John Austin’s Theory of Law

John Austin (1790-1859) was a British legal philosopher and was the first Professor of Jurisprudence at London University. His publications had a profound influence on English jurisprudence. They include The Province of Jurisprudence Determined (1832), and Lectures on Jurisprudence. John Austin is best known for his work developing the theory of legal positivism. He attempted to clearly separate moral rules from â€Å"positive law. † Austin's theory also falls under Constitutions, International Law, non-sanctioned rules, or law that gives rights. Austin believed that people have different interpretations of what is wrong and right.Therefore, ‘set' laws needed to be established that has to be obeyed. There are three aspects of Austin's theory of law – Analytical Jurisprudence, Legal Positivism and Command theory of law and the theory of legal sovereignty. Analytical Jurisprudence: It is a method of legal study that concentrates on the logical structure of law, the meaning and uses of its concepts, and the formal terms and the modes of its operation. John Austin's particular form of analysis was reductive. He analyzed legal concepts in terms of non-legal concepts so that the entire law could be understood in non-legal terms.Legal Positivism: In the 19th century, Austin developed legal positivism theory. The legal positivism states, â€Å"What is Law? † Is it written? , Where does it come from? Positivism is from Latin ‘root-positus', which means to be certain and fixed. Legal positivism states that laws are derived from written rules, regulations which have been enacted, adopted and recognized by a governmental entity or political institution, including administrative, executive, legislative, and judicial bodies. It is based on the legal philosophy that what is the intent of the enacting body.Command theory of law and the theory of legal sovereignty: This aspect of Austin's theory is based on the commandment of the sovereign. He r ealized that there should be fixed written commandments, which should be obeyed by all people. These commandments should be backed with sanctions. For example, if we do not obey traffic rules or commit an offence which is codified in the Canadian Criminal Law, we shall be penalized. Austin also realized the need about the uniformity of law. By uniformity means, that the law should be equal for all people of the state.

Clothes Can Tell a Lot About a Person

Prisoners Freed Chapter: 27 Page: 217 â€Å"My island was now peopled, and I thought myself very rich in subjects; and it was a merry reflection, which I frequently made, how like a king I looked. First of all, the whole country was my own mere property, so that I had an undoubted right of dominion. Secondly, my people were perfectly subjected. I was absolute lord and lawgiver, they all owed their lives to me, and were ready to lay down their lives, if there had been occasion of it, for me.It was remark-able, too, we had but three subjects, and they were of three different religions. My man Friday was a Protestant, his father was a Pagan and a cannibal. And the Spaniard was a papist. However, I allowed liberty of conscience throughout my dominions. But this is by the way. † -Robinson here start to talk about how he's very comfortable and happy of his island and his people that they allowed their lives to him, and mention that he allowed liberty of conscience throughout his dom inions. religious freedom† Chapter: 27 Page: 220-221 â€Å"He told me they were all of them very civil, honest men, and they were under the greatest distress imaginable, having neither weapons nor clothes, nor any food, but at the mercy and discretion of the savages; out of all hopes of ever returning to their own country; and that he was sure, if I would undertake their relief, they would live and die by me. † When Robinson was afraid of the Spaniard's men and he might be ill used for his kindness to them and make his case worse than it was before the Spaniard start to tell him about their case and their condition after that Robinson resolved to venture to relieve them. Chapter: 27 Page:224 â€Å"I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, â€Å"Master, master, they are come, they are come! I jumped up, and regardless of danger I went, as soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove, which, by t he way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood; I say, regardless of danger I went without my arms, which was not my custom to do; but I was surprised when, turning my eyes to the sea, I presently saw a boat at about a league and a half distance, standing in for the shore, with a shoulder-of-mutton sail, as they call it, and the wind blowing pretty fair to bring them in: also I observed, presently, that they did not come from that side which the shore lay on, but from the southernmost end of the island.Upon this I called Friday in, and bade him lie close, for these were not the people we looked for, and that we might not know yet whether they were friends or enemies. † -Here when Robinson jumped up and went out without his arms. He thought that the boat is for his friend but he found out that they're an Englishmen. He was onfused because they might be his countrymen and friends or enemies and because of that he starts to observe them. Chapter: 28 Page: 226-227 This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore, and began to look about me; how I gave myself over for lost; how wildly I looked round me; what dreadful apprehensions I had; and how I lodged in the tree all night for fear of being devoured by wild beasts. † -Robinson said that after he saw three prisoners with the Englishmen and after he observed the outrageous usage by the seamen they remind him of himself. Chapter: 28 Page: 228-229 â€Å"I came as near them undiscovered as I could, and then, before any of them saw me, I called aloud to them in Spanish, â€Å"What are ye, gentlemen? They started up at the noise, but were ten times more confounded when they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I made. They made no answer at all, but I thought I perceived them just going to fly from me, when I spoke to them in English. â€Å"Gentlemen,† said I, â€Å"do not be surprised at me; perhaps you may have a friend near when you did not expect it. † â€Å"He must be sent directly from heaven then,† said one of them very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same time to me; â€Å"for our condition is past the help of man. â€Å"All help is from heaven, sir,† said I, â€Å"but can you put a stranger in the way to help you? for you seem to be in some great distress. I saw you when you landed; and when you seemed to make application to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up his sword to kill you. † -Robinson catch the right time when most of the seamen were sleeping and go to the prisoners and talk with them and ask them about their condition and asked them how can help them. After that he found out that one of them is the captain of the boat his men have mutinied against him.And the other his mate and a passenger. Chapter:28 Page:230 â€Å"my conditions are but two; first, that while you stay in this island with me, you will not pretend to any authority here; and if I put arms in your hands, you wil l, upon all occasions, give them up to me, and do no prejudice to me or mine upon this island, and in the meantime be governed by my orders; secondly, that if the ship is or may be recovered, you will carry me and my man to England passage free. † -When Robinson agreed to venture upon their deliverance and to recovered the boat . his was his conditions with the captain and the two men and they accepted that and said that they would live and die with him so according to that Robinson gave them arms and pistol and musket so they complete their plan and succeed and kill the two who was the cause of the revolution and control the rest. Chapter:28 Page:239 â€Å"At length they came up to the boat: but it is impossible to express their confusion when they found the boat fast aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and their two men gone.We could hear them call one to another in a most lamentable manner, telling one another they were got into an enchanted island; that either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all be murdered, or else there were devils and spirits in it, and they should be all carried away and devoured. † -Robinson ordered Friday and the captain's mate with him to make a trick for the seamen which is to halloo as loud as they could to draw the seamen as far into the island and among the woods as possible. So Robinson can go to the boat and deal with the men inside it.And when they came back to the boat deadly tired they and didn’t find their men. Chapter: 28 Page:240-241 â€Å"In a word, they all laid down their arms and begged their lives; and I sent the man that had parleyed with them, and two more, who bound them all; and then my great army of fifty men, which, with those three, were in all but eight, came up and seized upon them, and upon their boat; only that I kept myself and one more out of sight for reasons of state. † -now each and everyone of the seamen yield to them and they won the battle.Chapter:29 Page:245 â€Å"I was at first ready to sink down with the surprise; for I saw my deliverance, indeed, visibly put into my hands, all things easy, and a large ship just ready to carry me away whither I pleased to go. At first, for some time, I was not able to answer him one word; but as he had taken me in his arms I held fast by him, or I should have fallen to the ground. † -When the captain recover the boat he gave Robinson a boat so he couldn’t express his feelings he was so happy and surprised.And he thought the captain was sent to him from heaven to deliver him. Chapter:29 Page: 246 â€Å"When we had talked a while, the captain told me he had brought me some little refreshment, such as the ship afforded, and such as the wretches that had been so long his masters had not plundered him of. † -Here we notice the love between the captain and Robinson from this quotation we read what the captain bring to Robinson many kind of food and cloth. Robinson was very happ y with it and as he said â€Å"he clothed me from head to feet† Chapter:29 Page:247-248 I could not tell what was best for them, unless they had a mind to take their fate in the island. If they desired that, as I had liberty to leave the island, I had some inclination to give them their lives, if they thought they could shift on shore. † _Robinson let the prisoners choose their fate to stay in the island if they want but the captain doesn’t want to leave them in the island. Chapter:29 Page:248 â€Å"When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I then told them I would let them into the story of my living there, and put them into the way of making it easy to them.Accordingly, I gave them the whole history of the place, and of my coming to it; showed them my fortifications, the way I made my bread, planted my corn, cured my grapes; and, in a word, all that was necessary to make them easy. † -When all the prisoners declared their willingness to stay. Robinson start to tell them about the place history and some ways to make their life easier and give them his firearms and description of the way he managed the goats and how to make both butter and cheese and give them some food which the captain had brought him to eat and bade them be sure to sow and increase them .Chapter:29 Page:250 â€Å"In this vessel, after a long voyage, I arrived in England the 11th of June, in the year 1687, having been thirty-five years absent. † -Robinson left the island The 19th of December in the year 1686 after he had upon it eight and twenty years two months and nineteen and arrived in England the 11th of June in the year 1687.

Eighteenth Century Literature Essay

At the start of the Eighteenth Century Literature the literary pieces focus on rational and scientific views on all aspects of life be it economic, social, political and religious. The period heralded the Age of Enlightenment which was the thought much prevalent of the day. The writers sought to determine universal principles on humanity, nature, and society. The eighteenth-century literate reflected this quest. Written pieces around this time attacked various spiritual and scientific authority, dogmatism, intolerance, censorship, and economic and social restraints. Thus we can see in Thomas Gray’s â€Å"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard† expressedly deals with the social issues prevalent during their time particularly the wide gap between social class and the opportunity to attain greatness. These lines in the poem captured these views: â€Å"Let not Ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joys, and destiny obscure; Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile The short and simple annals of the Poor. † Look more:  the importance of being earnest satire Gray’s tone throughout the poem is filled with regret. One can sense that something important is lost. This emotional tone captures the injustices that exist in the society due to wealth. He was actually voicing his opinions clearly against social class prejudices that was apparent during that period. In Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal also tackled the social ills during his time. This satirical essay used allusions to English oppressive attitudes toward the Irish. This is apparent in these lines â€Å"I grant this food may be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for Landlords, who as they have already devoured most of the Parents, seem to have the best Title to the Children. † He also pointed out criticisms on England on the way it mistreated Ireland: â€Å"For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it. â€Å" At first glance, the poem appeared to be criticisms heaped on England. But upon closer inspection one can also sense that Swift was expressing his sentiments on the conditions in Ireland, more specifically the can-do spirit of the times that pervaded the community which misled people into thinking that they can cure all social and economic ills specifically fix population and labor issues. Swift’s Modest Proposal talked about â€Å"a burlesque of projects concerning the poor†, that were considered fashionable in the early 18th century. Eighteenth Century Literature is characterized by extreme rationalism and skepticism which gave rise to deism or the belief in the existence of God which became the main theme in the succeeding era of Romanticism. This era is considered as the Age of Sensibility which of course clased with the ideals of the Middle Ages. Towards the end of the period, an intensifying focus on instinct and feeling instead of judgment and restraint was noted paving the way for the Romantic Literature. Romantic Literature During the period of Romanticism, industrialization was introduced. Steam engine was developed and this caused expansion of cities and a number of migrants leaving the countryside. Poor people flocked to the city. Issues such as class-conflicts and concerns on environmental pollution were prevalent. This developments in the era prompted the poets and the writers to seek solace in the beauty of nature. Thus, in most of their literary works we can see the universal theme of Mother Nature being the true cause of wisdome and the antidote to industrialization. Philosophers particularly Jean Jacques Rousseau tackled pertinent issues such as the supremacy or dominance of nature over civilization. A group of poets called Lake Poets from England espoused this philosophical view. Lake Poets comprised of a group of friends such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The work of these two poets reflect their sentiments perfectly. These Romantic Poets utilized emotions and reflections in their poets to get their message across. Wordsworth’s `I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud`and Coleridge’s `The Eolian Harp` reflected their thoughts about nature and how much they value it. â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† by Wordsworth is about the beauty of nature and the need for introspection. This is best captured in the last lines of the poem: â€Å"For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. † Nature after all is best understood and appreciated in solitude. Solitude here however does not mean loneliness but inner peace or tranquility which is the by-product of being in commune with the natural order. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s `The Eolian Harp` also tackles the beauty that nature brings. The Eolian Harp is a stringed instrument which produces music when placed in an open window allowing breeze to pass over it. The eolian harp was often used by poets in the Romantic period to represent creativity. Just like Wordsworth’s poem, it sought to cope with pensiveness and nature as the solution or cure for this pensiveness as apparent in the first lines of the poem: â€Å"My pensive SARA ! thy soft cheek reclined Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is To sit beside our Cot, our Cot o’ergrown With white-flower’d Jasmin, and the broad-leav’d Myrtle† Coleridge and Wordsworth, however, have different versions of romanticism. Coleridge wanted to make the paranormal â€Å"real† or believable. Wordsworth’s idea of romanticism is to stir the imagination of readers using real characters. Victorian Literature During the Victorian Era (1837 – 1901), novels and poems were no longer written mainly to please the aristocratic few but to make an impression and cater to the tastes of the much larger middle class. The novels were also getting wider acceptance around this time. In this era, romantic images of the past were extolled. The writers use everyday language and combine it with classical and traditional language to symbolize the ushering of modernity in the Victorian period. At that period, the economy was developing, the nobility was gaining less prominence, and the class structures were vanishing. There is a expressed need for Victorian poets to find a voice that would capture the essence of their time and place. Rudyyard, Kipling ` Danny Deever` attempts to portray the inner turmoils of a man about to be executed. The poem is about military execution parade with Danny Deever. â€Å"What makes you look so white, so white? † said Files-on-Parade. â€Å"I’m dreadin’ what I’ve got to watch†, the Colour-Sergeant said. For they’re hangin’ Danny Deever, you can hear the Dead March play, The regiment’s in ‘ollow square — they’re hangin’ him to-day; Danny is to be executed by hanging because he killed a fellow soldier while he was asleep. One can sense the concerns of the soldier. Another important poet in the Victorian Era is William Ernest Henley who wrote â€Å"Invictus. † His poems were largely based on his personal reflections of his life and his situation being an amputee who suffered tuberculosis of the bone. â€Å"In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbow’d. † The common theme that ran through the poems is about struggles in life. Danny Deever struggled with his work as a soldier and in Invictus, struggles against disease was obvious. Literature in Victorian era is largely characterized as certain, conservative and objective. Writers in this area had learned to live with realities plaguing them be it social, economic and religious. Certainty in both poems come in the form of death and struggles. The views during this literary period were predominantly conservative especially when it came to social perspectives. The upheavals the people experienced during the romantic era had died down in the Victorian era. Much of the poets’ works around this time served to link and prepared writers as they paved way for the modern era. The literary pieces around this time also tended to reminiscing the past particularly the stories in the classical literature and the medieval literature of England. The Victorians cherised the the heroism, chivalry and nobility of the knights in the past and hoped to recapture that behavior in their period.

The Solar System and Moon Landing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Solar System and Moon Landing - Assignment Example The researcher states that people’s understanding of the solar system has changed significantly over the years. This is attributed to the several new scientific discoveries that have changed what we initially knew about the solar system. The Ptolemaic Theory initially made people believe that the earth was the universe’s center around which all other objects orbited. Because of the theory, the ancient Greeks counted the sun and the moon together with Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn as planets. In this regard, they excluded the earth as a planet based on the belief that the earth was the universe’s center around which everything on space revolved. However, this belief changed later in the 17th century through the Copernican Revolution, when astronomers discovered that the sun is the universe’s center around which all planets revolved including the earth. The discovery also showed that the Moon is not a planet, rather a satellite of the Earth. Few years later, astronauts added Uranus and Neptune as planets. As a result, people were made to believe that only eight planets exist that revolves around the sun. Pluto was discovered later on in 1930 as the ninth planet revolving around the sun. Pluto according to astronomers is much smaller than Mercury or planetary moons. Telescopic findings showed that Pluto is not similar to the planets discovered earlier. As more discoveries became of Pluto, astronomers questioned whether Pluto should be regarded as a planet or not. (Cain, 2008). Even though, Pluto maintained its status as a planet through to the 1980s, things began changing in 1990s when astronomers, through telescopic observation discovered numerous icy worlds revolving the sun in around Neptune called the Kuiper Belt. With the discovery of Kuiper Belt and several icy bodies, scientists began to think Pluto as a KBO. Later on in 2005, scientists made a pronouncement that a tenth planet had been discovered. This has left peopl e wondering as to what planet means. Certainly, the new discoveries have changed significantly, what we initially knew as the solar system. In fact, as more discoveries continue to emerge, people’s understanding of what constitutes the solar system will continue to change (Cain, 2008). The Moon landing The Moon landing on July 20, 1969 is a classical historical event that has changed the scientific understanding of the moon in entirety. It marked the first ever moon landing that placed America in the lead in terms of technological advancements. The event took the Soviet Union by surprise as they watched in disarray the American astronauts placing the American flag on the moon’s surface. According to research, the event gave America the prestige that it lacked prior to this historical event (Spillius, 2009). The moon landing of 1969 has had a lasting impact on people’s scientific understanding for a number of reasons. For instance, America’s technology has significantly advanced due to the landing. In addition, not only does America have numerous microwaves, codeless vacuum cleaners,

The poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The poetry - Essay Example However, contemporary forms have poetry have managed to win over more enthusiasts due to its flexibility. Unlike traditional poetry, contemporary poetry allows the use of free verse and do not emphasize the use of rhymes. Contemporary forms of poetry have also prevailed outside the academic realms due to their provocative nature and their use of more grounded imagery. The fact that these poems are mostly brief, accessible, suggestive, and strongly depict imagery explains their preference. The poem Dream Variations has a nostalgic feel. The singer yearns for a life where color discrimination does not exist. Hughes expresses his desire for a playful and carefree life by talking about his desire â€Å"to whirl and to dance† (Hughes et. al. 3). The end of racial discrimination is symbolized by the end of the white day. However, the poem ends in a pessimistic mood as he talks of â€Å"Rest at pale evening/ a tall, slim tree/ Night coming tenderly† (Hughes et. al. 14-16).The poetry heavily uses symbolism to explain the racial discrimination and freedom without emphasizing rhyme and

Poster for Class employment relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poster for Class employment relations - Essay Example The relations of employees formed when labor sold by a person to an organization or other person and in return; he works for that person or organization. This relationship remains same in all countries where employees are paid to work for each other (Budd & Bhave, 2006). The relations of employees cannot be determining because of transaction of market and it can never predict accurately. The employee relation is the set of present regulative and institutional settings in which the interaction of HRM and functional activities takes place (Abbott, 2006) The theory of Unitarist Employment Relationship states that employment relation should be pleasant and unitarist sees confliction as a break down in peace and harmony of organizations. The conflict is not normal for unitarists and they want to end conflict and regaining peace of organizations (Alan, 1974). It is the management task to adapt unbiased leadership style when directing the employees and employees should have clear objectives and task while performing the assigned work. The companies whose are willing to adapt this employee theory should reduce the work of the employees to the basic elements and employees skill to undertake any task should be kept minimum. The issues of the employees should be listened by the management collectively and impersonally (Wachter, 2005). In the case of Brisbane Airline, the Government is trying to remove panic from the employees and making them assure that Government will remove all their concerns and problems regarding the Airline. The Government assures the employees that if the company will not be able to pay their debts, than there are eligible for Redundancy Scheme and Employee Entitlements. Workers are given more importance rather than on the production because if the workers are not given authority or the work given to them is not suitable for them, then there is a chance that

Chinas investment in Blackstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinas investment in Blackstone - Essay Example Governments use this method to secure the domestic market for liquidation. This implies that these assets are of highly liquidated nature and can be altered easily. The oil-producing countries have also come within its grip and are losing or rather investing their wealth in such funds. A company adopted a similar approach in the oil commodity. They then invested their wealth in holding bonds, bank deposits in a similar pattern like central banks. The alarming fact is that no company discloses the application of the funds except for the ones in Norway that provide regular data and statistics. It may be possible that these mysteriously applied investments will be very well lost in the future with no accountability. It happened in one of a developing country wherein a mushroom growth took place in the early eighties. These investment companies conned the unsuspecting public and lured them by promising huge percentage on their investments. The Government kept silent and this approach encouraged the high profit paying companies to get bolder and bolder till the public was convinced to accept them as legitimate companies. The problem further compounded due to no action by the State Bank. The margin of profits increased as the public committed their funds by selling their immovable assets. All cate All categories of people brought in their investment to these companies expecting a higher return on their deposits. Advertisements in each and every newspaper further cemented the authenticity and indisputable legitimacy of these fraudsters. The profits were rolled over and the depositor's received their profits on monthly basis, basking in the realm that a good investment had been made. The bubble burst when the government realized that the funds were been diverted from the scheduled bank and the treasury of the Government was fast losing money to these con artists. No sooner was the action taken and people in droves started to approach the managers of these companies for the return of their deposits that true facts started to stare in their faces. The higher ups evaded the public on rush to their offices and let the lower staff make excuses on their part. The public scenting fraud approached the police and cases were registered with them. Company after company stared to disappear with the savings of the unsuspecting depositors. Huge rallies were taken out to protest against the inaction of the and for the return of their savings, but all to no avail. The Government seemed helpless and the police in cahoots with the company owners further complicated the issue. Only resourceful people with clout were able to draw out some of their savings from these fraudsters. All the rest were left with taking out processions and pleas. Suits were filed in courts and the lengthy, cumbersome legal battle did little for the return of the poor common man. Nevertheless, since these funds are applied abroad so it can be controlled by political pressure and the consequences of these investments may have to be faced by the countries involved. Reference list: Economist Finance & Economics: 'The world's most expensive clubs' www.Economist.com May 24, 2007 Hong Kong Article 2 "Cleaning up" Or Clean Environment - a Global Concern The concept of

International Finance. Currency Momentum Strategies Essay

International Finance. Currency Momentum Strategies - Essay Example 2. Summary of the article Using time series data of more than 34 years, the paper has examined some important aspects of FX momentum. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the unsystematic and systematic risks, comparing different momentum strategies, describing the importance of transaction costs, sources for non-standard momentum, over and under reaction and the arbitrage limits. The paper has also researched in effect of business cycle risks on currency momentum. 2.1. Fundamentals According to Menkhoff et al (2011, p. 5-8), momentum strategy refers to the trading strategy where an investor seizes an opportunity to ride a rising or a falling trend of the currency market. The basic idea is that an investor will take a long position for a basket of currency that shows an increasing trending price or a short position that sees a decreasing price. Momentum trading is done with the belief that once a trend is established, it will continue in the same direction for some time befor e stabilising and then reducing. If one sells when the prices are showing a decreasing trend, then the trader is taking a short position and he wants to reduce the losses and exit the currency before it reaches the bottom. If the trader buys when the price is showing a rising trend, then he is taking a long position and by buying when the trend is rising, the investor can hope to make more profits since he hopes the price will continue to rise. In both cases of long and short position, there is an upward and a downward momentum. This principle holds true for the all types of trading markets such as stocks, bonds, property, commodity, bullion and other markets that sees volatility in the markets and traders make profits on an hourly basis by seizing and riding the opportunity trend (Menkhoff et al, 2011, p. 8). 2.2. Data and Portfolio formation While earlier studies have focussed on single time series currency, the research by Menkhoff et al (2011, p. 9-12) uses cross sectional curre ncy. This means the relations and momentums of 48 different currencies are considered. By considering a period of 34 years, one can see a better return variation over time for the currencies. This also allows better accounting for transaction cists and helps to understand the limits of arbitrage. Data were obtained from databases of Reuters and BBI for the spot and forward rates for end of month data. Total observations made were 9,043. 2.3. FX momentum Strategies Different test strategies were selected for the study. These are features currency momentum strategies, stability of strategies for out of sample tests, differences in trading rules, carry trades and currency momentum and long-term behaviour (Menkhoff, et al, 2011, p. 14-15). The strategies as reported by Menkhoff et al (2011, p. 15-26) showed different test behaviour, Momentum strategies provide high returns of 6-10% for holding durations of a month and then they reduce when the holding period is increased and profitabili ty comes from spot rate changes. By using different cross section of currencies, it is seen that gain decrease when a large cross section of currencies is selected. The authors run the tests to compare momentum of trading rules where three-benchmark averages cross over rules were used. These strategies showed profits of more than 5% with high annual Sharpe Ratios, however, there were variations in the returns. Hence, the relation of currency momentum to benchmark technical trading strategies is not close. It was also

Performance Appraisal, Diversity Management, And Employee Essay

Performance Appraisal, Diversity Management, And Employee Participation - Essay Example The leaders of the organization are the key to the success of any organization. They who set the goals, define the mission and vision and work with the employees to get the objectives completed. The problem that the company is facing is due to the lack of leadership qualities shown by the leader and non-satisfactory part played by the managers in performing their roles. Let’s identify some of the problems that are found in the company: Like the case study tells us, most of the top level and middle-level management positions are occupied by white men who share similar interests. This gives an idea that the organization is in control of the white men, and decisions are taken by them. When even white middle managers would spend time with the white top-level managers, the minority groups in the company would feel cut out and would generally blame the management of favoring the whites even if this wasn’t true. So by not having a diverse top management force, the perception o f the minority groups becomes biased. (Ely & Thomas, 2001) The minority groups are complaining about the incorrect and unjustified performance appraisals done. They received lesser points when compared to other white employees and for this very reason, their accusations of discrimination have become certain. Although the management may not be discriminatory and performance appraisal is done solely on merit, but due to the management’s negative attitude towards the minorities, any appraisal done is looked from a critical look.  ... This gives an idea that the organization is in control of the white men, and decisions are taken by them. When even white middle managers would spend time with the white top level managers, the minority groups in the company would feel cut out and would generally blame the management of favoring the whites even if this wasn't true. So by not having a diverse top management force, the perception of the minority groups becomes biased. (Ely & Thomas, 2001) 2. Injustices to the Minority Groups The minority groups are complaining about the incorrect and unjustified performance appraisals done. They received lesser points when compared to other white employees and for this very reason their accusations for discrimination have become certain. Although the management may not be discriminatory and performance appraisal is done solely on merit, but due to the management's negative attitude towards the minorities, any appraisal done is looked from a critical look. (Ely & Thomas, 2001) 3. Lack of Knowledge and Trained Human Resource Staff The company has a HR team however the team hasn't been able to fulfill its responsibilities as yet. Not enough knowledge is imparted to the employees about employee appraisal and diversity at the work place which is turning the company into a non-diverse white men company. Such a company can only be successful to an extent since diversity brings in new challenges and with it, it brings creativity. (French, 2006) 4. No Motivation for Minority Groups Minority groups are not finding any luck on their sides. They see no benefits for working and hence some have even resigned from their jobs. Since there is no encouragement, motivation, rewards and appreciation

Causes and effects pf the major strikes in USA between late 18th and Essay

Causes and effects pf the major strikes in USA between late 18th and early 19th century - Essay Example The essay will review major strikes that the United States history has seen and experienced. The review will be divided into three parts: first are major strikes from year 1875 to 1890 which includes Great Railroad strike 1877, Southwest railroad strike 1886, Haymarket riot 1886, and London matchgirls strike of 1888. Second are major strikes from year 1890-1900 which will include Right to unionize after a strike 1890, Homestead strike 1892, Couer d’Alene labor strike 1892, Bituminous Coal mine strike 1894, and Pullman strike 1894.Third are major strikes from the year 1900 to 1910 including Anthacite Coal Strike 1902 and New York shirtwaist strike of 1909. After providing an insight on the history of strikes, the essay will discuss the causes and effects of strikes as a whole. Great Railroad strike 1877: The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was considered as the first major rail strike of the country. It paralyzed for a short time the countrys commerce and forced the governors in ten states to gather together 60,000 militia members to revive rail traffic. This happened when the salaries of employees from railroads were cut as a result of the Financial Panic in 1973. The workweek was also slashed from three to two days only. Violence then broke out in several states because of the strike (Digital History). Southwest railroad strike 1886: The so-called Great Southwestern Strike of 1886 paralyzed the railway lines in five states in USA when the unskilled and semi-skilled railroaders refused to work for their employer. This was a reaction to the ways of the railway â€Å"king† Jay Gould as being ruthless monopolist and destructive speculator when he slashed labor costs, exploited the laborers and cut wages without notice and discriminated employees. Violence has taken place which caused death and injuries. The strikers did not succeed and were divested of their jobs. However, a biracial alliance among the

Team Work on the example of the film Oceans Eleven Essay

Team Work on the example of the film Oceans Eleven - Essay Example The paper describes the leadership influence on team work and the group processes. Our goals were simple: we wanted to work together to achieve a quality project with very little conflict and low stress. We made this happen by coming to agreements on section length and due dates and we followed this schedule. It worked out well for us because they were SMART goals. While doing our project we didn’t really ever have to influence each other to do anything we didn’t want to. We think this is because we used a logical, collaborative approach to accomplish our task. Both of these were effective; we were logical in the sense that if we were to force other group members into roles that they didn’t want to be in, they probably wouldn’t excel in those areas which would negatively affect the outcome of our project and we were collaborative in that we worked together to make sure we accomplished the set goals of the group. A passive or assertive approach would most l ikely not work to influence our group members to accomplish our goals. The process of decision making is extremely important and every member must be in unison when it comes to decision making, usually good decisions are made when the team members are all in unison but at times it is just not plausible but even if it is not plausible the team leader must convince each member of the group and a unanimous decision must be made. Communication is another very important factor, each member in a group must communicate and communication must always be a two way process.

Common Size Financial Statement Analysis Essay Example for Free

Common Size Financial Statement Analysis Essay When all the items of a financial statement are expressed on a common basis, it is known as a common-size financial statement. Common-sizing of balance sheet is done generally by expressing its all items as a percentage of its total assets or total equities. Similarly, income statement is common-sized when its all items are expressed as percentage of total sales. PROCEDURE OF COMMON SIZING In preparing common-size income statement, the following procedure is to be followed : †¢Total sales revenue or total revenue is taken as hundred. †¢Each item of cost or expenses is represented as a percentage of total revenue. †¢Profit or loss also shown as a percentage of revenue. Similarly, balance sheet is common-sized as follows : †¢Total of assets side or total of liability side is taken as hundred. †¢Each item of asset is expressed as percentage of total asset total of capital and liabilities. †¢Each item of the liability side is also expressed as a percentage of total assets or total of capital and liabilities. USEFULNESS OF COMMON-SIZE FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS †¢Inter-firm comparison becomes more meaningful when financial statement of the firms under comparison is common-sized. †¢Common-size financial statement analysis is most suitable to evaluate the performance of a company over a period of time. †¢It is useful in understanding the relative importance of different sources of financing. †¢It helps the analyst to formulate hypothesis about the most efficient business model by means of effective inter-firm comparisons. †¢Common-size financial analysis can be used to compare a company’s financial data with industry norms or average. COMMON-SIZE FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS When all the items of a financial statement are expressed on a common basis, it is known as a common-size financial statement. Common-sizing of balance sheet is done generally by expressing its all items as a percentage of its total assets or total equities. Similarly, income statement is common-sized when its all items are expressed as percentage of total sales. PROCEDURE OF COMMON SIZING In preparing common-size income statement, the following procedure is to be followed : †¢Total sales revenue or total revenue is taken as hundred. †¢Each item of cost or expenses is represented as a percentage of total revenue. †¢Profit or loss also shown as a percentage of revenue. Similarly, balance sheet is common-sized as follows : †¢Total of assets side or total of liability side is taken as hundred. †¢Each item of asset is expressed as percentage of total asset total of capital and liabilities. †¢Each item of the liability side is also expressed as a percentage of total assets or total of capital and liabilities. USEFULNESS OF COMMON-SIZE FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS †¢Inter-firm comparison becomes more meaningful when financial statement of the firms under comparison is common-sized. †¢Common-size financial statement analysis is most suitable to evaluate the performance of a company over a period of time. †¢It is useful in understanding the relative importance of different sources of financing. †¢It helps the analyst to formulate hypothesis about the most efficient business model by means of effective inter-firm comparisons. †¢Common-size financial analysis can be used to compare a company’s financial data with industry norms or average.

The Case Of Shimla Tourism Essay

The Case Of Shimla Tourism Essay Shimla, the former summer capital of colonial India and present capital of Himachal Pradesh, is one of the most picturesque hill stations of North India. Apart from being the administrative headquarters of the state it is a famous and an attractive tourist in large numbers every year. It is also an entry pint to various other tourist resorts and recreational centers in the upper region of Himachal Pradesh, thus a convenient stop-over for tourists. The journey of Shimla from a serene hill station to a bustling city as an over exploited tourist destination has been gradual and not a sudden outburst. Its a place where things have definitely gone wrong when it comes to sustainability. 3.1 Growth as a Tourist destination The growth of Shimla is organic expanding from a village to a town and now a city. http://www.google.co.in/url?source=imglandingct=imgq=http://entirekingdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/shimla-city.jpgsa=Xei=ayOtUKzXMdGt0AG93YCABAved=0CAoQ8wc4Twusg=AFQjCNEWb6Gec0PTY-FtYYtu6cxPcD0PTg Tourist activities are concentrated along the core of the British town that is the Mall, Cart Road and Lakar Bazaar. The over developed southern side of Shimla Source: http://entirekingdom.com The man made activities have influenced mainly the southern slope Shimla since the northern slope receives no sunlight. It is difficult to find any open space or undeveloped site on the southern slope. There has been extensive cutting of hill slopes. Himachal Pradesh received a total of 151 lakh tourists in 2011 out of which 20% was contributed by Shimla, the highest for any Himachal destination. The growth rate for tourists in Shimla has been 7% recently. Source: http://www.kpmg.com/IN/en/IssuesAndInsights/ThoughtLeadership/Tourism-in-himachal-pradesh.pdf 3.2 Impact of Tourism on the Natural and Built Environment The southern slope of Shimla has been almost entirely built over, as a result the original pattern of slopes have completely disappeared. At places slope instability has been caused due to poor drainage facility of the area. Analysis of the slope reveal that in order to obtain maximum advantage of the sun, buildings have come down in steps, even in areas where the slope is more thanb the normally permissible limits. (Beyond 36 degree are considered unsuitable). Some of the buildings are in dilapidated conditions because of the lack of maintenance and use of poor construction material than due to slope failure. Another impact of mass tourism is the crash on the local society. It has changed the structure of society itself by favoring certain groups of the population that are able to interact with the tourists and provide services to them. As more and more tourists came in, the development of tourist and infrastructure facilities has disturbed the mountain eco-system. The damages of alterations in some of these areas have started to look like the places that a visitor wanted to escape. Excessive water consumption and ill management of the resource has led to a major water crisis. Loss of identity and culture. The Britishers left a legacy of red sloping roofs behind which gave the town its character. The modern constructions are flat roofs unresponsive to the climate and identity both. Over intensive urbanization. Illegal buildings have cropped up everywhere. The traffic due to tourists and the overcrowding has disturbed the locals daily life and system. Overload of infrastructure (e.g. Car parking, roads, buildings, water supply) Changes in the urban fabric. New architectural styles which are at ties not responsive to site and climate and also the general image of the town. Spectacular views blocked by ugly concrete structures. 3.3 Identification of issues After analyzing the impacts and statistical data, the following issues were identified with respect to construction, planning and architecture of the place. Haphazard development of tourist infrastructure causing architectural pollution and degrading the ecology of the place as well. Earlier buildings were not more than two to three storey high, but now due to less land available we can see buildings as high as six to seven storey high. This exerts massive pressure on the soil and causes visual blockades which are aesthetically displeasing. Due to increasing tourist influx in the town, there is a need for more tourist infrastructure and to accommodate slopes more than 36Â °, which are considered unbuildable, are being cut down causing severe land and soil erosion. Moreover hills are being cut down in the hill station giving way to an ugly concrete jungle. Irregular checks and insufficient guidelines for development of tourist infrastructure and construction activities. The government and tourism bodies have aimed for growth in tourism but have only recently imbibed sustainable growth of tourism in its policies and that too non seriously. 3.4 Conclusions and suggestions Shimla is endowed with immense potent as a place of tourist attraction, besides being a gateway to other parts of Himachal Pradesh. It requires special consideration in conservation of ecological order. There are certain spots, which are environmentally rich and need conservation. Many of the problems, which make tourism unsustainable, relate to the fact that many principles fundamental to sustainable tourism are not acknowledged. They have not been adopted in the conception, planning, design and development of tourism facilities in Shimla. A well managed, slow paced, controlled, integrated tourism development is the option. A set of guidelines and suitable approach scheme needs to be drafted and implemented that calls for sustainable progress of tourism.(Parmar, 2003, p. 50) Sustainable forms of tourism like ecotourism should be promoted to encourage lessening the ecological damage being done. The primary objective of sustainable tourism strategy should be to promote planning, design and construction of all tourist infrastructure and buildings that are environmentally friendly, do not spoil the character of the place, help integrate social and cultural aspects to it. In fact one of the most imperative issues in sustainable growth of tourism resources is the contemplation and expansion of design and building standards in order to reach an optimum use of energy, water and land resources. This will result in efficient management for preserving the natural and built attractions in tourism industry. Regarding the socio-cultural aspect, Shimla has lost its identity especially when it comes to architecture. The buildings should be symbolic of the rich legacy Shimla has or reflect the culture and traditions of the locals. As of now the post-British construction is merely concrete with climatically and site unresponsive features and structure. In Shimla, things would not have reached such a drastic situation had there been an effective land use plan which controlled the tourist developments and demarcated boundaries for such development. Buildings that have low environment impact throughout their life cycle should be promoted. Infact the norms should govern that. Importantly they should respond to the climate and context. Also the buildings meant for tourists should have high satisfaction levels and provide meaningful experience to tourists. The idea of sustainable tourism should be clear so that awareness spreads among the community and tourists both.(Khaksar, p. 37)

Make Up Artists In Movies

Make Up Artists In Movies From massive scars and head wounds to flawless skin and supermodel good looks, many actors have only one person to thank the make up artist. All sorts of cinematic magic have relied on the skill and imagination of the movie make-up artists. Depending on the ideas and thoughts of the director and the script, film make-up artists made need to put their skills to the test and push the boundaries in order to get the perfect look. Make up artists need to be able to adapt from creating a sophisticated, high fashion look to showing an actor who has aged 50 years, has an injury or even looks like an alien or cartoon character. From the earliest days of the movies, make-up artists have had to combine their art with film-making technology. Actors in silent films, for example, had heavy yellow make-up to compensate for the monochromatic film that was insensitive to the red end of the light spectrum. Today, make up techniques and computer-generated images come together to create visions like Spock ears from Star Trek and Hellboys red facial prosthetic. Behind the magic on the screen, the world of a make-up artist is a demanding one. These facial masks can take hours to create just to be used in a very short seen in a movie, yet the movies would not be half as effective without these characteristics. Responsibilities of a Movie Make-up Artist The responsibilities of a movie make-up artist vary depending on the type of work and level of responsibility that the make-up artist has. Hollywood union regulations classify movie make-up artists based on the area of the actors body being made up: A make-up artist is allowed to apply cosmetics only from the top of the head to the top of the breastbone, from fingertips to wrists and from toes to ankles. A body make-up artist applies cosmetics as required to any other areas of the actors body. While the regular make-up artist generally works throughout filming, the body make-up artist is hired per day when needed. Different Make-Up Artists and their Role in the Film The key make-up artist is in charge of the make-up department for a movie. They decide what will be the best approach to the make up of a certain character and make sure that this idea is seen through. During pre-production, the head make-up artist reads the script and meets with the director and screenwriter to discuss their needs and ideas for the films make up. This is done to make sure the final product shown in post-production is the same as the starting idea. The key make-up artist also will work with the main hair designer, costume designer, set designer and director of lighting throughout the film. Together they will discuss exactly what is that needs to be done in order to pull the make up off successfully. The head of make-up then researches and determines how to design the make-up and special make-up effects for the film. They will often need to work with special effects companies in order to pull off some harsher make up looks (such as scars, major wounds on limbs, major disfiguration of a body part etc.) The key make-up artist also hires the additional make-up artists needed, sets the work schedule and supervises the make up team during production. The senior make-up artist oversees the work of the other make-up artists and usually become primarily responsible for the actions of all the make-up artists. This means making sure that actors make-up remains the same or changes as filming requires, such as the addition of scars after an accident or evidence of aging as the film progresses. This job is vital in a film and needs the artist to be 100% focused, commuted and knowledgeable about the script. Make-up artists do the actual work in making actors looks match the designs set for the movie. They also apply and touch up the make-up when necessary. Assistant make-up artists handle lower-level make-up chores such as fixing up mistakes in the make-up and assisting the make-up artists. Working as a Make-up Artist in Movies Working as a movie make-up artist means starting work very early in the day and working for very long periods of time. During daily production, the make-up artists need to be at the location before dawn each day to lay out supplies, get prepared for the actors and set up any other special equipment for each specific actor. The movie make-up artists work off a schedule of make-up, hair and wardrobe calls for each actor. The assistant director sets the schedule, based on the scenes to be shot that day and passes it out late the day before. This then lets all the different departments know what exactly will need to be done that day and how many hours they will be working for. Each film make-up artist is assigned specific actors to look after. The make-up artist will have detailed notes, sketches and photos as reference to help achieve the right look for their actor. Throughout the day, the make-up artist or an assistant will touch up the actors make-up and change it as required by the scenes being filmed at that time. Achieving the right look can be a time-consuming process, particularly if the make-up includes special effects Hellboys make-up took four hours everyday with only short breaks in between for the actor. Foam pieces covered the actors back, chest and head. Once everything was on, the suit had to be painted and hair was added. Imagine having to go through this process every single day? At the end of the filming day, another long process has to begin for the make-up artists. The make-up artist has to remove all the actors make-up, hairpieces, prosthetic facial features (if any were used) and other effects and store them all so they are easy to find the following morning. While working as a make-up artist can be grueling but fun, movie jobs are not easy to find for most people and it is very difficult to break into the market of films. Becoming an experienced make-up artist means starting at the bottom, as an assistant. From there, an aspiring make-up artist has to work his/her way up the ladder by learning on the job, as well as building a strong portfolio of work and gaining a reputation with directors, actors and key make-up artists. For some it may take years to be able to achieve what they set out to achieve while for others luck and pure, raw talent may be enough to win them the job in a higher ranking. Becoming a Make-Up Artist Just like any other job in the film industry, youll need knowledge, experience, skill, luck and the right contacts in order to make your mark. For starters, you shall want to consider the right education. The best way to start off would be through a cosmetology school. You may even consider an art school if you wish to work with the prosthetic side of the movie make-up world. These schools often include a movie make-up course in their curriculum and also can give you the chance to learn more about the film-making industry and how to become apart of it. In addition to this, schools with a film focus may be able to help you get internships, jobs and make contacts with potential clients. Once completed, you will have to pass a state licensing exam. This will give you the license to work as a registered make-up artist. Student films can give you a start on your work portfolio, which will be a valuable tool in seeking work and becoming successful in finding a job. Make-up artists and directors will then be able to sift through your portfolio to see what you are able to do and can therefore decide where to go from their. Major Hollywood feature films require union membership which is unlike independent films. Although school will give you a good heads start, your training really will come from working in the industry itself. That may mean starting off with make-up in television or theatre, or even starting as an assistant to an already established make-up artist. By being on a set working with make-up challenges, youll learn how production works and pick up tips on how to be effective as a make-up artist. With solid training behind you, a strong portfolio and your eyes to the future, you should be ready to create some movie make-up magic of your own.

Bosch Strategy :: essays research papers

Dublin Institute of Technology Table of contents 1 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  04 2 Company Profile†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.........  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  05 2.1 History and development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  05 2.2 The foundation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  06   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.3 Size and Scope†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  07 3 Mission Statement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  08 3.1 Attitude and Commitment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  08 3.2 Values†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  09 4 Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦............  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  09 4.1 Corporate Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  09 4.2 Business Strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10 5 Organisational Structure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 5.1 Business Sectors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 5.1.1 Automotive Technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 5.1.2 Industrial Technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5.1.2.1 Automation Technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5.1.2.2 Packaging Technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14 5.1.3 Consumer Goods and Building Technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14 5.2 Organisational Structure and Hierarchy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 5.2.1 CEO†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  16 5.2.2 Heads of Sectors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  16 5.2.3 Heads of Divisions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  17 6 Employment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  18   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6.1 Performance and development discussions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  18 6.1.1 The Performance Review Discussion (PRED/MAG)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  18 6.1.2 The Individual Development Discussion (MEG)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  19 6.1.3 The Management Potential Review (MED)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  19 6.2 Bosch employee motivation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  20 7 Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...23 7.1 Analysis of organisational characteristics.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦23 7.1.1 Level of centralisation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  23 7.1.2 Level of Bureaucracy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦24 7.1.3 Level of hierarchy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..24 7.1.4 Level of authority and control†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦25 7.1.5 Level of labour organisation and complexity†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  26 7.1.6 Level of Formalisation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  26 7.2 The SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  27 7.2.1 Strengths†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  27 7.2.2 Weaknesses†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  28 7.2.3 Opportunities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  29 7.2.4 Threats†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30 8 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.............  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30 9 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.............  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  32 1 Introduction In the present paper, the company Robert Bosch GmbH will be presented. The target of this paper is to give a broad overview of the company’s structure and to analyse its current situation and strategy. Starting with chapter 2, the reader will get an idea of Bosch’s company profile. In this chapter the Bosch history and the company’s development over time will be envisioned as well as the Bosch foundation. Chapter 3 will look at the company’s mission, its attitudes and values. The next chapter will look at the company’s corporate and business strategy, followed by Bosch’s business sectors and its international structure described in chapter 5. The following chapter will give some information on employment at Bosch and employee motivation This will be followed by an analysis of this worldwide operating company, regarding the strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats that Bosch might face in the future. Finally chapter 8 concludes the paper. Sources for this paper have been literature, the Annual Report 2003, further Bosch publications and internet sources. 2 Company Profile 2.1 History and development The company began as a â€Å"Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering† which the founder Robert Bosch opened in Stuttgart in 1886. The company’s international activities can look back on a long tradition: as early as 1898, only a few years after having found his company, Robert Bosch opened his first representative office in London. The next step towards internationalisation followed one year later with the foundation of a second Bosch representative office in Paris to provide the French and Belgian markets. Particularly important for the further development of the foreign organisation was the opening of an agency in New York in 1906 and the commencement of production in the USA in 1910.

Personal Response to Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe Essay -- Robinso

Defoe's novel, Robinson Crusoe relates one man's spiritual journey in search of self and his goal of setting things right and making amends. Finding the self may take a lifetime. It took twenty-eight years on the island for Robinson Crusoe to discover more about himself, and, of course, he had to wait that number of years before he could make up for past mistakes. However, we do not have an ocean preventing us from making amends, and if only readers were to open themselves to this book, for all its clumsiness, flat style and Eurocentricity, it can, by illustrating one man's life, illuminate ours. To begin opening ourselves we must begin to identify with Crusoe. This is not as easy as it might seem. For one thing, in my case, he is a man, and I am a woman. He lived two hundred years ago so had very different values. He was white. I am not. It is, however, necessary to push these things aside and go to the text. Look especially at instances when Crusoe is not the most politically correct of heros- -when he seems most at odds with our thinking. Consider Crusoe's treatment of Friday. Friday has no name of his own, and he, the "savage," automatically becomes a servant. Here, Crusoe is condescending and racist. Yet, when I look at my own actions towards others, I have to admit that many times they fall short of being good or just. Let us be honest, don't we all shun or dislike those not like ourselves in color, age, social standing, or religion, at some time or other? One other important flaw--some might not call it a flaw at all--is Crusoe's bond of utility rather than bond of mutual respect that forms the basis of his friendships. Crusoe is a man that, early in the novel, is a friend when the other person c... ...eight years on a desert island. We learn that what really keeps us down is our human self absorption and that we have to rise above this terrible selfishness. We learn that finding the self is acknowledging our frailty and working, in spite of it, towards making our spiritual side strong. If I realize what is important in life, I know I have learnt from Crusoe's experiences and will never have to cry "Oh had there been but one .... "The one book that teaches all that books can teach" Rousseau "I shall pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore I can do, or any kindness I can show to any human being let me do it now, let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." Stephen Grellet Works Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Ed. Thomas Keymer. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. Print. Oxford World's Classics.

The Tuskegee Experiment

The Tuskegee experiment was yet another demonstration of racial inequalities and dehumanization illustrated by a people who believed in racial superiority. The experiment was unethical and demoralizing from the beginning. The analysis was corrupt and unethical for a plethora of reasons. The experiment disregarded several basic principles of the American Sociological Association’s code of ethics. Perhaps the greatest flaw in the experiment was the intended denial of treatment, which, in turn, directly affected the subject’s safety, violating the code of ‘protecting subjects from personal harm’. Respect the subject’s right to privacy and dignity’ is an additional custom in the code of ethics ignored. The researchers clearly could not even conceive the thought of respecting these â€Å"inferior racial guinea pigs†, not their health, their dignity, or their humanity. The fact that these men were made a mockery of, lied to, and belittled aff irms that the informed consent was nothing more than a deceitful tactic to involve the individuals.The men were advised that they were ill and were promised care, and were not told they were participants in an experiment, which precisely disrupts the code of ‘seeking informed consent when data are collected from research participants or when behavior occurs in a private context’. Though the event preceded the declaration of the informed consent notion, it is still fraudulent because of the timeline and deceptions planned and carried out by the conductors, therefore it should still be factored in, because of the depth and the fact that the participants were bamboozled.The fact that the treatments were ineffective have nothing to do with the experiment being ethical, as far as the conductors were concerned, treatment was out of the equation anyway, so the fact that the dosages were toxic is irrelevant. The advanced nature of the syphilis in each patient contributes to the prevailing thought that the study was not only misguided, but unscrupulous as well. These men needed immediate medical care, but the urgency was of no concern to the researchers.The fact that these men were told they were ill (and that they were) and promised care, but were denied it, provides further evidence that experiment should have been stopped before it was even initialized, but realistically that was not going to happen. When the patients began dying off, the researchers should have stepped in, stopped the study and treated the patients, but because of the â€Å"ignorance and easily influence nature† of the subjects, they were not given treatment.Ignorance is deemed the right term indeed, but only because the researchers left out the whole nature of the experiment. They were given placebos, food, shelter, and constant letters informing them they were being treated and followed up on. Initially, I believe the patients were, in a way, excited about the treatment, becau se they thought it was just that, treatment. The participants were not too quick to jump into the research though, until of course, they were given incentives, their cooperation was built on the promise of help and generosity of mankind.As time moved forward, I believe they were still hopeful due in part to the fabrication of treatment, but maybe a bit suspicious, hence the start of the covers for burial preparations if death, in fact, struck them. As the years progressed, many participants died, from the severity of their illness, so therefore much of the primary evidence of feelings and emotions is not known. Over time, I expect that the attitudes toward the experiment, from the perspective of the participants and outsiders, did indeed change, and not positively. In decades following, the attention became negative, angry, and impatient.As of now, I believe people, of all races, are utterly disgusted and outraged. The fact that this continued for nearly forty years is incredible an d ridiculous. Withholding information of this magnitude, which affects one’s health or safety is unacceptable. In other studies, it can be accepted, because many times, knowing the intent of an experiment can alter the outcome, defined in the Hawthorne Effect. So long as the study does not inflict harm or danger to its subjects, both physically and mentally, withholding information can be justified.When an experiment is found to be unethical or corrupt period, the information gathered should be discarded and not used or profited for the advancement of science, because that in turn, discredits science in general. If the results were to be published and interpreted, being incorrect, then future experiments and observations founded on these primitive notions will not only be invalid, but could lead to negative effects. To conclude, not only was the trail immoral and unethical, it could have potentially changed the face of science and how we look at diseases, such as syphilis its elf.

Salary of Professional Athletes

Professional athletes are among the highest-paid individuals in the world nowadays. Their salaries have catapulted to meteoric levels; and there are no signs of going down. Ridiculous amount of money is always in tow, whenever an athlete is signed by a team owner in order to bolster the team's popularity. This will generate revenues, and entice advertisers and athletic companies to sponsor the team as well. Team owners always mean business. There are no business ethics involved in transactions in order to augment the team's performance and popularity. Team managers are always at the helm of retaining their prized franchise players. Managers are more than willing to hand out heft contracts to their franchise and star players in order to match any other team offer. The minimum annual salary of athletes is beyond $100,000. This amount increases whenever an athlete is showing tremendous performance to help the team increase their popularity by winning games. Athletic salaries, exuberant and irrational as they may seem, are not crucial to economic requisites of a country, With this in mind, some people with blue-collar jobs have perceived that professional athletes are ridiculously making large amounts of money. In a society that people value hardwork, athletes are sometimes seen as complacent overpaid professionals who don't live up to the various expectations of the society. Ironically, this meteoric salary issue is the result of an awesome manic fan feedback to sports teams. People are the ones who shell out absurd amounts of money to buy team merchandise. Season tickets increase due to the fact that this is the way how team owners make money to pay their star employees. This only shows that sports are highly considered an important part of the society itself. People find professional athletes ridiculously overpaid, yet they tolerate such by buying merchandise and tickets, which fuels a team's funds. One must ponder how a country's government can use such exuberant amount of money to solve problems and to pay debts in world banks. Some athletes don't really value the worth of hard-earned money. However, some athletes are helping the society by engaging in charitable acts. This suggests that huge athletic salaries can either be a good thing or a bad thing. How are Sports Leagues Moderating Player Salaries? Obviously, basketball players have the highest average salary among all professional athletes. NBA teams are known for allocating large amounts of money to its players, which are very popular in an international scale. NBA players average more than $4 million on an annual basis. Former Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal has amassed an estimated $20 million in the 2005 season alone. Surprisingly, the minimum salary at that season for rookies was $398,762, which was more than the $1. 1 million that 10-year NBA veterans get (Woolford, 2007). This only shows that the average minimum salary has experienced its peak. With this in mind, non-sports afficionados have generate opinionated statements towards the exuberant salary that is tolerated by team owners. However, the most expensive sports contract handed out for a professional athlete was not in the NBA. Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees signed a 10-year $252 million contract in 2000. Derek Jeter succeeds him as the second highest-paid player in the MLB. Let us compare the salaries of baseball players to teachers. Baseball players make an average of $2. 9 million, while teachers were getting an average pay of $46,597 in 2003. This of course generates the notion that how matter you contribute to the society; it only shows that you are not worth the monetary value you deserve while contributing to your society. A teacher from South Carolina has this to say: â€Å"I don’t mind that athletes get paid so much,† said Franklin Davis, a history teacher at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, S. C. â€Å"I enjoy what I do and don’t do it for the money, even though it wouldn’t hurt to make more. †(Woolford, 2007). Among the sports league, only the National Football League (NFL) implements an iron fist on its players' salaries. Teams from the NBA, MLB, and NHL all guarantee a contract, which grants its players a salary security due to the fact that an athlete will only play for a team that offers his desired salary. The only consolation an NFL player gets is a signing bonuses stipulation that aids teams if a certain player is inactive (Woolford, 2007). In order for the NBA to moderate team owners in spending exuberant amounts of money on player contracts, the league has proposed the system of salary cap that will limit these owners from handing out huge contracts. A salary cap helps maintains the balance in a much competitive league like the NBA. Teams can very well overwhelm and outspend some teams by handing out huge contracts to free agents who would augment their rosters. This concept suggests that a talented free agent can only sign for a team who will not exceed its salary cap. With this in mind, a team with much financial capability is playing in a level with the other teams (Coon, 2008). Statistics have shown that the salary cap system have moderate the league in terms of competitiveness. The correlation between team payroll and regular season wins was at a low 0. 12 (Coon, 2008). This suggests that there in no correlation between a team winning and the salary of its players (Coon, 2008). The salary cap system has been first introduced in 1947. NBA players were earning between $4000 to $5000 at that time. Salary cap limit was $55,000. The latest and modern salary cap proposal was ushered in 1984 at $3. 6 million (Coon, 2008). Eventually, it increased by $1 million each season. In 1994 it was halted at $15. 964 million (Coon, 2008). Salary cap increases are associated with the fluctuations of currency exchange as well. in 1995, salary cap increased again at $23. million acknowledging a huge television contract from NBC. In the 1997 season, it increased at $26. 9. In 2002, the much anticipated ABC/ESPN contract was imminent and generated a $4. 6 billion over six years, but less than what NBC paid in 2001. This salary cap was greatly affected with such. It shows that the salary cap system has its flaws as well, yet it aids in moderating a team's financial capabil ities in spoiling its players from getting large and irrational amounts of money. The Holistic Consequences of Athletic Compensation A myriad of economic issues has plagued the NBA for the 1998 season. A massive player lockout and other issues have seen NBA players union and the Commissioner arguing and debating about revenues and player salary restrictions. The lockout has caused a delay of the season and games suspended until a compromise is reached by both parties. During the negotiations between the two parties, Andrew Zimbalist, a consultant for the union, has asserted that the league has employed strategies in order to preserve the competitive balance of the league per se. Yet this move hampered the salaries of basketball players who want spontaneous salary increases in an instant. The lockout has generated a handful of rational amendments, which included the apt salary regulation of players. Amendments include: restriction of players salaries to a certain limit, evaluating the draft order of players in order to accommodate poorer teams, and revenue sharing among team owners (Kern, 2000). NBA team owners are the primary proponents of the massive salary cap restriction movement. The restriction will make financially weak teams secure in surviving in a widely competitive league. Arguably, this notion is not completely true. If such financially-challenged teams are complaining, then most teams are losing money and arena-hopping would be impossible. Yet those moves are easily initiated by most NBA teams. Ironically, the same teams who proposed such are the same teams who clamored for the omission of the â€Å"Larry Bird exception† that augmented the maintenance of competitive league balance. This generated the not all owners are willing to pay exuberant amounts of money to their players; and their only goal is to raise more profits. With this in mind, compensation for basketball players is hampered. The notion that these athletes are overpaid is easily omitted, and brings about a favorable opinion about salaries of professional athletes (Ocampo, 2008). Arguably, if NBA team owners are really bent on promoting competitive balance; they must adhere to the NFL's method of revenue sharing. Yet such strategy would generate more complicated issues for basketball and baseball leagues alike. The best solution for such is to generate a new set of league rules in order to hamper to the increasing. Eventually, large market teams will be compelled to share their market with teams from competing leagues. Cities will not have to compete against each other by showcasing newly-built teams in order to attract teams (Kern, 2000) Player compensation are also affected by such moves on the part of team owners. Eventually, the issue of redundant salary of professional athletes are place in further scrutiny by spectators. In conclusion, most professional athletes are making excess amount of money in the most irrational way. Team owners are spoiling their players in giving in to their monetary demands. These athletes are supposed to be role models for children. Yet, in one way or another doesn't exemplify the apt behavior towards monetary issues. Arguably, they do not teach the youth to value hard-earned money, and earning in a proper way. Yet this is not the real issue per se. The real issue here is that how are professional athletes spending their salaries. It is good to know that some players use their monetary capabilities to put up charitable institutions; and involve themselves in community service as well. With this in mind, the debate on whether these professional athletes are overpaid or not are not completely answered. Professional athletes are either overpaid or underpaid depending on the economic state of the country they reside in.

Vampire Academy Chapter 19

NINETEEN IT'S HARD TO SAY WHAT finally made me do it. I'd held on to so many secrets for so long, doing what I believed best protected Lissa. But hiding her cutting did nothing to protect her. I hadn't been able to make her stop – and really, I now wondered if it was my fault she'd ever started. None of this had happened until she healed me in the accident. What if she'd left me injured? Maybe I would have recovered. Maybe she would be all right today. I stayed in the clinic while Dimitri went to get Alberta. He hadn't hesitated for a second when I told him where she was. I'd said she was in danger, and he'd left immediately. Everything after that moved like some sort of slow-motion nightmare. The minutes dragged on while I waited. When he finally returned with an unconscious Lissa, a flurry arose at the clinic, one everyone wanted me kept out of. She had lost a lot of blood, and while they had a feeder on hand right away, rousing her to enough consciousness to drink proved difficult. It wasn't until the middle of the Academy's night that someone decided she was stable enough for me to visit. â€Å"Is it true?† she asked when I walked into the room. She lay on the bed, wrists heavily bandaged. I knew they'd put a lot of blood back into her, but she still looked pale to me. â€Å"They said it was you. You told them.† â€Å"I had to,† I said, afraid to get too close. â€Å"Liss†¦you cut yourself worse than you ever have. And after healing me†¦and then everything with Christian†¦you couldn't handle it. You needed help.† She closed her eyes. â€Å"Christian. You know about that. Of course you do. You know about everything.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help.† â€Å"What happened to what Ms. Karp said? About keeping it all secret?† â€Å"She was talking about the other stuff. I don't think she'd want you to keep cutting yourself.† â€Å"Did you tell them about the ? ®other stuff'?† I shook my head. â€Å"Not yet.† She turned toward me, eyes cold. † ? ®Yet.' But you're going to.† â€Å"I have to. You can heal other people†¦but it's killing you.† â€Å"I healed you.† â€Å"I would have been okay eventually. The ankle would have healed. It's not worth what it does to you. And I think I know how it started†¦when you first healed me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I explained my revelation about the accident and how all of her powers and depression had started after that. I also pointed out how our bond had formed after the accident too, though I didn't fully understand why yet. â€Å"I don't know what's going on, but this is beyond us. We need someone's help.† â€Å"They'll take me away,† she said flatly. â€Å"Like Ms. Karp.† â€Å"I think they'll try to help you. They were all really worried. Liss, I'm doing this for you. I just want you to be okay.† She turned away from me. â€Å"Get out, Rose.† I did. They released her the next morning on the condition that she'd have to come back for daily visits to the counselor. Dimitri told me they also planned on putting her on some sort of medication to help with the depression. I wasn't a big fan of pills, but I'd cheer on anything that would help her. Unfortunately, some sophomore had been in the clinic for an asthma attack. He'd seen her come in with Dimitri and Alberta. He didn't know why she'd been admitted, but that hadn't stopped him from telling people in his hall what he'd seen. They then told others at breakfast. By lunch, all the upperclassmen knew about the late-night clinic visit. And more importantly, everyone knew she wasn't speaking to me. Just like that, whatever social headway I'd made plummeted. She didn't outright condemn me, but her silence spoke legions, and people behaved accordingly. The whole day, I walked around the Academy like a ghost. People watched and occasionally spoke to me, but few made much more effort than that. They followed Lissa's lead, imitating her silence. No one was openly mean to me – they probably didn't want to risk it in case she and I patched things up. Still, I heard â€Å"blood whore† whispered here and there when someone thought I wasn't listening. Mason would have welcomed me to his lunch table, but some of his friends might not have been so nice. I didn't want to be the cause of any fights between him and them. So I chose Natalie instead. â€Å"I heard Lissa tried to run away again, and you stopped her,† Natalie said. No one had a clue why she'd been in the clinic yet. I hoped it stayed that way. Running away? Where in the world had that come from? â€Å"Why would she do that?† â€Å"I don't know.† She lowered her voice. â€Å"Why'd she leave before? It's just what I heard.† That story raged on as the day passed, as did all sorts of rumors about why Lissa might have gone to the med clinic. Pregnancy and abortion theories were eternally popular. Some whispered she might have gotten Victor's disease. No one even came close to guessing the truth. Leaving our last class as quickly as possible, I was astonished when Mia started walking toward me. â€Å"What do you want?† I demanded. â€Å"I can't come out and play today, little girl.† â€Å"You sure have an attitude for someone who doesn't exist right now.† â€Å"As opposed to you?† I asked. Remembering what Christian had said, I did feel a little sorry for her. That guilt disappeared after I took one look at her face. She might have been a victim, but now she was a monster. There was a cold, cunning look about her, very different from the desperate and depressed one from the other day. She hadn't stayed beaten after what Andre had done to her – if that was even true, and I believed it was – and I doubted she would with Lissa either. Mia was a survivor. â€Å"She got rid of you, and you're too high and mighty to admit it.† Her blue eyes practically bugged out. â€Å"Don't you want to get back at her?† â€Å"Are you more psycho than usual? She's my best friend. And why are you still following me?† Mia tsked. â€Å"She doesn't act like it. Come on, tell me what happened at the clinic. It's something big, isn't it? She really is pregnant, right? Tell me what it is.† â€Å"Go away.† â€Å"If you tell me, I'll get Jesse and Ralf to say they made all that stuff up.† I stopped walking and spun around to face her. Scared, she took a few steps backward. She must have recalled some of my past threats of physical violence. â€Å"I already know they made it all up, because I didn't do any of it. And if you try to turn me against Lissa one more time, the stories are going to be about you bleeding, because I'll have ripped your throat out!† My voice grew louder with each word until I practically shouted. Mia stepped back further, clearly terrified. â€Å"You really are crazy. No wonder she dropped you.† She shrugged. â€Å"Whatever. I'll find out what's going on without you.† When the dance came that weekend, I decided I really didn't want to go. It had sounded stupid to begin with, and I'd only been interested in going to the after-parties anyway. But without Lissa, I wasn't likely to gain admission to those. Instead, I holed up in my room, trying – and failing – to do some homework. Through the bond, I felt all sorts of mixed emotions from her, particularly anxiety and excitement. It had to be hard hanging out all night with a guy you didn't really like. About ten minutes after the dance's start time, I decided to clean up and take a shower. When I came back down the hall from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around my head, I saw Mason standing outside my door. He wasn't exactly dressed up, but he also wasn't wearing jeans. It was a start. â€Å"There you are, party girl. I was about ready to give up.† â€Å"Did you start another fire? No guys allowed in this hall.† â€Å"Whatever. Like that makes a difference.† True. The school might be able to keep Strigoi out, but they did a horrible job at keeping the rest of us away from each other. â€Å"Let me in. You've got to get ready.† It took me a minute to realize what he meant. â€Å"No. I'm not going.† â€Å"Come on,† he prodded, following me inside. † ? ®Cause you had a fight with Lissa? You guys are going to make up soon. No reason for you to stay here all night. If you don't want to be around her, Eddie's getting a group together over in his room later.† My old, fun-loving spirit perked its head up just a bit. No Lissa. Probably no royals. â€Å"Yeah?† Seeing that he was starting to get me, Mason grinned. Looking at his eyes, I realized again how much he liked me. And again I wondered, Why couldn't I just have a normal boyfriend? Why did I want my hot, older mentor – the mentor I'd probably end up getting fired? â€Å"It'll just be novices,† Mason continued, oblivious to my thoughts. â€Å"And I have a surprise for you when we get there.† â€Å"Is it in a bottle?† If Lissa wanted to ignore me, I had no reason to keep myself sober. â€Å"No, that's at Eddie's. Hurry up and get dressed. I know you aren't wearing that.† I looked down at my ripped jeans and University of Oregon T-shirt. Yeah. Definitely not wearing this. Fifteen minutes later, we cut across the quad back over to the commons, laughing as we recounted how a particularly clumsy classmate of ours had given himself a black eye in practice this week. Moving quickly over the frozen ground wasn't easy in heels, and he kept grabbing my arm to keep me from falling over, half-dragging me along. It made us laugh that much more. A happy feeling started to well up in me – I wasn't entirely rid of the ache for Lissa, but this was a start. Maybe I didn't have her and her friends, but I had my own friends. It was also very likely that I was going to get head-over-heels drunk tonight, which, while not a great way to solve my problems, would at least be really fun. Yeah. My life could be worse. Then we ran into Dimitri and Alberta. They were on their way somewhere else, talking guardian business. Alberta smiled when she saw us, giving us the kind of indulgent look older people always give to younger people who appear to be having fun and acting silly. Like she thought we were cute. The nerve. We stumbled to a halt, and Mason put a hand on my arm to steady me. â€Å"Mr. Ashford, Miss Hathaway. I'm surprised you aren't already in the commons.† Mason gave her an angelic, teacher's-pet smile. â€Å"Got delayed, Guardian Petrov. You know how it is with girls. Always got to look perfect. You especially must know all about that.† Normally I would have elbowed him for saying something so stupid, but I was staring at Dimitri and incapable of speech. Perhaps more importantly, he was staring at me too. I had on the black dress, and it was everything I'd hoped it could be. In fact, it was a wonder Alberta didn't call me on the dress code right there and then. The fabric clung everywhere, and no Moroi girl's chest could have held this dress up. Victor's rose hung around my neck, and I'd done a hasty blow-dry of my hair, leaving it down the way I knew Dimitri liked it. I hadn't worn tights because no one wore tights with dresses like this anymore, so my feet were freezing in the heels. All for the sake of looking good. And I was pretty sure I looked damn good, but Dimitri's face wasn't giving anything away. He just looked at me – and looked and looked. Maybe that said something about my appearance in and of itself. Remembering how Mason sort of held my hand, I pulled away from him. He and Alberta finished up their joking remarks, and we all went our separate ways. Music blasted inside the commons when we arrived, white Christmas lights and – ugh – a disco ball casting the only light in the otherwise darkened room. Gyrating bodies, mostly underclassmen, packed the dance floor. Those who were our age stood in too-cool clusters along the edges of the room, waiting for an opportune time to sneak off. An assortment of chaperones, guardians and Moroi teachers alike, patrolled around, breaking up those dancers who did a little too much gyrating. When I saw Kirova in a sleeveless plaid dress, I turned to Mason and said, â€Å"Are you sure we can't hit the hard liquor yet?† He snickered and took my hand again. â€Å"Come on, time for your surprise.† Letting him lead me, I walked across the room, cutting through a cluster of freshmen who looked way too young to be doing the kind of pelvic thrusts they were attempting. Where were the chaperones when you needed them? Then I saw where he was leading me and came to a screeching halt. â€Å"No,† I said, not budging when he tugged my hand. â€Å"Come on, it's going to be great.† â€Å"You're taking me to Jesse and Ralf. The only way I can ever be seen with them is if I've got a blunt object, and I'm aiming between their legs.† He pulled me again. â€Å"Not anymore. Come on.† Reluctant, I finally started moving: my worst fears were realized when a few pairs eyes turned our way. Great. Everything was starting all over again. Jesse and Ralf didn't notice us at first, but when they did, an amusing array of expressions played over their faces. First they saw my body and the dress. Testosterone took over as pure male lust shone out of their faces. Then they seemed to realize it was me and promptly turned terrified. Cool. Mason gave Jesse a sharp poke in the chest with the end of his finger. â€Å"All right, Zeklos. Tell her.† Jesse didn't say anything, and Mason repeated the gesture, only harder. â€Å"Tell her.† Not meeting my eyes, Jesse mumbled, â€Å"Rose, we know none of that stuff happened.† I almost choked on my own laughter. â€Å"Do you? Wow. I'm really glad to hear that. Because you see, until you said that, I'd been thinking it had happened. Thank God you guys are here to set me straight and tell me what the hell I have or haven't done!† They flinched, and Mason's light expression darkened to something harder. â€Å"She knows that,† he growled. â€Å"Tell her the rest.† Jesse sighed. â€Å"We did it because Mia told us to.† â€Å"And?† prompted Mason. â€Å"And we're sorry.† Mason turned to Ralf. â€Å"I want to hear it from you, big boy.† Ralf wouldn't meet my eyes either, but he mumbled something that sounded vaguely like an apology. Seeing them defeated, Mason turned chipper. â€Å"You haven't heard the best part yet.† I cut him a sidelong look. â€Å"Yeah? Like the part where we rewind time and none of this ever happened?† â€Å"Next best thing.† He tapped Jesse again. â€Å"Tell her. Tell her why you did it.† Jesse looked up and exchanged uneasy looks with Ralf. â€Å"Boys,† warned Mason, clearly delighted about something, â€Å"you're making Hathaway and me very angry. Tell her why you did it.† Wearing the look of one who realized things couldn't get any worse, Jesse finally met my eyes. â€Å"We did it because she slept with us. Both of us.†