Classical Theory Essay

The Difference Between a Classical Management Theory & a Human Relations Theory by Stacy Zeiger, Demand Media Human relations theory seeks to develop satisfied employees. Classical management theory and human relations theory represent two views of management on the opposite ends of the spectrum. One view focuses on looking at workers solely as a means to get work done, while the other focuses on developing an organization and the behaviors and motivations of employees. Most managers find that a combination of the two theories serves them best in their businesses. Ads by Google Ssangyong Korando Special New Offer On SsangYong Korando From Only R2499p/m. Enquire Online Now! www.ssangyongdeals.co.za What is Classical Management Theory? Classical management theory involves creating multiple levels of workers to improve productivity. Employees at the lowest levels find their tasks overseen by supervisors who, in turn, are overseen by managers. At every level, employees are expected to perform tasks according to specific procedures designed to maximize productivity. In addition, this theory focuses on an impersonal side of business. Employees and managers should not allow friendliness and personal interactions to become involved with the organization. Rules must be followed exactly, and the hiring and firing of employees must relate only to the skills they possess. Pros and Cons of Classical Management Theory Classical management theory is not used in many organizations because of its shortcomings. While some components of the theory, such as designing procedures for completing a task and keeping personal issues out of business, help an organization focus on the job at hand, the theory fails to recognize the differences among employees. When employee feelings and opinions are not taken into account, the business may not grow or may experience high levels of employee turnover as employees fail to develop a relationship with the business and leave in search of a more satisfying job. What is Human Relations Theory? Human relations theory, also known as behavioral management theory, focuses more on the individuals in a workplace than the rules, procedures and processes. Instead of directives coming directly from management, a human relations theory provides communication between employees and managers, allowing them to interact with one another to help make decisions. Instead of giving workers quotas and requiring certain procedures, workers are exposed to motivational and emotional tactics to get them to increase productivity. The focus of this style is creating fulfilled, productive workers and helping workers invest in a company. Pros and Cons of Human Relations Theory While many companies operate based on the human relations theory, this type of management has dangers. Companies risk workers becoming too social or easily swayed by personal emotions and opinions when making decisions, rather than relying on hard data. It may be more difficult to reprimand employees for poor performance or dismiss them once they have become invested in the company. Despite these risks, human relations theory has the potential to increase employee retention rates and productivity. As employees feel more valued by a company, they invest in that company and its greater good.

Internal Building Security Proposal Essay

Internal Building Security Proposal Access Control is an important part of any business. Anytime a business is under construction it will be more vulnerable to threats and attacks. Construction will need more protection because of the ability to gain easier access to a building because of the open areas within the building. Certain areas in a building are a target for attacks. Some areas are higher risk because of the information or high-value assets within the building. Access Control is the best way to wing out some threats and minimize other threats. Each individual at an access point will have several types of protection such as gates, lighting, cameras, detectors, sensors and other devices that can check individuals thoroughly and make sure each one is authorized to be in the building. Keeping individuals out that have no authorization can lower threats and minimizes chances of damage occurring externally. Access control will work from the outside in to protect a business. Technology is continuing to get better and there are a lot more devices available that can enhance security and help assist the personnel when concerning responsibilities. Access control still needs the support of security personnel to make sure all the devices are functioning properly. Technology has to be maintained to run properly and do what it is designed to do. Access Control was created to keep unwanted individuals from entering a location and to prevent from any employees or personnel from leaving with any valuable information unnoticed. There are so many ways to access a building that any vulnerable areas may be threatened at some point. Access control helps to minimize the vulnerabilities and lower threats against a business. Construction on a building will leave certain areas vulnerable and will be more difficult to secure because of all the individuals coming from outside of the business to do a job. More people can mean more threats, this will need more protection. Some of the types of technology that are becoming popular for protection are wireless access points, cameras, sensors,  detectors, wands, and computers. Security personnel are using these devices to detect and deter crime in the work environment (University of Phoenix, 2008). Wireless Access points and surveillance are becoming more common because of the portability. It is more difficult to carry around a big computer for monitoring purposes and access control. A wireless computer is much more compact and lighter to carry around while handling the responsibilities of monitoring employees at an access point. A building will also have a way for security personnel to monitor different areas of the building by using cameras. A wireless computer can make it easier to monitor these different areas all in one area. Cameras will not take the place of security but can make it easier for security to cover more ground successfully and still be able to perform other duties. One advantage that cameras have is that as long as maintenance is kept up that cameras will run non-stop even when security is unavailable or just in a different location. Crime can still occur with security on patrol. Areas more vulnerable can use cameras to help catch any activity that seems out of place. In most instances cameras are only viewed when something has already occurred and can validate an individual’s where physical where about during a certain time period. Sensors are a growing trend at access points. Many industrial buildings will have products that employees will have contact with during a work day. A business will use sensors on products to keep track of the location, while in the building. One product may be received and shipped from one location to the next until the process is complete and ready to be shipped to another building. Sensors can also be caught at access points if individuals attempt to leave the building with a product without authorization. One device that can find such sensors is the detector. At several access points for employees’ detectors will be present and scanned over an individual to ensure that no sensors are found before leaving a building during lunch and after work hours. A wand is just one type of detector that will scan and have an alarm go off when it detects certain materials. Individuals will have to physically take anything out of their pockets and show that it is not a business product. Another type of detector is a full body detector that can detect different objects on a person without having to do a strip search. Computers is somet hing that is storing more data for a business and also it has the capability of doing other tasks  such as viewing camera feed during recording, and keeping track of authorization, cards, and keys for employees. At different access gates, a card will need scanning before entering. A computer can make sure that the card scanned at the gate is valid. A private intranet will hold information for a business about employees, customers, employers, and the business products and services. This type of device will have access points within the system. A computer will have a private server but is still running on the internet and can be hacked. Hackers will try and find ways to access the information and retrieve or damage it. A business can find ways to strengthen the access points into the private database and prevent hackers from accessing business information. A computer will have software, updates, passwords, and programs to protect intruders from hacking thedatabase without authorization. Computers need protection to prevent from damage. A system that has been hacked can corrupt the system and make it unusable. A way of protecting a system before it is damaged is having a back-up system. If the system is destroyed the back-up can make a business more prepared for any threats or damage to restore the system back to normal (University of Phoenix, 2011). A business will have certain areas that contain more vital information or equipment that can be threatened by construction. Areas that are more high-value need more layers of protection against any threats. Data of a business will contain information such as customer records which will have information, such as where they live, telephone numbers, full names, social security numbers and more which can be used to commit other crimes such as fraud. High-value areas are more vulnerable because the amount of damage that can be done will cost more than in other areas of the building. For instance, bathrooms of a facility will have little to no products and are less of a risk than an office. So the security will focus more on offices because of the amount of value. Some areas may only include security cameras for monitoring an area. A big high-value area could include the main power room. This area can cause damage to not only the building but also to the equipment. The main power room may have heavier walls, more cameras, passwords, security personnel, and other types of protection. There are several considerations that should be kept in mind such as who can access the room, who will be working in a room that is in the high-value areas? High-value rooms will be threatened  normally both internally and externally. If a construction area is near anything high-value at a business, extra precautions may be taken to make sure the area is secure from both types of threats. Internal building security is important to have for every business to protect the business. A business has many assets that are unable to protect themselves. Security personnel are hired to protect the business, the people, and the environment. In a new building security will be less effective because of financial status and experience with threats. The type of threats will vary and the only way to avoid vulnerabilities is attempting to use other existing buildings methods when concerning access control, surveillance, and the protection of high-value areas. A business has to prepare for threats before they occur and then deal with new ones as they arise if there is no prior experience with the type of threat. For example, hackers are always finding ways to hack a system. No code or encryption that is created is identical and all the programs and software in the world can protect a business from all threats. A business needs constant management to evolve with society and the new changes. Taking advantage of new technologies will improve the chance of success for both the business and security. References University of Phoenix. (2008). Design and Evaluation of Physical Protection and Systems.

Analyze Miss Peregrines

When you step back and take a closer look, you see that American town hides more from the characters, making it fantasy and lies, while the enchanting island is far more forth coming about its problems. Main Characters Jacob Portman- he is the protagonist in this story, he is 16 and is thought to be mentally disturbed after the murder of his grandfather by that he believes to be an imaginary creature. He travels to Whales with his father to find out the truth behind his grandfather’s past. Emma- she is one of the Peculiar children of Ms. Peregrine. She is considered â€Å"strikingly beautiful† and falls in love with Jacob, and as it turns out, she used to love his grandfather. She is frozen at 16, in the loop, while in reality she is over 70 years of age. Plot Jacob Portman goes to Wales to find out the truth of his grandfather’s past after he was murdered by what Jacob thought was a make-believe creature. When he arrives, he meets Emma a girl who can control fire. She takes him to meet Miss Peregrine in a time loop set back in the 1940s. Jacob enjoys hanging out with the other peculiar children, such as Millard, who is invisible, and Bronwyn, who has incredible strength. Then Jacob is told some mysterious stories of strange killings in the pub he’s staying at, and warns the peculiar children. When they tell Jacob he is the only one who can see the â€Å"hollows† or â€Å"hollowgasts†, the monsters that killed Jacob’s grandfather, Jacob knows he is the only hope they have for safety. Jacob and some of the peculiar children encounter a hollow which Jacob kills. Upon return to the Miss Peregrine’s home, they find that Miss Peregrine has been kidnapped. The children rescue Miss Peregrine but she is in bird form and cannot change back to human form. At the end of the book, the peculiar children look for another time loop they can stay in because their current one has been destroyed, setting this book up for a sequel and more striking photographs. Conflicts Jacob vs. Self- he is at a constant battle for the first half of the book to figure out whether or not he is sane after everything that has happened. Self could also be considered society, as a set and acceptable social norm. Jacob vs. Therapist- he is actually the cause of all his problems. He is the one who sends the hollow on his grandfather, kidnaps Ms. Peregrine, and makes all the external conflicts arise. Theme Embracing who you are and accepting what makes you remarkable is more important than being viewed as normal. Through this novel we see the reoccurring theme that being true to you is far more important that being social accepted. Because when you accept yourself, others accept you for that. When Jacob fights himself he finds he is alone, but the more he succumbs to his true self, the peculiar children accept him and they help each other overcome the adversity surrounding them. Personal Views I enjoyed the book thoroughly and I would recommend it. It has a wonderful addition, not only is there amazing writing involved but there are also several pictures included in the pages. Every few chapters there are these old, peculiar photos that add to the story, some very chilling. Analyze Miss Peregrines When you step back and take a closer look, you see that American town hides more from the characters, making it fantasy and lies, while the enchanting island is far more forth coming about its problems. Main Characters Jacob Portman- he is the protagonist in this story, he is 16 and is thought to be mentally disturbed after the murder of his grandfather by that he believes to be an imaginary creature. He travels to Whales with his father to find out the truth behind his grandfather’s past. Emma- she is one of the Peculiar children of Ms. Peregrine. She is considered â€Å"strikingly beautiful† and falls in love with Jacob, and as it turns out, she used to love his grandfather. She is frozen at 16, in the loop, while in reality she is over 70 years of age. Plot Jacob Portman goes to Wales to find out the truth of his grandfather’s past after he was murdered by what Jacob thought was a make-believe creature. When he arrives, he meets Emma a girl who can control fire. She takes him to meet Miss Peregrine in a time loop set back in the 1940s. Jacob enjoys hanging out with the other peculiar children, such as Millard, who is invisible, and Bronwyn, who has incredible strength. Then Jacob is told some mysterious stories of strange killings in the pub he’s staying at, and warns the peculiar children. When they tell Jacob he is the only one who can see the â€Å"hollows† or â€Å"hollowgasts†, the monsters that killed Jacob’s grandfather, Jacob knows he is the only hope they have for safety. Jacob and some of the peculiar children encounter a hollow which Jacob kills. Upon return to the Miss Peregrine’s home, they find that Miss Peregrine has been kidnapped. The children rescue Miss Peregrine but she is in bird form and cannot change back to human form. At the end of the book, the peculiar children look for another time loop they can stay in because their current one has been destroyed, setting this book up for a sequel and more striking photographs. Conflicts Jacob vs. Self- he is at a constant battle for the first half of the book to figure out whether or not he is sane after everything that has happened. Self could also be considered society, as a set and acceptable social norm. Jacob vs. Therapist- he is actually the cause of all his problems. He is the one who sends the hollow on his grandfather, kidnaps Ms. Peregrine, and makes all the external conflicts arise. Theme Embracing who you are and accepting what makes you remarkable is more important than being viewed as normal. Through this novel we see the reoccurring theme that being true to you is far more important that being social accepted. Because when you accept yourself, others accept you for that. When Jacob fights himself he finds he is alone, but the more he succumbs to his true self, the peculiar children accept him and they help each other overcome the adversity surrounding them. Personal Views I enjoyed the book thoroughly and I would recommend it. It has a wonderful addition, not only is there amazing writing involved but there are also several pictures included in the pages. Every few chapters there are these old, peculiar photos that add to the story, some very chilling.

Joseph stiglitz and Thomas Piketty and their contributions economy Essay

Joseph stiglitz and Thomas Piketty and their contributions economy - Essay Example Joseph Eugene Stiglitz has been credited with the fact that he helped the globe and the society as a whole to formulate another new branch of economics called the â€Å"the economics of knowledge.† He also helped in the notion and concept of helping globalization to work to the benefit and wellbeing of the whole human race (Stiglitz 171: 2007). Thomas Piketty is also an accomplished scholar and research in his own right and stature. He is a French national who has written extensively and exhaustively in the areas of income and wealth inequality in the human society. Currently, Thomas Piketty is a professor at the Paris School of economics other than teaching at the university. He is also an author of best-sellers which majorly touch about economics and wealth distribution in the human society. This paper will thus delve into the specific contributions of these great economic minds whose contributions relatively are unmatched. To begin with, the outright contribution of Joseph stiglitz was to help establish the economics of information. This is the situation whereby the asymmetries of information within the different governmental agencies could have varied effects and impact. This theorem of information asymmetry has been used by the policy makers and analysts to model econometric principles and issues. On a general scale, the contributions and input of Joseph stiglitz have helped the society as a whole to develop in areas of welfare economics, corporate finance, industrial organisation and societies, trade, wealth and income distribution. It is important to note and mention that the input of Joseph stiglitz were skewed and directed towards monetary theory in the macro-economic considerations. In order for the society as a while to enumerate the fair formula of income and wealth distribution, it would be imperative for the society to invest in research and development. He also helped articulate the issue on how bilateral trade

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Finance - Essay Example In addition to positioning its luxury brands, it has also targeted international diversity, which resulted in the company’s achievement of constant growth without any barrier. Company maintains a good relationship with its stakeholders as well as employees by establishing important policies and procedures for their development. It is LVMH’s responsibility to ensure that labor standards and company’s supplier code of conduct are respected by the suppliers. Whenever improvements are required, supplier audits are conducted and corrective actions are taken. The company has advantage in supply chain that entails lower risk, which is a result of good vertical integration. Through a well-strategized system of advertising, it has remained to maintain its lead in fashion. The company strongly believes in maintaining quality and creating brand image through innovation. II Company Strengths and Weaknesses: 1. LVMH’s financial performance from 2009 to 2011: Return on Common Equity Ratio: This ratio measures the achievement of an organization in generating profit for the advantage of common stockholders. It is calculated by dividing the net income obtainable for common stockholders by their common equity. It is calculated as follows: â€Å"Return on Common equity = (net profit - preferred share dividends) / (shareholders equity- preferred shares)† (Return on Common Equity Ratio n.d.). Solution: Year 2009 2010 2011 Net income 1,755 3,032 3,065 Note: Data’s taken from the 2009 to 2011 financial statement of LVMH. Net Income available for common stockholders: 1,755-21=1734 (2009) 3,032-20=3012 (2010) 3,065-61=3004 (2011) Average Common Stockholders’ Equity: 2009= (100) + 1,186/2 =543 2010= 1,186+ 1,679/2 = 1432.5 2011= 1,679+33/2 = 856 Therefore, Return on Common equity = 1734/543*100=319.34% (2009) 3012/1432.5*100=210.26 % (2010) 3004/856*100=350.93 % (2011) Dividend Payout Ratio: This is the amount of dividends paid to stockho lders in relation to the amount of total net profit of an organization. The amount that is left after paying dividends to stockholders is kept aside by the firm for development. This amount that is reserved by the firm is called retained earnings. It is calculated as follows: â€Å"Dividend Payout Ratio = Dividend per Share / Earnings per Share (EPS) x 100%† (Dividend Payout Ratio n.d.). Solution: 1.65/ 3.71*100 =44.5% (2009) 2.10/ 6.36*100 = 33% (2010) 2.60/ 6.27*100=41.47% (2011) Ratio 2009 2010 2011 Return on Common Equity 319.34% 210.26% 350.93% Dividend Payout Ratio 44.5% 33% 41.47% Note: Data’s taken from the 2009 to 2011 financial statement of LVMH. Interpretation: Return on equity shows the company’s profitability in terms of how much the company has earned from the investment made by common stock owners. It is a measurement of efficiency more than a measurement of profit. In 2011, return on equity for LVMH was 350.93%, which is a higher percentage than it was in the year 2009 and 2010, as shown in the table. Payout ratio here is 41.47% which is below 100% and it means that the business has grown rapidly and that it has a lot of opportunities for expansion, thus the reason for payout ratio to be low. Both

Methods of Teaching Adult Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Methods of Teaching Adult Education - Assignment Example In this assignment, we will discuss just three of the best and modern methods that can be used to teach employees to recycle as much of the organizations waste as possible. The methods to be discussed include the use of classroom lectures and assignments, use of demonstrations, and group works. The paper will also go ahead to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of these methods used. Under this method, the employees, who will be the adult learners, will be confined in a classroom or a conference hall and be subjected to a lecture. The lecture material will be prepared with the consideration that will majorly touch on the theoretical view of wastes and waste management. This method will be used when conveying a general information to the entire lot of the employees that could otherwise be hard to handle when using some other methods that are only effective for a small number of learners. The basic information and briefing about waste management and recycling will be conveyed here. However, when using this method with the adults, the period of administering the lecture must be short. When time is made shorter, the level of concentration of the learners will be high, therefore, the effectiveness of the method will be achieved. The lecture method will encourage participation by the adult learners where they will be able to ask questions to improve their content mastery and understanding. The method will be one of the best methods to use in teaching this topic to the employees since it will be easy to use real life examples of other waste recycling that have been done before and such will be able to put emphasis on the learning outcomes. The method also combines lectures with assignments, thereby, acting as an evaluative method for the learners. It can, therefore, easily tell whether the learners have understood the learning

Marxism theory of the State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marxism theory of the State - Essay Example For instance, Marxism has different impacts compared to pluralism and elitism. However, Marxism is still the preferred theory for governance in countries like Russia and China. Supporters of Marxism in Russia argue that it creates balance in the society compared to pluralism and elitism1. Marxists advocate for the institution of political and legal structures that create a classless society. Karl Marx and Engels devised the theory after conducting several studies on the dynamics that shape the society. The two philosophers formulated the theory at a time when governments were struggling with political, social and economic structures in the society. The theory was an alternative to leadership that was failing in the society. Marx recommended the theory because it provided solutions to challenges that faced pluralism, elitism and feudalism. Based on initial literature review processes, it appears that Marxism is the most convincing theory for governance. Marxism political system Marxis m is a theory that puts the society into classes based on their economic capabilities. According to the theory, everyone in the society has a fundamental role to play in enhancing stability of the state2. The theory is opposed to totalitarian rule when the state has autonomy in controlling the social political and economic aspects of peoples’ life. Marx argues that discomfort of the masses has the possibility of destabilizing the society. Therefore, Marx suggests that measures should be enacted to enhance understanding amid different classes of the society. In Marxism, the classes are based on the individual’s access to the means of production. People who have the capacity to manipulate the factors of production are at the top of the class. The second group is the middle class identified as those who control the factors of production, but lack sufficient control as the upper class. The last group is the lower classes who partake in the production but they receive fewer benefits from the process. Authority serves at the behest of the class that owns wealth in a classified society. According to the theory, instability in the society results from class struggle. This means that there can never be peace as long as a particular group of people is dissatisfied with the administration. A need arises for people in authority to formulate measures for creating a balance in society to prevent conflicts from arising3. According to Marx, a shift in power is likely to happen whenever a particular class feels that the authorities do not represent their interests. Marxist approach allows individuals to take control of the factors of production in the society4. The theory enhances stability in the society because it encourages individuals to produce wealth that can be used by the community. According to Marx and Engels, the theory makes it easy for the ruling class to maintain stability in the society by quelling any form of discomfort among the classes in the so ciety. According to theory, a State is the authority that takes control over the other classes. The State is responsible for controlling the factors of production. Politics play a significant role in influencing economic activities of the classes. Interestingly, the ruling class constitutes the minority in the populace in several instances. However, the ruling class is influential based on their economic capability. The ruling class thrives at the ignorance of the middle class who comprise the bulk of the population yet they lack the capacity to control the State. Given their numerical strength, they can overthrow the government at will but they are unsuccessful because

Assignment2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Assignment2 - Essay Example It notes various legal backgrounds that recognize the link between culture and natural resources, in addition to citing the role they can play in managing the river as well as the impacts it may have on their lifestyle. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Discussion 5 Background 5 Ownership concepts surrounding the Waikato river saga 5 Maori’s right to resources 9 Conclusion 10 Introduction The Maori community feels their interest is not catered for in the deal involving Waikato River which they feel they have ownership and guardianship rights to, based on the Treaty of Waitangi claims. This claim has been elicited by the signing of deal between the Crown and Waikato-Tanui. This paper therefore explores the case of struggles surrounding of the Waikato River which lies at the center of tribal identity and the troubles surrounding its ownership and guardianship rights. Through analysis of the competing discourses, the emerging tensions and interpretation issues are discu ssed in depth and on their basis, a conclusion derived. Waikato River is known as being the longest River in New Zealand. It is believed to officially start at Nukuhau close to Taupo Township and through its course it is served by various streams and smaller tributaries (Mataira, 1983). The river runs in the North West direction and goes via several forests and rural settings. Based on the activities surrounding the places it passes, it is currently affected fertilizers originating from farmlands, wastewater from industries and urban settings including those from the turbines at the electro power stations. In general, Waikato River is a vital resource to the communities and organizations surrounding and hence its usage impacts on a broad population. Logically, any issues affecting it must therefore be subject to reaction from those affected. Discussion Background The ownership concept in relation to Waikato River is one which brings together people from different backgrounds and que stions their understanding of both leadership and authority in context of natural resources found within their localities. The level of emotions elicited in the quest to claim of ownership of the river cannot be best described than by the words of ‘Iwi,’ the principal negotiator for Waitangi Treaty who asserted that, â€Å"We don’t need a bloody court document to tell us we own the river, we know we do (Field notes, 2000).† It’s one that no doubt puts to battle, beliefs of a society and the Crown. This is what might be termed as a populist statement in the face of crisis. Nonetheless, it does eliminate the possibility of the communities claim for ownership being true. The concept of ownership as expressed by tribal leaders basically centered on the interests of the community. Ownership concepts surrounding the Waikato river saga Virtually each and every society has its concepts which are considered kin to the western ownership theory. Nonetheless, w hat one culture considers ownership is not the same as what another culture would consider as ownership. In essence, ownership concept differs from one sphere to another. According to Stokes (1994) the ownership of Waikato River within context of land claim by the locals was not a claim for exclusive right of ownership of the River but rather they primarily wanted to participate to the river’s management, within precincts of the Maori values. This view is entrenched in the words of

Compare and contrast leadership and management styles. How does your Essay

Compare and contrast leadership and management styles. How does your answer help create an ethical environment - Essay Example As a function of such a definition, the reader can and should understand the management style as more of a nuts and bolts approach that tends to be somewhat formulaic and rigid whereas leadership engenders the unique ability to mold and integrate with changes as a means of seeking the best path. It is further important to understand that such a level of approach does not specify one or the other must be engaged upon. As such, it is possible and desirable for an individual to accomplish both of these styles of oversight in order to be an effective vehicle for change within a given institution. Although not all individuals can fulfill the requirements of each of these categories, the individual that does is able to see from both perspectives and seek to direct the firm/group/ or entity in the most appropriate way. With regards to ethics, the leadership and management styles play an integral role in determining the priorities of the given individual. One could even argue that ethics violations only spring from management styles if and when the management style is engrained within the company’s culture. This is due to the fact that management styles are almost always formulaic and required attributes that the individual most ascribe to in order to meet the standards of the organization or group he/she is representing to the employees. Conversely, leadership styles fall prey much more easily to ethical violations due to the fact that these are almost always more innately tied to the ability of the individual to incorporate what they heave learned from past experience, as well as their own personality into the change mechanism they are attempting to integrate with. In order to create an ethical environment, it is incumbent upon the culture and oversight mechanisms of the firm to seek to in still a strong level of ethics into the management styles that they engender with the leadership. In such a way, ethical decision making and

Enforcing Racial Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Enforcing Racial Discrimination Essay The series of photographs documented by the Farm Security Administration of the Office of War Information photographers were taken between 1937 and 1943, presumably during the years the unit was in operation. These photographers were tasked to document various manifestations of change and continuity in the prevalent American life, and this resulted in a vivid collection of images that particularly focused on the practice of racial segregation. Curiously, while the photographers were not officially acknowledged to have been directed to document specific scenes, the prints produced exhibited a skew toward signs that indicate racial discrimination and segregation (LOC 2004). Among the thirty-one photos included in the series, all depict signs situated in a number of locations such as bus and train stations, restaurants, cafes, bars, movie theaters, stores, and billiard halls. These signs also collectively show the use of words such as â€Å"colored† and â€Å"white’, which clearly validate the existence of segregation between Caucasian Americans and individuals of ethnic origins such as blacks and Indians. True to the era during which they were photographed, the environment and people incidentally present in each picture appear in authentic manners of architecture and fashion. II. Racial Segregation in America The issue on race and discrimination in America can be famously traced centuries back, with the history of Africans being brought into the country as slaves. Though this deplorable condition had been corrected by the gains of the Civil War, thus granting freedom to blacks. However, the occurrence of the Great Depression in the 1920s brought back situations identical to those experienced by African-Americans previously, as the country was beset by the chaos produced by the lack of jobs and sources of income. In 1932, most blacks found themselves without work, and there was increasing pressure from whites to have blacks fired from any job that they believed should be assigned to unemployed whites. Numerous forms of racial violence again ensued, particularly in the South, during the 1930s (LOC 2002). The legal foundation of racial segregation was the Jim Crow laws, which were imposed in the 1860s mainly in railroad cars, and continued to be enforced throughout the decades until the 1960s (McElrath 2008). The effects of segregation on typical American life and society were apparently significant enough to create scenes extraordinary enough to tell their own stories through photographs, which were precisely what the Farm Security collection achieved. III. Beyond the Signs: Marking the Lines of Race The objective of the Farm Security photographs had been to depict regular American life, yet it is clear how the typicality of the images at the time does not lend itself in the same nature today. There is a point of discussion in the deliberate move to show not just groups of whites and ethnic people, but the centering on the signs that limit freedom, that erase the function of choice. The study of signs, known as semiotics, provides the connection between the audience, interpreter, and the sign itself (Littlejohn 2008). The photos, with their studied involvement of the actual sign, venue, and individuals, already form the three-part process; the blacks are the audience and the photographer is the interpreter, within the space covered by the sign. This shows how the photographers aimed to convey a reality, a system that used semiotics as a way to impose discrimination. This they had done with not just a bit of participation on their end, quite like the way Coles (1997) appropriated documentary work with the linking of lives with the subject. The same logic is utilized by Gripsrud (in Gillespie and Toynbee 2006), when he classified a photographer’s work as indexical—the identifying of a specific aspect of a subject—and therefore lends to much subjectivity. IV. Showing Signs of Racial Conflict to an Audience While the audience of the signs were the blacks—and whites, depending on the sign and situation—the photos’ audience are people who would benefit from knowledge of a different period, as was the arguable objective of the Farm Security photographers in documenting change and continuity in American life. Mainly, the photos were for research and evaluation, whether or not the audience would find them appalling or give them their approval. It may be possible that some of those who comprise the audience are people who have lived through the same era, making them mere confirmations of what they already know; but the more relevant audience would be the uninformed, who would find new insight into American society and its management of racial issues in the late 1930s and early 40s. V. Appropriation of Technique and Style in Communicating Racism The black-and-white photography is already significant on its own, referring to the subjects as well; seeing words on the signs captured in the photographs deals a double blow—‘black’, or ‘colored’, and ‘white’ signs in black-and-white photos. The photographers simply captured the signs as they were, specially for those in venues without people milling around, but there were also photos that provided degrees of humanity and emotion. One of the most striking is a photo of a bar showing whites having beer, a sign on the wall above them that says â€Å"Positively no beer sold to Indians†. Though Indians are known for their penchant for alcohol, it is disturbing one clear sign can show how this ethnic group is singled out and discriminated against—an error of generalization. The white people in the photo appear serious and quite professional, which indicates how the sign should not be misconstrued as a joke. Other photos in the collection, though showing signs and places rather than people as subjects, reveal the increasing culture of urbanization—shown by the railroads, buses, and stores where the signs are found. Urbanization, being common ground for both blacks and whites, necessitates signs; these indicate white control over society and economy, and the intent to keep ‘colored’ people away from this power. Works Cited Primary Source: Library of Congress. â€Å"Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Discrimination: Documentation by Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photographers†. Prints Photographs Reading Room. April 30, 2004. http://www. loc. gov/rr/print/list/085_disc. html Secondary Sources: Coles, Robert. â€Å"The Tradition: Fact and Fiction†. Doing Documentary Work. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Gripsrud, Jostein. â€Å"Semiotics: signs, codes and cultures†. In Gillespie, Marie and Jason Toynbee. Analysing Media Texts. Berkshire: Open University Press, 2006. Library of Congress. â€Å"Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945: Race Relations in the 1930s and 1940s†. 2002. http://lcweb2. loc. gov/learn/features/timeline/depwwii/race/race. html McElrath, Jessica. â€Å"Creation of Jim Crow South: Segregation in the South†. About. com. 2008. http://afroamhistory. about. com/od/jimcrowlaw1/a/creationjimcrow. htm

Breadtalk Enters Into Turkeys Market Economics Essay

Breadtalk Enters Into Turkeys Market Economics Essay According to Alden, et al. (1999, p.63) food and beverages are mostly viewed as a product category that is frequently consumed. As society grows demand of food increasingly raise the quantity and quality. The industrys market potential is extremely large. Seeing the needs and potential market BreadTalk Group Limited was founded and has been extremely successful in many countries. Founded as an FB operator in Singapore in 2000 and listed on the SGX in 2003, the BreadTalk Group Limited has rapidly expanded to become a distinctive household brand owner that has established its mark on the world stage with its bakery, restaurant and food atrium footprints. Currently, BreadTalk has a network of over 500 bakery outlets in 16 countries and more than 6000 employees. BreadTalk is market leader, higher economies of scale, continual and successful innovation, segment diversification, strong Franchise partnerships (Business overview, 2012). But in the next few years, challenges of BreadTalk are huge because of intense competition, market saturation, no direct control over overseas operations. Moreover the revenue of BreadTalk only two countries (Singapore and China) is the revenue drivers. Graph 1: Geographical Breakdown of Revenue Source: BreadTalk, 2011Looking at the chart we can see that China is currently one of its key markets outside of Singapore. This is not only the advantages but also potential ricks such as: depend on the China market, only invest in the China market and ignore other potential market. To maintain a competitive advantage and continue to lead the market, BreadTalk must have appropriate strategies: continues to lead the China market and seeking potential market as Turkey. In this paper, mainly focus on analyzing the environment of Turkey market in terms of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environment and Legal which is known as PESTEL to enter Turkey market. 1.2 Turkey Overview World-renowned strategist Professor Michael Porter has said that the Turkish economy has been superb improvement in competitiveness in recent years and proven its potential as a magnet for international investors. Turkey, strategically located in the Eurasia region as a gateway between Europe, Middle East and Central Asia, is a dynamic country with a robust economy and a young population, often described as the China of Europe. Turkey is the worlds 17th largest economy and a member of both the G20 and the OECD. With 73 million inhabitants, it is the second most populous nation in Europe, after Germany, generating a greater demand for product consumption. With the current potential it will be an inspiration to BreadTalk penetrated market. 2. Turkey environment analysis 2.1 The Political Environment Turkey political is element that BreadTalk couldnt control. Altogether, the general political of Turkey is stable. That is a positive factor for foreign investors and BreadTalk who intend to entry into Turkey market. Well analyze political factors to finding opportunities and challenges in Turkey. 2.1.1 Change of Government The change of government political environment in Turkey affects the business environment through the legislation and different regulations. Turkey has successfully carried out the structural reforms after the severe economic recession in 1999 2001. The reforms include market liberalization to promote foreign investment, privatization, agricultural reform, strengthen the banking system and fiscal discipline, monetary tightening policies to reduce inflation and a floating currency rates. Turkish government is creating new legislation to help the industry and different companies to grow and foreign investment to improve and make it better for Turkey as a national advantage. With the advantages of free trade and investment policy, many economists said that while the money withdrawn from the major economies, investors are pouring money into Turkey-fastest growing economy in Europe. This will create the favorable condition for BreadTalk activity in Turkey market. Because, BreadTalk will be support of government and feel safety when doing business here. 2.1.2 Corruption Corruption is one of the major factors that affect investment environment and hampers the investment attraction. In Turkish political system the existence of corruption as a pervasive, entrenched, and enduring problem has long been an open secret. These positive trends are reflected by the World Banks worldwide governance indicators, with Turkey scoring 57,9 on a 0 to 100 scale in terms of control of corruption compared to 42,9 in 2000 (World Bank, 2010a). However, despite these positive developments, other indicators suggest that the country remains confronted to challenges of rampant corruption, and weak enforcement of anti-corruption policies. Turkey performs below average in Transparency Internationals 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, with a score of 4,2 on a 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (highly clean) scale, indicating relatively high levels of public sector corruption (Transparency International, 2011). Turkeys Extent of corruption shows potential risks if BreadTalk entry into this market. BreadTalk can encounter excessive bureaucracy, a slow judicial system, weaknesses in corporate governance, unpredictable decisions made at the local government level, and frequent changes in the legal and regulatory environment. As such, even investors who brave the reports of corruption and attempt to establish businesses in Turkey may still find their efforts thwarted. Fortunately, Turkish politicians have been vocal about fighting corruption in recent years. In February 2010, Turkey adopted a national anti-corruption strategy 2010-2014 2.1.3 Terrorism The Republic of Turkey is one of the many countries that have been struggling with terrorism for decades. The risk of loss due to acts of political violence remains a prominent worry for investors as well as foreign firms. In Turkey the current political challenges is the series of violent terrorist attacks that have happened in the country due to Islamic extremist, Kurdish radicals, Turkish militants that may have link with Al-Qaeda. This is a disadvantage for host country and investor_ Breadtalk. An understanding of terrorism will help BreadTalk has been prepared to limit risks. 2.1.4 Relationship between Singapore and Turkey Relationship between Singapore and Turkey has been continuing unabated despite negative effects of the global economic crisis. Total trade volume between Turkey and Singapore has maintained a steady level of 1 billion USD. As of 2010, exports to Singapore reached 567.9 million USD, whereas our imports were at the level of 341.5 million USD. At present, there are 49 Singaporean companies operating in Turkey. (Relationship between Singapore and Turkey, 2011) In 2012, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan visited Singapore where he met with Singapore President Tony Tan, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister of Foreign Affairs K. Shanmugam and Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang (Julia Ng, 2012). The two leaders agreed to further deepen bilateral cooperation across different sectors including trade, investments and finance. So Turkey and Singapore is now enjoying warm relation. That is a positive factor for BreadTalk who intend to go into Turkey market. To look back on political panorama of Turkey we can conclude that Turkey is one of the investors with the ratio between the risk and the most profitable in the world. In addition, the intervention of Turkey in Syria, the delay to join the European Union and the countrys corruption was also disturbing. 2.2 Economic Turkeys economic is risen from the financial crisis in 2000-2001, which became the fastest growing economy among the countries in the Organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD), the second fastest of the G20 group to grow 9% in 2010 and 8.5 percent in 2011 (CNBC/VOA, 2011). Turkey became a destination for investors. The market size and market share of BreadTalk may be affected by so many elements of the economy. In this part, well analysis factors such as GDP, recession, inflation, income and unemployment rate to finding opportunity for BreadTalk in Turkey. 2.2.1 GDP growth rate and GDP per capitalC:UsersInspironDesktopindexmundi_ex66.jpgC:UsersInspironDesktopindexmundi_ex67.jpg Graph 2: GDP per capita (PPP) (US$) Graph 3: GDP real growth rate (%) Source: CIA World Factbook, 2011 The Turkish economy has shown remarkable performance with its steady growth over the last nine years. The structural reforms, hastened by Turkeys EU accession process, have paved the way for comprehensive changes in a number of areas. The economy grew with an average annual real GDP growth rate of 5.2 percent over the past nine years between 2002 and 2011 (CIA World Factbook, 2011). Together with stable economic growth, GDP per capita in Turkey increased steadily rising from about USD 7,000 in 2000 to USD 17,000 in 2011 (CIA World Factbook, 2011). This means that the index has more than doubled in nine years. Significant improvements in such a short period of time have registered Turkey on the world economic scale as an exceptional emerging economy, the 17th largest economy in the world and the 5th largest economy when compared with the EU countries, according to GDP figures in 2011 (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2012). While many economies have been unable to recover from the recent g lobal financial recession, the Turkish economy expanded by 9.2 percent in 2010, and 8.5 percent in 2011, thus standing out as the fastest growing economy in Europe, and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Moreover, according to the OECD, Turkey is expected to be the fastest growing economy of the OECD members during 2011-2017, with an annual average growth rate of 6.7 percent (OECD Economic Outlook No: 86, 2011). Clearly, the economic scenario of Turkey is somewhat optimistic and bright for the future if BreadTalk entry into Turkey. 2.2.2 Recession Many experts have said that is clearly facing a major crisis in the world economy, the Turkish economy is showing extraordinary performance. In commentary in The Wall Street, Turkeys economic performance was compared to that of the Asian Tigers (Etyen, 2011). Turkeys unemployment rate has decreased strongly. In other words, the Turkish economy has created jobs for the idle labor force by increasing industrial labor. Graph 4: Unemployment rate (%) Source: CIA World Factbook, 2011 The current account deficit (CAD), the only problem in the Turkish economy, has shown a tendency towards stability and will cease to be a problem when the growth rate declines. In addition, it should be noted that although the deficit is currently rising, the rate of the countrys total amount of debt as compared to gross domestic product (GDP) has declined. So even though the CAD has increased, external savings have played a role to clear the debts. Furthermore, exports grew significantly despite rising currency exchange rates. We can show that the global recession will have a limited impact on Turkey economy. However, the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages is necessary if BreadTalk penetrated the market when the global economy is difficult. Disadvantages during recession time Advantages during recession time Reduced profits due to escalating cost and declining income. The unpredictable behavior of customers also affects the sales revenue. The competition becomes fiercer. The worse is the bankruptcy and new company like BreadTalk is not an exception. Recession also includes the stock markets and property markets to fall dramatically. BreadTalk can invest when price of stock and property are low and wait until the economy goes back to the boom cycle and then the investments will be worth quite a lot more. A lot of support from the government if BreadTalk penetrated at this time. A part of the company can be creating for people. Table 1: Disadvantages and Advantages during recession time in Turkey 2.2.3 Inflation The inflation rate is also crucial for marketers to look deeper that could influence the sales volume of products and bring in profits. In the past nine years, Turkey has experienced remarkable disinflation (from an average of 70.4% in the period of 1993-2002 to single-digit rates) as well as a marked decline in the volatility of inflation. Turkeys inflation rate, measured by the consumer price index, declined from an average of 70.4% in the period of 1993-2002 to 6.4% at the end of 2010, the lowest reading in over four decades. During the course of 2011, the CPI inflation rate increased from 6.4% in December 2010 to 10.45% in December 2011. (CIA World Factbook, 2011)http://www.hazine.org.tr/en2/economy/inflation2011.gif Although, their inflation rates have decreased in Turkey but tend to rise up again. The main causes leading to a strong increase of inflation is due to the rising price of energy, commodities and food. This will affect the UK operations of BreadTalk in Turkey. For the case of BreadTalk, the leaders should consider some disadvantages below: High inflation will affect purchasing power of customers. Buyers are afraid of the price increases. Since then, the companys profit will be affected. High inflation also affects the disposable incomes of different group of people. As the price of goods keeps increasing, the living expenditure also rises. As a result, Buyers will conservative in spending and corporate profits decreased significantly. High inflation lead to management costs such as raw material costs, marketing costs and employees salary also escalate. High inflation will discourage the investment from international companies like BreadTalk. Because the Government must have the policy to cope with inflation and the willingness of government to attract foreign investment. To look back on economical panorama of Turkey we can conclude that a sound macroeconomic strategy in combination with prudent fiscal policies and major structural reforms in effect since 2002 has integrated the Turkish economy into the globalized world, become the 167th largest economy in the world and the 5th largest economy when compared with the EU countries (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2012). And when BreadTalk is setting objectives and strategy for the future in Turkey market, economic growth is a positive factor to consider. 2.3 Social Analysis social and cultural aspects of Turkey will give BreadTalk a wider view on choosing the right products, the appropriate advertisements and marketing approaches. 2.3.1 Population Turkeys social strength that the Turkish have a growing proportion of young population which the Turkish government can use to create new job by encouraging and training them up to have new skills and qualified to work in different sectors and this will be a national advantage for having a very skill-full workforce. Turkey was already one of the most populous and young people nations in Europe. C:UsersInspironDesktopindexmundi_ex21.jpg Graph 6: Age structure in Turkey Graph 7: Population growth in Turkey Source: CIA World Factbook, 2012 More than half of its population is under the age 25. The countrys population has grown from 65.7 million in 2000 to over 79.6 million in 2012. Over 2012-2020, Turkeys population is projected to expand by 8.3% , according to mid-year statistics, overtaking Germany to become the most populated nation in Western Europe (Turkeys Population Young and Rapidly Expanding, 2012). There are obvious opportunities for BreadTalk when the company entry into Turkey such as: With a market size more than 78 million people, Turkey becomes a very potential market for many global companies. And with BreadTalk, their main market in Turkey will should be Istanbul area. With its young population, food and beverage consumption and production are both increasing in Turkey Population growth rate will create a dynamic consumer market and a potential market for BreadTalk to penetrate. The young population offers a responsive workforce. 2.3.2 Culture Cultural differences may be the most important problem to developing globally accepted marketing strategies (H. Lee, et al., 2007). So, learning about cultural of life and food influence how the business strategy of BreadTalk in Turkey. The Turkish culture is very rich. It is influenced by the ancient history of Anatolia, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and Aegean culture. Today, this heritage also determines the cultural life of Turkey. The culture of tolerance for all religions and languages living together in peace, spread from Istanbul to Anatolia. This tradition of tolerance is one of the most important inheritances that Turkey can share with the world. In Business Culture, Turkish business culture is built on trust and familiarity; it is important to take the time to establish personal relationships with your Turkish contacts in order to succeed in business there. Since most Turks are devout Muslims, meetings should be scheduled around the five daily Islamic prayer times. Be sure to arrive on time, as Turks place high importance on punctuality. Business is often discussed over restaurant dinners in Turkey. In Cultural food, Turkish cuisine includes many different stews of vegetables and meat (lamb and beef primarily); borek, kebab, and dolma dishes; and a sourdough bread eaten with almost every meal. Borek is a pastry made of many thin layers of dough interspersed with cheese, spinach, and/or ground meat. Kebab is the common word for meat roasted in pieces or slices on a skewer or as meatballs on a grill. Dolma is the generic name for dishes made of vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) and leaves (grape, cabbage, and eggplant) that are stuffed with or wrapped around rice or bulgur pilaf. The Turkey has habit of eating bread. Both bread and water are considered holy. Bread is a source of energy. It is the most inexpensive source of calories needed by the human body. This would be advantageous for BreadTalk however it also means that the market has a lot of competitors. Turkish beverages include tea, coffee, ayran (buttermilk), boza (a fermented bulgur drink taken in the winter), and rakà ® (an aniseed-flavored brandy usually mixed with water). Carbonated drinks have become popular with young people, and beer gardens in major cities have become hangouts for men. The major food taboo in Turkey is pork, which is forbidden to Muslims. Cultural analysis gives an overview of social Turkey. Thereby, BreadTalk has to consider this for their marketing plan in Turkey: A highly effective way of expanding a business of BreadTalk in Turkey is through television commercials and newspaper, word of mouth The company should be aware of Islamic traditions and sensitivities With the turkey, meat and bread make an inseparable combination. Because BreadTalk should make products that fit and avoid combined with pork. If BreadTalk open system restaurants chain in Turkey is a potential because people have a habit of going to a restaurant on the weekends and business is often discussed over restaurant dinners. 2.3.3 Consumption Patterns The food industry and beverage of Turkey has received a steady growth in recent years, with the Turkish consumers becoming more demanding, driven by the multitude of choices provided by the mass grocery retail. Besides, Turkey has become one of the largest markets for its goods baked with bread a key element of the Turkish diet leading to leading to some of the highest rates of per capita consumption in the world. It provides opportunities for profitable investment BreadTalk. Turkey has traditional eating habits that remain stable in the majority of the population. Turkey is one of the largest markets, with rising incomes, packaged bread consumption presents an increase and at the same time, demand for different bread varieties, such as high-fibre and specialty artisan breads offer an opportunity for this high profit market. 2.4 Technological Technological progress has contributed to the economic development of the country and has an important factor in their competition. In the future as well, scientific and technological progress is expected to follow the destination provided by economic policies and competitive strategies. Turkey has well-developed infrastructure throughout much of the country that is capable of supporting significant development. Turkey has made many reforms to its infrastructure sector. Besides, the development of the internet is also seen as an effective factor in the business environment of BreadTalk. The number of Internet users has been rising rapidly in Turkey and standing at 15th place around the world, according to CIA, the World Factbook (2011) Graph 8: Internet users in TurkeyC:UsersInspironDesktopindexmundi_ex118.jpg Source: CIA World Factbook, 2011 The development of the Internet in the social life of the Turkey will support BreadTalk greatly: Internet will become a tool to promote the brand, and an introduction to the business. This will help save advertising costs. BreadTalk can take this as a distribution channel in the form of online business with customers buying large quantities 2.5 Environmental One of the environmental strengths in Turkeys is the prosperous biodiversity they have. Turkey has a very affluent natural resource base and has ranked ninth on biodiversity in the European countries. Examples of the type of biodiversity they have are not only a range of wild species but important domestic species such as wheat, lentils, chickpeas, pears, apple, chestnut and pistachios. The biodiversity has a very great potential for the development for Turkey and this is an advantage for BreadTalk because it will provide abundant and cheap raw materials. However, challenges of the current environmental in Turkey are the high pollution levels and need protect. 2.5.1 Pollution Turkeys economic development has brought with it fears of increased environmental degradation. Graph 9: 2010 Pollution Indexes in Turkey Source: http://www.clrsearch.com, 2010 The chart shows that the level of pollution of Turkey is alarming. Most of the air pollution is caused by household heating, traffic, industrial sites, the discharge of pollutants by neighboring countries has contaminated the Black Sea So, today government of Turkey has many activities to protect the environment as environmental Pollution Fines. BreadTalk should know the environment situation of Turkey to not be infringed. In addition, the company should also be the same with the government to protect environment to build brand image with the consumers. 2.5.2 Environmental protection Environment protection is very critical right now in Turkey. Business has to strictly follow the rule that imposed by host country government. However, there are also some other motives for BreadTalk when entering Turkey to environment protection such as: BreadTalk will also carry out some program for going green in their Turkey stores such as reduce paper using, switch off the light, limited plastic bags and encourage the staff to use public transportation. This brings beautiful images for BreadTalk in the minds of employees, customers and government. Environment protection achieve comparative advantage terms of cost saving, offering more benefits to consumers and being friendly with the environment. BreadTalk could take advantage of environment protection campaign and attend some environmental awards of the government to keep in touch with them. This will help company dealing with governmental issues. Environment protection as a way of branding to make BreadTalk familiar and deep in mind of customers 2.6 Legal 2.6.1 Law The legal strengths in Turkeys is the comprehensive legal structure they have. The judicial system is made up of general courts which deal with domestic cases, heavy penal courts which deal with more serious case, military courts which will deal with the military cases and the Constitutional Court which is the highest level of courts that will deal with many different cases which is essential in the Turkish government such as war crimes. This is an advantage for BreadTalk as this shows that the Turkish government are strict on the law and will enforce the law if need be, it will allow the company to have a fair trial. Another legal advantage in Turkey would be the robust framework for the business entities, as the company who are looking to invest into Turkey will not need to go through a very long and lengthy business registration process as there is a freedom to start, operate and close a business by the Turkish regulatory environment. so for example in Turkey, it will take on average 6 day to starting up a business compared to 43 days in the other world countries which is a much longer time and could be beneficial for the type of market the company is involved with. This is advantage for BreadTalk when company entry into Turkey because BreadTalk will not lose many time. BreadTalk is food and beverages company because the company pay attention to the Food Safety regulation. The HACCP quality assurance system was introduced in 1995 in Turkey and since 2008 according to the Regulation on Inspection and Control of Food Safety and Quality all food manufacturers must apply HACCP as compulsory (Food quality assurance schemes in Turkey, 2011). To protect customers and increase the prestige of the brand, BreadTalk should be combined with organization and obey the law. 2.6.2 Tax One of reasons that BreadTalk should invest in Turkey is low taxes and incentives: Corporate Income Tax reduced from 30 percent to 20 percent Individual Income Tax varies from 15 percent to 35 percent Tax benefits and incentives in Technology Development Zones, Industrial Zones and Free Zones could include total or partial exemption from Corporate Income Tax, up to 80 percent grant on employers social security share, as well as land allocation. New RD and Innovation Support Law Region and sector-based incentive system 3. Conclusion Analyzing PESTEL for the business environment of Turkey gives BreadTalk a wider and deeper view on Turkey to come up with the decision to enter Turkey market. Turkey can best withstand before the global financial crisis. In addition, Turkey attracts investors by young labor force, capable, modern infrastructure, large domestic market, a number of free trade agreement, investment environment freeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Besides, one of the current challenges of BreadTalk is the high rate of inflation, corruption, terrorism.

Causes and Effects of Drunk Driving Essay -- Drinking Driving DUI DWI

Cause and Effect Essay on: Drunk Driving Driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol is one of the most dangerous things you can do. There is a mass of research evidence to show that driving performance and reaction times are seriously affected by alcohol. Our law in Georgia states, â€Å"that it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds .10%. Georgia observes a "per se" law. (Craft) If you drink and drive, you are not only a danger to yourself but also to your passenger, other road users and pedestrians. In fact, every 30 minutes, someone in this country dies in alcohol-related crash. Every 30 minutes! And last year alone more than one million people are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down body reactions and the working of the brain. Each year drunk driving is responsible for about 25% of these deaths. The risks of drinking are alcohol-related accidents and violence. The effects of alcohol are poor coordination and slurred speech, double vision, decrease of self-control loss of consciousness and death. There are legal consequences due to drinking also. The more a person drinks, the more their ability to make important decisions becomes impaired. After just one drink, a driver can lose their ability to perform the tasks necessary to drive a car. At a certain point, a driver will become illegally intoxicated and can be arrested for attempting to operate a moto...

Leadership Essay -- Interpersonal Trustworthiness

The problem to be investigated is how the gap of trust between leaders and followers, weakens employees’ commitment, harms wealth creation, and produces augmented transaction expenses in organizations all over the world (Caldwell, Hayes & Long, 2010). Scandals involving large corporations in recent years have led to calls for more attention being given to ethical behavior within companies, particularly among company leaders. A research area of interest is how ethical behavior among leaders impacts the environment of an organization and the behavior of its staff, including employees’ organizational dedication (Organizational Behavior Application Guide, 2011). Trust between leaders and a follower is essential for a company to be successful. If the followers don’t feel as if they can trust the leaders then there will not be open lines of communication within the company and without those nothing can get accomplished. Leaders today’s face the challenge of earning the trust and commitment of staff members if they want to steer their companies to success in a highly aggressive international framework. Interpersonal trustworthiness is a personal evaluation of the probability that another person can be trusted to respect responsibilities intrinsic within an apparent social contract. The connection amid leader behavior and leader trustworthiness becomes a function of each person’s theoretical thinking as followers infer the understood and explicit elements of the social contract and the values that social contracts include. More and more, scholars have recognized the leader–follower connection as a chain of psychological contracts that increase to the level of a covenantal association (Caldwell, Hayes & Long, 2010). Leaders e... ...ched and that no matter what they do, right or wrong, someone always knows about it. Unethical behavior is something that is not easily overlooked or forgiven in the business arena and once a breach has been identified it takes a big toll on the company and reputation for a long time to come. Organizational behavior is always in the spotlight and should be carried out in the most ethical way possible. The opportunities and benefits that are lost in the end from leaders who are not ethical are tremendous to most companies. Many times the damage that is done is beyond repair and sometimes costs the company its existence in the end. It is very important that organizations make sure that they have good ethical policies in place to guide leaders in the decisions that they make since they not only affect them personally but affect the company as a whole.

Essay --

Pendidikan yang sedia ada ini juga tidak hanya terhad kepada pembelajaran kurikulum di sekolah sahaja. Ia juga merupakan sebahagian daripada konsep pembelajaran sepanjang hayat atau lifelong learning bukanlah merupakan suatu konsep yang baru sama ada di dalam sistem pendidikan negara malah di peringkat antarabangsa juga. Konsep pembelajaran sepanjang hayat ini sangat luas pengertiannya kerana ia bukan sahaja terhad kepada para pelajar yang sedang menuntut di sekolah, malah ia juga melibatkan kanak-kanak kecil sehinggalah kepada mereka yang sudah tua. Secara tidak langsung, konsep ini merujuk kepada pendemokrasian pendidikan yang merangkumi program meningkatkan pengetahuan, kemahiran dan kompetensi sama ada ia dilakukan secara formal ataupun secara tidak formal berdasarkan pengalaman dan latihan yang telah dibekalkan oleh pihak pengurusan sekolah kepada para pelajarnya. Setiap individu haruslah menanam sifat suka dalam mereka agar rajin dalam meneroka ilmu pengetahuan secara berterusan tanpa mengira masa, tempat dan keadaan. Sidang dewan yang berwawasan, wacana saya yang seterusnya masih berkisar dengan kecemerlangan dalam pendidikan. Kita tahu betapa pentingnya penyediaan pendidikan bertaraf dunia kerana jika sistem pendidikan kita setaraf dengan dengan insitusi-institusi pendidikan di negara-negara maju di seluruh ini, penghasilan modal insan dan peratus kecemerlangan pelajar di seluruh negara dapat ditingkatkan. Oleh itu, sektor industri pendidikan negara hendaklah melakukan perubahan dan pembaharuan secara dinamis. Matlamat untuk menjadikan Malaysia sebagai salah satu pusat kecemerlangan pendidikan (centre of academics excellence) di Rantau Asia dan juga di peringkat anatarabangsa pada abad 21 ini nanti akan memerlukan negar... ...unyai muhasabah diri, mereka mampu mencipta nama dan berjaya di peringkat global. Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan yang dihormati sekalian, Sedarkah anda bahawa percubaan dan uji kaji ribuan kali telah dilakukan oleh Thomas Adison untuk mencipta lampu yang dapat kita nikmati faedahnya sehingga ke hari ini? Tahukah anda bahawa Colonel Sandera telah bersusah payah siang dan malam untuk mencipta resepi rahsia KFC nya sehingga semua kita yang pada hari ini menjamahnya sehingga menjilat jari? Sikap sebeginilah yang wajar diambilkan sebagai contoh dan panduan sekiranya kita ingin betul-betul cemerlang dalam akademik bahkan kehidupan kita seharian. Antara rahsia kejayaan orang-orang yang hebat ini ialah kepatuhan kepada disiplin. Lihatlah wahai dunia bahawa orang-orang yang berdisiplin ini yang akan menggoncang dunia! Bak kata pepatah, â€Å"siapa yang menuai, dia akan dapat hasilnya†.

Behaviors human

Behavior refers to an individual’s actions or reaction to a stimulus, which may be tangible (object, organism, etc. ) or intangible (thought, sound, smell, etc. ). There are various kinds of behaviors exhibited by human beings. Some are good and acceptable, while others are negative behaviors which could be a result of annoyance, irritability, exasperation and bothersome to a lot of people. The differences in behavior could be attributed to the influence of several factors such as culture, attitudes, values, ethics, and even genetics (Behavior, 2008).Nevertheless, people judge individual’s behavior based on their understanding, culture, norms, and other people’s influence on them. Each and every person has his or her own distinctive behaviors that can irritate, bother, and annoy other people. These types of behaviors can be seen and observed everywhere, such as in school, workplace, shopping malls, and other public places, and even at home. Thus, these unacceptab le, annoying, exasperating, and irritating behaviors can be encountered everywhere and are always inevitable to happen.For instance, in school, students exhibit behaviors that could bother and annoy someone, such as students who cheat during exams, copy homework of another classmate, and talk loudly and endlessly during class. Even teachers also display annoying or bothering behaviors. For example, teachers who give a lot of homework or are too strict could be annoying to some students and could extremely bother them. In the workplace, there are also a lot of unavoidable behaviors that one can display and can bother somebody, such as one’s co-workers or superiors.Behaviors such as constant tardiness, chatting, or talking too much during working hours, and gossiping, among others, could bring negative feelings to someone at work. At home, there could be countless behaviors of family members that can irritate another family member. There are parents, for instance, who are very strict and impose too many rules; there are also siblings who love to tease and bother their other siblings. The behaviors displayed by these people could be bothering or irritating for some family members.Finally, there are also annoying and irritating behaviors that can be observed in public places—behaviors that not only annoy, irritate, and bother someone but could also affect the environment and even the whole world negatively. For instance, throwing garbage or trash in improper places such as the street, cutting trees or illegal logging, dynamite fishing, and other reckless behaviors not only bother and annoy many people, but such behaviors also harm the environment. There are still a lot of negative and unacceptable behaviors that exist today and people exhibit all over the world.These behaviors may bring negative feelings to others, and they can sometimes destroy life. Among these bothering and irritating behaviors, some of them may be tolerable, while others can be i gnored. Behaviors that do not totally affect and hurt me as an individual can be ignored such as burping, eating without regard to proper table manners, and disobeying traffic rules. Furthermore, there are also behaviors that are tolerable, such imposing strict but necessary rules and teasing others. I find these behaviors tolerable because they do not hurt me physically, and I have the control whether I will let myself get affected by it or not.Moreover, some of these annoying behaviors can have good consequences, such as the imposing strict rules. On the other hand, there are just some behaviors that I cannot understand and tolerate at all that they make my blood boil every time I encounter them. First are the behaviors that harm the environment such as smoke belching, running factories that transmit chemicals, cigarette smoking, throwing garbage improperly, vandalizing public walls, and engaging in other illegal activities that can hurt the environment and living beings alike.I f ind these behaviors intolerable as it is not only me that may get affected by the effects of such behaviors, but there might be a lot of people in the world who may suffer and pay for such unbearable behaviors. In conclusion, there are a lot of behaviors that one can exhibit. Regardless of what they know, I think people judge behavior according to their beliefs and preferences. People demonstrate behaviors that may be acceptable or unacceptable for others, but what is deemed as acceptable and unacceptable varies from person to person. Reference Behavior. (2008). Answers. com. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from http://w

Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-Six

I think the profanities that came out of my mouth when I hit the ground would have been understandable in any language. It hurt. The bush was not particularly sharp or pointy, but it wasn't soft by any stretch of the imagination. It broke my fall somewhat, though it didn't save my ankle from twisting underneath me. â€Å"Shit!† I said through gritted teeth, climbing to my feet. Russia sure was making me swear a lot. I tested the weight on my ankle and felt a twinge of pain but nothing I couldn't stand on. A sprain, thank God. The ankle wasn't broken, and I'd had worse. Still, it was going to slow down my getaway. I limped away from the bush, trying to pick up the pace and ignore the pain. Stretching before me was that stupid hedge maze I'd thought was so cool the other night. The sky was cloudy, but I doubted moonlight would have made it easier to navigate. No way was I going to fight that leafy mess. I'd find where it ended and get out through there. Unfortunately, when I circled the house, I discovered an unhappy truth: The hedge was everywhere. It encircled the estate like some kind of medieval moat. The annoying part was, I doubted Galina had even had it installed for defense. She'd probably done it for the same reason she had crystal chandeliers and antique paintings in the hallways: It was cool. Well, there was nothing for it, then. I picked an opening to the maze at random and started winding my way through. I had no idea where to go, no strategies for getting out. Shadows lurked everywhere, and I often didn't see dead ends coming until I was right on top of them. The bushes were tall enough that once I was only a little way into the maze, I completely lost sight of the top of the house. If I'd had it as a navigation point, I might have been able to just move in a straight (or nearly straight) line away. Instead, I wasn't entirely sure if I was going backward or in circles or what. At one point, I was pretty sure I'd passed the same jasmine trellis three times. I tried to think of stories I'd read about people navigating mazes. What did they use? Bread crumbs? Thread? I didn't know, and as more time passed and my ankle grew sorer, I began to get discouraged. I'd killed a Strigoi in my weakened state but couldn't escape some bushes. Embarrassing, really. â€Å"Roza!† The voice carried distantly on the wind, and I stiffened. No. It couldn't be. Dimitri. He'd survived. â€Å"Roza, I know you're out there,† he called. â€Å"I can smell you.† I had a feeling he was bluffing. He wasn't close enough for me to feel sick, and with the cloying perfume of the flowers, I doubted he could scent me yet-even if I was sweating a lot. He was trying to bait me into giving up my location. With new resolve, I headed down the next twist in the bushes, praying for the exit. Okay, God, I thought. Get me out of this and I'll stop my half assed churchgoing ways. You got me past a pack of Strigoi tonight. I mean, trapping that one between the doors really shouldn't have worked, so clearly you're on board. Let me get out of here, and I'll†¦ I don't know. Donate Adrian's money to the poor. Get baptized. Join a convent. Well, no. Not that last one. Dimitri continued his taunting. â€Å"I won't kill you, not if you give yourself up. I owe you. You took out Galina for me, and now I'm in charge. Replacing her happened a little ahead of schedule, but that's not a problem. Of course, there aren't many people to control now that Nathan and the others are dead. But that can be fixed.† Unbelievable. He truly had survived those odds. I'd said it before and meant it: Alive or undead, the love of my life was a badass. There was no way he could have defeated those three†¦ and yet, well†¦ I'd seen him take on crazy odds before. And clearly his being here was proof of his capabilities. The path ahead of me split, and I randomly chose the right hand path. It spread off into the darkness, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Score. Despite his breezy commentary, I knew he was also moving through the maze, getting closer and closer. And unlike me, he knew the paths and how to get out of it. â€Å"I'm not upset about you attacking me, either. I would have done it in your place. It's just one more reason why we should be together.† My next turn took me into a dead end filled with climbing moonflowers. I kept my swearing to myself and backtracked. â€Å"You're still dangerous, though. If I find you, I'm probably going to have to kill you. I don't want to, but I'm starting to think there's no way we can both live in this world. Come to me by choice, and I'll awaken you. We'll control Galina's empire together.† I almost laughed. I couldn't have found him if I wanted to in this mess. If I'd had that kind of ability, I'd My stomach swirled a little. Oh no. He was getting closer. Did he know it yet? I didn't fully understand how the amount of nausea correlated to distance, but it didn't matter. He was too close, period. How close did he need to be to truly smell me? To hear me walking on the grass? Each second brought him closer to success. Once he had my trail, I was screwed. My heart started racing even more-if that was even possible at this point-and the adrenaline pumping through me numbed my ankle, even though it still slowed me down. Another dead end spun me around, and I tried to calm myself, knowing panic would make me sloppy. All the while, that nausea grew in increments. â€Å"Even if you get out, where will you go?† he called. â€Å"We're in the middle of nowhere.† His words were poison, seeping into my skin. If I focused on them, my fear would win, and I'd give up. I'd curl into a ball and let him come for me, and I had no reason to believe he'd let me live. My life could be over in the next few minutes. A turn to my left led to another wall of glossy green leaves. I sidestepped it quickly and headed in the opposite direction and saw-fields. Long, vast stretches of grass spread out ahead of me, giving way to trees scattered off in the distance. Against all odds, I'd made it out. Unfortunately, the nausea was strong now. This close, he had to know where I was. I peered around, realizing the truth of his words. We really were in the middle of nowhere. Where could I go? I had no idea where we were. There. To my left, I saw the faint purple glow on the horizon that I'd noticed the other night. I hadn't realized what it was then, but now I knew. Those were city lights, most likely Novosibirsk, if that was where Galina's gang did most of their deeds. Even if it wasn't Novosibirsk, it was civilization. There would be people there. Safety. I could get help. I took off at as fast a run as I could manage, feet pounding hard against the ground. Even the adrenaline couldn't block that much impact out, and pain crackled up through my leg with each step. The ankle held, though. I didn't fall or go to a true limp. My breath was hard and ragged, the rest of my muscles still weak from all I'd been through. Even with a goal, I knew that the city was miles away. And all the while, the nausea grew and grew. Dimitri was close. He had to be out of the maze now, but I couldn't risk looking back. I just kept running toward that purple glow on the horizon, even though it meant I was about to enter a cluster of trees. Maybe, maybe it would provide cover. You're a fool, some part of me whispered. There's nowhere you can hide from him. I reached the thin line of trees and slowed just a little, gasping for breath and pressing myself up against a sturdy trunk. I finally dared a look behind me but saw nothing. The house glowed in the distance, surrounded by the darkness of the hedge maze. My sick stomach hadn't grown worse, so it was possible I might have a lead on him. The maze had several exits; he hadn't known where I'd come out. My moment of respite over, I kept moving, keeping the soft glow of the city lights in sight through the branches. It was only a matter of time before Dimitri found me. My ankle wasn't going to let me do much more of this. Outrunning him was slowly becoming a fantasy. Leaves left over from last fall crunched as I moved, but I couldn't afford to step around them. I doubted I had to worry anymore about Dimitri sniffing me out. The noise would give me away. â€Å"Rose! I swear it's not too late.† Shoot. His voice was close. I looked around frantically. I couldn't see him, but if he was still calling for me, he likely couldn't see me yet either. The city haze was still my guiding star, but there were trees and darkness between me and it. Suddenly, an unexpected person came to mind. Tasha Ozera. She was Christian's aunt, a very formidable lady who was one of the forerunners of teaching Moroi to fight back against Strigoi. â€Å"We can retreat and retreat and let ourselves get backed into corners forever,† she'd said once. â€Å"Or we can go out and meet the enemy at the time and place we choose. Not them.† Okay, Tasha, I thought. Let's see if your advice gets me killed. I looked around and located a tree with branches I could reach. Shoving my stake back into my pocket, I grabbed hold of the lowest branch and swung myself up. My ankle complained the whole way, but aside from that, there were enough branches for me to get good hand- and footholds. I kept going until I found a thick, heavy limb that I thought would support my weight. I moved out onto it, staying near the trunk and carefully testing the limb's sturdiness. It held. I took the stake out of my pocket and waited. A minute or so later, I heard the faint stirring of leaves as Dimitri approached. He was much quieter than I had been. His tall, dark form came into view, a sinister shadow in the night. He moved very slowly, very carefully, eyes roving everywhere and the rest of his senses no doubt working as well. â€Å"Roza†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He spoke softly. â€Å"I know you're here. You have no chance of running. No chance of hiding.† His gaze was fixed low. He thought I was hiding behind a tree or crouched down. A few more steps. That was all I needed from him. Against the stake, my hand began to sweat, but I couldn't wipe it off. I was frozen, holding so still that I didn't even dare breathe. â€Å"Roza†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The voice caressed my skin, cold and deadly. Still scrutinizing his surroundings, Dimitri took one step forward. Then another. And then another. I think it occurred to him to look up the instant I jumped. My body slammed into his, knocking him to the ground back-first. He immediately tried to throw me off, just as I tried to drive the stake through his heart. Signs of fatigue and fighting were all over him. Defeating the other Strigoi had taken its toll, though I doubted I was in much better shape. We grappled, and once, I managed to rake the stake against his cheek. He snarled in pain but kept his chest well protected. Over it, I could see where I'd ripped his shirt the first time I'd staked him. The wound had already healed. â€Å"You. Are. Amazing,† he said, his words full of both pride and battle fury. I had no energy for a response. My only goal was his heart. I fought to stay on him, and at last, my stake pierced his chest-but he was too fast. He knocked my hand away before I could fully drive the stake through. In the process, he knocked me off of him. I flew several feet away, mercifully not hitting any trees. I scrambled to my feet, dazed, and saw him coming toward me. He was fast-but not as fast as he'd been in previous fights. We were going to kill ourselves in trying to kill each other. I'd lost my advantage now, so I ran off into the trees, knowing he'd be right behind me. I was certain he could outrun me, but if I could accrue just a tiny lead, then maybe I could secure another good attack place and try to â€Å"Ahhh!† My scream rang into the night, jarring against the quiet darkness. My foot had gone out from under me, and I was sliding rapidly down a steep hillside, unable to stop myself. There were few trees, but the rocks and my ungainly position made the fall painful, particularly since I was wearing that sweater dress. How I managed to keep holding the stake was beyond me. I hit the bottom roughly, managed to briefly stand, and then promptly stumbled and fell-into water. I stared around. On cue, the moon peeked out from the clouds, casting enough light to show me a huge expanse of black, fast-moving water in front of me. I gaped at it, utterly confused, and then I turned in the direction of the city. This was the Ob, the river that ran through Novosibirsk. The river headed right toward it. Glancing behind me, I saw Dimitri standing on top of the ridge. Unlike some of us, he'd apparently been watching where he was going. Either that, or my scream had tipped him off that something was amiss. It was going to take him less than a minute to come running down after me, though. I looked to either side of me and then in front. Okay. Fast-moving water. Possibly deep. Very wide. It'd take the pressure off my ankle, but I wasn't thrilled about my chances of not drowning. In legends, vampires couldn't cross running water. Man, I wished. That was pure myth. I did a double take to my left and just barely saw a dark shape over the water. A bridge? It was the best shot I had. I hesitated before going toward it; I needed Dimitri to start coming down here. I was not going to run off and let him pace me up above on the ridge. I needed the time his hill descent would buy me. There. He took one step onto the slope, and I tore off down the shore, not looking back. The bridge grew closer and closer to me, and as it did, I realized just how high it was. I'd misjudged it from where I'd landed. The slopes around the bridge reached farther up the more I ran downriver. I was going to have a hell of a climb. No problem. I'd worry about that later-by which I meant in about thirty seconds, since that was probably how long it'd take Dimitri to catch up with me. As it was, I could hear his feet splashing through the shallow water on the bank, the sounds growing nearer and nearer. If I could just reach the bridge, if I could just get to high ground and to the other side. The nausea surged in me. A hand closed around the back of my jacket, jerking me backward. I fell against Dimitri and immediately began fighting him, trying to free myself. But God, I was so, so tired. Every piece of me hurt, and no matter how weary he was, I was worse. â€Å"Stop it!† he yelled, gripping my arms. â€Å"Don't you get it? You can't win!† â€Å"Then kill me!† I wriggled, but his hold on my upper arms was too strong, and even holding the stake, I couldn't do anything with it. â€Å"You said you would if I didn't surrender myself. Well, guess what? I didn't. I won't. So just get it over with.† That phantom moonlight lit up his face, eradicating the normal shadows and making his skin stark white against the night's backdrop. It was like all the colors in the world had been blanked out. His eyes merely looked dark, but in my mind's eye, they glowed like fire. His expression was cold and calculating. Not my Dimitri. â€Å"It'd take a lot for me to kill you, Rose,† he said. â€Å"This isn't enough.† I wasn't convinced. Still holding onto me with that unbreakable grip, he leaned toward me. He was going to bite me. Those teeth would pierce my skin, and he'd turn me into a monster like him or drink until I was dead. Either way, I'd be too drugged and too stupid to know it. The person who was Rose Hathaway would leave this world without even realizing it. Pure panic shot through me-even as that part of me that was still in withdrawal cried out for more of those glorious endorphins. No, no. I couldn't allow that. Every nerve I had was set on fire, ramping up for defense, attack, anything†¦ anything to stop this. I would not be turned. I could not be turned. I wanted so badly to do something to save myself. My whole being was consumed with that urge. I could feel it ready to burst out, ready to. My hands could touch each other but not Dimitri. With a bit of maneuvering, I used the fingers of my left hand to pry off Oksana's ring. It slipped off and into the mud, just as Dimitri's fangs touched my skin. It was like a nuclear explosion going off. The ghosts and spirits I'd summoned on the road to Baia burst between us. They were all around, translucent and luminescent in shades of pale green, blue, yellow, and silver. I'd let loose all of my defenses, let myself succumb to my emotions in a way I hadn't been able to when Dimitri first caught me. The ring's healing power had barely kept me in check just now, but it was gone. I had no barriers on my power. Dimitri sprang back, wide-eyed. Like the Strigoi on the road, he waved his hands around, swatting the spirits as one would mosquitoes. His hands passed right through them, ineffectual. Their attack was more or less ineffectual too. They couldn't physically hurt him, but they could affect the mind, and they were damned distracting. What had Mark said? The dead hate the undead. And from the way these ghosts swarmed Dimitri, it was clear that they did. I stepped back, scanning the ground below me. There. The ring's silver gleamed up at me from a puddle. I reached down and grabbed it, then ran off and left Dimitri to his fate. He wasn't exactly screaming, but he was making some horrible noises. That tore at me, but I kept going, running toward the bridge. I reached it a minute or so later. It was as high as I'd feared, but it was sturdy and well built, if narrow. It was the kind of country bridge that only one car at a time could cross. â€Å"I've come this far,† I muttered, staring up at the bank. It was not only higher than the one I'd fallen down, it was also steeper. I pocketed the ring and stake and then reached out, digging my hands into the ground. I was going to have to half-crawl, half-climb this one. My ankle got a slight reprieve; this was all upper-body strength now. As I climbed, however, I began to notice something. Faint flashes in my periphery. An impression of faces and skulls. And a throbbing pain in the back of my head. Oh no. This had happened before too. In this panicked state, I couldn't maintain the defenses I usually did to keep the dead away from myself. They were now approaching me, more curious than belligerent. But as their numbers grew, it all became as disorienting as what Dimitri was now experiencing. They couldn't hurt me, but they were freaking me out, and the telltale headache that came with them was starting to make me dizzy. Glancing back toward him, I saw something amazing. Dimitri was still coming. He really was a god, a god who brought death closer with each footstep. The ghosts still swarmed him like a cloud, yet he was managing progress, one agonizing step at a time. Turning back, I continued my climb, ignoring my own glowing companions as best I could. At long last, I reached the top of the bank and stumbled onto the bridge. I could barely stand, my muscles were so weak. I made it a few more steps and then collapsed to my hands and knees. More and more spirits were spinning around, and my head was on the verge of exploding. Dimitri still made his slow progress but was a ways from the bank yet. I tried to stand again, using the bridge's rails for support, and failed. The rough grating on the bridge scraped my bare legs. â€Å"Damn.† I knew what I had to do to save myself, though it could very well end up killing me, too. With trembling hands, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring. I shook so badly that I felt certain I'd drop it. Somehow, I held on and managed to slide it onto my finger. A small surge of warmth radiated from it into me, and I felt a tiny bit of control settle into my body. Unfortunately, the ghosts were still there. The traces of that fear, of dying or turning Strigoi, were still in me, but it had lessened now that I was out of immediate danger. Feeling less unstable, I sought for the barriers and control I usually kept up, desperate to slam them into place and drive my visitors away. â€Å"Go, go, go,† I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. The effort was like pushing on a mountain, an impossible obstacle that no one could have the strength for. This was what Mark had warned about, why I shouldn't do this. The dead were a powerful asset, but once called, they were difficult to get rid of. What had he said? Those who danced on the edge of darkness and insanity shouldn't risk this. â€Å"Go!† I shouted, throwing my last bit of strength into the effort. One by one, the phantoms around me vanished. I felt my world settle back into its rightful order. Only, when I looked down, I saw that the ghosts had left Dimitri too-as I'd suspected. And just like that, he was on the move again. â€Å"Damn.† My word of the night. I managed to get on my feet this time as he sprinted up the slope. Again, he was slower than usual-but still more than fast enough. I began backing up, never taking my eyes off of him. Getting rid of the ghosts had given me more strength, but not what I needed to get away. Dimitri had won. â€Å"Another shadow-kissed effect?† he asked, stepping onto the bridge. â€Å"Yeah.† I swallowed. â€Å"Turns out ghosts don't much like Strigoi.† â€Å"You didn't seem to like them much either.† I took another slow step backward. Where could I go? As soon as I turned around to run, he'd be on me. â€Å"So, did I go far enough for you to not want to turn me?† I asked as cheerfully as I could manage. He gave me a wry, twisted smile. â€Å"No. Your shadow-kissed abilities have their uses†¦ Too bad they'll go away when you're awakened.† So. That was still his plan. In spite of how much I'd infuriated him, he still wanted to keep me around for eternity. â€Å"You're not going to awaken me,† I said. â€Å"Rose, there's no way you can-â€Å" â€Å"No.† I climbed up onto the railing of the bridge, swinging one leg over. I knew what had to happen now. He froze. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"I told you. I'll die before I become Strigoi. I won't be like you or the others. I don't want that. You didn't want that, once upon a time.† My face felt cold as a night breeze blew over it, the result of stealthy tears on my cheeks. I swung my other leg over and peered down at the swiftly moving water. We were a lot more than two stories up. I'd hit the water hard, and even if I survived that fall, I didn't have the strength to out swim the current and get to shore. As I stared down, contemplating my death, I thought back to when Dimitri and I sat in the backseat of an SUV once, discussing this very topic. It was the first time we'd sat near each other, and every place our bodies touched had been warm and wonderful. He'd smelled good-that scent, that scent of being alive was gone now, I realized-and he'd been more relaxed than usual, ready to smile. We'd talked about what it meant to be alive and in full control of your soul-and what it meant to become one of the undead, to lose the love and light of life and all those you'd known. We'd looked at each other and agreed death was better than that fate. Looking at Dimitri now, I had to agree. â€Å"Rose, don't.† I heard true panic in his voice. If he lost me over the edge, I was gone. No Strigoi. No awakening. For me to be turned, he needed to kill me by drinking my blood and then feed blood back to me. If I jumped, the water would kill me, not bloodletting. I would be long dead before he found me in the river. â€Å"Please,† he begged. There was a plaintive note to his voice, one that startled me. It twisted my heart. It reminded me too much of the living Dimitri, the one who wasn't a monster. The one who'd cared for me and loved me, who'd believed in me and made love to me. This Dimitri, the one who was none of those things, took two careful steps forward, then stopped again. â€Å"We need to be together.† â€Å"Why?† I asked softly. The word was carried away on the wind, but he heard. â€Å"Because I want you.† I gave him a sad smile, wondering if we'd meet again in the land of the dead. â€Å"Wrong answer,† I told him. I let go. And he was right there, sprinting out to me with that insane Strigoi speed as I started to fall. He reached out and caught one of my arms, dragging me back onto the railing. Well, half-dragging. Only part of me made it over; the rest still hung out over the river. â€Å"Stop fighting me!† he said, trying to pull on the arm he held. He was in a precarious position himself, straddling the rail as he tried to lean over far enough to get me and actually hold onto me. â€Å"Let go of me!† I yelled back. But he was too strong and managed to haul most of me over the rail, enough so that I wasn't in total danger of falling again. See, here's the thing. In that moment before I let go, I really had been contemplating my death. I'd come to terms with it and accepted it. I also, however, had known Dimitri might do something exactly like this. He was just that fast and that good. That was why I was holding my stake in the hand that was dangling free. I looked him in the eye. â€Å"I will always love you.† Then I plunged the stake into his chest. It wasn't as precise a blow as I would have liked, not with the skilled way he was dodging. I struggled to get the stake in deep enough to his heart, unsure if I could do it from this angle. Then, his struggles stopped. His eyes stared at me, stunned, and his lips parted, almost into a smile, albeit a grisly and pained one. â€Å"That's what I was supposed to say†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he gasped out. Those were his last words. His failed attempt to dodge the stake had made him lose his balance on the edge. The stake's magic made the rest easy, stunning him and his reflexes. Dimitri fell. He nearly took me with him, and I just barely managed to break free of him and cling to the railing. He dropped down into the darkness-down, down into the blackness of the Ob. A moment later he disappeared from sight. I stared down after him, wondering if I would see him in the water if I squinted hard enough. But I didn't. The river was too dark and too far away. Clouds moved back over the moon, and darkness fell over everything again. For a moment, staring down and realizing what I'd just done, I wanted to throw myself in after him, because surely there was no way I could go on living now. You have to. My inner voice was much calmer and more confident than it should have been. The old Dimitri would want you to live. If you really loved him, then you have to go on. With a shaking breath, I climbed over the rail and stood back on the bridge, surprisingly grateful for its security. I didn't know how I would go on living, but I knew that I wanted to. I wasn't going to feel fully safe until I was on solid ground, and with my body falling apart, I began to cross the bridge one step at a time. When I was on the other side, I had a choice. Follow the river or the road? They veered off from each other slightly, but both headed roughly in the direction of the city's lights. I opted for the road. I didn't want to be anywhere near the river. I would not think about what had just happened. I couldn't think about it. My brain refused. Worry about staying alive first. Then worry about how you're going to live. The road, while clearly rural, was flat and packed and made for easy walking-for anyone else. A light rain began falling, which just added insult to injury. I kept wanting to sit and rest, to curl up in a ball and think of nothing else. No, no, no. The light. I had to go toward the light. That almost made me laugh out loud. It was funny, really. Like I was someone having a near-death experience. Then I did laugh. This whole night had been full of near-death experiences. This was the least of them. It was also the last, and as much as I longed for the city, it was too far away. I'm not sure how long I walked before I finally had to stop and sit. Just a minute, I decided. I'd rest for a minute and then keep moving. I had to keep moving. If by some crazy chance I'd missed his heart, Dimitri could be climbing out of the river at any moment. Or other surviving Strigoi could be coming after me from the manor. But I didn't get up in a minute. I think I may have slept, and I honestly don't know how long I'd been sitting there when headlights suddenly spurred me to alertness. A car slowed down and came to a stop. I managed to get to my feet, bracing myself. No Strigoi got out. Instead, an old human man did. He peered at me and said something in Russian. I shook my head and backed up a step. He leaned into the car and said something, and a moment later, an older woman joined him. She looked at me and her eyes widened, face compassionate. She said something gentle-sounding and held out her hand to me, cautious in the way one would be when approaching a feral animal. I stared at her for several heavy seconds and then pointed at the purple horizon. â€Å"Novosibirsk,† I said. She followed my gesture and nodded. â€Å"Novosibirsk.† She pointed to me and then to the car. â€Å"Novosibirsk.† I hesitated a little longer and then let her lead me into the backseat. She took off her coat and laid it over me, and I noticed then that I was soaked from the rain. I had to be a mess after everything I'd been through tonight. It was a wonder they'd even stopped. The old man began driving again, and it occurred to me I could have just gotten in a car with serial killers. But then, how would that be any different from the rest of my night? The mental and physical pain were starting to drag me under, and with my last effort, I wet my lips and choked out another gem from my Russian vocabulary. â€Å"Pazvaneet?† The woman looked back at me in surprise. I wasn't sure if I had the word right. I might have just asked for a pay phone instead of a cell phone-or maybe I'd asked for a giraffe-but hopefully the message came through regardless. A moment later, she reached into her purse and handed me a cell phone. Even in Siberia, everyone was wired. With shaking hands, I dialed the number I now had memorized. A female voice answered. â€Å"Allo.† â€Å"Sydney? This is Rose†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 