Please see uploaded outline Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Please see uploaded outline - Research Paper Example These private hospitals have an added benefit of being on schedule in providing training that meets the medical requirements of the next generation. To this end, senior healthcare professionals, other than their career function as medical practitioners, have an obligation, or choice, of teaching in hospital training institutions. Private hospitals are for-profit entities with stakeholders upholding a valid expectation of getting a return on their investment. In this regard, private hospitals expect value for money. As such, senior health professionals, who wish to join these hospitals, must demonstrate a sense of unwavering commitment to their duty. In spite of the foregoing, doctors will more often than not take up teaching jobs on a part-time basis. Essentially, it is a delicate balance in how such professionals split their time and resources. As consultants, they inevitably provide services in multiple entities. The latter could be the concern of private hospitals, that such professionals are not be fully committed to meeting the obligations, objectives, and mission of private hospitals. The essence of the discussion presented here is to highlight and analyze the various predictors to this concern. Private hospitals have to lay down organizational and structural frameworks and processes that support their mission and objectives. Essentially, this calls for building sustainable and well-coordinated teams. However, senior health professionals are leaders in their own right, and have considerable leeway as to how they utilize their time and resources. A leadership initiative to establish effective working teams is a fundamental ingredient that determines the quality of medical care provided by private hospitals (Riley, Davis, Miller, Hansen, Sainfort, & Sweet, 2011). To this end, it is mandatory for the leadership to undertake deliberate initiatives to develop common values and objectives, by providing a framework where teams

Production And Operation Essay Example for Free

Production And Operation Essay 1(a). The word measure is defined as the process of approximating or estimating the magnitude of an object in relation with some units of measurement. I t usually involves the assignment of nun-negative real numbers to the subsets The term productivity is also defined as the measure of the production process output divided by the number of unit of input. For instant, labor productivity is usually measured as the ratio of the labor output per hour and input. Therefore, the quantitative aspects of the input and output are put into consideration (Christopher Voss (1984). Generally, productivity of higher education is defined in terms of how much individuals and the society as a whole are gaining from the educational sector, considering the resources that they employ. It also shows whether the system is wasteful in any way as well. The issue of productivity is looked at in two dimensions. That is, the efficiency perspective and the effectiveness perspective. Efficiency looks at the level as well as the quality of the education services obtained from the available resources. A sector that produces higher quality or greater quantity of outputs using the same resources, then it said to have improved efficiency. On the other hand, effectiveness focuses on the extent which the needs and demands of the customers are met by the providers. The stakeholders in this case include the students, local communities, faculty, the state governments and the nation at large. Therefore, it’s clear that productivity improvement is a multidimensional process which depends on the goals and missions of the particular system at hand. Under measure productivity, the general approach that is employed mostly is the development of measures of both the effectiveness and efficiency. These measures are then employed together so that productivity improvement is measured. Through the use of input and output measures, there could be either the technical efficiency ratios used to measure the physical output per unit input, or the use of economical efficiency ratios that compare and contrast the outcomes to the inputs. However, the present problems that hinder the measure of the input and the output do not make easy for the creation of these measures. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on direct measures where the resources employed by the industry are put across together with the outcome and the quality of the services. In situations where the industry produces multiple outputs, these outputs are always weighted using some criterion and then summed. b). Looking at the relationship between strategy and operations management, we first define the terms. The word strategy refers to the long term plan of actions that is designed to meet the set aims and goals. On the other hand, operations management refers to the process of ensuring that all the activities that are meant to be carried on in the industry are carried on in to achieve the set up goals and regulations. For the operation management process to be successful there has to be the long term goals that must be strategically set. These goals are the key drives of all the processes that take place in the entire industry. Therefore, the strategy used should be the one that is achievable and relevant to the operations at hand. The production management process should also be in line with the long term action plans that are set so that it will be easier to meet the set goals. The process should be handled in a formal manner in order to promote or make the whole production process easier. These set goals as well as the long term actions should be made known to the employees of the company and the public as well so that they can contribute towards the achievement of the same. For instant, in a higher education industry, they should set long term actions to produce the best students or to be the best research institutions. The goals set should be those that are achievable and the community as well as the students, the lecturers and the non teaching staff should all be informed about all these. c). The terms Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) refers to the costs that are generated due to the production of defective materials. These include those costs that are used in bridging the gap between the desired and actual service quality and products. It also consists of the costs of losses in terms of the opportunities caused by the loss of recourses that are later used to correct the defects. COPQ includes all the labor costs, the rework costs, material costs and the disposition costs. However, it does not include the detection as well as the prevention cost. For instant, in the tourism industry can have the COPQ whereby the services offered to the tourists are not to the standard due to lack of enough accommodation or workers. Hence, to rectify this, they employ more workers and build up or renovate their buildings in order to improve there services. On the other hand the term cost of quality is widely used but mostly misunderstood. It is defined as the cost of not creating a quality product or services. This cost increases every time work is redone. For instant, in the tourism industry, they incur this cost when their workers fail to offer perfect services to the tourists as they may end up being discouraged from visiting the country again. d). A toy market that is ready to sell its new products has to follow different procedures in order to reduce the time that it will re quire to sell these products. First, there will be need for a massive advertisement either in the papers, televisions and live shows so that they can inform the consumers on the products. This in tern will keep the potential customers aware of the products in a manner that they will be encouraged to purchase these products that they will need to purchase. Another main point that the toy manufacturing company should take into consideration is the quality of the toys that they produce and sell to the customers. The toys that of good quality will definitely take less time as compared to the toys of bad quality. The price of the products, that is the price which the toys are disposed at will also affect the time that the products will take in the market. Cheap or affordable products will take short time in the market as compared to the expensive products or unaffordable products. When the company that is manufacturing the toys plans the type of toys that they produce, they should take into consideration the technology at hand and the age that they are targeting. For instant, toys are basically meaningful to the young children hence should be designed in a manner that they will be attractive to the children and can be handled by them as well. This will definitely reduce the marketing time for the new products. 2). The three basic capacity expansion strategies include the process focused strategy, the repetitive focused strategy, and the product focused strategy. These are all aimed at improving the production management and control systems as a whole. Under the process focused strategy, the available facilities are organized by the process itself and all the similar processes are put together. There is also the presence of a low volume, but high variety products, as well as the presence of a jumbled flow. This strategy has its merits and demerits in general. The advantages of this strategy are: Availability of great product flexibility that ensures that the products are modified incase of any need. Availability of more general equipment that are used to handle many tasks at a time. And there is room for low capital investment thus even the poor can afford to invest in the business. The disadvantages are: Need for very highly trained personnel which expensive to higher and fire. Availability of more difficulty production planning control process that needs a lot of money to run and consumes a lot of time. And poor equipment control process hence more expense to organization since these equipments may spoil any time or get lost. Under the repetitive focused strategy, the facilities are often organized by the use of assembly lines. It is mainly characterized by the use modules which are combined for many output options (Philip E. Hicks (1919). The advantages of this strategy are that it is seen to be more structured than the process focused strategy and enables Quasi-customization. It also enjoys economical advantage of a continuous process since it makes maximum use of modules. The product focused strategy has facilities that are organized by the products (Jay Hezier (1996). There is also room for high volume, low variety products and is usually found in the discrete unit manufacturing company and the continuous process of manufacturing.The advantages of this strategy include: Lower variable costs per unit which reduce the production costs in general leading to reduction in selling prices. Availability of lower but more specialized labor skills hence production is efficient and meets the demands of the consumer. Possibility of easier production planning and control hence saves time and reduces production cost as well. And the presence of equipment utilization and maintenance. The disadvantages are: High probability of lower product flexibility Need for more specialized equipments that are expensive And need for a very high capital investment thus closes doors for the poor in the society. 3). It is not easy for the jobs to be designed as well as be incorporated in order to meet all the characteristics in the principles. However, it is important to note that jobs should form a coherent whole independently or through involving the related jobs. The whole performance of the job should ensure that there is a significant contribution to the completion the services and the products (Meric S. Gertler (2004). It should also ensure that there is provision of a variety of pace, location, method and skills that are necessary. It should also provide feedback of the performance to the other people directly. Discretion and time control should be given chance as well as the sequence and the pace of work efforts. The job should also ensure that some responsibility for outcomes is included; there is room for learning and problem solving within the competence of the individual. It should also be done in a way that it leads towards a desirable future. The individuals should be free to develop in a way that they find relevant. Job specialization is defined as the process of separation of the organizational activities into tasks that are distinct and involves the process of assigning different tasks to different people. On the other hand, job enrichment is seen as the motivation of employees by giving opportunities to them in order to range heir abilities. For instant, in an institution that deals with learning, there are different departments that deal with different things at a time. Each department has its heads that are the key decision makers. A job that is enriched has a variety of tasks as well as varying challenges in difficulties, a meaningful work, has a feedback, encouragement and good communication. Â  Job enrichment includes the process of turning the employees’ efforts into performance, links the employee’s performance to the rewards directly, and makes sure that the employees are interested in the reward. For instant, in an organization, employees who have performed well in their work are given promotions at the end of a certain period of time in order to motivate them. On the other hand, job specialization ensures that the employees are good in a particular section as compared to the other sections hence can work best when given the chance of working there. In most cases, it does not involve rewards but takes into consideration the ability of the employee and the experiences at hand (Richard B. Chase (1998). Job specialization also ensures that there is decentralization of activities and powers. Decisions here are made at the different levels depending on who is in charge of the area affected. This does not apply to the case of job enrichment since the main aim here is to motivate the employees References Richard B. Chase (1998). Production and Operation Management. McGraw-Hill College, ISBN007517102 Jay Hezier (1996). Production and Operation Management. Prentice Hall PTR, ISBN0132444844. Meric S. Gertler (2004). Manufacturing Culture: The Institutional Geography of Industrial Practice. Oxford University Press, ISBN0198233825. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge, page 484. Philip E. Hicks (1919). Industrial Engineering and Management. McGraw-Hill, ISBN0070288070. Christopher Voss (1984). Research in Production/Operations Management. Gower Pub. Co., U.S.A, ISBN 0566007592

Fifthe Business Essay -- essays papers

Fifthe Business Guilt is defined as a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime or wrong committed. Guilt is a major theme in the novel Fifth Business. Dunny has been raised in a strict Presbyterian household which has encouraged him to feel guilt about many minor things. Even though Paul was not born at the time of the snowball incident, Paul Dempster still feels guilty towards his mothers simple mindedness. Percy Boyd Stautons repressed guilt does considerable damage and ultimately recoils on himself. In Fifth Business many characters feel guilt due to the snowball incident. Dunny Ramsay feels extremely guilty because he had anticipated that Percy, with whom he had been arguing, would throw one final snowball at him before he eats dinner. He felt Mrs. Ramsay’s pain when she was crying. â€Å"I had never heard an adult cry in pain before and the sound was terrible for me.† Dunny is still very young, and most likely, he has the perception that the adults should be the strong ones. To hear Mrs. Dempster cry must have been very emotionally difficult for ...

Benedict Arnold Essay -- essays research papers fc

Benedict Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Arnold received his schooling at Canterbury. While away at school, a few of Arnold’s siblings passed away from Yellow Fever. Arnold was a troublesome kid that would try just about anything. As a 14-year-old boy, he ran away from home to fight in the French and Indian War. Later, Benedict Arnold left and returned home through the wilderness alone to work with his cousins. The army had excused him without penalty because of his young age. In 1762, when Benedict was just twenty-one years old, he went to New Haven, Connecticut where he managed a book and drug store and carried on trade with the West Indies. (B Arnold) In 1767, he married Margaret Mansfield, a daughter of a sheriff of New Haven County. They had three sons together. When the Revolutionary War was just beginning to break out, Benedict Arnold became a prosperous ship owner, merchant, and trader. Within days, Arnold became very interested in the war once again and joine d the American Army. All of the battles Arnold commanded over showed immense courage and bravery, but he was soon known as America’s greatest traitor due to his betrayal of the American’s. As the Revolutionary War broke out, Benedict Arnold decided to volunteer to head over 1,000 men up to Maine. He asked for additional men from his companies to join the army. Arnold then became a captain in the Connecticut Militia. General George Washington had his favorites, which Arnold was among the very few. So, Benedict Arnold was sent on an infernal 500 mile march to Maine by Washington, also known as "The Rock". (Macks 72) Benedict Arnold and only about fifty percent of his original soldiers made it to the St. Lawrence River where they met up with General Montgomery. Their plan was to attack the British Army by surprise in Quebec City, Canada. Both Montgomery and Arnold arranged to start on the lofty mountainsides of Quebec. Arnold and his soldiers found themselves tr apped by the British. A member of the British Army shot a musket ball directly towards Arnold’s leg. His leg was badly broken and he had to be taken to a hospital bed almost a mile away from the attack. The attack had lasted fifty days and the secret journey resulted in a catastrophe for the volunteer soldiers who marched away. The conditions were terrible. It was said that almost fifty percent of the men froze, starved... ... and the other three were from his first marriage to Margaret. His four sons then became members of the British military. America now has their first despicable traitor! Bibliography Works Cited Benedict Arnold on Lake Champlain. The Battle of Valcour Island. Online. Internet. 7 March 2000. Available: http://www.heroswelcome.com/Arnold.htm Connecticut SAR. The Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Online. Internet. 28 Feb. 2000. Available: http://www.ctssar.org/ Flynn, J. Michael. Benedict Arnold: The Traitor Who Saved America. Online. Internet. 18 March 2000. Available: http://www.magweb.com/sample/scry/sch23ben.htm Historic Valley Forge. Benedict Arnold. Online. Internet. 19 March 2000. Available: http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.html Kenneth, Dave C. "Say You Want a Revolution." Don’t Know Much About History. U.S.A: Avon Books, 1995. Liberty. Chronicle of the Revolution. Benedict Arnold’s Leg. Online. Internet. 7 March 2000. Available: http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle/ben.arnold.leg.html Mack, Stan. "Redcoats and Guerrillas." Real Life American Revolution. USA: Avon Books, 1994.

The Chrysalids Essay (How Characters React in Desperate Moments)

Characters Reactions in Moments of Desperation in The Chrysalids People react differently in moments of desperation. There are generally many different kinds of reactions towards moments of desperation in the world. Joseph Strorm and David Strorm (his son) had different reactions in moments of desperation. Joseph and his son had opposite reactions in the novel. Joseph Strorm and his son had opposite reactions in the book.Joseph Strorm reacts to deviants very seriously and without sympathy. He is also portrayed to be very religious. David Strorm on the other hand, is the only son of Joseph Strorm. He possesses a telepathic ability which is unacceptable in his community, Waknuk. David’s reactions towards deviations are quite different from his father. He makes certain decisions wisely. He is very considerate unlike his father. Joseph Storm shows no sympathy towards mutants because he believes that they are sent from the devil. In the Chrysalids, how characters react in moments o f desperation reveals insights into their true nature.Joseph Strorm’s reactions in moments of desperation show his true nature in The Chrysalids. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards David was very extreme because he was associating with a deviation. David befriends Sophie and discovered that she had six toes on each foot. David promised to keep her secret. However, when Sophie and David were fishing, another boy in the district discovered Sophie’s footprint on a rock and reveals it to everyone. Joseph Strorm becomes very angry with David and he interrogates him. â€Å"Who was this child-this blasphemy-you were with yesterday?†Joseph Strorm also beat David because he despises mutants and he believes that a mutant comes from the devil. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards David, who wished for a third hand, shows the religious views of Joseph. Joseph was mad at his son because David made a sinful statement. â€Å"You –my own son- were calling upon t he Devil to give you another hand!† Joseph Strorm took this statement very seriously which shows how serious deviants are taken. He is a very strict person and uncompassionate to his son. Joseph Strorm was so distraught with his son because of his despitefulness towards mutants. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards Aunt Harriet was embarrassing.Aunt Harriet was Joseph’s sister-in-law who bore a blasphemed child. She wanted to switch babies with her sister (Mrs. Strorm) to get a certificate for her baby. Although she  didn’t feel the same way whatsoever about her child as Joseph does. â€Å"She is not ashamed.† He uttered a lot of negative and bitter words to her. â€Å"I don’t understand how you dared to come here, to God-fearing house, with such a suggestion. Worse still, you don’t show an atom of shame or remorse.† In conclusion, Joseph Strorm is very religious and he is the only character in the novel that has the greatest disl iking towards mutants, deviations and blasphemies.David Strorm also had some reactions in moments of desperation in The Chrysalids. David Strorm’s reaction towards Aunt Harriet’s death was very frightening. David is very scared because his aunt died as a result of hiding a deviant baby. He is frightened that he might get killed if he is discovered. Therefore, he prays to God to take away his telepathic gift so he could be like every normal person. â€Å"Oh God†¦please, please let me be like the other people, on’t you make it so that I wake up in the morning, I’ll be just like everyone else, please, God please!†David Strorm’s reaction towards Anne’s marriage was shocking. Anne was part of the telepathic group who decided to get married. David was very shocked that Anne was going to marry a norm. â€Å"For one thing, the man was Alan Ervin†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He is also very frightened because she would reveal to her husband, her secret and the group’s secret. Therefore, David meets his uncle and decides to take a grave decision. He decides to kill Anne but his uncle decides to kill Alan so the group might be free.David Strorm’s reaction towards his father and the Inspector interrogating him about Sophie showed David’s loyalty for Sophie. He promised to keep her secret no matter the circumstances. Joseph Strorm shouted at his son because he knows his son was lying. David knows that his father was going to beat him. â€Å"†¦I knew too that with my father’s present mood, it would happen whether I told or not. David was beaten for hiding Sophie. In conclusion, David is a very considerate boy. He had desperate reactions in The Chrysalids, which he had to take certain decisions wisely.ConclusionIn the Chrysalids by John Wyndham, how characters react in moments of desperation reveals insights into their true nature. John Wyndham stated a lot of characters with their reactions in moments of desperation. Joseph Strorm and David Storm are part of the examples of characters in The Chrysalids that had reactions in moments of desperation. These are the two major characters in the book that had many reactions in desperate moments. Generally, everyone in the world have different reactions either good or bad towards moments of desperation. This occurs in John Wyndham’s novel, The Chrysalids.

Human Resources in a Globally Competitive Business Environment Essays

Human Resources in a Globally Competitive Business Environment Essays Human Resources in a Globally Competitive Business Environment Essay Human Resources in a Globally Competitive Business Environment Essay In Ch. 1 of our reading, â€Å"Human Resources in a Globally Competitive Business Environment† it give a depiction of what the 21st century corporation will be transformed into. Technology is the key influencer to the changes of corporations. â€Å"Many factors are driving change, but none is more important than the rise of Internet technologies† (Ch. 1). What can you do as a manager to keep your employees competitive in the 21st century business? We as managers have options on how to keep our employees competitive. The Internet has grown normal business to a global business in the 21st century. With this change in business comes change in personnel. More diverse workgroups will be forming, possible multiple locations in multiple countries. One of the most important aspects of doing business globally is being diverse and learning how to accept diversity. Training and awareness for employees is the tool that a diverse company must have. How might you respond to Challenges within changing organizational environments, from a hierarchical, departmentalized environment to an environment in which power is shared? Further in our reading of Chapter 1, it states that â€Å"make all of the people in a firm feel accountable and responsible for the operation and success of the enterprise, not just a few people in senior management. The increased sense of responsibility stimulates more initiative and effort on the part of everyone involved†. I feel that more and more companies are doing so, mine included. I urn to be included in the operations. I want to know how I can affect the performance of the company and ultimately see that difference.

College Application Essay

College Application Essay A college application essay is a subtype of a reflective essay. A  college application essay  is a subtype of a reflective essay. It is similar to reflective essays because it requires its author (i.e. the applicant) to tell the application committee about himself or   herself, describe his or her inner world, tell how a significant person or an event has impacted him or her to contributed to his growth as a personality – and do it all within 500 words or less. The five hundred words of a college application essay can make a difference in the decision process, so this is a task that has to be done right the first time. Your story should sound natural while being convincing. If you are serious, write in a serious tone; if you have a good sense of humor, insert a joke here and there – the main point is that your college application essay should sound neither too grave nor too funny. Top 3 Tips on How to Write a College Application Essay   TIP 1. Use of quotes and wise sayings is generally discouraged. Speak in your words, not someone else’s.   TIP 2. Don’t go too deep into philosophy, make your essay simple and easy to understand. TIP 3. Keep it simple. Try to use simple sentences; avoid making them too verbose and unclear. The general rule of thumb is – in your college application essay you should: write naturally; explain the process of your personal growth; tell how an event or a person has affected and changed you; how you can contribute to the teaching institution. At many competitive colleges, the college application essay is a very important part of the application process. The college application essay gives the application committee a chance to know the applicant a little better and gets insight that may not be available elsewhere on the application. COLLEGE ESSAY Yet understandably, high school students frequently have a lot of questions about the college application essay. How should I get started? What should I write about? What are colleges looking for? In what format or style should I write? We have got resources to help you answer all of those questions and to guide you through the process of putting together a great college application essay. 7 Steps You Should Take  to Write a Stunning Essay Step 1.  Be prepared Before you start the essay-writing process, learn everything you can about the college application essay. Step 2. If possible, meet with someone Schedule a meeting with your guidance counselor, if you have one, to talk about what essays you will need to write and how to approach them strategically. If you do not have a counselor, or he or she is unlikely to help with the essays, you should look at some college application (including the common application) to give yourself an idea of what you are up against. If you are thinking about hiring an outside application consultant or essay assistant, we suggest you order an essay with us, so that you can also get help with the brainstorming process. Step 3. Find a topic This is arguably the most important part of the essay-writing process. Your topic selection will say a lot about what is important to you  and will determine how meaningful, interesting, impressive, and intimate your essay can be. Step 4. Think about essay planning and essay structure Once you have got a topic, you need to decide how you are going to set up your college essay. Some of this may come as you write, but it makes sense to have a plan before you start writing. Step 5. Write your first draft Once you are ready to write and understand how you are going to approach your college application essay, the next step is to actually write. Let your creativity run the show, but do not forget about the basic principles of good writing. Put a draft down on paper and see how you do. If you are happy with it, and you have time to spare, you should probably put your college application essay in a drawer for a while and forget about it. This will help you have a fresh perspective when you are ready to revise and edit. Step 6. Revise and edit However good your first draft may have been, it should get a lot better with some serious revision. Pay attention to grammar, usage, and punctuation, of course, but do not forget to look at the content and other, more substantive, issues. If anything in your college application essay does not strike you as great, work on it until it is! Step 7.  Get some essay writing help! Whether or not you are going to use a guidance counselor or outside counseling service, you should get someone to look over your essays preferably someone who is a great writer and has some experience with the application process.

How to Connect with Book Clubs

How to Connect with Book Clubs It can be difficult to find sources that allow authors access to book clubs. Clubs often like to choose their own books. So what’s an author to do if she doesn’t have a Top 5 publisher promoting her to clubs? Here are a few proven options that use a variety of methods and budgets to reach book clubs, plus free tips if you can’t afford the cost. For Book Club Lists: Where Writers Win Shari Stauch is CEO and creator of an online marketing site for emerging writers,  Where Writers Win. The site puts authors in charge of their own marketing for a reasonable annual fee. â€Å"Winner Circle is a place where you can find a list of vetted book clubs that you may approach and pitch your book as a book club selection.† The clubs on this site are up to date and open to pitches, and a template for querying clubs is provided. Writers such as William Lobb and J.C. Sasser have used it successfully. Both were picked up Stauch is offering a discount: $20 off the first year of membership; use code VIPW20 to pay $39.95. Visit  https://writerswin.com/join-today/  to sign up/access these book club lists. And This Free Tip:  Use Twitter and Goodreads to find book club bloggers, and check in at local libraries to see if they host book clubs. Some bookstores do as well. For Book Club Giveaways and Outreach: BookClubCookbook Since 2004,  BookClubCookbook.com  has been connecting fiction and nonfiction authors and publishers with thousands of devoted book discussion group members. I used them in 2010 and spoke to several book clubs that contacted me after finding the book on the site. They’ve grown exponentially since then. â€Å"It’s a loyal community of book lovers sharing books, recipes, and ideas to spice up book club discussions. . . . . Our promotions highlight messages from authors, book tours, book club speaking availability, and offer giveaways. We also provide author recipes and book club menu ideas, and are happy to help authors select or develop recipes to accompany their promotions,† writes cofounder Judy Gelman. See opportunities for authors and publishers. For children’s, MG, and YA authors, see the KidsBookClubbing. And This Free Tip:  Include contact information on your website specifically soliciting book clubs; join Skype for long distance interviews/talks. For Book Club Advertising: AuthorBuzz For me, AuthorBuzz was invaluable for putting me directly in touch with readers, increasing my mailing list Bookmovement advertises giveaways and new releases and provides reading guides and book lists to clubs. Contact either  AuthorBuzz.com  or  KidsBuzz.com  to start your promotional package. Packages can be customized, but the basic price for reaching this large number of book clubs is $750 for â€Å"BookClubbing.† Pricey, but this site has repeat customers and has launched many bestsellers. Note KidsBuzz has lower advertising rates. See kids pricing page.   And This Free Tip:  Posting on YouTube is free. Upload a video of you reading an excerpt and include a pitch to book clubs. Finally, be sure to develop a Reader’s Guide you can upload to your site or put at the back of the book, never be pushy when contacting clubs directly, and send thank you’s if you are selected or interviewed.

Themes in Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption Essay

Themes in Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - Essay Example One major theme that unfolds in this book is about the pain and burden of imprisonment and isolation. In this novel, Stephen King has mainly centered the plot on prison life, and inmates at Shawshank Prison. The prisoners in this prison are locked up. This therefore, could be either literally or metaphorically. Stephen King shows the aspect of isolation through the way he has portrayed the prison setting. The prison is enclosed with walls, showing that the inmates were confined inside the prison, thus, were isolated, and denied freedom like that in the life outside the prison walls. The recreation yard in the prison is also enclosed, as well as the cells, where each prisoner lived (King Web). The prison environment in this novel, thus, represents a different world, where the inmates have been forced into after being removed from the free world. They therefore, are confined in the prison, with no opportunity of going back to the outside world, unless their term is over. The lack of fr eedom and alienation from the mainstream society is disheartening to most prisoners, and this has detrimental psychological effects on the prisoners. The pain of imprisonment in this book is evident in the lives of the prisoners. These are faced with multiple challenges in the prison, and therefore, these leave them with endless pain, both physically and psychologically. The prisoners by virtue of being in prison, have to encounter violent and mean people and gangs among themselves, who torture them, both physically and psychologically. The â€Å"sisters,† which is a gang in the prison tortures other inmates by abusing them sexually. On the other hand, both the experience of isolation and imprisonment make most of the prisoners believe that they are incompetent in the outside world. Experiences in the prison have derailed the inmates psychologically, and taken away their confidence and self-esteem. Although some prisoners such as Elwood Blatch want to appear like strong and hardened, deep within, these fear if they will ever fit in life outside prison, and if they will adapt to that life after serving their jail term. Red is also shown as being afraid of coping with freedom in the outside world (King Web). Additionally, Stephen King in this novel developed the theme of hope and its power. Through the different events in this book, one realizes that the author attempts to show the audience that hope is powerful. The inmates at Shawshank have every reason to give up hope, but these have not lost hope. Therefore, it is the hope that they uphold, which is responsible for their continued living and survival. Even though the inmates are faced with the burdens that come with imprisonment and isolation, these have not given up life, nor attempted to take away their life. For instance, Andy comes out as a determined person, who fights to maintain his sense of self-worth and therefore, this virtue is sufficient for him to keep at bay any extreme sense of anger and frustration, which would result from the isolation and confinement he faces in the prison. He serves as the model of an ideal man to other prisoners , and also a epitome of hope, as characterized by his spirit, which never loses hope. Hope is also portrayed when Andy progressively tunnels the concrete wall of his cell, and finally crawls out of his cell into freedom. While outside prison, Andy writes a letter to Red, and reminds him that, â€Å"

What effect does the conversation Between tuco and his brother have on Essay

What effect does the conversation Between tuco and his brother have on the moral vision of the fillm - Essay Example Within the rather unlikely matchup of the ‘good’ (Blondie) portrayed by Clint Eastwood, the ‘bad’ (Angel Eyes) for Lee Van Cleef, and the ‘ugly’ (Tuco) given to Eli Wallach, the film may be recognized of the thematic attempt to depict a moral position through the character of Tuco Ramirez. Compared to the traditional approach of signifying adventure with crime via the struggle of the good against the bad, in this setting, a neutral figure is put in the middle so as to lay a perspective of viewing the film in the light of being caught within a moral thread which Tuco himself may either opt to keep or snap knowing that his wasted life has been a far cry to that of his brother Pablo. Amidst the conspicuous desperation to hold the stolen Confederate gold worth $200,000 in acquisition, the story of â€Å"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly† is bound to confront the essence of personal transformation with reference to the role Tuco ‘the ugly’ plays. This is particularly indicated in the special scene Tuco shares with Pablo which gradually explicates how severely divergent are the separate paths they take in life leading one to become a bandit while the other a clergyman. At the onset of meeting his brother, Tuco is shown to apply an ethical mode of expressing how greatly he yearns to see and talk to Pablo. So with an overly proper conduct and gesture, he initiates â€Å"Hey Pablo, don’t you recognize me?† and claims â€Å"I don’t know the right thing, I was just passing by here; I said to myself I wonder if my brother remembers his brother.† It were as if Tuco can be felt to have temporarily gone out of his originally misc hievous self to a pleasing human outfit for the sake of delighting Pablo with his cheerful presence. On the contrary, nevertheless, the brother chooses to exercise his priesthood for the thief to be brought to a sense of remorse over the demise of their parents stating

Managing stress among employees in an outpatient setting Research Paper

Managing stress among employees in an outpatient setting - Research Paper Example At the same time, the effectiveness of the changes being implemented need to be determined at regular intervals. It is identified that the negligence of evaluation phases causes the breakdown of implemented changes. This paper will discuss various strategies and techniques that can be effectively employed in evaluating the impacts of the introduced changes among employees in out-patient settings. There are three evaluation phases that are scientifically designed for program evaluation; formative evaluation, summative evaluation, and impact evaluation. The formative evaluation phase continuously acquires information regarding the introduced program in order to amplify the performance. According to Lytras, Carroll, Damiani, Tennyson, Avison, Vossen, and Pablos (2008), in summative evaluation phase, the outcomes of the project are assessed; and from those results, the project managers analyze the impact of the outcome on its actual beneficiaries; the shareholders (p.672). On the other h and, impact evaluation phase focuses on the larger group of beneficiaries over a long period of time. Here we can use formative evaluation and summative evaluation techniques for the determination of the effectiveness of the introduced organizational change in an out-patient setting. ... Similarly, it is suggestible for the project management team to assess the effectiveness of the change by considering its impacts on those employees who were affected by stress. It can be achieved by comparing the individuals’ level of performance prior to and after the implementation of the program. Their new ways of working behavior both as individuals and as team need to be evaluated for knowing whether the change takes a positive effect on them or not. This process of change management is termed as change curve which can be used for assessing the impacts of the implemented measures (Change management: Making organization change happen effectively, n.d.). It is important to evaluate the extent to which the measures being implemented are accepted by the workers and whether the measures are effective in helping employees to bring out their potential completely toward the work undertaken. It would be better to assess the rate of absenteeism before and after the execution of th e strategies. The record of employees’ medical leave would reflect the effectiveness of stress management measures, because stress- free life offers physical as well as mental stability. At the same time, the finest way is to judge how effectively employees involve in work and how well this is being reflected in their performance. It is better to evaluate the workers’ contribution towards the development of the organization as a whole. An efficient supervisor would assist the management to evaluate the individual performance frequently. The status of the organization also reflects the impacts of organizational change. To illustrate, it is essential to analyze the impact of the program on the economic interests of the shareholders. In addition, the progress of the organization and its stature

Looking over the varied strands of the American Women's Movement, Essay

Looking over the varied strands of the American Women's Movement, which approaches do you believe were the most successful, an - Essay Example Such movement’s priorities vary among the feminine from one region, nation, state, and continent. Feminine movement began in the western world in the early centuries and took on various forms. The initial form involved and addressed the issues concerning political equality and suffrage; the second form, partly arising because of the civil right’s movement provided forum for addressing and combating private issues such as sexuality, role in society, childcare considerations for working mothers, power inequality, social and cultural inequalities. The third form involved the rejuvenation of women influence in politics. All the issues spearheaded involve of are focused on women’s issues, and such movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equality in terms of the issues addressed. Feminine movements are always geared towards women empowerment and liberation by breaking the ties that bind and suppress their efforts (Macpherson, p.7). Successful approache s The American women movement succeeded in addressing numerous issues that were tying down the efforts of most of the women population in the past years. There were various approaches which pioneered and addressed such issues of ethnicity, regional differences, class, gender, and the transition from radical to electoral politics. Antislavery (Abolitionism) This was the first abolition movement of the American women, which was used for the campaigns to end slavery. The slavery had been in America since the colonial times, and slaves came to America because of the transatlantic trade between the oceanic countries and both the North and South America. The slaves were subjected to hard labor and harsh treatment from their masters and the foremen chosen to supervise their work. Such conditions prompted the formation of antislavery societies whose main agenda was to abolish the existence of slavery and the entire treatment of other persons as slaves. The antislavery society encountered ha rsh conditions and treatment from the slaveholders, who owned and treated slaves unfairly. The approach of abolitionism was successful because it resulted into the freeing of slaves, slave trade was stopped, slavery abolition Act was formed, and most of the enslaved population enjoyed their freedom rights. They started schools and libraries for the free blacks. (Schomp, p.12). Lobbying This refers to influencing the decisions made by government officials by other individuals, legislators, constituents, and other advocacy groups. It is a form of advocacy that is aimed at influencing the government on certain matters that concern a group of individuals or the entire society. The civil rights movement was concerned with the fight for equality Reform movements They were organized to carry out specific reforms in certain areas by changing elements of the system for the better. These were usually organized by reformist American women. Examples include the civil rights movement, women libe ration among other approaches. The civil movement addressed issues pertaining the equality of women in terms of political rights. This resulted in majority of the women gaining political mileage and having a voice within the system that was

Prime Minister's Question Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Prime Minister's Question Time - Essay Example he tasked the prime minister to respond to whether his government will remain on record from 1920 as the only government that left the economic conditions of the citizens worse than he found them. In his response, he refuted the claims that the economic levels of the overall citizens were deteriorating rather citing the record from International Monetary Fund (IMF) that signifies that Britains economic growth was on the rise. the records from IMF also signified that employment levels were on the increase again according to the response by the prime minister. from the 2010 manifestation of providing better life conditions. growth, jobs, and wages are increasing despite inflation. he refuted the issue of failing to attain economic growth through arguing that women employment and the youths employment levels are on the increase. From the Prime Ministers point of view, the energy policy and minimum wage policy are dangerous and will preset negative shifts of the within the economy. tax c uts that the government is providing is not only ensuring life is fair for the low income earners but also reducing the government reduction. Reduction of public spending and ensuring appropriate tax reports remain among the significant achievements leading to economic growth. He dismissed the idea of increasing minimum wage arguing that it will influence inflation and that focusing on overall economic growth is the essential factor. He disagreed with the idea of reducing the amount spent on defense to 2% of GDP arguing defense was a crucial factor within the growth of an economy. after the establishment of the inquiry committee six years the opposition accused the government of failing to table a report or focus on means of delivering the inquiry report of UKs involvement in the war in Iran. Cameron accused the opposition for voting

Looking over the varied strands of the American Women's Movement, Essay

Looking over the varied strands of the American Women's Movement, which approaches do you believe were the most successful, an - Essay Example Such movement’s priorities vary among the feminine from one region, nation, state, and continent. Feminine movement began in the western world in the early centuries and took on various forms. The initial form involved and addressed the issues concerning political equality and suffrage; the second form, partly arising because of the civil right’s movement provided forum for addressing and combating private issues such as sexuality, role in society, childcare considerations for working mothers, power inequality, social and cultural inequalities. The third form involved the rejuvenation of women influence in politics. All the issues spearheaded involve of are focused on women’s issues, and such movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equality in terms of the issues addressed. Feminine movements are always geared towards women empowerment and liberation by breaking the ties that bind and suppress their efforts (Macpherson, p.7). Successful approache s The American women movement succeeded in addressing numerous issues that were tying down the efforts of most of the women population in the past years. There were various approaches which pioneered and addressed such issues of ethnicity, regional differences, class, gender, and the transition from radical to electoral politics. Antislavery (Abolitionism) This was the first abolition movement of the American women, which was used for the campaigns to end slavery. The slavery had been in America since the colonial times, and slaves came to America because of the transatlantic trade between the oceanic countries and both the North and South America. The slaves were subjected to hard labor and harsh treatment from their masters and the foremen chosen to supervise their work. Such conditions prompted the formation of antislavery societies whose main agenda was to abolish the existence of slavery and the entire treatment of other persons as slaves. The antislavery society encountered ha rsh conditions and treatment from the slaveholders, who owned and treated slaves unfairly. The approach of abolitionism was successful because it resulted into the freeing of slaves, slave trade was stopped, slavery abolition Act was formed, and most of the enslaved population enjoyed their freedom rights. They started schools and libraries for the free blacks. (Schomp, p.12). Lobbying This refers to influencing the decisions made by government officials by other individuals, legislators, constituents, and other advocacy groups. It is a form of advocacy that is aimed at influencing the government on certain matters that concern a group of individuals or the entire society. The civil rights movement was concerned with the fight for equality Reform movements They were organized to carry out specific reforms in certain areas by changing elements of the system for the better. These were usually organized by reformist American women. Examples include the civil rights movement, women libe ration among other approaches. The civil movement addressed issues pertaining the equality of women in terms of political rights. This resulted in majority of the women gaining political mileage and having a voice within the system that was

Database Test Plan of NFRCentralDatabase Coursework

Database Test Plan of NFRCentralDatabase - Coursework Example This here is the test plan to be used to test the NFRCentralDatabase. The NFRCentralDatabase is used by the New Forest Retreat Hotel Management System to manage the daily operation of the hotel and its various departments, as well as to generate reports which are used by the administrators of the hotel to perform various functions. The system uses other databases for instance, the database that keep the employee information and data. However, the test will not be on those databases but the NFRCentralDatabase which holds most of the business function data. The other databases would be tested but they are out of this scope of test. It is not always to have all the information required for a testing plan. This is because most of the users or clients are not techno savvy. Therefore, there needs to be time to take them through the process and to train them on what is required. While designing the test plan, I assume that as the designer I know all about the hotel management system the resort is using and all the activities the resort is involved in. this is not possible because the resort has a lot of departments and keeping tabs on all of them is not possible. The system itself has to be maintained from time to time in order to incorporate additional functionality. Justification of the Testing Plan This strategy of testing the database is very important because it reveals all the problems that the system may have and be corrected before the system is actually rolled out for use. It involves a business and therefore mistakes cannot be allowed since that would literally lead to losses because money is involved. Additionally, this test plan implementation is cost effective as it involves a small team of people.

Computer Aided Process Planning Essay Example for Free

Computer Aided Process Planning Essay Process Planning Products and their components are designed to perform certain specific functions. Every product has some design specifications which ensure its functionality aspects. The task of manufacturing is to produce components such that they meet design specifications. Process planning acts as a bridge between design and manufacturing by translating design specifications into manufacturing process details. It refers to a set of instructions that are used to make a component or a part so that the design specifications are met, therefore it is major determinant of manufacturing cost and profitability of products. Process planning answers the questions regarding required information and activities involved in transforming raw materials into a finished product. The process starts with the selection of raw material and ends with the completion of part. The development of process plans involves mainly a set of following activities; †¢Analysis of part requirements †¢Selection of raw workpiece †¢Selection of manufacturing operations and their sequences †¢Selection of machine tools †¢Selection of tools, tool holding devices, work holding devices and inspection equipments †¢Selection of manufacturing conditions i. e. cutting speed, feed and depth of cut. †¢Determination of manufacturing times (2) The manual experience-based planning method The manual experience-based process planning is most widely used. It is mainly based on a manufacturing engineers experience and knowledge of production facilities, equipment, their capabilities, processes, and tooling. The major problem with this approach is that it is time consuming and developed plans may not be consistent and optimum. The feasibility of developed process plan is dependant on many factors such as availability of machine tools, scheduling and machine allocation etc. Computer aided process planning is developed to overcome this problems to some extent.

Corporate Analysis Of Bhp Billiton Management Essay

Corporate Analysis Of Bhp Billiton Management Essay BHP Billiton is a global leader in the resources industry. Formed from a merger between BHP and Billiton, it brings together an exceptional mix of quality, low-cost resource assets, complemented by a strong management team determined to operate the assets in an efficient manner. BHP Billiton commenced a feasibility study in 2002 into opening a nickel and cobalt mine and processing plant at the cost of A$1.4 billion 35 km East of the Ravensthorpe. The project was approved in 2004 and construction commenced shortly afterward. The plant known as the Ravensthorpe Nickel Project was commissioned in late 2007 with first production occurring in October and the first 5,000 tonnes being produced by December 2007. The plant was officially opened in 2008, after massive cost blow outs and delays. Production was expected to total 50,000 tonnes of nickel per year. In January 2009, BHP Billiton announced that it was suspending production at the Ravensthorpe nickel mine indefinitely, due the reduction in world nickel prices caused by the global economic crisis. Nickel prices, having reached a high of US$50,000 per tonne in May 2007, had fallen to under $11,000 per tonne by the time of the mines closure. Our report focuses on the strategic decisions which led BHP Billiton to invest in the Ravensthorpe nickel project. An analysis has been conducted on the mines operation starting from the business strategy adopted by BHP Billiton down to the operational decisions at the site level. We intend to predict scenarios which might have resulted in mines closure despite a strikingly detailed front loaded design. Scope of the report Our analysis is based entirely upon the information available on internet. The primary sources include BHP Billitons annual communications, industry analysis reports from leading researchers, news paper and magazine articles. The investigation focuses mainly on strategic decisions at different levels. No attempt has been made to analyze the companys performance in other sectors of its business. This report is taken up only as an academic project and no attempt has been made to judge the performance of any of the stakeholders involved in the project. Chapter 1: Corporate analysis of BHP Billiton Introduction BHP Billiton Group (BHP Billiton) is a diversified natural resources group engaged in mineral exploration and production. The groups primary focus areas include oil and gas, aluminum, copper, nickel, iron ore, manganese, metallurgical coal, and energy coal, with additional exposures to uranium, gold, zinc, lead, silver, and diamonds. BHP Billiton comprises BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc. The group has a global presence with more than 100 operations in 25 countries. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and employs about 41,000 people. BHP Billiton-History BHP Billiton Group was formed in 2001 with the merger of Australian firm BHP and British firm Billiton. BHP BHP was founded in 1885. The company grew to become a global natural resources company, with a diversified commodity suite that included minerals, oil, gas, and steel. In 1899, BHP leased an iron ore mine at Iron Knob in South Australia. The company forayed into steel making in 1915, commissioning its first steelworks at Newcastle, New South Wales. After World War I, BHP continued to diversify, forming a shipping fleet, as well as acquiring coal mines and additional reserves of iron ore and limestone. Furthermore, BHP acquired companies that manufactured finished steel products. BHP expanded its steel production in 1935 by acquiring Australian Iron and Steel and its Port Kembla steelworks. A few years later, BHP established blast furnace and shipbuilding facilities at Whyalla, South Australia. In 1967, BHP entered the petroleum industry with a major oil discovery in Bass Strait, off the southeastern coast of Australia.Through the 1970s and 1980s, BHP enhanced its offshore operations by acquiring Utah International, comprising coal mines in New Mexico and Queensland, as well as discovering copper in Chile. In the 1990s, BHP acquired several companies, opened new mines, commenced new petroleum production, and strengthened its steel operations. Billiton Billiton was formed in 1860. It became a global mining company with a portfolio of mining and metals assets. In 1860, the company acquired the concession to a tin-rich island in the Indonesian archipelago near Sumatra. The island was called Billiton (now Belitung). Billiton initially ventured into tin and lead smelting in The Netherlands, followed by bauxite mining in Indonesia and Suriname, in the 1940s. In 1970, the Royal Dutch/Shell group of companies acquired Billiton. Throughout the 1990s and beyond, Billiton experienced considerable growth. In 1997, Billiton became a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. BHP and Billiton merged to form BHP Billiton Group (BHP Billiton) in 2001. In the same year, the group announced its intentions to establish an energy business to complement its mining activities. In 2002, BHP Steel commenced trading on the Australian Stock Exchange as a separate listed company after the de-merger was approved by shareholders and the courts. Business Description BHP Billiton operates nine customer sector groups (CSGs) aligned with the commodities which it extracts and markets. They are base metals, petroleum, iron ore, energy coal, aluminum, stainless steel materials, metallurgical coal, manganese, and diamonds and specialty products. Figure 1: Customer Sector Groups(CSG) at BHP Billiton Ltd The base metals CSG produces copper, silver, lead, uranium, and zinc. It provides copper, lead, and zinc concentrates to smelters worldwide. The petroleum CSG comprises oil and natural gas exploration, production, and development in Australia, the US, Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Pakistan, and the Gulf of Mexico. It also conducts an international exploration and development program as well as markets crude oil, condensate, liquefied petroleum gases, natural gas, and liquefied natural gas to customers globally. The iron ore CSG is one of the leading suppliers of seaborne iron ore globally. Its operations comprise Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) business and a 50% interest in the Samarco joint venture with Vale in Brazil. BHP Billitons energy coal CSG produces, markets, and exports thermal coal (steaming coal). The group operates three sets of assets: a group of mines and associated infrastructure collectively known as BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa (BECSA), New Mexico Coal operations in the US, and Hunter Valley Energy Coal operations in New South Wales, Australia. The aluminum CSG is engaged in the production of aluminum, bauxite, and alumina. It has four aluminum smelters in South Africa, Mozambique, and Brazil; and three alumina refineries and three bauxite mining operations in Australia, Suriname, and Brazil. BHP Billiton is one of the largest producers of primary aluminum. The stainless steel materials CSG supplies a variety of nickel products to the global steel industry. In addition, it also supplies nickel and cobalt to other markets including the specialty alloy, foundry, chemicals, and refractory material industries. The segment produces nickel and cobalt at Yabulu and Nickle West in Australia and Cerro Matoso in Columbia. BHP Billitons manganese operations produce a combination of ores, alloys, and metal from sites in South Africa and Australia. The group owns and manages all of its manganese mining assets and alloy plants through 60-40 joint ventures with an Anglo-American joint venture known as Samancor Manganese. The diamonds and specialty products CSG comprises the businesses of diamonds and titanium minerals, and the exploration and development of a potash business. The groups Ekati Diamond Mine, of which it owns 80%, is located in the Canadian Northwest Territories and produces over 3million carats of rough diamonds annually. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong market position Diversified revenue stream Centralized marketing activities Safety concerns at Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations Opportunities Threats Expansion of potash operations in Canada Consolidation of Western Australian iron ore assets of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto Proposed joint venture with PT Adaro Energy for Indonesian coal project Reduction in demand from China Environmental issues Intense competition Strengths Strong market position BHP Billiton enjoys a dominant position in the metal and mining industry. The group has a global presence with more than 100 operations in 25 countries. The groups CSG organization structure has enabled the group to own and operate significantly profitable mineral resources across the globe. BHP Billitons strong presence and leadership position in a number of significant markets gives the group a substantial competitive advantage and also increases its cross selling opportunities. Diversified revenue stream BHP Billitons revenue stream is diversified in terms of business lines and geographies. The group generates revenues through nine business segments. In FY2009, the iron ore segment accounted for 20.5% of the total revenues, metallurgical coal accounted for 16.6%, petroleum 14.6%, base metals 14.6%, and energy coal 13.4%. Aluminium accounted for 8.5% of the total revenues in FY2009, manganese accounted for 5.2%, and stainless steel materials 4.8% The diamonds and specialty products segment accounted for the remaining 1.8% of the revenues in FY2009. The groups diversified business lines give it competitive advantage over its competitors by insulating the group against adverse market conditions in any one of the metal markets. Further, its worldwide presence reduces exposure to economic conditions or political stability in any single country or region. Centralized marketing activities The customer-centric marketing operations of BHP Billiton are centralized in Singapore, The Hague and Antwerp. The Singapore office focuses on the Asian energy market, base metals, stainless steel materials and carbon steelmaking raw materials. The Hague office focuses on aluminium, petroleum, energy marketing and freight, while the Antwerp office serves diamonds customers globally. These three marketing offices incorporate all the functions encompassing product marketing and distribution from the point of production to final customer delivery. In addition, specialized marketers are located in 20 regional offices worldwide. The groups centralized marketing operations increase the efficiency of the marketing activities with each office managing end to end marketing activities of certain CSGs. Therefore, efficient logistics capability and expertise in trading and transaction structuring through centralized marketing activities enhance the groups product offerings. Weaknesses Safety concerns at Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations The group has been facing safety issues at its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations. There were five fatalities at the groups operations in the Pilbara from July 2008 to April 2009. Addressing the concerns BHP Billiton Iron Ore announced some actions that include reducing site access, improving contractor management, enhancing existing strategies to prevent excess working hours, moving rail operations from the Mine Safety and Inspection Act to the Rail Safety Act, enhancing traffic management standards and suspending all non-essential work outside daylight hours. It had also ordered an extensive independent expert investigation of safety systems at all WAIOs operations. Such incidents could negatively impact the groups reputation or license to operate. Opportunities Expansion of potash operations in Canada Building a strong potash resource position is one of the key strategies of BHP Billiton. The group has been pursuing opportunities to acquire operations that are a strategic fit with its potash operations in Canada and are aligned with its strategy of developing Tier 1, long life, low-cost, expandable assets. The rising demand for fertilizers coupled with the capital-intensive nature of greenfield potash developments makes potash a viable addition to the groups portfolio. Consolidation of Western Australian iron ore (WAIO) assets of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto signed a non-binding agreement to establish a production joint venture covering the entirety of both companies Western Australian iron ore (WAIO) assets, in June 2009. The joint venture would combine adjacent mines into single operations and reduce costs through shorter rail hauls and more efficient allocations of port capacity. In addition, it will blend opportunities which will maximize product recovery and provide further operating efficiencies. It will also optimize future growth opportunities through the development of consolidated, larger and more capital efficient expansion projects. These will result in substantial synergies for both the groups. The net present value of these unique production and development synergies is expected to be in excess of $10 billion. Proposed joint venture with PT Adaro Energy for Indonesian coal project BHP Billiton entered into binding agreements to create a new joint venture for its Indonesian Coal Project (ICP) with a subsidiary of PT Adaro Energy TBK (Adaro), in March 2010. Adaro will acquire a 25% interest in the ICP joint venture. BHP Billiton holds the remaining 75%. The ICP covers seven Coal Contracts of Work located in East and Central Kalimantan in Indonesia. Adaro is Indonesias second largest thermal coal producer and has operations near the ICP.Through this joint venture, the group can leverage the expertise of a strong local player for the successful development of the metallurgical coal interests in Indonesia. Threats Reduction in demand from China The global commodity market is driven by Chinese demand and a slowdown in the Chinese economy could adversely affect the prices of commodities. China is a significant consumer of commodities like iron ore and copper. Chinas demand for these commodities has been driving global materials demand over the past decade. Though the increase in commodity demand is a significant business opportunity to the group, BHP Billitons exposure to Chinas economic fortunes and economic policies has increased. China contributed 19.7% ($9.9 billion) to the groups total revenues in FY2009. Environmental issues BHP Billiton is one of the major producers of energy-related products such as energy coal, oil, gas, liquefied natural gas, and uranium. Energy is also a significant input in the groups mining and processing operations. The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel-based energy consumption contribute to global warming, greenhouse effects, and climate change. Many governments have introduced regulatory changes to address the impacts of climate change. BHP Billitons petroleum assets in the UK are currently subject to the EU ETS. To address climate change, the Australian Government has announced the introduction of a national emissions trading scheme by 2010 and a mandatory renewable energy target of 20% by the year 2020. In other regions, the current and emerging climate change regulation could affect energy prices, and demand and margins for carbon intensive products. The compliance costs and in some cases remedial costs could increase the groups operational costs which in turn could affect its operating margins. Consequently, these regulatory mechanisms could adversely impact the cost, production and financial performance of the groups operations. Intense competition BHP Billiton faces intense competition in the metals and mining industry. The metals and mining industry tends towards concentration. Within each segment, large multinational companies dominate. Moreover, this is a cyclical industry, which suggests that the current high growth rate is unlikely to be sustained. Industry margins are susceptible to changes in raw material prices, with iron ore prices expected to rise in the next few years, and the industry is also vulnerable to rises in the price of energy, one of its main costs. The group faces competition from Newmont Mining, a US based gold producer and Xstrata, a UK-based natural resources company with presence in coal, copper, zinc, alloys, and other businesses. The group also faces competition from UK-based ThyssenKrupp. Intense competition in the industry could lead to loss of market share and put pressure on the groups margins. Chapter 2: Prospective Analysis of Ravensthorpe Nickel mine Ravensthorpe Ravensthorpe Nickel mine is located 35 Km from the town of Ravensthorpe. The mine is a combination of three ore bodies located close to the surface in the form of limonite and saprolite deposits of Nickel and Cobalt. The three ore bodies have a proven reserve of 125.3Mt at 0.73% nickel and 0.032% cobalt, and a probable reserve 137.9Mt at 0.57% nickel and 0.026% cobalt, giving a total of 263.3Mt at 0.65% Ni and 0.029% Co. The reserves ensured a project life of 21 years[1]. BHP Billiton commenced a feasibility study in 2002 into opening a nickel and cobalt mine and processing plant. The project was approved in 2004 and construction commenced shortly afterward. The project involved open-pit mining from three nickel deposits, and a hydrometallurgical process plant to produce up to 50,000t of contained nickel and 1,400t of contained cobalt per annum in a mixed hydroxide intermediate product (MHP) for further processing at BHP Billitons Yabulu Nickel Refinery in Queensland[1]. The plant known as the Ravensthorpe Nickel Project was commissioned in late 2007 with first production occurring in October and the first 5000 tonnes being produced by December 2007. What made Ravensthorpe Nickel Project particularly attractive? Market Price of Nickel Figure 1 shows the Nickel price distribution over a 4 year period from 2000 to 2004. As seen, the price of Nickel showed a steady upward trend over the 4 year period. With then metals market still in boom coupled with the heavy demand from China, the Nickel price would have been a major driver for BHP Billiton to move ahead with the project at Ravensthorpe.Nickel Price_2000to2004.jpg 1. http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/bhp-ravensthorpe/ accessed on 20-5-2010 Yabulu Refinery at Townville, Queensland QNI Yabulu Refinery is located 25 kilometres northwest of Townsville. The ore is shipped to the Port of Townsville where QNI has its own materials handling facility, and then transported by rail to Yabulu Refinery.Yabulu has an annual processing capacity of around 3.6 million wet tonnes of lateritic ore. Its annual production in 2003 was 31,200 tonnes of nickel and 1900 tonnes of cobalt. The refinery is one of the largest nickel/cobalt processing plants in the world and a leader in nickel hydrometallurgy.Yabulu Refinery carries-out two major functions ore processing and ore refining to produce products for sale in the global market [1]. Chinese growth story Needless to say that Chinese growth has been driving most of the Worlds demand markets. Steel being a primary component of construction, Chinas thrust for Steel has been essentially insatiable over the past decade. Chart 1 below shows the Steel suppliers distribution of China. As seen, 90% of the imports come from Asia. Nickel forms an important component of stainless steel manufacturing and the location of Ravensthorpe and Yabulu refineries provided a strategic advantage to BHP Billiton. Distribution of chinese stainless steel suppliers.jpg Chart : Chinas Steel supplier distribution 1. The Ravensthorpe Nickel Project and Yabulu refinery expansion Overview 2004, BHP Billiton. PESTEL Framework Analysis of Ravensthorpe BHP Billiton Ltd Political Support from Government of Western Australia Economic Market price of Nickel Cost price of production of Nickel from Ravensthorpe Available cost of capital for BHP Billiton Profitability from the mine over a long term Social Establishment of infrastructure for the town of Ravensthorpe to attract skilled staff Maintaining good relations with the local communities Technological Combination of Pressure acid leach and atmospheric leach extraction techniques to optimize Nickel extraction Environmental NA Legal NA A PESTEL analysis is used to analyze the macro environment of a firm. Factors contributing for Ravensthorpes success have been tabulated in the table 1. As seen, the economic and social factors form the key drivers for BHP Billiton. The firm is focused to gain a significant market share in Nickel business and the strategic advantage of Ravensthorpe acts as a silver lining for this market. Though the Pressure leach and atmospheric leach have been tried and tested in Zinc industry, the application of that process in Ravensthorpe will provide BHP Billiton with a strategic advantage to cut down on Yabulus processing costs. PESTEL analysis has revealed that economy of production and strategic location of Ravensthorpe form key drivers for BHP Billiton in Nickel industry and will help the firm focus on attaining its market share in Nickel industry. 5 force analysis Michaels 5 force analysis is a very powerful tool which helps in analysing the environment of an industry. It depicts the levels of competition, attractiveness of the industry and also details pertaining to suppliers, buyer and substitutes. Analysing a competitive environment is a systematic examination of all the levels of the environment: Figure : 5 Forces of a Competitive Environment Threat of competition Competition is very high in the Nickel industry as there is very low product differentiation among the various rivals. The focus of major companies has been to be competitive on the basis of their unit price and the profits they make, because of the fact that only the company that can be cheapest in the market place can survive. BHP Billiton over the years has developed a successful reputation which gives it a clear edge over the others. The chart below gives an idea about the competitors in the market. The chart or graph is scaled based on the amount of nickel extracted. It is also clear that the top 5 organisations produce 70% of world nickel production. By considering a broader scenario it is possible to analyse the companies in terms of the strategic space occupies in the global market. The more crowded a spot become the competition becomes cut throat. NORILSK VALE INCO XSTRATA BHP BILLITON JINCHUAN COST LOW LOW HIGH HIGH Performance CUSTOMER BARGAINING POWER Information is widely available to the customers and thus has made the customers quite powerful and in the end, the customer is the only person who puts money into the supply chain. In todays world it is very hard to find an entity called loyal customer as the customers frequently shift loyalty based on circumstances making life harder for companies. Customers normally refers to the global demand for nickel. If the demand is high then the profitability would be high orelse vice versa. As a result it leads to : Lack of differentiation in the market Cut throat competition Low switching costs Supplier Bargaining Power In the nickel industry, the companies have their own nickel mines. The outputs are processed to produce the respective nickel products as a result of which the supply chain reduces the unit cost and culminates the suppliers bargaining power. Supplier here refers to the supply of raw materials for the production of nickel products. Threat of substitution: In most cases, substitutes for nickel would result in increased cost or a tradeoff in performance of the product. Aluminium, coated steels, plain chromium steels, and plastics are some of the substitutes which can replace nickel in some places but not effectively. Nickel-free specialty steels are used instead of stainless steel in some cases but have proven to be expensive.As long as there is high demand for stainless steel there would be demand for nickel as it is a major constituent. As a result of this, the threat of substitution is low. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS For maintaining the profitability, a company needs to develop economies of scale. Increased competition makes it difficult for new entrants to achieve the levels of economies of scale for sustainable and viable operation in a market. High capital required for the setting up of the industry also prevents investment. Thereby resulting in destructive rivalry among the competitors. Infrastructure setup cost- High Rapid change in technology High entry barriers. The following chart depicts the results of the 5 force analysis: Chapter 3: What went wrong at Ravensthorpe? Methodology of analysis An analysis of the company reports over the last 3 years of the mines establishment will be reviewed and excerpts from the same will be used to come up with the reason for closure of the mine.

Joachim von Ribbentrops Memoir :: essays research papers

In his prison cell at Nuremberg, Hitler's foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, wrote a brief memoir in the course of which he explored the reasons for Germany's defeat. He picked out three factors that he thought were critical: the unexpected 'power of resistance' of the Red Army; the vast supply of American armaments; and the success of Allied air power. This last was Hitler's explanation too. When Ribbentrop spoke with him a week before the suicide in the bunker, Hitler told him that, 'the real military cause of defeat' was the failure of the German Air Force. 'For the Allies in World War Two, the defeat of Germany was their priority.' For all his many failings Ribbentrop was closer to the truth than he might have realised. For the Allies in World War Two, the defeat of Germany was their priority. Italy and Japan never posed the same kind of threat as the European superpower they fought alongside. Their defeat, costly though it was, became irresistible. The key to ending the world crisis was the defeat of Hitler's Germany. This outcome was not pre-ordained, as is so often suggested, once the British Empire was joined by the USSR and the USA in 1941. The Allies had to mobilise and utilise their large resources effectively on the battlefield and in the air. This outcome could not be taken for granted. British forces were close to defeat everywhere in 1942. The American economy was a peacetime economy, apparently unprepared for the colossal demands of total war. The Soviet system was all but shattered in 1941, two-thirds of its heavy industrial capacity captured and its vast air and tank armies destroyed. This was a war, Ribbentrop ruefully concluded, that 'Germany could have won'. Soviet resistance was in some ways the most surprising outcome. The German attackers believed that Soviet Communism was a corrupt and primitive system that would collapse, in Goebbels' words 'like a pack of cards'. The evidence of how poorly the Red Army fought in 1941 confirmed these expectations. More than five million Soviet soldiers were captured or killed in six months; they fought with astonishing bravery, but at every level of combat were out-classed by troops that were better armed, better trained and better led.

Why Do Managers Prefer to Pay Dividend in Cash? Essay -- Business, Sto

The study makes use of the financial data on Pakistani listed firms for 2001-2008 to look at the objective behind distribution of cash dividends. Based on the analysis it is found that poorly performing firms listed on Karachi Stock Market (KSE) having larger portion of non-tradable shares pay cash dividends. Because the holders of non-tradable shares (directors and block-holders) do not/cannot realize capital gains from positive change in the price of their holdings. The study finds that cash dividend distribution behavior of the poorly-performing firms is subjected to what the directors and block-holders prefer. The result advocates the findings of Faccio, Lang and Young (2006), Chen, Fung and Leung (2007) regarding cash channeling hypothesis. Key words: non-tradable shares; cash dividends; cash channeling hypothesis 1. Introduction Dividend policy for a firm means whether to pay or not pay; whether to pay in cash, in stocks or both in cash and stocks and how frequently to pay. Why do firms distribute cash dividends when they observe a decline in their earnings? Why not stock repurchases? Why not stock dividend? To look at this research issue, the research will evaluate the cash dividend distribution behavior of firms in light of different ownership structures having trading restrictions. KSE is a developing market of the region with not a sound regulatory framework. There is a shortage of managerial talent in the firms listed on the market. So it is reasonable to say that as compare to firms listed on the developed markets of United States and Europe, the firms listed on KSE do not observe good corporate governance practices generally. Louis Cheng, Fung Leung (2004). Moreover, to protect shareholder... ...ent variables i.e., Director Ownership, Financial institutions ownership, Block-holders’ ownership to examine the relation with the dependent variable which is Cash-Dividend-to-assets. But there are some other variables that also affect the cash dividend distribution behavior of a firm. To control for that effect the study include those variables in the model. The control variables are Debt-to-Assets, Free Cash Flow per Share, Free Cash Flow to Assets, Earning per Share, Size of the firm and Return on Assets. 4. Results and Discussion 4.1 Descriptive Statistics Table 4.1 provides summary statistics of Cash Dividend to Assets, Director Ownership, Financial institutions ownership, Block-holders ownership, Free Cash flow to Assets, Earnings per Share Debt-to-Assets ratio, Return on Assets and firm size (LnAssets) of the sampled firms for the period 2001 to 2008.

Why were Witches women?

For over three centuries, early modern Europe was largely dominated by witchcraft persecutions, the scale of which such atrocities had never been witnessed before. These persecutions arose from various significant instabilities of the times. Tens of thousands of executions were carried out, especially within Central Europe and the vast majority of deaths were attributed to women. This is what was most remarkable about this period; the fact that so many women were recognised as practitioners of witchcraft. I shall be closely following the reasons for such large-scale prosecutions within the early modern period. In particular, I shall be looking at the different sub-categories concerning reasons for such a rise in the nature of witch prosecutions. These categories will be broken up as follows; the Church's view on maleficia, whom the witches were, the effect society had on the arrival of witchcraft, literature's perspective, natural thought and freethinking, and the confessions of witches. The Church was integral to the whole belief system within modern day Europe and was the main, driving component for social, economic and religious conformity. However, the Catholic Church as a unit had been threatened through ‘The Reformation' and theological perceptions and ideas were changing. People's interpretations and prior beliefs were now being challenged, criticised and there was now total religious uncertainty and unbalance within society. ‘This consequently led to the powerful ‘Counter Reformation' in which the Catholic Church began an attempt to not only counter the Protestant Reformation, but also to eliminate corruption, educate clergy and inspire faith in the common people'- (B. P. Levack, 1995). The combination of these two ecclesiastical revolutions induced the inevitable religious disorder, which in turn would spur the rise and development of more numerous and more extreme witch-hunts. In addition, these two reformed religions placed a renewed importance upon individual morals. ‘This issued many with the desire to place the burden of sins upon someone else, and in effect to acquire a scapegoat'- (B. P. Levack, 1995). Throughout history, such scapegoats have generally been the rejects of society, the loners, the sick, and the poor. This age was no different and in their search for a victim, someone to hold responsible, they found the witches. This period of great religious, social and economic transformation combined with the prevalence of epidemics and natural disasters now had a target on whom to lay all the blame upon; a physical embodiment of the evil that had been endured. Furthermore, as well as Martin Luther and Jean Calvin highlighting and condoning the burning of witches as ‘whores of Satan', the Church as a whole was responsible for accepting witchcraft as part of society, essentially forming the moral backing needed for such large-scale atrocities. So then, in 1485 the Catholic inquisition authorities published ‘Malleus Maleficarum'. This was essentially a book, confirming women as those responsible for witchcraft, as those capable of evil and temptation. ‘Women are by nature instruments of Satan†¦ they are by nature carnal, a structural defect rooted in the original creation' The bible also condemned witchcraft, or so people thought. Within Exodus 22:18 it orders, â€Å"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live†. It is then this mixture of Church and theological backing that gave the people of Europe the authority to act upon the ‘witches' within society, and to destroy anyone suspected of witchcraft. ‘It is interesting to note then that this period of witch-hunting was most intense within Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and Scotland, where the countries were religiously heterogeneous'- (G. Geis, 1997), comprising a mix of numerous Protestant and Catholic believers. Moreover, the witch-hunts themselves have long been seen as part of a ‘war against women', conducted overwhelmingly by men and particularly, by those in authority. Infact, Deborah Willis notes that â€Å"more polemical† feminist accounts â€Å"are likely to portray the witch as a heroic protofeminist resisting patriarchal oppression and a wholly innocent victim of a male-authored reign of terror designed to keep women in their place. † – (D. Willis, 1995, in web page). Holistically speaking, the Church's contribution to witchcraft fears and prosecutions led to the general belief within society that demons actively interfered upon the Earth and that witches were hugely prevalent concerning the interactions with and/or the dealings with such forces upon the Earth. In general, there was a greatly intensified and invigorated belief in the supernatural. For those who did not believe in such ideas, it still remained a plausible and effective tool for shifting the blame onto the women within society. It is now important to fully recognise whom these witches were and to discern the types of women victimised for such ‘crimes against humanity'. In general, it was the women from the lower sections of society who were seen as those who had the opportunity to commit harmful acts. Those who were widows and so were therefore able to conceal things and to hide within the cloak of darkness; to practice their magic and to meet with their familiars and even with the Devil himself, were often susceptible to prosecutions. In addition, these women were seen as ‘vessels of nature' and much closer to the environment and conditions of nature than men, and so more able to dominate the elements. The number of unmarried women was also increasing and this was another cause for fear within society. These women were considered a burden on society. The other group vulnerable to witchcraft accusations were midwives. One of the ostensible practices of witches was the execution and cannibalism of infants, especially those who had not yet been baptised into the Christian faith. Therefore, it is of no surprise that this particular group was especially focused upon in terms of prosecutions. It was essentially a way for grieving families to be able to lay blame upon the midwife for the death of their child, particularly within times of increasing infant mortality and occasional infanticide. The general view however was that witches were often cited as those ‘outsiders of society', reliant upon community relief and benefits, draining the land of it's wealth. Additionally, women were often cited with sorcery because of their traditional roles as cooks, nurses, midwives and keepers of the home. Witches were often associated as those who were in league with the Devil and as those who would meet at ‘Sabbats' to create spells, curses, practice killings and take part in lewd sexual acts with one another and with Satan himself. Single women were particularly focused upon for prosecutions concerning sexual abominations, as they were seen as more easily seductable and by far more sexual by nature. Indeed, the fact that the Devil was depicted as being the very form of a man highly extenuated the belief that women did take part in such acts. Society also saw women as being weaker in every sense of the word. They did not have the political power or physical capabilities to defend themselves. Therefore, they were thought to use magic to defend themselves and additionally make pacts with the Devil to achieve various things against their enemies. However, ‘the great witch hunts of the medieval period were long depicted as a ‘war against women', conducted mainly by men, especially those in central authority' (Willis, Malevolent Nurture, p. 12). The reason for this was ostensibly that men wanted to keep women in their rightful place within society, largely pacified and subdued. This came with the great fear of feminist accounts, which started to take place within this period. The subject of women projected as witches was widely held in belief within local communities and often formed the deciding factor in disputes within local communities. So if a particular person has had a bad harvest, or their child has dies in the night, the climate of Early Modern Europe was conducive to such accusations and provided the ammunition with which to prosecute. The times of the period were one of extreme economic turbulence and poverty. Across Western Europe in particular, the gulf between the rich and poor was consistently growing and there was a general decline also in the living standards of much of Europe. These conditions may however have persuaded people to contemplate using magic to help themselves and to achieve monetary or land gains, but on the other hand, it also maintained that accusations would be at a new high. Below is a table showing the relevance of monetary/land/food disputes within local communities and the effect being a widow within society would have concerning such disputes and jealousies in Essex, 1564-89: Kinship Relationships Husband and Wife * 4 Unspecified Quarrels (2) Sexual Jealousy (1) Broken Marriage Contract (1) Stepfather and Stepchild 1 Over Inheritance Grandmother and Grandchild 1 Obligation to collect wood Total 6 Neighbourly Relationships * (Object of dispute) * Food/Drink * 12 Animals 4 Money * 8 Implements 4 Unspecified loans 3 Boundaries/Land * 4 Children 3 Total 48 The difference shown in number between kinship quarrels and disputes within the community is substantial. It demonstrates the heightened debates and tension with local communities and supports the view that widows were particularly attacked within these times as defenceless, unimportant people of the community. Another crucial part of women being persecuted as witches, developed through another mind controlling and prevalent technique within this time period. This was the use of literature, so covering everything from the bible and Church readings to pamphlets and novels written within the time. It is not surprising that the ‘Malleus maleficarum' had such an influential effect upon the rise of women as victims of mass witch prosecutions. Shakespeare also wrote within this time period and included a wide range of texts, often shadowing events and topics within Europe at the time. One of the key texts he wrote was that of ‘Macbeth', where Macbeth and his wife gradually murder various people in line to the succession of Kingship for their own gratuitous ends. The central factor towards their warped ideals and evil dealings was that of the witches within the moors. These of course were depicted purely as women, with similar characteristics to those generally seen as witches within this same period. The very fact that Lady Macbeth had to effectively become a man and get rid of her female characteristics in order to succeed, parallels the social view of women within this time and further extenuates the likelihood of women as victims. Indeed, it is the prophecies of the witches that initiate the murder, corruption, greed and lies that manifest with Macbeth. The famous line of ‘is that a dagger I see before me' spoken by that of Macbeth represents the conjuring of illusionary magic, produced by the witches of the time. Furthermore, the witches and his wife are inextricably linked together, in that they both influence Macbeth, and so the social view of women being manipulative, a natural temptation (as referred to in the Malleus maleficarum), a necessary evil etc is evidently shown within the literature of the time. The Catholic Church concentrated specifically upon the natural sin and evil within the individual and as mentioned previously, people saw the ‘witches' as scapegoats, a group to blame for their sinful nature. The bible in particular was another greatly recognised and taught book within society and the very story of creation within Genesis demonstrates the sinful, easily tempted and generally weak nature of women. Also, within Revelation (the concluding chapter of the Bible), the sinful woman of ‘Babylon†¦ he Great Prostitute', was also another indication of the weakness of women and showed this to be the case from the very beginning of creation to the very end. In general, the people of Europe saw the massacre of the ‘witches' as a religious war of enacting justice on those directly against the will of God. One notion spread throughout literature was that of witches contacting and serving Diana, the ‘Goddess of the Moon'. Women were hence seen as the most likely persons to communicate with ‘Diana' as a league of women joined together. Some confessed to actually riding with Diana and taking part in various activities, however they were later recognised to be delusional. Overall, the introduction of the printing press and the generally increasing availability of literature to the masses, allowed for more rapid transfers of elite beliefs in witchcraft and especially women as active participants. The trials of women within this period serve to reinforce and validate the beliefs transmitted through popular literature. One of the most confusing and baffling aspects of the ‘women as witches' theme is that many actually confessed to charges against them. This of course did not help the assumption that ‘women were witches' and served to just heighten the prosecutions and fuel the killings. Many ‘witches' claimed that their experiences had been worthwhile and showed virtually no remorse whatsoever for their supposed actions. This was the case all over Europe and not just England, even though the killings were much more prevalent and torture much more extreme on the continent than in England. However, P. Levack described this fact as less surprising when various other considerations were taken into account. Such as the ‘women often being brought up to believe that they were indeed instruments of Satan and that they were the only imperfection within God's creation' (P. B. Levack, 1995). This however was simply society's effort to instil such beliefs so as to relieve the worry of female independence and to of course resume the scapegoat it had found within the period in question. It is particularly interesting to note that many women actually testified against others within the community. They made up 43 % of witnesses against other women. Briggs' notices that ‘women were active in building up reputations through gossip, deploying counter-magic and accusing suspects' (Briggs, 1995). Women were completely surrounded by each sector of society and it was virtually impossible for them to escape punishment of some sort if they had first been accused of witchcraft. Ecclesiastically, the whole Church acknowledged the position of women as witches within society; and this simply gave the general public the opportunity to lay the blame for all the famine, disease, deaths and religious intolerance within previous years. The elite simply kept maintaining this strongly held belief in witchcraft and furthermore sustained the prosecutions and provided the literature and ethics with which to support these beliefs. What is key to this topic is that most prosecution cases actually refer directly to traditionally female aspects, such as the home, the kitchen, and the nursery; and on ‘culturally defined female tasks or occupations such as feeding (poisoning), child-rearing (infanticide), healing (harming), birth (death)' (Christina Hole, date unknown). Furthermore, women within society were very much pacified throughout this time and this meant that they were easy targets for attack. These poor victims of attack simply existed within a delicate age of uncertainty, confusion and anger. Society believed in the existence of witchcraft and in the exponents of maleficia, the women of the times. On a more local scale too, communities widely looked to the accusation of witchcraft as a means to a specific end, whether it concerned land disputes or money disputes etc. These were very testing times, times of extreme economic struggles and religious disputes. In conclusion, it is interesting to note that as standards of living vastly improved and religious irregularities disappeared, prosecutions decreased dramatically and people suddenly began to notice that most prosecutions were actually highly nonsensical and irrational. Society gradually came to accept that it had indeed made many mistakes.