Apple PESTEL Essay - 1715 Words

1. Introduction Apple Inc., is known to be one of the world’s most valuable companies. It is a multi-national company with a worldwide presence; approximately 72,800 employees and total net sales of $156 billion in the year 2012 (Apple annual report, 2012). Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, both college dropouts, founded this corporation in 1976 - â€Å"Steve Jobs, helped to transform the way in which the computer is used today through his creation of the first computer processing unit and his creative product innovations.† (Gupta and Prinzinger 2013). This paper will analyse the external environment, using the PESTEL model. The external environment incorporates all the factors that a company has no influence over and is only able to adapt to†¦show more content†¦The company develops and creates new products on a yearly basis for all its categories to keep itself in the spotlight, ahead of the game, and constantly moving forward. However with the death of Apple’s founder and innovator Steve Jobs, this has proven to be a great handicap to the sustainability of the company and consumers has become sceptical and concerned about maintaining the uniqueness of Apple devices. Recently there has been the perception of a sacrifice in hardware capabilities for better design and better seen quality thus ruining Apple’s reputation in the eye of tech savvy consumers, who claim other competitors have better technology for a cheaper price (Yun Qing 2012) such as Samsung (Datamonitor 2011). This figure shows the international sales of Samsung compared to apple, in the last few quarters Samsung is ahead. (FOSS Patents 2012) e. Environmental/Ethical: The environment and ethical factors have been in the spotlight at a much larger degree lately. These include factors that keep a company green and also treat its employees ethically. Apple has recently improved its environmental credentials by rolling out new recycling campaigns, the company is now minimizing the environmental impact of its growth by using â€Å"less material†, shipping â€Å"with smaller packaging†, being â€Å"free of many toxic substances†, and being â€Å"as energy efficient and recyclable as possible†(Apple website, 2013). â€Å"Though ourShow MoreRelatedPestel Framework For Apple Inc.1479 Words   |  6 Pages PESTEL framework for Apple Inc PESTEL is an acronym for the political, economic, social, technological, ecological and legal factors that affect an organisation. This helps us identify the most significant external factors that Apple must consider while assessing its macro environment. Apple is a leading company in the industry, yet it needs to focus on maintaining its leadership and credibility and also to formulate strategies to progress successfully. This ensures that Apple maintains its positionRead MoreCsr, Pestel, Porters Five Forces and Business Ethics on Apple Computers2868 Words   |  12 PagesBusiness Project Topic: Apple Computers Introduction Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is a multinational corporation that designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, including a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. Its most popular hardware products are the series of Mac computers, the iPod, the iPhone, and theRead MoreSwot Analysis : Apple As A Company And Their Products1085 Words   |  5 PagesPESTEL Analysis consist of political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors that make up an organization and for this paper we will analysis Apple as a company and their products. Apple is among the fastest growing company that has made itself a recognizable consumer name for electronics and gadgets. Investors have always looked forward for investing in Apple due to its strong revenue and high return on investment. Started operating as a traditional computer company, itRead MoreThe Organizational Structure Of Apple Inc.1491 Words   |  6 Pages(Jones, 2010). The company that will be analysed in this report is Apple Inc. Created on April 1 1976 by founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Apple has become a market leader in the technology industry. Apple is a multinational corporation that designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers as well as being a digital distributer of media content. The popular core products to come from Apple are the iPhone, iPad, iPod and iMac computers. This report willRead MoreAnalyzing The Companies Microsoft And Apple Using The Swot Analysis917 Words   |  4 PagesIn this essay I will be analyzing the companies Microsoft and Apple using the PESTEL analysis. PESTEL stands for: Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Economic, and Legal. Microsoft and Apple are the two leading brands of the personal computer market. Although they both are highly in demand for essentially the same products, both companies have strategized their business in such a way to advertise their items uniquely. Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. SinceRead MoreApple INC analysis1748 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is globally renowned as one of the leading companies, especially for its specialization in the personal computers and consumer electronics industry. The company is most well-known for the iPod, a digital music player and Macintosh, a personal computer released in 1984. Co-founded by Steve Jobs in 1976, the company was named under Apple Computers Inc. and its initial product Apple IIe gained relative popularity and success. The release of the Macintosh revolutionizedRead MoreApple Inc. An American Multinational Organization Essay1873 Words   |  8 PagesTable of Content 1. Introduction 2. Pestel Analysis 2.1 Political 2.2 Economical 2.3 Social 2.4 Technological 2.5 Environment 2.6 Legal 3. Porter s Five Forces 3.1 Threats Of New Entrants 3.2 Threats Of Substitute Or Service 3.3 Bargaining Powers Of Customers 3.4 Bargaining Powers Of Suppliers 3.5 Intensity Of Competitive Rivalry 4. Recommendation 5. Conclusion 1. Introduction Apple Inc is an American multinational organization located in the middle of the Silicon Valley, California. It isRead MoreStrategic Managemrent Apple Essay1908 Words   |  8 PagesApple in case study Question 1/ Analyze the microenvironment and drivers of changes of the PC industry. 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Drugs to Death in a Political Cartoon An Oversimplification

Drugs to Death in a Political Cartoon: An Oversimplification? As the more stable counterpart to an inconsistent southern neighbor, the United States has always had a suspicious outlook towards Mexico. In recent years, the boost in illegal immigration, the unstable economies in both countries and the issues resulting from drug use and trade have added tension to the already strained relationship. Blame flows and lands on various subjects: each government, drug cartels, drug users, and more. In the October 2009 political cartoon posted by David Kurtzman ¹ , various angles are used to portray the cartoonist’s opinion that blame should be limited to one party: the drug cartels. Through the use of color, stereotypes, and†¦show more content†¦In fact, Mexico’s president Felipe Calderà ³n took the first step against the conern of drug violence that no other president has dared to take on in the past. He has cracked down on drug dealers by jailing them and allowing small masses of drugs in an effort to lower profits for the cartels. These efforts, while perhaps are not always effective, are the first attempts to fight back against the power of the cartels and Young 4 the violence that exploded as a result of the drug trade. Their conquest in this cartoon to a donkey with the pressure of being suspended and isolated in the air is a distortion of the truth. Yet, Mexico is blended in by various images in the cartoon. An overused Americanized symbol, the pià ±ata puts down Mexican culture’s diversity and vitality. By depicting an entire diverse country as a helpless object, the cartoonist constructs ethos for himself by apparently being able to make large reflections about multiple issues, implying that he has a sound and depicts the grasp of the subject. Similarly, The lack of resources and, perhaps, their misuse (one tree is used to string up Mexico itself) indicated that the Mexican government is unfit to stand up to the dominant drug cartel figure. The crude luster of the pià ±ata lends further burden to that claim,Show MoreRelatedProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagesto Text Topics Chapter 1 Modern Project Management Chapter 8 Scheduling resources and cost 1.2 Project defined 1.3 Project management defined 1.4 Projects and programs (.2) 2.1 The project life cycle (.2.3) App. G.1 The project manager App. G.7 Political and social environments F.1 Integration of project management processes [3.1] 6.5.2 Setting a schedule baseline [8.1.4] 6.5.3.1 Setting a resource schedule 6.5.2.4 Resource leveling 7.2 Setting a cost and time baseline schedule (1.3.5) [8.1.3] 6

The Twilight Saga 4 Breaking Dawn 30. Irresistible Free Essays

string(37) " are utterly alone in the blackness\." There was so much to think about. How was I going to find time alone to hunt down J. Jenks, and why did Alice want me to know about him? If Alice’s clue had nothing to do with Renesmee, what could I do to save my daughter? How were Edward and I going to explain things to Tanya’s family in the morning? What if they reacted like Irina? What if it turned into a fight? I didn’t know how to fight. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 30. Irresistible or any similar topic only for you Order Now How was I going to learn in just a month? Was there any chance at all that I could be taught fast enough that I might be a danger to any one member of the Volturi? Or was I doomed to be totally useless? Just another easily dispatched newborn? So many answers I needed, but I did not get the chance to ask my questions. Wanting some normality for Renesmee, I’d insisted on taking her home to our cottage at bedtime. Jacob was more comfortable in his wolf form at the moment; the stress was easier dealt with when he felt ready for a fight. I wished that I could feel the same, could feel ready. He ran in the woods, on guard again. After she was deeply under, I put Renesmee in her bed and then went to the front room to ask my questions of Edward. The ones I was able to ask, at any rate; one of the most difficult of problems was the idea of trying to hide anything from him, even with the advantage of my silent thoughts. He stood with his back to me, staring into the fire. â€Å"Edward, I – â€Å" He spun and was across the room in what seemed like no time at all, not even the smallest part of a second. I only had time to register the ferocious expression on his face before his lips were crushing against mine and his arms were locked around me like steel girders. I didn’t think of my questions again for the rest of that night. It didn’t take long for me to grasp the reason for his mood, and even less time to feel exactly the same way. I’d been planning on needing years just to somewhat organize the overwhelming passion I felt for him physically. And then centuries after that to enjoy it. if we had only a month left together†¦ Well, I didn’t see how I could stand to have this end. For the moment I couldn’t help but be selfish. All I wanted was to love him as much as possible in the limited time given to me. It was hard to pull myself away from him when the sun came up, but we had our job to do, a job that might be more difficult than all the rest of our family’s searches put together. As soon as I let myself think of what was coming, i was all tension; it felt like my nerves were being stretched on a rack, thinner and thinner. â€Å"I wish there was a way to get the information we need from Eleazar before we tell them about Nessie,† Edward muttered as we hurriedly dressed in the huge closet that was more reminder of Alice than I wanted at the moment. â€Å"Just in case.† â€Å"But he wouldn’t understand the question to answer it,† I agreed. â€Å"Do you think they’ll let us explain?† â€Å"I don’t know.† I pulled Renesmee, still sleeping, from her bed and held her close so that her curls were pressed against my face; her sweet scent, so close, overpowered every other smell. I couldn’t waste one second of time today. There were answers I needed, and wasn’t sure how much time Edward and I would have alone today. If all went well with Tanya’s family, hopefully we would have company for an extended period. â€Å"Edward, will you teach me how to fight?† I asked him, tensed for his reaction, as he held the door for me. It was what I expected. He froze, and then his eyes swept over me with a deep significance, like he was looking at me for the first or last time. His eyes lingered on our daughter sleeping in my arms. â€Å"If it comes to a fight, there won’t be much any of us can do,† he hedged. I kept my voice even. â€Å"Would you leave me unable to defend myself?† He swallowed convulsively, and the door shuddered, hinges protesting, as his hand tightened. Then he nodded. â€Å"When you put it that way†¦ I suppose we should get to work as soon as we can.† I nodded, too, and we started toward the big house. We didn’t hurry. I wondered what I could do that would have any hope of making a difference. I was a tiny bit special, in my own way – if a having a supematurally thick skull could really be considered special. Was there any use that I could put that toward? â€Å"What would you say their biggest advantage is? Do they even have a weakness?† Edward didn’t have to ask to know I meant the Volturi. â€Å"Alec and Jane are their greatest offense,† he said emotionlessly, like we were talking of a basketball team. â€Å"Their defensive players rarely see any real action.† â€Å"Because Jane can burn you where you stand – mentally at least. What does Alec do? Didn’t you once say he was even more dangerous than Jane?† â€Å"Yes. In a way, he is the antidote to Jane. She makes you feel the worst pain imaginable. Alec, on the other hand, makes you feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. Sometimes, when the Volturi are feeling kind, they have Alec anesthetize someone before he is executed. If he has surrendered or pleased them in some other way.† â€Å"Anesthetic? But how is that more dangerous than Jane?† â€Å"Because he cuts off your senses altogether. No pain, but also no sight or sound or smell. Total sensory deprivation. You are utterly alone in the blackness. You read "The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 30. Irresistible" in category "Essay examples" You don’t even feel it when they burn you.† I shivered. Was this the best we could hope for? To not see or feel death when it came? â€Å"That would make him only equally as dangerous as Jane,† Edward went on in the same detached voice, â€Å"in that they both can incapacitate you, make you into a helpless target. The difference between them is like the difference between Aro and me. Aro hears the mind of only one person at a time. Jane can only hurt the one object of her focus. I can hear everyone at the same time.† I felt cold as I saw where he was going. â€Å"And Alec can incapacitate us all at the same time?† I whispered. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"If he uses his gift against us, we will all stand blind and deaf until they get around to killingus – maybe they’ll simply burn us without bothering to tear us apart first. Oh, we could try to fight, but we’ll be more likely to hurt one another than we would be to hurt one of them.† We walked in silence for a few seconds. An idea was shaping itself in my head. Not very promising, but better than nothing. â€Å"Do you think Alec is a very good fighter?† I asked. â€Å"Aside from what he can do, I mean. If he had to fight without his gift. I wonder if he’s ever even tried___† Edward glanced at me sharply. â€Å"What are you thinking?† I looked straight ahead. â€Å"Well, he probably can’t do that to me, can he? If what he does is like Aro and Jane and you. Maybe†¦ if he’s never really had to defend himself†¦ and I learned a few tricks – â€Å" â€Å"He’s been with the Volturi for centuries,† Edward cut me off, his voice abruptly panicked. He was probably seeing the same image in his head that I was: the Cullens standing helpless, senseless pillars on thekillingfield – all but me. I’d be the only one who could fight. â€Å"Yes, you’re surely immune to his power, but you are still a newborn, Bella. I can’t make you that strong a fighter in a few weeks. I’m sure he’s had training.† â€Å"Maybe, maybe not. It’s the one thing I can do that no one else can. Even if I can just distract him for a while – † Could I last long enough to give the others a chance? â€Å"Please, Bella,† Edward said through his teeth. â€Å"Let’s not talk about this.† â€Å"Be reasonable.† â€Å"I will try to teach you what I can, but please don’t make me think about you sacrificing yourself as a diversion – † He choked, and didn’t finish. I nodded. I would keep my plans to myself, then. First Alec and then, if I was miraculously lucky enough to win, Jane. If I could only even things out – remove the Volturi’s overwhelming offensive advantage. Maybe then there was a chance†¦. My mind raced ahead. What if I was able to distract or even take them out? Honestly, why would either Jane or Alec ever have needed to learn battle skills? I couldn’t imagine petulant little Jane surrendering her advantage, even to learn. If I was able to kill them, what a difference that would make. â€Å"I have to learn everything. As much as you can possibly cram into my head in the next month,† I murmured. He acted as if I hadn’t spoken. Who next, then? I might as well have my plans in order so that, if I did live past attacking Alec, there would be no hesitation in my strike. I tried to think of another situation where my thick skull would give me an advantage. I didn’t know enough about what the others did. Obviously, fighters like the huge Felix were beyond me. I could only try to give Emmett his fair fight there. I didn’t know much about the rest of the Volturi guard, besides Demetri___ My face was perfectly smooth as I considered Demetri. Without a doubt, he would be a fighter. There was no other way he could have survived so long, always at the spear point of any attack. And he must always lead, because he was their tracker – the best tracker in the world, no doubt. If there had been one better, the Volturi would have traded up. Aro didn’t surround himself with second best. If Demetri didn’t exist, then we could run. Whoever was left of us, in any case. My daughter, warm in my arms†¦ Someone could run with her. Jacob or Rosalie, whoever was left. And†¦ if Demetri didn’t exist, then Alice and Jasper could be safe forever. Is that what Alice had seen? That part of our family could continue? The two of them, at the very least. Could I begrudge her that? â€Å"Demetri†¦,† I said. â€Å"Demetri is mine,† Edward said in a hard, tight voice. I looked at him quickly and saw that his expression had turned violent. â€Å"Why?† I whispered. He didn’t answer at first. We were to the river when he finally murmured, â€Å"For Alice. It’s the only thanks I can give her now for the last fifty years.† So his thoughts were in line with mine. I heard Jacob’s heavy paws thudding against the frozen ground. In seconds, he was pacing beside me, his dark eyes focused on Renesmee. I nodded to him once, then returned to my questions. There was so little time. â€Å"Edward, why do you think Alice told us to ask Eleazar about the Volturi? Has he been in Italy recently or something? What could he know?† â€Å"Eleazar knows everything when it comes to the Volturi. I forgot you didn’t know. He used to be one of them.† I hissed involuntarily. Jacob growled beside me. â€Å"What?† I demanded, in my head picturing the beautiful dark-haired man at our wedding wrapped in a long, ashy cloak. Edward’s face was softer now – he smiled a little. â€Å"Eleazar is a very gentle person. He wasn’t entirely happy with the Volturi, but he respected the law and its need to be upheld. He felt he was working toward the greater good. He doesn’t regret his time with them. But when he found Carmen, he found his place in this world. They are very similar people, both very compassionate for vampires.† He smiled again. â€Å"They met Tanya and her sisters, and they never looked back. They are well suited to this lifestyle. If they’d never found Tanya, I imagine they would have eventually discovered a way to live without human blood on their own.† The pictures in my head were jarring. I couldn’t make them match up. A compassionate Volturi soldier? Edward glanced at Jacob and answered a silent question. â€Å"No, he wasn’t one of their warriors, so to speak. He had a gift they found convenient.† Jacob must have asked the obvious follow-up question. â€Å"He has an instinctive feel for the gifts of others – the extra abilities that some vampires have,† Edward told him. â€Å"He could give Aro a general idea of what any given vampire was capable of just by being in proximity with him or her. This was helpful when the Volturi went into battle. He could warn them if someone in the opposing coven had a skill that might give them some trouble. That was rare; it takes quite a skill to even inconvenience the Volturi for a moment. More often, the warning would give Aro the chance to save someone who might be useful to him. Eleazar’s gift works even with humans, to an extent. He has to really concentrate with humans, though, because the latent ability is so nebulous. Aro would have him test the people who wanted to join, to see if they had any potential. Aro was sorry to see him go.† â€Å"They let him go?† I asked. â€Å"Just like that?† His smile was darker now, a little twisted. ‘The Volturi aren’t supposed to be the villains, the way they seem to you. They are the foundation of our peace and civilization. Each member of the guard chooses to serve them. It’s quite prestigious; they all are proud to be there, not forced to be there.† I scowled at the ground. â€Å"They’re only alleged to be heinous and evil by the criminals, Bella.† â€Å"We’re not criminals.† Jacob huffed in agreement. â€Å"They don’t know that.† â€Å"Do you really think we can make them stop and listen?† Edward hesitated just the tiniest moment and then shrugged. â€Å"If we find enough friends to stand beside us. Maybe.† If. I suddenly felt the urgency of what we had before us today. Edward and I both started to move faster, breaking into a run. Jacob caught up quickly. â€Å"Tanya shouldn’t be too much longer,† Edward said. â€Å"We need to be ready.† How to be ready, though? We arranged and rearranged, thought and rethought. Renesmee in full view? Or hidden at first? Jacob in the room? Or outside? He’d told his pack to stay close but invisible. Should he do the same? In the end, Renesmee, Jacob – in his human form again – and I waited around the corner from the front door in the dining room, sitting at the big polished table. Jacob let me hold Renesmee; he wanted space in case he had to phase quickly. Though I was glad to have her in my arms, it made me feel useless. It reminded me that in a fight with mature vampires, I was no more than an easy target; I didn’t need my hands free. I tried to remember Tanya, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar from the wedding. Their faces were murky in my ill-lit memories. I only knew they were beautiful, two blondes and two brunettes. I couldn’t remember if there was any kindness in their eyes. Edward leaned motionlessly against the back window wall, staring toward the front door. It didn’t look like he was seeing the room in front of him. We listened to the cars zooming past out on the freeway, none of them slowing. Renesmee nestled into my neck, her hand against my cheek but no images in my head. She didn’t have pictures for her feelings now. â€Å"What if they don’t like me?† she whispered, and all our eyes flashed to her face. â€Å"Of course they’ll – ,† Jacob started to say, but I silenced him with a look. ‘They don’t understand you, Renesmee, because they’ve never met anyone like you,† I told her, not wanting to lie to her with promises that might not come true. â€Å"Getting them to understand is the problem.† She sighed, and in my head flashed pictures of all of us in one quick burst. Vampire, human, werewolf. She fit nowhere. â€Å"You’re special, that’s not a bad thing.† She shook her head in disagreement. She thought of our strained faces and said, â€Å"This is my fault.† â€Å"No,† Jacob, Edward, and I all said at exactly the same time, but before we could argue further, we heard the sound we’d been waiting for: the slowing of an engine on the freeway, the tires moving from pavement to soft dirt. Edward darted around the corner to stand waiting by the door. Renesmee hid in my hair. Jacob and I stared at each other across the table, desperation on our faces. The car moved quickly through the woods, faster than Charlie or Sue drove. We heard it pull into the meadow and stop by the front porch. Four doors opened and closed. They didn’t speak as they approached the door. Edward opened it before they could knock. â€Å"Edward!† a female voice enthused. â€Å"Hello, Tanya. Kate, Eleazar, Carmen.† Three murmured hellos. â€Å"Carlisle said he needed to talk to us right away,† the first voice said, Tanya. I could hear that they all were still outside. I imagined Edward in the doorway, blocking their entrance. â€Å"What’s the problem? Trouble with the werewolves?† Jacob rolled his eyes. â€Å"No,† Edward said. â€Å"Our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever.† A woman chuckled. â€Å"Aren’t you going to invite us in?† Tanya asked. And then she continued without waiting for an answer. â€Å"Where’s Carlisle?† â€Å"Carlisle had to leave.† There was a short silence. â€Å"What’s going on, Edward?† Tanya demanded. â€Å"If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes,† he answered. â€Å"I have something difficult to explain, and I’ll need you to be open-minded until you understand.† â€Å"Is Carlisle all right?† a male voice asked anxiously. Eleazar. â€Å"None of us is all right, Eleazar,† Edward said, and then he patted something, maybe Eleazar’s shoulder. â€Å"But physically, Carlisle is fine.† â€Å"Physically?† Tanya asked sharply. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"I mean that my entire family is in very grave danger. But before I explain, I ask for your promise. Listen to everything I say before you react. I am begging you to hear me out.† A longer silence greeted his request. Through the strained hush, Jacob and I stared wordlessly at each other. His russet lips paled. â€Å"We’re listening,† Tanya finally said. â€Å"We will hear it all before we judge.† â€Å"Thank you, Tanya,† Edward said fervently. â€Å"We wouldn’t involve you in this if we had any other choice.† Edward moved. We heard four sets of footsteps walk through the doorway. Someone sniffed. â€Å"I knew those werewolves were involved,† Tanya muttered. â€Å"Yes, and they’re on our side. Again.† The reminder silenced Tanya. â€Å"Where’s your Bella?† one of the other female voices asked. â€Å"How is she?† â€Å"She’ll join us shortly. She’s well, thank you. She’s taken to immortality with amazing finesse.† â€Å"Tell us about the danger, Edward,† Tanya said quietly. â€Å"We’ll listen, and we’ll be on your side, where we belong.† Edward took a deep breath. â€Å"I’d like you to witness for yourselves first. Listen – in the other room. What do you hear?† It was quiet, and then there was movement. â€Å"Just listen first, please,† Edward said. â€Å"A werewolf, I assume. I can hear his heart,† Tanya said. â€Å"What else?† Edward asked. There was a pause. â€Å"What is that thrumming?† Kate or Carmen asked. â€Å"Is that†¦ some kind of a bird?† â€Å"No, but remember what you’re hearing. Now, what do you smell? Besides the werewolf.† â€Å"Is there a human here?† Eleazar whispered. â€Å"No,† Tanya disagreed. â€Å"It’s not human†¦ but†¦ closer to human than the rest of the scents here. What is that, Edward? I don’t think I’ve ever smelled that fragrance before.† â€Å"You most certainly have not, Tanya. Please, please remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconceived notions.† â€Å"I promised you I would listen, Edward.† â€Å"All right, then. Bella? Bring out Renesmee, please.† My legs felt strangely numb, but I knew that feeling was all in my head. I forced myself not to hold back, not to move sluggishly, as I got to my feet and walked the few short feet to the corner. The heat from Jacob’s body flamed close behind me as he shadowed my steps. I took one step into the bigger room and then froze, unable to force myself farther forward. Renesmee took a deep breath and then peeped out from under my hair, her little shoulders tight, expecting a rebuff. I thought I’d prepared myself for their reaction. For accusations, for shouting, for the motionlessness of deep stress. Tanya skittered back four steps, her strawberry curls quivering, like a human confronted by a venomous snake. Kate jumped back all the way to the front door and braced herself against the wall there. A shocked hiss came from between her clenched teeth. Eleazar threw himself in front of Carmen in a protective crouch. â€Å"Oh please† I heard Jacob complain under his breath. Edward put his arm around Renesmee and me. â€Å"You promised to listen,† he reminded them. â€Å"Some things cannot be heard!† Tanya exclaimed. â€Å"How could you, Edward? Do you not know what this means?† â€Å"We have to get out of here,† Kate said anxiously, her hand on the doorknob. â€Å"Edward †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eleazar seemed beyond words. â€Å"Wait,† Edward said, his voice harder now. â€Å"Remember what you hear, what you smell. Renesmee is not what you think she is.† â€Å"There are no exceptions to this rule, Edward,† Tanya snapped back. â€Å"Tanya,† Edward said sharply, â€Å"you can hear her heartbeat! Stop and think about what that means.† â€Å"Her heartbeat?† Carmen whispered, peering around Eleazar’s shoulder. â€Å"She’s not a full vampire child,† Edward answered, directing his attention toward Carmen’s less hostile expression. â€Å"She is half-human.† The four vampires stared at him like he was speaking a language none of them knew. â€Å"Hear me.† Edward’s voice shifted into a smooth velvet tone of persuasion. â€Å"Renesmee is one of a kind. I am her father. Not her creator – her biological father.† Tanya’s head was shaking, just a tiny movement. She didn’t seem aware of it. â€Å"Edward, you can’t expect us to – ,† Eleazar started to say. â€Å"Tell me another explanation that fits, Eleazar. You can feel the warmth of her body in the air. Blood runs in her veins, Eleazar. You can smell it.† â€Å"How?† Kate breathed. â€Å"Bella is her biological mother,† Edward told her. â€Å"She conceived, carried, and gave birth to Renesmee while she was still human. It nearly killed her. I was hard-pressed to get enough venom into her heart to save her.† Tve never heard of such a thing,† Eleazar said. His shoulders were still stiff, his expression cold. â€Å"Physical relationships between vampires and humans are not common,† Edward answered, a bit of dark humor in his tone now. â€Å"Human survivors of such trysts are even less common. Wouldn’t you agree, cousins?† Both Kate and Tanya scowled at him. â€Å"Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance.† It was Carmen who responded to Edward’s words. She stepped around Eleazar, ignoring his half-articulated warning, and walked carefully to stand right in front of me. She leaned down slightly, looking carefully into Renesmee’s face. â€Å"You seem to have your mother’s eyes,† she said in a low, calm voice, â€Å"but your father’s face.† And then, as if she could not help herself, she smiled at Renesmee. Renesmee’s answering smile was dazzling. She touched my face without looking away from Carmen. She imagined touching Carmen’s face, wondering if that was okay. â€Å"Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself?† I asked Carmen. I was still too stressed to speak above a whisper. â€Å"She has a gift for explaining things.† Carmen was still smiling at Renesmee. â€Å"Do you speak, little one?† â€Å"Yes,† Renesmee answered in her trilling high soprano. All of Tanya’s family flinched at the sound of her voice except for Carmen. â€Å"But I can show you more than I can tell you.† She placed her little dimpled hand on Carmen’s cheek. Carmen stiffened like an electric shock had run through her. Eleazar was at her side in an instant, his hands on her shoulders as if to yank her away. â€Å"Wait,† Carmen said breathlessly, her unblinking eyes locked on Renesmee’s. Renesmee â€Å"showed† Carmen her explanation for a long time. Edward’s face was intent as he watched with Carmen, and I wished so much that I could hear what he heard, too. Jacob shifted his weight impatiently behind me, and I knew he was wishing the same. â€Å"What’s Nessie showing her?† he grumbled under his breath. â€Å"Everything,† Edward murmured. Another minute passed, and Renesmee dropped her hand from Carmen’s face. She smiled winningly at the stunned vampire. â€Å"She really is your daughter, isn’t she?† Carmen breathed, switching her wide topaz eyes to Edward’s face. â€Å"Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a very gifted father.† â€Å"Do you believe what she showed you?† Edward asked, his expression intense. â€Å"Without a doubt,† Carmen said simply. Eleazar’s face was rigid with distress. â€Å"Carmen!† Carmen took his hands into her own and squeezed them. â€Å"Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but truth. Let the child show you.† Carmen nudged Eleazar closer to me and then nodded at Renesmee. â€Å"Show him, mi querida† Renesmee grinned, clearly delighted with Carmen’s acceptance, and touched Eleazar lightly on the forehead. â€Å"Ay caray!†hespit, and jerked away from her. â€Å"What did she do to you?† Tanya demanded, coming closer warily. Kate crept forward, too. â€Å"She’s just trying to show you her side of the story,† Carmen told him in a soothing voice. Renesmee frowned impatiently. â€Å"Watch, please,† she commanded Eleazar. She stretched her hand out to him and then left a few inches between her fingers and his face, waiting. Eleazar eyed her suspiciously and then glanced at Carmen for help. She nodded encouragingly. Eleazar took a deep breath and then leaned closer until his forehead touched her hand again. He shuddered when it began but held still this time, his eyes closed in concentration. â€Å"Ahh,† he sighed when his eyes reopened a few minutes later. â€Å"I see.† Renesmee smiled at him. He hesitated, then smiled a slightly unwilling smile in response. â€Å"Eleazar?† Tanya asked. â€Å"It’s all true, Tanya. This is no immortal child. She’s half-human. Come. See for yourself.† In silence, Tanya took her turn standing warily before me, and then Kate, both showing shock as that first image hit them with Renesmee’s touch. But then, just like Carmen and Eleazar, they seemed completely won over as soon as it was done. I shot a glance at Edward’s smooth face, wondering if it could really be so easy. His golden eyes were clear, unshadowed. There was no deception in this, then. â€Å"Thank you for listening,† he said quietly. â€Å"But there is the grave danger you warned us of,† Tanya said. â€Å"Not directly from this child, I see, but surely from the Volturi, then. How did they find out about her? When are they coming?† I was not surprised at her quick understanding. After all, what could possibly be a threat to a family as strong as mine? Only the Volturi. â€Å"When Bella saw Irina that day in the mountains,† Edward explained, â€Å"she had Renesmee with her.† Kate hissed, her eyes narrowing to slits, â€Å"irina did this? To you? To Carlisle? Irina?† â€Å"No,† Tanya whispered. â€Å"Someone else †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Alice saw her go to them,† Edward said. I wondered if the others noticed the way he winced just slightly when he spoke Alice’s name. â€Å"How could she do this thing?† Eleazar asked of no one. ‘Imagine if you had seen Renesmee only from a distance. If you had not waited for our explanation.† Tanya’s eyes tightened. â€Å"No matter what she thought†¦ You are our family.† â€Å"There’s nothing we can do about Irina’s choice now. It’s too late. Alice gave us a month.† Both Tanya’s and Eleazar’s heads cocked to one side. Kate’s brow furrowed. â€Å"So long?† Eleazar asked. â€Å"They are all coming. That must take some preparation.† Eleazar gasped. â€Å"The entire guard?† â€Å"Not just the guard,† Edward said, his jaw straining tight. â€Å"Aro, Caius, Marcus. Even the wives.† Shock glazed over all their eyes. â€Å"Impossible,† Eleazar said blankly. â€Å"I would have said the same two days ago,† Edward said. Eleazar scowled, and when he spoke it was nearly a growl. â€Å"But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would they put themselves and the wives in danger?† â€Å"It doesn’t make sense from that angle. Alice said there was more to this than just punishment for what they think we’ve done. She thought you could help us.† â€Å"More than punishment? But what else is there?† Eleazar started pacing, stalking toward the door and back again as if he were alone here, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the floor. â€Å"Where are the others, Edward? Carlisle and Alice and the rest?† Tanya asked. Edward’s hesitation was almost unnoticeable. He answered only part of her question. â€Å"Looking for friends who might help us.† Tanya leaned toward him, holding her hands out in front of her. â€Å"Edward, no matter how many friends you gather, we can’t help you win. We can only die with you. You must know that. Of course, perhaps the four of us deserve that after what Irina has done now, after how we’ve failed you in the past – for her sake that time as well.† Edward shook his head quickly. â€Å"We’re not asking you to fight and die with us, Tanya. You know Carlisle would never ask for that.† â€Å"Then what, Edward?† â€Å"We’re just looking for witnesses. If we can make them pause, just for a moment. If they would let us explain †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He touched Renesmee’s cheek; she grabbed his hand and held it pressed against her skin. â€Å"It’s difficult to doubt our story when you see it for yourself.† Tanya nodded slowly. â€Å"Do you think her past will matter to them so much?† â€Å"Only as it foreshadows her future. The point of the restriction was to protect us from exposure, from the excesses of children who could not be tamed.† â€Å"I’m not dangerous at all,† Renesmee interjected. I listened to her high, clear voice with new ears, imagining how she sounded to the others. â€Å"I never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like my Jacob.† She dropped Edward’s hand to reach back and pat Jacob’s arm. Tanya and Kate exchanged a quick glance. â€Å"If Irina had not come so soon,† Edward mused, â€Å"we could have avoided all of this. Renesmee grows at an unprecedented rate. By the time the month is past, shell have gained another half year of development.† â€Å"Well, that is something we can certainly witness,† Carmen said in a decided tone. â€Å"We’ll be able to promise that we’ve seen her mature ourselves. How could the Volturi ignore such evidence?† Eleazar mumbled, â€Å"How, indeed?† but he did not look up, and he continued pacing as if he were paying no attention at all. â€Å"Yes, we can witness for you,† Tanya said. â€Å"Certainly that much. We will consider what more we might do.† â€Å"Tanya,† Edward protested, hearing more in her thoughts than there was in her words, â€Å"we don’t expect you to fight with us.† â€Å"If the Volturi won’t pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by,† Tanya insisted. â€Å"Of course, I should only speak for myself.† Kate snorted. â€Å"Do you really doubt me so much, sister?† Tanya smiled widely at her. â€Å"It is a suicide mission, after all.† Kate flashed a grin back and then shrugged nonchalantly. â€Å"I’m in.† â€Å"I, too, will do what I can to protect the child,† Carmen agreed. Then, as if she couldn’t resist, she held her arms out toward Renesmee. â€Å"May I hold you, bebe linda?† Renesmee reached eagerly toward Carmen, delighted with her new friend. Carmen hugged her close, murmuring to her in Spanish. It was like it had been with Charlie, and before that with all the Cullens. Renesmee was irresistible. What was it about her that drew everyone to her, that made them willing even to pledge their lives in her defense? For a moment I thought that maybe what we were attempting might be possible. Maybe Renesmee could do the impossible and win over our enemies as she had our friends. And then I remembered that Alice had left us, and my hope vanished as quickly as it had appeared. How to cite The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 30. Irresistible, Essay examples

“The Stalwart Tree” free essay sample

One of the most regrettable occasions of my life occurred in Seoul, Korea, in Samsung Hospital’s Room 307. I had flown home for Christmas break. Winter—its chill was everywhere—ruled everything: the outside, my emotions, my ailing Grandpa’s life. On the day my family visited Grandpa in the hospital, the icy wind blew right through our coats. Grandpa had been suffering from lung cancer for three years, and I had been forewarned by my mother that his health condition had been sharply worsening for the last two months. This was the first time I had seen him after his health condition grew worse. The very thin old man in the adjustable bed had no hair and no fingernails. He must have lost at least fifty pounds because of the intensive anti-cancer treatments he had been going through. The previous summer, when I saw him before returning to America, he looked strong enough, but he could have fooled me. We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"The Stalwart Tree† or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Grandpa had a radiant personality, and though he was suffering from pain, he pretended not to be sick in front of us. He always told us he was doing well and that he felt fine. I can still remember the image of my strong and vibrant grandfather; the man in the bed was not him. It hurt me too much to look at his face. I could not even look in his direction. If I were to look in his face and talk to him, my tears would have been unstoppable. I believed that for Grandpa to see my emotions leaking through my eyes in large teardrops would only have filled him with sorrow. To be honest, my opinion of Grandpa is strongly biased in that I considered him the most generous and thoughtful grandfather on Earth. I suppose I pictured him as a stalwart tree, forever giving and forgiving in his love for his family. During my younger years in Korea, every weekend included a hamburger day. Grandpa lived only a few blocks away from us, and my brother and I would walk the short four blocks to that worl d famous restaurant to meet Grandpa who was waiting for us to buy hamburgers. When we grew older, my brother and I, as teenagers often do, became lazy. Instead of going to McDonald’s ourselves, our parents would go for us. They would ask us to ride along in the car, but we came up with plausible excuses, such as too much homework. Little did I realize that we had cut Grandpa out of this food circle. One of the reasons he bought us the hamburgers was so that he could see us and hug us. Although we were too immature to realize his motives, his love for us did not end. When I moved to America, he wrote encouraging letters to me and sent me fifty dollars every month. No longer can I look into Grandpa’s deep and loving eyes, but I wish I could. From that day when I last saw my grandfather alive, Room 307 has ceased to exist in just one place. That room, with all its dimmed light, hushed sounds, and rubbing alcohol smell, has taken up a permanent residence within me. Sometim es I open that door, and when I do, my eyes become damp and sting with tears. Then the regrets come: I regret that I barely looked at his face and that I did not hug him as much as I should have. No, I did not talk with him nearly enough. No, I did not give enough of myself. All of these are regrets for me, especially when I think back that Grandpa never forgot his grandchildren, making sure that we received our allowance from him until the day he died.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker A Literary Analysis Essay Example

The Color Purple by Alice Walker: A Literary Analysis Essay The novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a ground-breaking work in American fiction. The topic of emotional/physical abuse, especially that endured by black American women of earlier generations is not openly spoken about or documented in history books. By bringing focus to this sensitive, yet saddening, experience of black women, the novel attracted criticism, censorship and controversy. A careful study of the novel will reveal several themes, symbols and motifs woven-in by the author. This essay will confine itself to highlighting some of the major themes such as the representation (or lack thereof) of God, the interpretation of the color purple that is the title of the work, the symbolic value of the epistolary element in the novel, etc. One of the prominent themes of the novel is the degree of suppression of the female African voice in early twentieth century American society. This is most evident from the events and circumstances in the life of the protagonist of the story, Celie. During her adolescent years, she was repeatedly raped and sweared at by her stepfather. She even bears his child through the whole term, after which the child is taken away and presumably killed by her stepfather. The oppression and disparaging attitude exhibited by her stepfather is obvious in the following passage: â€Å"Well, next time you come you can look at her. She ugly. Don’t even look like she kin to Nettie. But she’ll make the better wife. She aint smart either, and I’ll just be fair, you have to watch her or she’ll give away everything you own. But she can work like a man.† (The Color Purple, Part 1, 1982) If this was traumatic enough, the unfolding events of her adult life are equally saddening and depressing. Her tumultuous adult life is about finding peace and calm in an existence that is constantly threatened by the abusive husband Albert, while also navigating the emotional confusion cause by her sexual attraction toward Shug. Fortuitously, though, her secret relationship with Shug serves to emancipate Celie to a degree, as she learns to act boldly and assertively like Shug. But the fact remains that the extent of abuse suffered by Celie is not only shocking but also touches the limits of individual tolerance. We will write a custom essay sample on The Color Purple by Alice Walker: A Literary Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Color Purple by Alice Walker: A Literary Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Color Purple by Alice Walker: A Literary Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Another important theme/symbol in the book is that of God, to whom Celie writes letters regularly, hoping vainly for benign divine intervention in her life. In all the doom and gloom that is Celie’s life, the notion of God offers the only consolation and hope. Celie’s letters addressed to God is also an effective literary device employed by Alice Walker. Through the course of the novel’s narrative, one can see how Celie’s interpretation of God gradually evolves. At first, her view of God is that of a powerful white male. This naive representation is a product of her personal past experiences and the structure of American society at the time. For example, she notes in one of her earlier letters: â€Å"Yeah, I say, and he give me a lynched daddy, a crazy mama, a lowdown dog of a step pa and a sister I probably won’t ever see again. Anyhow, I say, the God I been praying and writing to is a man. And act just like all the other mens I know. Trifling, forgetful and lowdown.† (The Color Purple, Part 4, 1982) But the friendship with Shug helps Celie to discard this view to a more nuanced understanding of God – one who is beyond gender, race, time or space. What Alice Walker trying to show the reader is the growing maturity and emancipation of Celie through the content of her letters. In other words, her letters reveal the evolution and stirrings of liberation within. Moreover, the letters act as powerful theological symbols, drawing upon the rich tradition of Christian epistolary. Finally, the color purple is also a thematic element in the story, for it represents the pain and suffering endured by Celie. Drawing upon the idiom ‘beaten black and blue’, purple stands for the color of clotted blood. It is also a symbol of Celie’s sexual and physical violation, as she equates her private parts to this color. But as a reflection of her inner transformation, the color purple is used to represent positive things in life. This is evident in the passage where Shug remarks to Celie in a field of purple flowers thus: â€Å"You must look at all the good and acknowledge them because God placed them all on earth†. (The Color Purple, Part 2, 1982) Eggplant, which takes a hue of purple, is referred in a similar context: â€Å"When I see Sofia I don’t know why she still alive. They crack her skull, they crack her ribs. They tear her nose loose on one side. They blind her in one eye. She swole from head to foot. Her tongue the size of my arm, it stick out tween her teef like a piece of rubber. She can’t talk. And she just about the color of a eggplant.† (The Color Purple, Part 2, 1982) Work Cited: Alice Walker, The Color Purple, published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982, ISBN 0151191530.

Rebecca Nurse Essays

Rebecca Nurse Essays Rebecca Nurse Paper Rebecca Nurse Paper Essay Topic: Rebecca In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, ten teen-age girls claimed that Reverend Samuel Parris slave, Tituba and two elderly women from the town a Salem had bewitched them. In four months hundreds of people were imprisoned, 19 of whom were hanged and one was pressed to death with rock, all due to witchcraft. Two hundred and sixty years later the people of the United States became frightened that communism would strike America as it had in countries such as China and the USSR. People who were suspected of communism were brought before inquiries that were televised and were asked to sign confessions, lead by McCarthy. Senator Joseph McCarthy was anti-communist supporter who lead investigations to seek out people who had left wing sympathies. He worked on the principle of guilty until proved innocent, the opposite of methods usually worked with in a fair court system. One of the ways to get out of it was to name others. Most of the people brought before inquiries were not communists, although they may have been slightly left wing. Although they were not executed, they were prevented from ever working again. Miller wrote the play in the 1950s in America whilst this was going on. The main people who were attacked by these activities were people who worked in mass media, such as Miller himself. Miller saw a similarity between the Salem Witch trials of 1692 and the un-American activities in America in his life and wrote a play set in the Witch Trials in 1692. The main characters in the play are: Parris, a forty year old widower who was Reverend of the village; Abigail, Paris niece aged 17; Proctor, a farmer in his mid-thirties married to Elizabeth with two children; Giles Corey, eighty year old man often blamed for problems in the village; Hale, nearing forty Reverend of Beverly, a nearby town and Danforth, Deputy Governor of the village. The play begins by Parris catching a group of girls dancing in the woods and they are said to be trying to make contact with the devil. Parris accuses them of practising witchcraft. Whilst this is happening Betty and Ruth are struck down with a strange illness and witchcraft is immediately accused. John Proctor and Abigail have a conversation about their past affair and Abigail tells him that she is waiting for him every night but Proctor tells her that he is over her. Reverend Hale a specialist in witch hunting arrives and examines Betty. He questions Abigail and Tituba, Tituba admits to witchcraft to avoid hanging, they begin to name others and accuse them of consorting with the devil. Danforth arrives in town to supervise the court proceedings against the accused witches. Elizabeth encourages John to go and testify against the girls, then Mary arrives and tells Elizabeth that Abigail cried witch against her. Hale arrives and questions the Proctors about Christianity, Proctor can recite all the commandments apart from the one forbidding adultery. Elizabeth is arrested as she is accused of stabbing Abigail in the stomach, through a poppet. Francis, Corey and Proctor go to court to proclaim their wives innocence and Corey charges Putnam with making his daughter incriminate townsmen with the intention of obtaining their land, he has a witness but will not name them and so is arrested. Mary is persuaded by Proctor to tell the truth and is brought to court, but Abigail denies this and leads the other girls to act as if being witched by Mary. Proctor tells the truth about his affair with Abigail and says that Elizabeth can substantiate his claim and that she is incapable of lying. Elizabeth is brought before the court and in an effort to save her husbands name she lies for the first time in her life. By this time Mary is overcome by the hysterical cries from the girls and so joins in with them and accuses Proctor of being a witch. Hale pleads with the prisoners to save themselves and requests that Danforth pardon the accused but Danforth says that I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just. Hale asks Elizabeth to ask Proctor to save himself she agrees to see him, but promises nothing. Whilst alone she forgives him for being unfaithful believing that its partly her own fault. She did not tell him what to do but tells him to judge himself, as she cannot. Proctor does not want to die and confesses, but will not name others. He tears up his confession and Hale shouts to Elizabeth Woman plead with him! But Elizabeth refuses saying He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him! Parris was aged forty in the play, a widower and Reverend of the village. He believes that he is superior to the majority of the villagers and particularly Proctor. He feels insecure, as he is worried of losing his job and his reputation for now my ministry is at stake. In the beginning Parris does not wish the situation to get out of control but let you say nothing of witchcraft yet. His admiration for Hale is evident as soon as he arrives as he carries his heavy books for him.

Legal and economic rights of Ancient Egyptian women Essay

Legal and economic rights of Ancient Egyptian women - Essay Example Any assets she brought into the home were under her control though her husband had use of them. Any property amassed during the marriage was governed by the husband but a share of it belonged to the wife. One third of the property went to her if the marriage ended or her husband died. The ability to reproduce offspring was a crucial aspect to every ancient Egyptian woman. One who was fertile was considered to be successful in the eyes of their husbands, family, friends, and society in general. If she was sterile and could not procreate most men sought divorce. They saw raising as many children as possible as a testament to their masculinity. However, as in modern society, adoption was the way to remedy the situation of infertility. Because of the shorter life expectancy and high birth rates in ancient Egypt, there were many orphaned children who sought homes and families. As in most legal cases in Egypt, women were afforded many property rights. All private property she brought into a marriage belonged to her in the event of divorce. She was entitled to inherit one third of all property purchased during the marriage upon the death of her husband. The remaining two thirds was allotted to the children and siblings of the deceased. She also had the ability to entrust her husbands property to her children or her siblings. On the flip side, she could also exclude her children from her personal and shared property. It could be awarded to certain children and omitted from others. Egyptian women entered into all kinds of contracts: marriage, divorce, property, and even self-enslavement to name a few. The latter was actually common amongst both men and women. To enter into... The proof that Egyptian women were entitled to this legal and economic independence was acquired during the Ptolemaic period. The Greeks ruled Egypt around 300 B.C. though each had their own separate laws and social economic traditions. To this kind of notoriety comes another type that is more like infamy. Some women became famous for being convicted of crimes. An example is a woman named Nesmut who committed robberies of royal tombs. One woman fled her district to avoid paying labor on her royal estate and was incarcerated at Thebes. Then there were the prostitutes and wives that were involved in the harem conspiracy of Ramesses III-they had their ears and noses cut off. Of course, the number of women’s crimes compared to men’s crimes is significantly smaller. These women were very brazen and they felt they could be equal to men in just about any endeavor they undertake whether heroic or dastardly. The stigma of Egyptian women in public was somewhat of a mixed bag. The y were free to go out in public as they worked out in fields and workshops. It was not necessary for them to wear a veil at this time. Ramesses III stated in one inscription that he enabled women the freedom of going where they wanted without the worry of danger. Another inscription was found with a less liberating tone. It denounced women who were traveling into town and were unknown and alone. They were supposedly irreverent and free with their sexuality. Although they had the legal freedom to travel, Egyptian social customs dissuaded that notion.

The Role of Cognitive and affective conflict in early implementation Essay

The Role of Cognitive and affective conflict in early implementation of activity - based cost management - Essay Example The article is an empirical study of the problems concerning the implementation of activity-based cost management (ABCM), particularly during its introductory phase, as the new system impacts on the behavioural element in the organization. Two conflicts are apparently engendered when ABCM is newly implemented – there is the cognitive conflict and the affective conflict. The study tries to discover empirical evidence, through a survey of 56 senior managers representing as many manufacturing companies that have adopted the use of ABCM in their organizations. Through the use of regression and correlation statistics, the results of the survey are expected to yield insights into the relationship between conflict constructs and the seleted ABCM implementation factors. Through this study, the researcher hopes to gain insight into how manufacturing companies may benefit, financially and operationally, from activity-based cost management, while mitigating the adverse effects and enhanc ing the beneficial effects of behavioural considerations attendant to the change. The title is somewhat long-winded, but it does convey a good idea of the topic of the research study. It conveys the subject of how employees behave when change is introduced in an organization. It also captures the interest of the business student to know more about what activity-based cost management is and why it would result in behavioural conflict. From the point of view of managers, the title immediately hints that this study could provide useful insight into best practices in the management of change, in particular regarding activity-based cost management. The abstract is particularly well written. The dilemma addressed by the study is described in a way that could be easily understood by readers with a reasonable familiarity with business organizations. Hands-on managers

Organizational culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organizational culture - Essay Example It also focuses on ways of implementing the concept of organisational culture in its operations so as to ensure optimal performance of the organisation. Recommendations will also be given at the end so as to suggest the best possible ways that can be implemented to ensure that there is compliance between the organisational culture and its stated goals. MSD is a multinational pharmaceutical company with headquarters in USA but it operates in more than 100 countries across the globe. Particular attention is given to MSD in the Arabian Gulf region where I am currently working in the sales field. The company has more than 150  000 employees around the globe and it operates in different areas with people from different cultural backgrounds. In my own country, there are more than 300 employees and of interest is that the organisation has more than 80 years in business now. However, as going to be outlined, the organisational culture needs to be constantly refined in order to meet the changing demands of the environment. There is also need for flexibility where the workers need to be developed and trained to play a part in decision making in areas that affect them and their work. According to Brown (1998), research suggests that strong, adaptable cultures which value stakeholders and leadership, and which have a strong sense of mission are likely to be associated with high performance over a long period of time. Basically, organisational culture is a system that tries to make a distinction between one organisation from the other and there are various definitions of organisational culture that have been developed over the years. â€Å"Organisational culture refers to a system of shared assumptions held by members which distinguishes one organisation from the other,† (Werner 2003: 25). In the case of MSD, it can be noted that there are no espoused values that are clearly stated by the

International Accounting Developments in Egypt

International Accounting Developments in Egypt Identify the nature of the accounting system used in the country and give supporting evidence to justify the reasons for your decision. As a country, Egypt has experienced a dramatic change towards democracy and transparency. This has further been exposed within the financial statements produced in the country. Through the development of the Egyptian Accounting Standards, the country has transformed from a centralised economy, branded by secrecy to an economy based around the global market, providing full disclosure for its stakeholders (Dahawy, Merino and Conover, 2002. pp. 203,204). The setting of accounting standards in Egypt since January 2016 has been a combined effort of a committee of experts from The Egyptian Society of Accountants Auditors, the Central Auditing Agency, the General Authority for Investment and the Egyptian Institute of Accountants. The Egyptian Accounting Standards follow a principle based accounting policy, like that of the IFRS. External factors have a direct influence on the financial reports of a firm, based on where it is operating. Whilst Egypt develops into a more democratic nation, t he social, economic and political factors will develop the accounting standard. As (Adela, D. 2011) states, many specialists believe this is not possible using a rules-based accounting policy, and instead these rules should reinforce a principle, rather than rending it meaningless. Explain any differences between the accounting standards/system used in the country under review and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). From 2006, the Egyptian Accounting Standards have released an entire set of Standards, with 35 of those based on the IASs. Only EAS 1, 10, 19 and 20 are the exceptions. EAS 1 focuses on the presentation of the financial statements, like that of IAS 1. The Egyptian Accounting Standard requires the distribution of profits to employees and board of the directors to decrease the retained earnings directly, without effecting the income figure in the income statement. This has an immediate effect on the Earnings per Share calculation. EAS 10, fixed assets and depreciation, shows a distinct difference to IAS 16. EAS 10 prevents the re-evaluation of a fixed asset, unless the situation is one approved by the Egyptian law. Under IAS 16, the asset is carried at a revalued amount, being the fair value at that date less depreciation and impairment, thus providing a fair value that can be measured reliably (Iasplus.com, n.d.). EAS 19 emphases the disclosure in the financial statements. It necessit ates that the accumulation of general provisions for loans, is fashioned through a decrease of income in the income statement, rather that the IFRS 7 requirement of decreasing the sum from owners equity. Although EAS 10 does not directly affect the owners equity, as net income is included in calculating the owners equity, a reduction in income would in effect reduce the owners equity. One substantial change that does occur for the business through the difference is that of the profit margin. EAS 20 surrounds a companys use of leasing. The requirement of the Egyptian Accounting Standard is that while the asset is leased, the lessor must keep the asset in their accounting books, and will depreciate it whilst the lessee reports the rental payments as expenses, contradicting the requirements of IAS 17 where leased assets are treated in the balance sheet as a receivable, at an amount equal to the total investment in the lease (Iasplus.com, n.d.). Critically discuss whether you believe these differences cause major issues from the viewpoint of global stakeholders. Global stakeholders, such as World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have had a major influence on the Egyptian economy since 1991, when an economic reform was launched by the government (Khlif and Samaha, 2013). Since taking an interest in Egypt, major stakeholders such as WB and IMF have pressured Egypt towards adopting the International Accounting Standards, assuring that the application and implementations of the accounting standards are necessary to the confidence of external investors supplying the economy with funding (reference). To an extent, with the exception of four standards, the EAS has been built on this influence, developing on the International standards and applying the standards suitable to the Egyptian environment. The difference in EAS 1 to that of IAS 1 directly effects the earnings per share of the company. This could cause confusion for foreign investors, expecting that the company is in a significantly healthier position, as the earnings per share is o ften used as a tool to evaluate a companys profitability. Revaluation of fixed assets allows investors and the business to accurately view the true market value of a fixed asset. The difference between EAS 10 and IAS 16 could cause a difficulty to foreign investors in evaluating the true value of a companys assets. Without re-evaluating these assets, a companys financial reports will show their fixed assets as a much higher amount than their assets are currently worth in the market. This is especially true for technology based fixed assets which have a rapid decrease in value over time. A higher fixed asset amount causes difficulty in calculating a companys true net assets as well as the companys fixed asset turnover ratio. The main concern for stakeholders through the differences of EAS 19 and IFRS 7 would be the effect on the profit margins of the company. The profit margin of a company is calculated as net income divided by sales. With EAS 19 reducing income from the accumulation of general provisions for loans the numerator of the equation will reduce, causing the business to appear less profitable, discouraging foreign investors. EAS 20, unlike EAS 1,10 and 19, can give confidence in the financial reports to stakeholders. Unlike IAS 17, under EAS 20, a leased asset remains in the financial reports of the lessor, allowing a clearer understanding to stakeholders the value of the assets and liabilities of the company. As a developing country, Egypt had a lack of alternative information sources for investors, such as earnings forecasts, since the introduction of the standards in Egypt, this information has become easier to obtain (Ragab and Omran, 2006). These differences in standards hasnt been the only difficulty for the view of foreign investors, (Salem. 2001. p.112) has also described the difficulty caused through the existence of multiple descriptions of the accounting standards, provided by the ECM, CAA and Egyptian accounting profession, forcing invest ors rely on their intuitiveness, rather than the information provided in the financial reports of Egyptian organisations. Evaluate whether the current position, and any near future changes are likely to lead to issues regarding the country achieving full convergence with IFRS as issued by the IASB Throughout the development of the EAS, there has always been a connection to the standards of the International Accounting Standard. In 1997, the EAS was characterised of 19 standards, primarily based on that of the International Accounting Standard (Dahawy, Merino and Conover, 2002). The main concern on the standard, although stated by the EIAA that the EAS was essentially an Arabic Version of the International Accounting Standard, (Hassan. 2008) acknowledged that two interviewees stated that the translations of the standards included some mistakes, in addition (Hassan. 2008) continues to pronounce the descriptions as similar, yet do not mirror that of the IASs. An official translation of the standards arrived in 2002, with the introduction of three new standards, by the Arab Society of Certified Accountants, based in Jordan. (Carruthers, 1995) has debated that building the standards through a combined effort, these organisations have contributed further in avoiding the adoption of the IAS in Egypt. This is due to each organisation providing similar, yet slightly different descriptions for the standard allowing business managers the discretion to choose a suitable description for their desires, and not conforming to the framework provided by the IAS. As (Hassan. 2008) presented in a case study on financial reporting in Egypt, harmonisation between the EAS and IFRS would not entirely meet the needs of stakeholders, as the country has developed standards to better suit the environment in which the firms providing the reports are operating in. Although a previously centralised economy, since 1997 the Egyptian Capital Market set laws to ensure to legally enforce that joint stock companies and partnerships limited by shares that their financial statements must be in harmony with the standards set by the IAS. While there is some harmony between the two accounting standards, (Hassan. 2008) clarifies in his findings that the Egyptian Accounting Standards were designed solely to overcome the pre-existing socialist accounting practises, whilst also increasing the adherence to the process of privatisation. Full convergence is a very difficult task due to political, economic, social and cultural factors that differ between each country. One possible route for the country to obtain this convergence would be to follow the FASB in the creation of the Memorandum of Understanding (Fasb.org,2014) and work together with the IASB to rather than trying to eliminate the differences between the standard develop a new common standard, to improve the quality of the financial reporting. References Adela, D 2011, Principles- and rules-based accounting debate. implications for an emergent country, Annals Of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 20, 1, pp. 602-608, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost. Alexander, D. and Jermakowicz, E. (2006). A true and fair view of the principles/rules debate. Abacus, 42(2), pp.132-164. Carruthers, B. (1995). Accounting, ambiguity, and the new institutionalism. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 20(4), pp.313-328. Dahawy, K., Merino, B. and Conover, T. (2002). The conflict between IAS disclosure requirements and the secretive culture in Egypt. Advances in International Accounting, 15, pp.203-228. Dahawy, K., Shehata, N. and Ransopher, T. (2011). The State of Accounting in Egypt: A Case. pp.2-8. Iasplus.com. (n.d.). IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment. [online] Available at: https://www.iasplus.com/en/standards/ias/ias16 [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017]. Iasplus.com. (n.d.). IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment. [online] Available at: https://www.iasplus.com/en/standards/ias/ias16 [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017]. Kamal Hassan, M. (2008). The development of accounting regulations in Egypt. Managerial Auditing Journal, 23(5), pp.467-484. Khlif, H. and Samaha, K. (2013). Internal Control Quality, Egyptian Standards on Auditing and External Audit Delays: Evidence from the Egyptian Stock Exchange. International Journal of Auditing, 18(2), pp.139-154. Mostafa Kamal Hassan, (2008) Financial accounting regulations and organizational change: a Habermasian perspective, Journal of Accounting Organizational Change, Vol. 4 Iss: 3, pp.289 317 Ragab, A. and Omran, M. (2006). Accounting information, value relevance, and investors behavior in the Egyptian equity market. Review of Accounting and Finance, 5(3), pp.279-297. Salem, A.K. (2001). The role of financial disclosure in serving the needs of investors decision-making processes under the economic liberalisation policy in Egypt. Unpublished Ph.D dissertation. Alexandria University.

Freedom of Speech & Censorship on the Internet :: social issues

Freedom of Speech & Censorship on the Internet Introduction With more and more frequency the newspapers are reporting instances of school children distributing disks of pornographic images which they have downloaded from the net and recently a university student was found to be operating such a site for material. On November 11, an Associated Press release (Phillips,1994) reported that Carnegie Mellon University had decided to block its users from accessing sexually explicit materials through the Internet: the university's president feared that the university could be prosecuted under state pornography laws if it did not control the access. Within the last week Towson State has prevented access to all of the alt.* groups on the Usenet which include alt.binaries.pictures.* which has sexually explicit pictures. Towson State has also included a warning on their home page that there may be pornographic material on the Internet. Pornographic material is not the only material to be found on the net which can raise questions of censorship and contro l: discussion of racial, political, religious and sexual topics all run the risk of offending someone, somewhere, leading to demands for control of the Internet. The question of censorship may also be raised in some unexpected places: one newsgroup is the rec.humor list, which is a collection of jokes submitted to subscribers. There are straightforwardly rude jokes but others are politically incorrect, focusing on sexual stereotypes, mothers-in-law, women and so on. It has been suggested (Interpersonal Computing and Technology, 1994) that discretionary warning labels could be attached to potentially offensive material. With warning labels like those on records this may serve to whet appetites. Warning labels involve some sort of judging and then the question is raised as to who shall be the judge. The Internet is world-wide so would the First Amendment apply in Germany? The material on the Internet which is grossly offensive by any standards, such as paedophile material, is extremely difficult to find because of its small amounts. Of the 976 obscenity cases handled between 1991 and 1993 only 11 involved computer files, while 0.3% of the obscene material seized by Customs staff in 1992-93 were computer items (Cornwall, 1994). This paper considers the question of censorship on the Internet - does it exist, in what form, should it exist and what should be censored? The Internet To understand many of the questions raised an understanding of how the Internet originated is important.