Reflective Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Reflective Journal - Assignment Example I can contribute to sustainable development by changing my lifestyle in meaningful ways. I can monitor my use of water so that I do not waste it or use it unnecessarily. I can also dispose of recyclable material properly and dispose of all waste appropriately. I can reduce my use of energy and fossil fuels with a view to reducing carbon emissions. When possible, I can also donate to charities for feeding the poor to reduce their reliance on the exploitation on marine life and other natural food sources. Lecture 2: The three main points were: Sustainable development became a state obligation via the Rio Declaration of 1992; states’ obligation are contradicted by various UN Resolutions grants states sovereignty over their natural resources; and that climate changes now requires public participation via the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 1992. Tutorial 2: I contributed to answering the various questions raised in Tutorial 2. These questions related to the role of the UN in international environmental law, identifying the principles of environmental protection contained in the Rio Declaration of 1992, and various questions relative to the definition and legal nature of treaties and conventions. I observed that there was a significant problem in the context of international environmental law. The various instruments were only binding on states and do not make provision for non-state actors. It can therefore be assumed that non-state actors’ effect on the environment are covered by national law. Alternatively, as a non-state actor, I can choose to take the initiative to responsibly use only environmentally friendly goods and ensure that my choices and behaviour do not contribute to a depletion of natural resources. Lecture 3: Three main points are: As the earth’s resources are decreasing the world population is increasing; in the meantime, the world is experiencing climate change and carbon emissions from fossil fuels is the

Term paper Essay Example for Free

Term paper Essay There are so many options available to how they can structure the new business(s). The appropriate business entity for any individual(s) will depend on their particular facts and circumstances. You are a valued colleague and friend of this three-some and they have come to you seeking advice as to how to structure their new business. They have the knowledge to figure it out themselves, but are looking for the advice of an unbiased 3rd party. Please consider the following tax and non-tax considerations as you recommend an entity choice to Penelope, Mark and John. After 20+ years of working for other firms, Penelope (Enrolled Agent, age 41), Mark (CPA, age 43) and John (CVA, age 65) want to leave the firms they are currently employed by and become their own bosses. Penelope specializes in Taxes, Mark is the Auditor and John is a Business Valuation expert. There are so many options available to how they can structure the new business(s). The appropriate business entity for any individual(s) will depend on their particular facts and circumstances. You are a valued colleague and friend of this three-some and they have come to you seeking advice as to how to structure their new business. They have the knowledge to figure it out themselves, but are looking for the advice of an unbiased 3rd party. Please consider the following tax and non-tax considerations as you recommend an entity choice to Penelope, Mark and John. After 20+ years of working for other firms, Penelope (Enrolled Agent, age 41), Mark (CPA, age 43) and John (CVA, age 65) want to leave the firms they are currently employed by and become their own bosses. Penelope specializes in Taxes, Mark is the Auditor and John is a Business Valuation expert. There are so many options available to how they can structure the new business(s). The appropriate business entity for any individual(s) will depend on their particular facts and circumstances. You are a valued colleague and friend of this three-some and they have come to you seeking advice as to how to structure their new business. They have the knowledge to figure it out themselves, but are looking for the advice of an unbiased 3rd party. Please consider the following tax and non-tax considerations as you recommend an entity choice to Penelope, Mark and John. After 20+ years of working for other firms, Penelope (Enrolled Agent, age 41), Mark (CPA, age 43) and John (CVA, age 65) want to leave the firms they are currently employed by and become their own bosses. Penelope specializes in Taxes, Mark is the Auditor and John is a Business Valuation expert. There are so many options available to how they can structure the new business(s). The appropriate business entity for any individual(s) will depend on their particular facts and circumstances. You are a valued colleague and friend of this three-some and they have come to you seeking advice as to how to structure their new business. They have the knowledge to figure it out themselves, but are looking for the advice of an unbiased 3rd party. Please consider the following tax and non-tax considerations as you recommend an entity choice to Penelope, Mark and John. After 20+ years of working for other firms, Penelope (Enrolled Agent, age 41), Mark (CPA, age 43) and John (CVA, age 65) want to leave the firms they are currently employed by and become their own bosses. Penelope specializes in Taxes, Mark is the Auditor and John is a Business Valuation expert. There are so many options available to how they can structure the new business(s). The appropriate business entity for any individual(s) will depend on their particular facts and circumstances. You are a valued colleague and friend of this three-some and they have come to you seeking advice as to how to structure their new business. They have the knowledge to figure it out themselves, but are looking for the advice of an unbiased 3rd party. Please consider the following tax and non-tax considerations as you recommend an entity choice to Penelope, Mark and John.

Best Buy Managing For Competitive Advantage Commerce Essay

Best Buy Managing For Competitive Advantage Commerce Essay The paper is a critical examination of Best Buy managing for competitive advantage. The essay brings forth strategies Best Buy uses as well as how these strategies are put into action in order for it to gain competitive advantage over its competitors. Competitive advantage refers to set of strategic advantages a business have adopted that make it be in a better position to compete or even out shine its rivals. Thus attaining Competitive Advantage fortifies and places an organization in a better position within the competitive business world. According to Pfeffer 21, this theory of competitive advantage was brought forth by Porter Michael back in 1990. He suggested that business entities as well as other non-profit institutions need to adopt some policies, procedures and plans that will help it to develop very high quality goods and services that can be sold at higher prices to consumers. With the fact that almost all kind of business entities do meet very stiff competitions there is thus need for each and every organization to adopt the best strategies that will help them cut themselves an edge in this competitive world of business, Best Buy not being an exception. However various business and management scholars have come to a conclusion that having these strategies is not important unless they are adequately managed; hence competitive advantage management (Pfeffer 142). This refers to set of mechanisms and plans that not only places and organization at an upper hand as compared to its competitors but making it stand out in the business environment. The paper recognizes Best Buy competitive advantage as being it customer-centricity this implies delivering modified and extremely personalized service to clients. All this has been attained by automating the services it provides to customers by using online services. Best Buy customer centered strategy It has been argued out that once an organization clearly understands the need, wants and aspiration of its customers, there is nothing that will block it from excelling provided it takes corrective actions towards attaining the same. Additionally, research as shown that business entities that focus or are customer oriented do have higher chances of securing a competitive advantage which in most cases translates to higher revenue generation, price earnings ratio, highly satisfied customers thus creating customer loyalty. This concept seems to have been well mastered by Best Buy. For instance, since the plan was rolled out, the profit margin for the organization rose by almost 3% (Jaynie Flanagan 122). It is worth mentioning that the strategy has been successful thanks to technological innovation that has allowed customers to even buy good 24/7 even during the holidays. It is important to note although this strategy was recently launched, the organization adequately trained and educated its store-level workforce so that they could be in a position to have in mind the varied needs of the customers on the basis of how they were segmented. One strategy that was a milestone in taking the business where it is to day is customers segmentation. Best Buy segmented its customers into five different levels which include; small-business customers that utilize the business services and products to foster increased profits in their business, busy mothers leaving in suburban that aim at enriching their kids way of life with technological innovation especially in entertainment,, men having families that are in quest of bettering their general way of living through entertainment and other ways, young men who are is thirst of technological innovation and finally very rich professionals that seek the best in terms of entertainment as well as other life experiences. It is worth noting heretthat this I in line with the notion brought forth by Mentzer in his article titles Achieving Competitive Advantage through Supply Chain Management he suggested that not all customers are created equally because there are those that are very crucial to success of any organization while some are not as crucial as other and thus need to be treated by using a different approach. This has been adequately addressed by Best Buy by segmenting its customers (Mentzer 3). According to Mentzer 1 after successfully carrying out a survey, which included slightly over thirty of its stores, Best Buy started rolling the strategy of computerizing the quote-to-order process aimed at making it possible for customers to buy in a 24/7 hour basis even if it is on holidays. In total over hundred of the companys store adopted this strategy. Reports suggested that the company financial result could be boosted and indeed it was and that less cynical outcomes are expected as well as development of a stable link between the company and its customers. Additionally, it is important to remember that for any organization to be prosperous even in its best strategies, the part played by its workforce is of paramount, it is evident that the company did provide education and training to its employees so that they could be well equipped with knowledge to help customers. An example where customer centricity was attained through the efforts of store employees is in Pasadena store in which there was a reconfiguration of the place to appeal to suburban mothers (Peppers Rogers 4) It entailed transferring small electrical appliances to a low rack situated on the walk way of the store from high shelves, this boosted sales of the same to almost two folds. Generally speaking, the company strategy fundamentally rests on viewing its initiatives from the customers point of view, clearly understanding what they need as well as trying its best in meeting these needs (Jaynie Flanagan 211). According to the vice chairman and CEO of the company, this is what gives them a cutting edge in the business environment. On the same note, the company has adopted a way of distributing its goods that is inline with customers demand and aspirations. This has time and a gained been managed by using enterprise resource planning system that seem to have successfully synchronized the need of clients. Additionally, the company best strategy is also its ability to harmonize it various chains of supply together with what its stores need; (Peppers Rogers 2) this has resulted to those employees who work as sales representative having at their disposal a variety of products that meet the needs of those customers that are dear to the company. Similarly, it is worth mentioning that Best Buy has successfully adopted technological innovation whereby customers need not to come to their stores to select or see those appliances they plan to buy. This carries with it a number of advantages for instance convenience and lack of being pressurized by sales persons to buy (Pfeffer 164). Additionally, it give one enough time to scrutinize the features one desire to have in a given appliance. Conclusion From the review of competitive advantage management of Best Buy Company, it is evident that technological innovation adoption and focusing in customer and empowering its employees are among the strategies that have played a better part in shaping the company. What make the company different is that it has clearly understood what its customers need and have taken serious steps towards attaining those things desired by the customers. It is thus no doubt that the company has thrived despite stiff competition from other well known business organizations such as Wal Mart, Dell among other. In my view, every organization must adopt a set of strategies to help it thrive now and in future.

The Lives of the Inuit Essay -- World Civilization

When you mention Alaska and the Arctic Circle, one envisions igloos, dog sleds, and invariably, Eskimos. However, little do most know, that what most refer to as Eskimos is actually a generalization representing three distinct groups. In order to understand the societies that live in this region and acknowledge their cultural differences we must explore the different groups that inhabit this region of which there are two: the Inuit, and the Yupik. For the purposes of this discussion we will focus on the lives of the Inuit. The Inuit are a group of people often mischaracterized as Eskimos. They lived in the area of central and northeastern Canada and Greenland. There has been much discussion of the orignination of this group of people but the most recognized theory is that they crossed from northern Asia across thin bridge of land over the Bering Strait sometime around 6000-2000 BC. Many people mistakenly think that the Inuit and Native Americans are one in the same. It seems that the Inuit most likely came from Asia more likely than the Native Americans. Although both probably came to the Americas through the Bering Strait. Biological, cultural and dialect differences show the different origin. Much of this theory is supported due to the close resemblance of the Inuit to the Mongoloid races of Eastern Asia. Because of the harsh land and climate of the Arctic, this area was probably one of the last regions to be inhabite d making the Inuit on of the earth’s younger cultures. A large portion of the Inuit culture was developed based upon the need to survive. Migratory societies such as the Inuit were driven by the need for food to feed its members, by the availability of trade to secure resources not normally available ... ...ith many fluctuations in prices due to fashion trends, especially in Europe. With the growth of the animal rights movement in the 1960s, fur prices decreased to the point that the industry was only barely sustainable. At the same time, the HBC trading posts had morphed into retail stores, and were doing a different kind of business across the North. They exist today as the Northern Store in the communities, a sort of grocery plus department store. Works Cited Jones, J. Sidney. (2012). Inuit, . Retrieved March 11, 2012, from http://www.everyculture.com The Inuit Culture. (2009). Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.mythicjourneys.org Frederic V. Grunfeld (Ed.), Oker: Spiele der Welt II. (in German) Fischer, Frankfurt/M 1984. ISBN 3-596-23075-6 Pulaarvik Friendship Kablu Centre (2007). Retrieved March 7,2012, from http://www.pulaarvik.ca

Biochip technology Essay

The term global village is one popularized by Canadian communications theorist Marshall McLuhan to refer to the ability of electronic communications technologies to collapse notions of geography and disrupt the conventional wisdom by which society appraises time-space relations. At the heart of the concept of the global village is the idea that because electronic communications technology are exponentially increasing their ability to abnegate space and time limitations, they enable individuals, societies and institutions to operate on a larger scale than before – phone calls can be made across greater distances at reduced costs, e-mails allow instantaneous transmission of readable content and cellular technology increases the mobility of telephony. Whereas the domain we used to operate on was on the village-scale, it is now global: a global village. McLuhan effectively celebrated the development of the global village because he believed that it would expand our social consciousness. Not necessarily make us more socially conscious, but at the very least increase the scale by which we already think. Where we used to think primarily in terms of local affairs and developments that are mostly proximate to our surroundings, the ability to transmit developments instantaneously means that citizens can now think on an enlarged scale. More enthusiastic neo-McLuhanists maintain that the global village will eradicate all barriers to cultures, nations and political institutions. However, there is some concern that this is not entirely a good thing. For example, some have worried that expanding the individual consciousness to meet the scale of the global village comes at a cost. In effect, by thinking on the global scale, individuals may find themselves effectively disengaged from local concerns and proximate issues and at the very worse actively following developments in communities they have no power to affect, and disengaged from local developments that they could realistically make a difference in. Castells (1997) contends, however, that the globalizing effects of Internet and other similar networking technologies will not necessarily eradicate political boundaries. Rather the side effect of the Information Age is that many of the things that have come to define the nation state will be effectively downsized. Sovereignty will no longer figure in the absolute sense that we have understood it before, but rather, nation-states will exist solely due to the network of alliances, commitments, responsibilities and subordinations that are more than just existent for the benefit of the state, but are necessary to its existence, and this becomes possible due to the ability to instantiate relationships through networking technologies. It is this component of Castell’s understanding of globalizing effects which hold some consonance with the views of Ulrich Beck. Beck maintains that much of the failure to really take measure of the effects of globalization is derived from a limited understanding of it. Beck contends that globalization is not something that is limited to economic relationships and complex trade relations, but something that occurs in the most internalized sense, such as the ways by which we navigate culture and social relationships in an expanded transnational view that is the result of a national sense sublimated by globalizing technologies, cultural exchanges and international relationships. However, because of the co-dependencies brought upon by the transition into Castell’s â€Å"network state,† there is a risk that globalization will erode what sovereignty and democracy there is in the weaker nation-states. In other words, rather than acting as a force for solidarity, globalization could erode democratic controls and constitute a political and economic injustice to the nation-state. This is possible when a nation-state is unable to negotiate for the betterment of its community (whether through incompetence and corruption from the weaker country, or exploitation and deception from the stronger one. ) Globalization cannot end democracy per se, but it risks compromising it to the point of rendering it ineffective. REFERENCES Castells, M 1997, The End of the Millennium, The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture Vol. 3. Blackwell, Cambridge, Massachussetts. Beck, U 2000, What is Globalization? Polity Press, Cambridge. McLuhan, M 1986, The Global Village, Oxford University Press: New York.

Free Essays on The Renaissance

â€Å"The Renaissance† This research Term Paper will attempt to prove that one may truly call Donatello a Renaissance person. What is a renaissance person? A Renaissance person can best be described by the following terms Greco-Roman and Judea-Christian. Greco-Roman is not only the Greek culture but also the cultures from Mesopotamia, India, China, and Egypt. Romans had a world wide culture. Jude-Christian is two different cultures: Jewish and Christian. Judeo-Christian combines both the sacred Hebrew Scriptures and sacred Christian scriptures along with the old testaments and new testaments. To begin to understand the Renaissance person, one must understand the Greek ‘view of man’. The Greeks viewed man on earth as being the apex of life because only man can produce civilization and culture and that man should be free. Donatello, real name Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi was born around 1386 and died in 1466. Donatello was an Italian Renaissance sculptor. He was â€Å"generally considered one of the greatest sculptors of all time and the founder of modern sculpture.†1 Donatello was born in Florence, Italy. He started to paint at a young age. He mostly painted nature and people. It is not known when he started to sculpt, but he sculpted both marble and bronze. His lifetime in the arts was separated into three stages; his early Career, Panduan period, and the Late Florentine Period. He had many influences on his work such as Ghiberti, another Florentine artist, and Brunelleschi. Not only did he get influenced by other artists he influenced others after him. Famous artists that Donatello inspired were Michelangelo. â€Å"When he was 17 years old, he assisted the noted sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti in constructing and decorating the famous bronze doors of the baptistery of San Giovanni, Florenc e. Later, Donatello was also an associate of the noted architect Filippo Brunelleschi.†2 He is known to be one of the hardest working artis... Free Essays on The Renaissance Free Essays on The Renaissance â€Å"The Renaissance† This research Term Paper will attempt to prove that one may truly call Donatello a Renaissance person. What is a renaissance person? A Renaissance person can best be described by the following terms Greco-Roman and Judea-Christian. Greco-Roman is not only the Greek culture but also the cultures from Mesopotamia, India, China, and Egypt. Romans had a world wide culture. Jude-Christian is two different cultures: Jewish and Christian. Judeo-Christian combines both the sacred Hebrew Scriptures and sacred Christian scriptures along with the old testaments and new testaments. To begin to understand the Renaissance person, one must understand the Greek ‘view of man’. The Greeks viewed man on earth as being the apex of life because only man can produce civilization and culture and that man should be free. Donatello, real name Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi was born around 1386 and died in 1466. Donatello was an Italian Renaissance sculptor. He was â€Å"generally considered one of the greatest sculptors of all time and the founder of modern sculpture.†1 Donatello was born in Florence, Italy. He started to paint at a young age. He mostly painted nature and people. It is not known when he started to sculpt, but he sculpted both marble and bronze. His lifetime in the arts was separated into three stages; his early Career, Panduan period, and the Late Florentine Period. He had many influences on his work such as Ghiberti, another Florentine artist, and Brunelleschi. Not only did he get influenced by other artists he influenced others after him. Famous artists that Donatello inspired were Michelangelo. â€Å"When he was 17 years old, he assisted the noted sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti in constructing and decorating the famous bronze doors of the baptistery of San Giovanni, Florenc e. Later, Donatello was also an associate of the noted architect Filippo Brunelleschi.†2 He is known to be one of the hardest working artis...