men's views on women to add extra effect to the play. For many people, he is too quick and too eager to perceive women as victims. The definition of a victim is a ‘a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance, by the dishonesty of others, or has suffered from destructive or injurious action'. But Shakespeare, during Jacobean times, may not have been seen to present women as particular victims of this play. In modern day life many people will agree that he is on the border of extremity with the amount of sexism in ‘Othello' whether or not he wanted women to be victims of this play. Many people will agree that the women are victimised by Iago and the people Iago he has manipulated. Othello was an equal if not greater victim than Desdemona, not because he died but he was a victim of his own gullibility, ‘his or her own emotions or ignorance'. He did not once think of believing what Desdemona said or even placing all his trust in her, his wife. So he is a much greater victim in this play than Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca put together. Although there are an overwhelming amount of incidents to show that women have suffered from this play, Shakespeare may have hidden a few signs of feminism in what Emilia said and the way Bianca stood up against the Jacobean stereotypes. We will never know why Shakespeare wrote this play, whether it was to be derogatory towards black men or perhaps to explore the possibilities of defying the sexist and racist stereotypes of Jacobean times.

New Identity

I managed to talk to a friend who happens to know a Filipino, Amang Dado (Father Dado), a 75-year old farmer from the Quezon Province in the Philippines. He came from a family whose life has moved around in planting root crops sold at the local public market for three generations. He had his only son, Eleazar, who was able to study at the University of the Philippines in Manila. The Filipinos highly value education for they believe that it is the only way out of massive poverty especially in the rural areas which happened to include Amang Dado’s family. Eleazar was an intelligent college student and was also active in the school paper of the university. All that changed when Eleazar went missing after he was taken by the military after being mistaken for a communist rebel. It was the Martial Law Era under then President Marcos and he was never to be found again. This struck Amang Dado as his only son went missing up to this date. Since he was poor and would have to travel miles to get to the capital, he could not follow up the loss of his son if he really was dead or alive. Eleazer became part of the local term, â€Å"desaparasidos† or the missing. This changed his view on justice in a society he believed that vowed to help and protect citizens like him. His view on life suddenly changed as his only hope in getting out of their less-fortunate situation was stolen away from him and therefore depriving him of the opportunity of having a son. Next was the grandmother of another friend in California who also happened to be a Filipina who lived during the Second World War. At that time, she was 19 when the Japanese invaded the Philippines and declared Manila as an Open City. Not long after that, the Japanese held everyone hostages. Filipino and American soldiers prisoners-of-war after the Fall of Bataan. She told me that she was at the path of the infamous Death March of prisoners-of-war from Bataan to Tarlac, more than 150 miles apart. Not enough food was available, the currency was of no value, and worse, the Japanese soldiers kidnapped local women and brought them to the garrisons and held them as sex slaves, locally termed as comfort women. Lola Ida was one of them. I can feel the tears coming down from her eyes even from the phone as she recalls that fateful event in her life. She and the other comfort women were fed horrendously and were battered and were used up for sex by the Japanese soldiers continuously at their will. She even recalled a stick put up into her by one of the soldiers. This situation really stricken her as Filipino women value their dignity and virginity very highly and she was lucky to still be alive at the time of the liberation. The war not only destroyed the local economy, but entrenched into the society disrespect for gender. The notion of justice is through fear and all that the people could do is to stay alive. She was able to marry and migrate into where she was right now in Panorama City where she tried to forget the horrendous tragedies of war. â€Å"Life is all about standing up again after every fall†, said Lola Ida. Resiliency is one particular trait that not only Filipinos have but for the rest of the Asians as well. Part II: An Entry on my Autobiography: The Place I Live In I can say that I’m living in a quiet diverse neighborhood, wherein you see people who don’t look like you, or doesn’t speak like you. They have a different skin color, unlike mine which is brown. Well, the majority of people living in my neighborhood are Filipinos, which comprises more than 80% of the population. I have seen and met white people who occupy less than 10% of the total population. I have also seen some other Asian people wandering around like Korean students studying English, and some indigenous natives. These three, along with the other   foreign races in our community comprise only less than 10% of the total population combined. Comparing it with other American states, the number of whites in my neighborhood is a little more than the normal, but still has a significant presence of other races, which are not far behind compared to other states. This diversity has clearly put an interesting twist in living in our neighborhood. Since they are different from the rest of the brown population, I can’t help but think that they are not given a fair treatment by the rest of the brown population. This may be because of their appearance, wherein they are often looked down by the other members of the society. This includes every representative member of the society, from the household members, up to the leaders of the society. They may be given special attention by these people, or worse may even be ignored (Northampton). But because of their position in the society, they try their best to treat each and every member of the society with utmost fairness and equality. In my case, I’ve experienced getting ignored by a policeman when I asked for directions. It happened to me only once, I don’t know if it is because of the fact that I’m part Korean and looked like an American, and it is noticeable in my physical appearance. But that incident was not repeated, so I guess the policeman was just being rude or was having a bad day. In other instances that I asked for something from these community leaders, they try their best to address my inquiries and needs. I haven’t had any first hand experience or haven’t witnessed any instance that these community leaders treated other people from another race or culture differently, but I have a friend who was able to witness something like that. It was on a public office, when a clerk attended to the inquiries of a white person before a black man, even though the black man came to ask first. It is a public office, the office of the District Attorney, someone who is expected to help us in times of need. But if they act like this, they are marginalizing other people (â€Å"Demographic Profile†). The people in my neighborhood treat me normally; they don’t look down on me. I don’t know if it has to do with the color of my skin, but as far as I can remember, I was never treated indifferently by any of them. The worst experience (and hopefully the last) was being called an American-wannabe by my grade school teacher. I don’t know if it was intended to mock me because although I am Filipino, I looked like an American or just her way of addressing me, but I guess she based it on my look. She was pertaining to my physical appearance, but I have never considered it as a big deal. I have seen worse, especially to those people who have a different skin color. Well, addressing someone as white, or calling names like â€Å"whitie† can be considered as marginalizing, but what about beating someone because he’s white, or Asian, or whatever that is different from being normal? I have actually witnessed a black boy being beaten by three guys of his age, who happens to be rich brown Filipinos who are sons of a sugar plantation owner. They are calling names while punching him, until some policeman came by and chased them away. What does color have to do with his personality? Why do they have to resort to violence with small matters like a different color of skin or different accent? These are but some of my questions regarding the difference in cultural orientation which are still unanswered. When I was browsing some of my manuals and school readings, I happen to read by a phrase or Germans. It was about the previous World War II, wherein the Philippines was under the Axis powers, Japan in particular. It has an understatement saying that at that time that the Japanese are ruthless people who derive happiness from the hardships and sufferings of other people. But this is a hasty generalization. The text may be about the previous war, but it is not true that all Japanese are like that. Maybe it was pertaining to Emperor Hirohito and General Yamashita, the famous Japanese leaders who drove Filipinos, Koreans, and the Chinese to their painful deaths. But not all Japanese are like that person, they are but one of the few who has issues for themselves, not for the whole of the people from Japan. When it comes to entertainment and local media, the common people who are usually seen are brown people, addressing the needs of the brown population of our community. But they do feature other people in certain events which prove to be relevant. The most common instance that Chinese or Korean and Filipino people are featured by the media is when it comes to sporting events. They highlight various people who excel in some sports they are also featuring (â€Å"Football Unites, Racism Divides†). If a player who is from a different culture excels in that field and he advocates the media, he’ll surely end up getting presented. In relation to the people who are in leadership positions in my community, I could clearly say that they are the same as me when it comes to treating people from other races. I try not to consider their differences, and as much as possible, treat them fairly, just like any person in the community. I also encourage some of my friends to do so, just like what they do, promoting equality for all the people. The only difference I have from them is that I don’t have the power to make rules that protect these minorities from the cruelty of those who doesn’t see them equally. They can affect a larger number of people as compared to what I can do. People listen to them, as compared to a small voice such as I. They can make a difference, everything lies on their hands. They could punish those who treats the people with different cultural orientation unfairly, so that other people would not commit the same mistakes such as beating guys just because they are black, or mocking the people by calling their names pertaining to their culture. If given the chance that I can resolve inequalities in my community, I would like to resolve racism in grade school levels. It is undeniably a very alarming thought that even at the early age, there are kids that are already discriminating others. This is because they can see that there is really discrimination in the society, and it is said that in the eyes of a child, something that is awfully wrong can be perceived as a right thing to do (â€Å"Help Arrest the Racism in Your Community†). I would like to promote a fair, equal treatment to kids in these schools. Their exposure to racial discrimination is very crucial in the formation of their thoughts. These kids will grow with the thought of having hatred towards the minority, wherein they would marginalize these people and treat them as inferior to them. Childhood is the stage in a person’s life wherein we learn things, our orientations and preferences slowly developing, having a proper focus. If we could just let these kids see that racial discrimination is wrong, and then they would grow up with the belief that it is wrong, thus they won’t do it. With these in hand, we are assured of a better future for the marginalized minorities, since these kids view them as their equals. But if they are continually exposed to just injustice and unfair treatment, they would grow up thinking that they are more superior to these people. The preferences of a person are directly affected to race. The way they dress, their food preferences, they way they speak, the way they eat their food; these are all affected to or accounted to the person’s race. Looking closely, it could be a basis for judging a certain person, whether it is a constructive judgment, or destructive wherein you tend to destroy or stain the morality of a certain person. It is related to rave because these preferences are the basis of the race itself, how it is affected by each of these parts, and how important are they to race. References: â€Å"Demographic Profile†.   2005.   Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. June 24 2007. . â€Å"Football Unites, Racism Divides†.   2004. June 24 2007. . â€Å"Help Arrest the Racism in Your Community†.   Miami, FL, 2007. June 24 2007.. Northampton, The committee for. â€Å"A Community Tackles Racism†.   1994.   Andrea Ayvazian. June 24 2007..         

Symbols in Raisin the Sun, the Necklace and Tell-Tale Heart Essays

Symbols in Raisin the Sun, the Necklace and Tell-Tale Heart Essays Symbols in Raisin the Sun, the Necklace and Tell-Tale Heart Paper Symbols in Raisin the Sun, the Necklace and Tell-Tale Heart Paper Essay Topic: A Raisin in the Sun Symbols In The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, Loisel is a character who is middle class and has an obsession over jewelry. She also seems to have a fantasy about living a life of extreme riches, high class, and a fancy lifestyle. One element Guy de Maupassant uses, as a symbol is the necklace itself. The necklace portrays the concept of false values and false appearances. The necklace symbolizes beauty but is false. When Loisel wore it to a party, it gave her a sense of extreme beauty and wealth. When Loisel lost the necklace, she lost her beauty and her â€Å"great† wealth but both were false nonetheless. The fact that it was a jewel, it allows Loisel to live in a fantasy that she thought was actually real. Not only was the jewel fake, but her socio-economic status was also pretentious. In the Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, Poe uses the heart as a symbol. Towards the end, the sound of the heartbeat drives the narrator insane and full of guilt. Almost as if the heart is somehow telling the tale of what just occurred, reminding the narrator of what he has done, causing him despair. The heart symbolizes guilt and self-conscious in which is strong enough to make the narrator give in and confess that he committed the murder. Although the heart does not physically speak, it has â€Å"spoken† aloud, as if mentioning what the narrator performed, even though the narrator confessed for himself. Symbols are used in order to represent greater abstract meanings and imagery within a work of literature. By using symbols, an author can continue to describe what is occurring in the story without disrupting the flow of his or her work by â€Å"pausing† to explain the actual concept he or she is trying to depict. Instead, authors use representation that allows the reader to decipher the icons and understand for him or herself, what is occurring within the work of literature. Join Now For Free

Seeing Similarities Between Plants and Animals Essays

Seeing Similarities Between Plants and Animals Essays Seeing Similarities Between Plants and Animals Essay Seeing Similarities Between Plants and Animals Essay Seeing Similarities Between Plants and Animals As you look around outside, you may see birds perched in trees, frogs croaking on lily pads, and even dogs digging in the grass. Our world is filled with plants and animals, yet when a person thinks of the phrase plants and animal, they automatically begin thinking about the differences between the two. As different as they may seem, plants and animals are very similar in the following areas: reproduction, human uses, and the requirement of water. Even though plants and animals can be distinguished from one another, evolution has bridged the gap between the two more than most people realize. All organisms need to reproduce for the continuation of their species, otherwise that species would die off. Both plants and animals reproduce and in the process create offspring. You will never see a plant with the same type of reproductive system as in an animal; however, plants do form their own versions of these organs called gametes. Two aspects of reproduction are the process of fertilization and birth. The process of fertilization is nothing more than the male and female sex cells combining. Two sperm cells are involved in the fertilization process with plants; one combines with the egg cell and the other becomes the seed. In the process of fertilization with animals, only one sperm fertilizes the female egg. Life for a new plant begins when it emerges from its seed. Part of the growth process occurs while still in the seed and the remainder occurs after birth. For example, do you remember when you were in elementary school, and had to place a bean seed in a plastic bag with water? After about a week, you were able to see roots sprout from the seed. This showed us how plants were born. Meanwhile, life for an animal begins when exiting the mothers womb or from an egg. In both cases, birth is experienced; however, with plants the process is called mitosis and with animals it is called meiosis. As can be seen, plants and animals have reproduction similarities. Humans have always found uses for plants and animals, chiefly in the areas of clothing and food. Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden wore grass skirts, eventually, and the cavemen from prehistoric times wore animal hides. Obviously, our uses for plants and animals have grown since the above mentioned times. Much of our clothing comes from plants. Cotton is the foremost fiber used to manufacture clothing. Whether it be the Levis, the Polo shirt, or your favorite Snuggie, it is made of cotton in some degree. A summary of the 2011 annual meeting of the National Cotton Council stated that the demand for cotton is so high that it is creating a challenge for the farmers of cotton to keep up. The absorbent fibers of cotton can withstand high temperatures, allowing the fibers to be combined with other plant and synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers are also produced from plants. Examples of synthetic fibers include the following: polyester, rayon, and nylon. Synthetic fibers can be produced very cheaply and in large amounts. They are strong, wrinkle-resistant, and glossy. No wonder the 70s were so popular! In the same fashion, animals have provided an important source of clothing for the human race. Whether it is the alligator shoes on your feet, the snake skin belt around your waist, or the rather heavy leather jacket on your back, they all are made from an animal. Buttons, fabric dyes, decorative items like mother of pearl and tortoise shell also come from animals. Some of the main foods that we obtain from plants include the following: corn, soy, rice, fruit, wheat, nuts, and oats. We also get herbs and spices for seasoning from plants. Can you imagine what your favorite dish would taste like if there were no such thing as seasoning? Humans seemingly consume every part of certain plants from the root to the fruit. Humans use animals mostly for the meat that they provide, such as chicken, beef, pork, fish, and lamb. Other animal meats that humans consume are deer, rabbit, wild boar, bison, frog, and goat. Some people even choose to indulge in bat meat. We also use the eggs and milk products that some animals produce. Have you ever wondered what a marshmallow is made out of? Animal gelatins are an ingredient in not only marshmallows, but also a whole range of foods like candy, mayonnaise, and ice cream. The clothing and food that humans create from plants and animals will continue to grow with time. By the same token, water is crucial for the growth and transportation of nutrients in all plants and animals. Plants and animals both need large quantities of water in a constant supply to aid in the growth process. Plants mostly use water during photosynthesis. Plants draw the water in from the soil and combine it with the carbon dioxide from the air. This is how they make their food. Water also helps the body of the plant to stand upright. If the plant does not have enough water, it will cause the plant to lose turgor pressure and it will begin to droop and eventually wilt. . Turgor pressure is the pressure of the water inside the plants body that helps it to maintain its shape. To put it in another way, what happens if your Ford Tauruss tires lose air? They lose their form because there is no air pressure within the tire. Its the same thing with turgor pressure in plants, except with water. In like manner, animals need water for growth, too. If an animal does not take in adequate amounts of water, it will begin to experience dehydration. This can be lethal to animals or lead to other serious health problems, such as weight loss, lack of energy, sunken eyes, or dry mucous membranes. Water also aids in the transportation of nutrients through the bodies of both plants and animals. In plants nutrients are drawn in from the soil through the roots, and travels up the plant through the xylem vessels, which move the water to the different parts of the plant. In animals, basically the same thing happens, except the water transports nutrients through organs. Man has come a long way in our understanding of the world around us; furthermore, evolution has brought closer together two elements of this world that the average person would easily overlook. Reproduction, human uses, and the requirement of water are all areas in which plants and animals share similarities. So think twice the next time you hear the phrase plants and animals because, as you have read, they are alike in more ways than most people realize.

Ayurvedic Medicine Essay Example for Free (#2)

Ayurvedic Medicine Essay Class name Date Introduction Ayurveda, the ancient Sanskrit word (Ayus/living and Veda/revealed wisdom) comes from the traditions of the ancient Indian sages, also known as Rishis. The word â€Å"denotes the enlightened knowledge of all aspects of optimal, healthy, everyday living, and longevity† and, its followers believe Ayurveda to be a â€Å"fortress of wisdom† (Ninivaggi 2008, xvi). Being that the medical practice of Ayurveda goes back as far as 6,000 years, 3,000 of those years recorded and verifiable, it is worth inquiring about why the seemingly successful methodologies and medical practices have not been adopted into the Western framework of scientific medicine. Although Ayurvedic methods and its practitioners are becoming more popular in the United States, with the increased interest by North American patients in preventative and holistic treatments, there appears to be a disconnect about these procedures as validated by providers within North America and our system of payers (i. . , the insurance agencies). As indicated by the Rocky Mountain Institute of Yoga and Ayurveda website, a Boulder, Colorado agency, it was learned that although reimbursements can be found, it often times requires a unique â€Å"system of billing and coding† to ensure payment. There are numerous reports and studies being done that show how Ayurvedic medicine is not just an ancient version of complementary and alternative medicine, but rather these studies demonstrate the validity for support of the treatments. One example of this would be in cancer treatment, there are herbal and traditional medicines that are being studied worldwide to validate their effect on cancer. Alternative and more natural approaches to curing and managing cancers are becoming more popular and common. With the existing regulatory policies and perceptions surrounding Complimentary and Alternative Medicine in the United States, it is my goal to show and provide statistics that will increase awareness and acceptance of the medical wisdom of Ancient Ayurveda. There will be an investigation and explanation showing how Eastern Indian healthcare treatments have been scientifically examined and how they can successfully be adopted into the U. S. healthcare model, via a more global perspective on illness, disease and the prevention of disease from a wellness and holistic approach. Review of Literature The following section summarizes the history of Ayurveda, describes major trends and holes found in the existing research, and explores the evidence both supporting and disproving Ayurveda as a viable and proven healthcare strategy. The History of Ayurveda The concept of Ayurveda was developed sometime around 2500 and 500 BC in India. Ayurveda is rooted in Buddhist and Hindu traditions, but it has been said to connect with Asian medicine (Warrier 2011). Essentially, Ayurveda suggests that the body’s ability to heal itself â€Å"acts through three forces called doshas. These are vata (space and air), pitta (fire and water), and kapha (water and earth)† (Yeager 1998). In order to live a healthy life, these doshas must remain balanced. Typically, Ayurveda is most often used to prevent disease, and has proven beneficial in the treatment of high blood pressure, cholesterol and stress (Yeager 1998). Ayurveda is also helpful in everyday life. Translated, Ayurveda means â€Å"science of life. † This definition is relevant because the ancient Indian system of health care focuses views of man and his illness evolving from the body and its external factors (Yeager 1998). In the present context, the Ayurvedic system of medicine is becoming more widely accepted. It is practiced in India and also in the more economically evolved countries such as Europe, the United States and Japan (Samy, Pushparaj and Gopalakrishnakone 2008). In the mid-1990’s, The World Health Organization also recognized Ayurveda as a system of sophisticated traditional medicine that involved the study of life stimulating observation, and fostering scientific research (Berra and Molho 2010). With the existing and evolving global healthcare crisis that is also currently plaguing the United States (U. S. ), one would believe that an affordable, safe and proven health system so globally recognized would have been able to pass at minimum the test of time but, this is not the case. Although the recent decade has brought about many observations that have added to the scientific credentialing of Ayurveda and other forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), there are still concerns about the ancient Indian treatment and its scientific validity, this is especially true in the U. S. (Rastogi 2010). â€Å"Before the recent upsurge of traditional medicine in a global perspective, Ayurveda was persistently criticized for its ambiguity and philosophical tenants incomprehensible to occidental mind† (Rastogi 2010, 1). Ayurvedic Research Methods Ayurveda is arguably an under researched topic, as scholarly research did not truly begin until the 1970s. This stunted research can be separated into three distinct categories: the examination of traditional Ayurveda in pre-colonial South Asia, the examination of Ayurveda in colonial and post-colonial times in South Asia, and an examination of Ayurvedic practices outside of South Asia (Warrier 2011). The first wave of Ayurvedic research used treatises written in Sanskrit to decipher the origins of Ayurveda. This research helped to conceptualize and understand the Ayurvedic understanding of the body, health and practice, which heavily differed from other representations during that time (Warrier 2011). The second wave of research showed that Ayurvedic practices were encouraged in India until 1835 when British policy changed. When India gained its independence in 1947, the government took immediate steps to standardize Ayurveda; however, the practice was still poorly funded. The effects of British colonialism and favoritism for biomedical has been long lasting. Current practices of Ayurveda are much of hybrid between the two medical practices (Warrier 2011). The third wave of research focused on the advent of Ayurveda in the West (the United States and the United Kingdom) beginning in the 1980s. Deepak Chopra and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi are cited as influential individuals who popularized Ayurveda in the West. Although Ayurveda became more popular, it was discounted as a â€Å"New Age† fad. The third wave of research largely avoids discussions of healthcare reform, or conversations on the â€Å"legitimacy and authenticity of their [Ayurveda] practice† (Warrier 2011). Ayurvedic research presents additional problems. Firstly, â€Å"It’s difficult to conduct double-blind placebo-controlled trials, [†¦ ], because Ayurveda is a holistic system that treats individuals differently with multiple methods† (Hontz 2004). However, these modern scientific studies often ignore the primary objective of Ayurveda, which is to see patients as individuals in need of unique care. Secondly, the new and emerging research has not been disseminated, and the new textbooks on the practice have not been updated. Because this new wealth of information has not yet made it to professionals or students, it is of little use. Within the study of Ayurveda, numerous scholars are calling for new research methodologies (Baghel 2011). In the past, many studies have focused on the use of the plants and herbs (herbal pharmacology) in Ayurveda. Despite the screening of over 2000 medicinal plants over ten years, no conclusive data emerged. Based on the inconclusive findings, other researchers continued to suggest that Ayurvedic research should address the uses and benefits of plants. This research has led to advances in traditional medicine, such as the use of certain plants when modern medicine is unavailable (Baghel 2011). Currently, Ayurvedic research is concerned with altering the research methodologies, separating itself from traditional scientific practices. Another issue with Ayurvedic research is the translation of terminologies. â€Å"For instance, Vata is not air, Pitta is not fire and Bhasma is not oxide- they have much deeper scientific meaning† (Patwardhan 2009). Because Western scientists fail to grasp the full meaning of certain terms, the scientific research of Ayurveda falls short and its reputation has actually been damaged. These failures concerning Ayurvedic research have resulted in certain consequences. Scientists have simply viewed Ayurveda as a means to bolster modern medicine, rather than a unique practice. In addition, eastern Ayurvedic practices have reached a standstill in the midst of the research and implementation controversies. This has severely paralyzed the Ayurvedic educational system, along with its practice (Patwardhan 2009). Many scholars and practitioners conclude that Ayurveda needs to define itself and establish a universal methodology (Baghel 2011). Unless this occurs, Ayurveda will continue to loose momentum. Scholars have suggested adopting a transnational approach to Ayurveda in order to refocus the research. Evaluating Ayurveda from a transnational perspective means looking at, â€Å"[†¦ ]where personnel, ideas, meanings, symbols, products, and practices are constantly crossing boundaries [†¦ ]† (Warrier 2011). This viewpoint would ideally look at the influence of of local practices on global traditions. The American Healthcare System: Evolution? There is evidence in the U. S. nd throughout the world of a growing demand for alternative healthcare choices, based upon the best practices from varying healthcare models. This demand for options appears to be based on an opinion that any single system of healthcare has its inadequacies and will not be able to solve all contemporary health care needs (Shankar 2010). It is this perhaps this assessment that has brought about the dramatic growth of the Complementary and Alternative movement as well as the awareness and evolution of myriad methods of Integrative Medicine (I. M. ) in the last ten to fifteen years. Luckily for proponents and practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine and research, governments and regulatory bodies appear to have also begun to understand the need for varied approaches to health and wellness with the intent that all new models must also establish their safety, quality and efficacy (Shankar 2010). Agencies such as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are just a few of the institutions in the United States that are starting to provide guidance and policy around C. A. M. and I. M. , which is a positive step because without these policies and approvals, there would be no evolutionary progress whatsoever in terms of Ayurveda in delivery in the U. S. Over the past two decades, U. S. mainstream medicine has become more accepting of Ayurveda and other alternative medical practices. â€Å"A widely quoted study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that a third of Americans spend $14 billion a year on alternative medical methods† (Perry 1994). Yet much of this money comes from consumers’ pockets. Although the interest in alternative medicine has increased in recent years, it is still difficult to find insurance coverage, but some companies are offering group and individual policies (Dharamsi 2011). Although the coverage is substantial, it is not full coverage. The need for insurance companies to alter their plans is becoming more pressing as the prevalence of Ayurveda increases in the U. S. Despite this acceptance, many questions and controversies remain. Doctors in India and the U. S. are concerned with the standardization of the practice of Ayurveda in the U. S.. In India, practitioners of Ayurveda are required to obtain a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree, which is the equivalent of five and a half years in medical school (Yeager 1998). However, no such lengthy certification exists (or is required) to practice in the United States. This is further problematic because many of the herbs and treatments used in Ayurveda are relatively untested or unregulated. This means that a person seeking Ayurvedic treatment is left with the responsibility to conduct their own research and find a reliable practitioner. In order to mediate this issue, some U. S. medical schools are beginning to offer courses in Ayurveda similar to those seen in India (Swapan 2007). Yet, these courses are seminars and are completed in a matter of days. Ultimately, standardization is also necessary to price services so that they can be covered by insurance conglomerates. Medical scholars are investigating the potential of an integrative medicine (IM) approach (Patwardhan 2009). These same scholars often look to China as a successful example of integrative medicine. China has accomplished this feat by requiring medical students to complete coursework in Western and traditional medicine (Patwardhan 2009). This dualistic approach means that doctors can provide patients with a combination of treatments. A similar situation is arising in India at the Banaras Hindu University where students integrate modern medicine with Ayurveda and Yoga (Patwardhan 2009). However, integration is sometimes difficult because implementation and methodologies have to be developed and agreed upon. Further, many risks are involved with integration, including the potential to lose identity; conversely, there is the possibility of Ayurveda being overtaken by modern medicine. To be successful in the integrative endeavor, Ayurveda must â€Å"recognize, respect and maintain the respective identities, philosophies, foundations, methodologies, and strengths of all systems† (Patwardhan 2009). Research Approach Form of Knowledge Chronic disease in the United States (U. S. ) is now more of a challenge. The number of Americans suffering from chronic disease has increased rapidly in the past two plus decades, and today 51 percent of the U.S. population is struggling from conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. Chronic disease in the U. S. is so prevalent that it is largely accepted as a part of everyday life. Unfortunately, conventional Western medicine is largely focused on treating the symptoms of chronic disease and prevention often goes ignored. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and, arthritis are among the most â€Å"common, costly and preventable of all health problems in the U. S. Yet, they account for â€Å"7 out of 10 deaths or 51% of deaths† annually, according to a 2008 report of 2005 mortality data. The Problem. With the traditional Western model of healthcare in America being as financially lucrative as it has been historically (i. e. , reactive disease processes, hospitalizations, pharmaceuticals, insurance plans) one can only imagine that there is not much of a desire by these money making industries to move toward a model of preventative medicine. It is also less likely that these industries would consider Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). The proposed research study aims to explore the ancient art of traditional Eastern Indian Ayurvedic medicine, its validity as a scientifically proven means of symptom prevention, daily healthcare regimen, disease curative and whether or not this form of CAM has a current presence in the U. S. or any potential future in our existing healthcare system. Research questions. The research will address the following questions: 1. What is the Ayurvedic philosophy of health, healing and medicine? 2. What does Ayurveda in North American U. S. culture consist of? Who are the practitioners? Who are the patients? 3. What does current research say about the outcomes of chronic diseases treated with Ayurvedic methods? 4. Are Ayurvedic treatments currently being paid for by U. S. insurance plans, if not, why not? 5. What are the trends with regard to CAM treatments in the American healthcare model? Target Audience The audience for this research and those that will benefit from its findings would be the United States population as a whole. Not only will the current and potential patients of the ancient practice benefit by a growing and increased awareness and hopeful change in insurance policy if needed but, current practitioners and those considering the study and certification of Ayurvedic medicine should be relieved and assured of their futures as proven through reports of clinical outcomes and accepted methods of Ayurvedic delivery in Western culture. Controlling Factors Since Ayurveda is a somewhat recent discovery in The United States , the expanse of its historical data originates from India. The majority of its practitioners and patients are native Eastern Indians and the information found within academic reports can mostly be traced back to organizations hailing from India. Since a determination about the effectiveness and utilization in The United States is the goal of the research, the information may be difficult to locate. The healthcare publications and journals that will report Ayurvedic outcomes will likely be written by Indian physicians based upon Indian lifestyles and dynamics of health within the country of India. I would assume without further research and investigation, that there will be some conflicting if not incomplete and/or possibly biased information being reported. Data Collection Methods A dual approach of qualitative and quantitative research review will be done. I will use the world wide web and other library resources to locate industry white papers and respected journal articles that show specific recordable and scientific data about Ayurvedic deliveries and outcomes, statistics on use and trends, specific to the United States. Since the Boulder, Colorado area is a well-known community of those who seek or practice CAM therapies some information can be obtained by agencies willing to share their experiences, knowledge and clinical data. IRB approval will be required to perform any type of survey or case study that will be implemented with these approving agencies. Ayurvedic Medicine. (2018, Oct 26).

Balanced Scorecard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Balanced Scorecard - Essay Example Although the first Balanced Scorecard was designed by Art Schneiderman in 1970, the concept of Balanced Scorecard was extensively developed and widely popularized by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. According to them, a Balanced Scorecard â€Å"defines the set of near-term objectives and activities, the drivers that will differentiate a company from its competitors and create long-term customer and shareholder value, the outcomes.† (Kaplan & Norton, 2001, p.76). The most fascinating feature of a Balanced Scorecard is that a set of financial and non-financial tools are presented in a single succinct report by comparing each tool to a ‘target’ value. This strategic performance management tool was developed with intent to replace traditional operational reports and to present a concise summary that includes the most relevant information. The first versions of Balanced Scorecard held the view that its relevance was greatly related to corporate strategy and the pr oposed design methods. As noted by Kaplan & Norton (2001), during the initial stages, it was believed that this tool would most fit the needs and requirements of mid-sized firms and hence the model was mainly employed to measure aspects like customer, internal business processes, and learning and growth (pp.76-77). This tool was periodically modified and it became popular across the globe by the end of the 20th century. However, modern management experts argue that this model is not sufficient enough to manage complex strategy implementation processes. This paper will critically analyze the potential limitations of the approach while comparing it with the emerging approaches to organizational strategy. Limitations of the Balanced Scorecard approach It is identified that the Balanced Scorecard model of Kaplan and Norton is not really effective. In the modern complex business environment, setting right objectives and following them properly is extremely essential to ensure the sustain able development of any organization. In order to follow the objectives properly, it is absolutely vital to monitor every action with a more strategy focused measurement system. Today’s scholars opine that the Balanced Scorecard model is not so optimal and strategy focused; and therefore, this system cannot ensure a sustainable business environment. In the view of Rillo (2004), one of the most noticeable limitations of the Balanced Scorecard model is that it could not effectively connect cause and effect relations time-wise. The author continues that an important strength â€Å"that the Balanced Scorecard is claimed to possess is the strong causal interrelations between the different elements that are mapped using the core strategy of an organization as a source as the financial measures have been considered merely a reflection of past activities already taken place† (Rillo, 2004). Critics argue that this model is not supported by the Hume criterion for cause and effec t relationship, which states that one activity leads another in time and there exists a causal connection between these two activities. Furthermore, it seems that this concept does not give necessary emphasis on time factor, which is vital to ensure the success of a strategy execution process. Likewise, Kaplan and Norton (2001) tell that strategic objectives must be categorized into budgetary measures so as to be pursued on predetermined basis (pp.294-296). As per this view, different objectives cannot be monitored until predetermined intervals and the measurement method is capable of providing relevant information for analysis. Many of the modern theorists do not know whether or not there exists a causal interrelation between customer, internal business processes, and learning and growth in

The Economic in Taiwan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Economic in Taiwan - Essay Example As a result, even in the best case scenario, economic growth in the region will suffer into the second half of 2003. The rising impact of SARS (in line with a rising number of cases) on private consumption, coupled with a lower than expected rise in GDP growth in the first quarter of 2003, has led us to reduce our forecast for economic growth in 2003 as a whole from 3.7% to 3.2%. A stronger recovery in both domestic and external demand will result in GDP growth of 5.4% in 2004. Taiwan is unlikely to face significant inflationary pressures until late 2003 as domestic demand remains sluggish and international inflationary trends continue to be benign. Entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in January 2002 has reduced imported inflation and will continue to put downward pressure on prices in the forecast period. Following the US-led war in Iraq, prices on international oil markets have eased. As a result, we expect the consumer price index to rise by an average rate of only 0.3% year on year in 2003. Stronger domestic and international demand for goods and services are expected to revive price pressures in 2004, lifting inflation to an annual average of 1.4%. We expect the CBC to allow the currency to remain weak, mainly in order to maintain the competitiveness of Taiwan's exports against those of Japan and South Korea. However, exports are unlikely to receive a major boost as a result, owing to general weakness in world demand, but the measure will help Taiwan producers to maintain market share. The CBC will allow the New Taiwan dollar to appreciate significantly only once there is sufficient evidence of a sustained recovery in GDP growth. Accordingly, in 2003 the currency will strengthen slightly in line with faster GDP growth late in the year, and as a result, average NT$34.79:US$1. Once the recovery in GDP growth gains momentum in 2004, the currency will appreciate further, to an annual average of NT$34.24:US$1 in 2004. The rate of growth in merchandise exports in US dollar terms has recovered since the second quarter of 2002. However, US demand-- the US is the destination for close to one-quarter of total exports--for Taiwan's exports has remained weak since the beginning of 2003. In addition, some of the year-on-year growth in exports during 2002 reflected base effects of comparison with 2001, when Taiwan's US dollar export earnings suffered double-digit declines. (Chu 79-104) The weak Taiwan dollar policy adopted by the CBC, mainly owing to the weakness of the Japanese yen, will not be enough to strengthen exports significantly. Nevertheless, exports to Asia, in particular China, will continue to provide some stimulus to the country's external sector. Imports have also been rising since mid- 2002. This trend is likely to be interrupted by fragile domestic demand (not helped by SARS) and the loss of momentum in export growth, although import growth is still expected to outpace export growth in 200 3-04. As a result, the

Poverty Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Poverty - Assignment Example The outcome will be the increase in the per capita income and improving the living standards of the people. This is also attributed to the fact that people will take resources and rearrange them in a manner that is more valuable to them. When a country invests in the new technology, the potential output of the services and goods will increase. This is because the technology will make the production process to be more efficient. For instance, the widespread mechanization that happened in 18th and in 19th century enabled the United Kingdom to produce more output from very few resources. This enabled them to become one of the fully industrialized economies. Recently, the Chinese government experienced a rapid rate of growth due to application of the new technology in their process of manufacturing (Romer, 5). Therefore, an economy can never grow if few resources are allocated to the capital good. Some of the causes of poverty in third world countries include the third world debt, lower exportation race, poor agricultural practices, lack of food, lack of technology, overpopulation and some of the individual behaviors are some of the causes of poverty. The causes of poverty has becomes complex in the global economy. Additionally, the increase in income inequality leads to poverty, this is because the inequality lowers the living standards of people due to income differences (Romer, 6). For instance, the income gap has been on the rising trends in the US since 1970s, the income gap reflects the changes in the international trade, technological change, and a reduction in the unionization of all reason within the rising income gap. I do agree with Christine Svellinger, because it is true that the poverty issue has grown to be a pervasive and massive issue. Countries have tried developing the economies with technology and industry with varying success level. Most of the third world countries lack the necessary raw materials and skills from the

Internation Entrepreneurship in Fashion related Industry Thesis Proposal

Internation Entrepreneurship in Fashion related Industry - Thesis Proposal Example The paper "Internation Entrepreneurship in Fashion related Industry" analyzes Internation Entrepreneurship in the fashion industry. Customers spend a lot of time to decide what garment they want to purchase online, to ease their decision almost all websites offer images of the clothes, same clothes in different colors and image enlargement. But these tools are not enough so that customer can buy clothes with complete comfort. Companies that do display their designs online along with different sizes are successful but not meet fully meet the performance expectations. I shall research on a new area in fashion e-commerce which Bill Slawski at SEO proposed. It is a social search engine in which customers will create their profile inclusive of their height and weight measurements, skin color, eye color, hair style , whether you wear glasses or not, preferences (formal/casual/workout clothes) and other personal information regarding the appearance of the customer. The search engine will cr eate a 3-dimensional scan of customer’s body which can be uploaded on a clothing search engine. The clothes recommended for that specific customer’s profile can be used to make a 3D model based upon profile of that customer. A patent filing from Yahoo describes a Fashion Search Engine that can use a 3D model to present garments that can help can help customers find clothes that match their profile. The profile can be updated at any time by the customer for example when the customer loses weight.

Response to liberalism and racial justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Response to liberalism and racial justice - Essay Example I agree with Karl Marx that capitalist societies are characterized by class tensions. Modern capitalist societies are adopting liberalism and racial justice strategies in order to achieve equality and liberty in the society. The liberalism strategies aim to attain class harmony, as opposed to class conflict. The strategy institutes regulatory and social welfare frameworks, which address the grievances of the lower and middle classes (Pilling 56). The racial justice strategy aims to protect and extend constitutionally assured rights to individuals who have traditionally been deprived of their privileges on the basis of race. The strategy is dedicated to maintenance racial parity and fighting racism in all ways through legislative initiatives, community training and organizing, litigation, and public education. These ways aim to address the extensive range of issues, which unreasonably and negatively impact individuals of color (Pilling 59). These strategies are demonstrated by political ideologies in United States especially between Republicans and Democrats. Democrats adopt liberalism strategies through social welfare programs and regulatory frameworks, which aims at addressing the grievances of the lower and middle classes. Republicans aim to dismantle these regulations and programs, and this consistently agitates racial tensions, which are habitually entrenched in class

Poverty Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Poverty - Assignment Example The outcome will be the increase in the per capita income and improving the living standards of the people. This is also attributed to the fact that people will take resources and rearrange them in a manner that is more valuable to them. When a country invests in the new technology, the potential output of the services and goods will increase. This is because the technology will make the production process to be more efficient. For instance, the widespread mechanization that happened in 18th and in 19th century enabled the United Kingdom to produce more output from very few resources. This enabled them to become one of the fully industrialized economies. Recently, the Chinese government experienced a rapid rate of growth due to application of the new technology in their process of manufacturing (Romer, 5). Therefore, an economy can never grow if few resources are allocated to the capital good. Some of the causes of poverty in third world countries include the third world debt, lower exportation race, poor agricultural practices, lack of food, lack of technology, overpopulation and some of the individual behaviors are some of the causes of poverty. The causes of poverty has becomes complex in the global economy. Additionally, the increase in income inequality leads to poverty, this is because the inequality lowers the living standards of people due to income differences (Romer, 6). For instance, the income gap has been on the rising trends in the US since 1970s, the income gap reflects the changes in the international trade, technological change, and a reduction in the unionization of all reason within the rising income gap. I do agree with Christine Svellinger, because it is true that the poverty issue has grown to be a pervasive and massive issue. Countries have tried developing the economies with technology and industry with varying success level. Most of the third world countries lack the necessary raw materials and skills from the

Response to liberalism and racial justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Response to liberalism and racial justice - Essay Example I agree with Karl Marx that capitalist societies are characterized by class tensions. Modern capitalist societies are adopting liberalism and racial justice strategies in order to achieve equality and liberty in the society. The liberalism strategies aim to attain class harmony, as opposed to class conflict. The strategy institutes regulatory and social welfare frameworks, which address the grievances of the lower and middle classes (Pilling 56). The racial justice strategy aims to protect and extend constitutionally assured rights to individuals who have traditionally been deprived of their privileges on the basis of race. The strategy is dedicated to maintenance racial parity and fighting racism in all ways through legislative initiatives, community training and organizing, litigation, and public education. These ways aim to address the extensive range of issues, which unreasonably and negatively impact individuals of color (Pilling 59). These strategies are demonstrated by political ideologies in United States especially between Republicans and Democrats. Democrats adopt liberalism strategies through social welfare programs and regulatory frameworks, which aims at addressing the grievances of the lower and middle classes. Republicans aim to dismantle these regulations and programs, and this consistently agitates racial tensions, which are habitually entrenched in class

Battle of waterloo Essay Example for Free

Battle of waterloo Essay The Battle of Waterloo was fought thirteen kilometres south of Brussels between the French, under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Allied armies commanded by the Duke of Wellington from Britain and General Blucher from Prussia. The French defeat at Waterloo drew to a close 23 years of war beginning with the French Revolutionary wars in 1792 and continuing with the Napoleonic Wars from 1803. There was a brief eleven-month respite when Napoleon was forced to abdicate, exiled to the island of Elba. However, the unpopularity of Louis XVIII and the economic and social instability of France motivated him to return to Paris in March 1815. The Allies soon declared war once again. Napoleons final defeat at Waterloo marked the end of the Emperors final bid for power, the so-called 100 Days, and the final chapter in his remarkable career. The Protagonists Napoleon Bonaparte had always been driven by his desire to make France a European empire and was an experienced warlord and leader. He had carried out a coup against the government of the First Republic of France (the Directory) in 1799 and established himself as ruler and First Consul, eventually to declare himself First Consul for life and Emperor in 1804. In 1802 the French Republic was officially ecognised and the Peace of Amiens signed. Napoleon had higher ambitions and pursued his desire to make France the most powerful country in Europe by conquering other countries including Britain. In 1803, Britain declared war on France and the ensuing Napoleonic Wars were fought between France and various Allied coalitions over the next 1 1 years. The Allies successfully invaded in 1814 and forced Napoleon to abdicate at the Treaty of Fontainbleau. The European powers were meeting in Vienna to re-establish the territorial balance in Europe when news came of Napoleons escape from Elba on 1st March 181 5 and is re-entry into Paris on 20th March. The powers immediately renewed their declaration of war on Napoleon and the 7th Coalition between Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia was formed on 25th March. They began assembling their troops in readiness for war, intending to attack along the French borders and march on Paris from different directions with enough strength to crush the French. In the event, only the armies of Wellington and Blucher were in place in Belgium. The Austrians and Russians arrived after Napoleon had been defeated. The Allied army under the Duke of Wellington was a coalition of British, Dutch, Belgian and German oldiers. Napoleon described Britain as the most powerful and most constant of my enemies. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, had never been beaten by the French and had a reputation as a talented coalition general. He came to prominence in India and then successfully directed the Peninsular Campaign of 1811 when the British went to support Portugal and Spain against Napoleon. He was made a duke at the end of that war and appointed ambassador to the restored Bourbon court in 1814. Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher was the commander of the Prussian army. He was 72 at the time ot the Battle ot Waterloo and he only man to nave beaten Napoleon more than once. Age and experience meant that Blucher was less afraid of Napoleon than any other commander. His self-confidence and career record had a positive effect on his army, helping to keep morale amongst the Prussians high. Strategies After his return to France, Napoleon developed his strategy to defeat the Allies. He re-established himself in Paris and began building up his army in preparation for an invasion of Belgium, his goal was to capture Brussels. His battle plan was to mount an offensive attack on the Allied troops gathering in Belgium and to destroy them. In order to do this he wanted to divide the armies before defeating them separately, forcing Wellingtons army to retreat back to the Belgian coast in the west and the Prussians to retreat to the east. With speed he deployed his army along the French border and centred his headquarters at Beaumont Just across the border from Belgium. He was ready to attack on 15th June 1815. In order to separate Wellington and Bluchers troops, Napoleon ordered Marshal Ney to advance on Quatre-Bras, a crossroads on the roads between Brussels and Charleroi and Nivelles and Namur. Allied Dutch-Belgium troops under Prince William of Orange were already positioned around the area and succeeded in holding off the French attack until reinforcements arrived. They continued to hold their ground, resulting in stalemate on 16th June. The result may have been a coincidence of timing. Had Marshal Ney attacked Quatre-Bras earlier the outcome could have been very different as, until the reinforcements arrived, the French army greatly outnumbered the Allies and their chances of victory were good. If the Allies had been defeated, they may have retreated completely rather than regrouping at Mont St Jean, a few kilometres north of Quatre-Bras. Wellington admitted surprise at the direction of the French attack; Napoleon has humbugged me, he declared. At Ligny, the Prussian army occupied strongholds of walled gardens, stone houses and farmhouses and lined up on the forward slope of the Ligny Brook with the right guarding the villages of St Armand and St Armand Haye. Heavvy fghting ensued with casualties on both sides, but the Prussians were forced to commit more and more troops. Although the French were victorious, they failed to totally destroy the Prussian army. They were able to retreat, albeit with numerous injured and dead, north to Wavre (about 18 kilometres east of Waterloo) Napoleon had succeeded in his aim of keeping the two Allied armies apart but mistakenly believed the Prussians were defeated. He was confident that Wellington could also be defeated. Preparing for battle On the morning of 18th June 181 5, Wellington was occupying the ridge of Mont St Jean, Just south of Waterloo, and Napoleon that of La Belle Alliance across the valley. The corps were divided into three under the commands of Lord Hill, Prince William of Orange and Sir Thomas Picton. Wellington was short of well-trained infantry and the cavalry were inexperienced, but he believed in the use of carefully deployed firepower. They had some 156 cannon and the standard gun for the infantry, a smoothbore mus et k titted with a bayonet on a socket over the barrel ot a gun Observing that his troops were outnumbered by the French, Wellington decided that his best plan was to stand firm until the Prussians could come to his aid.