Volpone, by Ben Jonson :: Free Essay Writer

Think about the finish of the play, the absence of goals in the Bonario - Celia relationship, the class based contrast in the seriousness of Volpone and Mosca's disciplines, the circumstance where Corbaccio, Voltore and Corvino are left. Do you discover the completion only and in structure or are the uncertain circumstances upsetting? In the epistle of the play Ben Jonson states â€Å"it being the workplace of a comic artist to emulate justice.† It can be said this is appeared in the closure and that it is only and in structure as all the characters are rebuffed here and there for their greed and the â€Å"innocent† characters Bonario and Celia who in a manner give a difference to the shameless childishness, are liberated and Celia is given back with multiple times her share cash to her dad. Anyway there are uncertain issues left toward the finish of the play concerning these characters. One perspective would be that Celia and Bonario were auxiliary characters in the play utilized as ethical characters to give a differentiation between the defilement and insatiability of Volpone. Mosca, Corvino, Corbaccio and Voltore, thus making the issues concerning them as immaterial in setting with the discipline or â€Å"justice† served by Jonson to Volpone. Yet, at that point it is essential to hold up u nder as a top priority that as these two characters were so innately genial that the notoriety of them and absence of goals can be viewed as upsetting. Another upsetting treachery can be seen as the class based distinction Mosca and Volpone's disciplines. Volpone is sent to â€Å"Thou craftsmanship to lie in jail, squeezed with irons, till thou be'st debilitated and weak indeed.† As he is â€Å"By blood, and rank a gentleman.† And is sent to the Hospital of the Incurables. Mosca, â€Å"Being an individual of no birth, or blood.† Is condemned to â€Å" first thou be whipped; Then live interminable detainee in our gallies.† This disparity can be viewed as being founded on the way that Mosca is a parasite, in figurative terms a substance fly who feeds of others: the scum of society. Be that as it may, when one of the avocatore thought Mosca had acquired the cash in this way climbing in status, as a clarissimo he had portrayed Mosca as â€Å"A legitimate man! Also, were Volpone dead. A fit counterpart for my daughter.† And is known as a â€Å"gentleman.† This shows how contrasts in class have an y kind of effect for how the characters are treated in discipline.

The Amazon Rainforest

An issue on the planet today that is incredibly disturbing is the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. The world’s biggest staying regular asset is in danger of all out devastation. This wonderful South American woods speaks to 40% of the landmass and 54% of the absolute outstanding precipitation backwoods that are left. It covers nine of the nations in South America which incorporate Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname. From May 2000 to August 2006, roughly 150,000 square kilometers of the downpour timberland in Brazil was lost.This is a zone bigger than the nation of Greece. What is significantly additionally alarming is the way that since 1970, more than 232,000 square miles of the Amazon rainforest has been decimated. The Amazon Rainforest is a tropical rainforest environment. They are known to be found close to the equator. What makes them known as â€Å"rain forests† alludes to the dampness and mugginess that they cont ain. These woods which are rich with trees and other astounding vegetation have all year warm temperatures with high dampness and heavyâ€almost day by day rainfall.It doesn't rain each day in the Amazon Rainforest yet it receives a normal of nine feet of downpour for every year. The Rainforest of the world now just spread 2% of the globe, anyway biologists do gauge they hold half of the world’s plant and creature species. R. A. N. is one of the associations upholding for the Rain Forest to be disregarded. It represents the Rainforest Action Network. One of the issues that RAN has refers to is that mash from cleared rainforests is made into modest duplicate paper, books, tissue and bathroom tissue and extravagance shopping packs that are then offered to customers in the United States, Europe and Asia.RAN’s Rainforest-Free Paper Campaign is neutralizing enterprises and the Indonesian government to quit transforming woods into paper ranches. They have gained huge groun d, for example, constraining Boise Incorporated to quit purchasing wood fiber taken from the customary region of the Grassy Narrows. Soon after, Abitibi Bowater, the biggest paper organization on the planet, consented to remain off of Grassy Narrows land. As indicated by word reference. com the meaning of deforestation is, â€Å"the chopping down and expulsion of all or the majority of the trees in a forested area.Deforestation can disintegrate soils, add to desertification and the contamination of conduits, and diminishing biodiversity through the pulverization of living space. † Most rainforests are cleared by cutting apparatuses, pieces of machinery and flames for its timber worth and afterward are trailed by cultivating and farming tasks. The most recent measurements show that rainforest land which is made into dairy cattle ranches gets the land proprietor $60 per section of land and if timber is reaped, the land is worth $400 per section of land. Dairy cattle farming is the main source of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.This has been going on since the 1970s. Around 38 percent of deforestation from 1966-1975 is because of huge scope steers farming. Tragically the current day circumstance might be surprisingly more terrible. As per the Center for International Forestry Research, â€Å"between 1990 and 2001 the level of Europe's handled meat imports that originated from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent and by 2003 unexpectedly, the development in Brazilian cows productionâ€80 percent of which was in the Amazonâ€was generally trade driven. This issue influences the clans that despite everything live in the Amazon Rainforest. These individuals and their predecessors have been living off of the land for a great many years. Their way of life is shaped from the rainforest itself. There are even a few clans that have never had contact with some other individual outside of their own clan. On the off chance that they are removed from their home s after some time they will lose their dialects, craftsmanship, stories and information on the woods and past. There were an expected ten million of these individuals living in the Amazonian Rainforest five centuries prior. Today there are under heaps of species other than people live in the rainforest, for example, microscopic organisms, plants and warm blooded animals. A large number of different species once existed in this biological system yet because of deforestation and different causes, they are currently wiped out. There are estimations that 137 plant, creature and bug species go terminated each and every day due to said deforestation. That implies around 50,000 species are lost every year. As these species just found in the Amazon Rainforest leave this world, numerous potential solutions forever undermining infections follow. There are by and by 121 doctor prescribed medications sold worldwide that originate from Amazon plants.A great 25% medications that originate from ra inforest fixings have tropical trees and plants of which under 1% have been tried by authorized researchers. Over the long haul, the pulverization of the rainforest will murder pretty much every living thing on the plants. As indicated by www. amazon-rainforest. organization, the Amazon Rainforest has been depicted as the â€Å"Lungs of our Planet. † This is on the grounds that it gives the fundamental ecological world help of persistently reusing carbon dioxide into oxygen. In excess of 20 percent of the world oxygen is created in the Amazon Rainforest. The endurance of humankind relies upon the endurance of the Amazon Rainforest.WORKS CITED â€Å"About RAN | Rainforest Action Network. † Rainforest Action Network | Environmentalism with Teeth. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. ;lt;http://www. ran. organization/content/about-ran;gt;. â€Å"Amazon Rainforest. † Blue Planet Biomes. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. ;lt;http://www. blueplanetbiomes. organization/amazon. htm;gt;. â€Å"AMAZON R AINFOREST FACTS. † UNIQUE SOUTHAMERICA TRAVEL EXPERIENCE. Web. 03 Nov. 2010. ;lt;http://www. one of a kind southamerica-travel-understanding. com/amazon-rainforest-realities. html;gt;. â€Å"The Amazon Rainforest. † Rainforests. Web. 29 Oct. 2010. ;lt;http://rainforests. mongabay. com/amazon/;gt;. â€Å"Deforestation in the Amazon. Rainforest †Mongabay. com. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www. mongabay. com/brazil. html>. â€Å"Endangered Rain Forest Animals. † Liza's Reef - Coral Reef Art. Web. 02 Nov. 2010. <http://www. lizasreef. com/HOPE FOR THE RAIN FORESTS/endangered_rain_forest_animals. htm>. â€Å"How Big Is The Amazon Rainforest In Square Miles? † Ask Questions, Get Free Answers †Blurtit. Web. 1 Nov. 2010. <http://www. blurtit. com/q145171. html>. Spoolman, Scott E. â€Å"7: Climate and Biodiversity. † Environmental Science. By G. Tyler Miller. thirteenth ed. Artisan, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2010. 134-36. Print.

Sample TOEFL Integrated Essay Wheat and Beer

Sample TOEFL Integrated Essay Wheat and Beer Sample TOEFL Integrated EssayThe QuestionThis integrated (Type 1) question is taken from one of the writing drills section of the 2016 edition ofCracking the TOEFLfromPrinceton Review. I am not permitted to provide the lecture and reading here, but if you need some practice questions, Princetons book is a decent choice.Special Offer: TOEFL Essay Evaluation and ScoringYou can now sign up to have your practice essays evaluated and scored by the author of this page. This service is a great way to learn how you will do before test day and how you can best prepare for the big day. Sign up today.The Sample EssayThe reading and the lecture are both about the consumption of wheat by humans in the pre-historic period. The author of the reading believes that bread was the first product produced from wheat. The lecturer casts doubt on the claims made in the article. She thinks that, in fact, beer was the first product that resulted from wheat production.First of all, the author claims that earl y humans prepared wheat for consumption by grinding it between two stones. He notes that wheat was much easier to consume if it was ground to to a thin paste in advance, rather than just being chewed raw. This point is challenged by the lecturer. She says that it was not necessary to grind wheat as it could be sprouted naturally in a moist environment. Furthermore, she points out that sprouted wheat is sweeter, softer and more nutritious than ground wheat.Secondly, the author states that early humans would have easily discovered how to bake bread by exposing their ground wheat to fire. He argues that baked bread could be stored for long periods of time which would have greatly increased the value of wheat as food. This argument is rebutted by the lecturer. She suggests that humans during this period did not know how to cook food with fire. She notes that applying fire to food in order to make it more palatable was simply not an obvious idea at that time.Finally, the author mentions that early humans would have noticed the effects of yeast spores landing on the ground wheat paste when it was left out in the open. He is of the opinion that the bubbles that formed when the yeast landed indicated to people that baked bread would be lighter and easier to eat than raw wheat. The lecturer, on the other hand, feels that fermentation happened very quickly when wheat paste was put into storage. She puts forth the idea that the nice taste of the bubbles that formed when fermentation happened would have been more likely to lead to beer production than to bread production.NoteThis is a sample TOEFL integrated essay written by a native speaker. It follows our TOEFL writing templates for integrated essays. If you find it useful, please remember that we have many more sample essaysfor you to read!

Critisism for Rule and Act Utilitarianism - 1155 Words

â€Å"Utilitarianism is the view that the supreme principle of morality is to act so as to produce as much happiness as possible, each person counting equally† (Mill, 114). By ‘happiness’, this includes anything that is pleasurable and free of pain. Simply put, utilitarianism is the theory that an action is right, as long as it produces the greatest good for the most number of people (Peetush). The central point to this theory is that one must consider every consequence before taking any action. There are two classical forms of utilitarianism; rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism. â€Å"Rule utilitarianism is the idea that an act is right if and only if it is required by a rule that is itself a member of a set of rules whose acceptance would†¦show more content†¦Thus, by this reasoning, what makes an act right or wrong is only the consequence and whether or not it results in happiness. However, this is completely implausible. This would mean that someone could go around killing others as long as the consequences brought about happiness for them .Surely, many would agree that this is not the case and the actions should be judged as right or wrong, not just the end goals. This also ties in with the integrity objection. According to the integrity objection, â€Å"utilitarianism violates personal integrity by commanding that we violate our most central and deeply held principles† (Pojman, 130). An example would be Bernard William’s case with Jim and Indians. Jim is exploring a South American town when he meets a local warlord who’s captured some native protestors and are about to be killed. Jim is faced with the decision to either kill one of the protestors himself and have the others let go or he can refuse to kill the one but then the warlord will kill all of them himself. If Jim were a utilitarian he would be morally obligated to kill even if his set of ethics tells him there is something wrong with doin g so. Nevertheless, his ethical approach would force him to violate his personal integrity. â€Å"Briefly, William’s idea is that â€Å"utilitarianism, congenitally, cannot hope to

Alzheimer s Disease And Its Effects - 1701 Words

Alzheimer’s disease is predicted to affect 115 million people worldwide by the year 2050 (Aggarwal, Neelum). This debilitating disease was mostly in the dark to scientists until 2011 when they were finally able to develop a way to observe and study the development of the stages of Alzheimer’s. A lot is still largely unknown about the disease and current studies aim to categorize, provide infrastructure, provide early detection as well as research possible treatments for the disease (Aggarwal, Neelum). As this disease progresses and affects more and more people in each generation, the need for caretakers will also increase. The research of Alzheimer’s must continue to progress so that the number of Alzheimer patients in the future may be reduced. Google defines dementia as â€Å"a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning.† According to What is Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s disease happens to be the most common form of Dementia. Alzheimer’s is a progressive memory disease that affects the brains neurons causing loss of memory as well as function. Even though memory loss is a common occurrence as people start to age, Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Alz.org explains that two main plaques, which are protein fragments that are built up in the brain, cause Alzheimer’s disease. These two proteins are Beta-amyloid and Tau. Beta-amyloid kills nerves byShow MoreRelatedAlzheimer s Disease And Its Effects932 Words   |  4 PagesAlzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease is a mental disorder that catches up to many while in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility. What causes this disease? Experts believe that Alzheimer s develops as a complex result of multiple factors rather than any one overriding cause. Alzheimer’s may result from the central nervous system including brain tumors, head injuries, and other diseases. They can also result form infectionsRead MoreThe Effects Of Alzheimer s Disease Essay1107 Words   |  5 PagesTopic: The effects of Alzheimer’s disease General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease. Thesis Statement: Alzheimer’s disease adversely affects the patient’s brain, behavior, and daily life. I. Introduction A. Attention Material: At some point in the sixth grade, early one morning, at around 3 a.m., I woke up to an eerie feeling. I felt as though someone was watching me, and to my surprise, someone was. I woke up to a perplexed faceRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease And Its Effects1188 Words   |  5 Pages Alzheimer s disease is a cognitively degenerative disease with irreversible side effects. The disease was first discovered in 1901 by the late German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer while he was working with a fifty year old patient by the name of Auguste D. Since the disease s discovery, scientists, psychiatrist, and many other medical professionals have worked diligently to learn more about the disease s effects and potential treatments to hinder its rapid progression. Alzheimer s disease isRead MoreEffects Of Alzheimer s Disease : Description Of The Disease1572 Words   |  7 PagesEffects of Alzheimer’s disease Description of the Disease Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which attacks brain cells and neurons. This disease results in loss of memory, lower thinking capacity, loss of coordination and poor language skills. Alzheimer disease is majorly caused by brain cell death where neurons producing acetylcholine or neurotransmitters breaks connections with other nerve cell resulting to inflammation in the brain system connection (Munoz Feldman, 2012). WhenRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease And Its Effects1056 Words   |  5 Pages Alzheimer’s disease BEFORE AD Alzheimer’s isn’t new to us. The name just changed. Before Alzheimer’s was dementia. That has been around for quite some time. For the bizarre behavior of humans with dementia, people began to do spiritual â€Å"treatment† to people. Putting the patient in asylums. Back then people did not worry about the disease because they would only live for about 30 years (Kelly,2008). In the eighteenth century, a French doctor named Mr. Pinel believed that mental illnesses had aRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease And Its Effects Essay1402 Words   |  6 Pagesused to describe a disease or disorder that affects brain functioning by a decline in metal ability that can progress enough to interfere with daily life. There are different forms of dementia, such as Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Vascular, and Frontotemporal, but the number one type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in nine Americans older than the age of 65 currently have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversibleRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease And Its Effects On Society1009 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer’s disease, also known as AD is often insidious on set, it can take months up to years to go from a mild to severe impairment. (Mayeux, 2010) The disease is irreversible and has no cure. â€Å"The disease affects 500,000 Canadians, 71,000 of those are under the age of 65† (VanDenBroek, 2013). AD affects the person by impacting their neurological function, their cognition and their behaviour. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, it affects two pathological hallmarks: amyloidRead MoreThe And Its Effects On Alzheimer s Disease Essay1311 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease† and this number is expected to triple by the year 2050. The AA website states that Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in our country with 1 in 3 seniors dying from Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. Because this disease effects so many people and because its symptoms are so devastating, scientists are continually searching for the cause of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in attempt to find treatment or a cure. Some scientistsRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease And Its Effects1575 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract: According to data available from the Alzheimer’s foundation every 67 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease and currently at least 5.3 million people are affected by the disease. The numbers are expected to grow as 75 million baby boomers transition into retirement by 2030. Alzheimer disease is a brain disorder that causes decay and dis- function of neurons resulting in memory loss, speech and language impairment. This can also extend to challenges in physical and social behaviouralRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease And Its Effects1021 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder, in which one progressively loses memory, thinking skills, and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia also called senile dementia, and two thirds of dementia cases are from Alzheimer’s disease (ZZZZ). This disease usually effects the older generation, early 60s to late 60’s. According to the Nation al Institute of Aging, over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and it is ranked the sixth leading cause of

The Twilight Saga 4 Breaking Dawn 28. The Future Free Essays

Carlisle and Edward had not been able to catch up with Irina before her trail disappeared into the sound. They’d swum to the other bank to see if her trail had picked up in a straight line, but there was no trace of her for miles in either direction on the eastern shore. It was all my fault. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 28. The Future or any similar topic only for you Order Now She had come, as Alice had seen, to make peace with the Cullens, only to be angered by my camaraderie with Jacob. I wished I’d noticed her earlier, before Jacob had phased. I wished we’d gone hunting somewhere else. There wasn’t much to be done. Carlisle had called Tanya with the disappointing news. Tanya and Kate hadn’t seen Irina since they’d decided to come to my wedding, and they were distraught that Irina had come so close and yet not returned home; it wasn’t easy for them to lose their sister, however temporary the separation might be. I wondered if this brought back hard memories of losing their mother so many centuries ago. Alice was able to catch a few glimpses of Irina’s immediate future, nothing too concrete. She wasn’t going back to Denali, as far as Alice could tell. The picture was hazy. All Alice could see was that Irina was visibly upset; she wandered in the snow-swathed wilderness – to the north? To the east? – with a devastated expression. She made no decisions for a new course beyond her directionless grieving. Days passed and, though of course I forgot nothing, Irina and her pain moved to the back of my mind. There were more important things to think of now. I would leave for Italy in just a few days. When I got back, we’d all be off to South America. Every detail had been gone over a hundred times already. We would start with the Ticunas, tracing their legends as well as we could at the source. Now that it was accepted that Jacob would come with us, he figured prominently in the plans – it was unlikely that the people who believed in vampires would speak to any of us about their stories. If we dead-ended with the Ticunas, there were many closely related tribes in the area to research. Carlisle had some old friends in the Amazon; if we could find them, they might have information for us, too. Or at least a suggestion as to where else we might go for answers. It was unlikely that the three Amazon vampires had anything to do with the legends of vampire hybrids themselves, as they were all female. There was no way to know how long our search would take. I hadn’t told Charlie about the longer trip yet, and I stewed about what to say to him while Edward and Carlisle’s discussion went on. How to break the news to him just right? I stared at Renesmee while I debated internally. She was curled up on the sofa now, her breathing slow with heavy sleep, her tangled curls splayed wildly around her face.Usually, Edward and I took her back to our cottage to put her to bed, but tonight we lingered with the family, he and Carlisle deep in their planning session. Meanwhile, Emmett and Jasper were more excited about planning the hunting possibilities. The Amazon offered a change from our normal quarry. Jaguars and panthers, for example. Emmett had a whim to wrestle with an anaconda. Esme and Rosalie were planning what they would pack. Jacob was off with Sam’s pack, setting things up for his own absence. Alice moved slowly – for her – around the big room, unnecessarily tidying the already immaculate space, straightening Esme’s perfectly hung garlands. She was re-centering Esme’s vases on the console at the moment. I could see from the way her face fluctuated – aware, then blank, then aware again – that she was searching the future. I assumed she was trying to see through the blind spots that Jacob and Renesmee made in her visions as to what was waiting for us in South America until Jasper said, â€Å"Let it go, Alice; she’s not our concern,† and a cloud of serenity stole silently and invisibly through the room. Alice must have been worrying about Irina again. She stuck her tongue out at Jasper and then lifted one crystal vase that was filled with white and red roses and turned toward the kitchen. There was just the barest hint of wilt to one of the white flowers, but Alice seemed intent on utter perfection as a distraction to her lack of vision tonight. Staring at Renesmee again, I didn’t see it when the vase slipped from Alice’s fingers. I only heard the whoosh of the air whistling past the crystal, and my eyes flickered up in time to see the vase shatter into ten thousand diamond shards against the edge of the kitchen’s marble floor. We were perfectly still as the fragmented crystal bounced and skittered in every direction with an unmusical tinkling, all eyes on Alice’s back. My first illogical thought was that Alice was playing some joke on us. Because there was no way that Alice could have dropped the vase by accident I could have darted across the room to catch the vase in plenty of time myself, if I hadn’t assumed she would get it. And how would it fall through her fingers in the first place? Her perfectly sure fingers†¦ I had never seen a vampire drop anything by accident. Ever. And then Alice was facing us, twisting in a move so fast it didn’t exist. Her eyes were halfway here and halfway locked on the future, wide, staring, filling her thin face till they seemed to overflow it. Looking into her eyes was like looking out of a grave from the inside; I was buried in the terror and despair and agony of her gaze. I heard Edward gasp; it was a broken, half-choked sound. â€Å"What?†Jasper growled, leaping to her side in a blurred rush of movement, crushing the broken crystal under his feet. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her sharply. She seemed to rattle silently in his hands. â€Å"What Alice?† Emmett moved into my peripheral vision, his teeth bared while his eyes darted toward the window, anticipating an attack. There was only silence from Esme, Carlisle, and Rose, who were frozen just as I was. Jasper shook Alice again. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"They’re coming for us,† Alice and Edward whispered together, perfectly synchronized. â€Å"All of them.† Silence. For once, I was the quickest to understand – because something in their words triggered my own vision. It was only the distant memory of a dream – faint, transparent, indistinct as if I were peering through thick gauze†¦. In my head, I saw a line of black advancing on me, the ghost of my half-forgotten human nightmare. I could not see the glint of their ruby eyes in the shrouded image, or the shine of their sharp wet teeth, but I knew where the gleam should be†¦. Stronger than the memory of the sight came the memory of the feel – the wrenching need to protect the precious thing behind me. I wanted to snatch Renesmee up into my arms, to hide her behind my skin and hair, to make her invisible. But I couldn’t even turn to look at her. I felt not like stone but ice. For the first time since I’d been reborn a vampire, I felt cold. I barely heard the confirmation of my fears. I didn’t need it. I already knew. â€Å"The Volturi,† Alice moaned. â€Å"All of them,† Edward groaned at the same time. â€Å"Why?† Alice whispered to herself. â€Å"How?† â€Å"When?† Edward whispered. â€Å"Why?† Esme echoed. â€Å"When?†Jasper repeated in a voice like splintering ice. Alice’s eyes didn’t blink, but it was as if a veil covered them; they became perfectly blank. Only her mouth held on to her expression of horror. â€Å"Not long,† she and Edward said together. Then she spoke alone. â€Å"There’s snow on the forest, snow on the town. Little more than a month.† â€Å"Why?† Carlisle was the one to ask this time. Esme answered. â€Å"They must have a reason. Maybe to see †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"This isn’t about Bella,† Alice said hollowly. â€Å"They’re all coming – Aro, Caius, Marcus, every member of the guard, even the wives.† â€Å"The wives never leave the tower,† Jasper contradicted her in a flat voice. â€Å"Never. Not during the southern rebellion. Not when the Romanians tried to overthrow them. Not even when they were hunting the immortal children. Never.† â€Å"They’re coming now,† Edward whispered. â€Å"But why?† Carlisle said again. â€Å"We’ve done nothing! And if we had, what could we possibly do that would bring f/?/sdown on us?† â€Å"There are so many of us,† Edward answered dully. â€Å"They must want to make sure that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn’t finish. â€Å"That doesn’t answer the crucial question! Why?† I felt I knew the answer to Carlisle’s question, and yet at the same time I didn’t. Renesmee was the reason why, I was sure. Somehow I’d known from the very beginning that they would come for her. My subconscious had warned me before I’d known I was carrying her. It felt oddly expected now. As if I’d somehow always known that the Volturi would come to take my happiness from me. But that still didn’t answer the question. â€Å"Go back, Alice,† Jasper pleaded. â€Å"Look for the trigger. Search.† Alice shook her head slowly, her shoulders sagging. â€Å"It came out of nowhere, Jazz. I wasn’t looking for them, or even for us. I was just looking for Irina. She wasn’t where I expected her to be†¦.† Alice trailed off, her eyes drifting again. She stared at nothing for a long second. And then her head jerked up, her eyes hard as flint. I heard Edward catch his breath. â€Å"She decided to go to them,† Alice said. â€Å"Irina decided to go to the Volturi. And then they will decide†¦. It’s as if they’re waiting for her. Like their decision was already made, and just waiting on her___† It was silent again as we digested this. What would Irina tell the Volturi that would result in Alice’s appalling vision? â€Å"Can we stop her?† Jasper asked. â€Å"There’s no way. She’s almost there.† â€Å"What is she doing?† Carlisle was asking, but I wasn’t paying attention to the discussion now. All my focus was on the picture that was painstakingly coming together in my head. I pictured Irina poised on the cliff, watching. What had she seen? A vampire and a werewolf who were best friends. I’d been focused on that image, one that would obviously explain her reaction. But that was not all that she’d seen. She’d also seen a child. An exquisitely beautiful child, showing off in the falling snow, clearly more than human†¦ Irina†¦ the orphaned sisters†¦ Carlisle had said that losing their mother to the Volturi’s justice had made Tanya, Kate, and Irina purists when it came to the law. Just half a minute ago, Jasper had said the words himself: Not even when they were hunting the immortal children†¦. The immortal children – the unmentionable bane, the appalling taboo†¦ With Irina’s past, how could she apply any other reading to what she’d seen that day in the narrow field? She had not been close enough to hear Renesmee’s heart, to feel the heat radiating from her body. Renesmee’s rosy cheeks could have been a trick on our part for all she knew. After all, the Cullens were in league with werewolves. From Irina’s point of view, maybe this meant nothing was beyond us†¦. Irina, wringing her hands in the snowy wilderness – not mourning Laurent, after all, but knowing it was her duty to turn the Cullens in, knowing what would happen to them if she did. Apparently her conscience had won out over the centuries of friendship. And the Volturi’s response to this kind of infraction was so automatic, it was already decided. I turned and draped myself over Renesmee’s sleeping body, covering her with my hair, burying my face in her curls. â€Å"Think of what she saw that afternoon,† I said in a low voice, interrupting whatever Emmett was beginning to say. â€Å"To someone who’d lost a mother because of the immortal children, what would Renesmee look like?† Everything was silent again as the others caught up to where I was already. â€Å"An immortal child,† Carlisle whispered. I felt Edward kneel beside me, wrap his arms over us both. â€Å"But she’s wrong,† I went on. â€Å"Renesmee isn’t like those other children. They were frozen, but she grows so much every day. They were out of control, but she never hurts Charlie or Sue or even shows them things that would upset them. She can control herself. She’s already smarter than most adults. There would be no reason___† I babbled on, waiting for someone to exhale with relief, waiting for the icy tension in the room to relax as they realized I was right. The room just seemed to get colder. Eventually my small voice trailed off into silence. No one spoke for a long time. Then Edward whispered into my hair. â€Å"It’s not the kind of crime they hold a trial for, love,† he said quietly. â€Å"Aro’s seen Irina’s proof in her thoughts. They come to destroy, not to be reasoned with.† â€Å"But they’re wrong,† I said stubbornly. â€Å"They won’t wait for us to show them that.† His voice was still quiet, gentle, velvet†¦ and yet the pain and desolation in the sound was unavoidable. His voice was like Alice’s eyes before – like the inside of a tomb. â€Å"What can we do?† I demanded. Renesmee was so warm and perfect in my arms, dreaming peacefully. I’d worried so much about Renesmee’s speeding age – worried that she would only have little over a decade of life†¦. That terror seemed ironic now. Little over a month†¦ Was this the limit, then? I’d had more happiness than most people ever experienced. Was there some natural law that demanded equal shares of happiness and misery in the world? Was my joy overthrowing the balance? Was four months all I could have? It was Emmett who answered my rhetorical question. â€Å"We fight,† he said calmly. â€Å"We can’t win,† Jasper growled. I could imagine how his face would look, how his body would curve protectively over Alice’s. â€Å"Well, we can’t run. Not with Demetri around.† Emmett made a disgusted noise, and I knew instinctively that he was not upset by the idea of the Volturi’s tracker but by the idea of running away. â€Å"And I don’t know that we can’t win,† he said. â€Å"There are a few options to consider. We don’t have to fight alone.† My head snapped up at that. â€Å"We don’t have to sentence the Quileutes to death, either, Emmett!† â€Å"Chill, Bella.† His expression was no different from when he was contemplating fighting anacondas. Even the threat of annihilation couldn’t change Emmett’s perspective, his ability to thrill to a challenge. â€Å"I didn’t mean the pack. Be realistic, though – do you think Jacob or Sam is going to ignore an invasion? Even if it wasn’t about Nessie? Not to mention that, thanks to Irina, Aro knows about our alliance with the pack now, too. But I was thinking of our other friends.† Carlisle echoed me in a whisper. â€Å"Other friends we don’t have to sentence to death.† â€Å"Hey, we’ll let them decide,† Emmett said in a placating tone. â€Å"I’m not saying they have to fight with us.† I could see the plan refining itself in his head as he spoke. â€Å"If they’d just stand beside us, just long enough to make the Volturi hesitate. Bella’s right, after all. If we could force them to stop and listen. Though that might take away any reason for a fight___† There was a hint of a smile on Emmett’s face now. I was surprised no one had hit him yet. I wanted to. â€Å"Yes,† Esme said eagerly. â€Å"That makes sense, Emmett. All we need is for the Volturi to pause for one moment. Just long enough to listen* â€Å"We’d need quite a show of witnesses,† Rosalie said harshly, her voice brittle as glass. Esme nodded in agreement, as if she hadn’t heard the sarcasm in Rosalie’s tone. â€Å"We can ask that much of our friends. Just to witness.† â€Å"We’d do it for them,† Emmett said. â€Å"We’ll have to ask them just right,† Alice murmured. I looked to see her eyes were a dark void again. â€Å"They’ll have to be shown very carefully.† â€Å"Shown?†Jasper asked. Alice and Edward both looked down at Renesmee. Then Alice’s eyes glazed over. â€Å"Tanya’s family,† she said. â€Å"Siobhan’s coven. Amun’s. Some of the nomads – Garrett and Mary for certain. Maybe Alistair.† â€Å"What about Peter and Charlotte?† Jasper asked half fearfully, as if he hoped the answer was no, and his old brother could be spared from the coming carnage. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"The Amazons?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"Kachiri, Zafrina, and Senna?† Alice seemed too deep into her vision to answer at first; finally she shuddered, and her eyes flickered back to the present. She met Carlisle’s gaze for the tiniest part of a second, and then looked down. â€Å"I can’t see.† â€Å"What was that?† Edward asked, his whisper a demand. â€Å"That part in the jungle. Are we going to look for them?† â€Å"I can’t see,† Alice repeated, not meeting his eyes. A flash of confusion crossed Edward’s face. â€Å"We’ll have to split up and hurry – before the snow sticks to the ground. We have to round up whomever we can and get them here to show them.† She zoned again. â€Å"Ask Eleazar. There is more to this than just an immortal child.† The silence was ominous for another long moment while Alice was in her trance. She blinked slowly when it was over, her eyes peculiarly opaque despite the fact that she was clearly in the present. â€Å"There is so much. We have to hurry,† she whispered. â€Å"Alice?† Edward asked. â€Å"That was too fast – I didn’t understand. What was – ?† â€Å"I can’t see!† she exploded back at him. â€Å"Jacob’s almost here!† Rosalie took a step toward the front door. â€Å"I’ll deal with – â€Å" â€Å"No, let him come,† Alice said quickly, her voice straining higher with each word. She grabbed Jasper’s hand and began pulling him toward the back door. â€Å"I’ll see better away from Nessie, too. I need to go. I need to really concentrate. I need to see everything I can. I have to go. Come on, Jasper, there’s no time to waste!† We all could hear Jacob on the stairs. Alice yanked, impatient, on Jasper’s hand. He followed quickly, confusion in his eyes just like Edward’s. They darted out the door into the silver night. â€Å"Hurry!† she called back to us. â€Å"You have to find them all!† â€Å"Find what?† Jacob asked, shutting the front door behind himself. â€Å"Where’d Alice go?† No one answered; we all just stared. Jacob shook the wet from his hair and pulled his arms through the sleeves of his t-shirt, his eyes on Renesmee. â€Å"Hey, Bells! I thought you guys would’ve gone home by now___† He looked up to me finally, blinked, and then stared. I watched his expression as the room’s atmosphere finally touched him. He glanced down, eyes wide, at the wet spot on the floor, the scattered roses, the fragments of crystal. His fingers quivered. â€Å"What?† he asked flatly. â€Å"What happened?† I couldn’t think where to begin. No one else found the words, either. Jacob crossed the room in three long strides and dropped to his knees beside Renesmee and me. I could feel the heat shaking off his body as tremors rolled down his arms to his shaking hands. â€Å"Is she okay?† he demanded, touching her forehead, tilting his head as he listened to her heart. â€Å"Don’t mess with me, Bella, please!† â€Å"Nothing’s wrong with Renesmee,† I choked out, the words breaking in strange places. â€Å"Then who?† â€Å"All of us, Jacob,† I whispered. And it was there in my voice, too – the sound of the inside of a grave. â€Å"It’s over. We’ve all been sentenced to die.† How to cite The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 28. The Future, Essay examples

The rocking horse winner bylawrence free essay sample

Research paper: compare and contrast :The rocking horse winner bylawrence, and The lottery by jackson BY 210775 Just We Three The Savior is not a silent observer. He Himself knows personally and infinitely the pain we face. Monday, November 19, 2012 Compare and Contrast A paper from my English Literature and Composition class this summer Abstract In Graham Greenes The Destructors and Richard Connells The Most Dangerous Game Rainsford and Trevor (better known as T. are each faced with a moral ilemma. Each character is confronted with a post-war scenario. While T. is immersed in it, living in a post-war London, and striving to fit in with his peers; Rainsford faces an opponent who survived the overthrow of the Czar and continued to pursue his favored sport despite societal acceptance. T. is from a higher social status than that of his peers and must find a way to fit in and earn their respect. We will write a custom essay sample on The rocking horse winner bylawrence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rainsford is shipwrecked on an island with a big game hunter and must survive the ost challenging hunt of his life. The purpose of this essay is to compare the way these moral dilemmas affect each character, how they address the struggle, how they internalize their perception, and how they work toward resolution with their inner conflict. 1 . Adapting to challenges (both key individuals) a. Rainsford is successful 2. Character Analysis a. Trevor-cultured hoodlum b. Rainsford-cultured hunter 3. Conflict a. Rainsford

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company Essays

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company Essays The Vermont Teddy Bear Company Paper The Vermont Teddy Bear Company Paper The Vermont Teddy Bear Company was established 1981 by John Sortino. Mr. Sortinos dream was to create a high quality stuffed teddy bear, which was produced in the United States. Mr. Sortino learned to sew and took art classes. With these new skills, he began to manufacture a line of bears. By the end of the first year, over 200 bears were sold and different features were being added to the bear line such as having movable joints and being machine washable. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company became incorporated in the State of New York in 1984. The company began to market the bears in department stores and opened its own store in 1985. Before Valentines Day of 1985, the company began a new marketing technique, which allowed customer to send a bear gram by calling a 1-800 number. This pushed The Vermont Teddy Bear Company into a mullion dollar company. In 1991, a new manufacturing factory had to be established in order to handle the demand. The company was now on a roll winning multiple business awards such as Best of America small business award and Heritage of New England Customer Service award. In 1994, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company had grown so much in such as small period of time. At this time John Sortino recognized the need in order to reorganize the company from an entrepreneurial company to professionally managed organization. At this time, he resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the company. He was trying to prepare the company so that a new CEO with experience in this system would be able to flourish. In 1995, Patrick Burns became the New CEO of the company. Mr. Burns and a new chief Finance Officer, Elisabeth Robert began new strategies for the company. They began to open more stores and produced an expanded catalog, at the same time they cut back on advertising for the bear grams. This diminishment in profits caused Mr. Burns stepped down and Elisabeth Burns became the new CEO of the company. External Factors In order to determine the external Factors that face the Vermont Teddy Bear Company the use of the Five Forces model of Porter is needed. This model is an outside-in business tactic tool that is used to make a study of the value of an industry structure. The Competitive Forces study is made by the identification of 5 basic competitive forces: * The entry of competitors- The Teddy bear manufacturing business will can be entered easily as many consumers are not particular to name brands. However quality is a factor as many of these toys are for children and therefore have to be able to withstand the constraints of child play and the ability to withstand the test of time in order to become heirlooms. * The threat of substitutes- for many Teddy bear collections, a trademark is used in order to distinguish one brand from another. The Steiff Company uses a button on the ear of its products. Some trademarks are services used in order to market their bears. An example of this type of trademark would be a Bear gram which is only available from the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Other trademarks can be as simple as the features of the bears themselves. * The bargaining power of buyers- Depending on the markets in which the company chooses to use will develop the bargaining power of the markets. For collectible bear the volume of product may be limited in order to fuel demand for the products and raise prices. * The bargaining power of suppliers- Depending on the market, the sellers can differ. Many companies chose to produce high volume low quality bears and sellers consist of discount shops and markets. Other companies with higher quality and higher priced bears will focus more on prestique department stores or antique stores as sellers. * The rivalry among the existing players There is much competition and Rivalry within the competition As the Teddy Bear industry is very popular industry that can be approached in different ways. Some companies chose to manufacture bears for Children toys, others are produced for gifts, etc and other selections are created to be collectibles. . The External factors, which contributed to the downfall of the Teddy Bear Company, consisted of other companies who produced bears or other similar plush items. The largest competitor was Steiff Company. Steiff specialized in bears that are manufactured in Germany and the Far East. These bears are high quality and but are not individually customized. The Stieff bears have a trademark is a button sewn in to the ear of each bear. These bears range from $50 for a 6 inch tall to several thousands dollars for the life size bears. Their markets include discount stores and supermarkets to high-end specialty shops and antique stores. The next company that competed was Gund Company. The Gund Company uses the Internet in order to market its product. Gund products include a wide range of plush animals that are not restricted to bears only. Teddy Bear Factory is the only other American manufacturer of teddy bears. This company is a major competitor in the San Francisco area; however, their market is strictly regional. The North American Bear Company manufactures all of its bears in the Orient, where labor costs are cheaper. This company is focuses more on global markets such as Europe, Japan and the United States. Their line of bears differs from The Vermont Bears by having shorter limbs and noses. Applause Enterprises, Inc, is a smaller competitor, who mostly focuses on small plush versions of Sesame Street, Star wars, Muppets, and Disney characters. Internal Factors In order to determine the internal factors that face the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, The PEST Analysis will be used. This model uses the four factors that face the internal factors such as: Political, Economic, Social and Technological. These factors apply to the companys customers, Employees, Investors, Vendors and Community. Vermont Teddy Bear Company Political * Ecological/environmental issues * Current legislation home market * Future legislation * European/international legislation * Regulatory bodies and processes * Government policies * Government term and change * Trading policies * Funding, grants and initiatives * Home market lobbying/pressure groups * International pressure groups Economic * Home economy situation * Home economy trends * Overseas economies and trends * General taxation issues * Taxation specific to product/services * Seasonality/weather issues * Market and trade cycles * Specific industry factors * Market routes and distribution trends * Customer/end-user drivers * Interest and exchange rates Social * Lifestyle trends * Demographics * Consumer attitudes and opinions * Media views * Law changes affecting social factors * Brand, company, technology image * Consumer buying patterns * Fashion and role models * Major events and influences * Buying access and trends * Ethnic/religious factors * Advertising and publicity Technological * Competing technology development * Research funding * Associated/dependent technologies * Replacement technology/solutions * Maturity of technology * Manufacturing maturity and capacity * Information and communications * Consumer buying mechanisms/technology * Technology legislation * Innovation potential * Technology access, licensing, patents * Intellectual property issues The customers are the groundwork of the company. The ability to meet customer expectations is the backbone of the business culture. With quest for superior customer service the company will be able to produce a high quality product that will meet the customers needs and demands. The companies employees are the internal customers. The idea that the employees should be treated with the same attention as the customers will produce a highly efficient work environment. This treatment will create a sense of pride, partnership, team spirit, and personal commitment in every employee. Our investors provide capital with the expectations that the will be repaid with interest. The companies financial strength will be enable the promise the investors to be accomplished. The vendors are a partnership that allows the company to understand the customers wants and the ability to provide the services to customers in a location and price that they want. The community requires that company work within ethical, legal and environmental guidelines. The company will support associations and individuals that have comparable morals in order to contribute to future generations. This requires a balance between working with the community and developing capability of the company.

The Rape and Murder of Sarah Goode

The Rape and Murder of Sarah Goode In the summer of 2014, petite, 21-year-old Long Island mother and medical technician Sarah P. Goode disappeared. Her partially decomposed body was found in a wooded area about a week later. The resulting autopsy and criminal investigation revealed Goode had been brutally raped and stabbed to death by a man whose sexual advances she had earlier rejected at a party.   Search for the Missing Mom On June 8, 2014, Goodes family called Suffolk County police Sunday to report her missing. She had not been seen for two days. The family began passing out fliers and neighbors pitched in to search. The next day, Goodes gray 1999 BMW was found parked in a wooded area in Medford, not far from the home Goode shared with her mother and 4-year-old daughter. Although the car had not been broken into, police said it was found under suspicious circumstances. Suffolk County Detective Michael Fitzharris would not comment on those circumstances, nor did he reveal whether or not Goodes personal belongings had been found in the car. This is a 21-year-old gainfully employed Long Island girl. Everyone has to have their vehicle out here, Fitzharris told reporters. For her family to not see her for a few days †¦ we take that very seriously. It was later learned that police had discovered clumps of hair and blood inside the vehicle. Using K-9 units, police swept the wooded area where Goodes car had been found. On June 12, 2014, almost a week after shed vanished, a group of searchers found her body in the woods within a mile of the site where  her  abandoned car had turned up the day after shed been reported missing.   Killer Charged   On July 12, 2014, Dante Taylor, a 19-year-old former Marine from Mastic, Long Island, whose advances Goode rejected at a party theyd both attended was arrested in connection with her murder. A bloody handprint in Goodes car and text messages between him and Goode on the night she went missing linked Taylor to the murder. Taylor was arrested but later released after it was learned that police had taken fingerprints, DNA, and cellphone evidence without probable cause and had questioned him without reading him his rights. He was arrested again a month later on unrelated charges in Vero Beach, Florida, and extradited for trial. Taylor was arraigned on murder charges in a Central Islip courtroom. As prosecutor Janet Albertson described the events surrounding Goodes death, about 50 of her family members were present in court, some responding to the horrific details in vocal anguish, others in verbal taunts. Goodes brother-in-law was removed from the courtroom. Albertson described the gory scene police found inside of Goodes blood-soaked car. She went on to present evidence that Taylor had brutally raped Goode and had subsequently beaten her so badly with a sharp metal object that a piece of metal had been found embedded in her skull. Goode had been stabbed more than 40 times. After she was dead, Taylor dumped Goodes body, nude from the waist down, in the woods. Police and Prosecutorial Misconduct Tarnish Conviction During the trial, the prosecution was sanctioned by state Supreme Court Justice John Collins for withholding evidence from the defense that included a series of Crime Stoppers tips pointing to other potential suspects. It was also learned that police destroyed a threatening message from a boyfriend with whom Goode had recently split up. Nevertheless, Taylor was found guilty of first- and second-degree murder, and attempted rape in the first degree in the death of Sarah Goode and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Convicted Killer Dies in Prison On October 2017, the 22-year-old convicted killer was found dead at the Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo, New York, where he was serving his life sentence. Goodes family responded to the news with a Facebook post, which read:   â€Å"The monster who so violently ended Sarah’s young life will no longer breathe another breath, will no longer see another day, will no longer have the privilege of living a life- something he made certain she could not do. Sarah’s beauty is eternal. Her laugh is unforgettable. Her memories are carved in the hearts of all whom she met.† However, Taylors trial attorney, John Lewis Jr., insisted that his clients conviction was a travesty and a perversion of justice, stating: â€Å"It’s a tragedy. His death is just another injustice in a string of injustices. I just hope someone is held accountable for his death. Now Suffolk County will not be held accountable for the injustices it committed in getting his conviction.† Sources Landau, Joel. Long Island Police Searching for Missing 21-Year-Old Mother of 4-Year-Old Girl. New York Daily News, June 9, 2014 Tracy, Thomas. Body Found in Long Island Woods Is the Missing Mom of 4-Year-Old Daughter. New York Daily News, June 13, 2014Nolan, Caitlin and Brown, Stephen Rex. Family of Murdered Long Island Mom Weep, Shout as Accused Killer Appears in Court.  New York Daily News, July 14, 2014Fuller, Nicole and Smith, Andrew. Dante Taylor, Convicted Killer, Dies in Prison, Officials Say. Newsday, October 9, 2017

Reports of Digital Investigations to Management Essay

Reports of Digital Investigations to Management - Essay Example Certainly, digital forensics investigations are time-consuming and resource-consumptive but are integral to the continued securitization of an organization's data and the protection of both its customers and its market status. Following a brief overview of the type of information which Digital Investigation Reports are expected to contain, this essay will examine the question of what organizational managers expect to see in these reports and why. Jones, Bejtlich and Rose (2005) explain that there are several types of digital investigation reports and the structure and content of each is ultimately determined by the person they were written for. If directed to either the IT Manager or the organization's Chief Security Officer, they are extremely detailed. The reports will, customarily, include all the relevant information surrounding the incident, the tools which were used to detect the penetration or attempted penetration, its consequences and the technologies employed for the investigation of the incident. The results of the investigation are comprehensively detailed. ... Digital investigation reports which are forwarded to the organization's Legal Department are similar to those composed for the Finance and Accounting departments (Jones, Bejtlich and Rose, 2005). As indicated above, the composition of digital investigation reports is a complex and complicated process. This is not simply because of their intricately detailed nature but because several reports are generated and the style and content of each differs according to intended recipient. 3 Reports to Management Digital Investigations Reports addressed to management are, quite possibly, the most important of all the digital forensic reports prepared by the organization. The reason, as explained by the IT Director, is that the organization's top management are its decision-makers; they allocate the budget and resources necessary for such investigations and, importantly, make the decision on follow-up action. These reports tell management what happened, the extent of the damages, if any, and why the incident occurred in the first place. Importantly, these reports may also contain suggestions for the avoidance of future incidents. From the IT Director's perspective, the reports addressed to management are intended to provide them with the information needed for them to arrive at a decision on future action and reaction. Stephenson (2003) similarly emphasizes the importance of the digital investigation reports submitted to management. As he argues, the information contained in these reports undoubtedly influence management decisions regarding subsequent action. For example, if the investigations revealed the incident to be serious and

Global Financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Financing - Essay Example Countertrade is classified under five divergent types namely; barter, counter purchase, offset, switch trading and buyback. There are five distinct types of countertrade -- barter, counter purchase, offset, switch trading, and buy back. Under this essay, we will focus on the meaning and the significance of each type in the international trade scenario. Barter can be defined as a direct exchange of goods and services, or both, between two parties without a cash transaction. It involves exchange of goods for goods and does not involve cash payments or receipts. Although in theory barter appears to be the simplest arrangement, in practice it is not commonly applied or practically implemented. It can be said that the expansion of bartering in the US is mainly because of barter companies or barter exchanges. According to popular estimates, there were roughly 600 barter exchanges among which 500 acted as clearinghouses for the exchange of goods and services between their clients and 100 were corporate trade brokers that exchange trade credits for assets, and goods and services so as to make it a part trade and part cash transaction. In a manner, barter dealers or barter exchanges facilitate a common platform upon which members exchange goods and services either through pure barter or through mixture of barter and cash. The barter exchange generates its profits from membership and renewal fees and from certain commissions which are based on a percentage of the gross worth of each operation. The fees usually range between 5 to10 percent. Under certain arrangements, some barter exchanges also charge a monthly administrative fee. The most significant purpose of a barter exchang e is to match the needs of potential traders. Counter Purchase Counter purchase is a form of mutual buying agreement. It occurs when a firm agrees to purchase a certain amount of materials back from a country to which a sale is made. Typically, there will be two distinct contracts. One of them will relate to the sale of goods/services by the trading company for which it will be paid a specified amount of hard currency. The other form will require the trading company to spend some proportion of this revenue to buy goods from a list provided by the importing country. The counter-purchase may vary in value between 10 and 100% of the original export order. The imports bought require not be related in any way to the goods/services exported. Generally, there is a specific time period (normally three years) within which the counter-purchase must be made. Thus, in this form of counter-trading (unlike pure barter), exports only partly finance the purchase of imports. In fact, they simply help balance costs on imports at a later date. In this manner, a co unter-purchase transaction is not undertaken because of a lack of convertible currency or incapability to obtain credit. Nevertheless, it has often been used by planned economies as a tool for scheming foreign trade and ensuring that exports balance imports. Offset Offset is similar to counter purchase since the exporter is required to purchase goods and services with an agreed percentage of the proceeds from the original sale. The main difference is that the exporter can fulfill this obligation with any firm in the country to which the sale is being made. Certainly, its importance appears to be growing fast. It involves an agreement under which an exporter integrate into his final product, along with certain components and

Confidence Building Measures India And Pakistan

Confidence Building Measures India And Pakistan Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) are those steps or agreements on which states agree with mutual benefits in mind, and have faith that all concerned shall obey such agreements. These steps or agreements ultimately develop trust between the signatory states and help in achieving peace and stability in the region.  [1]  Limiting or reducing the level of fear among parties in conflict is essential for building confidence. CBMs aim to lessen anxiety and suspicion by making the parties behaviour more predictable. While a single CBM is unlikely to prevent conflict or contribute to peace building, a series of such agreements can allow for an increased sense of security. In time, such measures may even lead to changed understanding of a countrys security needs.  [2]   Confidence-building has been in vogue and practice for several decades. Its origin can be traced back to the years prior to World War I, to the European practice of inviting observers from different states to witness military exercises and manoeuvres. This practice continued and later emerged as part of the Versailles Treaty for Demilitarisation of the Rhineland.  [3]   CBMs are a worldwide phenomena and their development is more advanced in some regions as compared to others. CBMs are extremely important in the context of the countries, which are suspicious of each other. The United Nations Comprehensive Study on CBMs states that the final objective of CBMs is to strengthen international peace and security and to contribute to the development of confidence, better understanding and more stable relations between nations, thereby creating and improving the conditions for fruitful international cooperation.  [4]   Confidence-building is not a new phenomenon between India and Pakistan. Since the hurried departure of the British from South Asia and the partition, both India and Pakistan have signed many agreements aiming to generate confidence and reduce tensions. Perhaps the most notable among them are, Liaquat-Nehru Pact (1951), Indus Water Treaty (1960), Tashkent Agreement (1966), Rann of Kutch Agreement (1969), Shimla Accord (1972), Salal Dam Agreement (1978), and the establishment of the Joint Commission. With the exception of the Joint Commission, all the others were the products of either a crisis or a war that necessitated a logical end to the preceding developments.  [5]   AIM The aim of this paper is to analyse the performance of CBMs between India and Pakistan and suggest some workable and plausible CBMs that could be experimented by the two countries. CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES: CONCEPT AND GENESIS Traditional Concept. The traditional concept of CBMs is reflected in the oft-cited definition by Holst and Melander, which states, confidence-building involves the communication of credible evidence of the absence of feared threats by reducing uncertainties and by constraining opportunities for exerting pressure through military activities.  [6]  In a subsequent refinement, Holst described CBMs as arrangements designed to enhance such assurance of mind and belief in the trust worthiness of states and the fact they create.  [7]  Whilst the first definition emphasised only on the need for clarifications of intentions and avoidance of misperceptions, the latter ventures into the realm of the larger appreciation of the constituent of CBMs and envisages them not merely as damage containment measures, but also as principles of healthy relations between states. Genesis. CBMs are essentially a western construct, which entered the realm of international relations in the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), at Helsinki. The Helsinki Final Act, 1975 ascribed three basics objectives to the CBMs  [8]  :- To eliminate the causes of tensions. To promote confidence and contribute to stability and security. To reduce the danger of armed conflict arising from misunderstanding or miscalculation. Dictionary of CBMs. Browsing through literature on the development of the concept of CBM, one comes across numerous other related concepts. It is important to understand the meaning of several terms that have come to be used in the diplomatic lexicon, all loosely referred to as CBMs. Their definition and comparative analysis are beyond the scope of this paper. Some of these  [9]  are enumerated below:- Confidence-Building Measures. Conflict-Avoidance Measures. Trust-Building Measures. Conflict-Resolution Measures Confidence and Security Building Measures and Confidence-Building and Security Measures. (f) Tension-Reduction Measures. Steps to Confidence-Building. Despite the upsurge in interest in these terms, there is a considerable confusion about the confidence-building regime, as also, the steps required to achieve it. Each region has its unique peculiarities and, therefore, distinct CBMs. The borrowed experience of other regions is of only a limited value. The steps to military confidence-building are based on two parameters; level of confidence and probability of conflict.  [10]  Diagrammatic representation of the same is placed at Appendix P. CBM Tools. These are modes and means, which help in better communication arrangements and transparency to the action of others or provide ways of giving satisfaction about the action of other states. Communication, constraint, transparency, and verification measures are the primary CBM tools. Few effective CBM tools  [11]  , used the world over, are listed in Appendix A. INDO-PAK CBMs Paradoxes in Pursuing the CBM Modality. Certain unresolved paradoxes, concerning the applicability and viability of CBMs, identified in South Asian region  [12]  are listed below:- CBMs provide the atmospherics for improving inter-state relations. They can establish trust between adversarial states; but the paradox remains that trust is required before CBMs can be negotiated. The need for some limited confidence between adversarial states is, therefore, essential before CBMs can be negotiated. CBMs are difficult to establish, but easy to disrupt and abandon. Continued adherence to them requires adversarial states to perceive the balance of advantage to lie in not abrogating them, particularly during periods of deep crises. CBMs can only be relevant in crises if trust is evident on both sides. They are known to work satisfactorily in times of peace. Hence, the paradox that states may abide by CBMs in normal times, but ignore them in emergency situations. Public declarations can serve as useful CBMs to alleviate tensions and promote stability. The historical record shows that national leaders in India and Pakistan routinely make conciliatory statements, but they are meant either for domestic consumption or to impress international audiences or to lower the others guard. The paradox then emerges, rather than promote security and confidence-building, such declarations have often exacerbated existing regional tensions. Origin of CBMs in Indo-Pak Relations. Meaningful military CBMs in Indo-Pak relations came three decades ago with the establishment of a hotline between the Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both the countries. Subsequently, there have been many military CBMs between both the countries. However, the strategic community and the military were quite often skeptical of both the substance and the process of CBMs and did not support these initially. It was only when Operation Brasstacks in 1986-87 led to serious misunderstandings, and a likely possibility of possible conflict again in 1990, that matters changed somewhat.  [13]   Despite events precipitating increased tensions between the two countries, the effort on the part of both governments has been to ensure that the CBMs continue to remain in place. However, the impressive range of CBMs, both of a military and non-military nature, have been overtaken by events such as the Kargil conflict, the mobilisation of troops in 2002 and the repeated terrorist attacks in India, especially the 26/11 attacks. Major Achievements The CBMs enumerated in the succeeding paragraphs, may be considered as major achievements in the Indo-Pak relations over the last two decades.  [14]   Military CBMs. Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, signed in 1998, and eventually ratified in 1992. This particular exchange has continued for 18 consecutive years. Agreement on Advance Notification on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements, brought into effect in 1991 and has had an important role to play in the reduction of tensions on both sides of the Line of Control. Agreement on Prevention of Airspace Violations and for Permitting Overflights and Landings by Military Aircrafts, signed in 1991, has significantly reduced costs for both nations, and also brought into being, a structure of redress in case of violations and mutual trust in matters of requirement. Formal ceasefire along the International Border as also the Actual Ground Position Line, brought into effect at midnight of 25 Nov 03, has remained in effect since. Biannual meetings between Indian Border Security Forces and Pakistani Rangers, has been in effect since 2004. Agreement on Advance Notification of Ballistic Missile Tests, in effect since 2005. Establishment of a communication link between Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and Indian Coast Guard in 2005, primarily to facilitate early exchange of information regarding fishermen apprehended for straying into each others waters. The agreement also brought into discussion the possibility of holding joint search and rescue operations and collaborating in marine pollution control. A hotline between DGMOs of both countries had been in effect since 1965, and was most recently used in an unscheduled exchange to discuss troop movements and allay tensions, in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Non-Military CBMs. The predominant CBMs in the non-military domain have been travel measures to increase people-to-people interaction. A few of the important ones, which have more or less withstood the test of times, are enumerated below:- Delhi-Lahore bus service, started in 1999, but ceased in light of the Kargil conflict, was resumed in 2003. Passenger and freight rail services between Attari and Lahore and air linkages were resumed in 2004. The Samjhauta Express was resumed in 2005, and despite the 2007 blasts, has continued to run. Bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarbad was started in 2005. Bus services from Lahore to Amritsar, Amritsar to Nankana Sahib and train links between Munnabao and Khokhrapar were started in 2006. Night bus service between Ferozepur and Fazikla to Ludhiana-Chandigarh was also resumed the same year. The first overland truck route between the two countries was opened at the Wagah border crossing in 2007. In 2008, triple-entry permit for cross-LoC travel was introduced and the frequency of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service was increased from fortnightly to weekly. Humanitarian aid was extended by India, in the aftermath of the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005, and again during the floods in Aug 10. A Joint Anti-Terrorism Institutional Mechanism to identify and implement counter-terrorism initiatives and investigations in both countries was brought into effect in 2006. An agreement facilitating regular contact between state-run think tanks, Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (New Delhi), and Institute of Strategic Studies (Islamabad) was brought into being in 2008, primarily to contribute towards building channels of communication at the level of scholars. The first meeting of a Joint Judicial Committee of judges belonging to both countries, meant to look into the welfare and release of prisoners, was conducted in 2008. More than 500 prisoners have been released by both sides since then. Joint Economic Commissions and Joint Business Councils were reactivated in 2004. Foreign Ministers of both countries agreed to a series of Kashmir-specific CBMs to facilitate crossing the LoC in 2008. Both countries agreed to host festivals displaying each others movies in 2006. The Pakistani Government allowed for the legal release of Indian films in Pakistan in 2008. Major Failures The CBM process has seen its fair share of failures as well. A few notable one are enumerated below  [15]  :- Although there are hotlines connecting both military and political leaders in both countries, they have been scarcely used when required most. The absence of communication has led to suspicions, followed by accusations of the spread of misinformation. While over 70 Kashmir related CBMs have been agreed to in principle, only an inconsiderable percentage of them have actually seen implementation. There is a disproportionate emphasis on military CBMs and an inadequate recognition of several momentous non-military CBMs. Many CBMs, which were originally crafted to address the stabilisation of relations, post the nuclear tests of 1998, have been agreed to in principle, yet have never seen implementation because of the belief that dominant issues need to be resolved before the CBM process can move ahead. In the current scenario, when political will in both states is waxing and waning intermittently, CBMs, which are difficult to establish, but easy to disrupt, have not been fully effective. There is a lack of verifiability in many CBMs, which leads both countries to fall victim to mistrust, suspicion and misinformation, on a variety of issues. Governments on both sides often use CBMs as political tools to win over specific constituencies, which can be very damaging in the long run. Public conciliatory statements, which are meant to be CBMs, can have the opposite effect, if they turn out to be insincere, and worse, if they have been inexpertly drafted, as one saw in the aftermath of the statement issued after the Sharm-el-Sheikh meeting. CBMs have been particularly ineffective, if not absent, during times of conflict, because despite declarations to the effect, neither country has moved beyond the point of conflict-avoidance, towards actual CBMs, and finally, towards strengthening peace. While many hundreds of thousands visit India and Pakistan from across the border, the visa formalities and reporting procedures for them are far from conducive to confidence-building. Prioritising the CBMs General. The existing record of CBMs, world over, is ambiguous. CBMs in some contexts have proved feasible and beneficial, whereas in South Asia, there is a certain disaffection with the very notion of CBMs. The expectation of quick results should be avoided (in Europe, it took over twenty years for the CBM process to become effective). A clear general rule is that once in place, CBMs must be abided by. CBMs, if disregarded and abused, can be worse than none at all. The building of trust requires reliability.  [16]  Certain concerns that need to be addressed by the Indian and Pakistani Governments, in order to maximise the effects of CBMs  [17]  , are listed below:- While CBMs, which focus on improved communication links and people-to-people interaction could create the necessary environment for deeper issues to be tackled, the impact of the CBMs still hinges on political will for their implementation. The hostilities distinguishing Indo-Pak relations are systemic, and further hampered by newer security threats, socio-politico-economic strife and Indias preponderance in the larger South Asian region. Therefore, there is no viable alternative to a gradual and incremental peace process through military and non-military CBMs. There is no need to prefer military over non-military CBMs. Both have their place in the peace process and are needed. Policymakers on both sides need to bear in mind that war, whether of a conventional or proxy nature, will not advance their national interests. Both sides stand to gain both, economically and politically from a stable peace. Future measures catering to conflict-prevention and confidence-building, must provide for more explicit means of arbitrating implementation problems. To this intent, it is imperative that all CBMs be made verifiable and the possible roles that could be played by non-state actors such as the private sector, professional and business organisations etc be examined. It is commonly understood that the term stakeholders would include Indians and Pakistanis in general, and the people of Jammu Kashmir in particular. However, there is a need for more emphasis on the importance of Kashmiris in the CBM process. It is their participation, which would make the process more meaningful. Suggested Workable and Plausible CBMs The escalating situation in Kashmir, the bone of contention between India and Pakistan since 1947, may yet provide a flash point and may induce both countries to come to a negotiating table and opt for quick implementation of enforceable and verifiable CBMs. Few possible, workable and enforceable CBMs, which the two governments could consider, are enumerated in the succeeding paragraphs. Short Term Measures. The composite dialogue process should be restarted and the CBM process must continue unabated. Both the sides should formally recognise that there is no military solution to the Kashmir dispute. Additional CBMs, in consultation with Kashmiri stakeholders, need to be identified to ensure their active participation. The Kashmir specific CBMs could include the following:- Encouraging and initiating intra-Kashmir dialogue on both sides of the LoC on the final status of Kashmir. The resolution of the Kashmir conflict and restoration and development of mutual trust should be treated as interdependent processes. The process of de-escalation of hostilities needs to be initiated and efforts should be made to de-link Kashmir from point-scoring domestic agendas. The hostile domestic propaganda around Kashmir in both electronic and print media needs to be stopped. Relocation of heavy weapons, which are considered a major cause of tension escalation across the LoC. Continuous scheduled and unscheduled visits to forward areas by journalists, representatives of various national and international human rights organisations, diplomats, defence and UN military observers. Visa formalities/registration should provide a more conducive environment in cross-border travel. Rules of engagement along the LOC should be clarified, made public, and adhered to. Measures in the border areas to facilitate the unification of families and access for NGOs. Medium Term Measures. The agreement proscribing attacks on each others nuclear facilities could be extended to identified populations and economic targets. The agreement requiring notification on military exercises et al could be extended to associating military observers with major field exercises. Pakistan should end support of any kind for militancy in the region and address Indias concerns regarding infiltration. Civil society and track II initiatives should be encouraged. This will assist the official level talks between the two countries and move towards a comprehensive resolution of the crisis in the region. Utilising the economic and technological CBMs such as:- Sharing of electrical power. Increasing the trade flows. Promoting railway freight traffic across the border. Improving telecommunication links. Making newspapers from both sides available across the border. Long Term Measures. The redeployment of troops from the Kashmir region has been debated by both governments and should be examined in full practicality. India should begin to engage Pakistani citizens towards sensitising them to the conflict situation and build domestic pressure on Pakistan to strengthen its relations with India. The dichotomy between the maintenance of Jammu Kashmirs independence via Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and the requirement to include the state in the mainstream of Indian politics and society needs to be addressed comprehensively. Utilise South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for building confidence across the region on the lines of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). CONCLUSION CBMs are the most used and abused term in the 21st century international relations. They are an expression of respect, goodwill and a measure of transparency signifying at the least, no ill will and no immediate threat. It may lead to a pleasant parlay or, it may merely be an empty gesture meaning nothing at all of substance. They need to be nurtured and incremented from small steps to covering issues of various divergences. The effect of the CBMs between India and Pakistan has been inconsistent and spotty. They are useful instruments in preventing wars and facilitating conflict resolutions. They are a means to an end and that end cannot be achieved if the leaders do not wish to do so. The first step to a conflict resolution is removal of mistrust and suspicion. Only then, can the process of dialogue be unleashed. It is a hard task to popularise the concept of CBMs between the two countries and remove misunderstanding among people about its objectives and application. In order to institutionalise the process of CBMs, it is necessary to create basic awareness among people about the effectiveness and relevance of this concept. The role of institutions in promoting the concept of CBMs is very significant. In a situation when the state, has to a large extent played a role in conflict formations and is responsible for promoting confrontation, non-governmental institutions can play an important role and be of immense use in creating basic trust and confidence between the people of two countries and encourage track II and track III efforts in normalising the relations. We need to follow a proactive approach towards implementation of CBMs. A strong civil society with vibrant political and social institutions can help develop a proactive approach. SAARC can draw some inspiration from ASEANs constructively low-key approach to contentious issues. Balance between military and non-military CBMs is essential for creating conditions of peace. Non-military CBMs such as water, environment, trade, culture, media and technology can certainly make things easier for sustaining the dialogue process between the antagonistic parties. It would be foolish to expect miracles from CBMs overnight. It took a considerable amount of time for the CBMs to be effective in Europe. However, the need for India and Pakistan to negotiate CBMs is both immediate and vital. Structural factors are important and have undoubtedly retarded the establishment of CBMs in South Asia. Nevertheless, CBMs can become the harbingers of peace and stability in the region. History reveals they have usually been negotiated following serious bilateral crises and/or mounting of external pressures. However, not until the communal stronghold is attacked and reduced, and the two countries, therefore, start behaving as two established and responsible entities, would CBMs have much of a chance to succeed. Wellington (Hitesh Goel) Sep 10 Cdr Total number of words: 3723 Appendix A (Refers to Para 10) CONFIDENCE-BUILDING TOOLS Hotlines. Hotlines, such as those that exist between the United States and Russia, and between Indian and Pakistani sector commanders along the line-of-control in Kashmir, can provide reliable direct channels of communication at moments of crisis. Regional Communication Centres. These centres can assist area states in conflict and crisis management. The European model of a communications and security centre, established by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), is being adapted to suit the Middle Eastern security environment. Consultations. Regularly scheduled consultations, like the annual meetings established between US and Soviet/Russian navies by the 1972 Incidents at Sea Agreement (INCSEA), or those between Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, can provide rare opportunity for direct military-to-military contact. Such forums allow parties to voice concerns and air any grievances they may have. Constraint Measures. These measures are designed to keep certain types and levels of states military forces at a distance from one another, especially along borders. Thin-Out Zones. Thin-out zones, or limited force deployment zones, restrict the type and number of military equipment or troops permitted in or near a certain territory or boundary. Detailed provisions of the 1975 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel established a demilitarised zone (DMZ) as well as an area extending 20 kilometres on each side of the DMZ in which forces and weapons were limited. Pre-Notification. Pre-notification requirements included in the Stockholm Accord of 1986 placed constraints on military exercises by imposing longer lead times, 42 days for major military exercises and 1-2 years in the case of larger scale exercises, before activities subject to prior notification could occur. Pre-notification requirements of a certain time-period for planned military exercises or troop movements of an agreed upon level also help make a states military intent more transparent. Notification mechanisms can also be applied to missile tests. Near contentious borders, this type of transparency measure can help eliminate fears that an exercise may be part of preparations for war. Transparency Measures. They are measures that states engage in to foster greater openness of their military capabilities and activities. Transparency measures merit a special focus as important first steps in the confidence-building process. Exchange of Data. Data exchanges detailing existing military holdings, planned purchases, military personnel and budgets can clarify a states current and projected military capabilities and provide advance notice of destabilising arms build-ups. Data exchanges can take place bilaterally or multilaterally. Military Observers. Voluntary observations of another states military exercises provide first-hand access to that partys equipment and operating procedures. Verification. Verification measures are designed to collect data or provide first hand access in order to confirm or verify a states compliance with a particular treaty or agreement. Aerial Inspections. These enable parties to an agreement to monitor compliance with force deployment limitations in restricted zones, to confirm data exchanges on the disposition of military forces, and to provide early warning of potentially destabilising activities. Electronic Sensors. Ground-based electronic sensor systems, manned or unmanned, can also verify states compliance to agreed restrictions on equipment deployment or troop movements. On-site Inspections. On-site inspections, challenge and routine, can help verify that states are complying with agreements. Inspections may be carried out by third parties, opposing parties, or jointly. Appendix P (Refers to Para 9) STEPS TO CONFIDENCE BUILDING HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE CONFIDENCE SECURITY BUILDING MEASURES CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES LOW LOW HIGH PROBABILITY OF CONFLICT TRUST BUILDING MEASURES CONFLICT AVOIDANCE MEASURES CONFLICT RESOLUTION MEASURES

Restructuring & Downsizing Essay

Human resource management has evolved from a largely administrative and operational role to one that plays an important part in strategic planning. This shift is more evident in its role towards downsizing. The decision to downsize is a decision that requires careful planning and consideration. It is critical to consider the long-term effects that short-term cost cutting measures can bring. Downsizing creates disruptions in the organization’s relationships with customers, suppliers and employees, organization’s structure, culture and climate. As Wayne F. Cascio says â€Å"if you must downsize, do it right, that no class of employee can be disproportionately affected. † Finding the best way to downsize is crucial, because the success of organisations that have downsized in the past has not been particularly laudable. Downsize Decision The downsizing decision is the most demoralizing and stressful aspect of the emerging Human resource managerial role. Downsizing is viewed as having a profound effect on the organization and the personnel including those who are terminated and those who survive. Yet it is the integral part of any workforce management decision. It involves understanding the tangible pitfalls of a reduction in workforce and analyzing the emotional and practical ramifications. Downsizing may occur intentionally as a strategic, proactive response designed to improve organizational effectiveness, increase productivity and cost cutting strategy. This response may involve mergers, acquisitions, sell-offs, or restructuring to better enable the organization to meet its mission or fill an environmental niche. It may involve reduction in personnel through transfers, outplacement, retirement incentives, buyout packages, layoffs, attrition, and so on or may occur in which new products added, new sources of revenue are opened up, etc. It affects work processes. Fewer employees may be left to do the same amount of work and the quality may suffer. Downsizing activities may include discounting functions, abolishing hierarchical levels, merging units, or redesigning tasks. Downsizing can impact financial well-being, health, personal attitudes, and family relationships. Before downsizing HR need to explore possible alternatives such as reducing hours across the board, introducing forced vacation, asking for layoff volunteers, compressed workweek, hiring freeze, and early retirement or implementing other cost-cutting measures. Human resource managers should weigh in on several factors that influence downsizing decisions. They need to identify the specific problems downsizing is expected to solve, consider overall financial health of the company, fiscal operating policies, and industry benchmarks before proceeding, and review all legal implications. Managing Process One key to a successful downsizing plan lies in management’s ability to clearly convey to employees the purpose behind the cost-cutting efforts. Secondly, consider any oral or implied contracts of employment, review employee files, plan for the contingencies, know the stakeholders, clearly define criteria for selection factors on which downsizing decisions will be made. Downsizing may have variety of adverse effects on layoff individuals, survivors and organizations such as loss of morale, distrust, anxiety, feelings of job insecurity, anger, job stress, physical ailments, poor mental health, decreased loyalty, lowered motivation and productivity, increased resistance to change, crisis mentality, politicised special interest groups, occupational violence, lack of teamwork, perception of unfairness, lack of leadership and overall commitment to the organization. Downsizing decision has to be a prudent one because it deals with lives of people. The managers will be faced with a work force at least partly staffed with survivors of downsizing. Providing information regarding the type of severance packages or outplacement benefits will be given to those displaced will alleviate some fears and let those who remain will know that their colleagues are being taken care of. The personnel attribute of downsizing usually involves reductions in personnel. However, downsizing is not limited entirely to personnel reductions. In some downsizing situations new products are added, new sources of revenue opened up, and/or additional work acquired. Even though some people may be added, the overall process results in fewer numbers of workers employed per unit of output as compared to some previous level of employment. Human resources must also position the company to be able to respond quickly and effectively when the economy recovers. The approach taken by the organization to the downsizing process can have an ongoing impact on the company’s reputation with clients and potential future recruits. An inability to recruit critical talent later can mean an inability to rebound, so human resources must provide information openly and promptly to manage perceptions and rumors — both internal and external — about the fairness of any reductions and the need for additional downsizing in the future. Job placement services, employee assistance programs and financial counseling are all services that human resources should consider offering to affected employees. In the aftermath of a mass downsizing, employee morale will undoubtedly be affected. Employers should strive to be as open as possible during the process. Information should not come as a surprise to employees. If the company repeatedly assured workers everything was fine before announcing an unexpected layoff, it will be difficult to regain the trust of the workers who remain. Similarly, if the company focus has always been on meeting the needs of employees and taking active steps to motivate and encourage staff, a forced layoff may actually be more detrimental because it is so contrary to employees’ expectations of the organization. Management and human resources should meet regularly with employees to keep them informed, answer questions and respond to concerns. Any downsizing of the workforce is likely to result in the loss of key knowledge and critical skills. In the case of a voluntary separation program or early retirement initiative, Because turnover increases in the wake of a layoff, human resources must connect with key workers to outline their importance to the organization and provide information about how the company plans to recover. HR should also detail future career opportunities that can be realized by remaining with the business. Clear documentation, particularly regarding the layoff process itself, is important. Therefore it is vital that HR management weigh the relative costs and benefits against the negative impact downsizing has on employees and identify hazards, undertake risk assessment, consult with employee representatives, pursue compliance with legislative duties and take appropriate steps to manage any significant hazards that are identified, including psychosocial hazards. Downsizing refers to activities undertaken by management to improve the efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of the organization by reducing the workforce size. Implications of Organisational Restructuring to HR Planning Restructuring: A Perspective Organizations and businesses today are faced with increased demands to become leaner due to global competition and rapid technology change. Many organizations have responded by corporate restructuring and downsizing or streamlining their operations and often outsourcing many functions originally assigned to permanent employees. Restructuring can lead to changes of ownership, radical changes in the internal management structure, mergers, acquisitions and significant downsizing or hiring trends. Internal factors can also include the addition or removal of a major product or service, addition or loss of a major client or the restructuring of departments. Restructuring is not a quick fix. Before restructuring we need to spell out the expectations and objectives and effectively communicate with the all the stakeholders to improve organization’s ability to move through change effectively. Restructuring is a formal system of re-aligning tasks and reporting relationships that controls, coordinates, communicates, decides and motivates employees so that they cooperate to achieve an organization’s goals. Restructuring may be carried out to expand and create new departments to serve growing markets or to downsize or eliminate departments to conserve overhead. Depending on the size of the organisation and type of business one may adopt a flat or tall structure and model it according to functional, divisional (product, market or geographic) or adaptive lines. Implications of Organisational Restructuring to HR Planning In the event of restructuring HR planning becomes critical because HR is typically responsible for handling all aspects of an organization’s restructuring. HR departments provide or support announcements to employees regarding restructuring. HR is typically present when employees are informed of layoffs or permanent downsizing related to restructuring. Changes in employment policies, organizational structure, workforce, and location and job descriptions are announced to employees by human resources and management. HR also calculates changes in compensation and benefits resulting from reorganization. Organizations rely on human resources to provide a smooth transition during restructuring while retaining desired employees and integrating new employees into the new organizational plan. Restructuring leads to a new organization chart and HR need to reassess and alter their existing roles and responsibilities to better reflect the dynamics of the shifting workplace environment. HR departments also fulfil staffing recruitment needs including preparing job descriptions, posting and publishing available jobs, screening and interviewing candidates for employment and integrating new staff members into their assigned work areas. HR will often be called on to act in an advisory capacity salary ranges and often making changes to benefits, profit-sharing and other corporate perks. HR also institute training and educational programs and seminars and assist employees with transitions in and out of positions and in and out of the company. It may provide information, updates and job seeking resources for employees displaced from their jobs due to restructuring. HR departments are responsible for researching, recommending and implanting employee retention strategies during restructuring. Restructuring brings in changes to corporate cultures, which directly affects employees and may result in loss of identity, shrinkage in compensation, distrust, stress and conflict. HR has to ensure the internal processes accommodate the changes and the communication base is prepared to sensitize the various stakeholders.